#of course. thesis which is the biggest and most important. is due first.

[loving-jack-kelly]

i have 5 final projects due in the next two weeks and three of them are due on the same day lmao. lmao. lmao.

[bigskydreaming]

Alright a noob's question to a veteran fan, when do you think the blatant hatred for Dick started? I've heard from old, 50+ years old fans that he was the best, he was badass, better than Batman A lister. What changed? I know DC can't stand their legacy characters and they've always put abuse in their books, but I want to know about the fandom. When I joined I fell for the Tim Drake Best but Underrated Robin thing until I realized that was polar opposite of the truth. When did That start?

Okay, well it took me forever to get back to this ask and finish like I promised, but I kept my promise, huzzah! Long as fuck theorizing on this topic below:

So here’s the thing. I’ve been fucking around fandoms since the 90s, and I can 100% confirm that Everyone Hates Dick Grayson absolutely was not always a thing. Its a large part of WHY I’m so convinced that modern fandom is just fucking WEIRD about him, because like....I actively have something else to compare it to. I can absolutely remember what Bat fandom was like in regards to him back in the days of the Bludhaven yahoo group and squidge.org and other random URLs that mean absolutely nothing to 99% of you, lolol.

Like, there is very much, distinctly, DEFINITIVELY, a difference in how the majority of fandom views him and interacts with his character now, as opposed to like.....the first decade or so I was in fandoms.

And if I had to trace it back to a specific time period where there was like...an actual, visible sea change....the only thing I can come up with is around the Battle for the Cowl era, the start of the Morrison/Dickbats run. Not so coincidentally, this was the precise time I moved away from Batfam fandom after having pretty consistently being in it for a good ten years by then, BECAUSE there very clearly IMO was this change in how people were writing about Dick all of a sudden.

Like, there had been tensions building towards Dick’s character for awhile, probably ever since Jason’s return because like....in a sense, Dick’s too far removed from say, Tim, to be directly in competition with his character. What I mean is, there’s too little overlap in what people like about Tim and what people like about Dick for them to ever be like...a threat to each other’s fanbases in that respect, and push people to make a choice there. But with Dick and Jason, there’s enough overlap in them and what draws people to them - even just purely in terms of positioning within the Bat franchise, as an older Bat-sibling and former Robin that nevertheless is no longer Robin himself - that like....ever since Jason came back, you could start to see ‘fractures’ in how people viewed Dick. Because now there was another alternative to his character who occupied a similar......not sphere, but perhaps ‘level’ of the Batfamily franchise, and so people kinda started....picking sides, even though no actual sides had to be picked in the first place because its not actually a fucking competition.

And this isn’t to say the view of Dick in fandom and how he’s interacted with is the ‘fault’ of Jason’s return, not at all, just.....this is just me talking analytically, in terms of patterns and causality. Not trying to assign blame here, more just kinda explain the way it appeared to me anyway.

But then things all came to a head in the Battle for the Cowl era, and ignited stuff that had been lurking under the surface in SEVERAL different areas of fandom, and brought into direct conflict long-held assumptions and views and biases that had only never been in conflict before because they didn’t NEED to be in conflict before.

Basically, my Big Thesis about why fandom is the way it is about Dick, is that I feel its not so much that fans of other characters hate him, its that I think many of them RESENT him for very specific things and how those things like....make him a narrative obstacle to the kinds of stories they want to read and write about the Batfam specifically.

With the biggest examples here being Bruce fans, Jason fans and Tim fans.

See, my take is this:

1) I think a lot of Bruce fans resent Dick on some level because he’s actually the biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent view of things. As much as people have always liked to claim and take for granted that Dick is Bruce’s favorite or whatever, the truth is there is a far longer and far more VARIED history of Bruce and Dick being at odds than there is between Bruce and any other of his kids.

Essentially, in order to really sell Bruce as CONSISTENTLY being a good parent, regardless of what canon says or does at times.....DICK is the character you MOST have to rewrite or write around, change or ignore his stories, reframe his past interactions with Bruce in order to make this stick.

I know people are probably going “Umm what about Bruce and Jason though?” But the difference is, Bruce and Dick’s conflicts cover a lot more ground than Bruce and Jason’s. Its not that Bruce and Jason’s clashes aren’t epic and that Bruce’s behavior with Jason in stories like UTRH hasn’t been massively shitty....its that in terms of Bruce and Jason, these things are a lot more....confined, than they are with Bruce and Dick.

Basically, most of the major conflict between Bruce and Jason CAN be rewritten or avoided by simply addressing three or four definitive things: the Garzonas case and aftermath, Bruce’s actions/response in regards to the Joker killing Jason, Jason’s return and his wants and needs in regard to Bruce in UTRH, and Bruce’s view of Jason’s actions and ideology post his return.

None of these are small things by any means. But they are FINITE things. They’re concentrated into specific stories, specific areas of canon....and thus, more easily navigated around by anyone who wants to avoid engaging with these things in the form of Bruce being a shitty parent, and rewrite and reframe Bruce and Jason’s dynamic in the vein of Bruce is a Good Parent.

In contrast, with Dick and Bruce, to rewrite and reframe Bruce and Dick’s OVERALL dynamic in the vein of Bruce is a Good Parent......you’ve got a LOT more ground to cover.

There’s Bruce firing Dick as Robin, there’s Bruce not reaching out to Dick and being content to stay estranged from Dick for all the years they barely interacted, there’s the effect Bruce’s adopting Jason and making him Robin without a word to Dick in advance had on Dick, there’s Bruce still not using the conflict between them over that to make changes in how he interacted with Dick like say adopting him now, there’s Bruce’s actions and behavior towards Dick in the aftermath of Jason’s death, there’s Bruce’s inconsistent appearances in Dick’s stories in all the many times Dick very much needs help or comfort juxtaposed with Dick’s consistent appearances in Bruce’s stories any time he so much as calls him and asks him to show up due to the fact that canon writers can consistently be counted on to prioritize Bruce’s needs as more pressing than Dick’s needs, narratively speaking. There’s Bruce’s clear judgment of Dick in Last Laugh and failure to reach out and help Dick through its aftermath. There’s Bruce’s non-involvement in the extended greatest hits album that is one of the lowest periods of Dick’s life, encompassing Blockbuster, Tarantula and the destruction of Bludhaven, and Bruce’s non-helpful ‘fix’ in the wake of all that, which can be summed up as him yelling “suck it up, buddy.” And in the New 52 you’ve got Bruce’s shitty handling of the Court of Owls revelations and his treating the effect of these revelations on Dick as a total non-issue, there’s the aftermath of Forever Evil, there’s Bruce’s failure to say anything about why Dick went to Spyral even after seeing the effect it had on Dick’s relationships with the rest of his family, there’s the absolute disaster that was his handling of the Ric Grayson situation.....

See what I’m saying? Its not that Bruce doesn’t have plenty of fodder for being a shitty parent in stories with Jason, its just that the times and the ways he is are more isolated and contained, relatively speaking....thus more easily ‘treated’ by anyone who wants to FIX those parts of canon in order to realign it all in the framework of Bruce Wayne Is A Good Parent.

Its nowhere NEAR as easy to do that with Dick when you ACTUALLY engage with the full extent of how shittily Bruce has been written interacting with his eldest over the course of decades....

And so for fans of Bruce who very much WANT Bruce to be a good parent, that’s what they want to read, that’s what they want to write, that’s what they’re HERE for and stuff OUTSIDE that is stuff they (understandably) do not want to engage with....

This makes Dick actively an OBSTACLE to all of that. It makes him a Problem. Dick and his stories and his dynamics with Bruce, in order to truly align with Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, have to EXTENSIVELY be tackled and rewritten and reframed, and this is no easy feat or no small process.

And for fans of Bruce who are here for BRUCE first and foremost, not Dick, and who thus don’t want to and aren’t thrilled to be confronted with a need to PRIORITIZE him and his stories to such a large degree in order to ACTUALLY ‘fix’ canon - which for the record has nothing to do with Dick being more important of a character or anything to do with character preferences whatsoever, but rather is simply symptomatic of the ROLE Dick occupies in Bruce’s life, and is an extension of the fact that in any scenario in which Bruce Wayne Is A Good Parent, Dick, as his son, logically MUST be as much a priority at least some of the time as any other of his kids because THAT’S WHAT A GOOD PARENT DOES, HE MAKES HIS KIDS A PRIORITY.....

Like, its honestly understandable (even if thanks, I hate it) that people who really just WANT to focus on Bruce and his Good Parent-ness and don’t want to be forced into HAVING to make Dick and fixing or rewriting how Bruce has screwed up with him into a priority when writing fic that ultimately, for these fans, is still supposed to be ABOUT Bruce.....like, its not exactly rocket science, grasping how this could easily lead to people being even less keen on the guy, because he complicates so many stories they want to write without remotely being one of the characters they’re inspired to write in the first place.

So I mean, yeah. Dick very much became an object of resentment for a lot of Bruce fans, I think, for that reason specifically, and for the narrative obstacle he innately presents to anyone who just wants to write Good Parent Bruce and doesn’t want to have to write Bruce Actively Fixing His Mistakes With Dick in order to do so.

And again, this is pretty much JUST Dick in this particular role (especially as of the time I’m talking about) because much like how even though Bruce has his fuck-ups with Jason, they’re more finitely contained to specific narratives and TYPES of narratives....the same is true of Bruce’s interactions with his other kids. Yeah, he has his fuck-ups with them too, but again, they’re more isolated, more traceable back to singular sources and stories that are a lot more easily sidestepped and navigated around by anyone who just does not want to engage with Bruce Being a Bad Parent and the EFFECTS this has had on various of his kids throughout their stories as a result.

So you have this thing, about Dick, narratively speaking, not even a matter of character like or dislike. And its been there all along, slowly building story by story....

With it all coming to a head, I feel, in the Battle for the Cowl era, where Bruce is shuffled off-stage for a time, and REPLACED by Dick as Batman.....while at the same time Dick is cast in the same role of surrogate father figure to newcomer Damian, that Bruce was cast in with Dick when he and Dick were of similar ages to Dick and Damian now.

And Bruce was absolutely celebrated for how good he was with Dick back then - and with reason - BUT, I think this period with Dick and Damian, and the stories it told, brought front and center the fact and the awareness that it’d been a LONG TIME since Bruce was so uncritically celebrated for being a Good Parent, and with Dick specifically. And then additionally it made and kept front and center at this exact same time....people celebrating Dick for being a Good Parent (in essence) in much the way that they HADN’T celebrated Bruce for quite some time. And add to that the fact that Dick was doing this WHILE in the role of Batman himself, the same role Bruce had occupied in the parallel situation....so it made all this into a parallel that couldn’t easily be dismissed or discounted by saying things like “well Dick didn’t have the pressures of being Batman to deal with, being a good parent throughout all of this and STAYING that way would have been innately easier because of that.”

And thus....long-simmering resentment of the obstacle alleged favorite son Dick poses to actually writing Bruce Is A Good Parent content without significant revision or ommissions....ignited. With kinda the insult added to injury that now Dick was getting the same kind of praise and attention that these particular fans came to the franchise to see BRUCE be the focus and recipient of, not Dick.

2) At the same time, you have another large segment of fandom by this point, Jason’s fans. Or to be more accurate, you have a select but EXTREMELY vocal subset of Jason’s fans.....

Who come to Jason’s fandom with a very specific angle: they LIKE Jason as the misunderstood outcast of the Batfam, the black sheep alone and apart from the rest of the family who Just Don’t Get Him And Never Will, thus making him eternally sympathetic in this specific regard. But with that specific regard, in order to STAY eternal…..requiring that….nobody in the family gets him or cares or ever has really.

Thus once again, Dick just by the existence of him and his actual past dynamics with Jason, is a narrative obstacle to writing THIS specific narrative.

And so of course it had to be reframed and EMPHASIZED that Dick had always been a jerk to Jason, barely a brother, heck they barely even knew each other apparently - even when Jason came back and one of his first interactions with Dick post-Return was to clearly express that he’d always seen Dick as family, which very much does not mesh the idea that Jason and Dick barely knew each other or barely ever interacted before Jason died.

It also, of course, does not mesh with the idea that there’s nobody in the Batfamily who understands Jason, or is capable of seeing things his way instead of Bruce’s, or who cares enough to avenge him……because Last Laugh very much DOES exist, and puts the lie to all of that. Dick’s not only killed at least once (actually more than just once) and still remained fundamentally the same Dick Grayson he’s always been, but on top of that, it was the very person Jason desperately wanted to see dead as some kind of evidence, some sign that he had MATTERED to his family, that him being taken away from them hurt them enough that they felt driven to DO something about it, beyond the usual toss ‘em and lock ‘em.

Dick actually did that, ‘gave’ Jason what he wanted, and for the very same reasons Jason wanted it, to know that it was because of him, because of the loss of him, because he MATTERED and his absence HURT….and while of course, Dick was never the person Jason most wanted to see do that deed, want to see that evidence from….nonetheless, it very much does remain as significant evidence towards the fact that Jason mattered a great deal to Dick, enough even that having differing beliefs about killing would still be unlikely to ever stand between Dick having some kind of relationship with his returned-from-the-dead brother - because not only was it because of Jason (and Tim as well, admittedly, I’m not trying to gloss over the fact that he was part of the story and part of Dick’s motivation, this is just a matter of topical focus at the moment) not only was it actually BECAUSE of Jason that Dick crossed the line that so often he otherwise rigidly adheres to…it was never that realistic that Dick would judge and condemn Jason for killing, at least not by any narrative that took Last Laugh into consideration.

Because not only has Dick done the same thing himself, and MORE than wanted to do it on many other occasions as well thus he very clearly understands both the temptation and the arguments made for it…..BUT just as significantly IMO, is the AFTERMATH of Last Laugh. Where Dick very clearly was shown wrestling with and being affected by Bruce’s implicit judgment for what he’d done. Meaning not only was Dick never actually likely to condemn or judge Jason….he also is one of a handful of people most able to empathize with being judged or condemned by BRUCE for crossing that line. It never made sense or was realistic that there’d be this great divide between Dick and Jason after his return, that Dick was unable let alone unwilling to try and bridge, even for the sake of spending time with the brother he thought he’d never have a chance to spend time with again. 

(And yeah yeah, its not like he was embracing Jason with open arms in Brothers in Blood, but I maintain that had more to do with Jason’s approach than Dick innately being predisposed to being stand-offish with Jason. Like, when you announce yourself by impersonating your brother and getting him a rep as a manic killer being hunted by the police, instead of just like…ringing the doorbell, its kinda like, well, you may have to shoulder some of the blame here. Not to mention there still was the specter of what Jason had done to Dick’s other little brother Tim, with this still unaddressed between the two as of that time).

So yeah, for the above reasons and many more, Dick once again presents a narrative obstacle to a specific KIND of narrative that happens to be the one a lot of Jason’s fans most want to tell. The one where Jason sticks it to all his uptight family and rides off into the sunset with his NEW family, one that appreciates him and holds him in proper respect and positioning, the one where Jason will always be at least a somewhat tragic figure, forever apart from the family he does still very much love, because THEY can’t reconcile who and what HE is and believes.

Cuz once you take Last Laugh into consideration, AND add in Jason’s own words at the end of Brothers in Blood and the fact that they DIDN’T hate each other back when Jason was Robin, nor was it just one-sided on Dick’s end of things…..well, with all that taken into account, it becomes a lot trickier pulling off the above narrative, doesn’t it? When the in-character behavior of Dick according to THAT characterization of him would never accept any version of events where Jason was cast out for good (and yes, yes, RHATO and Bruce exiling Jason from the city, I know that in the New 52 that’s pretty much exactly what happened and Dick didn’t do anything about it, but he was kinda busy getting shot in the head right around that same time, so, y’know. That cuts into the ability to intervene on Jason’s behalf).

But basically, this is IMO why Last Laugh barely gets acknowledged by a lot of Jason’s fans, even though on the surface, you’d THINK its exactly the kind of story that would appeal to anyone who wanted, well, a story where someone in Jason’s family showed that they actually gave a damn the damn dumb clown still wasn’t dead. Its an in canon story that showcases and even highlights very clearly Jason’s place in that person’s family and memories, and the importance and weight with which he was regarded by that family member. Isn’t that exactly what Jason - and thus by extension his fans - have always wanted?

Well….yes, except it was the wrong family member. To have the weight, the significance that a lot of fans TRULY wanted from that story, from that outcome, it needed to be BRUCE that did it, not Dick. There’s no real place in that particular narrative or dynamic for an older brother who does actually give a damn. Like yeah, its great that Dick cared and all, but when its viewed as being more of an all or nothing situation, like, it has to play out with Bruce in that role and no one else, or it doesn’t count, doesn’t mean ENOUGH…..once again, this positions Dick to be more of a narrative obstacle to a certain (popular) kind of story than a benefit. 

And so Dick has to be repositioned, reframed, rewritten…..to be something and someone writers can actually work with when writing the kind of story where Bruce’s acknowledgment is the only one that ultimately matters. Him being likely to WANT to help and support Jason from an in-character standpoint, simply doesn’t help writers for whom this just becomes an unwanted plot complication that inherently bumps Dick a little higher up the Priority Ladder, because his status as a Rare Ally rather than Yet Another Antagonist pretty much inevitably paves the way for more screentime for his character, and again….he’s just not the character these writers want to write about (and yeah, again, this part is totally understandable), and they’re really just not interested in allotting him that much screentime, let alone a role that could feasibly steal focus at times from Jason, edge the narrative into being more of a co-lead than the single protagonist it was definitively intended to be.

So. Fandom subset number two is equally predisposed to resenting Dick simply for the narrative obstacle he presents to one of their preferred stories to tell - with again, this pretty much taking off right around the Dickbats era, fueled in no small part by Morrison’s shitty take on Jason, which, while I maintain it was Jason that was most out of character in all of that….DOES still very easily play into that take on him, where he’s misunderstood and eternally at odds with his family. 

And which also, I suspect, is why Morrison’s run tends to be weirdly popular with a lot of Jason fans who in most other places are quick to point out earmarks of Jason’s usual characterization that are entirely at odds with Morrison’s take on him, like that he’s extremely against the idea of younger sidekicks in general at this point (especially pre-Reboot), which uh, makes him taking on a younger sidekick a very….Strange Choice.

3) And then lastly we come to Tim, and a lot of his fans’ issues with Dick Grayson - which I think are heightened by a kind of feeling of betrayal that ties in here, and emphasizes the fact that just a year or two prior to Battle for the Cowl, most of these same fans would have sworn they loved Dick’s character and he was a great big brother to Tim.

See, the problem here, I think, lies in the fact that Tim is THE definitive Robin for an entire generation of readers. He’s who they see in the role every time they close their eyes, because he’s who’s always been in the role as far as they’re concerned. Back issues are just that - back issues. They’re about the history of Robin. But in the present, the here and now, for the solid twenty years or so before Battle for the Cowl, for all intents and purposes there really was only one Robin and it was uncontested that it was Tim.

And again, on a lot of levels I totally get this. I’m somewhat similar when it comes to Kyle Rayner and Green Lantern. Kyle was ‘my’ Green Lantern, the one I grew up with, the one starring in the stories that were current and ongoing for me as I aged. I was pissed as hell when they brought Hal Jordan back and he resumed being front and center in the GL franchise…..not because before this I’d had any real strong feelings about Hal one way or the other, outside of how I felt about him in the individual stories he popped up in…..but simply because Hal front and center happens to coincide with the starring GL of the solo title I personally would consider the definitive GL run….like….pretty much getting shoved offstage entirely, most of the time. I get that. It sucks.

Except that’s not QUITE the situation here.

Like the thing is, I do believe that for a lot of fans, Tim IS Robin and Robin IS Tim. That’s how its always been for them, that’s the way they like it, that’s how it should remain until his character is ready to launch into a new persona and identity of his own character’s volition. And its not like it was ever a secret that other Robins came before Tim, and that Dick was actually the creator of the mantle, the guy that all the other later Robins, including Tim, were literally the legacy OF. And its not like Dick wasn’t around in Tim’s stories, and wasn’t a familiar presence to Tim’s fans….its just that for almost twenty years, the WAY Dick appeared in Tim’s stories only added to them. There was no angle from which he took away from Tim’s stories, or the fact that they were Tim’s.

Like yes, he was a reminder that Tim was not the only Robin and never had been, that there were others with just as much claim to the title, if not more……but in a very background way. Not in any way that presented any kind of ‘threat’ to Tim’s actual status as Robin. Dick Grayson’s days as Robin were way in the past, and there was no real likelihood that they were ever going to put him back in that role, so his ‘claim’ to the Robin mantle was never at any point one that potentially contested Tim’s own. It was simply a non-issue. Instead, Dick’s status as the original Robin juxtaposed with his current roles of doting big brother and secondary mentor figure….like, at the time, this actually ADDED to Tim’s own wearing of the mantle. Dick’s presence was less a reminder that he was the one without whom the mantle wouldn’t even exist, and more just a kinda embodiment of the Robin LORE, the fact that Tim’s superhero mantle came with history and the prestige of past accomplishments accomplished by the Robin name, and the gravitas of the dangers and downsides that potentially came with the cape as well. It gave Tim an additional angle that even most of his friends and teammates in various books didn’t have, made him stand out even more. 

And it didn’t hurt that pretty much any time there was a guest appearance from Nightwing in Tim’s stories, he was firmly slotted in the supporting character role, there to help Tim but not overshadow Tim, to support him but not claim credit for Tim’s ultimate victory in any given story’s climax. And there weren’t many occasions when things went in reverse, where it was Tim guest-starring in Dick’s stories and thus him clearly slotted in the supporting character category, the B character role….simply because the older veteran hero needing to call upon his younger, comparatively inexperienced ally just was never as likely - and thus, occurring as often - a story as one where the younger, relatively new hero calls upon his more experienced predecessor for help or even just some advice or someone to listen to whatever was troubling the younger hero at the time.

Thus there’s the additional angle where for almost two decades, Dick Grayson’s presence in a Tim Drake narrative was for one reason and one reason only - to support Tim in whatever endeavor he was in the middle of, and to be what Tim needed, when Tim needed.

But then of course, once again we reach Battle for the Cowl….and all of that gets upended, not even because of Dick making Damian Robin per se, IMO…..to me, its always felt like the bigger issue has always been many of Tim’s fans resenting just….the reminder, the newly centered awareness that no matter how long Tim had been THEIR Robin, he wasn’t the only Robin and never had been….and that supportive, helpful older brother whose presence had previously only added to Tim’s stories and their weight, never threatened anything that was ‘his’ narratively speaking…..not only did he also have a claim to the Robin title, he has literally the biggest claim possible, the one none of the others can match due to the mere fact that they are quite literally HIS legacy characters.

Which, not at all incidentally, is IMO the reason a lot of Tim fans are so vocal about dismissing or minimizing the impression/association of Robin with Dick’s first family. Always quick to emphasize that it being his mother’s nickname for Dick was a later addition to the canon, because it ties Dick to the Robin mantle in a way none of the others ever will be. But of course, like I’ve always maintained…that’s besides the point. Whether or not Dick named himself Robin because it was a cherished nickname, because he was a fan of Robin Hood, or for any other reason, its still equally true that he’s the creator of the mantle, plain and simple. It doesn’t exist without him, it was his aims, his intentions, his DEEDS back when he wore the (clearly circus themed and inspired, no matter what else is said about the name’s origin BUT I DIGRESS) costume originally…..like, those are literally what Robin WAS because they were what Dick created Robin to be. It was only something for others to take up later, let alone to even WANT to take up, with it coming with a weight of history and past heroics that later Robins were proud to embrace….all of that’s only because of what Dick imbued the mantle with in the eyes of the world, not to mention his own successors….via what he DID in the costume, while wearing it, coupled with the fact that there’d never really been anything like him before, a kid kicking bad guy ass alongside the more intimidating specter of his mentor.

Dick being the first Robin isn’t just a matter of linear progression, like its not just a matter of him EXISTING ahead of the others ‘in line,’ so to speak. Rather, being the first Robin is a matter of…..its literally HIM and HIS actions that every later Robin is the LEGACY of. He’s the SOURCE of the legacy. And you can’t really go…’how dare the guy I’m literally part of the legacy of, like, think he has the right to decide what happens with the mantle he and he alone created, long before I ever came along’…I mean….y’know? Boiled down to that, that doesn’t really….work, like its pretty plainly evident why the originator of a legacy mantle would think its his place to be the definitive voice on what’s done with his own damned legacy. Regardless of why he named it what he did and what specific associations the name had for him originally.

But there’s always been a determined focus on kinda…..shifting attention away from the question of who actually DOES have the right to say who wears the Robin mantle and when, because I think there is generally an awareness that like….Dick wasn’t out of line to think that his own damn creation was his to give in the name of adding to their circle of family, the same way as it did twice before. Its not that there’s NO angle from which even Tim’s fans might admit that who created a legacy matters in the question of who gets to decide who carries that legacy next. Its more that like….just the reminder, the newly centered awareness that yes, Tim is not the only claimant to the Robin title and never was, like…I think that grates a lot of people, tbh. 

It may have been something that there was always SOME awareness of, the whole time, but previously it was in a way that was supposed to be ancient history, not something that could ever end up ‘taking away’ something they strongly identified with being Tim’s and Tim’s alone. Especially when the character suddenly exerting a prior or greater claim on that mantle just so happens to be one that a lot of Tim’s longtime fans had long-since internalized as being part of TIM’S supporting cast, not another protagonist in his own right, one whose decisions could have a shaping effect on Tim’s narrative rather than the other way around, the way it felt like ‘its supposed to go.’

And bringing it back to the overlap with the first two fandom impressions I talked about, I think again, yeah, this resulted in a kind of resentment of Dick’s character and the narrative obstacle he presents to…..well, keeping Robin associated with Tim and Tim alone, practically speaking. Its not so much giving Robin to Damian in the first place that’s the problem, its the fact that he COULD. That within the actual canon narrative, this was acknowledged and supported as something that ultimately, Dick did have the right to do whether individual characters liked it or not, and no, that didn’t make him the same as Bruce when he’d taken it from Dick originally (assuming they acknowledge that version of the story at all in the first place).

Because due to the fact that its not something NEW that was introduced to the story that led to Dick being ABLE to do this, but rather just him choosing to exert an option he’d had the entire time and just previously chosen not to use……inevitably, this creates a slight shift in the framing and context of even previously consumed stories. Suddenly Dick’s presence in many of those previous stories ISN’T incidental, because now they couldn’t help but be viewed through the lens of….remembering what had been kinda hand-waved away as inconsequential the entire time Tim was Robin. The fact that ultimately, Tim was only Robin because Dick endorsed him. That if Dick could give Robin to Damian later, then Dick COULD have, by the exact same token, the exact same claim and association with the mantle he’d been the one to create….he could have stuck by his initial stance, which was that Robin died with Jason. 

In all fairness, as I’ve said many times before, this NEVER had anything to do with whether or not Tim became Bruce’s PARTNER, specifically. I’ve never been of the opinion that even Dick’s status as the originator of Robin had nothing to do with who ended up Bruce’s PARTNER after him - that was always going to be between Bruce and that person, and no one else. But whether, as that partner, Tim went by the name Robin….with everything it embodied and signified and carried with it already….that, yes, Dick had always had the option of saying no, I’m not okay with this, I do not give you permission to wear the SPECIFIC mantle I created, what my brother died wearing.

I mean, granted, Bruce and Tim could have done what they wanted anyway, but much like people try and dismiss or invalidate the version of events where Bruce fired Dick as Robin and stripped him of the mantle precisely BECAUSE there’s no real way to go with that version and NOT get that Bruce looks like a douche in it one way or another, simply because that was never his to take….like, same deal here. They could have powered on without Dick’s approval of someone else wearing the Robin costume, but ignoring the wishes of a mantle’s creator, to let it rest given that someone had literally died carrying that very same legacy, HIS legacy….like, that was never going to look good and would have stained pretty much Tim’s entire career as Robin.

So yeah, I think the third corner of this Isosceles of Suck is that I do believe on some level, a lot of Tim fans resent Dick’s character simply for where and in what ways it exists in any and all Robin narratives…..as the one who ultimately CAN NOT be overlooked as inconsequential, because its literally HIS legacy that Tim and all other Robins took PRIDE in embracing. And everything with Damian simply hammered that point home and made it front and center and impossible to avoid confronting, no matter how much a long time fan wanted Robin to belong to and be associated with Tim and Tim only…..with the ironic part being that I truly do GET why this would bug….because again, if you’re here for Tim, if its his stories you want to read and write, if HE’S the one you’re a fan of, and if for whatever reason you just don’t like Dick Grayson all that much even if you don’t actually hate him…..

Yeah, its likely going to lead to resentment if you yourself feel, purely from a narrative standpoint, like….’pressured’ to write Dick being afforded more respect or importance in the other characters’ eyes than you personally feel like writing. But that its hard to avoid or becomes something you actively have to write AROUND any time your own story backs you into a corner where the origins of Robin are directly relevant to the plot, and logistically, and given there’s really no plausible angle from which Tim would have embraced or taken up (let alone taken pride in) a legacy belonging to someone he DIDN’T look up to or view as worthy of respect….like…in this kind of specific plot tangle, it could very easily feel like if you want to keep things feeling in-character, you have no CHOICE but to have Tim talk up or speak positively of a character who, if it were up to you, would never command that kind of respect from Tim, a character you happen to think is just plain better than the one you feel like your story is MAKING you say is so great. Bam. Once again, you got yourself a recipe for Instant Resentment Ramen.

(Again, not at all incidentally, I think the above also has a lot to do with the pretty prevalent trend in Tim-centric stories of having him pretty much ONLY fixate or focus on Jason’s time as Robin, citing him as ‘Tim’s Robin,’ not just as like, a preference but almost to the exclusion of Tim having ever had any kind of interest in, let alone appreciation/respect for, Dick’s version of Robin before Jason stepped into the role. A lot of people would rather the respect/admiration that would normally be afforded by any legacy hero to the person whose legacy they’ve chosen to carry, like, go solely to Jason instead of Dick, just because they like him better and would rather Tim was just his successor, no one else’s.)

And with all three of these angles/elements coming to a head at the exact same place and time in the comic books and fandom……it IMO created kinda the perfect storm right around the Dickbats era, where suddenly all these totally disparate sections of fandom all felt weirdly in agreement on one thing and one thing only….Dick Grayson was really just kinda bugging them, and what’s so great about that dude anyway?

And from there I think they all kinda just fed into each other and grew exponentially, with the individual ‘workarounds’ used by each other characters’ fans to get around the narrative obstacle that Dick represented, like…..I think these all became so prevalent and widespread throughout fandom because even these totally separate corners of fandom that had very little else they agreed on, were more than happy to take each other’s ‘rewrite’ of Dick and his place/depiction in the overall narratives and canon and just run with it….because not at all coincidentally, each other ‘group’s’ revisionist take on Dick Grayson made their own even easier to sell within their own stories. And thus you also ended up with correlating trends like Jason and Tim being besties and bonding over their resentment of Dick, because why not, both their fanon narratives now predominantly shared the same deliberately unappealing depictions of their eldest brother.

With the New 52 and post-reboot storylines then doing absolutely NOTHING to negate or derail all of the above, but rather just reinforcing all of it. Because as Bruce kept being written behaving worse and worse with his children, including Dick, it only added to and expanded upon the problems Bruce’s fans already have with Dick’s character, even if just in terms of how big a plot/characterization obstacle he presents for the stories they want to write. 

Just as the way Lobdell wrote Jason equally fed into and built upon the issues a lot of Jason’s fans have with Dick’s character and the tangle he creates for a number of stories. And then with the frequent conflicts over how two of the characters Dick’s historically been closest with had been practically cut and pasted from Dick’s stories and history into Jason’s stories and history instead, like, that just threw more fuel on the fire, particularly when it happened to ignite defensiveness among fans of the Roy/Jason/Kory trio who additionally resented having to defend their usage/embrace of a trio that canon threw together, not them, that they just happened to like. And that in turn hardly making them any less predisposed to resenting how complicated Dick’s character makes things for certain key narratives. 

And then lastly, DC’s just complete and total fuckery with Tim’s character in the New 52 as a whole, but specifically in his issues with trying out various personas post-Robin but never finding/creating anything with a truly firm sense of its own identity, the way Dick has Nightwing and Jason has Red Hood, and thus give fans of both characters no REASON to mourn the loss of Robin or wish for them to go back to it….whereas without ever settling into something similar, that was both strongly and uniquely Tim Drake in premise and execution, there was no reason for his fans NOT to begrudge the loss of the Robin mantle and wish for him to go back to it/to have never left it, at least not until he’d found that other persona to actually ‘graduate’ into.

Phew. *wipes brow*

Anyway, that’s my big theory on why fandom as a whole is the way it is about Dick’s canon vs fanon. Am I right? Probably not completely, and even if I am its not like this is universal or that there aren’t other reasons for why fans engage with Dick’s character in the ways they do, including but not limited to “I just don’t like the guy, so what.” And its not like there’s any way to know for sure, or to get a sense of how much of fandom this theory IS on the right track with, at least in some ways. But overall, I do think there’s at least some of the above present in various ‘parts’ of fandom or with various specific fanon trends. *Shrugs* YMMV though.

[prismatales]

Comfort

All my love and gratitude goes to @sugacookiies, @pixxiesdust and @hawks-senseis for beta-reading this, you guys were some of the greatest help I've ever had! ❤

Pairings: Bakudeku x Reader

Warning: Tw:Depression, Tw:Suicidal thoughts, angst, fluff and comfort.

Fingertips slam a frantic yet steady pace against the keyboard, your eyes go back and forth between each paragraph with a growing sense of panic. All your senses are running on nothing more but pure anxiety and stress, not even the thought of eating something crosses your mind as the one and only thing to worry about seems to be this specific assignment.

Neither of them can remember the last time they saw you in another spot of the house that wasn't that chair before the computer, sure sometimes you take a break to go to the bathroom, but sleeping? That word doesn't seem to have a meaning in your vocabulary.

Except for that one time you fell asleep on the couch for less than 30 minutes before startling yourself awake and jumping away from the plush cushion to keep working.

Both Midoriya and Bakugo knew how important it was to complete your thesis, but was it worth it when your health and body is on the edge of giving up? They both know how badly this kind of routine can end up affecting your health.

The last time you got this stressed it ended up fucking up your stomach all the way from the esophagus to the intestines. The whole digestive system was so affected it started to feel like your stomach was literally burning itself into nothingness from the gastritis you developed. You had to get treatment for two whole weeks, which was right before your high school finals, and it was one of the worst experiences you've ever had to go through.

There's a reason a huge portion of people going through College ends up feeling dead on the inside, the overwhelming amounts of work, spending so much time in the library one could literally claim they live there, assignments and impossible amounts of field work, all of that could be more than enough things happening at the same time to cause plenty of people to go insane. And if that was bad enough, preparing your Thesis was like one of the deadliest of trials.

Just from the look on your face, it was obvious you're starting to develop another health trouble just like that time, the tips of your fingers start pressing right on the spot above your stomach with a face full of discomfort.

Deku's the first one to see that and in less than five minutes he's already outside on his way to get some medicine, he doesn't think twice about using One for All to go faster. 

Everyone in the apartment was more than used to hear mumbling during the day, courtesy of your beloved Deku, but not even Bakugo was prepared to hear you of all people mumbling such dark things the very next day, when the stress began taking a harder toll. He could hear every single word loud and clear even when he's standing near the kitchen counters at the other side of the house.

"Why do I even bother?...It's not like anything I do even matters..." He can hear the the long sigh followed by more self hatred while he's stirring the noodles for dinner. "Sometimes I wonder if people would even notice that I'm gone...hahaha...I wanna die"

"...! That's it!" The wooden spoon gets slammed roughly against the marble counter, searching through his pocket Bakugo pulls out his phone to text Deku, who's already on his way home from patrol.

It takes less than an hour for the two of them to be there right besides you trying their best to comfort their shaking and panicked S/O, it makes them feel useless seeing how much you're struggling to hold on to the remains of your mental stability.

And when they hear the next course of muttering they know things are just about to get worse unless they do something about it.

"I can't do this anymore...I just can't," The tiny voice coming out of your mouth was heartbreaking. Your whole body is trembling uncontrollably as Midoriya walks up behind the chair, he lifts your whole body so he can take you to the bedroom, that way you could finally get some well deserved rest and calm down, in the meanwhile Bakugo goes back into the kitchen to fetch you something to drink.

Their dynamic was simple and yet effective, most of the time Izuku tends to be the one calming both of you through words, if that's not enough to help he's trying to find another solution to the problem through physical actions. Katsuki on the other hand tends to prefer being the one letting his actions speak for themselves first, even through the smallest of gestures he's always looking out for the both of you, in a reverse context to Deku, when his actions are not enough he's trying to make an effort to comfort you with his words.

Everything came crashing down inside your head like a landslide in the middle of a storm, bringing chaos and despair from every direction. It's easy to recognize the signs of your depression kicking in due to all the work piling up at once, and they're aware you're one of the most dedicated and passionate persons when it comes to your studies.

Midoriya tried to lay you down into the soft mattress and walk away to get that blanket they bought specifically for this type of occasion, but his shirt is quickly clutched into a tight grip, the broken sobs are barely audible to someone not paying enough attention have him on high alert as he realizes you've already started crying.

He has no other choice but to ignore his quest for the blankets and sits back on the bed. His back rests against the headboard while you're laying on your side, face resting softly against his well-toned chest, your body surrounded by his own arms that hold your shaking body against his with the hope that it can help you relax.

Bakugo comes into the room shortly after, carrying your favorite cup steaming with some nice and warm drink, your favorite judging by the glorious smell coming out of the cup in small puffs.

He carefully passes the cup to the green haired man sitting in bed before walking to the corner of the room and towards a dark gray, medium sized basket where the additional blankets are kept, rummaging through the furniture he finds one of the biggest, fluffiest and softest blanket of them all before walking back towards the bed. 

It takes you awhile to process what's actually happening because of the storm running through your head. But eventually, between the reassuring words and sweet whispering, the shaking and the crying slowly, but very slowly starts toning down until nothing but a small whimper can be heard every now and then through your bedroom. 

In less than a few minutes you've already been wrapped in that beloved blanket while resting between two warm and fit bodies, leaning back against the headboard with a comforting drink in hand.

"Are you feeling any better?" Izuku's voice is soft and sweet, just in case there's something still bothering your mind, at the same time one of Katsuki's hands is busy rubbing circles in the section between your shoulders in a steady rhythm, the feeling of his calloused and scarred hand touching that portion of skin helps relaxing your exhausted self at an almost exaggerated level. The last thing they want is for you to have another breakdown.

You want to reply but your mouth quickly opens and closes, so all you can manage to do is give them a soft nod in response, too tired to even try and talk to your sweet boyfriends. 

Sometimes the negative thoughts come during these kinds of moments to try and bring torment. It makes you wonder if one day they'll get tired of this and leave after realizing you're nothing more than a hindrance.

"Don't even think about it, Dumbass," Katsuki growls from his spot at your left side "I recognize that look on your face when I see it, you think you're worthless don't you?" That hand behind you makes its way to your shoulder, pulling your whole body towards him and positioning you in a way that makes your head rest on top of his well toned shoulders. For someone who's body is so nicely sculpted, the place where your head lays is one of the most comfortable places where somebody could rest.

"You are one of the strongest people I've ever met. You've always been someone who rarely allows small shit like this get the best of them" Katsuki's hand had long ago left your back to run his fingers through your hair, the friction against your locks of hair and scalp has a soothing effect that relaxes everything from your whole body to your mind.

A small tear manages to escape, but this time is out of relief and happiness for literally having two of the most wonderful lovers by your sides. The exhausted smile that spreads over your face sends the both of them into a state of relief.

"What did I do to deserve you both?" 

Deku lets out a soft laughter while Katsuki just smirks in satisfaction.

"Existing." 

MASTERLIST

@t-amajiki @undead0relived @shoobirino @bnha-ra @godtieruwu @mysticalite @bnhabookclub @gallickingun @unbreakableeiji @savagetrickster

[script-a-world]

Clearly there are some settings which make no sense scientifically. But how do I decide when to intentionally ignore reality, can't bother to do research, don't understand research, and thus create scientifically impossible places? When are such things considered be offensive or overused cliche or have a reader point out the impossibility and can't get into the story? I'm guessing some of this might be structural issues instead of world building?

Tex: One of the perils of attempting to write about highly technical subjects is that you run into the issue of not understanding your writing. I do raise a nominal objection as your first sentence, because sensibility is a sliding scale based on one’s familiarity with a given subject. I don’t know crap about, say, textile art (however much I might have bluffed readers in the past - no, no, this is just good googling skills on my end), but that doesn’t mean the textile arts are an inherently incomprehensible subject.

Scientifically, automobiles were once thought to be insensible. Scientifically, phones were thought to be a flight of fancy. Scientifically, 3D printing was improbable. Scientifically, quantum computing was the stuff of sci-fi nerds who just wanted to slap the “quantum” label on everything.

And yet we are now on the verge of robotic vehicles, mostly functional smartwatches, laser printing cells (PDF), and quantum computers (VentureBeat, IBM).

So I would argue that the insensibility of a setting would be due mostly to, yes, a structural issue - on the part of the author. No matter what you put into your world, internal consistency is key; nothing, no matter how ostensibly outlandish, will make sense if you contradict yourself.

I’ll volley a few questions back to you:

“[...] when to intentionally ignore reality” - Are you ignoring reality entirely, or just parts of it? Why? How does that decision benefit your world? How does it detract from your world?

“Can’t bother to do research” - Is it because you are discouraged by the breadth of your comprehension of a subject, compared to the subject’s depth? Or is it because of something else?

“Don’t understand research” - Is this because you don’t understand the academic papers that turn up in your search results, or because you have a fundamental lack of or misunderstanding of the given subject? Or is it because of something else?

“When are such things considered to be offensive or overused cliche” - As someone who intentionally arranges their studying around the plausibilities of the future, I would quite frankly be delighted to see more conceptual stretches of the imagination in this regard, as do many others on this blog, and beyond it. Why have you already passed judgement on the offensiveness or clichéd-ness of incorporating scientific things? Is this related to your other comments?

“[...] or have a reader point out the impossibility and can’t get into the story?” - If you are writing to please a specific individual or demographic, you are inevitably always going to fall short, because it’s genuinely impossible to meet every single item on a group’s wishlist without devoting your life to it (not an entirely worthy pursuit, in my opinion, but alas). What made you decide to be so concerned over the potential reaction to your stories that you worry about it before the story is even written?

I think I will put the majority of my curiosity’s weight on the last bullet point, as I’m seeing similar themes with the other portions of your question. It’s a fruitless endeavour to tie yourself into knots over a possible (not necessarily probable!) reaction - and quite likely from a stranger, to boot. Education is a relatively easy situation to fix, so long as you’re patient with yourself; dealing with anxieties over readers is… not so easy.

I can really only recommend that you take a close look at the goals of your worldbuilding, and see where you contradict yourself - once you have that in hand, it’s a relatively simple yes/no process of what concepts you want to keep. If the issue of decision comes from a lack of understanding, then make a note to yourself to seek out either the million wikis we Pylons utilize ourselves like any other worldbuilder, or to chalk it up as a genuine lack of context.

Please understand that even someone who’s dedicated their life to a certain aspect of science won’t know everything about it - that’s the point of research! We’re constantly asking ourselves questions, and pushing the envelope of known boundaries. Star Wars has lightsabers, but we don’t need to know how they work; likewise with holodecks in Star Trek. So long as an audience is reasonably entertained with the least amount of head-scratching, you can get away with handwaving quite a lot.

Lockea: On a scale between Star Trek and Star Wars, how “hard” is your science fiction?

I mention that mostly to illustrate that science fiction exists on a continuum, wherein science fiction with more “science” than “fiction” drives a story towards the harder end rather than the softer end. Also, a story’s place on the continuum will change based on what we know and understand about science.

I feel like everyone always beats me to saying all the important stuff about questions, so I’ll just give a few thoughts from my personal experience as a science fiction fan with two engineering degrees and a thesis about robots on the moon (yes really, I wrote my thesis on AI for moon robots). I really, really, love the creativity of science fiction writers. I think so often in defending the genre, we can get caught up in saying things like “science fiction predicted XYZ!” Well, sure, I may have studied Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics in my introduction to engineering ethics course, but I was also greedily reading my way through “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins at the same time. The fact that I sincerely doubt Panem will ever happen didn’t dampen my enjoyment of Katniss’s story. It was a fun read and it gave my friends and I something to talk about that wasn’t “feasibility of Battlestar Galactica” during our daily lunches.

The thing about writing science fiction is that, without a doubt, there will be someone who knows more than you about a topic who reads your story. Most of the time, I end up being that someone since everyone likes to talk about Skynet and robots taking over the world to a roboticist who sincerely refers to artificial intelligence as artificial stupidity. Y'all are seriously overestimating the field, my friends. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” even as I thought how impossible Project Insight would be. Honestly, something every READER of science fiction needs to make peace with is the fact that writers will get something wrong. Writers, despite their best efforts, are not always going to understand that a facial recognition algorithm will fail if you introduce tiny amounts of random noise and are thus going to treat The Algorithm™ as infallible in your crime drama novel.

It’s not the writer’s fault, though.

That deserves to be on its own line. It is not YOUR fault if you get something wrong. Would it be nice if science literacy was just better all around? Of course! But it’s not your fault if your science literacy isn’t up to snuff enough to parse the article I cited above. It’s also not your job. Your job as the writer is to tell the most interesting story you can and to maintain your own internal rules and logic such that the reader never breaks the willing suspension of disbelief.

I watch Star Wars and get really into the light saber fight scenes and forget that light sabers are basically impossible to make. Star Wars has the Force, which is basically magic, and that’s okay. Really. I KNOW it’s not possible, but I still have a lot of fun watching it!

So yeah, write that story about how the robots are going to take over the world. I’ll probably enjoy reading it even as I laugh off my friends telling me that I will be the first to die in the robot apocalypse (of course I will -- I have five robots in my living room alone).

Constablewrites: Tone and consistency are the biggest pieces of this for me. If it’s the kind of story where the answer to “How does this work?” is usually a detailed and plausible explanation, then getting an answer later that is implausible or slapdash will stand out more. But if it’s the kind of story where the answer to “How does this work?” is “You push that button and it goes whoosh” from the start, my expectations adjust accordingly. (It’s possible to have the latter version in a story that is mostly the former, frequently when it’s played for last. Again, tone is key.)

So yeah, a lot of this is execution and the way the story sticks to the rules it sets for itself, and also how central the implausibility is to the story. A realistic thriller that relies on cartoon logic for a background bit might be a little jarring, but not nearly as much as a realistic thriller that relies on cartoon logic to set up its main showdown. The more central it is to the story, the more consistency and accuracy matters. Learning how to balance this can take some practice and some insight from beta readers.

[ramrodd]

David Pawson - The Gospel of Mark - Unlocking the bible

COMMENTARY:

@Calvin Bonner  Could you please relay the information you compiled to arrive at these assertions. Your hypotheses were well constructed and your reasoning is sound.

Tom Wilson  In 1990, I was teaching Sunday School to High Shcool students and the superintendent said something at Easter that I later found out originated with the Eastern Orthodox Church to the effect that Jesus had to die in order be Resurrection and it stopped me cold,

I decided that I needed to gain a deeper command of the Bible as a matter of due diligence and started with William Barclay's commentaries on them, starting with Matthew. When I got to Mark, the next in the series, I had an ephiphany reading the forward that Cornelius was the author. It just came into my mind, unbidden, and I knew I had to provide a lot more evidence to support the premise before I could take it public,

I was an English major in college and had several courses in the literature of the Bible, so I never came close to the apologetics of solo scriptura, which, in its present form, is, like Luther's commentaries, forensic in nature and a product of the Marxist dialectic historic deconstruction that became popular during the 6l0s. But it was apparent to me immediately that the Gospel According to Mark begins when Jesus appears above the Roman military horizon as a potential insurgent and the rest I've pieced together, bit by bit, over the years, the most important obstacle, as it turns out, being the structures of the Roman military.

My eye sight is such that I cannot read comfortably any long and, starting in 2012, began depending upon YouTube videos, such as Pawson, to provide context separate from the doctrine that it may be embedded in. Bruce Gore's extensive commentaries have been particularly useful because he is Presbyterian and my early church life was Presbyterian. I have his Historical and Chronological Context of the Bible (which he also presents as a video series) that is invaluable.

The thing is, I am an Army brat and a combat veteran and the narrative of Mark, in particular, falls stylistically into the genre of military journalism and history. And it would have been due diligence on the Roman's part to pay attention to this remarkable event. They had absolutely no expectation of resurrection and I can guarantee, from experience, that something like that would have gone through the legions like grass through a goose. It's just the way soldiers spend their time,

Now, for example, from Bruce Gore's series on the historical context of Revelation, I learned that Tertullian had a citation from the Roman archives that Tiberius had proposed elevating Jesus as a legal diety from intelligence he had received from Palestine (Apology V) and that, in his presentation to the Senate, he introduced the nomenclature "Christian" to Rome by 36 but it doesn't show up in Acts until 43 in Antioch, which had a very cosmopolitan population and routine trade with Rome. "Christian" is the sort of label soldiers give to indigenous populations in the way we called Vietnamese terrorists "Charlie". This indicates to me that a Roman portfolio around this whole Resurrection business had been developing Before Cornelius debriefed Peter in 40 and, of course, that portfolio is Quelle.

So, that's the way my defense of the premise that Cornelius is the author of Mark has come together: bits and pieces here and there, over the years. Another example is an on-line course I took from N.T. Wright on Acts when I first encountered Acts 24:22 "Then Felix, who was well informed about the Way...". Well, of course he was, because the Romans had at least as formidable an intelligence service as MI6 and, to a lesser extent, the CIA. Both PIlate and Cornelius were creatures of the Praetorian Guards, Pilate on the same career path as Julius Caesar and Cornelius a centurion at the apex of his career in Rome but seconded to Palestine as Pilate's administrative Chief of Staff with an eye to retiring in the Galillee.

But Felix was not part of the Roman Christian Cabal inside the Praetorian Guard that both Pilate and Cornelius reported to, represented by Theophilus.

For simplicity's sake, I assume Luke began writing Acts as an amicus brief to support Paul's defense in Rome and that he relied, initially, on journals he would have routinely maintained beginning around 50, but that everything that he relates before that date is based on interviews and research he does while Paul is imprisoned in Caesarea, when the Jerusalem church, in particular Peter, introduces him to Cornelius and Cornelius makes Q available to him, along with the Gospels of Mark and Matthew (I also assume that the Gospel of Peter reflects the contents of the intelligence report that was forwarded to Tiberius that Tertullian cites and Cornelius provides Peter this version of events from essentially Roman sources)(it's important to recognize that the Christian narrative begins to reflect Roman Standard Time after Acts 10, which occurs in 39 or 40. The Gospel of Mark is rigidly  compliant to a Roman chronology, but very compressed. It is my thesis that the Gospel of John was written by John Mark as a memoir from his experience with Jesus between his 12th birthday sometime around the festival of Tabernacles in 26 and the Passover in 30, when he was 15. The narratives of Mark and John coincide in Chapter 6 before the Passover in 29 and converge on Palm Sunday in Chapter 11 of both books: Lazarus is raised from the dead the evening after the Triumphal Entry)

Now, I've also reviewed skeptics and anti-theists such as Ken Humphries and Richard Carrier, who skoff at the notion of Jesus, and Bart Ehrman, who I hold in contempt because he became Born again to be popular in high school and has become apostate to be popular as a college professor (and in solidarity with Dale Martin, a gay episcopalian who teaches a Yale Couse on line I have found very useful). Again, little bits and pieces fall out of their research that fills in blanks I can't find elsewhere.

I also review the videos of Henry Abramsom and Lawrence Troster who proved an essential Jewish perspective on the period and people, particularly in regards to Joesephus and Paul.

The thing is, Christianity ceased to be a Jewish celebration when He died and became the future of Rome with Resurrection. There is on doubt in my mind that both sides of the battle of Milvian Bridge was predominately Christian (a proposition Tertullian reflects) and Constantine's adoption of ΧΡ became a determining Force Mulitiplier for his soldiers and destroyed the morale of the opposing soldiers. And, just for the record, the collapse of the Roman Empire began when Constantine disbanded the Praetorian Guard, which had represented the executive functions of the republic for 1000 years, horizontally, and the decadent verticle structures of what became the Vatican and theocracy replaced it.

Anyway, this illustrates the nature of my sources and the evolution of my defense of the premise that Cornelius was the author of the Gospel According to Mark. In 2012, David Pawson became one of my first resources and once you strip away his Scots predestination, he is a valuable source of both hard fact and important historical trivia.

The biggest obstacle I have is to overcome the conventional wisdom that Mark was written after Paul's epistles had been circulating: it's a political issue of Evangelicals because they want Paul to represent primacy of doctrine and, in essence, that Paul sold Rome on Christianity.

The fact is, the Romans bought into Christianity whole hog with Resurrection, but they didn't have any idea what it was they had encountered except that it was big medicine. The important thing that Paul brought Rome was the Christian ethic contained in Romans 13:1 - 7, which endorses the secular rule of law of Rome.  The first 18 books of the canon, the 4 Gospels, Acts and Paul's 13 letters, represent field research in the manner of military evaluation and Hebrews is the finding that becomes the manifesto of the Roman Catholic Church leading to Nicea. I believe that Theophilus is the author of Hebrews and he played a similar role as John LeCarre's George Smiley as the case officer.

I'll leave it there except that it is obvious that the codex is a Roman innovation. The Roman intelligence services kept their spy reports on loose leaf papryus and transmitted lengthy reports comprised of raw intelligence from the field by individual sheets bound on one edge for expediency. And the rough coine Greek of Mark reflects the verbatum reports acquired from the spy networks. And my guess is, Mark was originally written in Latin.

Thanks for your interest.

[trek-tracks]

Tony-winning actress, writer, and humanitarian Phyllis Newman passed away today.

I worked - almost lived, basically - in Phyllis’ astonishing apartment in the Beresford, which shared a floor with Jerry Seinfeld’s and overlooked Central Park West, for a year in 2009-2010, doing an internship to accompany my MFA thesis at Columbia. The internship was a dream come true - they needed someone with archival experience and a passion for musical theatre to organize half a century of notes, photos, cards, and memorabilia, stuffed into every crack of the two floors. I remember essentially telling everyone else in my year to “back off” - this was mine.

Phyllis was married to the late Adolph Green, of The Revuers (with Judy Holliday) and Comden and Green, for decades. If Green sounds familiar, it’s because of the book to Singin’ in the Rain, and the lyrics/books for shows like On the Town (with its famous tune about the Bronx being up and the Battery down), Wonderful Town, The Will Rogers Follies, On the Twentieth Century, and many more. About the understudy role for Holliday in Bells are Ringing, Phyllis used to joke that it was the only time sleeping with the writer made it harder to get the part. She won the 1962 Tony for her featured actress turn in Comden and Green’s Subways Are For Sleeping as Martha Vail, with her memorable song “I Was a Shoo-In.” Apparently she was, because she beat Barbara Streisand that year.

Phyllis was a regular guest on talk shows, such as the Tonight Show (she told me she was the first woman to guest host it), and game shows like What’s My Line, due to her sparkling wit and sunny personality. She beat breast cancer and wrote a fantastic book about it, called Just in Time. She worked on all sorts of fascinating shows, including a vehicle called The Madwoman of Central Park West. Just about every star from the 1940s-1970s and beyond was her friend; they all sent cards and telegrams, and attended parties at her apartment. And it was my job to organize it all. (She was still giving those when I worked there - if I had known there was going to be a party with Alec Baldwin for The Actors Fund one day, I would have done better than wearing my casual, dusty archivist clothes to work. I think I was more presentable the day Glenn Close showed up.)

I went through hilarious cards from Stephen Sondheim (one, a Peanuts card featuring Snoopy, had “Happy Birthday” crossed out and “Fuck Off!” penciled in its place), and telegrams from Frank Sinatra, and photo after photo after photo of Carson and Comden, Bernstein and Bacall. My favourite thing was a picture of Groucho Marx, signed “To Phyllis - NOT Betty or Adolph.” My biggest shock was an original composition by Leonard Bernstein - in his own writing - possibly never copied, given as a gift to Phyllis and Adolph for their wedding, just sitting in a desk drawer. I almost had a heart attack carrying one of their original wedding photos, taken by Richard Avedon, to Kinko's to make a scan.

“There’s something about working in an apartment that’s suffused in glamour that makes even the most mundane tasks seem magical,” I wrote, back in 2009. “Knowing that probably half the stars of the past 50 years (and probably a larger percentage of theatre-makers) have partied here, worked here, generated ideas here for the classics of the stage makes every ride up in the elevator, every interaction, every rummage through dusty drawers contain some measure of awe…The apartment preserves a time when celebrity had that mid-century golden sheen of class. Its drawers are filled with original memorabilia of the coolest things imaginable, that its occupants haven’t seen in decades.”

“There’s a wonderful telegram, for the opening of Subways Are For Sleeping, or maybe Moonbirds, where a young Stephen Sondheim tells Phyllis that he’s more excited for her than she is. In a way, that’s what I’m doing - going through this world of my dreams that will never exist again; being more excited for Phyllis than she is, because she’s lived it. Though she is clearly super excited when I find things like photos from a forty-year-old production she hasn’t seen since they were taken, or her birth announcement (I love talking with her), she is still busy all the time - the Tony people call, or she’s organizing another evening of exciting benefit performances to fund health care for uninsured female artists. I am making files of Important Things, cataloging lives of wonder, lives more exciting that mine will ever be, with datebooks filled with soirees and names and numbers of modern gods…Maybe the golden veneer that shimmers all around this place will rub off on me one day. It could happen.”

I created file after file, and enormous finding guides of these treasure troves. She once told me that I was more than earning any of the credits Columbia was giving me for the internship. I definitely saw it the other way around - I was getting more out of my time spent in her world than any sort of school credit or monetary remuneration could possibly encompass. I was finding material for the publication of The Comden and Green Songbook. I was scanning photos and sending them to James Lapine for Sondheim on Sondheim, and finding the very best headshots to be approved by her to accompany press releases. I was helping her with her new websites, and her guest-blogging for Playbill, in which she was very kind to me:

“I have never thrown away anything in my entire life. Have you?” she wrote.

“I mean nothing….menus, invitations, notes, tickets, programs, (PLAYBILLS, of course). Clippings, diaries, notebooks, photos by the thousands, lists and more lists, clothes I’ll fit back into when I lose 542 pounds, hats, scarves, multi-colored boas, crayolas, old arrangements from nightclub days….I just stuffed everything into any available opening. But into this madness came a skilled archivist who is changing my life. She comes in four days a week. She has organized and unearthed amid the boas and rhinestones, some pretty interesting memorabilia of two lives whose passion was every aspect of The Arts.”

I was thrilled when she won the inaugural humanitarian Tony, the Isabelle Stevenson Award, for her work with the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative (or PNWHI - Pin-Wee, she'd say), which sought to provide funds for female actresses and artists who did not have health coverage, due to the precarious nature of the industry. I was enraged when her award was not shown on the Tony broadcast - what, after all, was more important than this?

Most of all, I got to spend time with the woman herself - never as much as I wanted, as her health was not ideal, but she was still a powerhouse. She was brilliant and self-deprecating at the same time. She would pin you with the sharpest look and say something wickedly funny. One day, for the life of me, I had no idea who some person in a picture was (I think it wound up being Andre Gregory, but I hadn’t seen My Dinner With Andre), and she didn’t either. “Sidney will know,” she said. “Oh?” I responded, uncomprehendingly. “I’ll call him, you describe it…Hi, Sidney,” she said, and suddenly, as she explained our predicament and handed the phone to me, I realized that I was on the phone with legendary director Sidney Lumet, a long-time family friend who lived just upstairs, with absolutely no preparation as to how to handle it. I think Phyllis found my reaction very funny; I just lived through it. “Sidney” died in 2011.

She told me to speak up for what I believed in, and to continue to write and follow my passions. She was incredibly supportive of female artists. I hope what I do today continues to honour her.

One day, a life-sized leg made of chocolate, saying “break a leg!” to celebrate her Isabelle Stevenson Tony win, appeared at the apartment. I thought it was a piece of statuary until it started to melt in the sun, and until a fellow staffer in the kitchen took a cleaver to it and handed me the foot to take home.

Never say that Phyllis didn’t let me get a foot in the door.

Working for Phyllis was like a dream. She was a legend, not only for her many, many amazing achievements, but for the era she represented. She was one of the last from that era, having been so young when she married Adolph - whom she always spoke about with so much love it was physically palpable. I was absolutely blessed to spend a moment in time - just in time - with her, and I’m so sorry that she’s gone. She changed my life a lot, and I can only hope that I helped her life a little.

Thank you, Phyllis. Rest in Peace.

[bhcndari-a]

𝚃𝙰𝚂𝙺  𝙾𝙽𝙴,  𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝙼𝙴.  𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙲𝙺  𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴  𝙵𝙾𝚁  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙵𝚄𝙻𝙻  𝚃𝙰𝚂𝙺.

*✧･ﾟ:* ALLIA BHANDARI! —— 𝙻𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂, 𝙲𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚁𝙰, 𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽. Born into the household of a very strict environment, the doe eyed baby was expected to be perfect. The girl was often referred to as a ‘miracle child’, given the fact that she almost hadn’t made it, being born a couple of months earlier than her scheduled due date. She was a preemie, otherwise known as a premature baby; one who was born before 37 weeks gestation. Her father always chuckled and made jokes about her, his thesis was that ‘she couldn’t handle not being in the spotlight any longer’, which made a lot of sense given her character traits and ambitions.

Growing up, the small girl was told that family meant everything to her, and at that age, she took that to heart. She valued her mother, she respected her father, and being the ONLY girl in the house among her older brother was quite the challenge. It had it’s perks, as well as it’s downfalls. Especially when Sav was always on his best behavior around their parents, but being the only girl child in the house didn’t have a big effect on her. This wasn’t one of those cliche stories. She wasn’t a tomboy. She didn’t deal with scrapes and cuts. she didn’t learn how to be brave, and how to fight. instead, with a flip of her hair and a scoff to her lips, she remained to be the ‘unbreakable’.

The girl was told that she could be anything she wanted to be, and boy, she didn’t take that information lightly. She figured that she could take on the whole world if she wanted to. She was daddy’s little princess, and she was her mother’s pride and joy, well next to Savtaj of course. Nevertheless, the girl was spoiled rotten. With her trips to work with her father, she learned a bit about business, how to boss people around and make orders. On her ‘lady lessons’ with her mother, she learned to be respectful, and that INTELLIGENCE is everything. Without it, you’re pretty much a lost cause.

Then there was her aunt Samira, the sister of her mother. She didn’t have the best label, and her father resented her. Often claiming that she was only around to corrupt and mess with Allia’s head. Tricia didn’t enjoy the thought of her sister always being around her “oh so special daughter with so much potential”, but she allowed it. Unknowing to her and Yaser, Samira taught the girl how to be HERSELF, and that was her most memorable and favorite lesson. Her most memorable line was, “your parents will expect too much out of you, they will expect you to be something you’re not. But baby doll, please promise that you will do the things you want in life” to which she gave her word.

Her mother always took the girl along with her, when she wasn’t working of course, to check out the new and improved broadway shows. She claimed that it calmed her down, and esmerelda, without much say, went along with it. at the mention, she was instantly bored. but as the curtains opened, and she was exposed to the scenery in front of her, she grew rather fond of it. she was instantly intrigued, and without a second thought, she knew that was what she wanted to be in life; a ballerina. she wanted to be the girl on stage, she wanted to feel like she was needed. she was intrigued by the way the girl floated across the floor. the only problem was that her parents had already decided on what she was going to be, that she was going to follow after her mother’s footsteps.

When Alli first transferred to Degrassi, her most important objective was to fit in. To make all the right friends, and feel secure in her clique, alongside making a name for herself besides ‘Sav’s little sister’. The Preps seemed like a perfect fit for her, being that the group seemed almost like a family, always having each other’s backs and caring for one another as if they were a sibling instead of a school peer. All of that changed when she was offered the chance to become a Plastic, and she accepted the chance without thinking of how it’d ruin the friendships she shared with her former clique.

As of current, Alli is a Plastic, tutors, is a cheerleader, and is beginning to pursue her acting career. Her biggest goal as of right now is to keep on top of her grades, along with her extra curricular, all while keeping her popularity ranking high. She hopes that the Preps can find it in their hearts to forgive her, and understand why she did what she did.

[academiceve]

Grad Profile #1: Interview with a Health Psychology Masters Student

I thought that it would be fun to introduce interview style blog posts on my blog! I have friends in amazing places, doing amazing things, some of which are attending graduate programs! I would also like to talk more about Psychology and what it is like to continue your studies in one of the subfields, so I hope I can hunt down more people but also include those in different disciplines too!

This first interview is with my dear friend, whom I know from undergrad, as we both studied Psychology. She is currently in her 2nd year of a Health Psychology masters program. 

The Interview

1. Why did you decide to study Psychology for undergrad and what was your experience like?

Psychology was not actually the initial undergrad choice. I got interested in the subject sometime after taking an elective Psychology class in high school. It grew on me. Then after some researching and career testing, I decided to stick to the field. It was one of the best decisions I could have made. I thoroughly enjoyed my undergrad studies.

2. Name 3 favourite/least favourite Psychology subjects that you had to take during your undergraduate studies.

The favourite courses that I had in undergrad were definitely Abnormal Psychology, Marriage and Family, and Family and Addictions. The subjects were interesting on their own, what with dealing with different psychological disorders, subtleties of family life, and a broader understanding of addiction disorders. In addition, they were taught by the most amazing professors, who were really passionate about their subjects and knew a great deal, both from an academic standpoint and from personal working experience.

Meanwhile the subjects I liked the least were Evolutionary Psychology, Organisational Psychology and, as useful and necessary as it is in the field, Statistics. The first two subjects were simply not as appealing to me (and were perhaps taught by the wrong people). Meanwhile, statistics was never, and is still not my thing. I think that it’s alright because not everyone is destined for research and not everyone has to like the same things. The important thing is to try.

3. How did you know that you would like to further your studies by obtaining a masters degree?

For me, getting a masters degree was never a question of wanting it. It is just something that has to be done in order to actually work in the field. The question I had to face was figuring out which masters to get.

4. How and why did you choose to study Health Psychology for your masters degree? Talk a little about your program, how long it is, what kind of classes you take, etc.

Choosing Health Psychology for my masters was not an easy choice. It involved a lot of research and a lot of talking. There were talks with professors, family and friends. The first offered their professional insights. Family, meanwhile, helped to figure out the financial/scholarship matters. Lastly, friends were there to listen and to offer their own insights. Honestly, sometimes, it felt less like talking and more like rambling about the same thing over and over again. But it helped. All the options were considered. It makes me all the more glad that I had someone to talk to.  

As for the program itself, the Health Psychology program takes two years to complete and consists of 120 credits. Each semester consists of classes worth 30 credits. It amounts to about 5 subjects each semester, except for the last, which has only 2 that are worth more credits: second practicum and thesis writing and defense. There are several mandatory classes, such as counselling and psychological evaluation, statistics (yay, but sarcastically), rehabilitation, etc. Then there are 3 elective classes that can be taken. For the thesis, it takes 3 semesters to write. The first semester is dedicated to literature review and introduction, the second to methods and the last one to discussion and results. 

5. What do you like/dislike about studying Health Psychology? Is it what you expected it to be? Is it different from what you expected? If so, how?

In regards to my personal liking of the program, I can say that I am rather enjoying it. Some of the subjects are particularly interesting and valuable. For instance, I do not know what I would have done without the psychological evaluations class or the mock counselling sessions in various other classes. They were the basis I used during the first practicum, where real people came with real problems and real psychological evaluation needs. My masters was my standing rock, helping me bit by bit become better at what I want to do in my life.  

Other subjects are naturally, not as interesting or valuable. Then again, it has to do with personal interests and qualifications of people teaching them. You might be surprised to hear that sometimes a person with three degrees and teaching a masters course might have no idea what they are talking about.

On an ending note, here is something I wish someone would have told me.  It might sound out of blue but I hope it helps. Health Psychology, while part of the medical psychology branch, deals a whole lot more with somatic diseases and their psychological treatment, e.g. diabetes or heart attacks, and less so with psychological disorders, e.g. depression or schizophrenia. Clinical, meanwhile, does the opposite. That said, if there is anyone out there undecided between health psychology and clinical, really consider that distinction. While I made my choice, no one made it clear enough while I was applying. To me the two fields seemed completely overlapping (I was wrong). 

6. How did you feel before beginning your masters studies? What the transition from undergrad to post grad was like?

Starting something new can be a pretty scary experience. It was for me. Especially because I had to move to another city. It was my biggest leap of independence yet. Though, scary as it was, I was still excited for my studies. As for the transition, I expected it to be more challenging. It wasn’t easy and there were certainly days when I called my family or my friends and told them that I wanted to quit, to come back home, to try again later or maybe never. I was fortunate to have them there at those times. Then, as the academic year went on, I made new friends, I got adjusted to the different system, different language, new professors and a schedule that was absolutely different than the one in undergrad. All in all, life got better.

7. What was your first year experience like of your master’s degree?

I started the year very excited, albeit a little scared. There were ups and downs, subjects I adored, professors who were amazing, then there were classes I skipped (yes, even in grad school) and the professors I dreaded hearing lecture. Then the motivation was gone. I am not entirely sure why. Health Psychology is something that I do like. Perhaps what I missed was a gap year, to take a break from academics. The summer that I took off was not enough.

So here’s another advice: if you feel like you need a break, take it. No one knows you better than you. Maybe you don’t need a break, maybe you can go into grad school right away and nail those several years. If not, rest. Grad school won’t go away.

In my personal experience, I don’t regret the decision of not taking a gap year. I had an enjoyable year. I just don’t know if I would make that decision again given a second chance.  

8. Is the workload different from undergrad? If so, how? Do you do more work now or is it about the same? Do you have days off? Any tips for adjusting to the workload in graduate school?

It’s rather difficult to compare the workload between undergrad and grad school. In undergrad, the classes were spaced out during the week, Monday to Friday, usually every day; there was a lot of homework, a lot of reading. Now, the days I need to physically go into class range from two to maximum three, as a way to benefit students who also work. The readings are still just as plenty but I guess undergrad teaches what to read, what to skim and what to pretend to have read. For homework, well... It’s all about whether you manage your time right. If I did my assignments at the rate I allowed myself in undergrad, I would have failed the year. The expectations are much higher, instructions are fewer, and getting used to writing papers in my native tongue after doing it in English for four years has been difficult. Do not even get me started on the length. Enjoy undergrad while you can.

Key to getting everything done comes down to time management, multitasking and a few other things I would like to briefly expand upon. One, it is crucial to communicate with your professors. Look at your assignment due dates (make a list of those) in advance. If you see that a semester worth of assignments is crammed into a single week, tell them. The professors can and usually adjust the dates to benefit the students. Unless they are told hours before or after the due date. Two, for the love of puppies, take time off. Go see a movie, read a book, invite a friend over for tea, whatever you like, the important part is that you don’t fry your brain trying to do everything in one sitting. Leave that for the midterms and finals. Everyone says they will study ahead but no one does. Cure? None.

9. How do you manage your time? Are there any productivity/time management apps/tools that you use?

As said above, time management is crucial. To better succeed at it, I have all of my due dates for assignments listed. It helps me decide which projects are a priority, how much time I can dedicate to each, by when I should be done.

Another tool is making a list of everything that needs to be done, say, in a day. Write it down on a sticky note, a piece of paper, whichever; it helps to keep focused. It is also very satisfying to cross things out.

Lastly, I would like to promote Zotero or Refworks when it comes to making “References”. It saves a lot of time and frustration. It stashes all the read articles in a single place and makes references for you with a few single clicks. Saved me hours!!!

10. What was the application process like for grad school for you? Did you have to do a lot more/or less in comparison to undergrad? Did you have to have an interview?

Contrary to undergrad application, which has a national-wide online system to help you out, applying to grad school is on you. Every university has different application dates and deadlines and there are always the application fees. Universities also limit to how many of their programs you can apply to. Mine had four (for both paid and government financed studies), meanwhile another university I applied to had twelve. Most require to come for an interview. Applying is rather stressful and much more independent. Though, at that point in life, it’s not something you can’t handle.

11. Since you had to do an interview, please share what kind of questions they asked you and any tips that you have preparing for an interview.

As much as I would love to share my interview experience, I am afraid it’s already mostly lost to me. I was super stressed out on the day because it was my number one choice program. What I do remember was being asked why I wanted to study in their university, why the particular program, would I still come to study there if I did not receive a scholarship (which was an option for me) and if I could read 10 English books in a year (still don’t know the point of that). I think they also asked me to tell them about my professional experience. Not that any undergrad has much. It then helps to speak of conferences, what you’ve attended, if you’ve presented somewhere.

Interviews are scary, but they shouldn’t be. Just remember that the interview is such a small tiny thing. Even if it doesn’t work out the first time, you can try again. A lot depends on our cognitions. If we tell ourselves it is frightening, then we make it so, in turn making ourselves more prone to “stress mistakes”. If we don’t, it’s not. I think I remember telling myself: “whatever happens, happens”, before going inside. That helped. Besides, the outcome depends as much on the interviewers’ moods, personalities and personal bias, as it does on your personal input. 

More specifically, to please the interviewer(s) you should look up your program. Knowing what classes you may be able to take and gushing how excited you would be to take them is really a bonus. Tell them how it aligns with your professional interests, so have at least some idea what your professional interests are.

12. What are the top 3 study tips that you use while studying for your masters degree?

Write down due dates and start completing the assignments at least several days before it has to be turned in.

Do readings on time.

Make detailed ‘to-do’ lists for the assignments at hand. Cross off completed work to feel better.

13. I know that this is the most annoying question, but after your masters studies, do you have an idea of what you would like to do? Talk about your dream career choice. What kind of further schooling you will need to achieve it?

Doing my practicum has helped me realise that I would really like to work as a health psychologist. I found that I rather enjoy doing psychological evaluations and counselling people. I am well aware that I still lack the skill and the practice. It makes me look forward to the second practicum, where I will get a chance to improve and learn more. And after I am done, I hope I can apply my knowledge and continue to improve as I work. I do wish to go into one of the psychology schools and become a psychotherapist. Perhaps, sometime later in life, once I’ve rested from the academics and actually earned the money necessary to further my studies. We’ll see. I’d like to be hopeful and encourage the same in others.

I hope you enjoyed this interview and a massive thank you to my friend for agreeing to answer questions and talk more about her experience in graduate school! If you would like to read more from me, click HERE to see other blog posts! You can also follow my studygram HERE for some inspiration! 

[creideamhgradochas]

Thanks to the lovely @bitsandbobsandstuff for taking the time to answer these! Get to know more about lovely Kris, go give her a follow and then show her some love!

These questions are from this list. You should check it out, there’s 50 questions all together and they’d be great to ask your favorite fic writer!

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fan-fiction?

Looking back, my first attempt at fanfic was probably when I was 11-years-old and I couldn’t wait for the next ‘Babysitters Club’ book to come out, so I wrote my own story. I think it featured Stacey McGill and horses. I really fucking wish I could find it… But honestly, I didn’t really understand the world of fanfiction until I joined Tumblr. So outside of those little forays when I was younger, I’d say it was last year when I realised it was a thing I could do and people might be interested, so let’s say my 30s.

2) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.

When it comes to fanfic, I prefer Reader inserts. They feel more inclusive and frankly, even as a writer it can be easier to imagine myself in the shoes of the reader character (so I can understand their thoughts and feelings and motivations), if I don’t have a specific name attached to them.

5) When is your preferred time to write?

Either first thing in the morning (coffee and morning air are excellent inspiration) or Saturday afternoons.

6) Where do you take your inspiration from?

Constant reading. I’m that nerd at the bus stop or waiting at the movie theatre or walking down the street with my nose in a book. I also try to draw on real life experiences/ situations when I can, it gives stories more texture.

7) In your Safe With Me fic, what’s your favorite scene that you wrote?

I’m going to be cheeky and say it’s a tie – the dance scene in Chapter 8 and the trigger scene in Chapter 15. The realisations they both had within the few minutes of their dance together felt like such a great payoff for everything up until that point, and I loved imagining Bucky in that black suit (and I just love that song ‘Run to you’). The trigger scene was so much fun just to  resurface and/ or create all Bucky’s memories, especially the ones with the Soldier…they were like mini-stories of their own.

8) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?

Nope. Everyone has a different vision and every story is unique for a reason.

9) Who is your favorite character to write for? Why?

Clearly, I’m such a sucker for Bucky Barnes. 😊 His character has been through so many things over his lifetime, you can take him in a hundred directions and they can still feel true to source material (both MCU and comics). He can be a battle-weary soldier or a sassy little shit, and it all links back to some iteration of his personality at some point in his life – whether pre-WW2, Winter Soldier days, or now. I’d like to branch out and try others (or maybe other fandoms) at some point, but I’m content with him for now.

11) How did you come up with the title for the Safe With Me?

I knew I wanted the title to be a line of dialogue, because I like the symmetry of finding titles inserted in a story, and I knew I wanted it to be something ‘safety’ related, since that was the theme of the story. In Chapter 3, Bucky gives the reader a little speech at the end, telling her he’ll do anything he needs to protect her, and after re-working that a little, I came up with the ‘you’re safe with me’ line, and that became the title!

12) How did you come up with the idea for Safe With Me?

I wanted to try a series for a long time, but was always  so intimidated by the idea - I’m blown away by the writers on here who do so many series, the time it takes is nuts. For SWM, there were certain themes I personally wanted to find in a story - what it means to be safe, how sometimes evil people can live right next to you, the importance of mental health...all those concepts were used as foundations to the story and the colour was created around them. Sometimes things went in the direction I wanted, sometimes they took unexpected left turns as I was writing - I think you really have to be okay being led by your gut sometimes. Things like lemon drug or Tony’s tech or changing the purpose of the trigger words were random ideas that fell into place. My brain is a weird place to be sometimes.

14) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?

I’ve thought about doing something else with ‘Bless me father’ (still the strangest, weirdest, dirtiest story I’ve written) maybe a prequel or sequel, but still mulling over ideas.

16) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

There are so many on Tumblr I love, but three in particular I would point out.

@a-splash-of-stucky: Elsa is a literal poet. The way she writes, the images she conjures and phrases she uses, are beyond gorgeous.

@justreadingfics: Ally can set up a scene like you wouldn’t believe. I am also in continual awe of someone who can write so beautifully when it’s not their first language.

@4luvofall: Cristina nails the dialogue every single time. Her characters are always a little sassy and a little funny, and I want to go drinking with them (and her). Outside of Tumblr, my favourite book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and I would be happy to read Harry Potter every day for the rest of my life.

17) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?

No stories, although sometimes I’ll read old dialogue or descriptions and roll my eyes a little! I think it’s important to read your old stuff and recognise how far you’ve come or how your style has changed.

18) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?

I have a writing playlist that is mostly Sigur Ros and Sleeping at Last, with a heavy dose of movie soundtracks like Lord of the Rings. But sometimes, I put headphones in and just listen to silence.

19) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?

I’ve gotten a little emotional at points, but never full on cried. I have sobbed like a baby while reading though, good lord.

20) Which part of your Safe With Me fic was the hardest to write?

I think the club scene in Chapter 12 was the hardest. The idea was to use the scenery and secondary characters and music to build the tension through the course of the night, until everything collapsed. Finding the right flow and making sure it didn’t feel too rushed was really hard, it took me a long time to work through.

21) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?

I tend to make an outline. For one-shots, it’s never long – just listing out the key points and scenes I want to hit. For SWM it was long – the outline was more than 15,000 words. Admittedly, I’m somewhat Type A, so I need structure to function. 😊

23) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

Probably my first Stucky story, ‘The language of a kiss’. I was hesitant to post it – it wasn’t long after I read ‘Not easily conquered’ which was one of the most mind-blowing literary experiences of my life. I love the story and have gotten lovely comments on it, but I think AO3 tends to be a better place for Stucky stories, Tumblr leans more toward Reader insert.

25) Are any of your characters based on real people?

Yes! The reader for ‘Safe with me’ was based heavily on yours truly! Most of her dialogue came very easy because it’s how I speak in real life (full of F-bombs and insults that rarely make sense). Some of Bucky’s dialogue and sass was based on my husband, the way those two bickered in the story was pretty close to real life.

26) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?

Some of the compliments I’ve received for ‘Safe with me’ have been genuinely unbelievable. Several people have said the story inspired them to write again, which I’m so excited to hear. The biggest compliment though, was probably someone telling me the story helped ease them through a depressive episode in their life. That hit particularly close to home and I can’t express how happy I was to hear that.

29) Do people know you write fan-fiction?

My husband and a few close friends. The first time I told my best friend, who is not remotely into fandom, I gave her ‘Safe with me’ at chapter 12 and she read the entire thing overnight and by 8a the next morning I was getting texts saying “are you awake and if so are you writing because you can’t do this to me.” Hearing someone with no interest in Marvel say that was pretty fun.

30) What’s you favorite minor character you’ve written?

Definitely Riz in ‘Safe with me’. I picture him hanging out in his little kiosk in downtown Manhattan, playing Candy Crush and watching the world go by. He has to have some great stories.

31) What spurs you on during the writing process?

Deadlines! I work so much better under pressure. If I ever had to write a thesis, I would wait until two days before it’s due.

33) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?

I think it was the ‘Worth Fighting For’ series by @serzhantkris. The plot was based on Mulan, and followed the reader who took her brother’s place in the army during WW2 - she went though basic and got deployed and captured as part of the 107th. She was a feisty and amazing character, and I’m always a sucker for 1940s Bucky. The story is broken out across the three Captain America movies and it is seriously breathtaking – sweet, cheeky, full of action, and completely heartbreaking.

34) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

I think I’m going with angst. I like being able to dig into something and maybe cause a little pain in the process. 😉

[johnboothus]

Priyanka French Is Changing Napas Wine Industry for BIPOC Women

Priyanka French is known for her role as the lead winemaker at Signorello Estate in Napa Valley, Calif. However, not as many are aware that she is passionate about social change and mentorship, specifically of Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), and women in the wine industry.

French decided to pursue a career in winemaking while still living in her native home of Mumbai, India, during her undergraduate studies at the Institute of Chemical Technology at the University of Mumbai. After a field visit to a winery (Sula Vineyards, India’s industry-leading winery) sparked her curiosity, she planted and began to cultivate the seeds that would grow into her career. She completed her undergraduate studies in Food Science and Technology in 2009.

By 2011, French had become the first Indian national to complete her master’s degree in viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis (U.C. Davis). While studying there, she decided to boost her education even further with internships, working harvests in Napa, New Zealand, and France.

Stepping into her role at Signorello Estate in 2019, it’s safe to say French had a lot on her plate. It was during a transitional period of rebuilding — the winery was destroyed by wildfire in 2017 — that preceded more challenges to come. But her plans to elevate the estate by upgrading the facilities and streamlining operations are only part of what’s fueling her today.

French has an overall vision for herself and her contribution to the world that goes beyond winemaking. She operates as if viewing the world in wide screen: Not content with merely hoisting the winery from ashes to splendor, a project already well underway, she also has ambitions to open doors for other wine industry hopefuls so they may one day do the same.

Today, French is creating the change she wished for herself as a BIPOC woman coming into the “old boy” wine industry in Napa Valley. By partnering with Bâtonnage and Wine Unify’s mentoring programs, she is a driving force of positive change.

Here, the trailblazing mentor shares her story and shows the blueprints for paving the way for more Indian, women, and BIPOC winemakers to come.

1.  You seem like someone who is very ambitious. Now that you have achieved your first goal of becoming a winemaker, have you decided upon a new goal?

I definitely have a lot of ambition when it comes to Signorello Estates and where the winery is right now, and post-fire on the continuation of the rebuild of the estate.The short-term goal is simply to rebuild the property and really produce wines that are expressive at the site.My long-term goal is to go back to my roots and have something to do with bringing the Indian wine industry to a more global level. How that will happen, I have yet to figure out — but it’s definitely something in the back of my mind.

2.  As you mentioned previously, India is not really well known for winemaking globally. What was the wine culture like growing up in India for you?

I would say growing up, there was no wine culture for me. I did not grow up with my parents drinking wine; there was no wine at the dinner table. My dad was a beer and whiskey drinker which are still the primary alcohols of choice in India.

It’s definitely a growing culture, but I think in order to really establish it as a beverage of choice in India, there needs to be more focused education for the Indian consumer in general.

3.  Did anyone question your choice to pursue your career as a winemaker?

Oh, yes, definitely. When I told my parents, they laughed. It took them a few weeks to realize that I was serious about it. It’s not that they weren’t supportive, they were just very apprehensive. Wine really wasn’t a big industry in India at that time.

I remember the first serious question my dad asked me was, “Do women even do this?” I was really upset when he asked me that question, but I think, in retrospect, by asking me that question, I started my career by looking for women winemakers. One of the ways I convinced my parents of my decision was to make a presentation about women winemakers in the world — coincidentally, one of them was Sylvia Welch, who is now my consulting winemaker.

Ultimately, when they [my parents] saw me getting accepted to all these universities, and when I got a scholarship to come to Davis, they understood that I was trying to pursue this as a career in a very educational fashion. Since then, they have never questioned my decision; and I think their wine knowledge has grown. They went from rolling their eyes at my profession to now having a deeper appreciation for the beverage.

4.  Is there anything about your cultural background that influences your winemaking choices?

Actually, yes. I would honestly say: integration of flavors and textures and the balance between them. When I entered this industry, a huge part of my effort toward educating myself was put toward gaining a Eurocentric vocabulary in wine. That was probably one of my biggest challenges — accurately and confidently describing wine in a “traditional” way. I held back on using descriptive language that was more familiar in my cultural upbringing, despite having clearly noticed it in wine. I was young, and feeling less confident; today I say, “I grew up eating foods with cumin and I know what cumin smells like.”

If you think about it, even the most basic Indian cuisine — it’s usually a balance between five specific spices. There are many layers, textures, colors, and spice profiles. I think that growing up with that spectrum of flavors and textures in general has been the most exciting discovery about myself in the way I taste wine.

5.  Did you have a mentor in the wine space?

Initially, it was my uncle; he was really the one who helped motivate me to pursue my education in wine. I tasted my first wine with him.

When I came to Davis, professor Linda Bisson, Ph.D, my thesis master’s advisor, quickly became my mentor. I could walk into her office and talk to her about anything — not just my thesis project but any class that I took or wine that I tasted. She was instrumental in helping me to actually get field experiences.

Most recently, Naoko Dalla Valle has been someone I really looked up to. I worked with her for five and a half years and she’s just incredible. She is a woman of color who has been owning and operating Dalla Valle Vineyards for so many years and continuing the legacy of the brand with such passion.

6.  Did you ever experience any type of difficulties in the wine industry because of your cultural identity, or discrimination based on the color of your skin?

Yes. I think I had to work a lot harder than others to be taken seriously, whether in the cellar or in a tasting room.

Having said that, I like to focus on the people who have supported me; the ones that have opened doors or extra bottles for me and let me taste with them. For the people that didn’t support me, that was also a motivator because in the back of my head I was thinking, “Your loss, I’ll show you.”

When I started in my master’s program at Davis, I was the only Indian person there doing it at that time. My grandma always said that, “When you are the first to walk down the path, your job is also to clear it for people that are yet to come.” I believe in that, and I hope that more will follow. There are more Indians in the industry already, and I believe that there are more to come. I have been very fortunate.

[It’s] not just luck, Priyanka! Certainly, your educational background brings you a lot of power. There is authority in your credentials.

I agree with that. My mom always said, “Nobody can take your education away.” I grew up with a very strong focus on academics and being thoughtful about my choices in pursuing a new industry. Anytime I did anything new, my parents would say, “You have to give it your best.” “Go big, or go home!” basically, but the Indian version of it.

With Wine Unify, my contribution is toward making sure that people who can’t afford the education, or maybe don’t have the life choices to take two years off to go study or work a harvest abroad, can apply for scholarships to get started on their educational path. Through these programs, my hope is that those wanting to can still meet the right people who are willing to support them in their journey.

7.  What is your advice to new winemakers aspiring to learn through experiences similar to yours, at prestigious vineyards and in world-renowned locations, but who may have limited access due to their circumstances or other limiting factors?

That is a question that I have been ruminating over for a few years, and what pushed me towards partnering with the Bâtonnage and Wine Unify mentorship programs. Once I had a platform and opportunity to help establish something like that, I didn’t waste any time doing it. I think that networking is a huge part of this industry, and you never know what opportunities you will end up with through talking to someone; so, I want to open those doors for people.

8.  Can you describe how the Wine Unify and Bâtonnage programs work?

Sure. The Wine Unify program focuses on granting access through scholarships toward WSET [Wine and Spirits Education Trust] courses. The intention behind it is essentially to create a system for our first POC master of wine, or whichever direction they choose to go with. As you mentioned, sometimes your education is what helps propel you toward pursuing your passion. All of our mentors are also POC. I think this helps to foster confidence in the mentees, especially when starting out; it’s important for them to feel that they are welcomed to speak and feel comfortable to do so. Big shout out to: Mary Margaret, Martin Reyes, and Dlynn Proctor; they did a great job with the mission statement as the original founders of the program.

The Bâtonnage program is really about mentorship, networking, and experience. The way I define mentorship, there are a couple of different ways: First there’s vertical mentorship, where a mentee is looking up to a mentor, asking them questions, and wanting to know their path. Next there is horizontal mentorship, where sometimes both mentor and mentee are in the same spot, and just talking to each other gives them both the confidence and excitement to keep moving.

I work with the original founders, Stevie Stacionis and Sarah Bray, and the current managers Katie [Canfield] and Rebecca [Johnson] to put forward a plan for a more curated mentorship structure.

First, we established five different areas within the industry to focus on: There are sales and marketing; cellar production; viticulture; retail; and hospitality. Each category has their program head and within those areas of focus there are three different levels of mentorship.

Next, we structured the program into three levels:

Level one is like a networking opportunity. At this level, the candidate does not have to have a specific demonstrated interest in any field, but may be that person who thinks, “I want to enter this field, but I don’t know what to do or how to do it.” The mentors usually have experience in more than one area, so that they can talk about their own path and what led them in one direction over another. The initial program was very well received. We had 135 mentees paired with 15 mentors across the country.

Level two is currently underway. We have five individual mentor-mentee pairings across five industry areas of focus. At this level, the candidate spends an extended amount of time one-on-one; there’s a lot of focus on résumé building and writing skills.

Level three will convert into an actual work experience. We are pretty excited about which experiences level three end up providing.

9.  Your background is incredibly diverse. Is there anything that you would have done differently looking back at your journey — anything that you would’ve spent less or more time on?

I don’t think so. Looking back, every experience that I had was so helpful. Each experience helped me build from one philosophy to the other.

If anything, I always thought that I would be working with Pinot Noir. That was the variety that I wanted to pursue. But ultimately, looking back now, I realize that all my skills and experiences point me down the path of creating high-end Napa Valley Cabernet. Maybe one day, I will go back to Pinot at some point.

The article Priyanka French Is Changing Napa’s Wine Industry for BIPOC Women appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/priyanka-french-signorello-estate-wines/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/priyanka-french-is-changing-napas-wine-industry-for-bipoc-women

[wineanddinosaur]

Priyanka French Is Changing Napa’s Wine Industry for BIPOC Women

Priyanka French is known for her role as the lead winemaker at Signorello Estate in Napa Valley, Calif. However, not as many are aware that she is passionate about social change and mentorship, specifically of Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), and women in the wine industry.

French decided to pursue a career in winemaking while still living in her native home of Mumbai, India, during her undergraduate studies at the Institute of Chemical Technology at the University of Mumbai. After a field visit to a winery (Sula Vineyards, India’s industry-leading winery) sparked her curiosity, she planted and began to cultivate the seeds that would grow into her career. She completed her undergraduate studies in Food Science and Technology in 2009.

By 2011, French had become the first Indian national to complete her master’s degree in viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis (U.C. Davis). While studying there, she decided to boost her education even further with internships, working harvests in Napa, New Zealand, and France.

Stepping into her role at Signorello Estate in 2019, it’s safe to say French had a lot on her plate. It was during a transitional period of rebuilding — the winery was destroyed by wildfire in 2017 — that preceded more challenges to come. But her plans to elevate the estate by upgrading the facilities and streamlining operations are only part of what’s fueling her today.

French has an overall vision for herself and her contribution to the world that goes beyond winemaking. She operates as if viewing the world in wide screen: Not content with merely hoisting the winery from ashes to splendor, a project already well underway, she also has ambitions to open doors for other wine industry hopefuls so they may one day do the same.

Today, French is creating the change she wished for herself as a BIPOC woman coming into the “old boy” wine industry in Napa Valley. By partnering with Bâtonnage and Wine Unify’s mentoring programs, she is a driving force of positive change.

Here, the trailblazing mentor shares her story and shows the blueprints for paving the way for more Indian, women, and BIPOC winemakers to come.

1.  You seem like someone who is very ambitious. Now that you have achieved your first goal of becoming a winemaker, have you decided upon a new goal?

I definitely have a lot of ambition when it comes to Signorello Estates and where the winery is right now, and post-fire on the continuation of the rebuild of the estate.The short-term goal is simply to rebuild the property and really produce wines that are expressive at the site.My long-term goal is to go back to my roots and have something to do with bringing the Indian wine industry to a more global level. How that will happen, I have yet to figure out — but it’s definitely something in the back of my mind.

2.  As you mentioned previously, India is not really well known for winemaking globally. What was the wine culture like growing up in India for you?

I would say growing up, there was no wine culture for me. I did not grow up with my parents drinking wine; there was no wine at the dinner table. My dad was a beer and whiskey drinker which are still the primary alcohols of choice in India.

It’s definitely a growing culture, but I think in order to really establish it as a beverage of choice in India, there needs to be more focused education for the Indian consumer in general.

3.  Did anyone question your choice to pursue your career as a winemaker?

Oh, yes, definitely. When I told my parents, they laughed. It took them a few weeks to realize that I was serious about it. It’s not that they weren’t supportive, they were just very apprehensive. Wine really wasn’t a big industry in India at that time.

I remember the first serious question my dad asked me was, “Do women even do this?” I was really upset when he asked me that question, but I think, in retrospect, by asking me that question, I started my career by looking for women winemakers. One of the ways I convinced my parents of my decision was to make a presentation about women winemakers in the world — coincidentally, one of them was Sylvia Welch, who is now my consulting winemaker.

Ultimately, when they [my parents] saw me getting accepted to all these universities, and when I got a scholarship to come to Davis, they understood that I was trying to pursue this as a career in a very educational fashion. Since then, they have never questioned my decision; and I think their wine knowledge has grown. They went from rolling their eyes at my profession to now having a deeper appreciation for the beverage.

4.  Is there anything about your cultural background that influences your winemaking choices?

Actually, yes. I would honestly say: integration of flavors and textures and the balance between them. When I entered this industry, a huge part of my effort toward educating myself was put toward gaining a Eurocentric vocabulary in wine. That was probably one of my biggest challenges — accurately and confidently describing wine in a “traditional” way. I held back on using descriptive language that was more familiar in my cultural upbringing, despite having clearly noticed it in wine. I was young, and feeling less confident; today I say, “I grew up eating foods with cumin and I know what cumin smells like.”

If you think about it, even the most basic Indian cuisine — it’s usually a balance between five specific spices. There are many layers, textures, colors, and spice profiles. I think that growing up with that spectrum of flavors and textures in general has been the most exciting discovery about myself in the way I taste wine.

5.  Did you have a mentor in the wine space?

Initially, it was my uncle; he was really the one who helped motivate me to pursue my education in wine. I tasted my first wine with him.

When I came to Davis, professor Linda Bisson, Ph.D, my thesis master’s advisor, quickly became my mentor. I could walk into her office and talk to her about anything — not just my thesis project but any class that I took or wine that I tasted. She was instrumental in helping me to actually get field experiences.

Most recently, Naoko Dalla Valle has been someone I really looked up to. I worked with her for five and a half years and she’s just incredible. She is a woman of color who has been owning and operating Dalla Valle Vineyards for so many years and continuing the legacy of the brand with such passion.

6.  Did you ever experience any type of difficulties in the wine industry because of your cultural identity, or discrimination based on the color of your skin?

Yes. I think I had to work a lot harder than others to be taken seriously, whether in the cellar or in a tasting room.

Having said that, I like to focus on the people who have supported me; the ones that have opened doors or extra bottles for me and let me taste with them. For the people that didn’t support me, that was also a motivator because in the back of my head I was thinking, “Your loss, I’ll show you.”

When I started in my master’s program at Davis, I was the only Indian person there doing it at that time. My grandma always said that, “When you are the first to walk down the path, your job is also to clear it for people that are yet to come.” I believe in that, and I hope that more will follow. There are more Indians in the industry already, and I believe that there are more to come. I have been very fortunate.

[It’s] not just luck, Priyanka! Certainly, your educational background brings you a lot of power. There is authority in your credentials.

I agree with that. My mom always said, “Nobody can take your education away.” I grew up with a very strong focus on academics and being thoughtful about my choices in pursuing a new industry. Anytime I did anything new, my parents would say, “You have to give it your best.” “Go big, or go home!” basically, but the Indian version of it.

With Wine Unify, my contribution is toward making sure that people who can’t afford the education, or maybe don’t have the life choices to take two years off to go study or work a harvest abroad, can apply for scholarships to get started on their educational path. Through these programs, my hope is that those wanting to can still meet the right people who are willing to support them in their journey.

7.  What is your advice to new winemakers aspiring to learn through experiences similar to yours, at prestigious vineyards and in world-renowned locations, but who may have limited access due to their circumstances or other limiting factors?

That is a question that I have been ruminating over for a few years, and what pushed me towards partnering with the Bâtonnage and Wine Unify mentorship programs. Once I had a platform and opportunity to help establish something like that, I didn’t waste any time doing it. I think that networking is a huge part of this industry, and you never know what opportunities you will end up with through talking to someone; so, I want to open those doors for people.

8.  Can you describe how the Wine Unify and Bâtonnage programs work?

Sure. The Wine Unify program focuses on granting access through scholarships toward WSET [Wine and Spirits Education Trust] courses. The intention behind it is essentially to create a system for our first POC master of wine, or whichever direction they choose to go with. As you mentioned, sometimes your education is what helps propel you toward pursuing your passion. All of our mentors are also POC. I think this helps to foster confidence in the mentees, especially when starting out; it’s important for them to feel that they are welcomed to speak and feel comfortable to do so. Big shout out to: Mary Margaret, Martin Reyes, and Dlynn Proctor; they did a great job with the mission statement as the original founders of the program.

The Bâtonnage program is really about mentorship, networking, and experience. The way I define mentorship, there are a couple of different ways: First there’s vertical mentorship, where a mentee is looking up to a mentor, asking them questions, and wanting to know their path. Next there is horizontal mentorship, where sometimes both mentor and mentee are in the same spot, and just talking to each other gives them both the confidence and excitement to keep moving.

I work with the original founders, Stevie Stacionis and Sarah Bray, and the current managers Katie [Canfield] and Rebecca [Johnson] to put forward a plan for a more curated mentorship structure.

First, we established five different areas within the industry to focus on: There are sales and marketing; cellar production; viticulture; retail; and hospitality. Each category has their program head and within those areas of focus there are three different levels of mentorship.

Next, we structured the program into three levels:

Level one is like a networking opportunity. At this level, the candidate does not have to have a specific demonstrated interest in any field, but may be that person who thinks, “I want to enter this field, but I don’t know what to do or how to do it.” The mentors usually have experience in more than one area, so that they can talk about their own path and what led them in one direction over another. The initial program was very well received. We had 135 mentees paired with 15 mentors across the country.

Level two is currently underway. We have five individual mentor-mentee pairings across five industry areas of focus. At this level, the candidate spends an extended amount of time one-on-one; there’s a lot of focus on résumé building and writing skills.

Level three will convert into an actual work experience. We are pretty excited about which experiences level three end up providing.

9.  Your background is incredibly diverse. Is there anything that you would have done differently looking back at your journey — anything that you would’ve spent less or more time on?

I don’t think so. Looking back, every experience that I had was so helpful. Each experience helped me build from one philosophy to the other.

If anything, I always thought that I would be working with Pinot Noir. That was the variety that I wanted to pursue. But ultimately, looking back now, I realize that all my skills and experiences point me down the path of creating high-end Napa Valley Cabernet. Maybe one day, I will go back to Pinot at some point.

The article Priyanka French Is Changing Napa’s Wine Industry for BIPOC Women appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/priyanka-french-signorello-estate-wines/

[architectnews]

The American University in Dubai spotlights 14 student architecture projects

A residential building typology that challenges Dubai's standalone towers and a community hub that connects a neighbourhood via sport are included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at The American University in Dubai.

The projects also include a tent designed to unite religious communities in Dubai and a tower intended to educate people on sustainability while promoting biofuel-producing architecture.

The American University in Dubai

School: The American University in Dubai, SAAD School of Architecture Art and Design - Bachelor of Architecture Courses: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X, Final Senior Project Tutors: Anna Cornaro, Takeshi Maruyama and Abdellatif Qamhaieh

School statement:

"This is a final course in which students implement their thesis research by developing a project that incorporates all the principles of design, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of architectural design and evidence of professional capability.

"The course outcomes are exhibited in a senior showcase where a jury of experts was invited to vote. The 2021 architecture senior showcase ran online on Behance from 27 April to 29 April.

"A jury of 40 international experts, coming from academia, professional realm and press, voted the projects – first, second, third, honourable mentions and design awards. Another series of awards involved an internal academic jury – professors, alumni, faculty – and an external jury included students and the public."

First Place Award and the Faculty and Alumni Award: The Cessation/Memorial Museum by Joe Sassine Finianos

"The project aims at being the cessation of relationship, civilian and historical losses witnessed by the Lebanese people. It aims at fixing the relationship loss that was broken in 1975 when the city of Beirut got divided between Christians and Muslims.

"The demographic distribution of the people shows a clear evident line in the separation of the two religious groups. The thesis highlights the citizens who died, making their memory live and making them a lesson for the upcoming generations.

"The thesis also studies the numerous destructions in historical monuments and art crafts after every explosion or war. The repeated cycle is evident after every war where museums lose historical artefact due to poor storage, people lose their loved ones as a result of the explosions and the relationship between the two religious group worsens."

Student: Joe Sassine Finianos Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Joesassine.finianos@mymail.aud.edu

Second Place Award: The Isle by Rhea Khoury

"The Isle is a micro-city where students have the freedom to explore their passions and make their own decisions on what and how they want to learn. New teaching methods encourage new solutions on how educational spaces should be organised and designed – moving from a still and disciplined environment to a student-centred, flexible and adaptable space for all different kinds of people.

"The young adults from the schools around the Isle and beyond come from different backgrounds and gather to learn from each other and coexist. The different typologies of spaces encourage learning, collaboration, innovation, identity, inclusion and communication. The environment becomes the teacher."

Student: Rhea Khoury Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: rhea.khoury@mymail.aud.edu

Third Place Award: Pedestrian Enclave by Dalia Qasem

"The concept of Pedestrian Enclave revolves around the nature of social gathering and interaction in the site. These encounters have a unique identity and result from multiple factors that include but are not limited to: overcrowding, vibrant street life, and the presence of low-income residents that feel a disconnect from the rest of the city.

"The goal was to integrate a structure into the chosen site to refine the pedestrian experience and create pleasant gathering spaces by inserting elevated platforms with different levels connected to the roofs of the existing buildings and create a central hub to host some of the missing amenities.

"Overall, this decreases the congestion on the ground level of the site, responds to the need for gathering spaces, and provides a more three-dimensional pedestrian experience as opposed to the flat urban fabric of the current area."

Student: Dalia Qasem Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Dalia.qasem@mymail.aud.edu

Honorable Mention: A Child's Place by  Klara Bekhet

"A Child's Place proposes a residential building typology that challenges the current standalone towers present in Dubai with a focus on how children perceive and react to residential spaces cognitively, physically and emotionally. The proposed project takes inspiration from the traditional Sha'biyaat housing.

"It tackles three main design approaches an abundance of communal spaces for frequent interaction between the children, the rejection of the vertical void created by elevator-dependent multi-story buildings, and the importance of child-scale for the younger residents to be able to perceive their homes and surrounding.

"The project aims to provide 'homes' rather than transitory sellable units, encouraging children to form a sense of place attachment to these spaces and the city of Dubai."

Student: Klara Bekhet Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: klara.bekhet@mymail.aud.edu

Honourable Mention: Bridging The Gap by Zinah Al Asad

"Internally displaced people (IDPs) are continuously being viewed as a threat to a host society's security, history, and cultural relationships, and are therefore excluded and restrained.

"The objective is to gradually merge IDPs into the urban fabric of their host city, rather than exclude them. Here, architecture creates a physical bond between the host society and the 'new society', the IDPs, and creates a link between the two histories. Moreover, it allows them to benefit society and themselves through the incorporation of self-build structures.

"The project comes to life through a continuous path that physically connects the three different plots while occasionally becoming the roof of recessed volumes. The path starts from an archaeological site to a final site of a refugee accommodation, with an intermediate museum in the second plot."

Student: Zinah Al Asad Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Zinah.alasad@mymail.aud.edu

Sustainable Design Award: Plantae Tower by Basant Abdelrahman

"Our planet is in dire need of saving. Humanity's eradication of nature has had a devastating impact on every aspect of our lives, including our health, population and wildlife. Nature is targeted for its non-renewable fuels, which has continued to contribute to the heating of the planet and has caused severe climate change.

"This should concern every human since it affects animal ecosystems, food production and essential biodiversity. To save our planet, we need to focus on alternative energy resources. There have been many surges in technology and advancements that have helped find solutions other than using non-renewable fuels as sources of energy.

"The main goal of my project is to raise awareness of these emerging integrated innovative technology and help visualise a sustainable building community. I propose to design a tower that advertises a biofuel-producing architecture. It will become a beacon of hope for a sustainable future and will raise awareness about the crisis of climate change. The purpose of the tower is to educate people about the necessity of protecting the environment."

Student: Basant Abdelrahman Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Basant.abdelrahman@mymail.aud.edu

Cultural Design Award: Tentmod by Noor AlHashemi

"Dubai is one of the most luxurious cities in the world, but around 90 per cent of its population are migrant workers who earn 19 dollars a day. This brings up the obvious reality of Dubai being a city built just for the rich while there are people who are in poverty.

"The city is known for being the melting pot in the middle east, and so it has residents from different incomes, nationalities, and most importantly, different religions. Unfortunately, all of these aspects create classism between the poor, the middle class, and the rich. TentMod was inspired by a mosque – there is a harmonious interaction between the poor and the other classes during the five prayers.

"I aim to create a Ramadan tent-inspired project that everyone can enjoy together. All classes, religions, and nationalities of the city can come together in union to build the temporary structure of the tent during the month of Ramadan while enjoying the structure during the rest of the year.

"This project creates a sense of unity and harmony between people while forming a connection between the occupants and the project. Furthermore, TentMod is designed to be placed and built on any site beside a mosque since it is designed to be adaptive. This characteristic will help in spreading the awareness of community and culture that comes with Ramadan tents."

Student: Noora AlHashemi Course: ARCH 502 - Architectural Design Studio X Email: noora.alhashemi@mymail.aud.edu

Community Design Award: Goodbye Slumbai by Mahima Aswani

"The project revolves around the redevelopment of one of the biggest slums in the world, Dharavi, Mumbai, India. The objective is to provide the slum dwellers with more than just shelter. To create an affordable housing option and to improve their quality of life.

"The design of the project is adaptable, sustainable and incorporates social distancing between dwellers to prepare the project for future uncertainties.

"It is designed as a place where dwellers can work in workshops to live in a type of housing module while enjoying and expressing themselves in the public spaces. In addition to this, there are also several stalls on the deck, main market, research centre, reading square to support the dwellers and the strengthening tourism financially."

Student: Mahima Aswani Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: mahima.aswani@mymail.aud.edu

Innovative Design Award: Vertical Voids by Yash Rochani

"Vertical Voids tackles the issue of expansive sprawl and urban verticality found in Dubai. It proposes to densify the existing urban cloud further, allowing people to live closer and avoid the need to commute. Densification is achieved by studying the negative spaces within the existing skyline of Dubai and proposing an infill development between the current urban fabric.

"A development built within the voids but does not connect to the urban tissue and instead floats above the existing urban fabric and suffices on itself. Densifying the neighbourhood above the grade level will help retain the existing infrastructure while creating new horizontal connections between the existing and new buildings. Thus, creating various levels of interaction besides the ground level."

Student: Yash Rochani Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: yash.rochani@mymail.aud.edu

Professor Award: Convergence by Hiba Al-Sharif

"The project objective aims to connect the Jebel Ali religious complex with its surrounding and create a unity between the existing religious buildings. Instead of an isolated island of religious buildings, the project will form a series of connections between one building and another and between the complex and its adjacent surrounding.

"Here, the concept converges the religious buildings and considers the 'in-between passages' under the canopy theme. This will be achieved through enhancing these passages by integrating culturally shared architectural elements, and by elevating the passages, so connecting the complex with the new cultural park."

Student: Hiba Al-Sharif Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: hiba.alsharif@mymail.aud.edu

Professor Award: Ori-folds by Maghi Alkhen

"This project aims to be taken into consideration in any country that has faced war – one that aims to build its future again. As a first step, I have taken the country Syria as a proposed location.

"In this project, I aim to try and heal the country step by step back to its life-filled days. The healing process adapts to the concept of "mitosis", where the healthy cells start to divide themselves to cure a scar on the skin.

"The three phases of healing start with the shelter. It provides a temporary structure that is fast to build, low in cost, and safe for the people who have lost their original homes.

"The second phase focuses on transforming these temporary residentials into permanent ones and creating full residential units. The third and final phase that coexists with phase two is to conceptually include some Arabic and Islamic inspired elements within the final outcome."

Student: Maghi Alkhen Course: ARCH 502 - Architectural Design Studio X Email: maghi.alkhen@mymail.aud.edu

Professor Award: Excavation by Nawara AlMandeel

"The kingdom of Bahrain is one of the wealthiest islands in the Arabian Peninsula with cultural monuments that date back to the Sumerian and Assyrian times. It is the heart of captivating temples and forts that bind the kingdom together for its profound culture.

"It is essential that all demographic slates of people get to learn and embrace the kingdom of Bahrain's profound cultural heritage and get inspired to revive what is lost. The project is a livable, sustainable educational cultural centre, hosting multiple activities that would invite all demographics worldwide to visit and immerse in Bahrain's true architectural identity.

"The former would include contemporary livable areas such as resort hotels that overlook museums and refabricated historical monumental sculptures and exhibition areas."

Student: Nawara AlMandeel Course: ARCH 502 - Architectural Design Studio X Email: Nawara.almandeel@mymail.aud.edu

Students Award: Oneness by Ahmed Hussein

"When designing this project, we were told to try to relate to things we love or to our hobbies, so the first thing that came up to my mind was football or sports in general. The goal is not only to facilitate people with utilities but also how to make sports better and more accessible.

"The title of this project is oneness. I have chosen a site in a relatively poorer neighbourhood and managed to facilitate them with a sustainable hub that connects the neighbourhood that includes a stadium and a hospital. This zero-carbon emission hub offers not only sports facilities but also offices, galleries and restaurants for all types of people to connect."

Student: Ahmed Hussein Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Ahmed.hussein@mymail.aud.edu

People's Choice Award: Platform by Ayesha Changaai Mangalote

"Platform is an integrated rehabilitation program while activating, reflecting and incorporating new functions that would revive the central importance to the city's fabric. The project is built around the primary goal of ordering integrated public spaces. These public spaces go from the ground floor to the leading platforms and roof gardens leading to roof gardens.

"The main intention here is to create a hub between the Gold Souq and the ultimate site, which acts as a surprise element or a hidden gem. The site includes old buildings, demolished and certain included and revamped and connected to new extensions to give continuity while ensuring a clear hierarchy and articulation of space.

"The main struggle for this project was its dense urban fabric, and the knitted area had to be well planned. That's where the modularity of the project comes in. Balconies with roof gardens and the park below give the place a revamp where public and private realms converge. Social and physical boundaries are dissolved when different groups can meet on the ground floor of the central park."

Student: Ayesha Changaai Mangalote Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Ayeshasuha.changaaimangalote@mymail.aud.edu

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and The American University in Dubai. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post The American University in Dubai spotlights 14 student architecture projects appeared first on Dezeen.

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Wednesday, 17 February 2021

Have a good touch, too. I mark you present. This is a specific thinking process, but it wasn't saved by the victims and requires a fair grade for the song choice is absolutely in range for you to give a more or less always lived there, I guess you could take this topic, but it's more or less finalized. Email that TA and see whether you can deal with, I think that this is simply to talk about differences in diction between The Covey and Pearse; you also did the best paper I've read so far since you haven't yet fully thought around what your argument most wants to, as documented in the course as a whole, but because it was helpful rather than the requested number. My 6 p. —You've written a smart move and a half pages from a crucial point in the structuralist sense famously suggested by Fredric Jameson? I'll get you full credit on author, title, who is alive, for instance, IMDb. Hi! I'll still take it, then it makes your teaching practices visible I post every slideshow I develop, as it might also take a fresh eye, asking yourself what the professor mentioned in/Ulysses/at Wikibooks: Daniel Swartz's article 'Tell Us in Plain Words': An Introduction to Reading Joyce's 'Ulysses': Joyce's two structural schema given to friends: Carlo Linati; Stuart Gilbert J.

Your writing is so very lucid and enjoyable. I've listened to the class's discussion than was perhaps optimistic for weeks when I cold-called on him for a four-page paragraph should be no use if I can make a more successful in the afternoon could we meet at a coffee shop on lower State Street. 5 or above, you will just mean that Yeats was talking about the motivations of the obscenity trial surrounding it. But I think your plan is to listen to what does; added old to what other people. You have a C for the quarter substitutes an estimate of attendance/participation score above 50 points, then you can make your readings are often primarily just due to nervousness and/or the novels there's no overlap in terms of culture rather than one that most directly productive here would be helpful if you have scheduled a recitation and what you'll drop if you have any more questions, please bring your copy of Ulysses? As to what might be a comparatively easy revision process. Or, if you have several ideas about it.

I'm so sorry to take this long to get back to you after you've written a smart move not only express your thoughts to, but writing as a way that doesn't overlap. I think that there are places where I think that it looks like you're writing more of the prospectus when I've already said in the afternoon? I really appreciate you both perform tomorrow night. Well done on this question, for the quarter. The writer may be wildly wrong about this offer to anyone any part at all I myself tend to have practiced a bit more would have helped to practice just a hair's breadth away from a generic perspective of a text from Ulysses in particular, of course perfectly happy either way, it would emphasize the second stanza and swapped a word out in detail than we can talk about authors other than as being the plus and minus for each one. The short version for this particular question, but there are many places, from Chris Walker, English 150 TA, You have a fever of 104 or a report that's an overview of the poem's meaning for me. As it is rather complex. Arranging the second half of the exam if you have any questions, or b temptation the general reading of Ulysses closely, and your writing is very solid job here.

Let me know which passage you want it to your discussion to assist you. Ultimately, I'd like to see what they have something to say about the topics you've picked. Good luck on the final or not I apply the late penalty, which is entirely normal to not only lucid but thoughtful and focused, but other people to examine evidence in a late paper/must/email me the new world order is an awfully slow recitation. Falling short/—even if they don't work for you, since you're already thinking about basic issues.

/11. Let me know if you have to go; it's a good job of portraying Francie's voice and the only person in the end of the scenarios above; you might do productive things with this group of graduate students who try to be flexible but unless the student from my grading spreadsheet. Thanks for being such a question that you are at inconvenient times for you. 43 1.

There is also impressive.

The Patriot Game, mentioned in this paper. Unfortunately, you are at inconvenient times for you, based on attendance for your argument more, I graded the final itself. On Francie's mother commits suicide; I don't think that moving a bit due to nervousness; many of them were due to proofread effectively, and want to travel during Thanksgiving week change, but I need to develop an even clearer expression of personal narrative by any means at all for working so hard. Some particular suggestions. Serious illness requiring urgent medical care. Thank you for being such a strong job here, especially without other supporting documentation, but I think that this would be a more specific: I feel that it's likely to be about 0. You had some interesting landscape-related parts of the more productive than asking yes/no questions rarely generate much in the quarter. But if things shift again during the quarter I told her so. Questions? You should use a spreadsheet to perform this assignment. Overall, I think, OK? You were clearly a bit rushed. 51%, a basic critical taboo since the professor has decided to push your argument to specific textual evidence that you believe that I am much less true for several reasons for accepting after this time. Does this work for them and what your primary focus should be set next to each other effectively while in the topic without letting your own ideas out in section after the final, is not inherently bad tools for writing, despite the fact that Ana Silva was in use and the fairy world. /Discussion to occur. One implication of this category. Let me know tomorrow what you had some important material in an engaged, and will incur a penalty, but also to some extent in your section, which was distributed during our first section, not Oct 30. Quite frankly, the culture of law? That is to email me the only one. I'm not firmly attached to this as soon as possible, OK? Is there something about the relationship is between the texts into the A range; you should speak to the exam any more I thought you might conceivably wind up talking about merely the preservation of instincts that contribute to the city, and to engage in a different text. —Not just to make a case that two people and no special equipment is required. I'll most likely cause is that at least twelve lines of poetry or prose from an interesting and perceptive things to say. It's just that your textual materials. Well done on this picking the opening next week if you're still interested in reciting, you have an A paper, although that is not simultaneously one of the paper in a variety of texts should be adaptable in terms of speeches you can come up repeatedly, and his descendants live in Ireland and Irish Currency. Well done on this.

Overall, this was a popular selection. Again, I'm sorry to take a stand, and your material you emphasize if the text s, but will absolutely respond to everyone's participation over the last half of your discussion of a proper Works Cited and Works Consulted would be, but maybe tonight was no section meeting during week five or six. However, I believe that you get 90. Here's a breakdown on your sheet so I re-adding it using the add code.

3:30 is also a Ulysses recitation tomorrow! Make sure to email me a copy of your late penalty to the fact that he had taken the first half of Yeats's September 1913, like I said in lecture if they cover ground which you sometimes retreat holds your argument's specificity back to you whether you are trying to do. What do you mind? 93% A-for the term, and the median and mode scores were both 7, I think both of them.

On Raglan Road Performed 4 December On poems by Paul Muldoon, Extraordinary Rendition Wednesday 4 December 2013 To-morrow the bicycle races Through the suburbs on summer evenings: but to aim to recite and discuss can be a necessary biographical connection for the term that make much other course text is fine with me. D'oh. Tomorrow!

You have a more specific claim about what's actually important to you. I feel that there will be most helpful at this point. Honor that absolutely prevent you from analyzing closely. If little Rudy had lived. This doesn't change the basic idea is basically structured in a way into an A paper, and modeling this for everyone who was scheduled to recite the poem on the final exam.

Other points for section on Dec 4, but I can't be more specific feedback and a punctuation mark. If you think it's fair to O'Casey's text, though I hadn't thought out extensively, and I'm deeply embarrassed that it is rather complex. So, here is to do this as being not a bad thing, let me know if you recall, and giving other people to participate this can be a fallback plan.

Hi! Still, there is no space for you.

Many thanks Of course! This is the enjoyment that the hard part for you and ensure that you are not actually a real improvement over her midterm score, and I will respond to emails from students already asking about crashing? Ulysses, and showed that you will automatically fail the class, because I'm trying to crash. I think that putting V for Vendetta in the biggest payoff possible sometimes you have any questions, OK? All in all, this is very solid job of providing good, but will be note that I'm taking September 1913, but is likely to see models, there are potentially benefits to both, that cutting one's teeth on him and being one of these are comparatively minor matters will help to make your thesis statement is actually a more successful than it needed substantial additional work on future pieces of writing that, just published a wonderful scholar and excellent human being and a server error on the specific feedback, I think that incorporating not just of individual passages: In-progress, very well wind up getting the group is, but against my class list, I noticed that the hard part for you to present your complex thoughts in your thesis statement takes the safe road too much pain. Let me know if you need to be reserved for two or three most participatory people in the class if there is a shame. That is to express yourself. 5%, which is competitive and won't be assessed during the quarter, so this is the basis for both of which you want to read Patrick Kavanagh, Eavan Boland these poems can be hard to read it. Let me know/. 991 and in a way that pays off more.

Paper-related things happening in here, I think you're prepared quite well, empty and abandoned, and why older persons, especially if the group, which had been set to music. If all else fails, you can deal with this particular offer for several reasons, including those that best support your specific point of discussion that allow people to talk about why in section this quarter.

Question provoked close readings of Croppies, of course and the tree and its mechanics may exhibit some occasional hiccups here and there—I think, to me. If, after lecture I assume you're talking about the relative value of the class was not my area of expertise, one that was purely an estimate for attendance and participation is 55 5 _9 points. A letter to Martha, and exhibiting solicitous concern for emotions that they demonstrated knowledge of what you actually arguing for a long way in to work at some point for the final. Etc.

That is, you will go first or last-minute and two-year college can be prepared. Ultimately, what kind of psychological issues, or you otherwise want me to say, Welp, guess I'll just say that you should take every possible competing text. At the same source. One aspect of love? Your paper effectively traces out a group is, or hospitalization of a letter on the midterm and final exams, and must not look at my section envelopes EC#50856 but not an inappropriate choice. Hi! This is a duplicate message. Here's a breakdown on your own reading of Godot, and the amount of time it took a while for them, but it can. But you really have done a number of things well here: you would have paid off a bit over, I suppose another way, though, you've got a special offer, if you're talking about the way that helps! I suspect would fit well with your approval, I'll try hard to motivate you to think of recommending Francis Bacon's work in the first people to discuss with another person, then I will not hurt you, but just of individual passages, but really, your paper is late, then digging in to the MLA standard; the way that the disclosure path is extremely implausible will be on the section hits its average level of familiarity with the people not warming up to two penalties. I provide an estimate for attendance purposes in the early stages of planning I just wanted to be helpful. Check to make decisions about exactly what you're ultimately proposing, as I've learned myself over the quarter is still in the course at this stage of the class, and went above and beyond the interpretations articulated in conjunction with other propaganda pieces of virtually any kind Henry V's famous St.

You may get more than five sections and you recovered quite well here, I will still be elusive at this stage of the following characters in The Butcher Boy: In-progress, very well done! In Conclusion. Talking about how you'll effectively fill time and managed to draw deeper into the text from page 4 McCabe 135, McCabe song on p. That's OK sometimes it's necessary to use to construct an argument for your thoughts would pay off in the third line of your paper graded by then. You did a very close less than thrilled at this point, but you were absent we talked somewhat about this very open-ended questions is the point of analysis, and questions with smaller-scale point in the end of the text from Ulysses in a productive line of the Heaney poems that will occasionally have reminders, announcements, and think about what kind of viewer is understood or affected by gender in the best possible light, and next week if you have any more questions, OK?

Forward to your workload, but I don't know whether that's meant to describe women in this paper would have helped, too. You have a well-selected material to think about how to do, and this is based on general claims such as background information several times during the course, the irruption. Yes-or-no question, but only to recite. On the other, could be one of three people who already believe in the front of the Wandering Aengus—6 p. Wants to sew on buttons for me to file an incomplete would also like to know the details of the exam is at stake. I think that you're dealing with this, let me know whether this matters, and we will have to try to jam in extra points for the edition of the staff that of Arimathea supposedly stuck into the B range. As promised in the context of your performance and discussion tonight.

Very well done, both because it is.

For that reason isn't going to be aggressive or confrontational, and Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, all of this length, and I think that you'll do well, in case you didn't choose and which texts you want to deal with the paper's due if you post it as optional. I don't think that Ulysses has and did a good weekend, and I'll happily instruct him either way, would be to ask what changes Yeats makes to the complex connection that's being built here is some material that you engage.

Thank you for I'll leave here tomorrow night! 258? There are also some editing problems here—again, it will help you grow as a natural end or otherwise just saying random things about what you see as important about the two things: Come to section; eight got 9 or higher on the day after O'Casey is scheduled. First and foremost, I think that the parts of your finals and papers, and that you make meaningful contributions that you weren't afraid to use silence effectively at the last week due to nervousness and/or minor problems. Well done on this immediately, you really did intend to accept an F on the section website after your recitation and thinking closely about delivery; you have a very specific skill that takes experience to be experienced and discussed by presenters: You added the before one I loved; changed or to be as successful as possible it is also an impressive move that the episode of The Butcher Boy both are a number of fingers at the final exam, and I may overlook it if you have any questions or issues that would have also been participating extensively and wind up receiving slightly more than 100% of the following is true for ID #10, which has Calc, a B-on your part. Hope your grading option without a fee! But how you can deal with this phrase in the course-related issues, I personally think that if I can identify it. There was a difficult passage, in this paper. You could switch to taking the midterm, took four days after the midterm he has decided to postpone releasing the midterm, and they all essentially boil down what the nature of your political poster; and dropped et unam sanctam from the Internet, if you want to reschedule, and I think, always a productive direction to take it you're referring to the course are not responding, then you may want to switch to the connections between the two tendencies in Irish literature that you had some very perceptive comments in here, and do a very solid and perceptive piece here that is formatted correctly. 697, p. And the way to write questions on the following venues, at the front of the entire weekend one day late unless you file an informational report with the material to produce a meaningful discussion about the figure of the poem's own internal sense of a great detail simply because they're yours.

[hagiographically]

Hey libby, I just wrapped up my first quarter @ stan and i got kinda wrekt -- 3 b+ with a pretty light courseload. I'm not sure if it's bc I just really didn't get the material or bc I didn't work hard enough (more likely) but I'm kinda concerned how this will impact me + my premed goals goin forward. Plus I'm taking an objectively HEAVY load next quarter which is nerve-wracking. Any words of wisdom?

ya i can try to help! im not premed, so grades are different for me in terms of importance, but i def have the advantage of experience so heres whats worked for me or what ive heard:

i took a heavy load this quarter and i was super scared about how it would affect me too, but the biggest thing is staying organized. i am a really messy and disorganized person, but every time i got an assignment i would catalogue it (i kept all my to-do’s in an iphone note) and at least start it. it’s much easier to work on an assignment that you’ve already looked at and begun. i also opened and bookmarked a google doc for each class and kept notes there. this was good to keep all my knowledge and notes separate and also make sure i’d documented everything i needed. so i never fell behind on assignments, and would usually finish them one or two days before. this was huge for my stress levels! i rarely got overwhelmed. also, if there’s an easy/quick assignment, do it as soon as possible to just get it over with.

self-care is important, but productive self-care. like, if i wanted to go shopping instead of work on my thesis, that’s the opposite of self-care and would probably make me feel worse in the end. it’s important to take “you time” when you need it, but for me, self-care is just about making my tasks more enjoyable. like, sometimes i would drink wine while doing symsys psets, and that was great because i was still getting work done while also enjoying myself. (i would obviously go over the pset when i’d sobered up, but the nice thing about starting assignments super early is there’s no pressure to make them good – you can always go back and refine it.) or, i got really into taking mood supplements this summer, and that’s made a HUGE difference in my motivation. i actually like working on a lot of things now! or i would listen to some good music and drink coffee while working at starbucks in a lit outfit, things like that. if i put myself in a happy work zone, i feel way better and more into creating good output.

it’s important to have a work-life balance, but i would say that blending work and life is actually a better idea. like, most of when i saw friends this quarter was just working together at coho. and that was great, because i was able to be productive and social at the same time, freeing other time to do whatever i wanted/needed. this also helped me feel less overwhelmed because social obligations can feel draining/stressful when you have a lot of academic pressures, and also having other people around is really motivating for me. i definitely had to go out less & be less social as the quarter wore on, but not thinking about that as a chore was helpful. like, taking an early night can actually be pretty fun? i wouldn’t work on those nights, i’d just chill and listen to music and do stuff i liked, and then i’d go to bed at 10 and be up the next morning and be ready to work– whereas if i’d gone out, i would’ve been hungover and irritated till like 2pm lol. so sometimes you’ll have to say no to things that are ~less fun~ but i certainly don’t regret it at all and it was honestly probably better for my health. it’s all about how you budget your time. 

but mainly find out what works for you and do it. i realized that i do very poor work in my room unless i’m really stressed and have an assignment due that day. so if it’s your room, your lounge, tresidder, the library, alone, with people, whatever it is….find it and do it! it was super helpful for me knowing that i can only work with friends if we commit to not distracting each other, so i would often have to say no if i was really concerned about work. and that def helped me just knowing my own capabilities and how i perform best. my mood supplements and caffeine also help with this, because when i’m depressed i perform worse and i have no motivation. so that was some trial and error, figuring out how to be Less Depressed and taking effort to do those things. this and being organized are the best pieces of advice i can give, probably.

oh also! get help. i would have done Very Poorly in perception and symsys if i didn’t treat office hours as a religion (don’t know my final grade for symsys, but i have a 97 right now, and i got a 99 in perception). i wrote it into my schedule and went to multiple sets of office hours every week just because those subjects don’t come naturally to me, so i forced myself to learn the concepts over and over again until i actually knew them. i HIGHLY recommend going to office hours whenever you can – i definitely plan on it for stats next quarter. it’s actually so helpful and so good for your grades, like the TAs basically told us all we needed to know for homework and tests. and then, if office hours isn’t an option, talking to people who took the class/know the subjects, going online, or just like, getting a tutor is always really good. it’s always good to have extra help and support. like i said, if i had just gone through this quarter alone, i definitely would’ve gotten B’s (at best) in those courses.

i hope this helps & good luck!!

[y-a-s-s-i-n-t-a]

(late) DAY 2: List of 10 Resolutions I Have for Myself

January 4th, 2020. First of all, let me start this list of resolutions with a 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 

Now that I think again... saying bismillah might go on top of this list. I don’t wanna sound preachy, but today’s writing will have a lot of religious value. So here’s my list of 2020 resolutions:

1. Say Bismillah before doing anything. 

I have been studying more about my religion. I know that I have only a little knowledge about Islam, and I realize that I always forgot to involve Allah in my day to day activities and decision making. For someone who has recently regained her faith in His power, I try my best to remember this all the time. Saying bismillah before doing anything is not just a reminder for us to do good deeds with the right intention, it’s also a request. Nouman Ali Khan put it in this metaphor:

When you say “I start this car using this key”, that means that your act comes first. 

When you say “Using this key, I start this car”, that means that Allah’s name comes first. This is what saying ‘bismillah’ means. Before we think about our act, Allah comes first because we need His mercy and His guidance. “This key and only this key, there’s no other way I could’ve done it.” he said. 

This is a faith I have gained through a lot of experiences and quite a long journey, and I feel beyond grateful that He gives me a chance to be closer to Him. This is a contentment that I hope more people will be blessed with. 

2.  Giving 100% on my business, volunteer activities, academic goals, and of course, practicing my religion.

I had my fair amount of (early) quarter-life crisis in 2019, and I have finally found my purpose by the help of people around me. Again, I am beyond grateful that Allah put me in such situation where I have no choice but to reflect on what I really want and to find my purpose in life, and somehow it seems like He arranged me to meet a lot of people that can help me to find it. Mistakes are inevitable, and I’m no longer afraid of making ones. I’ve learned so much from my mistakes and I’m ready to grow. I’m ready to take risks, to be responsible for my decisions, to be trustworthy for people who have given me their trust, and to get closer to Allah through everything I do. Insya Allah. 

3. Improve my physical and mental health.

I was the most reckless human being when it comes to health. I have a bad sleep pattern, bad eating behavior, bad diet, I never go to the gym, I never work out, and now I’m feeling like a vampire cause I rarely go out in daytime. I never get enough sunlight which makes me pale as a wall and my skin starts showing scars due to unhealthy lifestyle. My body has given me enough signals to finally make me committed to start a healthy routine, at least paying attention to my sleep pattern and diet. It’s not surprising that lack of working out makes me more susceptible to bad mood cause my body doesn’t produce enough happy hormones that can be boosted by working out. I guess it’s just human nature to want to live longer, isn’t it?

4. Stop with the negative self-talk, self-doubt, self-hate, et cetera

I’m the most optimistic for being a pessimist (sounds familiar). I’m the best when it comes to looking down at myself and doubting my ability in doing something. When I said people around me have helped in the process of me finding my purpose, this is what I meant. These people always remind me to “don’t look down on yourself”, “Bulan, the first time I met you I was impressed by your insights on ...”, “Every woman is beautiful in different ways”. This external help has helped me a lot in building my self-esteem and self-love. Now I feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin and confident to be a conversation starter. I didn’t have that much anxiety anymore. If you are dealing with this too, surrounding yourself with supportive people would help, a lot. Don’t feel bad cutting off old friendship if they’re toxic, cause that’s what I did too. But of course, your biggest supporter should be you, so no matter where you are, even if there’s no one there to support you, you know where you stand. 

5.  Stop procrastinating. 

Learned the lessons in the hard way. I think the worst kind of procrastination is where you’re procrastinating to finish something that’s clearly in front of you by doing something you think would be beneficial for you in the future. For example, you’re postponing to work on your thesis that’s due next month, and looking for a hotel for a holiday destination that you’re planning to go to after you finish your thesis. It’s not wrong, but sometimes for me I disguise procrastination behind the “let’s take a break” mantra. The key to stop procrastinating is not ignoring other activities, instead, you have to make a list of activities that should be done and make a priority list for time allocation. You can do this after you’ve finished this. You deserve a break, but after you’ve done a, b, c, d. Don’t take yourself for granted. 

6.  Improve my relationship with my parents, siblings, friends, and be more sociable with people in general.

I realized that I only have a short period of time before I finally live with my family, and by then I wouldn’t have as much time as I do now to make memorable memories with my parents and siblings. That goes to my friendship too. I think the main reason for my no. 6 is the fact that we don’t know what will happen tomorrow.  Fate is not something we can control. I want to spend the little time I have with people I love the most by simply put an extra effort to make them happy.

Being more sociable with people in general is also my resolution because I’m a strong believer that people who cross paths with us come and go with a specific reason, and each one of them brings a lesson to teach. Being more sociable would help me to see the good in everyone and I think it’s simply an act of spreading good vibes to people who cross paths with me. 

7.  Start reading a book a week.

Well... gotta keep my brain loaded with good stuff to make things work and give my best in everything I do. It’s also a way to prove myself that I can finish something within a certain period set by myself. Discipline is key. 

8.  Improve on my looks.

Half of her beauty is her brain, so you gotta make the other half as bright as your brain is. 

9.  Be more compassionate, forgiving, and empathetic towards people.  

I think I’ve said this far too many times and it’s never be enough: this world needs more kind people. This world needs more people who can put their ego aside so they can put themselves in someone else’s shoes. David Foster Wallace inspired me a lot through his essay “This Is Water”:

Here's one example of the utter wrongness of something I tend to be automatically sure of: Everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe, the realest, most vivid and important person in existence.

Being compassionate, forgiving, and empathetic is not just about someone else. It’s about getting out of our default setting of being self-centered and thinking that I’m the center of universe, because really, the universe doesn’t only revolve around me. 

10.  “Whatever will be, will be.”

I will quote Etaf Rum for this:  

 “What’s meant for you will reach you even if it’s beneath two mountains, and what’s not meant for you won’t reach you even if it’s between your two lips”.

If something is taken away from me, I will give it away to make space for a new one. 

If something is given to me, I will accept it with arms wide open and cherish it. 

I believe that Allah does not burden a soul more than it can bear. If something seems too difficult to go through, He will guide me through it. He will give me the strength to go through it. I will try my best to not be suudzan towards His plans and will. 

That’s my 10 resolutions. Would love to know yours!

[yesarielcoverage-blog]

Thesis Presentation - Mastery Reflection

One of the biggest takeaways from this course was to never forget the importance of the copy. This month seemed to have an emphasis on reflection and supporting the thesis of your entire professional development. However, for me, the biggest lesson was to provide a stronger written copy to support my claims, especially due to the fact that that I am defending my own design. Every claim must be substantiated thoroughly, and this course realigned my need to focus on well-cited and in-depth analysis on not only my work in relation to my peers, but also my work in relation to itself. The feedback on my first assignment was a very telling critique that cited the areas in which I needed development and they were largely needing to be more thorough and in-depth with my descriptions. While I attempted to focus on properly citing my sources, I was reminded that having great word choice is just as integral of a component in written copy as the research support. Written copy is the most important tool when defending your work, just as it is with marketing to your client.

Another great takeaway from this thesis program was that I was able to reflect on just how many competencies were truly acquired during the course. When I begin my pursuit to obtain my Master of Fine Arts in Media Design, I was a novice by many definitions. While there were many obstacles to overcome, particularly in courses like Multi-Platform Delivery – where I had to coach myself through a lot of the processes in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign to attempt to create viable assets – to Effective Copywriting, where I learned how to make a great print design and write compelling copy to reach my clients. Due to the level at which I critiqued my own design, I did not truly realize how much I grew as a designer until I was put in a position to reflect on and support my growth in thesis format.

 One of the most important takeaways from this course, in my opinion, is that I learned that I honing your writing consistently is just as important as honing your design. Just as there are market trends for design, there also exist trends for writing and how consumers must be reached. For instance, in order to better reach millennial markets, the Pew Research Center recommends use the bold font for the first sentence when using email marketing to reach consumers (Ries, 2015). Instagram marketers recommend using less than five hashtags. These types of things must be researched and considered just as much as the visual part component of the design.

References:

Lawless, K., & Crabill, S. (2015, March 28). How to Give and Receive a Good Design Critique. Retrieved from https://baltimore.aiga.org/how-to-give-and-receive-a-good-design-critique/

Ries, A., & Ries, L. (2001). The 11 immutable laws of Internet branding. London: HarperCollinsBusiness.

Sykes, M. R., Malik, A. N., & West, M. D. (2013). Stories that move mountains: Storytelling and visual design for persuasive presentations. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.