#or most valuable allan

[swingsetindecember]

bless allan, he was an mvp

[glitterincandles]

smiling friends playing minecraft ; ☆

glep

is the one who thought of the idea in the first place #socialmediamanager

brought it up to mr. boss as a "team bonding activity" LOL

in charge of their minecraft server and mediates any conflict that happens within it

the ultimate gamer actually a gamer GOD

is in the game 24/7, they never stop the grind

definitely the first one to find diamonds

yo glep the typa guy to have his whole house and storage decked out by the first day

has an automatic farm for everything (cobblestone, iron, gunpowder, slime, etc) like u name it they have it for some reason

he doesn't let everyone use them for free though

he makes the others "pay" (read: do something embarrassing, run an errand for him, give him iron or something) to get access to any of his automatic farms of their choosing for a whole day

they can negotiate w them tho

like if one of them comes up to him and they have something that he doesn't find valuable then they DO have a chance to convince him of its value but otherwise it won't work lol

in fact he'll be quite offended

like u think that red dye is enough to get access to my automatic iron farm?! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

undeniably the most powerful person in the server

his minecraft skin is definitely either one of those meme skins with an oddly realistic face on the torso or a skin that looks like some sort of lizard dragon monster thing

mr. boss

honestly barely knew what minecraft was before glep brought it up

he did assume it was some kind of game when he hears the word

like any other video game, he had to be introduced to it by the ppl around him

despite him approving of the game, he's barely ever joins the server

^^^^ he's more into rhythm games and fps

has no clue whats going on in the server tbh

he just gets bits and pieces based off of what others say to him or around him

because of that he tries to join the server more often but he really really can't get ahold of minecraft in general bc he gets bored very easily and needs outside stimuli

is the type to log into a server he hasn't touched in a hot second and be upset that everyone else is so far ahead

he always spawns in the middle of nowhere every time bc he hasn't made or slept in a bed yet

^^^ because he usually leaves the server within 5 minutes which isn't long enough for the day-night minecraft cycle to commence (minecraft days are 10 minutes long)

when he logs on while its nighttime in the server he literally BREAKS into allan's house (much to his dismay) and forgets to patch any hole he left in his walls or windows

he hits/kills everyone else in minecraft for fun

literally just logs in to cause chaos then leave

^^^ everyone is thankful that he doesn't have access to tnt yet

definitely uses the alex minecraft skin

allan red

he took a while to accept that they have a minecraft world together

he found it kinda obnoxious (he joined the server anyway)

determined to have the best house in the game

if he had to take any role, he would be the builder

the first thing he did when he logged in was start building a house... like wood enters his inventory, he just makes a fuckin axe then uses the rest of the wood to build his house ;w;

he's actually pretty good at it since he already is very detail-oriented and shit so he can definitely make a fire house

when it comes to mining or combat tho he's so shit

^^^ glep helps in this aspect LOL

only went to the nether for glowstone and it pissed charlie off once

bc theyre already pretty close, glep is more lenient on him and is usually on his side when it comes to any conflict that occurs in the server

not only does he put a lot of effort into his houses, he also puts a lot of effort into the outside of his houses

he just be building shit

built a whole mansion for his minecraft dog once (just bc)

every time he dies in minecraft he's like "ok that means its time for me to log off"

surprisingly has a very healthy balance of play time. he plays just enough to get very far in the game and keep up with everything and ALSO keep his real life stabilized and normal

he has a creative minecraft world outside of the server that he tries redstone in to get lights in his normal minecraft house to work without it looking too bulky and ugly

^^^ he also uses it to make booby traps for anyone entering his house without permission

^^^^ they never fucking work on mr. boss

he made his minecraft skin himself and its just him if he were yassified

charlie dompler

oh god fucking finally was probably what ran through his mind when he heard the news

he probably joked about it once to pim and was surprised that it actually came true

this guy is second to glep when it comes to gaming

like srsly bro probably has a gaming setup and/or is saving up for one

he was the second to join the minecraft server (second to glep again)

he is the opposite of allan; he hates building and only ever mines or fights mobs

in fact he made his whole minecraft hideout in the side of a cave and it only has like. one crafting table, six fucking furnaces, and like 10 chests full of random drops and bulllshit, then his singular bed in the middle of the room with a big path leading down to a random ass cave

looking at his minecraft hideout would make a minecraft builder CRY their eyes out its worse than u think

would often vc with pim and play with him on the server

spends a concerning amount of time on minecraft bc he always has something to do on it, he just gives himself random side quests

despite the disorganization of his minecraft home he's actually more organized in minecraft than in real life believe it or not

he probably hasn't touched grass since he joined the minecraft server

him and glep duel it out sometimes for fun, or they do like fighting challenges with each other like who can kill the most zombies without dying

extremely attached to a wolf he tamed when he first joined the server

he watched minecraft gaming youtubers and bc of that he enchants everything he owns bc those were his favorite episodes

his minecraft skin is some sort of character from one of his interests, like mr. frog or a random salty's mascot bc he finds it funny

pim pimling

his poor cheap office laptop can barely run minecraft omfg

when he boots minecraft up, it'd lag so hard and the fans in his laptop would go crazy, then after five minutes minecraft runs "as normal"... like it's playable but not to ppl who are used to 250 fps

^^^ it happens every fucking time he doesn't know how to fix it

he's ok with it though he's like ok give it a sec this happens all the time ^w^

^^^^ was the last person to join the server bc of this

sings a song while he's doing a minecraft chore, like in the silly halloween special episode when he was singing picking up twigs! picking up twigs! that'll be him while getting wood or something similar

he's real careful about how long he plays bc he doesn't want his laptop to overheat

his combat skills r pretty good bc of his experience playing gwimbly's games when he was younger

his favorite thing is definitely farming though

he's at a constant dilemma of using bones for either bone meal or taming another wolf to add to his mini army

^^^ the mini army is only making his lag worse charlie Really doesn't understand

settled down in a village in one of those empty houses and fight to protect them from any raid that occurs

talks aloud to minecraft villagers as if they can hear him

his village house is filled with many animals actually

he is charmed by baby zombies and baby villagers

^^^ he adopted a baby villager in minecraft once

^^^^ she died in a freak accident during a raid

^^^^^ pim was heartbroken for days

he does a lot of side quests with charlie for fun

like charlie, his minecraft skin is a character from one of his interests,, most likely gwimbly or a character from that game

[todaysdocument]

Memorial of the inhabitants of Nauvoo in Illinois, praying redress for injuries to the persons and property by lawless proceedings of citizens of Missouri (Joseph Smith, et al)

Record Group 46: Records of the U.S. SenateSeries: Committee Papers of the Committee on the JudiciaryFile Unit: Petitions and Memorials Referred to the Judiciary Commiteee Relating to Various Subjects in the 28th Congress

To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives [large and bolded] of the United States in Congress assembled The Memorial of the undersigned inhabitants of Hancock County in the State of Illinois respectfully sheweth: That they belong to the Society of Latter Day Saints, commonly called Mormons, that a portion of our people commenced settling in Jackson County Missouri in the Summer of 1831, where they purchased lands and settled upon them with the intention and expectation of becoming permanent citizens in Common with others. From a very early period after the Settlement began, a very unfriendly feeling was manifested by the neighboring people; and as the Society increased, this unfriendly Spirit also increased until it--- degenerated into a cruel and unrelenting persecution and the Society was at last compelled to leave the county. An account of these unprovoked persecutions has been published to the world, yet we deem it not improper to embody a few of the most prominent items in this memorial and lay them before your honorable body. On the 20th of July 1833, a mob collected at Independence, a deputation or Committee from which, called upon a few members of our Church there, and stated to them that the Store, Printing Office, and all Mechanic Shops belonging to our people must be closed forthwith, and the Society leave the county immediately. These conditions were so unexpected and so hard, that a short time was asked for to consider on the subject before an answer could be given, which was refused, and when some of our men answered that they could not consent to comply with such propositions, the work of destruction--- commenced. The Printing Office, a valuable two story brick building was destroyed by the mob and with it much valuable property; they next went to the Store for the same purpose, but one of the owners thereof, agreeing to close it, they abandoned their design. A series of outrages was then commenced by the mob upon individual numbers of our Society; Bishop Partridge was dragged from his house and family where he was first partially stripped of his clothes and then tarred and feathered from head to foot. A man by the name of Allan was also tarred at the same time. Three days afterwards the Mob assembled in great numbers, bearing a red flag, and proclaiming that, unless the Society would leave "en masse" [underlined], every man of them should be killed. Being in a defenceless situation, to avoid a general massacre, a treaty was entered into and ratified, by which it was agreed that one half of the Society should leave the county by the first of January, and the remainder by the first of April following. In October, while our people were gathering their crops and otherwise preparing to fulfill their part of the treaty, the mob again collected without any provocation, shot at some of our people, whipped others, threw down their houses, and committed many other depredations; the members of the Society were for some time harassed, both day and night, their houses assailed and broken open, and their women and children insulted and abused. [Full transcription at link]

[eyestumblin]

thoughts on Barbie (2022)

If you're at all interested in this movie and its discourse, Broey Deschanel's video and Verily Bitchie's are worth your time. They explain how the film is propaganda to sell toys (of course) but its main purpose is to revitalize Mattel's brand and begin a new "marvel cinematic universe" with their IPs. Bringing beloved indie directors in as a promise they'll sneak authenticity through the corporate machine is part of that marketing tactic. Apparently, it's worked for Barbie despite many of the people who celebrate it feeling fatigue with Disney-Marvel for over-saturating the cinema landscape using the exact same tactics. Maybe because this time it's with the toys of their childhood instead of star wars and comic books it feels subversive, brave, and refreshing, but Barbie's vision of Girl Power is not even meekly rebellious and certainly not feminist.

There is a purposeful void where the feminism should be. It is the strawman that anti-feminists imagine: not a movement of liberation and equality, only a cry of "I want to be the one doing the oppressing!".

I understand how a Wakanda-like vision of a world without misogyny is a delightful fantasy to live in, and the few lines explicitly calling out impossible, often contradictory double standards held over women may be a wake up call for those who have not engaged with this conversation before. For baby's first feminism, simply recognizing what misogyny is and how it wears down and degrades women can be a powerful experience. However, there is no discussion of how and why patriarchy causes and enforces misogyny or how to dismantle it.

The movie acknowledges the male characters, especially Ken, as emotional beings with understandable pain, and gives him more attention than the troubled mother-daughter relationship that seems like it should be the core of a film for and about women. His existential crisis is a parallel to Barbie's, and so for a satisfying conclusion, it's important they both get the answer to their question: "Who am I? What do I need to be to deserve love?".

"You're not an accessory, you should just do your own thing without a woman" is a fine answer for Ken, but is an incomplete offering for men under patriarchy. For all the runtime this movie sinks into men, it seems to go out of its way to avoid ever acknowledging how patriarchy harms them, too. Bell Hooks said, "The first act of violence that patriarchy demands of males is not violence toward women. Instead, patriarchy demands of all males that they engage in acts of psychic self-mutilation, that they kill off the emotional parts of themselves." Will Ferrell's declaration that he wants to be tickled is the closest thing to acknowledging how patriarchy robs men of full access to their own lives but unless you already know feminist theory, it's just a throwaway joke on what a goofy little guy he is.

From birth, patriarchy teaches men the answer to the question of how to be worthy of love is a lifelong gauntlet of contests. Who collects the most valuable things (women being objectified and included in this tally), who can endure the most isolation and pain, who can conquer and stand alone at the top. Stepping on women is normalized as an easy way to raise ranks in these contests before even competing with other men. Treating women as equals is punished because it's not participating 'correctly' if he doesn't seek power over women and other men (I kept waiting for Allan to be some kind of comment on this, but nope!).

The word Patriarchy is littered throughout the script and used as a magic spell to transform Barbieland overnight without any further exposition. Men are framed as the adversary, but the happy ending is not to free everyone from patriarchy. Systemic injustice is not challenged, men and women do not unite as equals. Barbieland returns to Matriarchy and the narrator chuckles about how someday, perhaps, the Kens will only face the same level of oppression human women do on earth.

I saw more memes about Ken than any other character, and although there's validity to claims that he's most popular because men always get more positive attention than women, it's also definitely a consequence of the film's choices. He gets the most fully formed and sympathetic arc, a music number, and most marketable quips and visual gags. Getting through heartbreak and learning "I am Kenough" is a lot easier to relate to and make fun memes of than a flawless, immortal being meeting her creators and choosing to develop cellulite and die.

The reception of this movie has been enormous and enthusiastic, surely in part because its marketing budget cost as much as the movie itself. I was curious whether criticism and lack of accolade was really just misogyny at work as much of the internet believes. The conclusion I've come to is that Mattel strategically planned Barbie to be championed by women and rely on real misogyny ("pink movie for girls bad, cannot be good movie") to blot out any and all criticism of its weak writing and insincere, toothless social commentary. This happened with Ghostbusters 2016; the wailing and fury of nostalgic misogynists was so loud, it made denouncing them feel like an important fight to take up rather than just free advertising and clout for a mediocre, cynical corporate product.

I totally understand the ~fun~ parts of this movie and I'd enjoy watching some of the spectacle again. It's just frustrating to see Mattel catching earnest people hook, line, and sinker in the year 2023 even after a decade of seeing others strung along behind the same boat. They've successfully packaged the movie as important through implied (but critically absent) connection to feminism when all that's inside is, for better or worse, just a colorful plastic toy (20$).

[pinturas-gran-guerra-aire]

1917 01 04 Von Richthofen's 16th victory - Thomas La Padula

Richthofen's 16th Victory.

The First Canadian pilot to fall under the guns of the Red Baron was Flight Lieutenant Allan Switzer Todd. As part of the Royal Naval Air Services, 8th Squadron, Todd was flying a Sopwith Pup, No. 5193 on January 4, 1917. Todd and his Squadron were sent to the Somme Front to counter the aggressive activity of the German Albatros aircraft. The British pilots attacked aggressively when Richthofen’s Jasta arrived on the scene. So much so that Todd \pilot \out the Red Baron and began his attack. Unfortunately, as Richthofen puts it,” the enemy plane was superior to ours. Only because we were three against one, we detected the enemy’s week points. I managed to get behind him and shoot him down.”

Todd’s plane fell apart while falling through the sky, landing in the vicinity of Metz-en-Couture. Cause of death was either from gunshot wounds or crash trauma. Some valuables of Todd were collected by the Germans and returned. Over time his gravesite became lost due to the turmoil of war. Todd’s name is on the Arras Memorial to the Missing.

Two days after shooting down Todd, Richthofen received a telegram from the Kaiser. It read simply: ‘His Majesty, the Kaiser, has awarded the Orden Pur le Merite to Leutnant von Richthofen’. The Orden Pur le Merite could be awarded to any military officer regardless of his branch of service, however its most famous recipients were German Pilots during the Great War. The medal was to be worn whenever the recipient was in uniform. Informally known as the Blue Max, it was supposedly given that name in honor of the German ace Max Immelman, who awarded the medal on the same day in 1916 as Otto Boelcke, Richthofen’s mentor. Originally given for 8 Aerial Victories the number was later raised to 16 in early 2017.It was awarded to Richthofen on January 12, 1917. It was Prussia’s highest Military award, and it was awarded to MvR for the successful confirmation of shooting down 16 enemy planes.

[themculibrary]

Peter Parker + Female Pairings

and I’ll wear out the words I love you (ao3) - Bugsquads mj/peter G, 4k

Summary: ‘Because MJ deserves the world. Peter loves her so much that he’d propose to her in a subway station or a 7/11. But she deserves at least one historical monument’

MJ and Peter make it to Paris seven years late, and right on time.

A SpiderHawk's Apartment Talk (ao3) - Phillipe363 kate/peter T, 2k

Summary: After a fight or just another typical night in Spider-Man's life is ends up awakening in one Kate Bishop's apartment. What happens next including acting on the growing feelings between the two alone souls? Fine out.

A Witch's Perspective (ao3) - Edwinov wanda/peter T, 38k

Summary: Shortly after the Battle of Sokovia, a teenaged Wanda Maximoff is tasked with infiltrating Peter Parker's school to assess if his alter ego Spider-Man would be a valuable member to the Avengers.

Peter Parker on the other hand is tasked by principal Morita to show the new student, a refugee from Sokovia, around and make her feel comfortable at school. All of that while he tries to keep his secret identity as Spider-Man secret.

charity auctions (ao3) - prometheusweeps liz/peter G, 2k

Summary: Peter's at least 80% sure that this is the worst way to get a date with Liz Allan.

Dating the Homecoming Queen (ao3) - Azure_K_Mello liz/peter N/R, 6k

Summary: A look at the homecoming dance if Peter had already quit being Spider-Man and never met the Vulture to begin with.

Hunting A Spider (ao3) - Edwinov wanda/peter E, 34k

Summary: Wanda Maximoff couldn't believe how she always drew the short end of the stick. She did not want to spend her days looking for Spider-Man, trying to get him to join the Avengers. However, she did not have a choice as she was technically selected at random. Maybe Peter Parker, her newest friend, knows a bit more than he lets on about New York's most famous vigilante.

Ludus and Vines (ao3) - skyeviktory peter/shuri T, 4k

Summary: In a world where, if you have a soulmate, you feel a part of their pain, sadness, and joy, no matter the distance you are from them.

Shuri had been fine with that at first; she could handle a little discomfort from time to time. However, as she began to realize her soulmate was more danger-prone than most, she pitied them. How could someone go through so much? What was happening to them?

Peter didn't think he had a soulmate. It was completely possible and he was perfectly alright with not having one. That meant he could be Spider-Man without the guilt.

Were they both in for a surprise.

Midtown’s Field Trip (ao3) - Cornholio4 peter/shuri T, 4k

Summary: Peter Parker has gotten some scepticism over his supposed Stark internship from his fellow classmates. Then it is revealed their next field trip will be to - the newly opened Wakanda Embassy!

Peter hopes on the trip that the fact that he is dating the Princess of Wakanda doesn’t come up.

My Blood, Sweat and Tears (ao3) - bedeliarara liz/peter E, 57k

Summary: Trying to fix Strange's mistakes, Wong forced Peter to return to his past and prevent the events that unleashed the memory spell. Peter, with his hand already stained with blood from killing Osborn, promised Wong to kill Beck.

Now he has to relearn how to live normally again. After finding love in his old flame, Liz, and returning to his Aunt May, Peter will do anything to assure his family’s safety. He lost his family once by following his morals. Now he's conflicted on what to do, does he follow the right path and risk losing it all allover again?

Peter descends into madness for love. But is that really so bad?

Of Field Trips and Revenge Pranks (ao3) - Oh_Neil peter/shuri T, 13k

Summary: Peter is shocked to find out the decathlon team have a field trip, and horrified to find out it's to the Avengers Tower. Cue lots of interfering and shenanigans from his adoptive and crazy second family. And what's this about a group bet about Peter and MJ?!

Peter and Shuri annoying everyone (ao3) - orphan_account peter/shuri N/R, 2k

Summary: Shuri and Peter being annoying to the Avengers :)

quoting poetry (ao3) - belby mj/peter G, 3k

Summary: Peter gets hurt, Michelle patches him up; nail painting and poetry are also involved.

SpiderWitch Meets the Suicide Squad (ao3) - orphan_account wanda/peter T, 5k

Summary: After Wanda gets possessed by an evil entity, Peter must team up with a group of dangerous people to save her.

Spring Break Fever (ao3) - chrono96 mj/peter M, 126k

Summary: Right before their first spring break at NYU, MJ comes over to Ned and Peter's apartment for a favor: she needs someone to spend a week with her and her family in Hawaii, and come as her date to her aunt's wedding so her family will finally stop tormenting her about being single. There's one catch, though: Peter and MJ can't stand each other, and entangling them in a fake relationship will definitely ensure chaos...and maybe something else.

Take Flight (ao3) - petertheparkerpus_mjmonogram mj/peter G, 2k

Summary: Brad confronts MJ about her and Peter’s relationship on the plane ride home to NY as Peter watches the conversation from afar.

The Peter Tingle (ao3) - igrockspock yelena/peter T, 6k

Summary: Yelena's bored and she's got three options:

(1) Start a fire. (2) Start a brawl. (3) Talk to Peter Parker.

The Spider and the Hawk (ao3) - Goro1007 kate/peter E, 7k

Summary: Peter Parker and Kate Bishop accidentally run into each other and who knows who gets entangled in whose web.

tired of talking (ao3) - innatefear mj/peter, kate/peter M, 9k

Summary: Mj remembers.

She remembers everything.

And she’s mad as hell.

Or: Peter is a huge mess and MJ's hurt and angry and Kate's just trying to help.

Web of Lies (ao3) - lost_in_elysium liz/peter G, 3k

Summary: Liz visits her father in jail and receives an unexpected call from Peter.

with no time left to start again (ao3) - buries yelena/peter T, 4k

Summary: Two years after Natasha’s death, Peter, with the help of the Daily Bugle, encourages Yelena to remember her.

[fatehbaz]

The social construction of the high, arid landscapes of the Southwest  as “more or less worthless” has been a fundamental component of colonization of the Diné, as well as other southwestern and Great Basin tribes. In fact, the inhabitation of dry, arid landscapes by Native nations was used  as evidence of their low status on the Western hierarchy of civilization, following a kind of environmental determinism [...].

The “wasteland” is a racial and a spatial signifier that renders an environment and the bodies that inhabit it pollutable. The problem of land laid waste is complicated by the fact that environmental degradation is not only relegated to lands that Americans find aesthetically distasteful; quite to the contrary, while we find radioactive tailings piles in the desert, we also find leaking barrels of Agent Orange on Bahamian beaches, dioxin-releasing copper mines near the shores of the Great Lakes, and strip mines in the rainforests of South America. Thus, it is not only a matter of a Euro-American distaste for dusty arid locales that renders deserts “wastelands” but rather a condition in which even the most marvelously abundant of jungle-scapes can come to be seen as just so much waste of space. [...] [T]herefore, [...] colonial epistemologies do not just look on deserts as wastelands but that wastelands of many kinds are constituted through racial and spatial politics that render certain bodies and landscapes pollutable. [...]

---

Wastelanding takes two primary forms: the assumption that nonwhite lands are valueless, or valuable only for what can be mined from beneath them, and the subsequent devastation of those very environs by polluting industries. Hydroelectric dams in James Bay, Canada, for instance, would, according to the National Audubon Society, “‘make James Bay and some of Hudson’s [sic] Bay uninhabitable for much of the wildlife dependent on it.’” This very pollution results in the common designation of wastelanded spaces, including those of the uranium industry on Diné land, as “sacrifice” zones. As sacrificial lands, these landscapes of extraction allow industrial modernity to continue to grow and make profits. In scholarly parlance, these two forms of wastelanding can be termed social construction and reification: first, a culturally agreed-upon logic that derives from taken-for-granted categories of difference, which we then understand as natural and common sense, and second, the process of materializing, of making real, or of acting on those constructions.  

---

Wastelanding reifies -- it makes real, material, lived -- what might otherwise be only discursive. Like race, which is a social construction made material by the embodied consequences of racism (threats and acts of violence, foreshortened life expectancy, incarceration, under and uncompensated labor, inequalities in wealth accruement, and so on), ideas about the value of environments are manifested by the material consequences of environmental destruction (or, in the inverse, by environmental protection). Patterns of environmental racism make clear the connections between race and wastelanding. Race and space are connected through a social construction of difference that becomes spatialized through segregation and unequal distribution of resources. As Allan Pred puts it, through racism, “The socially barred become locationally removed from opportunity-yielding social, economic, and political networks.” By a “feat of ontological magic,” the “idea-logics of cultural racism are [...] concretized.” Wastelanding is a primary of of these “feat[s] of ontological magic,” wherein racialized lands are made to seem uninhabited or unimportantly inhabtied, represented as worthless, and then [...] systematically stripped of their material and ideological worth. [...]

---

Wastelanding, too, is multiscalar: in uranium country, destroying the environment through uranium mining does not just mean destroying the nonhuman world and ecosystems. It means to wasteland, to render pollutable, the lungs, the cells, and the respiratory tracts of everyone involved in the nuclear cycle. It also means to wasteland Navajo worldviews, epistemology, history, and cultural and religious practices. In order for uranium mining to occur on the level it did (and still does), indigenous ways of knowing landscapes and their worth must be themselves rendered pollutable, marginal, unimportant.

To borrow from poet Adrienne Rich, in wastelanding --  rendering an environment pollutable in ways that are both ideational and material -- “The words are purposes. / The words are maps.”

---

Text by: Traci Brynne Voyles. “Sacrifical Land.” Wastelanding: Legacies of Uranium Mining in Navajo Country. 2015. [Bold emphasis added by me.]

[pillow-anime-talk]

match up. {1}

request (match up) ; @ a23--un66-u77: i’m a 5’2 female with short brown hair that reaches my neck and with curtain bangs, i have hazel eyes and i’m a bit chubby in the lower body. i’m a sagittarius, an esfp and i tend to be an ambivert leaning to extrovert, i also tend to overthink a lot and often feel guilty and insecure but otherwise i’m really cheerful and dirty minded. my hobbies are drawing, watching anime, writing stories; bungou stray dogs characters + platonic relations

# tags: match up; platonic relations; mostly fluff; a bit of comedy; slice of life; compliments and hugs; sfw

includes: atsushi nakajima, edgar allan poe, gin akutagawa & nikolai gogol {bsd}

author’s note: my first match up ever so... i just hope it's okay for you! thank you so much :)

— ATSUSHI

↘ It’s hard not to be friends with Atushi. He really likes people and he really appreciates having a best friend like you. You are very similar in that you both think a lot about life, problems and not being enough for others. Nevertheless, you two are always very supportive and I have a vision in my head that you like spending time with a cup of hot tea in complete silence. You don’t need words to communicate, just the presence of the other person will significantly improve your mood.

↘ This boy is the most supportive guy we all know; he’s always praising your haircut and eyes, he’s always saying you look great in >that< outfit or make-up, he’s complimented your paintings and stories more than once... He is such a good and loving boy who knows well that such small things work best on another person. You appreciate it very much.

— EDGAR

↘ You both love to write, so Edgar really enjoys your company and you exchange ideas, opinions and comments about books together. You go to a coffee shop together and discover new places on the map of Yokohama or nearby towns. You are by far the best duo ever made! Oh, of course, let’s not forget about Karl, who senses human intentions perfectly – but luckily this adorable raccoon adores you so bad, so you don’t have to worry about anything. For a small and sweet pet, you are the second parent.

↘ God, I have the thought in my mind that you help each other with the smallest and often the stupidest requests/things like cutting your hair or choosing an anime you should watch tonight. There’s nothing better than a friend for better or for worse, and Poe is exactly that kind of buddy.

— GIN

↘ She’s a calm and graceful woman so having such a friend/sister/soulmate is really amazing for you and it’s damn reassuring. Gin understands your problems and listens to you carefully (she is the best at it). Her advices are the most important and valuable to you. When you have your silly moments and suddenly you burst out laughing, she’s also happy and smiles slightly. You really appreciate the time and the opportunity to spend it together.

↘ You like to go for walks and relax in your/her apartment. If you like shopping at the mall, she will certainly always accompany you (she loves to buy cosmetics and new hair products, I’m pretty sure about it). You always advise each other on clothes and makeup. I am also sure that these afternoons always end with a cup of coffee and a portion of cake, as well as a conversation (or rather gossips) about your friends, family or co-workers.

— NIKOLAI

↘ If you say you have extroverted moments, you like naughty jokes and anime in general, then Nikolai really suits to your person. You are like two lighters that ignite the wick of the same bomb. You always have huge fun together and do crazy things, sometimes betting on which of you will buy food or movie tickets (e.g. for the latest ‘Barbie’ movie).

↘ Even if you have worse moments, moments full of doubt and uncertainty – don’t worry. It’s only a matter of time before Nikolai comes to your house with a cat (or other animal) taken from the middle of the street and a bag filled with your favorite snacks/sweets and thus cheers you up for the rest of the day or even the week. You always evaluate the time spent in each other’s company as successful and used as much as possible.

[theballadear]

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ Le Monde

Fandom: Bungo Stray Dogs

Category: Gen

Summary:

The probability of Ranpo being incorrect about anything is zero, his judgement and deductive skills make him the agency's strongest man and most valuable asset. However should Ranpo ever be wrong about something it should be taken as a sign of the times and that the sun is going to explode, taking the earth with it. So when several strange letters appear at the door of the ADA saying that Ranpo is wrong, the detective takes this as a challenge and an insult to everything that makes him the way he is.

or

In which Poe is framed.

Read on AO3:

Ranpo was clever, this was a fact, so when several neatly sealed letters lay waiting to be trampled upon at the door he knew something was abnormal to say the least. He knelt down and picked up one of the could-be doormats and inspected it. The periwinkle colored wax stamp had a bulblike flower imprint, in between the bulb it had seemed someone tediously painted yellow strokes to give the waxy art depth, it looked too artificial far too perfect. Ranpo haphazardly turned over the envelope and wrote smooth as marble was lettering of the name ‘Fukuzawa’ at the center of the envelope. Ranpo hummed to himself raising an eyebrow in amusement, this was interesting. The next letters followed the ebb and flow of the initial copy with minor differences laying in the name and flowery symbol, one for both he and Yosano. Ranpo makes his way over to one of the office desks and sits on top of it, laying the letters for the others to the side, before opening a drawer and grabbing a knife. Carefully, Ranpo keeps the stamp intact whilst opening the letter, it read as follows;

Edogawa Ranpo,

You do not know me, nor I you, however I am looking for someone that you have been seen to be in contact with, Edgar Allan Poe. I also sent letters to your family members in case this letter was lost somehow, disregard them if you are reading this. If you have no connection to this name please feel free to pay no mind to the rest of the contents of this letter, in the event that you do have these connections please continue reading.

My name is Frances Allan, I am Edgar’s adoptive mother. Approximately six years ago Poe had cut all contact with me and his father and seemingly disappeared. We know that he is alright as we see his novels on shelves however we do miss our son oh so dearly. Prior attempts of reaching contact with our son has resulted in him once again running off to god knows where and it troubles us so, for this reason I urge you to not contact Edgar about our contact with you. Instead I extend an offer of lunch, paid by me and Mr. Allan of course, to you and your family. We simply wish to discuss things that you know about Edgar and perhaps if you know where his last known location may be. The back of this letter is the location of a cafe, where my husband and I will be every day from noon to dinner for a week following the knowledge that you have received this letter.

Thank you for your time,

Frances Allan

The sound of Ranpo’s laughter shattered the quiet of the room. Kunikida’s voice wasn't echoing orders through the halls nor was there a Dazai laying on a couch complaining about said orders. That chaos usually followed by Atsushi telling everyone to please, the boy always minded his manners, stop arguing. No, the others were all on a mission that Ranpo had solved for all of them of course, but that made for a boring day. Or so Ranpo had thought it boring till the strange letters appeared, seeing as no one else was here and it was about his best friend, Ranpo took it upon himself to take care of it.

The Genius Detective leapt off the desk that he was perched upon, proceeding to gather the letters and nab a bag of chips before sauntering his way to the president's office. Ranpo would need permission from Fukuzawa before investigating the case, which should be no issue as Ranpo highly doubts that “Poe's parents” would be ability users and even if by chance they were Ranpo has faced off against ability users many times before and walked out unscathed. Besides they’re offering free food, who doesn’t love free food?

“Fukuzawa-” Ranpo lamented down the hall. “Fukuzawa, I got spam mail about my friend-”

Fukuzawa looked up from the papers on his desk, “What’s bothering you?”

Ranpo, instead of sitting on the chair, sat himself on Fukuzawa’s desk and held out the letters, “It’s like those email scams, you know the ones where they lie about being someone famous and ask for money? Except this one is about Poe. You remember Poe right? He had the raccoon? He brings me books all the time?”

“Yes, I remember Poe. He aided you in breaking me out of prison and saving the agency. He’s with the Guild, correct?”

Ranpo nodded as he opened his bag of chips and began to crunch on them, “Yeah, the letter says it’s from his mom or something but I don’t know it seems sketchy-”

Fukuzawa carefully cuts the seal of his letter and begins to skim the contents, his narrowed eyes flashing a moment and lips pursed.

“I kinda wanna go for the free food, you know? I mean they could also be after Poe and if they are trying to get Poe for some reason then like two birds one stone-” Ranpo continued to ramble as Fukuzawa continued to read his letter, taking a much longer time to digest its contents then Ranpo had.

“I don’t believe this is a scam. I think this is actually Poe’s parents. Has Poe ever mentioned his parents before to you? Both of you are close.” Fukuzawa neatly folded the letter and placed it back into the envelope, seemingly making his mind up about something.

Ranpo narrowed his eyes.

“Of course we’re close but I don’t pry. He doesn’t pry at my past either, I appreciate that.” Ranpo closes the bag of chips and places them beside where he was sitting on the desk.

Fukuzawa hums, passing a glance to the envelope in his hands before looking back at Ranpo, “This letter about Poe is very concerning”.

“I know! Like that's the most suspicious letter I think I’ve ever read in my entire life, I mean the whole part about not contacting Poe, him not seeing them in years-”

“Ranpo that's not what I meant.”

Ranpo’s eyes meet Fukuzawa’s. Ranpo said a lot with his eyes, this was something Fukuzawa had learned while raising the boy from teenage years to the age he is now. The gaze that Fukuzawa was being given was one he was not usually on the receiving end of. The guarded look only lasted a moment, any random person would have missed it but Fukuzawa was not a random person to Ranpo and from that look Fukuzawa learned, neither was Poe.

“What do you mean that's not what you meant-” Ranpo hops off Fukuzawa’s desk, his expression a facade as his voice and mannerisms made the phrase seem nonchalant.

“What I mean is-” Fukuzawa sighs looking at the letter once again. “Ranpo, how much can you say that you know about Poe?”

Ranpo tilted his head with a look of puzzlement crossing his face for a moment before speaking with a smile, “I think I know a good amount about my own best friend.”

Fukuzawa makes a noise of acknowledgement before gathering all the letters into a drawer and locking it. “I see-”

“What are you doing? We didn’t even see what Yosano’s said, actually while we’re on the topic, what did your letter say?” Ranpo was propping up his chin with his elbow on the desk.

“It didn’t make sense from what I’ve seen of Poe, their claims about him just….did not add up-”

“Yeah, I said the letter was weird. We’ve clarified this-” Ranpo said matter of factly.

Fukuzawa took a breath, pursing his lips and closing his eyes to think about how exactly to break this to Ranpo, “The letter said that Poe killed someone-”

A look of pure confusion crossed Ranpo’s face, “He’s in The Guild? I don’t see how this is a surprise-”

“Ranpo, the letter says that he killed his step sister and has been running from the charges since.”

Ranpo froze.

“Elaborate.” Ranpo stated.

“The letter from Poe’s parents said that their daughter, Virginia, had been…murdered by Poe when the girl was only thirteen-” Fukuzawa said with caution.

“That makes no sense!” Ranpo scoffed.

“Ranpo, you might have a biased opinion on this matter and-”

“Biased opinion?” Ranpo interrupts. “No? If Poe did something stupid I would be the first one to point it out. Not to mention, why are you second guessing my deductive skills? If I say something is fishy, it’s fishy.”

Fukuzawa glanced at a safe resting in the corner of his office, holding something that he should have broken. Ranpo followed his gaze and scoffed. The One Order lies dormant in that case, only used once and only usable by one man. The cost of the weapon was higher than either of them like to discuss. Fukuchi was family, Ranpo never felt more betrayed then on that day, when Fukuchi nearly killed he and Atsushi, when poor Akutagawa lost his humanity, when Ranpo was-

“You’ve been wrong before.” Fukuzawa’s voice echoed in Ranpo’s ears after the words left the lips of the older.

Ranpo stared at Fukuzawa, the air of the room became as thick as tar.

If there was one thing that Ranpo hated most in life, it was being wrong; for Ranpo being correct was all he had for so long. When the monsters of the world turned their back on him, he could always rely on the fact that he was always right about them without fail, until he wasn’t. Ranpo met Fukuzawa. He had thought that he was just like everyone else and yet the old man had proved Ranpo wrong. Fukuzawa had given Ranpo what he truly wanted, a family. The family started small but with baby steps, blossomed into something beautiful. Yet with one word Fukuzawa had pulled at a petal. Wrong.

Ranpo was never wrong, even when he had been wrong he had been right in the end. Fukuchi was an ally in the end. Fukuzawa’s issue was not about Ranpo being incorrect, no, it was-

“You don’t trust me.”

The words tumbled out almost against Ranpo’s own will.

“That’s not what I’m-”

“Not that’s exactly what you're saying! You know-” Ranpo laughs. “I wouldn’t have sought the help of Fukuchi if you hadn't had such a blind trust in the man.”

“Ranpo.” Fukuzawa shot a warning glare.

“No, if you want to bring that up we can totally bring that up!” Ranpo smiled and began to pace the room. “Hm, lets see, who was the one that suggested that we didn’t even pick up the case that got us framed in the first place? Oh! That’s right! Me!”

Ranpo picked up an old photo, taken almost a lifetime ago. The moment, frozen in time and sealed in a stainless steel frame, showed a child and two swordsmen at a party, a banner in the background read Armed Detective Agency.

Ranpo roughly placed the photo back on the shelf, “Who's the one who solves all the cases in the agency that everyone is too dumb to? Me.”

“Ranpo. You’re acting childish.” Fukuzawa stood from his chair.

“Hm, now let’s all think about who saved everyones asses after, what I said was going to happen mind you, happened. Oh my god! It was me and the person you're accusing of being a child murderer!”

“I’m not calling Poe a child murderer-” Fukuzawa rubbed his face.

Ranpo paused his pacing to look at Fukuzawa with a face of bafflement.

“You literally just got done telling me that I have a ‘biased opinion’ about Poe and were questioning me on his character.”

“And you are defending Poe as if your life depends on it, leading me to believe that you might have blinded judgment-” Fukuzawa closes his eyes and see’s vibrant purple eyes staring back at him. “I can openly admit that I am able to be blinded by close friends as well-”

“You're still bothered about everything with Fukuchi.” Ranpo paused and once again looked at Fukuzawa, reading him like a book, like all those years ago and he began to speak, “Reading the letter you were worried that I was going to have to go through what you went through which is why you started acting so aggressively and insinuated that I was wrong about Poe. You're scared that I’ll have to make a choice like you did. You had to choose between the fate of the world and Fukuchi and you chose-”

“Ranpo.” Fukuzawa scolded.

Ranpo stepped closer, “You probably thought if you could insight distrust of Poe in me that it would save me from feeling betrayal if it were to happen.”

Ranpo wrapped his arms around Fukuzawa, a mirror image of a scene from before. A lifetime ago the two of them stood in front of the moon, a child crying into the arms of the first adult to care about his well being in so long. However at this moment the sun was out and the detective could feel a wetness begin to pool on his shoulder but he gave it no mind. A muffled yet strong voice echoed an apology and as a response Ranpo held his father tighter. There were much bigger problems at play here of which Ranpo was well aware, like how lunch was quickly approaching and that he never finished his bag of chips and—well that was entirely off topic much like this situation, it was also unproductive but since when had Ranpo ever been productive.

“You alright old man?” Ranpo joked.

“Yes-” Fukuzawa pushed away from the hug and cleared his throat. “I once again apologize, that was uncalled for-”

“You're good.” Ranpo shrugged. “However we do need to talk more on the Poe Parents situation as the end of my letter said that they would meet for lunch with us about a week from today, also can you take the letters out of the drawer, it’s evidence.”

Fukuzawa just shook his head with a smile as he unlocked the drawer displaying the letters for the two of them to examine once more. Ranpo immediately grabbed at Yosano’s envelope to open it for its contents, taking note of the stamp of what looked like red miniature roses. Unfortunately Yosano’s letter was worded much like Fukuzawa’s, playing up the “woe is me” and dead daughter deal to a thousand whilst making Poe sound like a heartless monster that kicks puppies and curb stomps every nearest toddler. Ranpo knows that Poe is a little bit out there but he was not Fyodor or, dare he think should he be struck down, Dazai level out there. The only new information added to the pile was the pleading to Yosano's care about Ranpo hanging around someone so “dangerous" which Ranpo gave a chuckle at. Yosano is also a bit out there and has done much worse than kill one person. Hell, Fukuzawa is so good at killing people that he needed to stop. Ranpo really loves his family, he thinks they’re the silliest people on earth.

Yet after reading all three of the letters one question wracked Ranpos mind—”Why would they tell all of you about Virginia’s death but not me? Was it to stir conflict? Did they think we would each read them separately? Why leave me out of the loop?”

“Ugh!” Ranpo plopped down on the floor, starfished across the carpet. “I need more information but I don’t wanna research Poe’s parents, gathering intel is so much effort especially when they’re overseas-”

Fukuzawa peaks at Ranpo from over his desk, “Why don’t you ask Poe?”

Ranpo paused for a moment staring at the ground before taking out his phone and sending a text to Poe:

(Ranpo) u free today ??

(Poe) Should be, why?

(Ranpo) lunch ??

(Poe) Ofc!!! What time and where are we going? :D

(Ranpo) idk gimme like a hour and cafe under ada

(Poe) Okay!!! Lemme get Karl ready

“Done!” Ranpo exclaimed, closing his phone and putting it back in his pocket.

Fukuzawa blinked, “That was…incredibly fast?”

“Poe responds to everyone fast, he doesn’t have many contacts.” Ranpo shrugs.

“So what did you learn about his parents?” Fukuzawa questions.

One cannot use words to describe the pure look of bafflement that Ranpo gave Fukuzawa at that very moment.

“Heh? I didn’t ask him about his parents over text! That’s insensitive! They clearly don’t like him! That’s like if he were to text me ‘Hey how was being homeless?’ out of the blue! I asked if he wanted to grab lunch!”

Fukuzawa folds his hands together, red tint on his cheeks, and his voice still steady as always, “Of course, yes-”

Fukuzawa cleared his throat, “Report back to me as soon as you are done gathering intel.”

Ranpo gives a small salute wave before turning to walk out the door. A six year old murder, yes, Ranpo would not be bored for some time now. Ranpo immediately turned on his laptop and threw the thirteen-year old’s name into the search bar, for right now he would need to use the publicly documented records until he can figure out how to convince the American police to allow him to have the files to a cold case. Ranpo opened his email and began drafting while the public files printed in the background.

The World's Greatest Detective was on the case.

[mrbexwrites]

Happy STS, Mo! What’s the story that has influenced your writing craft the most? Whether it made some element of storytelling ‘click’ for you, or served as an example of how not to do things, which story has taught you the most?

Hi Sam! Happy STS and NaNo!

This is a difficult question to pin down, as I feel like I've taken a lot of different influences from many different authors. Terry Pratchett is probably the biggest influence due to his social justice take on fantasy, and how well he subverts tropes. (I'm not in any way comparing myself to PTerry, as I can't subvert a trope to save myself! But I like how he uses his characters to observe human absurdities when it comes to how we treat other people, societal norms and institutional systems)

That said, I hate-read Fifty Shades of Grey, and fml, I learned so much in regards of what not to do. (For context, I was a huge nerd and avid reader as a kid. My peers...not so much. I read the Harry Potter series so that I could have something in common to talk to the other kids, who weren't into Animorphs, Point Horror, Edgar Allan Poe, etc etc. So, when Fifty Shades was all the rage, and everyone in my work was reading it, I figured I could join in and finally have something in common to talk to them about.)

That book...*shudders*

I had to do a hard reset of my kindle after I finished it, as I wanted no trace of it near my presence. It was awful.

The writing, dreadful. The storyline, the pacing, the characters...just...I was baffled how that even got published?! And became a bestseller?!

Did an editor even cast an eye over it?

After reading the first chapter, I wanted to buy E.L James a thesaurus and post it to her.

I wanted to punch the main character in face. Everyone was so flat and lacking in personality.

If I read the phase 'my inner cheerleader' , or 'inner goddess' one more time, I was going to rip my eyeballs so that I had no choice but to stop reading.

It was awful, and I learned several valuable lessons from reading it. The biggest one being that being a 'bestseller' is no mark of quality, publishing is a numbers games, and if that monstrosity could get published, then there was hope for me too!!

(I'm not a great writer, in fact, I'd hardly rate myself as average, but, my god, I'm better than E.L. James! It's a low bar, I know. But we all need thresholds to compare ourselves to!!)

I'd be interested to know what other people's take on this would be- including your own positive and negative influences :)

Thanks again for the ask, and sorry for rambling. Fifty Shades did a lot of psychic damage to my soul!

[peterlorres21stcentury]

creative writing woes of the past

As I continued writing today, fitting together all the little random scraps into something that kinda resembles a story, I accidentally had an intrusive memory of my undergraduate creative writing class (wow, that was like 16 years ago, me olde). It was the first and last creative writing class I ever had, and I'm sorry to say that it wasn't all that valuable for me. The professor seemed intent on teaching us to only write things that would sell, rather than the fundamentals of storytelling, character development, voice, and so on. She was forever trying to squash everyone's creativity into the most boring "marketable" mold possible. I'm still mad at what the prof did to a fellow classmate, who wrote a touchingly personal, semi-fictional story inspired by her deceased brother. Prof was not satisfied by that, and after three increasingly worse drafts, made her re-work it into some bland clone of the prof's own published memoir, with weird psychological drama/sci-fi elements added (???) It was so far removed from the original concept that my eyeballs practically fell out after reading it.

Prof and I never saw eye-to-eye either. She was always getting on my case about writing stories set in the early 20th century ("you need to be more contemporary") and my style ("archaic" was the exact word she used). I bridled at this until eventually she mostly gave up on me. Of course, I like to think my writing has improved by leaps and bounds since those days, but it was only due to frequent practice. I honestly wanted to enjoy that class. I desperately wanted to learn something from it! Unfortunately, there wasn't anything there that didn't prop up the prof's massive ego. I'm amazed I passed that class with high marks, somehow. And no, I never wrote Peter Lorre stories for her. The closest I ever got was writing a short horror story deliberately styled after Edgar Allan Poe (surprise, prof hated that, too).

However, this is a serious question for anyone who likes reading my weird crap for some reason: is there anything about it that could be improved? Anything that bugs you? I'm constantly going back to old works and thinking "hmmm, I might have done that better, but what's done is done" and move on to the next story with that in mind. I'm so humbled by everyone's super kind comments on my work (thank u! I love u), but know that I'm open to criticism too.

[byneddiedingo]

Saïd Taghmaoui, Chris Pine, and Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman (Patty Jenkins, 2017) Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Saïd Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner, Eugene Brave Rock, Lucy Davis, Elena Anaya. Screenplay: Allan Heinberg, Zack Snyder, Jason Fuchs. Cinematography: Matthew Jensen. Production design: Aline Bonetto. Film editing: Martin Walsh. Music: Rupert Gregson-Williams.  For much of Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins directs Gal Gadot and Chris Pine the way Howard Hawks directed Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant, keeping the romantic tension and witty byplay at the fore. But this is a superhero comic book movie, and eventually the demands of the genre force romantic wit to be subsumed in pyrotechnics and CGI. Still, for much of the film, Wonder Woman is as entertaining as you could wish. Gadot is the perfect embodiment of the Amazon demigod, carrying herself with regal power but also allowing the human vulnerability to show through. Pine seems to have become everyone's second favorite Chris: The others -- Hemsworth, Evans, and Pratt -- wound up in the currently dominant comic book universe, Marvel, whereas Pine got stuck in the second-tier DC universe. But he's probably the most talented of the four, having demonstrated his musical gifts in Into the Woods (Rob Marshall, 2014) and his dramatic ones in Hell or High Water (David Mackenzie, 2016). So although Steve Trevor meets a fiery end in Wonder Woman, Pine was too valuable a performer to let go entirely, so a way was found to resurrect him for Wonder Woman 1984 (Jenkins, 2020). 

[sekwanele]

UKZN OT Curriculum offering European Greatness

"Education is the movement from darkness to light." - Allan Bloom. Sometimes I feel like that when I sit and reflect on my formal education journey. It got me thinking about how it has gotten me to walk the streets of MR and Zwelibovu communities and speaking to managers of prestigious private health institutes at such a young age, places I have never dreamt of. And actually feeling like I know what I am doing and can be in these rooms communicating and adding valuable Occupational Therapy knowledge. This is all due to the rich OT curriculum UKZN provides which is ineffectually delivered at times. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.picturequotes.com%2Fthe-only-thing-that-interferes-with-my-learning-is-my-education-quote-183&psig=AOvVaw0J_ej6Dq3ybebKK0DQgl42&ust=1726327182084000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCKiqtoWcwIgDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE . This image just reinforces my belief that this curriculum can at times interfere with one’s learning. Where it forces you to conform to other people’s thought processes, which can leave one not thinking on a local and community needs basis.

The most shocking revelation for me is that the university is located in KwaZulu-Natal, which has the largest number of Zulu ethnic people (Minority Rights Group, 2023), and takes its Occupational Therapy students out into these communities following a traditional Western standard as stipulated by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT). “The Federation can positively influence health, welfare, education and vocation at an international level,” (WFOT, 2024). This shows the UKZN OT curriculum’s commitment to producing an international Occupational Therapist (OT) and not so much a local OT. To me the OT course has basic isiZulu offered in its package, which I have not found beneficial at all, for teaching non-Zulu-speaking folks. This became very evident in my community module when we went into the deep Zulu community of Zwelibovu. Where I saw my non-Zulu-speaking OT partner struggle with communicating with the patients, not because she did not know the OT content but just a communication problem. Upon which I asked her if she found the isiZulu module beneficial, of which she stated that she wishes she had been taught meaningful Zulu words and sentences that would help communicate health related matters to the patients and not taught about the names of animals and reciting Zulu kings clan names. This to me shows the gaps within the OT curriculum that fail to offer comprehensive Zulu modules for a predominately Zulu-speaking province.

When I look at this image I am reminded of the Western body of knowledge we follow. This is evident when this curriculum has taught us assistive devices which are fancy and are to be given to patients, which are not at all relevant to them, financially and even culturally. This became evident to me working at the community doing home visits. Where there now is no electrically controlled bed, no bed at all just a sponge on the ground. This was my reality first week of community in my client’s home, where ideally in a hospital setting transfers would have been easy, using transfer boards, Sara Steady etc. Which I realise I would have recommended to the patient if I had seen her at the hospital rather, due to what I was taught. However, the curriculum does offer us lecturers who have experience in the community, who make us mindful that what they teach us might not be a reality for most of our patients. The UKZN OT curriculum does teach us to be client-centred and holistic and be very able to adapt. However, when doing wheelchair practicals in lectures, we were never taught the realities of the community like transferring from the floor to a wheelchair. Which in my case I had to adapt on the spot, looking for things like benches that would assist my client in transferring the wheelchair and offering her water bottle to maintain the fingers in extension as they had gone into composite flexion, and I was afraid of a developing contracture she could have. Showing that although equipped with information from the curriculum which was fairly Western and not contextualised to the African context.

The OT curriculum teaches us to be critical thinkers, which allows us to expand our minds into thinking about the other issues with regards to the client, not take things at face value. In a conversation with the project officer and manager at COC, we were able to analyse the community which we attended where we saw that the client’s insights are poor into some other conditions. Where usually it is likely for patients to believe that conditions like stroke are caused by witchcraft in rural areas, (Mpanza et al, 2022). This reduces the client's attendance to important therapy and hospital visits and reduces compliance which increases risks or worsening of the conditions. This critical thinking skill taught to me, helped me figure from the PO and manager why my client suffering from a stoke, had a wheelchair but it had no footrest. They made me aware that the community clinic in that area had OT services once a month through the community service programme offered in PHC. They raised the point of the clinic not having enough resources which is why the client did not have the footrests. This led to research as to why this clinic was not working effectively, where it was found that PHC was failing due to limited financial, political and human resources, (Chimezie, 2015) which explains why the client has a wheelchair with no footrests.

However, I feel sometimes the curriculum, does offer the UKZN OT students in the community skills, like critical thinking skills, as this allowed me to analyse another occurrence in the community I am working in. There was a young client who was not doing well in school suspected of having a learning difficulty. The mother struggled with getting assistance with finding a special school and receiving disability grant for him to send him to these schools. This is where I found that the curriculum does not give us any detailed information with regard to the application of these grants. Had I not been with the PO who is a social worker, who then filled in the gap of the protocol, of the client’s needs to get the SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT forms from the client’s school, then only can we (OT) can see them for an assessment. After that, the client can go to the SASSA doctor where he can assess him to be placed on grant. This lack of knowledge of procedures not provided to OT students in the curriculum really affects the ability of the therapist to be useful in the community, (Buchanan, 2016).

In conclusion, the OT UKZN curriculum is very useful and provides students with a lot of insight into engaging and analysing the community. However, their insatiable need to produce an international OT needs to take a back seat and produce a curriculum that will offer comprehensive knowledge to operate in the community. And understand that global recognition in a locally lacking curriculum is futile and somewhat silly and does not go with the university’s motto of “Inspiring greatness” but rather inspiring European Greatness.

References:

van Stormbroek, K., & Buchanan, H. (2016). Community Service Occupational Therapists: thriving or just surviving? South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46(3). https://doi.org/10.17159/23103833/2016/v46n3a11

Mkhize, P. Z., Phehlukwayo, S. M., & Mpanza, D. M. (2022). Health seeking pathways for stroke survivors in a rural setting: Optimising early intervention for stroke rehabilitation in occupational therapy. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52(1). https://doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2022/vol52n1a4

World Federation of Occupational Therapists. (2017). WFOT. https://wfot.org/education

Aaqil De Vries, Jo-Celene De Jongh, & Wegner, L. (2024). South African occupational therapy students’ reflections on ethical tensions experienced during fieldwork. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54(2), 27–35. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajot/article/view/275728

Zulus in South Africa. (n.d.-b). Minority Rights Group. https://minorityrights.org/communities/zulus/

[govindhtech]

mWISE Conference 2024: See Future Of Cybersecurity

The field of cybersecurity is always changing, and using collective intelligence to remain ahead of the curve is essential. The mWISE Conference 2024 offers you the opportunity to interact with the visionary thinkers influencing the future of cybersecurity and immerse yourself in the most recent threat intelligence and Cutting-Edge Technology

mWISE Conference 2024 is a three-year-old program that was specifically created by the security community for the security community. Attendees will share information, get insight from personal experiences, and view the most recent, tried-and-true solutions that are assisting organisations in fending off significant threats throughout the two-day event, which is vendor-neutral.

On September 18–19, at mWISE in Denver, Colorado, experts from Mandiant, Google Cloud, and the larger cybersecurity community will convene.

The keynote address: Expert perspectives

Feature the most recent information from luminaries and pioneers in security on keynote stage.

Kevin Mandia

The first day of the conference begins with statements from Google Cloud strategic security advisor Kevin Mandia. The threat environment and how organisations should secure their most valuable assets will be covered tactically.

Jen Easterly

What worries the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency? CISA director Jen Easterly discusses the biggest cybersecurity issues on day two.

The growing cash cow of cyberspace

Groups and their affiliates are still being driven to increase operations and make additional investments in their businesses by the profitability of ransomware. Experts in cybercrime Brett Callow of FTI Consulting, Kimberly Goody of Mandiant, and Allan Liska of Recorded Future talk about the most recent data and trends surrounding ransomware, including a rise in aggressive extortion tactics, and how businesses may better protect themselves against and handle threats. Journalist Kim Zetter, an expert in cybersecurity and national security, will moderate the panel.

Defending against complex threats

Firsthand observations Mandiant Consulting’s CTO, Charles Carmakal, leads a mainstage conversation with seasoned business executives who have guided their companies through well-publicized cybersecurity incidents. Discover how cybersecurity leadership is changing in-depth, with insights that can be applied by professionals of all stripes.

John Hultquist

Leaders need to employ dynamic, frontline intelligence in the current threat scenario in order to anticipate changing enemies. John Hultquist, chief analyst at Mandiant Intelligence, examines the most recent front-line findings and solutions for the most pressing threats in a fireside chat.

What will they know when AI becomes intelligent?

Author and researcher David Eagleman analyses how artificial intelligence may surpass human intelligence and how google cloud might forecast it.

Large sessions: Dive deeply into the crucial cybersecurity problems of the day

Over 70 presentations covering nine tracks Cloud Security, Threat Intelligence, the Intersection of AI and Cybersecurity, Next Gen CISO, Security Engineering, Security Operations, Security Threats and Exploits are offered at this year’s mWISE Conference 2024. We’ve picked a few sessions to highlight here to pique your interest

How generative AI changes defense

Leaders in Google Cloud Security Steph Hay and Umesh Shankar explain macro trends at the nexus of security and AI and what they represent for your company using insights from talks with CISOs, the most recent Mandiant research, and Google DeepMind breakthroughs.

North Korean-backed threat actor goes from job interview to bitcoin heist

Clearing a job interview is the first step towards an insider bitcoin theft. Listen as Mandiant Senior Consultants Yi Han Ang and Sun Pu reveal a highly skilled cyber-espionage operation that was launched against a cryptocurrency corporation by a North Korean threat actor. They intend to talk about how crucial it is to put in place thorough security measures in the cloud in order to lessen the likelihood of assaults like this one.

Generative AI-era secure remote identity verification

In the age of generative AI, secure remote identity verification Science-based biometrics-as-a-service can prevent deepfake assaults by enabling dependable, simple-to-manage remote identification for employees and customers. The CEO and creator of iProov, Andrew Bud, discusses the difficulties in implementing remote identity throughout the company and offers customer best practices in this presentation.

The supply-chain attack summer taught us

In the summer of 2023, there were an unprecedented amount of supply chain attacks. Key issues like legal exposure, cyber reporting, and handling threats to company officials or their families will be covered by Erin Joe (Google Cloud Office of the CISO), Lyn Brown and Megan Brown (Wiley Rein), and Jennifer Burnside (Crisis Communications for Google Cloud Security). They will also share lessons learnt and talk about emerging trends.

Construct a low-cost, high-value quantitative risk management program

Tim Anderson and Matthew Harding of ID.me have provided a systematic guide to implementing quantitative risk management. Find out how to report and communicate risk from the boardroom to the security team room. The application and operation of quantitative program design using people, procedures, and technology will be covered.

The cloud security dilemma Unsecure use, safe cloud

Cloud service providers make significant investments in security, far more than what most businesses could accomplish on their own. But leaks and breaches in the cloud dominate the headlines. Why is that? In actuality, cloud security is a shared opportunity as much as a shared obligation. Google Cloud‘s Anton Chuvakin explores this somewhat perplexing conundrum in this session.

Opportunities for networking: Establishing your cybersecurity community

Building a network that can help you in your profession and interacting with peers to gain knowledge from their experiences are all important aspects of mWISE Conference 2024. Make the most of the many breakout sessions, social events, and networking opportunities to establish meaningful relationships.

Among these chances is a special Capture the Flag challenge where you may put your cybersecurity prowess to the test. This CTF game simulates a threat hunt using real-world information from ransom notes, the dark web, and CISA advisories. Using a new Google Threat Intelligence product, follow the clues, evaluate the evidence, and work through the puzzles to identify the flags.

On September 18–19 in Denver, Colorado, They look forward to building Google defender’s community and sharing their most recent security findings with you.

Read more on govindhtech.com

[prognosysmedicalsystems]

A Brief History of Radiology: From Discovery to Modern Imaging - A Blog By Prognosys Medical System

Introduction: Radiology, the medical discipline that uses imaging to diagnose and treat diseases, has a fascinating history marked by groundbreaking discoveries and technological advancements. This blog offers a brief overview of the key milestones in the evolution of radiology.

The Discovery of X-Rays The history of radiology begins with the discovery of X-rays by German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1895. While experimenting with cathode rays, Roentgen noticed a fluorescent glow emanating from a nearby screen. He realized that a new type of ray, which he called "X-rays," could pass through most substances, including the human body, and produce images of internal structures. This discovery earned Roentgen the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 and revolutionized medical diagnostics.

Early Applications and Innovations Following Roentgen's discovery, X-rays were quickly adopted for medical use. The first medical X-ray was taken in 1896, showing a patient's broken arm. Early radiologists used rudimentary equipment and often exposed themselves to high levels of radiation, unaware of the potential hazards. Despite these risks, the ability to see inside the body without surgery was a monumental leap forward for medicine.

Advancements in Imaging Technology The 20th century saw significant advancements in radiology:

1. Computed Tomography (CT): In the 1970s, the development of computed tomography (CT) scans by Sir Godfrey Hounsfield and Allan Cormack brought a new dimension to medical imaging. CT scans use X-rays and computer processing to create detailed cross-sectional images of the body, providing more information than conventional X-rays.

2. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): In the 1980s, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) emerged as a powerful diagnostic tool. MRI uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to generate detailed images of organs and tissues, offering exceptional clarity without exposing patients to ionizing radiation.

3. Ultrasound: Ultrasound technology, developed in the mid-20th century, uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of internal structures. It is particularly valuable in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as cardiology and emergency medicine.

4. Nuclear Medicine: The development of nuclear medicine introduced techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). These methods involve the use of radioactive tracers to visualize metabolic and physiological processes within the body.

Digital Revolution and Modern Radiology: The digital revolution has transformed radiology in recent decades. Digital imaging technologies, such as digital radiography and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), have replaced traditional film, improving image quality, storage, and accessibility. Advances in computer technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are now enhancing image analysis and interpretation, leading to more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment plans.

Conclusion: From Roentgen's serendipitous discovery of X-rays to today's sophisticated imaging modalities, the field of radiology has come a long way. It continues to evolve, driven by technological innovations and a commitment to improving patient care. As we look to the future, advancements in imaging techniques and AI promise to further revolutionize radiology, offering even greater insights into the human body and enhancing our ability to diagnose and treat disease.

About Prognosys Medical Systems: Prognosys Medical Systems is a Medical Imaging and Telehealth Products and Solutions Company. We design every x-ray product to be the safest product with lowest or negligible radiation (Radiation Conscious) and is proudly Made in India.

Our ISO 13485-certified manufacturing facility, combined with our products holding international certifications from the US FDA and CE, affirms our expertise as a leading manufacturer specializing in high-end medical devices for radiology and imaging solutions. Its business operations range from High-frequency X-ray, Digital Radiography System, C-Arm, Tele-Radiology, Telemedicine, Home Health, and M-health Solutions and Accessories.

Click the links to Know More about Prognosys Medical Systems Product Range.

Contact us for more information:

– Content Team Prognosys Medical Systems marketing@prognosysmedical.com

[bdsrsated]

Sir Allan Caidic Great Taste Coffee Makers/Presto Tivoli and San Miguel Beermen 5× PBA champion (1985 Reinforced, 1987 All-Filipino, 1990 All-Filipino, 1993 Governors', 1994 All-Filipino) PBA Most Valuable Player (1990) PBA Rookie of the Year (1987) @smbeermen @pbaconnect