#one benefit of being a creative person in a stem major

[ki1ldeer]

I need to do a research paper on the correlation between me taking a chemistry class and me drawing Finn being sad

[anthroamazed]

tips for stem majors in math and science courses (spoonie + neurodivergent friendly)

hi y’all! my nameis lila and i’m a 28 year old physics and anthropology major who’s about 2 years through college (in the US)! as we’re coming up on the start of the fall ‘23 college semester, i thought i might share some really solid hacks for fellow STEM students taking science and/or math courses that i’ve basically built my college academic career on. and! these study tips are spoonie and adhd friendly! as a matter of fact, a lot of these are tips/methods that specifically work for me as a neurodivergent spoonie (i have pretty severe adhd, as well as POTS and ME/CFS), but that i think non-disabled/non-spoonie and/or neurotypical students could also benefit from using! so with out any further ado, here are my 7 tried and true study hacks for college math and science classes…

1) discover your learning style and tailor your studying towards leveraging it.

you’ve probably heard of visual, audio, and kinesthetic learning styles, but did you now there’s actually way more learning styles than just those three? i’m personally a “social learner,” meaning i learn best through discussion and socialization with 1+ other people to interact with. this could look like teaching other classmates concepts and methods that we’ve learned or discussing ideas with classmates and/or professors until i fully understand the concepts at play and how they connect and can reflect them in performing analysis and application, etc. honestly, figuring out my learning style was hands down one of the most helpful things i’ve done in college. it has allowed me to choose professors who i will mesh better with in terms of how they teach, as well as to adapt materials and methods to my style of learning in order to master them quicker and more effectively.

2) rewrite your notes after lecture, for the love of god.

this tip actually comes from my high school IB Math HL teacher, who told me to do this when i originally left high school for college. even if you think you’ve mastered the basics of the topic covered during the lecture, rewriting those notes after lecture helps really hammer in the knowledge that you’ve already established and also helps to get the wheels turning on pieces of information you might have less of a grasp on. try tp set aside at least 30 - 40 minutes after class to just rewrite your notes and try to really digest the information.

3) body doubling is one of the most beneficial things ever to be invented even if you’re not adhd, and i WILL die on that hill, thank you very much.

“body doubling” or “having an accountabilibuddy” are interchangeable terms in the adhd community that mean you have one or more consistent study buddy/buddies who you do all the homework and/or studying with in person on a regular basis, even if you’re just working next to each other in total silence. this does a couple of things. first off, it forces homework/assignments/studying to become a concrete social obligation you need to regularly show up for, rather than a nebulous obligation based on an invisible deadline. second off, it gives you 1+ partners to work out your problems concerning course topics with. third off, it allows you to build a network of peers where you feel comfortable helping each other with course material (this is especially great because it’s likely you and your classmates have different strengths regarding course content). tbh, body doubling is the other method that i, personally, have found most useful in college and i highly recommend trying it, even if you don’t have adhd.

4) teach others/your classmates the analysis and application methods you’ve learned, even if those methods aren’t 100% solidified for you (trust me on this).

the goal of stem courses is never memorization, but rather being able to understand a topic well enough to analyze a similar situation and apply the what you’ve learned creatively. this is where teaching others comes in. in order to teach others a concept and its related analysis and application well, you have to have at least a fraction of a decent understanding of these things yourself, and, further, often time in teaching these things you also learn to grasp the concepts/aanalysis/applications even better than you did before with each new teaching session. basically: teaching others is a creative way of also teaching yourself. you get the benefits of repetition, of thinking about a concept/technique/analysis and application in a new way, and of getting to apply the concept/technique/analysis and applicatioin to a new scenario each time. plus, you’ll typically make friends quickly in the process! there’s really no downside to this tip imo ;-)

5) utilize your college’s tutoring center/program(s), even when you don’t think you need to.

usually colleges have either set up a general “tutoring center,” on campus where you can find tutors for all different kinds of topics and courses available during regular hours for walk-in sessions and/or appointments free of charge or departments will hold regular weekly (or twice weekly) free on-campus tutoring sessions for specific courses. regardless of which of these options your college has, i highly recommend attending at least one tutoring session/appointment (ideally with the same tutor if/when you eventually find one you click with) every single week, even when you don’t feel like you’re struggling with the topic(s) covered in that week’s lecture. this will help you review topics and techniques covered in lecture, deepen your understanding of them, and, if nothing else, it’s an excuse to get homework out of the way while having someone else there who can help you if/when you get stuck. attending at least one session weekly also helps you get into a habit and routine of keeping up with your assignments, so you’re not left scrambling at the last minute before they’re due.

6) if you have accommodations, request access to record lectures. if you do not have accommodations, ask your professor if you are allowed to record lectures. IF YOU RECORD LECTURES, DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW THEM!

okay, so first up for my fellow spoonies and neurodivergent peeps: when you apply for/renew your accommodations, make sure that “recordinng lectures” is on your MOA (memorandum of accommodations), because so long as it is, your professors legally cannot deny you permission to record lectures without risk of themself and the college being sued for an ADA violation. also, make friends with a classmate and ask them to record lectures and send them to you if/when you are absent (let the professor know that you’ve asked this classmate to record and send you the lecture if you are absent)

now, if you aren’t disabled, a spoonie, and/or neurodivergent, you aren’t guaranteed permission to record lectures. however. ask the professor if you can have their permission to audio record lectures (be sure to also let them know that such a recording would be for personal use only and that you don’t plan on distributing the recordings). i’ve found that many professors don’t mind you having an audio recording.

even if you aren’t an audible learner it can be really useful to have these recordings to review at a later point. oftentimes reviewing lecture recordings can be useful if you glazed over and missed a section of the lecture and/or if you can’t remember what a professor taught during a section of a lecture.

7) last but not least, on a related note, if you have accommodations, also request access to your professor’s lecture notes. if you don’t have accommodations, check if your professor posts their lecture notes for students to use.

having your professor’s notes can be extremely useful for review purposes, but they can also help you understand where your professor is going with course content and what they want to stress as important.

[brutalisttarot]

Pick An Image:

What’s your next victory?

Pile 1

You surrendered to difficult situation in which you have been avoidant of. The main reason you’re avoidant of this something is because you already have whatever this thing is offered to you, very likely an emotional opportunity. This stems from the fact that you’ve tried to stay strong/ nurture a person/situation but it has never been in your favour. You could’ve been heartbroken or feeling defeated about this. Hence you are passive in this situation and just let it flow. Because of your surrender, there’s a conflict within oneself on what you should do next, as if you’re trapped. I see that someone is going to try again and offer you an opportunity. This time, you will feel like you’ve been dragged out from the dark to see the light. This victory is one of being saved and one of emotional resolution.

Pile 2

You are getting recognised for you hard work, you will be receiving a opportunity that you’re excited and passionate about. You will be focusing on what you already have and avoiding sudden opportunities that are additional. You’re investing your own energy, into nurturing your own work in progress as well as other people. Your sense of individualism will come off as very alluring to other this time. However, this comes with the price of your own internal battles of wanting to be better, trapped in your own mental insecurities. From the oracle deck, this victorious situation is set up by the universe to maximise your creative power and unleash your skill. It’s all about expressing yourself and expanding beyond your comfort zone so that you can reclaim your power such that you can reap the benefits of what you’ve sown. To be proud of who you are.

Pile 3

A flux of wealth occurs, a major shift in your life could be happening especially in your career or if you happened to strike the lottery within a day. Some of you guys might’ve changed your looks as a result of this, beginning a new chapter of wisdom, mystery and power under your belt. People will start to view you as sophisticated and put you up in high regard. You’ll be taking chances and risks with a fresh perspective. This leads to you victoriously gaining influence and being able to influence others in what you do.

[azeez-unv]

AMELIORATE SLOW LEARNERS

தமிழில்

To put misconceptions to rest, slow learning is not a learning disability. It is used to describe a learner with the ability to acquire all academic skills at a rate below than that of the average learner.

No learner is weak or bright by birth; it’s the way we feed the knowledge and how they imbibe it which makes them so.

A slow learner needs more time, more repetition and more resources, like visual aids from educators to be successful. These learners do not have intellectual disability, but it takes them longer to understand and grasp concepts.

Not every child can learn at a fast pace or same pace. Therefore, it is very paramount for educator to recognize the uniqueness of each student quickly, so as to make learning more effective for each child.

Educators and parents play pivotal roles in a slow learner’s life. Their support and motivation go a long way to help such children overcome their hurdles. This duly signifies that educators and parents have added responsibility from schools and society toward them.

Also, school owners should ensure they get the best hands on deck for their students. The best of educators should be employed so as not to leave any child behind on the learning course and living up to the standard.

Creating a healthy and conducive environment for a slow learner is of utmost importance to improve their pace. Often, educators who have a slow learner in their class face grave problems: keeping up with the term syllabus, fear of losing empathy toward such students, and many others. Here are few motivation tips for educators to help them cope with at least the basic issues.

TIPS ON HOW TO TEACH SLOW LERNERS

1. Be patient with slow learners.

The foremost aspect of teaching a slow learner is that the educator should be patient and consistent throughout the entire process. The core problem of slow learners’ education is their weak cognitive skills coupled with the slow speed learning. An educatorr has to be understanding and patient toward their ability to get distracted easily and have a low attention span. Moreover, educators must find creative ways to cope with this situation so that the entire class is not affected. One of them is patient repetition. Try repeating every basic instruction, keyword and concept time and again without being boring. Do not over speak, but over teach.

Recognize this tip and ensure measures are put in place to ensure the benchmark of credible institution.

2. Introduce Innovative Tools and Takeaways.

A very thoughtful tool to help slow learners at school and home is to introduce innovative and exciting methods of learning. A major factor with slow learners is their concentration and focus.

As educators and parents, you can propose board games, interactive books, STEM toys, worksheets, activities, and more. Hand out special cheat sheets, mini dictionaries, or visually graphic information sheets. One good idea is to give lesson pamphlets for pinning them to their soft boards so that they are surrounded by constant reminders of lessons.

3. Engage fellow classmates in your efforts.

Teach the other learners to empathize with the special students. Especially ask them not to bully or tease slow learners. Inform them about their condition and how they could make a difference. Ensure you have these timely sessions in the slow learner absence.

4. Provide minimum homework.

We all agree that homework although with its benefits is more of a burden for a child and her parent. Slow learners, in particular, find it difficult to be attentive throughout the school day, let alone coming home and completing assignments. For such children, quality matters over quantity. Having minimum assignment would help them understand learning and reduce their anxiety. This, in turn, would maintain their enthusiasm toward school. An educator can assign and alter homework personally and leave out small details that may be of little importance. For example, an assignment of writing an essay on an English chapter could be modified to reading the chapter twice, and telling the summary to the educator, would be a better idea.

5. Peer slow learners with active learners .

When their educators are of the same age, they get encouraged. Let them select 1 or 2 of their friends to form a study group. Assign the study group the task of reiterating the new teachings of the day and assisting with assignment.

6. Encourage and Teach the right things.

Invite them to come forward during art classes, school activities, or volunteering. Recognize and reward their participation. This would do wonders for their self-confidence. Teach special skills rather than unnecessary skills. This may include following the correct instruction words (count, color, circle, etc.) or listening and focusing on keywords. Remember the main goal is to make them self-sufficient.

7. Praise and raise them

It is necessary that you encourage kids at school and home. A little pat on the back and appreciation goes a long way, trust me. Encouragement and admiration in front of their fellow classmates will definitely boost their confidence and instill a sense of victory and achievement.

8.Encourage Constant Parent- Educator Association.

Work very closely with their parents. Ensure the assignment and tasks assigned are successfully completed on a daily basis. Be accessible and open to communication. Make sure to listen out to parents’ problems and help to solve them. Conduct special meetings for their parents apart from the general PTA meetings.

Lastly, a few DONT’S:

Do not reprimand in front of the class. You may do that in private.

Do not emphasize writing, concentrate on reading. Oral education is more beneficial for them.

Do not let them quit trying. Encourage them to continue their hard work to complete their tasks even if it means postponing it.

Do not be overprotective. Let their slow learning not become their introduction.

Practicing math worksheets can help in improving skill. This target at a specific skill like addition, time, division and many more. Along with these worksheets, great practice comes with playing social math games that are holistic in nature.

Provide a platform for children to imbibe a culture of academic distinction, standing tall and making a positive mark on everyone they come in contact with.

மெதுவாகக் கற்றுக்கொள்பவர்களை மேம்படுத்துங்கள்

தவறான எண்ணங்களை நிறுத்த, மெதுவாக கற்றல் என்பது கற்றல் குறைபாடு அல்ல. சராசரியாகக் கற்கும் மாணவர்களைக் காட்டிலும் குறைவான விகிதத்தில் அனைத்து கல்வித் திறன்களையும் பெறுவதற்கான திறனைக் கொண்ட ஒரு கற்பவரை விவரிக்கப் பயன்படுகிறது.

எந்தக் கற்பவரும் பிறப்பால் பலவீனமானவர் அல்லது பிரகாசமானவர் அல்ல; நாம் அறிவை ஊட்டுவதும், அவர்கள் அதை எவ்வாறு உள்வாங்குவதும் தான் அவர்களை அவ்வாறு ஆக்குகிறது.

மெதுவாகக் கற்றுக்கொள்பவர் வெற்றிபெற, கல்வியாளர்களிடமிருந்து காட்சி எய்ட்ஸ் போன்ற அதிக நேரம், அதிக மறுபரிசீலனை மற்றும் அதிக ஆதாரங்கள் தேவை. இந்தக் கற்பவர்களுக்கு அறிவுசார் குறைபாடுகள் இல்லை, ஆனால் கருத்துகளைப் புரிந்துகொள்வதற்கும் புரிந்துகொள்வதற்கும் அதிக நேரம் எடுக்கும்.

ஒவ்வொரு குழந்தையும் வேகமான வேகத்தில் அல்லது அதே வேகத்தில் கற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியாது. எனவே, கல்வியாளர் ஒவ்வொரு மாணவரின் தனித்துவத்தையும் விரைவாக அடையாளம் கண்டுகொள்வது ம��கவும் முக்கியமானது, இதனால் ஒவ்வொரு குழந்தைக்கும் கற்றல் மிகவும் பயனுள்ளதாக இருக்கும்.

மெதுவாக கற்பவரின் வாழ்க்கையில் கல்வியாளர்கள் மற்றும் பெற்றோர்கள் முக்கிய பங்கு வகிக்கின்றனர். அவர்களின் ஆதரவும் ஊக்கமும் அத்தகைய குழந்தைகளுக்கு அவர்களின் தடைகளை கடக்க உதவும். கல்வியாளர்கள் மற்றும் பெற்றோர்கள் பள்ளிகள் மற்றும் சமூகத்தின் பொறுப்பை அவர்கள் மீது சேர்த்துள்ளனர் என்பதை இது முறையாகக் குறிக்கிறது.

மேலும், பள்ளி உரிமையாளர்கள் தங்கள் மாணவர்களுக்கு சிறந்த கைகளை வழங்குவதை உறுதி செய்ய வேண்டும். கற்றல் படிப்பில் எந்தக் குழந்தையும் பின் தங்கி விடாதபடி சிறந்த கல்வியாளர்கள் பணியமர்த்தப்பட வேண்டும்.

மெதுவாகக் கற்றுக்கொள்பவருக்கு ஆரோக்கியமான மற்றும் சாதகமான சூழலை உருவாக்குவது அவர்களின் வேகத்தை மேம்படுத்துவதற்கு மிக முக்கியமானது. பெரும்பாலும், தங்கள் வகுப்பில் மெதுவாகக் கற்கும் கல்வியாளர்கள் கடுமையான சிக்கல்களை எதிர்கொள்கின்றனர்: பாடத்திட்டத்தை கடைப்பிடிப்பது, அத்தகைய மாணவர்களிடம் பச்சாதாபத்தை இழக்க நேரிடும் என்ற பயம் மற்றும் பல. குறைந்த பட்சம் அடிப்படைச் சிக்கல்களைச் சமாளிக்க கல்வியாளர்களுக்கு உதவும் சில உந்துதல் குறிப்புகள் இங்கே உள்ளன.

மெதுவாக கற்பவருக்கு எப்படி கற்பிப்பது என்பதற்கான உதவிக்குறிப்புகள்

1. மெதுவாக கற்பவர்களிடம் பொறுமையாக இருங்கள்.

மெதுவாக கற்பவருக்கு கற்பிப்பதில் முதன்மையான அம்சம் என்னவென்றால், கல்வியாளர் முழு செயல்முறையிலும் பொறுமையாகவும் சீராகவும் இருக்க வேண்டும். மெதுவாக கற்பவர்களின் கல்வியின் முக்கிய பிரச்சனை அவர்களின் பலவீனமான அறிவாற்றல் திறன் மற்றும் மெதுவான வேக கற்றல் ஆகும். ஒரு கல்வியாளர் எளிதில் திசைதிருப்பப்படுவதற்கும் குறைந்த கவனம் செலுத்துவதற்கும் அவர்களின் திறனைப் பற்றி புரிந்துகொண்டு பொறுமையாக இருக்க வேண்டும். மேலும், கல்வியாளர்கள் இந்தச் சூழ்நிலையைச் சமாளிப்பதற்கான ஆக்கப்பூர்வமான வழிகளைக் கண்டறிய வேண்டும், இதனால் முழு வகுப்பினரும் பாதிக்கப்படக்கூடாது. அவற்றில் ஒன்று பொறுமையாக திரும்பத் திரும்பச் சொல்வது. ஒவ்வொரு அடிப்படை அறிவுறுத்தல்களையும், முக்கிய வார்த்தைகளையும், கருத்தையும் சலிப்படையாமல் மீண்டும் மீண்டும் சொல்ல முயற்சிக்கவும். அதிகமாகப் பேசாதே, அதிகமாகக் கற்றுக்கொடு.

இந்த உதவிக்குறிப்பை அங்கீகரித்து, நம்பகமான நிறுவனத்தின் அளவுகோலை உறுதி செய்வதற்கான நடவடிக்கைகள் எடுக்கப்படுவதை உறுதிசெய்யவும்.

2. புதுமையான கருவிகள் மற்றும் டேக்அவேகளை அறிமுகப்படுத்துங்கள்.

பள்ளியிலும் வீட்டிலும் மெதுவாகக் கற்பவர்களுக்கு உதவும் மிகவும் சிந்தனைமிக்க கருவி, புதுமையான மற்றும் அற்புதமான கற்றல் முறைகளை அறிமுகப்படுத்துவதாகும். மெதுவாக கற்கும் ஒரு முக்கிய காரணி அவர்களின் செறிவு மற்றும் கவனம்.

கல்வியாளர்கள் மற்றும் பெற்றோர்களாக, நீங்கள் பலகை விளையாட்டுகள், ஊடாடும் புத்தகங்கள், STEM பொம்மைகள், பணித்த��ள்கள், செயல்பாடுகள் மற்றும் பலவற்றை முன்மொழியலாம். சிறப்பு ஏமாற்றுத் தாள்கள், மினி அகராதிகள் அல்லது காட்சி கிராஃபிக் தகவல் தாள்களை வழங்கவும். ஒரு நல்ல யோசனை என்னவென்றால், பாடத் துண்டுப் பிரசுரங்களை அவற்றின் மென்மையான பலகைகளில் பொருத்தி, அவை தொடர்ந்து பாடங்களின் நினைவூட்டல்களால் சூழப்பட்டிருக்கும்.

3. உங்கள் முயற்சிகளில் சக வகுப்பு தோழர்களை ஈடுபடுத்துங்கள்.

சிறப்பு மாணவர்களுடன் பச்சாதாபம் கொள்ள மற்ற கற்பவர்களுக்கு கற்பிக்கவும். குறிப்பாக மெதுவாக கற்பவர்களை கொடுமைப்படுத்தவோ அல்லது கிண்டல் செய்யவோ வேண்டாம். அவர்களின் நிலை மற்றும் அவர்கள் எவ்வாறு மாற்றத்தை ஏற்படுத்தலாம் என்பதைப் பற்றி அவர்களுக்குத் தெரிவிக்கவும். மெதுவாக கற்பவர் இல்லாத நேரத்தில் இந்த சரியான நேரத்தில் அமர்வுகளை நீங்கள் வைத்திருப்பதை உறுதிசெய்யவும்.

4. குறைந்தபட்ச வீட்டுப்பாடத்தை வழங்கவும்.

வீட்டுப்பாடம் ஒரு குழந்தைக்கும் அவளுடைய பெற்றோருக்கும் அதிக சுமையாக இருந்தாலும் அதன் நன்மைகள் என்பதை நாம் அனைவரும் ஒப்புக்கொள்கிறோம். மெதுவாக கற்பவர்கள், குறிப்பாக, பள்ளி நாள் முழுவதும் கவனத்துடன் இருப்பது கடினம், வீட்டிற்கு வந்து பணிகளை முடிப்பது ஒருபுறம் இருக்கட்டும். அத்தகைய குழந்தைகளுக்கு, அளவை விட தரம் முக்கியமானது. குறைந்தபட்ச ஒதுக்கீட்டைக் கொண்டிருப்பது கற்றலைப் புரிந்துகொள்ளவும் அவர்களின் கவலையைக் குறைக்கவும் உதவும். இது, பள்ளி மீதான அவர்களின் ஆர்வத்தைத் தக்க வைத்துக் கொள்ளும். ஒரு கல்வியாளர் வீட்டுப்பாடத்தை தனிப்பட்ட முறையில் ஒதுக்கலாம் மற்றும் மாற்றலாம் மற்றும் சிறிய விவரங்களை விட்டுவிடலாம். எடுத்துக்காட்டாக, ஒரு ஆங்கில அத்தியாயத்தில் கட்டுரை எழுதும் பணியை இரண்டு முறை அத்தியாயத்தை வாசிப்பதற்கு மாற்றியமைக்கலாம், மேலும் கல்வியாளரிடம் சுருக்கத்தைக் கூறுவது சிறந்த யோசனையாக இருக்கும்.

5. செயலில் கற்பவர்களுடன் மெதுவாகக் கற்பவர்கள்.

அவர்களின் கல்வியாளர்கள் அதே வயதில் இருக்கும்போது, ​​அவர்கள் ஊக்குவிக்கப்படுகிறார்கள். ஒரு ஆய்வுக் குழுவை உருவாக்க அவர்கள் 1 அல்லது 2 நண்பர்களைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கட்டும். அன்றைய புதிய போதனைகளை மீண்டும் வலியுறுத்தும் பணியை ஆய்வுக் குழுவிற்கு ஒதுக்கவும் மற்றும் பணிக்கு உதவவும்.

6. சரியான விஷயங்களை ஊக்குவிக்கவும் கற்பிக்கவும்.

கலை வகுப்புகள், பள்ளி நடவடிக்கைகள் அல்லது தன்னார்வத் தொண்டு செய்யும் போது அவர்களை முன்வருமாறு அழைக்கவும். அவர்களின் பங்கேற்பை அங்கீகரித்து வெகுமதி அளிக்கவும். இது அவர்களின் தன்னம்பிக்கைக்கு அதிசயங்களைச் செய்யும். தேவையற்ற திறன்களைக் காட்டிலும் சிறப்புத் திறன்களைக் கற்றுக் கொடுங்கள். இதில் சரியான அறிவுறுத்தல் வார்த்தைகளைப் பின்பற்றுவது (எண்ணிக்கை, நிறம், வட்டம் போன்றவை) அல்லது முக்கிய வார்த்தைகளைக் கேட்டு க��னம் செலுத்துவது ஆகியவை அடங்கும். அவர்களை தன்னிறைவு அடையச் செய்வதே முக்கிய குறிக்கோள் என்பதை நினைவில் கொள்ளுங்கள்.

7. அவர்களை போற்றி உயர்த்துங்கள்

பள்ளியிலும் வீட்டிலும் குழந்தைகளை ஊக்கப்படுத்துவது அவசியம். முதுகில் ஒரு சிறிய தட்டு மற்றும் பாராட்டு நீண்ட தூரம் செல்லும், என்னை நம்புங்கள். சக வகுப்பு தோழர்களின் முன் ஊக்கமும் பாராட்டும் நிச்சயமாக அவர்களின் நம்பிக்கையை அதிகரிக்கும் மற்றும் வெற்றி மற்றும் சாதனை உணர்வைத் தூண்டும்.

8. நிலையான பெற்றோர்- கல்வியாளர் சங்கத்தை ஊக்குவிக்கவும்.

அவர்களின் பெற்றோருடன் மிகவும் நெருக்கமாக பணியாற்றுங்கள். ஒதுக்கப்பட்ட பணி மற்றும் பணிகள் தினசரி அடிப்படையில் வெற்றிகரமாக முடிக்கப்படுவதை உறுதிசெய்யவும். அணுகக்கூடியதாகவும் தகவல்தொடர்புக்கு திறந்ததாகவும் இருங்கள். பெற்றோரின் பிரச்சனைகளைக் கேட்டறிந்து அவற்றைத் தீர்க்க உதவுங்கள். பொது PTA கூட்டங்கள் தவிர அவர்களின் பெற்றோருக்கு சிறப்பு கூட்டங்களை நடத்துங்கள்.

இறுதியாக, சில செய்யக்கூடாதவை:

வகுப்பின் முன் கண்டிக்காதீர்கள். நீங்கள் அதை தனிப்பட்ட முறையில் செய்யலாம்.

எழுதுவதற்கு முக்கியத்துவம் கொடுக்காதீர்கள், படிப்பதில் கவனம் செலுத்துங்கள். அவர்களுக்கு வாய்வழிக் கல்வி அதிகப் பயன் தரும்.

அவர்கள் முயற்சியை விட்டுவிடாதீர்கள். தங்கள் பணிகளைத் தள்ளிப்போட்டாலும் அதை முடிப்பதற்கான கடின உழைப்பைத் தொடர அவர்களை ஊக்குவிக்கவும்.

கணிதப் பணித்தாள்களைப் பயிற்சி செய்வது திறமையை மேம்படுத்த உதவும். கூட்டல், நேரம், வகுத்தல் மற்றும் பல போன்ற ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட திறமையை இலக்காகக் கொண்டது. இந்த ஒர்க் ஷீட்களுடன் சேர்ந்து, இயற்கையில் முழுமையான சமூக கணித விளையாட்டுகளை விளையாடுவதன் மூலம் சிறந்த பயிற்சி வருகிறது.

கல்வி வேறுபாட்டின் கலாச்சாரத்தை உள்வாங்குவதற்கும், உயரமாக நிற்பதற்கும், அவர்கள் தொடர்பு கொள்ளும் அனைவருக்கும் நேர்மறையான அடையாளத்தை ஏற்படுத்துவதற்கும் குழந்தைகளுக்கு ஒரு தளத்தை வழங்கவும்.

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/24/2021: ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK

During Elvira's 40th Anniversary Very Scary, Very Special, Special on Shudder, the apparently immortal horror heckler (she looks exactly the same as she did when I was a little kid, WT actual F??) does a bit where she pretends to read rude letters about her own movie. One of the messages, from a "Leonard Maltin", complains that there was no character development, and while this is all for laffs, that was really the general complaint about ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK. Unfortunately, it's hard to disagree, and this points to a paradox within the character herself. The figure of the horror host forms a sort of bridge between fans and the films we love, but when her routine so favors cheap digs and low blows, is Elvira really with us, or against us?

Somewhere I heard, probably more than twice or thrice, the basic admonishment that nobody tries to make a bad movie. Making a movie at all is a huge challenge, and you can assume that anybody who showed up to work on one was trying as hard as they could. And like, I think that's a pretty good benefit of the doubt to take to any viewing experience. I can't convince myself that this is literally always true, but even if we do take for granted that every movie is made with the best of intentions, that still doesn't cover the toll taken by financial hardship, production hangups, lack of inspiration, inexperience, and just plain old incompetence, among other enemies of art. Luckily, movies that suffer from these ails can still be enormously entertaining at a certain mental remove, as per the great Mystery Science Theater 3000, which was certainly a major contributor to the modern craze for irony that lingers on to this day. The thing to note is that MST3K always had a warm glow of affection around it, at least in the Joel Hodgson years; perhaps this aura of sympathy stems from the creator himself being a prop comic, and his uber-independent production being not that far removed from the never-say-die creative spirit of a grade B or Z genre movie. In any case, while Hodgson's style of sarcastic commentary caught on in a big way, his baseline love of (as he put it) "weird, adorable movies" takes more soul than some viewers have to offer, and it can feel as if most people enjoy watching something "cheezy" because it gives them a chance to spew some sort of repressed rage in the form of nasty, condescending commentary that doesn't rise to the level of comedy, and that doesn't have much purpose for anyone but the spewer.

Where the hell was I going with this?

Oh yeah. I want to know what Elvira's whole deal is supposed to be.

Cassandra Peterson seems like a lovely person. An interesting person, even. Somebody I wouldn't mind being stuck in an elevator with. She's had an eventful life, one that probably required a lot of chutzpah, and any friend of Pee-wee Herman is a (theoretical) friend of mine. But right at the beginning of the movie about her busty, bouffant-sporting hostess character, Elvira herself says something that I found suspect. Well actually, she does it twice, once immediately in the first scene, where she tears into the Roger Corman classic IT CONQUERED THE WORLD on her TV show, a mockup of the real-life KHJ-TV series Elvira's Movie Macabre. Pointing her finger down her throat, she quips that the movie was "about an hour and a half too long," which is way harsher than even Leonard Maltin was in his own measured review. Seconds later, after being groped by the station's sleazy new owner, Elvira quits, ranting to her agent, "As soon as my show opens in Las Vegas, I'll never have to host another one of those crappo horror movies again!"

Hmmm.

So anyway, even though Elvira doesn't have the dough to launch her own Vegas revue, she gets a fresh start when she inherits the fortune of her mysterious Great Aunt Morgana. She travels from Kansas to Massachusetts with dollar signs in her eyes, only to discover that her winnings are a dilapidated mansion, an ornery toy poodle, and an old recipe book—actually a powerful grimoire, which is the envy of Elvira's Uncle Vincent (William Morgan Sheppard), actually an evil warlock and the only other survivor of her magical bloodline. Elvira's journey of self-discovery is fraught with peril, not only from Vincent, but from the even more menacing Morality Club and its president, Chastity Pariah (the incomparable Edie McClurg), who virtually runs the town. Luckily, Elvira has a little help in the form of local teens who are raring to rebel, and a new love interest in the person of THIS guy.

That's right, Daniel Greene, the arm-wrestling cyborg from Sergio Martino's HANDS OF STEEL, which is a much, much stranger movie than either MISTRESS OF THE DARK or IT CONQUERED THE WORLD could ever hope to be.

But I digress. Even though ELVIRA is ostensibly a movie about being true to yourself, it's hard to get a read on what the main character is about. When you first meet her, she makes it pretty clear that she hates her job AND the movies she has to watch for it. Later in the film, when she learns that her suitor operates the local movie theater, she urges him to run a midnight program with the shlocky movies she has been toting around in the trunk of her car. We catch some of her act, in which she joyfully heckles ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES from her signature velvet fainting couch, but that movie is itself an act of heckling, and doesn't tell us much. If you're like me, you kind of want Elvira to champion these movies instead of seeing them as an albatross around her neck; for her ribbing of them to be tempered with reverence. Which it sometimes is, and sometimes isn't. And you kind of want her love of horror to tie in to her essential, indomitable difference from normal people. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem at all impressed by Great Aunt Morgana's gothic digs, or even her own magical origins. She only sees her newfound powers as another way of getting enough money to go to Vegas.

Incidentally, the showgirl thing is autobiographical for the star and co-writer, who started dancing at The Dunes when she was only 17. Peterson is also really from Kansas, like her character in the movie, so you'd think this story was wide open for exploring themes of self-acceptance and the embrace of originality. The fact that Elvira is an orphan isn't even mentioned until half way through the plot, when more is revealed about Morgana, and this just feels like a huge missed opportunity. Elvira might have been wondering all her life why she's so different, and where she came from, as she doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. She might have found validation in the search for fantastical escape that genre fans have in common, which is reflected here in the wild turnout for the midnight movie extravaganza at the local theater. But instead, at the beginning, middle, and end of the journey, Elvira remains exclusively focused on getting the money to go to Vegas. Please don't mistake me for looking down on that ambition! The lady can twirl a mean pair of tassels. But still, I just wanted a little more Elvira in my Elvira.

It shouldn't be, but Elvira's car is really the star of this movie.

I don't mean to sound naïve; obviously Cassandra Peterson really does love these movies, or else she wouldn't be, you know, Elvira. But MISTRESS OF THE DARK should have been a big opportunity to give us a little more than snark and sneers. It should have been an opportunity as big as PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE—after all, it was co-written by the late great John "Jambi" Paragon!—but the character is just not that well exploited. When various reviewers complained that there was not enough character development here, they really meant of anyone, because the cast is just too voluminous for anybody besides Elvira to get much individual screen time. But, I would have been happy with just a deeper dive on Elvira herself. I hear that she's trying to get a new movie made today, which may wind up being animated. She can sign me up for that, as long as she's serving something a little meatier than MISTRESS OF THE DARK.

[parachutingkitten]

Y'all suck at dissecting Kai's character, so I guess I have to do it.

And I'm not even a Kai stan. He's a bottom tier ninja for me, which I guess means you can trust me, cuz I'm not biased, but also why am I the one doing this? I don't know about y'all, but recently on my dash, the method by which Kai fans try to make him sound good is... saying the writers hate him, ignore him, and that he isn't written well? Which... I mean there is a little bit of truth to, but like yikes guys, is this the best you got? Kai is a wonderful character with plenty of attention from the writers, a meaningful piece of the cast when put in secondary rolls, fairly consistent character writing with actual progression and valuable qualities that help the team without having to be the smart one- despite what some posts might tell you.

Let's get one thing cleared up: Ninjago isn't the best written show. By high level Hollywood standards, most the character arcs are kinda weak or too heavy handed, character consistency can be iffy, and most things serve the plot rather than the characters. There is no character you can point to and say "wow, this character is written so well! No complaints!" Nya and Jay were butchered by their weird love plot, Cole's one season doesn't actually give him an arc, Zane's been nothing but the robot numbers guy for like 10 seasons now, and Lloyd seems to be incapable of doing anything but relive the same one piece of dad angst for depth. Sorry, it's true. All the characters suck when you look at it from a large scale writing perspective. So when I say Kai is well written, I mean by ninjago kids show standards- cuz that's the scale we're working on. No, you couldn't drop Kai into a well written drama, but as far as ninjago goes... he's got a lot going for him, and by no means is he the biggest victim of poor writing.

(fair warning, wall of text below)

The title is a bit disingenuous. There are plenty of good Kai character break downs. What I am presenting here is a more positive perspective. On the whole, I will tend to give the writers the benefit of the doubt, and credit for what they do right writing is hard guys. That's what I'm doing here. I don't see much sense in getting mad the writers on behalf of Kai, or any other character. Ninjago is a simplistic ensemble show that works because of the identifiable simplicity of its main characters with some deeper layers hidden underneath if you keep watching. They've given us a damn good show with some damn enjoyable characters, so here are some criticisms I feel are a little flawed:

First, let's get the 'focus' thing out of the way. Apparently there are people saying Kai doesn't have a season yet? Which... what? I mean, I get that the pilots aren't a full season, the first two seasons, though he is the central protagonist, aren't "Kai seasons" as we've come to define ninja focus seasons, season 7, though he gets majority focus, he shares with his sister. But like... did y'all just forget about season 4? You know, the season where he had the title card, was on the box sets, got the love interest, and the majority of the A-plot? not to mention it's the best season don't @ me Like... if season 4 isn't a Kai season, I can make a damn good argument that season 3 isn't a Zane season, and I doubt anyone wants to go down that rabbit hole. I really can't wrap my head around this one. And I get that the fandom hates season 11 for some reason, but like you can't just pretend it doesn't exist. Kai has a consistent arc across 30 episodes in which he takes his powers for granted, loses them, and learns that, not only does he have value within the team without them, but that his element is intrinsically a part of him that he reclaims, bringing them back more powerful than ever, and with new respect for them. That's one of the most solid arcs in the whole series- the location is even thematically connected to his element. That's some good stuff right there! (Quick plug for season 11 if you haven't watched it in a while. Give it a rewatch, you might be pleasantly surprised)

Not to mention the writers give him fun side stuff all the time. Lots of fears of tech and water to overcome, a deep protective streak with Lloyd, becoming a chancellor, having a true potential actually relevant to the plot as a whole, blacksmith responsibilities, befriending dragons, hanging out with his dad. Not to mention actual focus stuff we haven't talked about yet, like his whole "my dad is evil" phase, and his "I might be evil" phase with him and Skylor. And on top of that, even when he doesn't have an explicit side plot, he's always just a fun and dynamic side character to make jokes or give exposition.

Now, into character stuff. Let's start with Kai's hot headed-ness. Some people say he's been loosing this quality, and I will admit, that's true! But those that claim this makes him inconsistent... I strongly disagree. In early seasons, Kai's temper would lead him to snap at his friends or make stupid decisions that set the team back (see episode 2 Zane freak out)- these are bad things. These are character flaws, yes? Now, in newer seasons, people say that he's inconsistent, cuz sometimes he'll be hot headed, and sometimes he won't. I'd say, this is exactly how being hot headed... works? It flares up without warning, and as an individual gets control of it, it'll pop up less and less often because they're channeling it into productive things - like say directing the anger towards an enemy (see season 11 end freak out). Kai has gained control of a character flaw, and though it still pops up on occasion, the fact that it's a once in a while kind of thing speaks to his growth. I have a little brother who has this exact personality, and watching him grow up, I can tell you, this is how it is. He used to snap all the time, and he still does sometimes, but much less frequently, because he's a more mature person with better control of his emotions. This is a good thing. This is overcoming personal flaws. This is progression we're seeing.

And while you're hyper focused on this one aspect of him, things like his cocky confidence haven't changed a bit. I mean, that season 3 bit between him and Pixal, and his season 11 "fire maker" streak have the exact same energy. You can not convince me otherwise.

Another adjacent quality that hasn't been dampened is Kai's impulsiveness. This can be a good quality of his, he'll get into a fight without thinking, getting the jump on the enemy. Good stuff. But, this has become such a well defined trait of Kai's that it has been used in a comedic capacity. This is what happens when a character is extremely consistent to the extent that both the audience and the characters in universe would be able to predict their actions. Kai's impulsivity used to be a more serious quality that put himself and others at risk, and was a big power move whenever he did something rash, but it's become such a staple of the show that it's now being used for comedy. That isn't Kai's impulsivity going away, that's Kai's impulsivity being recontextualized for the sake of the show. The season 9 "Who's stupid enough to jump on that thing" isn't a joke at the expense of Kai just for being dumb, it's a joke at Kai's being so predictably impulsive that everyone already knows he'll be the one to put himself in an insane amount of danger without thinking twice (you know, something stupid that might get him killed). But because in this instance, the danger is warranted, this is bravery. It's a complement to his character- it's what ends up defeating the colossus. Why are some people so bothered by this joke?

Oh right, cuz for some reason people want to peg Kai as the smart one? Look, Kai isn't stupid, none of the ninja are. All of them have smart moments (all of them have dumb ones too) and Kai can certainly handle himself, but "smart" is definitely not one of his defining characteristics- I think some people are confusing smart for his actual strength. Connected to his impulsivity, Kai has very good simplistic instincts. He sees the big picture and looks at the most surface level solution- which when the situation calls for it, that does indeed make him smart. But the same logic that led him to think "This snake has a glowing target on its head, lets hit it" also led him to think "I'm in a video game, therefore I am immortal." Are you really going to look at me and say he figured out Lloyd was the green ninja through logical deduction and a careful consideration of the facts? No. He had a gut feeling, and he trusted it. Instincts- instincts paired with his impulsive following of said instincts is what leads him to solve problems- and sometimes, that can be extremely effective. This goes for other ninja too. Jay isn't the smartest ninja- I would really only classify Zane and Nya as having intelligence define them (hence their ship name). But Jay is extremely creative and crafty. He also knows his was around mechanics, and as such, this will lead him to come up with creative tech based solutions which are smart. But, idk about you, if I had to point to another ninja as being 'dumb' it would 100% be Jay. Kai is a lot of things. He's passionate and determined and confident and persistent. He's a good improvisor, he's powerful and he's charming! These are all wonderful qualities, he doesn't also have to be the smart one. I am the worlds biggest Pixal stan, and she's a smart, sassy, powerful character, but I'm not gonna sit here and tell you she's also hilarious and adaptable and strong willed. She's a straight man to all the ninja's antics, extremely tied to her samurai x suit, and lets people push her around all the time. That doesn't mean she can't be funny, or self interested, but when she does act these ways, it stems from her other more prominent qualities. That make sense?

And while we're clearing up what Kai isn't, please stop characterizing Kai as an overly protective brother - especially romantically. The only two times he's been romantically protective to Nya are in Wu's Teas which I mean, come on and in the pilots when Jay is literally a stranger. For crying out loud, by the end of the pilot, he's smiling when Jay and Nya hug. That's not overly protective, that's just normal, any reasonable person would react this way, protective. And it's such a great stereotype break for a kids show like ninjago, having an older brother who actually trusts his younger sister to be her own independent person who can make her own decisions. I mean, I guess it's fine if you HC differently but like... idk, I don't buy it.

Now, is there still room to criticize the writers? Yes. Hell yes. But not to an extent greater than any other character. Could he have had more of a defined reaction to events of the most recent season that I won't name for the sake of spoilers? Yes. But could Zane have reacted for more than .5 seconds at being an evil war lord for apparently 60 years? Yeah. Has Kai taken a back seat in the past 4 seasons? Yeah. But so has Lloyd- and he's literally the main character of the show. Not to mention two of those seasons have gone to people who had to wait over ten seasons to get one to themselves, and one of them is a 40 minute special. Kai's doing just fine.

Anyway. Kai is great. He's a fun, stereotype breaking, impulsively driven, ball of energy and confidence who gets a good amount of screen time and some fun side plots.

One last thing to clear up: no hate to anyone. This isn't targeted at anyone specific, this post has been a long time coming, I've just seen some weird overblown claims on various platforms over the past few months and I finally sat down to write about it.

I like the Kai content we have. After all, if the writers were really that bad at writing him, then no one would like him.

Wow this was so much longer than I thought it would be. Um... if you have other long winded rants you'd like to see from me... let me know I guess?

[itsclydebitches]

About crosshair. Again lol

Regardless of his scar not lining up with chip scar or the headaches or “soldiers follow orders” again. Or him without a chip being a liability to the empire. I just don’t buy his personality change in the end. I’m the pilot episode they hammered it over our heads it’s very unlike him to follow orders. He said himself “empire or republic, what’s the difference?” But now in the end he cares about the empire protecting the galaxy? Responds to hunter his choice is “soldiers follow orders”? Wtf, really? So he genuinely believes his only personality is being a soldier now? when it’s been established in both in cw and tbb that cf99, including crosshair only cared about completing the mission. I get that people change but not that abruptly especially if we are to believe techs “unyielding” description of him to be true. Echo is the one true soldier of the group. He keeps repeating to hunter “we are soldiers not smugglers”, “there is no other way than being soldiers” etc. but he is clearly loyal to the republic. And I never saw echo and crosshair to be similar in that

So yeah , I think it’s very out of character for crosshair to just see himself as soldier and being content with following order or being a pawn(which he must realize he is cause he’s not dumb) especially with his mega inflated sense of self importance. Just my two cents

Crosshair is a complicated character! There's a lot to discuss :D

That's a good point though. And yeah, as acknowledged the quick personality change could be chalked up to chip influence if it's still having some kind of impact... but if it's not, then what do we make of that?

Putting aside the "It's just bad writing" possibility, I think there's a key difference between not following orders and not being loyal to the organization giving those orders. They're not necessarily the same thing, though it's easy to lump the two together. Yeah, we see early on that the Bad Batch isn't known for doing things the "right" way. Rex and Jesse are pretty unsure about their methods when the Batch first shows up in TCW. In the pilot Tech has a line about how "We're more deviant than defective" emphasizing that they tend to do things differently. Crosshair's sudden willingness to follow orders to the letter, not just in spirit, is questioned during their time in the cell, etc. So yeah, they don't obey the rules, but I don't think that's because they're not loyal. They're not refusing orders because pff, screw the Republic/Empire, who cares about those guys. They're refusing orders because they recognize that their way of doing things—the unconventional methods that deviate from the standard clone playbook—is more likely to net them, and the Republic, a success. They seem to be against the Republic's rules because they want the Republic to succeed, recognizing that their way is the best way to get that. Wrecker takes great pride in their successful missions, keeping tally marks on their room's wall. Crosshair is constantly pointing out how the higher ups called them in because the Regs couldn't complete a mission, likewise emphasizing his pride in being needed. When Rex and Hunter finally start bonding, it's through Rex's decision to charge the droids head on, precisely like the Batch would, rather than following the "correct" strategy of carefully picking them off from the tree line. They bond over the understanding of, "Yes. This is the best way the Republic wins." Perhaps most significantly, the Batch was still willing to complete missions for the Empire up until they were ordered to kill civilians. Killing Jedi resulted in an acknowledgement of how messed up that was... but no solid intent to leave.

All of the above is important because it establishes the Batch's need to be loyal to something other than themselves. The kind of loyalty that is shown through intense, life-threatening acts of service. Hunter's line about them being loyal to each other rather than some Empire, while true, is a simplification. Their loyalty to the Republic and their loyalty to one another overlap in many, many significant ways, simply because the Batch was created for the Republic. They have literally spent their entire lives living, breathing, fighting, and almost dying for the Republic. Their core identities stem from the Republic's desires: skills they want them to cultivate and even personalities they want to foster, if Tech's theories are to be believed (that conversation with Wrecker in the mess hall). The loyalty the Batch feels, those bonds they formed over the years, stem entirely from completing missions for the Republic. Their love for one another is, at least at the start, a product of the Republic's desire for Good Soldiers. And yeah, they sometimes did things the Republic technically didn't like, but it was always in service of achieving the Republic's end goal, whatever that may have been. They were very good soldiers, just soldiers that understood the value of creative thinking. "You want me to reach this location? Of course! I'll reach it by cutting across the grass, despite you asking me to follow the path already laid out. But our goal and the Regs' goal is exactly the same: fulfill your mission. That's our purpose in this life."

And then the Republic became the Empire.

Every one of these characters has a need to serve some higher purpose, to complete missions for the benefit of another. Overlooking the very literal ways in which they may have been genetically predisposed towards this (like the chip), and the cultural brainwashing that went on the second they were born (this is your duty, this is your purpose, this is all you exist for), this is, simply put, all they've ever known. Though it's possible to walk away from that need, it's by no means easy. So what saves the majority of the Batch from falling into that "Republic, Empire, what's the difference?" thinking out of a need to serve someone?

Omega.

I think it's crucial that the second they abandon one mission—killing civilians for the Empire—there's already new mission waiting for them to focus on instead—rescue and protect Omega, indefinitely. That's Hunter's thinking. We're not going to do A, we're going do B instead. All they did was put that single-minded focus onto a new target, but the focus—the need—still exists. And we see that throughout the first season, where everything the Batch does is in service to Omega. Their life decisions revolve entirely around her, from very small things (here's your own room on the ship) to the much larger (we need to stay on the move to help you avoid bounty hunters, even if we may want to find someplace to stay). The purpose of a soldier has been mapped onto the purpose of a parent, with the new, ongoing goal being "Raise Child" as opposed to "Win War." Putting aside for the moment the fact that this is an action-adventure show and thus exciting plot has to happen, I think it's notable that no one suggests non-soldier-y things to help them make money. Tech isn't offering his intellect as an easy way to make credits, nor Wrecker his strength. No one is seriously thinking of a planet they could hide out on, even from bounty hunters, so as to raise Omega in peace. They are still, fundamentally, the people they were during the time of the Republic, people who need to fight for something. Literally fight. It's just now they're chaotically fulfilling missions for Cid so they can give Omega a halfway decent life, rather than chaotically fulfilling missions for a general so they can give the Republic a chance at winning the war.

Omega is the new focus, the new Republic stand-in, but what happens if she's not an option? (Would have been really interesting to see what the Batch did if she'd actually left with Cut.) Without the chip affecting his thoughts, I fully believe Crosshair would have left with the others. Why wouldn't he? That's his family and, per Hunter's orders, Omega is the new mission. But the chip ensured he missed that chance and by the time he came out of it (if he came out of it), it was too late. His squad was gone, they never came back, and Crosshair needs to find a new place in this galaxy, just like they did. Except his options are far more limited and suck a whole lot more. I can't recall anything that implies Crosshair thinks the Empire will save the galaxy, but he does think it's going to control it and he's looking for his own purpose in this new life. Why not find purpose in the winning side? He can serve the Empire just like they served the Republic. He can serve the Empire just like his squad now serves Omega. The need to belong somewhere, to have that larger goal, outweighs those pesky ethical issues, at least for now. Though to me the "Good soldiers follow orders" really, really still sounds like chip influence, it can also be read as a broader acknowledgment that yes, they are fundamentally soldiers and yes, they do need orders of one kind or another. They need that mission. That goal. That purpose. Someone who helps to guide them in this new, crazy galaxy. Yeah, they've always bent and gotten creative with the orders, but until 4/5ths of them left the Empire, they'd never ignored the orders as a whole. None of the Bad Batch went, "I'm not taking this mission because the Admiral was an asshole to us about it and I don't feel like it :/" They suck up all the hard parts—the awful treatment, the danger, the general difficulty—because they have a goal to fulfill. They live for having a goal, literally in the sense that this is what they were made for. The Bad Batch is still doing that with Cid, putting up with bad treatment, dangerous situations, and general difficulty because they have that larger goal of taking care of Omega. Crosshair missed out on that, so he latched onto the Empire instead. Which circles right back around to previous points that if the Batch had tried to rescue him and/or been more welcoming when offering his return, Crosshair likely would have joined in on the Omega mission too. It's the best new purpose for all of them.

Crosshair sees himself as a soldier because, right now, being a soldier of the Empire is the only way he can find the purpose and belonging that the rest of the Batch maintained with each other and Omega, back when he was left behind. No, he's not dumb, but the logistics of the situation outweigh his knowledge that things are far from perfect. Do we think the Batch doesn't also realize that Cid is continually taking advantage of them with 70/30 splits? Of course not. But they need a way to survive and, right now, this is it. Crosshair likewise recognizes that the Empire is treating him as a pawn—I think he was in denial prior to the bombing, but now he definitely knows—but what other option is there? Not his squad. As discussed, he feels strongly that he's no longer welcome with them, with good reason. The only other option is to go off on his own, something that's incredibly foreign to clones who were bred to serve that higher purpose alongside many, many brothers. Yes, we've seen one or two who manage that—like Cut—but they're the outliers. Rex found his new purpose fighting the Empire with Ahsoka. The Batch found their new purpose taking care of Omega with each other. Crosshair's new purpose is... nothing. Not unless he swallows down his misgivings (and his ego) and keeps serving the Empire until a better purpose comes along.

[yogaadvise]

Practicing Yoga Terms

Sanskirt, the ancient Hindu language, can be tough to recognize. The language has words that are commonly listened to in yoga exercise course or listened to in anything regarding yoga, so it assists to have a concept of some of their meanings.

In Sanskrit words resemble living beings, depending upon context, condition and also atmosphere their mood differs and also indicating differs. Amit Ray, Walking the Course of Compassion

In a yoga exercise class, it is nearly unavoidable that there are going to be some terms that are symbolic, Sanskrit, and probably tough to articulate that might leave you wanting that you had a yoga exercise thesaurus with you. Don't fret! Most of us start someplace. Right here is a listing of 50 terms that typically are heard in a yoga course that could sound like gibberish if you are brand-new to the course or cue something that has a much deeper definition. The majority of these have far more deepness and information to them than what is specified right here. So for deeper understanding, further reading and translations is useful. Sanskirt writing typically has a number of various translations. However for the benefit of the read, this is a quick overview.

Yoga in the Body

Bandha Mula Bandha Muladhara Bandha Jalandhara Bandha Chakra Muladhara Svadhisthana Manipura Anahata Vishudha Ajna Sahasrara Nadi Prana Ujjayi

Yoga Philosophy

Sutras Bhagavad Gita

The Limbs of Yoga

Yama Ahimsa Satya Asteya Brachmacharya Aparigraha Niyama Saucha Santosha Tapas Svhadhyaya Ishvara Pranidhana Asana Pranayama Pratyahara Dharana Dhyana Samadhi

Yoga Methods

Vinyasa Kundalini Yin Bhakti Ashtanga Hatha Tantra Kirtan Ayurveda

Practicing Yoga Terms

Mantra Mudra Drishti OM Shanti Namaste

Yoga in the Body

These are Sanskrit terms in the yoga exercise custom that are techniques, skills, as well as energetics that are vital in practicing yoga. They can improve the physique, your technique, self-exploration, development, as well as understanding.

Bandha - The term for Body Locks that are engagements within the body for the integrity of a yoga exercise practice. Mula Bandha - The Root Lock of the 3 bandhas. It is a tightening and interaction of the perineum, the sex organs. Uddiyana Bandha - The involvement of the core by the action of contracting the marine right into the rib cage. Jalandhara Bandha - The Throat Lock. Done by tucking the chin in a little in the direction of the chest. Chakra - Energy centers straightened in the body that are energetically and physiologically powerful. There are 7 major chakras within the body and also they connect among each various other, throughout the mind and body. There is an 8th chakra that is rarely mentioned, the "mood," the energetic field that borders each being. Muladhara - The Root Chakra. Situated at the base of the spine and also holds the power of your methods of survival, safety, grounding, and self approval. The color associated is Red and also has the element of the Earth. Svadhisthana - The Sacral Chakra. Found at the sacrum and holds energy of creative thinking, sensuality, relationships with others, and also the relationship with the self. The shade is orange as well as has the element of water. Manipura - The Solar Plexus Chakra. It is situated at the naval facility as well as holds the energy of confidence, recognition, strength, spontaneity, as well as core being. The shade with this chakra is yellow and also the aspect is fire. Anahata - The Heart Chakra. Located at heart facility, this holds the energy of empathy, love, compassion, the equilibrium in between heaven and also planet, purity, mercy, as well as taking care of others. The shade linked is eco-friendly and the element is air. Vishudha - The Throat Chakra. Situated at the facility of the throat as well as the energy below is of communication, truthfulness, hearing the truth, talking the fact, and estimate of your real self. The shade associated is blue-green and the element of Ether. Ajna - The Pineal Eye Chakra. Located in between the brows at the facility of the forehead, the energy held right here is the seed of intuition, recognizing, and also understanding. The color connected with the pineal eye is indigo blue. Sahasrara - The Crown Chakra. Found at the crown of the head, this chakra has the energy of transcendence, link to the highest possible self, as well as the partnership to the unidentified. The shade with the Crown Chakra is violet purple. Nadi - Link and also energy lines throughout the whole body. In yogic texts, it is said there are over 72,000 Nadis in the body. The two major are the Ida Nadi and the Pingala Nadi. Prana - Equates to "Life Force" as well as also refers to the breath. Ujjayi - A breathing method that is commonly cued throughout yoga courses. Inhales as well as breathes out are matched in length, through your nose, as well as audible to hear.

Yoga Philosophy

These are two ancient messages that are at the root of the approach of yoga.

Sutras - old mentors of Patanjali of exactly how to live a yogic way of living, practice, meditate, and also methods of taking the path to the highest self. Bhagavad Gita - An ancient Hindu message that informs the tale of Krishna leading Arjuna on the spiritual journey as well as expedition of the self, and also the means of linking to the highest possible self through yoga.

The Limbs of Yoga

There are eight limbs of yoga exercise. Generally shown, you need to take the course beginning at the first limb as well as proceeding on for your trip via yoga each day.

Yama - From the trainings tape-recorded in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The Yamas are the universal, moral, and also moral guidelines of practicing yoga. Ahimsa - Non-violence. This converts to practicing non-violence towards ourselves as well as in the direction of the world around us. Satya - Reliability. Implying to live our truth, speak honestly, and also technique honesty. Asteya - Non-stealing. The technique of not swiping from yourself as well as from the world around you in any way that can be. Brahmacharya - Moderation of the senses. Often converted as abstinence however extra so implies to mindfully utilize your energy in the right way. Aparigraha - Non-greed. Translates to non-attachment definition to practice not taking extra than what you really need. Niyama - guidelines of communicating with self. The niyamas are personality building practices. Saucha - Cleanliness/purity. Pureness of the being and also tidiness maintained in the globe around you. Santosha - Satisfaction. Exercising satisfaction, being all right as well as glad with your own life in each moment. Tapas - Discipline. Can translate as heat. It means exercising self-control to expand stronger. Svadhyaya - Self-study. Exercising self-exploration and also study totally through reflection as well as recognition. Ishvara Pranidhana - Give up to the self. Welcoming and giving up completely to all consciousness as well as your greatest being. Asana - The 3rd limb. Essentially suggests, "to rest." This is the strength and versatility from the yoga positions of exercising yoga. Pranayama - The fourth limb. Breath work or control of the life-force. Any breathing technique and also control of the breath is pranayama. Pratyahara - The fifth limb. Withdrawal of the detects, drawing in of the detects for deep link past mindlessness. Dharana - The sixth arm or leg. Having one pointed focus and concentration. Dhyana - The 7th limb. Having an emphasis that you can keep in meditation. Samadhi - The eighth limb. Coming to be completely soaked up into your highest possible self.

Yoga Methods

These are different styles of a yoga method. Each have their very own function and method of exercising, yet they all have the origins of yoga exercise's core worths. A person can exercise one or as many styles that fits their own journey.

Vinyasa - there are a pair of various definitions behind the term vinyasa and exactly how it is used in a class. It equates to activity paired with breath, so when you most likely to a "Vinyasa course" it is a circulation class that connects breath with movement. When you remain in a class as well as the instructor says "take a Vinyasa" that implies to take a flow of your finding, generally a Higher Pet dog to Downward Dealing With Dog. Kundalini - A kind of primitive energy coiled at the base of the spinal column, Shakti, that is within each being. Kundalini yoga is a collection of countless kriyas, which are intentional movements or techniques, shown by Yogi Bhajan to awaken one's inner kundalini. Yin - The women power of a technique that is slower and also calmer. In yin yoga exercise, poses are held for a number of breaths, a minimum of a pair minutes, to get involved in releasing the deep tissue as well as fascia of the body. Bhakti - Love and also devotion. Bhakti yoga courses typically consist of chanting or vocal singing as a means of devotion. Ashtanga - Establish sequences of 3 different seires of vinyasa yoga developed and also made popular by Sri K. Patthabi Jois. This technique is indicated to be tough, rise toughness and also versatility, as well as cleaning of the body and mind. Hatha - The collection of both masculine and also womanly power (Ha= sun as well as tha= moon). Hatha yoga exercise is implied to help find equilibrium through the body, mind, and also spirit as well as produce room for spiritual growth. Tantra - Meaning "woven with each other," tantra is the yoga exercise of union. It is not about tantric sex that is promoted, yet instead union with various other beings by any means and also within yourself. Kirtan - Spiritual community gathering of yogic singing, shouting, and meditation. Ayurveda - An old of living that comes from the exact same Hindu roots that yoga exercise stemmed. It incorporates nourishment, medication, as well as one-of-a-kind types (called doshas) developed to aid a private comprehend their very own tendencies and needs.

Practicing Yoga Terms

These are a few of the common terms you might listen to that accompany a yoga exercise practice. They are various strategies as well as purposeful components of a practice.

Practicing Yoga Terms

Mantra - Word or expression that is repeated to strengthen the method mentally and also emotionally. Mudra - A positioning or plan of the hands or fingers. Mudra equates to "secure." Each mudra has its own meaning as well as they are utilized to facilitate a particular circulation of power and evoke various things. Anjali Mudra, hands with each other in mind facility, and also ¬ ¬ ¬ Gyana Mudra, the forefinger as well as thumb touching, are typical mudras. Drishti - A fixed gaze point. Maintaining an established look factor assists to maintain balance. OM - the universal audio and vibration of all living things. It is the start as well as the end as well as is used to get in touch with the globe around us. Shanti - Converts to "tranquility." Typically shouted at the beginning or end of a practice to ignite tranquility within the world as well as ourselves. Namaste - translates to "the light within me honors and values the light within you." Chanted at the end of a technique to recognize the light within on your own and others.

[kosakashuntaro]

for some reason, i became obsessed with this irrelevant filler character from izumi tsubaki’s lesser known series, oresama teacher. he’s consistently forgotten by fans and ranked 2nd to last out of the student council members, but despite that, i still think he’s a great and well-written character. also, he’s super cute!

and so without futher ado— here’s my stupidly long lovemail/analysis of shuntaro kosaka. a pure 1.5k word ramble about my favorite boy!

kosaka first appears in chapter #43, introduced alongside the rest of the student council members. he’s in class 1-3, the same as yukioka komari. the first major scene we see him in is him having a bad relationship with fellow council member, kanon nonoguchi.

not gonna lie, i forgot this scene existed and i don’t like it since he touches her forcefully. it’s a setup for their relationship later on, though. at this point, kosaka and nonoguchi are both closed off and cold towards each other; aside from their animosity towards each other from their interactions, they have their own personal issues for not being good with interacting with others. nonoguchi has her problems with men stemming from childhood and kosaka just seems bad at understanding how to act properly with people in general.

kosaka’s main arc is the student festival arc, where he plays the villain, but honestly, he’s just cringy as fuck in it. i think it’s good in that it shows how damn extra he is, though-- imo, he’s the most realistically extra of the characters. he’s a 15 year old kid who thinks he’s smart just ‘cause he gets good test scores. of course he’s going to be that bitch who smiles sneakily and thinks of himself as the grandmaster of the chess game, even when his partner in crime, kawauchi, knew all along of his betrayal plan.

we don’t see much of his motivations or personality in the student festival arc as it focuses mainly on okegawa and kawauchi. all we know so far is that he’s smart, manipulative, and sneaky. seems like a typical bad guy.

until the last chapter of the arc, #51. for the first time, we see the previously cool (lol) and cunning kosaka shuntaro... nervously fretting over how to kneel in apology to his superior, miyabi hanabusa.

we learn that kosaka is obsessively reliant on instruction manuals, ever since his childhood. he’s ridiculously good at studying and always gets first place in tests at school. however, he can’t cope with unexpected changes at all. everything has to go exactly to plan or else he comes up with a different approach to completing the original plan, that isn’t always appropriate for the situation.

he’s perfectly confident in interacting with people-- that’s obvious enough throughout the student festival arc--, but he’s bad at interpreting things on the fly, once again, prone to saying things inappropriate to the time and place. kosaka has to do things in order, step-by-step, otherwise he can’t proceed.

a while back, there was a post that talked about him being autistic. to be honest, i never considered this earlier (as in a few years ago, when i first started liking him a lot). but reading back, he really is strongly coded as such, i think. so frankly, the reason i like him might be a more personal reason, but... anyway.

like with the other student council members, miyabi helps him relax and feel better, guiding him to be more carefree and open. i have mentioned this a few times, but i think it’s really wonderful that miyabi basically helped out a bunch of kids with mental issues when their problems might’ve looked small or stupid from the outside. this is also brought up in chapter #104 during the hayasaka arc, where mafuyu and hayasaka both contact him for information about miyabi. he basically says that miyabi got him to join the student council because he was worried about kosaka’s personality and wanted to stay near him for help. 

honestly, kosaka is probably the one who’s most grateful to miyabi (outside of nonoguchi?) simply because he recognizes his own issues. there’s a reason why he’s the only student council member whose face you can’t see during the scene where miyabi graduates; he’s the only one of the guys who cry.

kosaka’s problem is that he can’t cope with his plans going off at all, so miyabi sends him to prank mafuyu. even though he tries to get her by making many elaborate plans, he eventually learns to just attack without plan. it ends with him stuck in a ditch and miyabi unexpectedly pranking kosaka himself.

here we see kosaka’s first genuine smile. and it’s beautiful!!! he’s a sweetheart!!! i think that the story of kosaka could’ve worked even without the student festival arc, but that establishes him as an dramatic kid who’s super smart and cunning-- and here we see him just relax for once, and be truly happy.

after this, there aren’t any more kosaka focused chapters. however, he does appear once in a while, usually with the other student council members. (he’s in the very next chapter using yui’s equipment to cross the lake. but since he usually feeds the fish, they all come to him for food...)

kosaka's bad relationship with nonoguchi is reiterated in nonoguchi's arc, chapter #71 where she beats him up for saying that all girls want a prince. it's a stereotypical thing to say either way, but nonoguchi's response about "men wanting to be princelike is self-serving" is more due to her own issues rather than about kosaka in particular. anyway, this is just to highlight that at this point, they both still have their own problems and don't get along.

the next time we see him is during the school trip arc, where, although he’s still being far too overprepared by carrying too much luggage, he seems to be getting along with his class very well. kosaka organizes his class’s schedule and accommodates for changes on the fly (when his teacher wanted to stay longer to see the sea otters), even if it annoys him a bit. it’s an improvement! he’s able to assume a role where his pedantically organized personality is a benefit. mafuyu also notes that both he and ayabe have become more carefree and open with others, with kosaka becoming “the center of class 4″.

i think this chapter, #82, is also the first time kosaka talks about yukioka. since yukioka doesn’t talk to anyone aside from miyabi, he had never heard her voice despite being a close friend. there’s not really any significance to them being besties (does there need to be?), but it does show his sense of responsibility for others since he basically takes care of her. he has more scenes with yukioka in various arcs, mostly in the miyabi graduation arc where he helps protect yukioka from aki.

speaking of that arc, like the other student council members, he gets something precious to him stolen. in this case, it’s the books that he always reads. we find out that he’s actually surprisingly good at drawing from memory despite him believing he doesn’t know how to draw without instructions. this may be partially may be some juxtaposition of him truly being ‘creative’ even though his methods are so ‘academic/scientific’ (even though i don’t believe ‘drawing well’ is what ‘creativity’ is). in my opinion, this represents his progress in general. it’s probably not just art/drawing, but he’s actually gotten better at doing most things without manuals without realizing or being aware of it.

this idea is also expanded upon with the protection of yukioka i mentioned earlier. because kosaka doesn’t have his books, he doesn’t act so formal and is instead more forceful and ‘manly’, making it easier for him to communicate with classmates. by the way, kosaka’s actually popular with the girls in his class (shown in school trip arc 1-koma), but doesn’t realize it because he can’t understand things not directly stated. what a guy...

here is a short break to talk about kawauchi. i think their relationship is hilarious. from kawauchi getting him to dig holes to kawauchi stealing his math books... i feel really sorry for kosaka, but it’s so funny... he just can’t escape him. even in the very last student council saga arc, it was kawauchi behind the scenes all along...

really they’re two characters who are heavily associated with each other and yet... i don’t think kawauchi’s relationship with kosaka says anything about his personality since kosaka was such a one-bit character during the majority of the arc where they interacted (plus kawauchi is awful to everyone). all kawauchi did was give kosaka more trust issues and broke his phone. i feel kinda mean for saying this but it’s so funny how he caused kosaka to be absolutely terrified of delinquents.

honestly kosaka like... doesn’t have a reason to be associated with kawauchi beyond the student festival event. imo it’s just a way for tsubaki to make kosaka relevant or appear once in a while since the other character he’s associated with (yukioka) got a boyfriend and doesn’t appear as often (kawauchi’s common appearances is due to his surprising popularity with fans).

enough about kawauchi though, we’re finally at the end of this long and loving post. at the conclusion of the miyabi graduation arc, the very first conflict of kosaka shown is finally resolved: he’s made up with nonoguchi!

i really love this scene so much!!! i know it’s kinda just a set-up for the next joke, but tsubaki still dedicated over a page just to nonoguchi and kosaka, so it’s genuine to me! it’s so lovely to see that nonoguchi and kosaka have both resolved their own issues with the help of miyabi and the public morals club. they both acknowledge that they weren’t the best in the past, but now they can become friends... this is a relationship that’s been developing in the background of oresama teacher for over 80 chapters... it makes me so happy that tsubaki gave a resolution to it in the end. she truly does care about all her characters no matter how unpopular they are, and i love her for that.

(by the way, i just found out that this can badge released in the same year as the miyabi graduation arc. they’re so cute!)

the story of kosaka and the student council as a whole ends here. everyone’s finally improved, and they’re all happy... people say “oresama teacher has no plot”, but there’s so much to the story of the student council. if i can write so much about one minor character who rarely appears, i think there’s plenty of plot and plenty to say about the others.

that’s all i have to say on this topic for now.

actually, i started writing this back in 2019 but i forgot about it until recently. my thoughts haven’t changed, though... i hope this post shines some light on why i like kosaka and tsubaki so much. to be honest, though, i’d probably just say that he’s sooo cute and i wanna protect that sweet smile of his... my 174 cm tall son.

[jonthethinker]

After a long day of truly cursed thoughts, I’ve come to the determination that the Cerberus Assembly can act as a sort of Exandrian analog of our world’s Silicon Valley, and I hate it. I hate hate hate it.

The more I think about it, the more it just sort of melds into my mind as fact. I can’t escape it. This is where I live now.

You’ve got this collection of self-proclaimed super geniuses, unbounded by modern social mores and determined to invent a new sort of ethics, with an intent on shaping history and sagely guiding the world into a better future. This is despite the fact that most of the ideas they have inevitably end up making the world worse, and the only thing “new” that they really bring into the world is a bunch of actually very old ideas coated in fresh circuitry/magic.

But let’s dig a little deeper and start getting specific.

They both have these images of fiercely independent, creative bodies desperate to remain free from government control, and sometimes even as a check on that very government. The heads of the Cerberus Assembly outright say their intent is to act as a check on the Crown, and are known to have many secrets the Crown is, to their knowledge, totally unaware of.

Tech companies, particularly in America, have this outward facing very libertarian outlook on things, saying they don’t wish to interfere in the very important process of democracy and free speech, while simultaneously feeling it is their responsibility to fact check those in power and hold them to account, with their “serious vetting” of political ads and the like on their platforms. They also lobby heavily against any and all regulation of their various products and services, preferring to let the “invisible hand” of the market provide the service of keeping them in check, much as the Cerberus Assembly prefers to handle its own problems internally.

But when you really dig into the details this is all bullshit. The Cerberus Assembly, for all intents and purposes, IS the Empire. They run the secret police, for goodness sake. The two are so interconnected, and the Assembly as an institution is so dependent on the infrastructure and manpower, and of course money (because the fancy clothes, giant towers, and expensive sets of material components don’t pay for themselves) of the Empire to accomplish its goals, it can’t serve as a real check on Imperial forces possibly “overstepping”, and it also has no material interest in doing so; the more power and control the Empire has, the more power and control the Assembly has; the less freedom the citizens have due to authoritarian “safety” measures implemented by the Crown, the safer the Assembly itself becomes to pursue it’s morally dubious work and experimentation.

The same goes with Silicon Valley and the various tech companies that fall under its ethos. They will expound continually on the necessary freedom from government control they must have to truly change the world in the ways they think are best, but the primary source of money for most of these companies are governments. They either primarily contract with governments for most of their actual profits or to use its already established infrastructure, as is the case with Amazon, or depend heavily on publicly funded research for their innovations, which is everyone from Apple to Google to Microsoft and dozens and dozens of smaller companies besides. They then even get to patent these publicly funded innovations and hold a monopolized stranglehold on their use. This is not even to mention the starter capital necessary to form many of these companies in the first place itself was provided by governments, with the rather, shall we say “morally questionable” Kingdom of Saudi Arabia being among the top contributors to such start ups.

Even when either of these groups claim to be self-made, it’s all bullshit. So many of our famous tech overlords that supposedly built themselves from nothing started at the upper reaches of society, with more than enough capital and connections to insure they were never at any real risk of failing in the first place. Most even went to the same elite institutions of learning that provide the vast majority of the political leadership of the United States, institutions they had access to due to their wealth and familial connections, not their brains. Elon Musk’s family owned an emerald mine in Zambia for God’s sake, one his family would have never owned without the British Empire being a thing.

The same can be said for the Assembly. The upper classes of the Dwendalian Empire are lousy with mages and magic users. If they don’t have a place to climb among the nobility, they work for the Assembly, and hope to climb there. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the only poorer mage recruits we know anything real about all were sucked up into the service of the Scourgers, one of the few arms of the Assembly known to regularly interact with societies lower reaches and not so positively at that, and had their familial identities obliterated in the process. Both of these groups are of the upper reaches of society and serve the upper reaches of society, and we should never think anything less.

And this brings us to the ideological framework both of these groups think with. They are both full to the brim with people who are individualists to the extreme. They all believe they are singular actors in the great tapestry of history, who got where they are by hard work and dedication, and anyone who isn’t there just didn’t do enough. The folks living in the tent city outside Zadash? lazy layabouts who simply have not applied their mind to be something greater, or perhaps their veins are just full of bad blood. Poor former factory workers in Detroit whose jobs have been moved to places where labor laws are weaker and wages are lower? If they’d only taken their education more seriously, they could be where I am! Or maybe they just never tried to be an Uber driver or delivering for Grubhub, because that’s how you really pull yourself out of poverty.

Meanwhile, most of the groups consist of people who have never once known real adversity and certainly not the hardship of poverty nor the lack of social and political power that position entails. They are blinded to the reality of most people in the world outside their rather small one, and thus have no understanding of the material hardship that most people experience during their everyday life.

You see this most clearer in the manner in which they try to solve what they see as societies great problems, with no clear thought put into the consequences of these particular solutions. In our world, this is particularly obvious. Uber is painted as an innovative means of transportation on a budget, when in reality it’s just a fleet of untrained, underpaid, non-unionized taxi drivers using their own personal vehicles at their own expense. Elon Musk is seen as this super genius when his solution to LA traffic wasn’t a more robust public transportation system or slowly reconstructing the city to be more pedestrian friendly, but instead to build a massive network of single car elevators under the city to zip cars to key hot spots faster in a manner people less anxious than me would still call risky at best. I mean most of these people think the key to ending poverty is teaching people to code or giving them STEM education, even when in a capitalist economy the only thing a sudden flooding of new coders and STEM educated folks would insure is that the jobs that require those skills will see a sudden massive drop in pay and benefits as the pool of prospective employees becomes over-saturated and individual workers no longer have any bargaining power to protect their once rare jobs. You already see this in animation and video game design, and you’ll certainly see it elsewhere.

For the Assembly, despite being praised as the brightest arcane minds of Wildmount, seem to get most of their ideas either by stealing them from others or digging them up out of the ground. But this is just the nature of empire; it’s always easier for an empire to consume than it is to create. So as little as they think of the Dynasty, they are eager to steal every little bit of knowledge they’ve discovered about Dunamis, and without the faith and moral sense the Luxon-based religion imposes, they will never be forced to put the use of this rare and dangerous magic into perspective. Imagine what harm they can cause with gravity and time magic when they don’t have that religious pressure to consider the value of life and choice. But this makes sense when their main sources of inspiration are the wizards of the Age Of Arcana; you know, the wizards whose hubris nearly destroyed the entire world and spurred an apocalyptic war that sent society into a dark age in which the gods themselves abandoned them? A+ inspiration material if you ask me.

Even the culture of these two groups in regards to how they regulate themselves is so eerily similar. Think of Delilah Briarwood. Member in good standing of the Cerberus Assembly. Also, worshipper of Vecna and talented necromancer. Only expelled from the Assembly after involvement from the Cobalt Soul, even when you know every other member of the Assembly almost certainly had loads of information on this lady.

It just makes me think of all the weird, right-wingers and Nazis who occasionally get expelled from the heights of Silicon Valley whenever some journalist exposes them, and how quickly their colleagues are to condemn them even when so many of them either knew this person was this way well before they were exposed or actively agreed with them and still do. I mean, think of how protected Bill Gates is, because of how much his philanthropist image has served to insulate and protect the gross consolidation of wealth and power in the hands of so few, even when his fortune was built on stolen ideas, military funding and research, and a hardcore software monopoly for well over a decade or two. Also, his philanthropy has done nothing to help African people build their own institutions of power independent of European and American influence, and have help distract us from the damage really caused to the entire continent by earlier colonialism and later capitalist imperialism.

This is to say as bad as our world is, I now definitely don’t want to live in Wildemount. I don’t want to live a world where Mark Zukerberg can cast Disintegrate. Not ideal. I guess I’ll just have to work that much harder to fix this one and not depend on learning Dunamancy to just put us on a different path. Bummer.

[rainbowsky]

Final round-up of fan fic asks

I've gotten a few more interesting responses to the fan fic discussion so I'm going to round them all up here. This will be my final post on the topic until/unless there's a dramatic new development, or a particularly notable response I want to highlight. Thanks to everyone who brought their thoughts and experiences to the topic. I hope everyone at least feels heard.

The biggest piece of advice that I would like to offer is for everyone to focus on what they love rather than what they hate. If we all did that, the world would be a better place. Alongside that, I'd like to remind everyone to please support authors whose work you like. It's so important. Give them a kudos, give them a nice comment, recommend their work to others. You never know what kind of grief and harassment they are dealing with to bring you these great stories, and our support means a lot.

This is in reference to previous posts here and here.

Anonymous asked:

With regard to fandom and fan fic issue, my years of experience being part of very large fandoms has led me to believe that big accounts are v important in facilitating and enforcing the general consensus of the whole fandom. Unless there will be big accs who'll remind everyone of being respectful & just not being a dick over other's preferences, nothing will change.

This is also the reason why I think certain solo fandoms have adapted weird and twisted narratives as their general fandom story because no big acc has tried to police them & and say hey pls be rational. Whether we like it or not, in a place where how far voices, ideas, tweets, posts get heard is based on the number of followers you have, big accs will have the power and influence in creating/curating/shifting the narratives.

So, if you want to know why your/our fandom thinks like this in general, look at what big accs are tweeting/posting, look at what ideas & values they follow, look at their preferences or how strongly they react to certain situations. it's taxing and toxic for big accs given the nature of social media these days, but it's also the reality of system, the more followers/audience you have, the more influence you will have.

So to anyone reading this I hope we all practice more restraint and reflection before we post anything. Remember that words, no matter what medium you write it in, will always carry weight.

So true. It is easy - even for myself who spends a fair chunk of time answering people's asks - to forget that people can sometimes be impressionable and what we say can influence people whether that's our intent or not. I get used to thinking of myself as a regular guy just doing my own thing when sometimes my thoughts and words go well beyond where I initially posted them.

I think it's important for us to be careful what we say, and it's equally important to be careful what we take from what other people say. Especially when it comes to big claims. Always get a second, third, fourth opinion and don't be afraid to ask for clarification if something doesn't sit right or sounds confusing.

It's also important to reflect on how our words and actions might affect other people's experience of fandom, and err on the side of 'live and let live' wherever possible. It's great to have our own preferences and to champion them, but we should try to do so in a way that leaves space for other people and perspectives.

The more unique perspectives and the more friendly, open dialog there is, the healthier the community will be as a whole.

There's nothing wrong with encouraging and guiding growth in the particular areas we are interested in, as long as it doesn't step on, oppress or attack those who are peacefully enjoying something different.

Anonymous 2 asked: bjyx fans attacking gdgdbaby for including zsww/lsfy dynamics in an event named bjyx then turning right around and attacking the zsww/lsfy event organizer for excluding bjyx? god, can you hear my facepalm and sigh of resignation and incredulity from over there? im genuinely not surprised that they're trying to drive an entire part of the fandom out by disgusting them (and me) with these immature tactics. i believe what im about to say next will sound quite bait-y and i respect your decision 1/?

should you choose not to post this. but i do know that it is not only me, in fact there are many out there, that is of this opinion. we just dont talk about it on twitter to avoid the potential mess it will bring lol. okay, here goes nothing. (do note that im talking about the majority here, not every single person is like this) so bjyx fans tend to be cishet females whereas zsww/lsfy fans are more diverse in terms of age and gender, and most of them are part of the queer community too 2/?

i would like to clarify that most of these zsww/lsfy fans are not dynamic exclusive (in the sense that they are friendly and interact with all ggdd fans) they just prefer to "identify" themselves as zsww/lsfy fans (on twitter specifically) just to form a distinction from bjyx fans who mostly are dynamic exclusive (as in; they do not consume non-bjyx content, and straightup refuse to interact with non-bjyx fans, often blocking them). as a result, id say that the zsww/lsfy communiy is way more 3/?

mature and respectful (after all, they're mostly queer people talking about a queer ship) whereas many problems in this fandom, such as the homophobia, adamantly insisting on "drawing lines" between dynamics, stem from the bjyx exclusive fans, comprised of cishet females who "may not know better". so, it is of no surprise to me that they're resorting to these immature tactics of calling gg unsavory names, and organizing retaliatory events with controversial topics in an attempt to "purify". 4/4

I trust that you have arrived at that theory through your own experience and observation. I haven't personally spent much time immersed in this stuff so I can't claim to have any real insight or expertise. If you say that's your experience of it, then at the very least that's how you've seen things up to this point.

I just want to say that I think we should always be careful about making assumptions about people's age, gender/gender identity, etc.

There are plenty of good reasons to avoid doing that; because those assumptions could be very wrong, because those assumptions are often laced with ageism, sexism, etc., because those assumptions - even when correct - might not be an accurate basis for the conclusions we draw.

But the primary reason I recommend avoiding those type of assumptions is because anything that enables us to clump a group of people together in our minds like that will tend to make them easier to demonize and dehumanize. They are no longer individuals who are each responsible for their own unique perspectives, they are now 'the X group' who is known for 'A B C series of easily attackable ideas or behaviors'.

If we attribute undesirable traits and behaviors to a group of people we feel opposed to in some way, that makes us feel more righteous and justified in behaving unfairly toward them, dismissing their humanity and warring with them. It's just risky behavior to engage in, even when it's well-intentioned.

There might actually be some truth to what you're saying. It could very well be that most of these people are young, inexperienced, heteronormative, etc. but if that's the case then we should try to use those traits to better understand and empathize rather than to better dismiss and discredit.

Just my two cents on that.

It can be really frustrating dealing with what feels like other people attacking us, trying to oppress us, etc. - especially when there are more of them than there are of us. In my experience the best solutions to that sort of problem are generally the ones that focus on what we are doing and want to do rather than what they are doing that we don't want them to do.

As I am always preaching, we can't control what other people say, do or think. The only thing we have any control over is what we say, do and think (and how we respond to what they say, do and think).

I have found in my experience that the moment I step out of a conflict mindset and instead step into a problem-solving mindset, everything starts to come together. I feel better, my outlook is more positive, I can begin to see solutions and allies rather than problems and enemies, and most of all, I become more focused on what I am doing than what others are doing.

So I would recommend everyone who is invested in resolving these conflicts focus on that. "How can we best showcase and encourage the types of stories we enjoy?" instead of "How can we stop these other people from doing things we dislike?"

Anonymous 3 asked:

Hello again! It’s anon #3 from the fanfic post. I really do appreciate reading your thoughts on various issues like this, so thank you for always taking time to write in depth. As for supporting without going to war, the simplest way has always been to just show appreciation for the creators, hype them up. Kudos are the easiest way on ao3 but comments in addition are great. This goes for all content—art, fics, vids..etc. Creators love to see and read how people react to their content. Sharing is also great, fic recs are very helpful, just be cautious with art and reposting though. Hope this helps a bit!

Thanks so much, Anon. I think this is excellent advice. And it's true that appreciation is great, but helping to expand the audience is also great. Recommending stories, pointing people to the pages/websites of artists we like (as opposed to reposting), sharing our own ideas and approaches, encouraging people to try new things... all of this helps build healthier communities.

And here's another one: WRITE! DRAW! CREATE!

I urge anyone with creative interests or talents to bring their voices to the community because we all can benefit from hearing from you.

Thanks again everyone for sharing your thoughts on this issue. I hope that over time we can all work in positive ways to improve the situation.

I think this subject has been well-covered now so I'm going to retire it for the time being. If anyone still feels they want to discuss it further please feel free to message me privately. Thanks.

[theculturedmarxist]

A majority of the United States’ young adult population has been forced to place its life on hold as the pandemic has erased the opportunity to move out of their parents’ homes or otherwise gain independence. This is the reality that has been exposed by a recent Pew Research Center report showing 52 percent of people between the ages of 18-29 are living at home with their parents.

According to the study, this is the highest share of young people living at home since the end of the Great Depression in 1940. As shocking as it is, this number belies the actual social crisis that is hidden beneath it.

The psychological impact of the chasm that has opened up between expectations for the future and the objective conditions facing millions of people is reflected by a national survey conducted by researchers from four universities and published this month by the COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding. The survey on mental health conditions for people in Generation Z, or young adults between 18 and 24, is a damning depiction of the mental and psychological destruction being wreaked on this generation.

According to the research, about 47.3 percent of young people experienced some sort of depressive symptoms during the last few months. The most common causes for depression seen in this age group are closure of schools (51 percent), working from home (41 percent), and suffering a pay cut. This compares to only 3.4 percent of people in this age group in 2013-2014 reporting suicidal thoughts, anxiety or sleep disruption.

“I’ve never been in a situation in my life when I was financially comfortable,” said Dasilva, whom has been forced to live with relatives along with her husband since spring. In a conversation with the World Socialist Web Site, she explained that her family in Michigan, where she lives, has caught COVID-19. This includes her aunt, uncle and cousin.

Prior to the pandemic, Dasilva and her husband were part of the performance industry. However, as live music venues, theatre and other creative arts have been upended, she admits that she has “no idea where I see myself in five years.”

In addition to her financial situation, Michigan has once again become hard-hit by the coronavirus. The state ranks ranked eighth in the country with almost 390,000 COVID-19 cases and over 9,500 deaths since March.

Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer re-imposed a 3-4 week shutdown of restaurants and bars across the state last month without any new financial aid for those affected. While being largely ineffective to stem new outbreaks—since the auto factories and other large workplaces remain open without any significant restrictions—the shutdowns will continue to devastate the retail and service industry, which largely employs young people.

David, a 21-year old student and grocery worker in Virginia, told the WSWS that the “state of the economy scares me.” During the first weeks of the pandemic, millions were laid off on a weekly basis, leading to tens of millions of people unemployed or underemployed. Even as millions are cut off from the last remnants of unemployment benefits which expire at the end of this month, hundreds of thousands continue to apply for assistance from their states on a weekly basis.

“Being stuck with parents, it used to be something that people would get made fun of for,” David said sarcastically. “Now we can see that this is a real concern for society.” Speaking about his own personal circumstances, David explained “I live with my parents but my mother was furloughed for three months” during spring. “She didn’t get paid anything during this time, she is labeled an ‘independent contractor,’” a term businesses often affix to workers in order to avoid paying them unemployment or healthcare benefits.

“I had to pay the bills. While the bill collectors lowered the cost of the mortgage and things like that, I was the only one working” in the entire house, he said. On top of this, David’s grandmother, a food stamp recipient, passed away during summer. Not only did this further traumatize family members, “but she was the only other person in the house getting any sort of financial support,” he said.

“I’m an essential worker,” he said in conclusion. “I was going to quit my job to pursue a career [in visual arts], but that field isn’t hiring right now. I don’t know when things will be normal again. I don’t know when I’ll be able to see my friends. This is a struggle.”

As misery among the working population grows millions are turning toward politics of a decidedly left-wing and anti-capitalist variety. According to a survey conducted by YouGov this year, the support for socialism among young people has increased significantly. Among the Gen Z group, support grew from 40 percent in 2019 to 49 percent this year. The report also indicated that 60 percent of Millennials are looking for an alternative to capitalism.

Mark, another young worker that was laid off in September, said that his plans to move out of his parents’ house “pretty much vanished” when COVID-19 emerged. “There aren’t any jobs beyond entry level, with horrible $10-12 per-hour pay.”

Speaking about the living situation for his friends, he said “those that can afford it are living together as roommates.” Even this poses difficulties, due to the fact that “landlords are increasing rent.” Mark explained that he had heard stories about states setting up courthouses simply to deal with the growth in evictions as moratoriums on owed rent expire.

“The unemployment benefits [made available by the CARES Act] were super helpful,” he said. “But when the expanded $600 weekly pay ended in July, jobs didn’t come back.” Mark said he had a job lined up with the local county government but the pandemic forced the office to furlough workers.

“The coronavirus proves that under the current system, capitalism can’t deal with the issue of joblessness,” he concluded. “It makes you wonder what things will be like when there are no expanded benefits for people.”

[anonymousanomieness]

Cheat the Church of Integrity — Strip the Sanctuary of Truth — Compromise the Cult of Society — Life is YOUR Game

Introducing The Games (Continued):

vi. The Time and Space Game What better way to control the masses than to contain them within a limited number of perceivable dimensions and parameters by perpetuating a fictitious narrative? The nature of Time has been pontificated since antiquity; yet, there’s not much to grasp.  Time is only an intangible concept — a product of the imagination that somehow became so pervasive, that the vast majority took for granted that it is merely a creative idea.   When does the ego become aware of the idea of Time? When one is a baby, or even a toddler, one is unaware of anything called “Time.”  Even when a child is becoming “potty trained,” it is debatable as to whether or not Time needs to be grappled with.  One may claim that a toddler has a sense of how much time there is to safely reach a toilet before having an “accident” — however, truthfully, the toddler is not thinking in terms of time, but rather, urgency.  If the toddler delays going to the toilet, then due to its body’s digestive system, the toddler will experience a biological sensation, which will then trigger a psychological feeling of urgency, which will grow more intense the more the toddler delays.  The mental sensation of urgency is a predictable outcome of the biological sensation within the digestive system — but either way, it is independent of Time.  After all, the toddler will experience these sensations regardless of whether or not it believes in Time.  If the toddler has an accident, the toddler will not likely believe that it “ran out of time”; rather, it will simply accept — perhaps after some emotional trauma — that its body gave into the biological urgency of the situation, regardless of Time.   Contrary to popular belief, urgency does not relate to Time; it only relates to a sense of importance and high priority stemming from strong convictions, or pressure.  Time is an extra imaginative factor that we subconsciously plug into life equations, usually to denote urgency.  If you eliminate Time from an equation, urgency still remains, until you eliminate what seems to be directly causing the sense of urgency.  The toddler’s sense of urgency will disappear when it finally releases its waste through the digestive system.  Likewise, the sense of urgency that a person feels when they are holding their breath will disappear once their body insists on exhaling and inhaling deeply to relieve the tension.  Time does not contribute as a risk factor at all; the person holding their breath risks losing consciousness not due to prolonged “time” without oxygen, but simply due to a quantitative lack of necessary oxygen — regardless of time. Yet, we insist on thinking of Time as some independent force that “moves things along” on its own, like some phantom glacier.  My least favorite cliché is, “All things change with time.”  Time does not change a thing; rather, objects, including living beings — and perhaps forces of nature — make any and all changes. (It can be said that objects and living beings are, in a sense, forces of nature themselves.) Any change that is made to your reality is either caused by your actions, the actions of some other object, or natural forces — all falling within your consciousness.  Time is not a force, but an idea.  Regardless of whether or not you believe in Free Will, all changes that occur within your awareness — for certain — are not initiated by anything with the name “Time.”  Similar statements like, “Times have changed,” only serve to make you feel powerless and useless.  Sure, it would be wise to accept that you cannot control everything, as you may not be able to stand up to a hurricane…but are you seriously going to base your life decisions on “the times you’re living in,” rather than allow your imperatives to determine and influence this timeless present moment of your creation? One would be wiser to consider that Time does not perpetuate us; rather, we foolishly perpetuate Time as a fixed idea.   The Operators within the Church of Integrity, or the Sanctuary of Truth, use the concept of Time to their advantage in order to control masses of people without them even realizing it.  To be fair, most commoners enjoy utilizing the idea of Time to their benefit as well.  This is tempting, especially when you want to instill a sense of urgency within your followers so they will prioritize your intentions and act according to your desires more readily.  Hesitation and procrastination do not actually demonstrate an augmentation of “down time,” but rather a diminution of personal desire and the will to act.  However, you can trick people into fearing you, and therefore cooperating with you, if you introduce them to Time, and explain that they will experience an undesired sensation if “time runs out” due to a “deadline.” We tend to fear potential consequences.  However, these are only spooks — contrived ideas based on the concept of “after.”  Etymology shows “after” to be derived from “off,” as in “farther off” or “further” — beyond the present moment.  When we start to worry about what may happen after, farther off, further down the line, beyond the present, etc., we are less capable of enjoying what is right in front of us.  “After” is only part of our imagination, since it has not occurred yet! Likewise, “before” is only a dream, because it is not happening anymore! Only the present is occurring now.

• • •

Another obstacle to contend with is space — that is, the concept of space as a measurable entity within our immediate perceivable environment.  The vast majority has trouble questioning the validity and significance of space, due to being so caught up in the five main senses, and the physicality of surroundings; in other words, we are so convinced by our perception that all objects surrounding us are undeniably “real” and external from the self, rather than entirely mental and internal — within the self. That being said, it truly does not matter whether you think your surroundings exist externally or internally.  You can believe that your surroundings exist as independent materials outside of your perception, yet still agree that the concept of space is nothing more than just that — a contrived concept.  Space, let alone time, is not a phenomenon that stands in its own right; rather, space and time are tools of our imagination that we utilize in order to make sense of our awareness, and how objects within our consciousness seem to behave. A widely accepted system that is easy to debunk is that of “orientation” or “direction.”  Terms such as “North,” “South,” “East,” and “West” were completely contrived by human minds.  They each simply seem to describe a general path that progresses toward or away from a given point of reference.  For example, “East” is the general label given to a path that progresses toward the rising sun.  It comes from Proto-Germanic “aust-,” meaning “toward the sunrise.”  “North” is the general label given to a path that progresses “left” of the sunrise, as the term descends from the Proto-Indo-European root “ner-,” meaning “left” or “below.”  The word “left” is thought to derive from the Kentish or northern Old English term lyft, meaning “weak; foolish”; or from the East Frisian term luf, or from the Dutch dialectical loof, meaning “weak, worthless.”  Of course, these would be referring to the arms or hands.  Usually, the “left” arm tends to be the weaker arm.  So, humans conjured up a metaphor comparing a contrived direction traveling away from the sunrise to a weak arm that seems to be pointing in that same direction, when one faces the sun at “dawn.”  The “tangible” objects involved here — if you will — are the sun and the weak human arm, based on the temporary perspective of a human looking towards the location where the sun was said to rise.  From observing these tangibles, humans have invented the intangible concepts of “North,” “South,” “East,” “West,” “Left,” and “Right” to assist with navigating awareness.   It is clear how significant of a role the Language Game plays here.  It is worth mentioning that languages borrow from one another, which means that concepts and terms across all languages — even if they refer to something global, such as “the ground” — do not originate simultaneously.  The vernacular spreads through globalization, imitation, and repetition, and continually evolves.  It becomes clear how most humans instinctively tend to imitate what they observe, rather than constantly innovate.  This makes sense, considering when we are babies we must imitate our caregivers to survive.  Language and communication certainly assist with surviving and thriving; but this does not mean that it is necessary to build a world in your mind that gives life to intangible, invisible concepts — and then impose your imaginary world upon the awareness of others, let alone your own consciousness.   Within the Legal Game, lawyers, judges, and jurors use the Time and Space Game in tandem with the reasoning process.  The word “reason” is part of the definition of the Latin word causa, and the Old French word cause.  When someone tries to determine the “cause” that led to some “consequence,” they are merely reasoning.  It might as well be said that they are seasoning, since all they are managing to do is sprinkle your awareness with arbitrarily imposed suggestions as to why you experienced something.   “Where were you on the evening of April 4th, 1995, at 6:32 PM, when the sun and the moon were at this or that position in the sky?” “Why, I was standing at such and such coordinates, facing just Northeast of the Eastern border of the territory formerly known as Yugoslavia!” What nonsense! This is nothing more than a sly game — a manipulative tactic.  Yet, we willingly choose to play this game every day, never stopping to question it.  There are no hours, days, months, years, borders, countries, provinces, coordinates, or cardinal directions! There is only one “time” and “space,” and that is this moment! Awareness does not need a map, nor a compass to thrive.  Consciousness is not a chronological web of events, all pointing the blame at one another.   The winds will continue to blow, whether or not we measure their speed, or where they go.   The sun will continue to rise and fall, whether or not we trace its journey, or keep watch at all. To be continued...

[azeez-unv]

AMELIORATE SLOW LEARNERS

To put misconceptions to rest, slow learning is not a learning disability. It is used to describe a learner with the ability to acquire all academic skills at a rate below than that of the average learner.

No learner is weak or bright by birth; it’s the way we feed the knowledge and how they imbibe it which makes them so.

A slow learner needs more time, more repetition and more resources, like visual aids from educators to be successful. These learners do not have intellectual disability, but it takes them longer to understand and grasp concepts.

Not every child can learn at a fast pace or same pace. Therefore, it is very paramount for educator to recognize the uniqueness of each student quickly, so as to make learning more effective for each child.

Educators and parents play pivotal roles in a slow learner’s life. Their support and motivation go a long way to help such children overcome their hurdles. This duly signifies that educators and parents have added responsibility from schools and society toward them.

Also, school owners should ensure they get the best hands on deck for their students. The best of educators should be employed so as not to leave any child behind on the learning course and living up to the standard.

Creating a healthy and conducive environment for a slow learner is of utmost importance to improve their pace. Often, educators who have a slow learner in their class face grave problems: keeping up with the term syllabus, fear of losing empathy toward such students, and many others. Here are few motivation tips for educators to help them cope with at least the basic issues.

TIPS ON HOW TO TEACH SLOW LERNERS

1. Be patient with slow learners.

The foremost aspect of teaching a slow learner is that the educator should be patient and consistent throughout the entire process. The core problem of slow learners’ education is their weak cognitive skills coupled with the slow speed learning. An educatorr has to be understanding and patient toward their ability to get distracted easily and have a low attention span. Moreover, educators must find creative ways to cope with this situation so that the entire class is not affected. One of them is patient repetition. Try repeating every basic instruction, keyword and concept time and again without being boring. Do not over speak, but over teach.

Recognize this tip and ensure measures are put in place to ensure the benchmark of credible institution.

2. Introduce Innovative Tools and Takeaways.

A very thoughtful tool to help slow learners at school and home is to introduce innovative and exciting methods of learning. A major factor with slow learners is their concentration and focus.

As educators and parents, you can propose board games, interactive books, STEM toys, worksheets, activities, and more. Hand out special cheat sheets, mini dictionaries, or visually graphic information sheets. One good idea is to give lesson pamphlets for pinning them to their soft boards so that they are surrounded by constant reminders of lessons.

3. Engage fellow classmates in your efforts.

Teach the other learners to empathize with the special students. Especially ask them not to bully or tease slow learners. Inform them about their condition and how they could make a difference. Ensure you have these timely sessions in the slow learner absence.

4. Provide minimum homework.

We all agree that homework although with its benefits is more of a burden for a child and her parent. Slow learners, in particular, find it difficult to be attentive throughout the school day, let alone coming home and completing assignments. For such children, quality matters over quantity. Having minimum assignment would help them understand learning and reduce their anxiety. This, in turn, would maintain their enthusiasm toward school. An educator can assign and alter homework personally and leave out small details that may be of little importance. For example, an assignment of writing an essay on an English chapter could be modified to reading the chapter twice, and telling the summary to the educator, would be a better idea.

5. Peer slow learners with active learners .

When their educators are of the same age, they get encouraged. Let them select 1 or 2 of their friends to form a study group. Assign the study group the task of reiterating the new teachings of the day and assisting with assignment.

6. Encourage and Teach the right things.

Invite them to come forward during art classes, school activities, or volunteering. Recognize and reward their participation. This would do wonders for their self-confidence. Teach special skills rather than unnecessary skills. This may include following the correct instruction words (count, color, circle, etc.) or listening and focusing on keywords. Remember the main goal is to make them self-sufficient.

7. Praise and raise them

It is necessary that you encourage kids at school and home. A little pat on the back and appreciation goes a long way, trust me. Encouragement and admiration in front of their fellow classmates will definitely boost their confidence and instill a sense of victory and achievement.

8.Encourage Constant Parent- Educator Association.

Work very closely with their parents. Ensure the assignment and tasks assigned are successfully completed on a daily basis. Be accessible and open to communication. Make sure to listen out to parents’ problems and help to solve them. Conduct special meetings for their parents apart from the general PTA meetings.

Lastly, a few DONT’S:

Do not reprimand in front of the class. You may do that in private.

Do not emphasize writing, concentrate on reading. Oral education is more beneficial for them.

Do not let them quit trying. Encourage them to continue their hard work to complete their tasks even if it means postponing it.

Do not be overprotective. Let their slow learning not become their introduction.

Practicing math worksheets can help in improving skill. This target at a specific skill like addition, time, division and many more. Along with these worksheets, great practice comes with playing social math games that are holistic in nature.

Provide a platform for children to imbibe a culture of academic distinction, standing tall and making a positive mark on everyone they come in contact with.

[th3atr3phant0m]

Math Cadets: Chapter Two - Flimsy Deal

“Come on , Keef! You know that Zim is an alien! It’s so obvious!” Dib’s tutoring session with Keef was coming to a close and they were, as per the usual, discussing methods of “payment” for this weeks’ particular session. Considering Keef worked on the school paper and had a bit of power when it came to what did and didn’t get into specific sections, Dib thought he was the perfect target to speak to about this. Since the majority of the students there did nearly anything he asked them to if he helped them enough, he had been positive that Keef would help him out here. He was the only person- aside from Gaz- that he had spoken to about what Zim was.

“Look, Dib, I hate doing this, but Zim is really nice!” Keef insisted, “Besides, we don’t have enough evidence to put this in the school paper in the first place- and it’s not just me you have to convince. It’s everyone on the paper who has to agree, plus Mrs. Valentine since she’s the one who proofreads all of our papers.”

“Okay , then I’ll just get them all on my side. I help almost every student in this school, I’m sure I can get everyone on the paper to agree with me,” Dib leaned back in his chair, frowning, “And the teachers love me. Mrs. Valentine can’t be too hard to convince.”

“You would think that, but she’s really against us writing anything too negative or expository about other students, here…”

“Okay, then we’ll work around that.”

“Dib, I just don’t think it’s possible!” Keef persisted, “Besides, Zim is nice to me! I don’t want to do anything that could upset him.”

Dib was practically seething. He and Keef weren’t exactly close in any capacity- they weren’t friends and the only times that they saw one another outside of school was when they met for Dib to tutor and cheat for Keef. Their relationship was purely professional and didn’t even kind of dip into the territory about them being friends for one another. Despite this, Dib had a very stable “I-scratch-your-back-you-scratch-mine” kind of deal with all of his clients; he helped them with their schoolwork or gave them answers to the homework or helped them cheat on tests and they did whatever he wanted from them in return. He had always relied on this system for what he needed within the school. It was the source of all of his power. His intellect and him helping people was the only thing that really kept him afloat in their school. If he weren’t doing this little business on the side, he wouldn’t be anywhere near as successful and respected as he currently was. Considering how heavily so many of the others he tutored relied upon him, he had never had any of them blatantly go against or ignore his requests. Despite their lack of closeness, he certainly didn’t expect Keef- the sweet, happy-go-lucky, easily manipulated Keef- to be the first one to break the cycle.

What irritated him more than that was the fact that Keef didn’t seem to believe him despite the evidence that was clearly given to them and completely on display. The fact that Keef seemed to trust Zim of all people more than he trusted Dib irritated him to no end. He had helped Keef get through school for so many years and now, all of a sudden, when one new student showed up and spoke to him for no more five minutes, Keef was willing and ready to just… stop believing and helping Dib?

Dib clenched his jaw bitterly, “If I find more evidence, will you put me in the paper?”

“Well…”

“ Keef ,” Dib sighed insistently, “I just need you to help me here. If I can find good, accurate, obvious evidence that Zim is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, an alien, will you include it in the paper.”

Dib help Keef’s gaze intensely, refusing to look away or even blink as he stared into the other’s soul, watching as he shifted nervously.

“...I’ll do what I can.”

Dib sighed and nodded, “Good.” With that, Dib scooped up his backpack to leave the classroom that they had been using to study after school hours, “I’ll see you next Thursday.”

Keef being resistant to Dib’s requests and him not only trusting but liking Zim certainly made things more complicated. Without the undivided help from Keef that he had been anticipating, he would need to put forth more effort- especially if he was going to convince the rest of the kids on the school paper as well as the teacher editor of it. The added obstacle was irritating only because he hadn’t expected it- especially not it stemming from Keef of all people.

Nonetheless, Dib knew that he could do this. He was nothing if not a resilient problem-solver, and he had plenty of other things on his side to assist him in proving what Zim really was. He just had to wait for the right moment and collect enough data.

~~~

Dib wasn’t convinced that finding evidence to help prove his point would be any difficult feat- Zim wasn’t exactly stealthy by any means. His disguise was horrible and easy to see through and his mannerisms were very telling of what he truly was. Not only that, but Zim was clearly not yet used to acting like a human and being part of their world. Dib was certain that it was only a matter of time before Zim slipped up and gave him the evidence he would need to support his “theory”.

Until then, though, he wasn’t just going to wait. Dib knew war strategy and he understood psychological warfare enough to know that waiting for Zim to make the first move and mess up was stupid- especially considering the fact that it was incredibly likely that Zim had more training in that area than Dib did and had far more advanced technology on his side.

No, Dib would have to find the evidence on his own, whether or not Zim slipped up. He didn’t need the alien to mess up to give him an opportunity. He had plenty of ways to crack through Zim’s shell and see what was going on. Even just finding Zim’s base would likely be enough for Dib- allowing him to figure out ways to infiltrate it and gather evidence.

He was confident that it wouldn’t take him long to expose Zim and that it would be far from the most difficult thing he would ever have to do.

For now, though, he just had to suffer through chemical engineering alongside the idiotic alien.

The assignment that they were working on at the moment was a research paper in which they were tasked to find inventive and creative solutions to whatever problem they were given regarding the more molecular biology sides of chemical engineering. For them at the moment, it meant proposing ideas for how to resolve the issues regarding there being a lack of organs and tissue combine with the issue of many people’s bodies refusing to accept new organs introduced to their bodies.

As expected, Zim had some unorthodox suggestions for how to avoid these two problems.

“Why not just kill people off for the organs and tissue?”

Dib couldn’t help but facepalm, “That’s unethical , Zim, and will definitely get us kicked out of school or reported to psychologists if we suggest that.”

“It’s a simple fix!” Zim defended, crossing his arms.

“It doesn’t even address the other problem we were assigned to answer- how to reduce the issue of people not being able to accept everyone’s organs.”

“Ah, another simple fix,” Zim proclaimed, raising up one finger as though to make his point, “Kill off their family members!”

Dib deadpanned, “You have got to be kidding me.”

“It solves both problems with very little effort! It provides the necessary organs and such for the people and, due to their aligning DNA, they will have no problem accepting the new organs.”

“You are an idiot ,” Dib groaned, “How are you still passing as a human when you suggest shit like that in public ?”

Zim’s eyes darted across the classroom nervously as Dib mentioned the fact that they were, indeed, in a public place of sorts. He raised his voice slightly as he spoke, “ Pass as human? I am human- a filth worm just like all of you.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“I could say the same to you, Dib-Stink.”

Dbi shook his head, ignoring the alien in favour of beginning to write an actual proposition down on their paper, outlining the benefits of 3D printing to provide the organs required and combining those new organs with the patient’s own DNA to ensure that it wasn’t rejected.

“Eh? What are you writing, worm?” Zim tilted his head to get a better look over Dib’s shoulder.

“Unlike you , I’m actually doing our work and writing a reasonable suggestion that a sane human being could actually think of and accept.”

Once more, Zim crossed his arms, closing his eyes as he spoke, “Zim sees no problem with his suggestion.”

“Killing people is illegal and would in no way be considered an ethical way to solve either of these problems. You may be alright with sabotaging yourself considering your shitty disguise, but I , on the other hand, am not going to let that happen to myself. I’m not going to get kicked out of school just because you want to turn in some wacky shit for our project.”

Zim rolled his eyes, the human expression of irritation looking strange on the alien, pupils not moving perfectly as though they weren’t used to making such movements just yet. “Very well, just hurry up and complete the work.”

Dib glared and pointed his pencil at the alien threateningly, though he knew that his weapon of choice was a rather weak one, even if he was to disregard the fact that he was up against a creature that was far more powerful than he was.

Infuriatingly, Zim just laughed.

Dib almost throttled him on the spot.

~~~

It was a wonder that Dib got through the rest of the day without killing Zim. Aside from him being a hindrance in their little project for their bioengineering class and the general irritation that Dib felt towards him anytime he did or said something obviously inhuman that was met with no response from anyone else, he had just been an absolute bitch all day. Dib supposed that that was just the nature of the alien- obnoxious and loud. He seemed to have one volume and that volume was far louder than any human had the right to be.

The absolute fury that Zim inspired in Dib, though, did little more than fuel him and he fully welcomed the stupid outbursts that Zim occasionally had since they all had the possibility of garnering someone else’s attention.

Dib knew that he couldn’t rely on that, though, and the strange things that Zim had openly said and done throughout the day to no avail confirmed that to Dib. What would help him in this situation, though- at least in Dib’s opinion- was keeping a journal regarding the alien. It would allow him to take physical notes rather than just mental notes that could easily be forgotten and would make it easier for him to organize his thoughts regarding the situation. Plus, on the off chance that Zim became violent to the point of killing Dib off (which, considering the fact that he was an alien attempting to enslave the human race, didn’t seem impossible), leaving behind a physical copy of his findings would allow others to pick up where he left off.

Besides, Dib liked the drama of it.

As soon as school was over, he headed to the nearby store to purchase the thickest college-ruled notebook that he could find and slip it into his backpack, hiding it among his other things. It may have been a simple, small thing, but it would allow him to create a “scrapbook” of evidence against Zim. It was small, but it was a decent “secret weapon” and Dib was certain that it would come in handy.

Upon returning to his home, he went upstairs, locking himself into his bedroom as per the usual to begin his work. Instead of focusing on his homework and studying as he typically did when he first got home, he cracked open his Zim notebook and began recording the things that he already knew about the alien, citing strange things the creature had said and done since arriving at Astra Academy.

While Dib hadn’t anticipated spending much time on it before getting back to his classwork, he only stopped working on the notebook when he heard Gaz bang on his bedroom door, telling him to come down for dinner.

Dib blinked in surprise glancing from his notebook where he was in the midst of writing one of his theories about the alien up to his clock which displayed the time. It was nearly six-thirty- not too late, but he had definitely gotten far too wrapped up in his Zim research and recording than he had meant to.

He shook his head, setting his journal down so he could head downstairs to eat before returning. He may have spent more time on it than he had anticipated, but, at the very least, he knew that his research and recording would eventually come in handy if he wanted to ever prove what Zim was. So what if it took a lot of effort- that was life and Dib was far from unfamiliar with putting forth ridiculous amounts of work to get even simpler things in life done. Going to school where he had and having Professor Membrane as a dad taught him that from a young age. Dib wasn’t scared of needing to put forth his all to take down the alien and, if it meant saving the world and gaining the respect from those around him as well, he would do anything to take Zim down.

For this chapter, I just made a shitty mood board for the “cover”. Suffer.

I originally posted this fic HERE and you can read the rest of the chapters on the same page, if you are interested. :) 

[illegalastrology111]

FORECAST 2021 - PART 1:  SURFING THE SEA OF LIFE - PART 1

2020 ended with Jupiter and Saturn moving out of Capricorn into the sign of Aquarius.  This indicates karma reaching a peak,  in order for it to be confronted and removed.  For some this will not have been an easy task.  There will be  those able to navigate through these challenges,  others will be consumed and overcome, unable to maintain balance  or stability.  However, it’s important to note that whatever karma is left from the previous cycle, will be carried over into the Jupiter/Saturn in Aquarius transit.   As a result some, will experience life-challenges throughout the year, similar to surfing the sea of life.

Aquarius represents freedom, independence humanitarian concerns, hopes, wishes, ideals, friends and groups.  Therefore, if karma still remains from when Saturn was in Capricorn  there will be difficulty, obstacles and frustrations in all of the above. 

One of the reasons life-challenges will continue is because Saturn, planet of karma, will be in Aquarius (freedom, independence, groups, friends, hopes, wishes and humanitarian concerns),  until March 2023.     Wherever Saturn resides it puts obstacles, difficulties,  restrictions, limitation and delays in a person’s path until the karma has been confronted and overcome.. Once this is done, a release happens and everything becomes stable and secure, with added benefits thrown in as a reward.  

When Saturn retrogrades,  May 5th - October 10th,   if there are lessons still to be learned, it will seem like taking two steps forward, three back, similar to moving through thick mud or sinking into a swamp.  

This karma cycle is increased with Pluto still being in Capricorn  until January 22nd 2024.  When it moves into Aquarius for another 16 years!  

Pluto n ‘Capricorn represents upheaval of old stagnant structures, fear , insecurity and doubt attached to this structures and connected to carer, goals, ambitions, authority and power.   All need to be replaced by something new, in harmony with moving forward with the Universe in more progressive ways (Aquarius), for the good of all concerned.   Upheavals can be costly and difficult, often causing conflict, because people like to hold onto the familiar, safety and security it appears to provide.  However, if you dig deep enough, you’ll find it stems from fear of the unknown and change.  Therefore while Pluto retrogrades in Capricorn,  April 27th - October 6th, intense introspection is needed in order to root out the Cause of the affect.  

Mercury is retrograde in Aquarius, January 29th - February 20th,  indicating a time of unexpected surprise related to the past and to some degree the present.   Expect the unexpected, equally with Jupiter and Saturn in the same sign.  Long-term opportunities and completion of existing projects is more favorable with this cycle.  Friends and acquaintances from the past will return.  But unless it’s for a good reason, it would be best to walk away.    Shocking revelations could also come to light  even  more so during the Mercury in Aquarius cycle.

Uranus, still in Taurus, until July 7th 2025, will continue to uproot existing methods of earning money and require serous budgeting/re-evaluation of finances..  Even more so one retrograde  /august 19th 2021 - January 18th 2022.

One ion the most important aspects of 2021,  is Jupiter moving into Pisces temporarily,  May 14th - July 28th.   Then December 30th - May 10th 2022.   This is unusual for a Jupiter transit,  because the planet usually stays in a sign consistently for one year.  But in 2021, Jupiter leaves Aquarius briefly to go into Pisces.

This temporary stay in Pisces brings spiritually front and center.  Music, film, photography, video, anything of a visual nature becomes important.   Pisces rules the 12th house of spirituality, endings, secret enemies, the hidden, sorrow, self-undoing,  karmic debt, large institutions, dreams, creativity, love in its purest form, illusion, delusion and confusion.   Neptune is the ruler of Pisces, and currently resides in this sign, February 4th 2012 - Match 31st 2025.  

Together with Jupiter in Pisces , May  - July,  the emphasis of Neptune and Jupiter together in this sign, is even stronger.  The negative traits of Pisces will be in the spotlight, drugs, alcohol ,viruses,  illusion, delusion, confusion  and nostalgia will all be happening at the same time.    All forms of escapism in excess.    People who are unable to cope with the hardships of life will felel the need to indulge in these activities in excess during the Jupiter in Pisces cycle.   Compassion, a positive trait of Pisces will be needed in order to help others get through this.

Because the  immune system and viruses are also represented ty this sign, its; quite likely that Covid 19, will be even more in the news, as some experience allergies/complications for the vaccine and  more research is necessary, with the new strain of the virus spreading even more.

Each planet and sign has its positive/negative traits and the majority of people tend to lean towards the negative unless they’re very self-aware.   

Pisces is a water sign, therefore,  this element will be of great importance  and newsworthy during the Jupiter in Pisces transit.  Jupiter, as always acts as magnifying glass,  highlighting the good and the bad,, strengths/weaknesses.    Sea levels will rise and some land features may actually disappear raising more serious concerns about global warming.

One of the most positive aspects of Jupiter in Pisces, is to develop a broader spiritual understanding/perspective of life , not just a physical material outlook, which was signified by Jupiter in Capricorn and later when Jupiter moves into Aries in 2022.    The danger is Ito avoid making decisions without forethought or falling into illusion, delusion and confusion. which then leads to sorrow and self-undoing .

Secret enemies will also be exposed on some level with this aspect whether on a persona/mass level, in order for  these issues to  come to a close.

Wherever Neptune and/or Pisces is placed in a birth chart, that’s where a person is the most vulnerable, intuitive and compassionate, and most probably even psychic to a degree .  As result expect a rise in interest in this field, as psychic ability comes to the  forefront. With Jupiter in Pisces, this ability will grow and expand.  For some , dreams , visions and deep meditative insights. Will seem larger than life.  

Jupiter with Neptune in Pisces is one of those cycles to work hard at making dreams come true, because could actually happen.

The Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius, May 26th, will bring a cycle to an end, pertaining to beliefs and ideologies that not longer serve a positive purpose.  This also includes law, travel to far away places anything conned to publishing/literary and studies to improve Self and Mind.   Many things will be changing around this time to make way for new beginnings of how to live life and be a better version of Self.  IN addition, to this expect certain truths to be revealed.

In June the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Gemini will highlight new ways of communication being introduced, in order for things/people to be more adaptable I’m living their life, getting around and learning, because it will be slow road to recovery based on everything that has occurred in the last year alone.