#plus the app and website are really slow

[bishopony]

My mlp hot take is that magic is literally tied to magic- or rather tied to the ponies feelings of community and their love for one another; not only that but every species of pony has magic; it just shows in different ways

Unicorns have the most raw form of magic and can manipulate it in the widest variety

Pegasi can fly, move clouds, and manipulate things like their weight and sense weather patterns

Earth ponies have magic tied to the earth and growing things, as well as innate strength and knowledge of what’s in the ground.

Even subtypes/subspecies of ponies have different abilities; like crystal ponies can manipulate and grow the crystals they surround them like clay or wax

I’m sorry I could infodump for days about the mlp magic system

Ooo you definitely should info dump about it! I love headcanons and observations about the magic system in MLP. Personally I think they should've gone more into earth pony magic outside of plant growing+pinkie sense

[officialbillhader]

i dont watch watcher, i havent watched ryan and shane since buzzfeed unsolved, but ive been reading abt this situation and i saw someone compare it to roosterteeth and what they completely missed is how slowly roosterteeth moved content behind paywalls. and the only reason they moved more and more is because warner bros was trying to milk them for more money before ultimately shutting them down.

when i first got into roosterteeth around 2013, they had their website, but most of their content was still on youtube and the paid service for the website was youd get episodes of things a week early and a discount in merch. that was about all i could remember. then, after they fixed their website up (and the app) they started to add *new* things to the website that were behind the paywall, while still giving other episodes a week early for subscription vs non subscription. the past few years they did start making new shows that were website exclusive (not necessarily subsciption exclusive) and a few of the very lucrative shows subscription only, but it wasnt everything, and they did still upload to youtube. it was a very, if you dont pay, thats alright, but itll still be best if you use our website bc youll get content not censored by youtube and it supports us better, plus a few things not on youtube. if you want to subscribe, you get no ads, better produced shows, things early, etc, etc. but it never forced you to subscribe. never even forced you off youtube.

so the issue with watcher is theyre trying to cold turkey force people off youtube and onto their own paid website. its an extremely sudden and drastic change that involves money, all things that will piss people off. all they really needed to do was make a website, HAVE ADS ON THEIR WEBSITE (if they have their own ads they control sponsors and arent limited to youtube's tos), tell people they can get rid of ads and get exclusive videos if they pay a subscription, but keep the classics free and still upload on youtube. it needs to be a very slow rollout to work. they need to bide their time and get people on a website before even attempting what they want to do (which will never fully work anyway), this way they can start earning more money for the higher produced shows they want to do (which can then be behind the paywall)

its just a dumb business decision no matter how you look at it to put everything behind a paywall that has been free with ads for years.

[pastballads]

mun meme

𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐍!

★  NAME:  Luan

★  PRONOUNS: He/Him/Dude/Bro/My guy/etc.

★  BEST EXPERIENCE: I... honestly can't think of any? I've had more bad experiences than good. Maybe I'd say when I finally found my footing with independent OCs with Izren and ended up buddies with Bear and his whole entourage of writing partners. I've joined up on Discord servers with people I write with in the past, but I've never had fun like we do on his server. Plus we play D&D!

★  PREFERENCE OF COMMUNICATION: Discord is my go-to if you wanna reach me. I use Tumblr IMs too, though with how they're about as functional as a Bethesda game, I often ask if we can move over to DMs.

I've got my Discord tab open 24/7 on both my laptops, plus I have the app on my phone. I lurk a lot. But nine times outta ten, I'm more of a reactive replier, almost always messaging back rather than messaging first.

★  MOST ACTIVE MUSE: Kouki, always. Getting into the mood with him is so stupidly easy. Put on any rock music, think about any series, play a video game, whatever- and there's always something that makes me do that Leo pointing meme and think "Hey, that gives me ideas for that white-haired little gremlin!"

★  EXPERIENCE / HOW MANY YEARS: I've honestly lost track lmao. Ballpark estimate is 11-13 years since I started around 2010 to 2013, with my intro to roleplaying being those ancient Quotev quizzes and the chatroom website Chatzy. If I remember correctly, my first actual RP was either in a Sonic chatroom or a Naruto chatroom. And I've never even watched Naruto- I was going on nothing other than the Fandom Wiki. You could even say that my cringe-worthy OC there was the first iteration of Kouki. Only reason I still remember that chat was one of my writing partners died of some terminal illness. Basically drowned in her own blood.

After that, I moved here to Tumblr. It started with Pokemon blogs... then Steven Universe (where I saw them actively out-toxic the MLP fanbase and drive them out of the fanbase)... then I was the sole Soul Calibur roleplayer... then I made a Skyrim OC based on the Kid Dragonborn mod... then I fell back onto Naruto and joined the fanbase here with more cringy OCs... made my other, still on-going Pokemon blog about eight-ish years ago... joined the JJBA fandom, which was and still is the best fandom I ever joined... then I joined the RWBY fandom... then the BNHA fandom... and now we're here!

★  RP PET PEEVES:

I'm gonna cheat a bit and leave two of Bear's peeves, if only because he completely hits the nail on the head. There's just no better way to put it without rehashing things.

Excessive commentary blogging. Before it was just a lot of dash commentary that had me going 'eh'. But in recent years it's gone past that. I've become disenchanted with blogs that become largely commentary for whatever it is they're doing on Discord. All power to those Discord groups doing what they do! But it reaches a point for me that I don't really see them as indie, and it can feel insurmountable trying to interact with them if you're not entangled with their zig-zagging plotlines.

Blog hoppers. Because for a slow burner and long hauler like myself, they're the most impossible people to write with! Which is a shame, because a lot of the hoppers I come across do seem to have some writing talent to them!

Fandom RP events. When I was younger, I used to love the idea of these big events with their own plotlines and moving parts that anyone could participate in if they wanted to. Galas, holiday parties, festivals- stuff like that.

That lasted until 2018, when I kickstarted Bernadotte's original JJBA blog and brought back my long-running Pokemon blog. In the span of something like 5 months, eight separate RP events happened back-to-back in just the JJBA fandom alone. You can only try to participate and be entirely ignored for so long before it sours your whole outlook.

And I mean entirely. I remember writing twelve different starters that people asked for, responding to numerous open threads and starters, liking many different event starter calls, sending asks- the whole shebang. Not even once did I get anything back. If you enjoy fandom RP events, more power to you. But I've been burned too many times to even want to try.

★   PLOTS OR MEMES: Doesn't matter to me! Either way is great! Back in the day, I relied heavily on memes without any ideas for plot, just sending in whatever sounded like something my muse would say. Basically "Oops! All Memes!" Now? I put more thought into things. Overthink things too.

Receiving memes? I almost always ask if there was a reason or an idea driving my partners to send in that specific thing 'cause you never know, y'know? They usually do. But it really doesn't matter to me if they do or don't. I'm just happy to write with y'all.

★  ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S)?: There's a little bit of me in every one of my muses! An example off the top of my head? Kouki is based on how I was as a kid his age. Corbin was inspired by my high school years, my love for old books and poetry, and my music tastes. My Pokemon OC was straight-up a self-insert when I started that blog. Tino came from my RWBY days and my absolute love for weaponry.

They've all got fragments of me in 'em!

tagged by: @dcviated Thanks bear! tagging: @pluviacuratio, @boomermania, @remunporium, @caestusvulpes, @fctedivided, @monmuses, and anybody else that wants to do it!

[ultimateinferno]

Hi! Sorry if this is rude but, I saw that you said you use an adblock on your phone. How do you do that?

Thanks!

Sure. First things first, my advice only applies to android, so if you're apple I can't help you much. If you want an adblock for Youtube specifically that is so thorough it can automatically skip sponsor-segments within individual videos: ReVanced is for you. (If you have questions subreddit is here)

Now what I use is Rethink. It's a DNS manager and VPN (I think). It can do a lot of things but in short, it will reveal what's going on under the hood of your phone's internet. Note, because it will be doing a lot of work playing door keeper for your internet, it may slow things down. If you want you can have it ignore certain apps and just let everything through. For example an app that doesn't have ads like Discord. You can turn it off momentarily if it's slowing things down too much or just give Discord permissions to just bypass it.

So. Let's take a look at the home page of Rethink. (below is a decently big wall of text, but i just want to be thorough. I'm willing to elaborate further if asked)

Only thing cropped out is a menu bar along the bottom and the button that turns the app functions on and off.

So top left under apps lets you manage specific Applications and what IPs/Domains they can call.

Top right is universal Rules for domains and IPs phone-wide.

Bottom left DNS lets you pick which DNS you want to use. These can do a lot of heavylifting with website management. It can block a lot of ads already (although it won't catch everything) and even block other websites such as porn should you wish. (I'll explain what a DNS is at the end of the post, but for now, pick one that describes what you want).

Bottom Middle lets you set up firewalls that can be really vigilant on what gets sent to your phone. If you want to fully quarantine the device you totally can.

Bottom right is logs. It lets you see every IP and Domain that communicates with your phone and what app is responsible for it.

So, how do you block ads? Depends. If you want to block ads for a specific app (which is easier) you can do either Logs or Apps. Let's start with Apps.

Here, it shows all apps on your phone, even one's built in and not downloaded by you. You can use the search function and various filters to find what you want. I'll use tumblr for example.

This is what it looks like when you click on the app. Here, it shows every internet domain/IP tumblr has ever contacted in the pass... whenever you used it since you either cleared your logs or downloaded the app and turned it on. Click on a domain and this little page is brought up

You are shown the exact domain and ip the call entails. You can select or deselect Trust or Block. Trust lets the call through no matter what. Block prevents it no matter what. As you can see, you can identify this is an ad domain because it says ad in it. If you don't know if it's an ad you can google look it up and google will tell you if its an ad. As you go through this you'll discover just how many ad services exist. Anyways, I blocked both the domain and the IP. And just scroll through the list given to you and pick and choose.

But what if you keep getting ads phone wide that the DNS nor the pre-existing block list doesn't catch?

Well there's the universal rules. Unfortunately for this app, I don't think there's a quick way to universally block a domain just from the nodes.

This is what it looks like. If you click the little plus button you can add more universal rules to your phone to block (or allow). You can do a specific IP or Domain, or you can wildcard it.

In most computer spaces the character * is the wildcard to be used. if your messing around with funky computer stuff, that is like the universal code for "give me anything and everything." So for these examples, my rules are "block all domains that end with .adsrvr.org or .adsbynimbus.com" These wildcards are important because these domains begin with different things.

Here *.adsbynimbus.com blocks both of these domains.

Of course, you don't need to do this from the outset. My experiences with finicky computer things is that you do as much as you can at the beginning, and then live it with for a certain period of time until it annoys you and you want to make changes, and then you do a little more to clean things up.

To start with, pick an adblock based DNS, and see where the rest of things will take you from there.

*DNS stands for Domain Name Server. It's basically the yellowpages for the internet. Instead of your computer keeping track of every possible Domain to IP combo on the internet, which is absurd, a DNS manages it for you and you only have to remember one IP address. So when you type in something like tumblr.com into your browser, your computer will ask the DNS "give me the IP address for tumblr.com please!" and then the DNS will say "tumblr.com is located here at [32 bit number]" and then your computer will go "Thankyou!" and go to that IP Address.

These DNS that your picking from will look at the domain your computer or phone is asking for and say "Wait a minute! These domains are all ads! I'm not giving this to you!" and send a 403 error to which the app using the ads will go "Oh damn" and move on with its life. This is imperfect because ads are fucking everywhere, but that's the short of it. This isn't getting into other shit like caching. I'm just using this post as an excuse to neglect homework.

[perfectiongeeks]

How Digital Trends Impact Positively on Banking Industry

Do you remember spending hours outside the bank just to deposit an amount to your account? Now it can be done in a matter a minute!

The banking sector has been evolving since the 18th century and now it has taken an even bigger step by making use of digital technologies a lot more convincingly. In fact, now it is seen that banking sectors are looking for Android app development services or web development services a lot more than ever. It has completely transformed the way it works and it has all been possible because of the technology infusion.

Whenever someone says bank all we remember is a long line of people and an unmanageable amount of documentation physically. All these aspects were really scary. You just cannot afford to lose these documents and it was really challenging to manage as well.

How Has the Banking Sector Evolved?

With more than 84 % of people using online banking services and 72% using mobile applications to complete their banking needs, it is quite visible how it has helped their customers without any difficulty with the help of these technologies. Earlier people had to stand in the queue for hours just to get their amount deposited in their account or have their accounts open. It would take hours out of their lives. In fact, for every single query, one would have to visit the bank and literally spend an hour or more.

But, now things have changed and literally become a lot more seamless. Now you have all of your banking needs right at your fingertips. Whether you desire to open an account or transfer your money, it can be done in a matter of a few minutes. All thanks to technology! Now you just need to visit the banking page and add your login credentials. You will find all the required services right in front of you. Using the digital trends, you will be able to:

Transfer money from your account to others in different ways namely NEFT, RTGS, and IMPS.

You will also be able to check your monthly statement anytime as per your convenience.

You will be able to order a new cheque book as well.

You can have your card blocked when misplaced in a matter of minutes!

So, this shows how the baking sector has evolved significantly over the years and made things easy for people to work upon! If you are still thinking about how web development services or Android application development services have helped the banking industry then take a look:

Banking At Fingertips

Error-Free And Secure Service

With the involvement of technology in the banking sector, things have become a lot more accurate, and slowing the chances of errors have gone down completely. It is quite obvious that human capabilities are restricted and this is the reason that the chances of errors are quite high. But with automation Technology, e-banking services are now being processed without any issues whatsoever and that too without any e damage to the customer’s data as well. It is completely safe and Secure plus everything is being processed in a matter of a few minutes. So you can be confident that your data is not misused and also you can have your needs covered without any chances of errors

Excellent Customer Experience

Another impact the infusion of Technology has made in the banking world is presenting an excellent customer experience. When you remember the ancient banking system all you remember is the lengthy and tiring process of getting your work done. But with the involvement of Technology, things have changed completely and now you can use banking applications and websites anytime you need and have your transaction completed at your convenience. The entire process is completely hassle-free and can be executed from any part of the world. All it needs is an Internet connection!

Security Approved

With everything online, you might doubt about using banking because of being uncertain about the security related aspects. But, research well, you will find that these banking applications and websites are fully protected with the use of best security advancements. Every service you opt for requires OTP and your confidential data is inaccessible without an ID and password. You can change your login credentials regularly to keep it safe and also make your transfer without any hassle at all! So, you can pursue all your banking transactions without having to think twice as all your banking service is secure enough to be breached.

Wrapping Up

So, these aspects literally show how the banking sector has evolved over a period of time and all credit goes to the involvement of digital technologies. These trends are continuously rising and exclusively meeting the banking sector a lot more smooth and securely.

PerfectionGeeks has always been one of the best in the business when it comes to providing Android app development services or web development services . You can reach out to them and get the banking application ready without any difficulty!

[madaminamorganheadsforthearctic]

Last leg

Well, it certainly was a rocky night. The boat is going north/south and the wind west/east. The Kwells means I felt fine, but the motion prevented sleep until about 4 am when it calms. During my sleepless night I finally remembered who designed Norway. In the ever entertaining Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, it was Slartibartfast who was the planet designer whose favourite part of his job was creating coastlines and he won an award for his creation of Norway.

My alarm goes off at 6.30 and time for a coffee. We are disembarking at 8 am, but unlike the cross channel ferries, we all have to be on the car deck and in the cars for 7.30. The port is Hirtshals which is the northern tip of the Jutland Peninsula. The rain is biblical; Noah would have felt at home; and out of the shelter the gale is still blowing. On the dual carriageway road of this very flat part of Denmark the  big lorries have claimed the outside lane. It is going to be a slow journey for me as big lorries in this weather just throws the water right over the car and the body is aluminium so it is light. Not good Morgan conditions.

It is a pity that the North Sea crossing ferries no longer exist. There used to be at least one direct to Scandinavia from the UK and Hull to Hamburg was popular but clearly not popular enough. The only one left is Hook of Holland to Harwich or Newcastle  but as the Hook is only a couple of hours from Calais and is a very short night crossing to Harwich, it is not worth it for me.

A couple of stops - one Talk Radio interview and another on GB news (energy price cap announcement day and they want comments)- and a very slow crawl round Hamburg again, after some  400 miles from Hirtshals I arrive at Bremen for my last night of my holiday. The booking.com app I had used again at one of my stops and it gives me a 10% discount for customer loyalty. I have booked Raddison again and as the room wasn’t quite ready they give me a free drink voucher; and I use my points for food. Not a bad clutch of reductions!

Then on the following beautiful and balmy summer day, I leave Bremen and head for Calais. I have looked at every web site possible and it is going to be fine  weather at last, so it’s roof off and tonneau back on. As it is a good 6 hour plus drive depending on the traffic, I decide to book my crossing when I am closer to Calais.

It’s 13.30 and I have just filled up with petrol and got an ice cream: the sun really is out. Day still glorious I have done half the journey so I go onto the website which gives me ferries and the tunnel. Tunnel for preference, but nothing until 9pm; the P&Os have space at around 5pm which is too early and then again not until 9pm.  DFDS has a 6.05pm crossing. My road app says I should be at the port by 5pm; a tad fine but I reckon I can make it so I book it online. If you are interested, Direct Ferries is easily the best of the sites and does ferries and other options and more or less everywhere.

So it’s 3hours 30mins to the port. No probs and I set off. A couple of queues but nothing serious I should still be there by 5pm. And then an hour out from the port and the red flashing lights come on ahead. Now as you will all know, there is no speed limit on German motorways and undertaking is almost as normal as overtaking. At 80mph I am slow- any more and the wind in my face is too much - and even a Fiat 500 passed me doing about 90 (infra dig!). So when I saw the red lights I assumed an accident. Wrong. It was yet another huge rainstorm and even the seriously fast stuff had dropped to around 50mph. I am instantly soaked. I put my dark glasses so I can see (it is easier to wipe water off specs than off your eye balls) and carry on until I see a services. I get the tonneau off and the roof back on in 10 mins-  I challenge anyone to do it in that time- and get back on the road, using The last of my paper hanks to wipe down the screen on the inside and the mirrors. Forget me, I am just wet! With the speed down and with that stop, I am going to be lucky to get to the port on time.

I finally draw up 5.15pm by the only DFDS booth without a queue, as it’s on the left hand side. Not entirely surprising that the rest have gone for booths on the drivers,  but I am short of time, it’s still pouring rain, I have my shower  jacket on, there is no cover and my  hair is wrecked anyway! ‘You have just made it’ she says and gives me my lane number. 1105.

I do the same at French passport control and he leafs through my totally full passport. I still have 2 years to go but every page is full now; maybe I can get an extension as I have my visas in this passport and having them visible is better than relying on them being on a system. He can’t find what he is looking for and says ‘when did you enter France?’ ‘August 5’ I replied. I neither look or sound like an illegal immigrant and there is no room in the Morgan for anything, so he gave up looking for the entry stamp and passed it back and waved me through. 

The queue for British passport control is wholly different and is long. It is now 5.25 pm and I am seven cars back and each car seems to be taking about 4mins to get through, so I clearly can’t catch that ferry. There is another line moving quicker so I get out for a look and to see if they will let me in as most people’s hangers say they are on the 7.20pm. There are a couple of others though going for 6.05pm so I splash across to the two lanes reserved for lorries as they are empty. I ask the  man in the  booth…... ‘Yes’ he says. 

So I slosh back knocking on the windows of the other two cars I could see with the same ferry time, say follow me and inch the Morgan out of the existing lines into the lorry lane. They follow me and someone shouts. I assume that shout is either ****!!! or ‘I have the same problem have you a solution’. No time for a discussion so I just shout back ‘yes’! 

It worked and I and now several others are through and race for the DFDS which is at the far end of the dock. The ferry is already loading, but we make it into the last line the 1105, with a handful of minutes to spare before the ferry departs. It actually finally departed about ten minutes late.  

Now I am wholly prepared to take my responsibility for being a bit late and deciding to take the option of 6.05pm rather than wait for the later one, but how many people missed that ferry because on the British customs side, they neither had enough officers on duty (some of the customs booths were closed), nor did they have the equivalent of a ‘last calls’ line for those who were booked on a ferry that was shortly due to depart? Maybe this is a customs officer go slow in support of a 35% pay rise from Starmer, or maybe no one has just thought about it from the customer perspective - who knows.

My son who lives in Spain texts me and asks me to send him the rain. Would do that with pleasure!

Half way across the channel it stops raining, but whatever is ahead the roof is now staying on!

The Hurtigruten emails me and asks for feed back. I respond very fairly and say that they are running a high class floating retirement home and but they do have a responsibility to tell customers that a low deck number at the stern is noisy, before they book. I am asked for one word that describes my trip. I reply ‘boring’. I receive a response to thank me for my valuable comments - bot speak!

I get a coffee from the bar and am asked if I want the days deal which is a warm muffin. I have not had anything to eat all day and as there  is nothing that looks like a muffin I ask “which is the muffin?” She shrugs. I point at a few things. She shrugs again and so I try s'il vous plaît pouvez-vous indiquer le muffin?” I get given a  scone with jam and cream.

Dover and it’s only a couple of hours to home.

I have driven 3,365 miles plus about another 1,000 by boat and ferry; my exhaust is well and truly blown; the passenger side carpet is soaked and I will need to take it out to dry to avoid it going mouldy - and the same can be said for me- It’s been a bit too wet and I messed up the Tromso back to Bergen leg. But  I have taken the Morgan to the Arctic Circle and back and had a great adventure. What shall I do next year? Ideas on a postcard please!! 

[daveg65]

312 - Its a Group Apple’s Contact Key Verification

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by guest Jill McKinley, Marty Jencius, Jeff Gamet, and Ben Roethig. Apple’s Contact Key Verification is a security feature in iMessage that allows users to verify the identity of the person they're messaging. We discuss how to set up and we all verify each other's messages. Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to Developers and we dive into some of the new things found not announced and review iPhone mirroring on MacPS Sequoia.  Apple TV+ shows and movies there is so much great content.  And recommend what to watch on Apple TV Plus. 

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com


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Beta this week. iOS 18 Beta 2 was released and iOS 17.6 beta 1 continues

Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to Developers - MacRumors

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 2 - MacRumors

iOS System Data bug stealing your iPhone storage? Here are 5 solutions [U]

US carriers now enabling RCS for iPhone users running iOS 18 beta 2 

iOS 18 RCS Support Rolling Out to Beta Users - MacRumors

iCloud 'Keep Downloaded' Option Included in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia - MacRumors

iOS 18 to Bring These 5 New Features to AirPods Pro 

iOS 18: Podcasts App Now Shows Chapter Segments When Scrubbing

There’s no iPad app, but here’s what’s new with Journal in iOS 18

iOS 18 Passwords app can't import passwords, but macOS can

iOS 18 will warn you when you're using a slow iPhone charger

let's break it down. Contact Key Verification is a security feature in iMessage that allows users to verify the identity of the person they're messaging with.Essentially, it adds an extra layer of encryption on top of the existing iMessage encryption.Think of it like a digital handshake. You and your contact exchange unique codes to confirm you're really talking to each other, not some imposter.

About iMessage Contact Key Verification 

Apple Seeds Second Beta of macOS Sequoia to Developers

macOS Sequoia Beta 2 Adds Support for iPhone Mirroring

News

AirPods and Beats Firmware Updates Address Important Security Issue - MacRumors

Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker Makes a Comeback With Improved Sound, Water Resistance, and a Lower Price Tag

Apple TV+ shows and movies: Everything to watch on Apple TV Plus

Apps

Pocket Casts Updated Mac app. 

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Macstock 8 is Here! July 12-14, 2024 Macstock Conference & Expo come join Dave along with Jeff Gamet, Chuck Joiner, Brian Flaoigan-Arthurs, Jill McKinley, Marty Jencius, and many more.

As an In Touch with iOS viewer / Listener, you can score $30 off by using the coupon code INTOUCHWITHIOS as shown below at checkout for either the 3 day Weekend Pass with Workshops or the 2 day Weekend Pass. The code is valid until July 11, 2024.

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Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastadon @daveg65, and the show @intouchwithios

  Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet as well as Twitter and Instagram as @jgamet  His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Ben Roethig Former Associate Editor of GeekBeat.TV and host of the Tech Hangout and Deconstruct with Patrice  Mac user since the mid 90s. Tech support specialist. Twitter @benroethig  Website: https://roethigtech.blogspot.com

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at jencius@mastodon.social  https://thepodtalk.net 

About our Guest

Jill McKinley is a professional in the field of enterprise software, server administration, and IT. She started her technical career in Windows but now exclusively uses a Mac in her personal life. She hosts several podcasts, including Start with Small Steps and Small Steps with God, where she offers tips and insights for a better life. Her podcast is at https://startwithsmallsteps.com and X @schmern.

Here is our latest Episode!

[anytimefuelpros1]

Get Reliable Fuel Delivery Anytime, Anywhere with Anytime Fuel Pros

In today’s fast-paced world, running out of fuel can be more than just an inconvenience—it can disrupt your entire day. Whether you're commuting to work, heading out for a road trip, or managing a fleet of vehicles for your business, the last thing you want is to be stranded without fuel. Thankfully, Anytime Fuel Pros offers a revolutionary solution that ensures you’ll never have to worry about running out of gas again.

The Convenience You Deserve

Anytime Fuel Pros is designed to bring unparalleled convenience to your life. With just a few taps on your smartphone or a quick visit to their user-friendly website, you can have fuel delivered directly to your location. It’s a seamless process that allows you to stay on the go without the constant anxiety of monitoring your fuel gauge.

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[ilightmytorch]

How I Won NaNoWriMo in Three Easy Steps

Here's where I ended on November 30, 2023:

I've participated in NaNo since 2016, but the only year I won prior to this one was 2017. So, what did I do differently than I did in 2018-2022?

Go for the Par Badge.

This little baby made all the difference.

In prior years, I would tell myself I couldn't possibly write 1,667 words during the week with working full-time plus an hour+ commute. So I'd play this game, "I'll write less on the weekdays and make it up on the weekends," except I would quickly get so far behind that I'd need, say, 4,000 words per weekend day for the final half of the month, which is more than I can write, and then I'd lose heart.

This year, I decided to go for the par badge, which meant writing 1,667 words every single day. Which meant I never fell behind and never lost heart.

2. Sprint.

Sprinting on Discord has been a revelation. I've realized I haven't been writing very efficiently. I'd "write" for an hour and only get a couple hundred words, at best. But something about having that timer going and knowing I'm going to have to report back at the end of 20 minutes helps me focus, especially when other writers are sprinting at the same time.

It's also helpful for when it's past 10 pm and you're tired, but you're only at 1,300 words for the day. It's like, "OK, you need 367 words, so one good sprint or maybe two. Less than one hour and you can go to bed."

I'm absolutely going to be sprinting whenever I write in the future.

3. Write Easy Words.

If writers fall on a spectrum from planner to pantser, I'm 70-80% of the way toward the pantser end of the spectrum. For this year's NaNo, I wouldn't say I became a planner or anything, but I had a list of specific scenes I wanted to work on, and at least some sense of what was going to happen in those scenes.

I looked at my spreadsheet for last year, and during November 2022 I worked on a brand new story idea that I'd just gotten (bad idea, because that probably went slower than it needed to because I hadn't had time to think it through) and smut (very bad idea, because I'm a slow writer in general, but particularly slow when writing smut).

Bonus: Dictate.

About 4,000 of my words for the month were dictated into my phone using the microphone button in Google Docs. This is what I do whenever I'm stuck in traffic, which is all too often, unfortunately. I'm a big fan of talking through my story, especially when I'm struggling with it. Often I'll realize that there's a logical problem with the sequence of events, there are character motivations that I need to clarify, or that I'm using the wrong POV. While stuck on the interstate last night trying to get to the last write-in of the year, I identified a logistical problem but also got a really good idea for what my villain is going to threaten to do in the climax, so I'm excited to work on that scene in December!

Bonus 2: Cold Turkey.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite app, Cold Turkey. You start by setting up a block list (it comes with a preset list which you can add to or remove from as needed). When you turn it on, it won't allow you to see any of the websites you've blocked. So, no wasting time scrolling Tumblr when I need to be writing!

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[parrishjeanna]

I’m reblogging because I can’t believe someone actually wants to get to know me. 😭 Plus I’m so tired I can’t figure out copy and paste.

Last Song: This one confused me a bit. Last song I listened to or the last song I would want to hear before my death. Gravedigger by Livingston is the last song I listened to and Temporary by Eminem is a song I’d love to die to. It’s just so sad and beautiful. Song I’m listening to right now Crying in the Shower by Letdown.

Favorite color: Pink

Currently watching: S.W.A.T. - I tried watching this show back when it started for Shemar Moore, but just couldn’t get into it because he was still Morgan to me. Now I’m watching it for every tiny glimpse I get of Lou. But it’s also a really great show. Plus im rewatching 911. Also, watching 911: Lone Star.

Last Movie: This one was hard because I don’t remember when I last watched a movie. I looked it up on the apps I use. It was Red, White, & Royal Blue.

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: I’ve never been one to choose one over the other. I have sensitive taste buds so sometimes I like bland foods but other times I prefer a more complicated taste for the palate. Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce is really good. But a Spicy and Savory or Sweet and Savory seasoned meat is so good as well. I have this Honey & Roasted Garlic rub that I use on pork shoulders when I make pulled pork that really helps pull the savory flavor of a well slow cooked meat out. And Sweet Bay Rays has a Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce that kicks it up a notch if you want a little more or a bit of a different flavor. The pulled pork that I make though is so juicy and tender and full of flavor it only needs that extra when I’m eating on it for the 5th day in a row.

Current Obsession: BuckTommy, I’ve watched just their scenes from season 7 over 400 times. I did the math. Since I’m obsessed with them it means I’ve dived deep on the actors, Oliver & Lou too. I want to be in a polyamorous relationship with the two of them so bad.

Relationship Status: Single - Relationships are hard and I always put 110% into mine, family, friends, dating. I’ve never had anyone ever meet me except one BFF I have. I also don’t tolerate any red flags. My red flags aren’t over stupid stuff like socks with sandals. My red flags are telling me you’re not coming 2 hours after you were supposed to be here. Not once but 3 times. I have a 3 strike rule. I tell you what bothers me from the first offense. I give people the benefit of the doubt by the third time I know you don’t care and have no interest in putting in effort into a relationship, so bye bye bye.

Last thing I googled: That was the website I need to be able to request my mail in vote ballot for my state/county. It has to be requested every voting year here in Florida.

No pressure tagging: @imsogayandidontevenlikeboys @disaster-j @thepinkcrayon @sugdenlovesdingle @chie-natsumi @xofemeraldstars @tommysdaddykink @innersaladnut @aaronisaplant

Nine people I want to know better!

I was tagged by @kinardsevan and @herrmannhalsteadproduction 🙂

LAST SONG? Bad Day by Daniel Powter (It's been a long week)

FAVORITE COLOR? Pink and Teal

CURRENTLY WATCHING? At the moment, 911 season 5 episode 5 🙂 but earlier it was The Office with my husband.

LAST MOVIE? Despicable Me 4 in the theaters with my boys

SWEET/SPICY/SAVORY? Sweet 🤤

CURRENT OBSESSIONS?

911 and Bucktommy mostly and trying to lesson plan for next year.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS? Married 12 years this September

LAST THING YOU GOOGLED? Lifepaks on 911 😆

No pressure tags: @typicalopposite @nine-one-wanton @cosyvelvetorchid @talktonytome @bidisasterevankinard @do-androids-dream-ao3acc @peppermintquartz @firewasabeast @bangpop91

[nordic-language-love]

i was curious if you could recommend any books/resources for learning Norwegian? (or just your favorite language resources in general) thank you!

Hi there!

In terms of books like textbooks:

The Mystery of Nils (A1/A2) and Mysteriet om Nils (B1/B2) are pretty great imo.

Norwegian Tutor from Teach Yourself has been an absolute life-saver for grammar

Also from Teach Yourself is Norwegian Short Stories, which has vocab lists for each story

Enjoy Norwegian is good for higher intermediate (although I've never really clicked with it)

Another one I never clicked with but is used in a lot of language schools is På Vei (A1/A2 level)

Some other resources:

Lesnorsk norskkurs - texts from A1-B2 level

I do actually think the Duolingo course is okay tbh (the audio's sometimes a bit strange, but as far as free resources go it's really good imo!)

Memrise is also a popular resource: here's a link to the first of their Norwegian courses (never clicked with it myself, but a lot of people like it)

Lingohut is also pretty good!

CALST is awesome for helping you learn to speak specific dialects

I’ve not tried using it, but Bnorsk seems to be a website where you can learn Norwegian for free

I also take classes on italki (if you're interested in giving it a go then lmk so I can give you a referral code and get you a few dollars off your first lesson. I've also taken lessons from a number of tutors and can maybe help you find the best one for you)

Here's a bunch of Norwegian instagram accounts you can follow

This is a website with set expressions and idioms in Norwegian

Bildetema is good for vocabulary - you see pictures with the Norwegian words next to them, and you can click on them to see how they’re pronounced. There are lots of different topics too!

ung.forskning.no is quite good if you're like B1 level and interested in science because the articles are quite short and basically made for younger readers so the language isn't so difficult (a number of them also have corresponding podcast episodes, so you can read the article to learn a bit about the topic and then listen to the podcast)

Drops and uTalk (both apps) also have Norwegian available to learn (I’m not a huge fan of them, but you might be!)

I also use the Anki app on my phone to create flashcards (there’s a free knock-off version and a legit version that costs like £20+. I use the free one and it’s fine).

Podcasts:

Norskpodden is a good podcast for learners as they also have a transcript

Lær Norsk Nå! is also aimed at learners

Norsklærer Karense has her own podcast too (A2+)

I quite like Smartere på 10 minutter as well because it's interesting and it's short and the presenter speaks in clear Oslo dialect. If you're still not used to listening in Norwegian, you can slow it down to half speed. (B1+)

Oppdatert is also not too long, the presenters speak quite clearly and it’s about current affairs (B1+)

E-books

While I absolutely do not endorse the author's awful transphobic views, I know a lot of people are interested in reading the Harry Potter books as a way to expand their vocabulary, and it sure would be a shame if you could find all the PDFs free online and not have to give money to that aforementioned author. (Side note: the translator uses "omforladels" as a translation for "sorry" which like no actual Norwegian person apart from maybe in some dialects uses ever. Also remember it’s a translation, and the translator has tried to maintain a sense of “Britishness”, so some of the language isn’t entirely natural)

You can also search ebooks by language (including Norwegian) and download them for free from here (definitely 100% not illegal in any way shape or form *shifty glance*)

If you prefer to buy Norwegian ebooks actually legally, you can do so here.

Youtube channels:

Special shoutout to Norwegian Done Easy because Markus is my italki tutor and he's awesome (plus I'm featured! So you can see my silly little face Norwegianing as hard as it can!)

Norsklærer Karense (I'm uhh not actually a fan BUT she has lots of useful videos for like A1-B2 level. There's also a lot of useful information about culture and moving to Norway and integration and test-taking)

Preben's Norwegian Academy (he's from Nord-Norge, so you get some dialect exposure too)

Norskkurset (it's not updated for a little while but there are some good videos there!)

Norwegian Teacher Karin (another one that's not updated for a while but still has some good videos)

Norwegian With Tor (for a little Tromsø dialect)

Hope that's enough to get you started/keep you going! Let me know if you have any questions :)

[pawjamas]

hello ! 💕

i’m remaking my post for my stuff listed in my best friend’s online shop! sales have unfortunately slowed down again, but i’m still of course needing income to support myself and my disability needs. (meds/medical bills/etc) this currently is one of my only sources of income, (i cannot regularly work due to being disabled) so i depend very heavily on sales to help with all expenses.

i have listed cute clothing of mine, old webkinz, and old plushies needing a new loving home! please make sure to check this google doc link below to make sure you’re buying something of mine that’s listed! my friend was kind enough to compile this list so you guys don’t get confused with which items belong to who.

꒰ my items for sale full list link ꒱

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶

🌷 ꒰ Links ꒱ 🌷

(here is a list of each website/app my friend has listed my stuff on! please keep in mind most of my stuff is on mercari + depop!)

꒰ depop ♡ mercari ♡ etsy ꒱

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶

first 3 orders come with cute bonuses btw !! either a stim toy or one of these adorable lovecore themed plushies :3

plus all orders come with candy! 🍬💕

reblogs of this post are very appreciated, it helps more people see my post and have a higher chance of getting an order, and i really need as many as possible right now. as always thank you to everyone who supports me, and helps literally keep me alive with this financial support, it means a lot to me! ❣️❣️

[illfoandillfie]

A Different Kind of Education: V Is For Vanilla (Chapter 1)

Pairing: Professor!Roger Taylor x Fem!Reader

Summery: After being broken up with for not being kinky enough, Reader seeks out her professor to give her some private tutoring so she can win her boyfriend back.

Warnings: Modern AU, smut (18+), slow burn romance, light dom/sub dynamics, light dom!roger and sub!reader, professor x student sex, protected sex, vaginal fingering, light breast/nipple play, nipple sucking, light biting, i think thats it, honestly this chapter is (as the title says) pretty vanilla. But things will get more intense in later chapters. 

Words: 7,128

A/N: ahhhhhh it’s finally here. This professor Rog idea has been kicking around my head for months now and finally I’m actually doing something about it lmao

This series is going to be LONG (like in my plan it’s 15 chapters) because I have So Many kinks I want to squeeze into it. Some were chosen by me and some were chosen by everyone who voted in the poll I put up a few weeks ago and i am seriously so excited about what’s coming.

Smut scenes in this and all future chapters will be marked with stars so that if there is a kink you’d like to avoid you can skip over it and still enjoy the rest of the series. 

Also, I know the chapter title doesn’t super make sense since he’s a university bio sciences professor which doesn’t have a lot to do with the alphabet but 🤷‍♀️ that was the working chapter title and it kind of stuck. Plus, ya’ll know I love chapter titles that have a theme lmao. Anyway, no more stalling. Enjoy the filth and start preparing yourselves for it to get so much filthier.

(the ultimate hot professor rog moment tbh)

@atomic-watermelon @kellypenac @labessieisallama​​ @deakyclicks​​ @jennyggggrrr​​ @drowseoftaylor​​ @hannafuckingsucks​​ @i-cant-hangout-im-drumming​​ @queenmylovely​​ @ilovequeenmorethanyou​​ @johndeaconshands​​ @borhapbois​​ @stardust-galaxies​​ @cherries-n-rocknroll​​ @rogersslave​​ @scorpiogemini  

His office door was open when you got there which didn’t give you much time to hesitate or rethink your decision to ask your Professor for help. He would have seen you approaching or stalling in the doorway and invited you in anyway to query you about your reasons for being there. So, instead, you raised your fist and rapped a pattern on the door frame with your knuckles. “Professor Taylor? Can I have a word?” “Miss Y/L/N,” he seemed surprised to see you, his eyes widening behind his spectacles, “come in. What can I help you with?” You closed the door behind you and took a seat, fidgeting with your fingers as you tried to remember how you’d planned to broach the subject. Professor Taylor – Roger, as you’d been told you could call him – waited patiently. “It’s tricky, Professor. Umm, see, well um,” “Is this something to do with the coursework? If you’re worried about the last assignment, you don’t need to be. It was really good, what you handed in.” “Really?” “Mmhmm. I was going to give you all feedback next week but if it’ll help put your mind at ease I can show you the comments I have for you early,” You were half a second away from asking to see them when you remembered that wasn’t what you’d come to ask about, “A-actually that’s okay Professor.” “Oh? So was it something else you wanted? I know that this Masters course is more work than previous classes you’ve had with me but you seem to be keeping on top of it all. I’m very impressed by what you’ve accomplished so far.” “Thank you Professor, but, um, that’s not really what I’m here about,” “No?” He leaned forward resting his chin on his hands, “You know, there’s no need to be nervous about talking to me, I’m not going to fail you,” he chuckled as he sat up straight again, clearly trying to lighten the mood though his expression became more serious as he said, “if you’re having trouble with something, or someone, please tell me and I will do what I can to help, whether it’s pointing you in the direction of someone more able to support you or talking to people on your behalf.” You nodded, feeling marginally calmer though still nervous, “I was actually hoping for some private tutoring,” “Oh? Well if you’d like to put your name down as a tutor I have a form here somewhere, if you fill it out I can pass it on and have your name added to the database,” Roger rifled through a stack of papers on his desk, only stopping when you spoke again. “No, not, uh, not tutoring work. I more meant tutoring from you. In an area that this Uni doesn’t provide classes in,” “Miss Y/L/N I’m going to have to ask you to explain because I’m not quite sure what you’re after,” You took a breath and resisted the urge to speak to the floor, “My boyfriend dumped me last week.” “I’m sorry to hear that but I don’t see how-” “He dumped me because apparently I’m not kinky enough. I don’t know, he always wanted me to be super obedient in the bedroom but I never really understood it.” Roger shifted in his seat, “Miss Y/L/N I don’t think this is app-” “I want someone to explain it all to me, teach me how to be what he wants so I can get him back. If I can show him that I can learn, that I can submit in the way he expects, then we won’t have to break up. I love him and I’d do anything to get him back and I’ve been thinking about it and I think you’re the best person to teach me.” “I’m not sure I understand why you would come to me with this. I am very sorry to hear you’re dealing with that but it’s not really appropriate for me to be discussing such matters with my student.” “Just…” you held your hand up to try and stop him from standing and opening the door for you, “You must realise that you have a, um, a reputation.” Roger was taken aback by that, throwing you a confused expression as he settled back into his seat. “Surely you’ve heard the rumours about you. About what you like to get up to with women.” “I can assure you I haven’t,” “Seriously? Everyone talks about it. I mean part of it is probably just because you’ve got that whole DILF thing working for you so like half the students here have crushes on you. But then you throw in the gossip about how you like to tie women up and all the rest of it,” Roger closed his eyes as if he couldn’t quite keep up with everything you’d just said, “How- I mean, those rumours have no bearing on- on anything and they aren’t even- what I mean to say is-” “Professor, it’s okay. It’s just gossip, nothing serious in it. But if you do like that sort of thing, I could really use your help. I won’t tell anyone, all I want is my boyfriend back,” Roger pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, “This is insane, what you’re asking is insane.” “No it’s not,” “Okay, lets, Miss Y/L/N, just for a moment, let’s imagine that, hypothetically, I say yes to this. What then?” “Well, I’d expect we’d meet up once or twice a week, you’d teach me the basics of kink, anything you thought I should know. Then in four months’ time I can talk to Dylan and show him what I’ve learnt and he’ll take me back.” “Why four months?” “Oh, we’re pretty much guaranteed to see each other then. Two of our mutual friends are getting married and we’ll both be at the wedding. So will you do it?” “Miss Y/L/N, I don’t know that this is a good idea,” “Why not?” “Well our ages for one thing,” “So what? You’re mature and experienced and that’s what I need. Plus, surely having someone half your age throw herself at you is a bonus.” He smiled slightly, “All the same, it’s wrong. I’m your teacher.” “Exactly, who better to teach me?” “The ethics of this- and the rules of this university. If anyone found out I’d lose my job, you’d lose your place at this school so you wouldn’t get to complete your degree. Not to mention I’m sure you have family and friends who would chop my bollocks off before they ran me out of town.” “It’s not like I’m underage, I’m doing a bloody Masters. And no one would find out. We can meet in secret.” “It’s still so risky, Ms Y/L/N,” “Look, Professor, I wouldn’t tell anyone, you won’t tell anyone. As long as we’re careful about when and where we meet no one will find out. Please, Professor. I need this,” you thought you could see his resolve cracking but decided to give him a final push, “But if you really don’t want to then I’ll find someone else. I’m sure I can meet someone online. Fetlife? That’s a website for this kind of thing, right?” “Fine, I’ll do it.” He said suddenly, “But we do it my way. And certainly not on campus.” “Okay,” “Are you free tonight?” “You wanna get right into it?” “I want to discuss this further, off campus, to set some ground rules, and I think we’ll both be more comfortable discussing it over dinner.” “Dinner? Like a date?” “A business deal. Miss Y/L/N, if you can’t take this seriously,” “I can, I promise. Dinner where?” “Well, public places are out of the question. So you can come over to my house. Be there by Seven and make sure no one knows. Here’s the address,” “Thank you Professor,” Roger grunted as he scrawled his address on a scrap of paper, holding it out to you, “Go, out of my office before I come to my senses,” You nodded and scurried off, taking heart from the bemused tone behind his snippy words. In a matter of a few short months you’d be able to put this breakup behind you and show Dylan just how much he meant to you.

A few minutes before seven o’clock you rang Roger’s door bell, looking around at the long driveway and the tidy garden beds at the front of the house as you waited. He opened the door quickly and hurried you inside glancing around the front yard as if someone were spying on him. “I brought wine,” you said, holding the bottle out, “You’ve got a nice place,” “You sound surprised,” he said as he took your jacket from you and hung it on a coat rack to the side of the entrance before taking the wine with a gracious nod and examining the label, “Y’know being a university professor doesn’t actually pay too badly.” “Yeah but this place is massive,” He chucked, “I inherited a little from my Nan and Pop and then there was the album. That was enough to buy this place.” “Album?” “Oh, I was in a band in my youth, one mildly successful album and a couple of writing credits on the singles set me up nicely. Not nicely enough to retire on but still.” He shrugged as he led you through his sizeable house, up a set of stairs and towards the back balcony, “Plus, this place didn’t seem so big when I was sharing it with my ex-wife and our kids. Uhh, but that’s not what we’re here to discuss. Now, make yourself comfortable out here and I’ll just go check on the food.” You nodded, still trying to wrap your head around the sheer number of rooms and hallways you’d passed as well as the fact that your old Biology professor had once been in a band. It was hard considering you’d only ever seen him presenting lectures to an audience of tired and often hungover students but you supposed he did have a kind of magnetism that would have been at home on a stage. Still, you’d have liked to see pictures.  

Roger returned a few moments later with two plates of food, a couple of wine glasses tucked in the crook of his arm. You quickly reached to relieve him of something, before one of the glasses could shatter and put an end to all your plans. Though perhaps a broken glass would have helped break the ice. It wasn’t the most comfortable dinner you ever had. You found it hard to swallow, hard to sit still, torn between wanting to jump right to the main topic and wanting to let Roger bring it up in his own time. The last thing you wanted was to come across as just trying to get a leg over the hottest professor on campus as if for a dare or a joke. Him retracting his agreement was a very close second last. Instead, you gulped down your drink and tried to focus on the reasonably nice meal Roger had prepared for you. Finally, after watching you top up your glass for the third time, he put you out of your misery. “Why me?” “What?” “Why did you approach me with this idea of…tutoring?” “Like I said before, the rumours abo-” “Okay but there must have been something beyond that. There could have been rumours about any staff member. If the school gossip had said Professor Richardson had a sex dungeon where he tied up women and spanked them, would you have approached him?” “So you have heard the rumours,” “Of course I have. Answer the question,” You stalled by taking another drink, though only a sip that time, “No, I wouldn’t have.” “So, why me?” “You’re hot?” Roger gave you a look you’d seen in the classroom – his stop fucking around look, usually reserved for first years who still treated dissection and cadavers as a joke. You shrugged, “You’re one of the best teachers I ever had. You always said we could come to you with any problems we were having and whenever I took you up on that offer to go over the coursework you were encouraging and supportive and knew how to push me in the right direction without giving me all the answers. I guess I felt like I could trust you. Like you’d take me seriously or at least hear me out before shutting the door in my face. And if the rumours happened to be false then you seemed like the sort of person who wouldn’t be offended by them or my proposition.” Roger smiled to himself, but it was only for a few brief seconds and then his professional demeanour was back in place, “Alright, well, I’m listening now so why don’t you tell me about this ex and the sort of things he requested of you. And then I’ll decide whether to kick you off my property or not.” There was a twinkle in his eye that told you he wasn’t serious about throwing you out, but it didn’t stop you from feeling timid about the conversation, “Umm, okay. His name is Dylan. We were both in your Bachelor bio class, that’s how we met. Or kind of. We were aware of each other but went to different parties and hung out with different people. It wasn’t until last year that we actually met and got chatting and started seeing each other. I thought it was the real thing, like proper love, soulmate stuff. So when he broke up with me it took me completely by surprise. Everything felt perfect with him. Except for the sex.” You paused, feeling a little self-conscious about speaking so frankly about your personal life, and with your professor no less. Roger removed his spectacles and wiped them on the bottom of his shirt, “Ms Y/L/N, you’re going to have to be able to talk about sex with me if you actually want this to work.” “The sex was fucking great okay? Especially at the start. But the longer we went out the more he pushed for me to be submissive to him. He’d joke around about wanting to fuck me while I was asleep or mostly asleep, and he’d dirty talk by calling me his toy or saying that he owned me or sometimes about pimping me out to his friends. I indulged some of his ideas like when he wanted to be especially rough with me, pushing my head down into the mattress, pulling my hair, slapping me, things like that. And it was fun, but I never enjoyed it the same way he did and whenever he brought up the sleep stuff or if he tried to bend me over while I was cooking dinner I always stopped him. He’d laugh about it and say he was just joking but I guess he meant it more than I thought he did.” Roger remained quiet, watching you thoughtfully until he was sure you were finished, “If we did this what limits would you want in place?” “None. I want to be the perfect submissive for Dylan, I want to prove I can be whatever he wants.” Roger shook his head and put down his glass, “What was it you told Dylan when he suggested using you while you were in the middle of something or if he brought up the sleep stuff?” “I just told him no, I wasn’t into it or I was busy.” “Then that’s a limit. If you don’t want to do those things, that’s okay. Everyone has limits.” “But that’s the point. I need to learn how to be into those things so he’ll have me back. My limits are what made him leave.” Roger exhaled heavily though his nose, “Okay then, is there anything you would consider a turn off?” “I don’t know,” “Well I don’t believe that. I’m sure you have at least some idea of what you like and what you don’t.” “Yeah I guess I do but if I’m the submissive one then it doesn’t matter what I want. This is about Dylan and doing what he wants.” “Personally, I’m not big into feet stuff – toe sucking, foot jobs, anything like that – it just doesn’t appeal to me, whether I’m acting more dominant or more submissive, and I’ve made sure to tell every one of the women I’ve been with who hinted that they’d be into doing that kind of thing. A lot of women, in my experience at least, don’t like anal or things like knife play or scenes that feel violent or menacing.” He paused, watching your reactions, “From what you’ve just told me, it sounds like Dylan might be into free use and consensual non-consent so if either of those things sound like a turn off to you, you should let me know. Dylan will have limits of what he’s comfortable with and comfortable doing to others, I guarantee it. You need to make your limits known too. It’s all part of being in a D/S relationship and playing with any kind of BDSM type kink. The main rule we follow is safe, sane and consensual, and believe me, I will make sure we follow it during our lessons. So, is there anything you would consider a turn off or anything you wouldn’t want to do, even for Dylan?” “Can I think about it and get back to you?” “I suppose so. If it helps I can give you an idea of things I could teach you and you can tell me if any of them don’t feel right.” “Yeah, I think that would help,” “Alright umm, obviously because this is about what Dylan likes we should address consensual non-consent and free use at some point, but they would come later. Somnophilia too. I’d probably start with something easier or more common anyway. Spanking is nearly guaranteed, basic bondage methods – cuffs, ropes, that sort of thing – maybe some more extreme bondage too depending on how much you enjoyed the basic bondage. Ummm, choking, maybe some gags, tease and denial for sure. Any of that sounding too scary or intimidating or just not fun?” “They all sound okay I think, although some of them I haven’t heard of before.” “It’s a start at least. Of course, I would begin with the smaller kinks and work our way up to the more intense ones, and hopefully by that point we’ll both be more familiar with your limits and what you are interested in taking further.” “So, does that mean your agreeing to tutor me?” “I can definitely work with this.” “You mean it?” “Yes. Apparently I do.” He trailed his gaze over you for a moment, “How would you feel if I suggested we move this to the bedroom?” Your heart skipped a beat and you hoped your shock hadn’t shown on your face, “You want to start now?” “Sort of. What do we do at the beginning of a science experiment?” “Measure a control group,” “Exactly, you do a control before you mess with variables so you have something to measure them against. In this case, I think we’ll be able to tailor kinks to you better if I have some idea of what you enjoy during sex and what it takes to get you off. Is that okay?” “Yeah, of course, yeah. Makes sense.” “If you want to wait a couple of days we can,” “No, now’s as good a time as any. And the sooner we get into it all the better really.” Roger chuckled and stood, holding out his hand to help you out of your seat, “You’ve always been an enthusiastic student.”

Leaving your plates and glasses on the balcony table, Roger led you towards his bedroom. You wished you’d had a little more to drink, just to dull the sudden wave of nerves that had risen up. You were about to fuck a professor. Professor Taylor. It was a bizarre scenario you’d got yourself into and in an effort to distract yourself a little and calm down, you focused on his bedroom wall as he busied about closing curtains, eyes trained on a framed watercolour of a lake under some cherry blossom trees. “You like it?” “Huh? Oh, yeah, it’s pretty,” “I got that while I was in Japan a few years ago.” You nodded, not sure what to say next. “Are you okay?” You turned and found Roger much closer than he had been a moment before. “Are you sure you want to do this?” “Yes, sorry, just a bit nervous I guess. Feels kind of odd now that I’m actually here. If I’m being honest, I didn’t really expect you to agree to this.” “I did tell you your idea was insane. But that’s okay,” he slowly reached forward, his hand settling on your hip and gently tugging, encouraging you to step in closer, “It’s kind of weird for me too. So, we’ll go slow. And if you want to stop at any time we can.” You nodded, eyes glued to Roger, and let your tongue wet your lips. His eyes followed the movement, “Does that mean you want to kiss me?” There was a playfulness to his voice, teasing almost, and you found yourself relaxing and agreeing that you did. And for the first time you realised just what it meant for those rumours to be true. “So then kiss me.”

                                                     ****** 

A kiss you could do. Pushing aside the realisation that this was your first kiss since Dylan left, you leaned in and pressed your lips to Roger’s, though you pulled away quickly. Roger didn’t say anything, just waited, lips lightly parted. Your heart was racing with excitement and uncertainty, but you wanted more. He welcomed your lips the second time they met his, his hand gripping your hip harder now that he was certain you were going to stay. It was almost needy the way he kissed back, something you’d not have expected from your Professor. His nose bumped yours and yet he didn’t seem to care, leaning further into you, his tongue tickling your lip seconds before you felt it slide against your own tongue. Familiar but entirely different from the kisses you were used to. His hands didn’t move like Dylan’s did, not grabbing but gently squeezing, reassuringly firm. His leg was suddenly between yours and you took a step back in surprise. Roger followed so you took another and another until you felt the edge of the bed behind you. Dylan and your nerves almost entirely forgotten, you reached for Roger’s belt. He let you unbuckle it and pull it loose before he grabbed the hem of your shirt and lifted it over your head, kissing you between looks heavy with desire. He broke away for a moment and toed off his shoes, bending to take his socks off too, “So, is there anything you particularly like, any positions?” You copied his movements, kicking your own shoes just under the bed, “Not really. I can work with whatever.” “Stop trying to please me and tell me what you like Ms Y/L/N,” he said, reaching for your hips again so he could push your jeans down. “I mean I guess I like being on top, riding, whatever you want to call it.,” you quickly unhooked your bra and let it drop to the floor, “But Dylan tended to like me under him.” “New rule,” Roger said, kicking his own pants off his ankle as you tugged his shirt from his shoulders, “No talking about your ex when we’re this close to being naked. Okay?” “Yeah, sorry, good rule.” “Y’know I could have taken your bra off too,” “Faster this way,” “I’ll let you have it this time. But next time I unwrap you myself.” You shivered at the implications of the statement as Roger resumed the kiss and pressed you backwards onto the mattress, quickly climbing on top of you, his hands braced on each side of your head as he leaned down to kiss you once more, hungrily.

He didn’t stay there long though. A few seconds later he’d shimmied down your body, creating a trail of kiss warmed skin, until his face was positioned directly above your breasts. You raised your head and watched enraptured as he his eyes met yours, the hint of a mischievous grin lighting up his face, and then he lowered his lips to the top of your left breast. You let your head drop back to the bed and ached your back a little, pushing your chest towards him. “Yeah, you like that?” he asked, voice rougher than you’d ever heard it before, “what if I do this?” slowly he let his teeth sink into you, just for a second. It was enough to pull a small hum of appreciation from you so he repeated the action on your right breast. “Feels good?” “Yeah,” you breathed out, softly. “Yeah?” he asked, pushing himself up so he was straddling your waist, “What about this?” You felt his warm breath surround your nipple before you felt his tongue lap against it or his lips enclose it, letting your eyes slip shut as you drew your lip between your teeth. He seemed to appreciate the response and made sure to repeat the action a few times against each nipple, sucking on one as his gently flicked the other with his thumb. You tingled at the sensation of his warm saliva cooling and gently squeezed your legs together. “Don’t be shy,” he said, sitting up again and laying a hand over each of your breasts, “I can tell you enjoy it when I play with your tits,” You pulled in a shaky breath as he squeezed your breasts, “Mmhmm, yeah,” “Do you want some more?” “Yes, Professor,” He made a short clicking sound with his tongue, “I think we’re past Professor by now, you can call me Roger. And you can tell me what you want,” “I want more,” “More what?” You hummed again at the feeling of him massaging your boobs. “More what? Should I keep sucking on your perky fucking tits? Jesus they’re so fucking soft,” he cleared his throat and shook his head a little, “Or, should I give some other part a bit of attention? Your pussy’s probably feeling a bit left out, huh?” You’d expected him to boss you around, make demands, and you’d expected a bit of dirty talk (the kind where he’d tell you how sexy you looked or that he couldn’t wait to fuck you). But the reality surpassed everything you’d considered likely. You certainly hadn’t expected to get wet just from his tone and his words. And you definitely hadn’t expected to be doing what he asked, agreeing with everything he said. But that’s exactly what was happening, and it felt good. “Please touch my pussy.” “It would be my pleasure,” he smiled softly as he climbed off of your waist and pulled your underwear down, “and yours.”

The change of position gave you a moment to catch your breath but also to take in Roger’s appearance properly. You had to admit you liked what you saw. Of course, you already knew he was attractive. More than once you’d found yourself distracted in class, mind on what a cute bum he had or how shapely his hands were or else on his fluffy hair, light blonde but with streaks of grey blended throughout. He was the epitome of the hot teacher really, especially with his gravelly voice and the youthful sparkle of his eyes, magnified by his usual pair of glasses. What you hadn’t seen before, and what you were revelling in now, was his naked torso. There were muscles in his arms, not Hollywood style bulging biceps and you’d certainly never have noticed them under the sleeves of his work shirts, but they were revealed as he shifted his position and you had the sudden urge to reach out and squeeze them. A light fuzz of hair covered his chest, though it was so light it was barely visible, and a marginally thicker thatch of it trailed down into his underwear. And in between was his stomach, the years of fatherhood evidenced by how it softly protruded out over the hem of his underwear. Once, a few years ago, someone had found a photo of Professor Taylor taken in the 90s when he was twenty-something and, thanks to the university meme facebook page and a few students with near influencer levels of followers, just about the whole school had seen it and had wet dreams about it. He’d been stick thin then, eyes ringed by dark grungy eyeliner, long messy hair falling about his face, and his plaid shirt unbuttoned. The Roger settling beside you now was miles away from that boy but you liked his current look, from his shorter hair to his rounder body, though he seemed to have the same skinny legs. “What are you thinking about?” he asked as he propped himself up on his elbow to look you over. “This is…better than I thought it would be,” “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” “No, that’s not what I meant. I don’t know, I just...I could never picture it before, actually being with you. But you’ve made it feel easy and, well not normal, but y’know, not too strange either.” “So you’ve been liking it so far?” “Mmhmm, it’s felt really good,” “Good, that’s what I want to hear. But,” your breath hitched as you felt his fingers stroke between your legs, “experiments not done yet.” He watched his hand as it moved, his fingers sliding between your lips, spreading the wetness that had begun to pool with his earlier attentions. Each shift of his fingers pulled soft sighs and small ohs from you as the pleasure began to slowly build and you pulled him down into another kiss, wanting to feel him closer. He eased the first finger into you gradually, whispering questions about how it felt and if you were ready for more. You’d have expected his constant quizzing to be annoying but he peppered them between comments about making you feel good and dirty talk about getting you ready for his cock as he pulled your hand over to his crotch to give him some small relief. And somehow everything just seemed to turn you on more, his obvious desire to make sure you were comfortable included. You barely registered when he added the second finger, pumping both into you rhythmically as he delicately sucked at your pulse point, though you knew the third was coming, a response to your pleas for more. You’d meant his dick really, ready to move things along but he’d been adamant about making sure you were properly stretched out, not relenting until he’d fit four fingers inside you. “Fo-four?” you whimpered as he pressed the last one into you, “Three not enough?” “Just to be on the safe side. My cock is about average length but its girthy,” “I – oh Roger – It feels huge to me,” “Please, I’m 46, I know it’s not the biggest thing in the world. But I also know it doesn’t need to be to fuck you so right.” You weren’t sure how to reply though he didn’t give you many options, jerking his fingers inside you and making you moan. “I know there are nerves involved which can impact how wet you get and I don’t want to do anything that would cause you pain or discomfort, so I’m going to finger you until I’m ready to stop. You can beg all you want but I won’t fuck you until I decide you can handle it.” Even that was hot though you weren’t exactly sure why, but whatever it was you found yourself nodding in agreement, staring at him through eyes half lidded with pleasure.

When Roger was satisfied that you were ready for more than his fingers, he pulled them from you and got to his knees, shuffling around to rummage through his bedside cabinet. A moment later you realised why as he kicked off his underwear and tore open a condom. You watched as he rolled it down his shaft, noting he’d described himself quite accurately. “Sorry,” he said as he caught your eye, “did you want to do that?” “No, that’s okay,” you chuckled, “just that Dylan never liked to wear them,” “Hey, we have a rule remember. And this is the first time I’m fucking one of my students, I’m not doing it raw, are you kidding?” “Sorry. And yeah, you’re probably right to use one.” “Hey, this is just the control remember. Condoms are a variable we can change later.” You laughed at that and nodded as Roger squirted some lube into his palm and began stroking himself, letting out small groans at the contact. “Are you going to fuck me yet or is there something else I have to wait for?” “Careful Ms Y/L/N, you know I don’t tolerate that kind of attitude.” He smiled as he crawled over you again, catching your lips quickly before he sat back on his heels and pushed your legs wide. With a final look, as if to give you a chance to end things before they went any further, he lined himself up and pressed himself into you. You gasped as he filled you easily, bottoming out. “God you feel good,” he panted, “are you okay? Can I move?” “Yeah,” you nodded, “please move.” He breathed out a small sigh as he pulled his hips back and snapped them forward again, finding a rhythm. As he got more comfortable in the moment, Roger leaned over you again, pushing his face between your breasts and laving your skin with his tongue. He rediscovered the spots he’d found earlier, humming around your nipples and squeezing your boobs as he thrust into you. “Feel good?” “Yeah,” “You close yet?” “Not really.” “That’s alright,” he said softly as he readjusted his position, sitting back and lifting your legs over his shoulders. You felt the angle change as he fucked into you harder than before, his pace a little faster, “Play with your tits for me.” You didn’t hesitate to do as he asked, panting in sync with his thrusts as he dropped his fingers to your clit, rubbing in tight circles, forcing more moans and whines from your throat. “That’s right, tell me how good it is to be spread out under your professor, full of my hard cock. Christ you’re so fucking tight. Why didn’t I fuck you sooner?”.” You let your moans pick up a little as he ploughed into you, willing yourself to reach your climax. “Yeah? You like that. Are you close now?” “Uh-” “So no.” “Sorry, i-it just takes a while usually. I could f-fake it if you wa-nt to stop.” “No!” his voice sounded strained as he stilled inside you, “This is about getting you off and I will keep fucking you even if it takes all night for you to cum. I just need to readjust again.” Your laugh became a small whine as he pulled out of you and rolled you over so you were on top of him, “what are you-?” “Ride me. You said you like being on top so ride me,” You smiled and pressed your lips to his quickly before settling yourself over him and carefully sinking down into place. As you took him as deep as you could you halted a moment to enjoy the sensation of being full again, gently rocking your hips as you braced your hands on Roger’s chest. He held your gaze as he slipped two fingers into his mouth, pulling them out when they were dripping with saliva. He pressed them together with his thumb before bringing the wet digits to your right nipple, massaging it until you arched your back and tilted your head backwards. There was no way to resist any longer and you raised yourself on your knees before sinking back down, grunting as he hit just the right spot. “Better?” he grunted. “Mhmm,” you managed to get out before a moan, once again lifting and dropping yourself. You settled into the flow of it, the movement of your hips and the way you pulsed around him as you took him harder and faster, feeling the pleasure build and build and build. Until Roger’s voice, cracking with the effort, broke through your concentration. “Fuck, I’m close, I’m close. I’m gonna cum,” “Okay,” you said, not sure what else you could say, a little disappointed that it was going to be over before you could finish. So much for all night, though you supposed he’d only said that to help you relax and finish faster. At least it was hot watching him unravel beneath you, his grunts and groans loud and shameless, his hips spasming under yours. You waited until he was done, eyes closed and chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to regain control of his breathing, and then lifted yourself to dismount him. Or you would have, except you felt his hands grab you by the hips and press you down again. “Your turn,” he said it so earnestly, no hint of the dominant teasing from earlier or any egotistical overconfidence, that you found yourself agreeing immediately, shocked into doing what he was guiding you to. You raised your hips again, let him pull you back down hard and before long you’d found your rhythm again. He let go of your hip, moving the hand to messily rub your clit as you shifted a little, changing the angle by a fraction. It was enough to have you careening towards the edge, even as Roger pulled air through his teeth as the extra stimulation. “So close,” you muttered before he could ask, eyes shut, intent on your mission. “C’mon, cum on my cock, show me how good it feels,” You nodded unthinkingly as he encouraged you, feeling it just out of reach until finally the familiar warmth washed over you, a long moan slipping from between your lips as you swivelled your hips, prolonging the orgasm as long as you could. “There you go, good girl.”

                                                      ******

Roger gasped as you climbed off him and carefully removed his condom to throw it out. “I could have done that,” “You did enough.” He was smiling when you turned back to face him and beckoned you over to join him on the bed once more, pressing a kiss to your jaw and the corner of your mouth before he found your lips again. You sighed against him, lost in the blissful warmth of the moment. “I’ll do it. I’ll tutor you,” Roger said after some time, his arm draped over your side, your faces inches from each other. “You mean it?” “Yes.” “Because I’m a hot shag?” He let out an exhale of laughter, “Because I would rather you learnt about that kind of stuff from someone like me than some random on the internet who thinks that being dominant means being cruel or causing pain. At least I can make sure you approach things from a healthy angle with your own enjoyment in mind as much as your ex’s.” “Thank you. So…when do we start?” “Give me a few days to plan out some lessons, put together a curriculum.” “Oh, so it’s going to be like proper tutoring then.” “You’re the one that came to a teacher about this.” “Fair enough.” You would have happily stayed there longer and you later wondered if Roger would have let you had an alarm on his phone not gone off, a reminder to put his bins out for collection in the morning. He frowned as he realised the time and glanced at you. The piercing melody had brought the reality of the situation back to both of you. “I guess that means I should leave, right?” Roger sat up and scooted a little further away from you, “Yes, you probably should.” He paused for a moment, “No one can know about this.” “I know, I understand. It’s our secret.” He pulled in a breath, “Exactly, our secret. Do you need me to call you a cab?” “No, it’s fine, I drove here.” “Okay. Well, why don’t we get dressed and I’ll walk you out.” “Are you okay with this? If you really don’t want to teach me, I’d understand.” “No I want to. More than I should.” “That’s okay. No one will know and we’ll do things your way, whatever you think is best.” “My way,” he muttered to himself, “Yes. Exactly. Okay. Um, tell you what,” he swung his legs out of the bed and bent forward to retrieve the underwear he’d discarded earlier, pulling them up under cover of the corner of the bed sheet, “I will grab my things and go collect our dishes from dinner. You can stay here and get changed and then when you’re ready to go, come find me in the kitchen, okay Ms Y/L/N?” “Sounds great, Professor Taylor.” He nodded at you once more before he left, bending to collect his pants and shirt on his way. You waited a minute or so, mind racing with the events of the evening and the promise of what would be coming, before you too stood and began to redress.

When you felt sufficiently tidy you stepped out into the hallway and headed in the direction you hoped led to the kitchen. Roger was there, redressed and hardly looking like he’d just got out of bed, leaning against the bench, eyes out of focus. When you arrived though his head jerked around towards your movement. “All good?” he asked, “got everything?” “Yeah, think so.” “Well,” he said, leading you towards the front door, “it was great having you. Over. Having you over. I’m glad we could come to an agreement.” “It was great for me too Professor.” “I will see you in class on Monday, don’t forget about that reading you’re meant to do.” “Got it. Um, can I ask about my next tutoring session, when would that be?” “I will talk to you about it after class on Monday if that’s okay.” “Absolutely, whatever works for you Professor.” He opened the door, standing on his side of the entrance as you stepped outside, “Right, well. Goodnight Ms Y/L/N,” “Goodnight Roger,” you said, quickly leaning in to kiss his cheek, “and thank you.” He still looked a little stunned as you got into your car, wondering just what you’d got yourself into.

[daveg65]

275 - Jeff Wants a new CarPlay Head Unit in his Car With Chuck Joiner, Jeff Gamet, and Ben Roethig

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by guest Chuck Joiner, Jeff Gamet, and Ben Roethig. iPhone 15 has CarPlay issues with USB-C and Jeff wants a new CarPlay unit in his car. Plus reviews of CarPlay apps. Are the days of Google as default search on iPhone numbered? Why has it been so slow for US states to adopt digital iD’s on the iPhone, Makes no sense streaming devices still have micro USB jacks. 

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com


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Here is our latest Episode!

[todomitoukei]

thank you friend for replying to my ask 💞

ahh waking up and driving at 2:30 am must suck i feel for you 🥲

ooohh a concert!! which one are you going to? 😍

my sister said the same thing. she said don’t let the sensei ruin japanese when you enjoy it so much. continue it for yourself and not for him. btw, he isn’t an official japanese teacher. he’s just a college professor who has the n2 level japanese and is teaching us the language at his home.

and your resources are very helpful! i’m currently doing some journaling with japatalk and it really does help. same with hellotalk but i quickly run out of things to talk about sadly 😅

for the listening section, i used to do shadowing back in n5 but only stopped when the sensei said we’re good enough to move on but i think i’m going to do that again. i also want to listen while reading and i have a lot of books to do that but i’m gonna be honest i’m quite lazy. i think that’s my thing is that i get lazy and demotivated very quickly and i need to find something to fix that.

my favorite thing about japanese is when i’m watching anime or playing a video game in japanese and they use a word i know and i just scream I KNOW THAT ONE! I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS! and then when i hear a new conjugation of a word i know i quickly write it down and share it with the class (i had to wait an entire year to learn about うごくな because i just loved that word from jjk and when we finally learned it i was like 🤩 this the entire class lol)

thank you for always answering to my asks and for being so supportive, my role model and source of motivation! i’ll definitely continue and keep you updated 🥰

どうもありがとうございます💕

You're welcome! Also, you're being too nice!! 😭 It makes me really happy to hear that and I hope I can keep motivating you!

I'm gonna see my chemical romance live, which still doesn't feel real to me and probably won't until it's actually happening lol, but I am excited either way!

Oh I see. Well, him not being a licensed teacher at least explains why he sucks at teaching. There are so many professional Japanese teachers online that teach for free on YouTube or that you can pay for one-on-one lessons on iTalki (I haven't tried that tho so I can't say what that's like but I've heard a lot of good things about it), so I'd definitely recommend trying out those instead of continuing your current class.

And I totally get what you mean about recognizing words, it always makes me super excited especially because it shows me that I made progress and then it makes all the time and energy I've already dedicated to it super worth it.

Oh and about reading and listening - I always like to recommend Satori Reader. It's a website/app that has lots of stories (only the first 3 episodes or so of each story are free but the premium version is absolutely worth it) and they all come with audio as well (you can also slow down or speed up the audio), plus you can click on every word to get the translation, and lots of grammar notes. You can add all the words to a study deck to review, too. There are lots of stories with different genres so maybe you can find some stories that interest you there. Honestly, I want to say that most of my progress comes from there. It honestly helps a lot.

I also have days where I don't really feel like it, which is why I try to have lots of different things I can do so if I don't feel like doing one thing, there's still something else I can do. And sometimes you really just have to make it your routine and do it even when you don't feel like it (and then feel proud for having done something afterwards).

The best thing you can do is find something you really enjoy and consume that. Again, it's okay if you don't understand everything, you'll still learn a lot. I've read the entirety of Attack on Titan in Japanese and while that was... exhausting, it helped a lot and since I love the story I wanted to keep reading it. Another thing I like doing is watch gameplays in Japanese on YouTube. I like to watch gameplays in general, so when there's a game I've already played myself or already watched a gameplay of in English, I know the story, etc. well enough. Watching a gameplay of it in Japanese is nice because even if you didn't understand a lot, you could still follow the story and just try to pick up as much as possible. And for gameplays people usually turn on the subtitles so you can read while listening. For example, The Last of Us 2 is a really really long game so watching a gameplay of that taught me quite a few words! You could also play the games in Japanese yourself, but it can be difficult to get access to the Japanese version sometimes and if you don't understand a lot you might get stuck or mess up if it's something like a choice-based game, but it can also be a lot of fun!

Basically, it's also about creativity and finding as many ways as possible to interact with the language on a daily basis. There are resources that will teach you more than others, but everything will teach you one or two words or expose you to the language at the very least and slowly but surely you know more and more.

I look forward to your updates✨