#skills for the post pandemic world

[milfygerard]

did she specifically make 34 versions of TTPD because shes 34 years old

[lionlena]

Headcanon: Who will be ready to kill for you? From most willing to least... (Pedro Pascal characters) 🔪💀☠️🩸

1. Oberyn Martell

There is no doubt here. He will kill for you without hesitation.

He has a hot temper, he is used to killing, he is highly trained, and... madly in love with you. You are his Queen.

If someone insults you, looks at you wrong, or hurts you, Oberyn will not hesitate to spear him or challenge him to a duel (and spear him.)

Be sure, he will make a show of killing for you. He will proudly show off his skills, and if the victim is unlucky, he will even torture them.

Oberyn really won't have any doubts. This is the world he lives in. He is a prince and is not afraid of consequences. For you, he will always be able to kill an entire army of people.

2. Jack Daniels (I wasn't sure here but my sweet @creedslove helped me)

Jack will do anything for his Sugar. If your safety or good honor is at stake, he will not hesitate to kill.

Let's be honest, Jack has no remorse about this. If someone threatens, hurts, or insults you, they are bad. And bad people deserve to die. Easy.

Good manners dictate that he must take care of and protect his Sugar.

Of course, he may not do it in a very spectacular way, but he will definitely use the skills he acquired in the agency.

If necessary, he will falsify evidence and suddenly your ex-boyfriend will turn out to be a dangerous terrorist who had to be eliminated.

Jack has no qualms about threatening others with death in his typical Southern way ;)

3. Dave York

He won't hesitate to kill for you either. For example, your abusive ex-boyfriend.

But of course, he will do it secretly. After all, he is a hitman.

If you know about his profession, he will probably confess to the murder, but it may also be that he will withhold this information for your good.

But let's face it, when you find out that your ex-boyfriend drowned (and you know he was a great swimmer), you'll figure it out.

But can you be mad at Dave? After all, he did it for you. When you tell him about your guesses...

"He'll never lay a hand on you again." Dave will whisper into your hair and kiss your forehead.

But there are also murders you don't know about. For example, that guy who was aggressive in the bar...

4. Joel Miller

Here it all depends on which Joel we are talking about. After the outbreak Joel or no outbreak Joel.

Post-pandemic Joel is of course willing to kill for you. Mainly to protect you.

It's obviously not something he's proud of, but that's the world you live in. Sometimes there is no choice. If he doesn't want you to be raped or killed, then he has to reject humanity. And he does it for you, he kills without blinking an eye.

If someone insults you or is aggressive, Joel may not kill him, but he is definitely ready to break the guy's jaw or stab him in the knee.

As for no outbreak Joel, the situation is different here. Joel won't kill for you... Not that he doesn't want to, but it's clear that he doesn't want to go to prison.

But you can certainly count on the fact that he will often scare someone who behaves inappropriately towards you.

5. Din Djarin

Well, Din is a bounty hunter. He knows how to kill and if necessary, he will kill for you too.

But it won't be something he will enjoy and he won't do it for a trivial reason.

If you are in serious danger, he will definitely not hesitate to use his blaster. But don't count on him killing someone for you out of revenge.

Of course, this doesn't mean he won't threaten other people. He's good at making threats.

So if someone is bully or aggressive towards you, he will definitely hear Din's icy modulated voice:

"You can leave this place being warm... or you can leave this place being cold."

6. Javier Peña

Javier is ready to kill for you, but because of his job, he knows he can't do it.

However, he won't hesitate to threaten your ex-boyfriend with a gun if he doesn't understand that you don't want to be with him anymore.

Javier can be aggressive and won't hesitate to use his fists to make sure no one hurts or insults his cariño.

However, the situation may be slightly different if the person who threatened you was a sicario. Javier may not kill him directly, but he will use all his connections to neutralize the threat.

And of course, he won't hesitate to kill if you're in danger. If someone kidnaps you, Javier will put the entire DEA and CIA on their feet and get a military helicopter to save you.

And when you're safe in his arms, he won't regret what he did, not even for a moment.

7. Frankie Morales

This is another man who has killed before. Frankie knows how to pull the trigger, but... He's in serious trouble because of it. He dreams of dead people at night and wakes him up with nightmares.

That's why Frankie would be willing to kill for you, but only if there was no other option. If your life was in danger.

He is also not a fan of making threats. He prefers to avoid conflicts, but of course, that doesn't mean he can't look menacing and throw a murderous look.

Of course, you will always be safe with him. Frankie knows how to fight and in case of trouble, he is always ready to use his military skills.

8. Marcus Pike

Marcus, of course, is not very willing to kill someone for you. He's an FBI agent, of course, he knows how to kill and has seen death more than once, but that's why he does everything legally.

He is also not a fan of making threats. Of course, you can feel safe with him.

It's not that Marcus can't be aggressive and combative. He just always tries to think things through and doesn't get emotional.

If your ex-boyfriend harasses you, Marcus will encourage you to report it to the police.

But of course, in a situation of danger, Marcus is ready to take out his gun to stand between you and the threat. And if it's absolutely necessary, he'll shoot.

9. Javi G

Javi is sweet, we all know that. But he's also not afraid to defend you, but killing someone is definitely out of his league.

He may threaten someone with a gun because he can play a dangerous role, but he would really be the last one to kill for you.

If you were in danger, Javi would simply hire an army of bodyguards and never leave your side. And of course, he would carry a gun. However, if he had to shoot, he would probably aim for his opponent's legs or arm.

Pernament tag list: @harriedandharassed

[horse-girl-anthy]

hello! wanted to say that despite your hesitation, your ‘ramble’ post was really refreshing and echoed some aspects of fandom discourse that I’ve also seen w/in fandom circles.

I’m actually less familiar w/ RGU fandom than others, but since getting back into fandom generally during the pandemic, there does seem to be a trend of ppl oversimplifying character dynamics and intensely focusing which characters are the “victims” and which are the “villains.” it feels different from what I remember as a teen in fandom—and it really constrains fandom analysis & leads to same-y, boring character interpretations :// I hesitate to generalize but it does seem concerning that ppl are so focused around valorizing characters for being, as you say, “morally pure,” by whitewashing their actions instead of engaging w/ complicated characters as they are; it’s a rather immature view of responsibility & morality, you know? oh, and speaking of, I’d be curious if you’d be willing to share the essay you read around "vilification and heroization" as the lowest form of engagement with fiction. it sounds v interesting!

anyway, I’ve really enjoyed your analyses w/ RGU. and hey, it’s good to have multiple perspectives w/in fandom too :)

hey thanks for the ask! you've described the phenomenon well. I've been frustrated by it--clearly--but at the same time, I wonder if there's a point in fighting people over it. at the end of the day, fandom is about self-gratification. that self-gratification is often achieved through identifying with characters. on a more sophisticated level, some people turn fandom into a political battleground where they are gratified by having the most enlightened reading. I want to move past self-gratification, but sitting around complaining about how "no one else gets it" is just another form of it. which is part of why I think the solution lies in not engaging in fandom anymore.

I was talking to a friend of mine about these topics this week, and I was like, I've been obsessed with media since I was a child and studying media criticism since I was a teen. it's something I really enjoy, and "media literacy" is an important skill in a world so dominated by media. but I don't know if it's actually that important in terms of living. maybe I'll put it this way: I want to increase my ability to appreciate art so that I can get more out of it, but at the end of the day, "analysis" is a hobby. I want to do it because it's fun, not to try to gain any kind of superiority.

I will keep pursuing this interest of mine even when I'm done running this blog. not to sound too desperate, but I am dying to have interesting conversations about this stuff, it's my dream to build a community around it, so please feel free to reach out any time! I'll be self-indulgent and list a couple of the more interesting analysis sources I've found recently:

RedSails.Org is a Marxist site which seems to accumulate articles from around the internet. I was searching for critiques of Breaking Bad because it ate my brain alive back in 2017 and I'm still trying to articulate why. I found this article interesting, though kinda weird, and it's where I got the "vilification and heroization" thing from. that led me to read through their entire Art and Propaganda tag. I particularly liked this piece on Ender's Game and the one titled The Banality of Genius.

PsyArt is an academic journal which focuses on the intersection of psychology and art. I found it recently while researching Freud's views on mother/daughter relationships (specifically this article). I've been happily digging through their archives since and that's led me down several research rabbit holes.

anyway, I'll leave it there, but I am super happy to talk about this stuff any time. thank you for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to run my mouth some more.

[seoul-bros]

Jikook Week 18 Complete ✔️(09/04-16/04/2024)

Their eighteenth week in the military is now complete. It's time to celebrate this milestone with a look back at this week in 2020.

The world was at the beginning of the COVID pandemic lockdowns and nations across the world were seeing a sharp rise in fatalities from the disease. The US leg of the Map of the Soul tour was on indefinite hold and to fill the gap, on 09/04, BTS announced Bang Bang Con a streaming event of their concerts between 2015 and 2018 to be held on 18th -19th April 2020.

On 14/04, the one hundredth episode of Run BTS was released. BTS had hired out the whole arena used for the ISAC games (IYKYK hee hee). It was sponsored by and they were all kitted out in FILA.

As with most BTS big days there was a cake to celebrate. Jimin suggested they cut the cake together (like VIPs) which was a cute idea but didn't quite work so the maknae had to do the honours and promptly got told off by RM for turning his back to the camera. The injustice!

Then it was on to team selection. A quiz about previous episodes of Run BTS was held to see who would be the team leader.

Taehyung wiped the floor with everyone. He really was the Run BTS mastermind. He then got to pick his team - JK, Jin and Jimin. It was rap line (100 jin) against vocal line (seok 100).

The teams have to play badminton with weird rackets.

All is going well until Suga hits JK's team members twice in a row. The first time it was Jin and the second it was Jimin. At this point JK springs into protective mode and I wouldn't have wanted to be Suga at this point. Check out Hobi's reaction.

Cr. to OP

First round the rapline dominate but the vocal line stage a comeback and take all three games and the match. Man of the Match though has to be J-Hope whose skill with the pot cover was outstanding. The 95 line really enjoyed it.

The second game was Foot Volleyball. It was the hopeless three moment for 100 jin. Needless to say seok 100 won again.

Finally this week, Boyfriend had Jimin choosing their massage chair over JK's capable hands. Yeah that's believable (heavy sarcasm) 🤣😂🤣😂

Post Date: 16/04/2024

[wakingfantasies]

Excerpt from "Here With Me - The Pros and Cons, Part One."

“Really is maddening that… Despite being surrounded by so many people and none of them, not one person, went to help or even come to ask if you’re okay…”

“Oh, I did notice that, yeah,” you responded while looking around you, a small little offended glare in place. “Welcome to America, I guess. Bunch of rude fuckers. People’s phones would be out, recording my death and no doubt, I’d be all over everyone’s for you page via TikTok and so not in the way that would be welcomed.”

A light scoff left his lips, “Is there any other way on TikTok? I mean…” His shoulders raise in a shrug, “I dunno, I’m not on it, but it doesn’t seem quite appealing, does it?”

It was said so innocently, so casually, your lips stretching into a smile and eyes flickering with amusement. You could have fun with this, his statement sounding so… Almost boomer of him, despite the young age in comparison to actual boomers. Which only brought on further amusement in your eyes. “Not a fan?” starting off casually. Trying to ascertain how bad this could be.

“Well…” he started, brows raised a bit as his hand reached for the back of his head, scratching his neck. “Not that I ventured much into it, but…” He gave a shrug, “It’s just dances, isn’t it? Like I said. Not very appealing.”

You couldn’t help it. The roll of your eyes came immediately as did the laugh from your lips. “Oh, God, it is not all dancing. There’s so much more to it, it’s all sorts of things. All sorts of content from all kinds of creators. Actors doing skits, some they wrote, some they didn’t, or even just jumping on a trend that showcases their acting skills or recreations of famous scenes from movies, shows… Their interpretation of it, even if it’s lip synching, it’s them. Musicians showcasing their music by either remixing,” You paused a moment, raising your brows, letting out a soft laugh. “…which you know a lot about remixes, I’m sure…”

He gave a deep hum, giving a nod, “Yeah, yeah, more than I care for, admittedly…”

“Right, well, there’s that and singing, performing, either putting out a song or performing it live. Editors, doing video edits of either original material or… Or even video edits of their favorite shows, movies, actors… Artists? Speed drawing videos showing their skills and how a sketch turns to an actual fucking piece of art. Because not all artists can get their work in a gallery, but they can post a video on a platform that will literally show up on people’s screens,” a soft laugh escaping, and you saw how he smiled, tilting his head and looking at you as you spoke. “And then there’s cooking — you’re a foodie, right?”

“I…” he started, his smile growing as he gave a nod. “Yeah, yeah, I… I consider myself a foodie, sure. That’s on TikTok as well?”

Lips stretched across your face as you gave an earnest nod, “Yes. The good and the bad. Cooking food, sharing recipes, rating dishes or restaurants—shops, like… It’s such a tool for small businesses and in this fucked up economy, it’s so needed. And...” You hesitated a moment, before giving in to a reluctant nod, “It’s helped writers as well. Promoting their books, sharing their writing, connecting with readers and… You know, that stuff. And aside from content creators, the art of it, there’s simply fans of all of it, discussing all of it, connecting with others discussing it. I don’t know if you’ve considered that part but…”

You let out a sigh, “Whether you grew up having to hide just things you like or never really recovering from the isolation we all felt during the start of the pandemic…”

Shaking your head, “Connecting with others over things you love, or just even things or people you like… Without judgement, it’s so important. Also serving to just… Y’know, give yourself a voice. Not just about entertainment but… Just life and how it can knock you down. Pick you up. The fucked-up parts that traditional media is just never going to give you a chance to scream at the world, people on the app do. They’re given that chance, and they take it, and it’s great. And if you’re feeling down, there’s people that use the platform to pick you right up.”

Tilting his head, a bit, the corner of his lip let out a smirk, “So… Definitely not just dancing then?”

You laughed, shaking your head, “No, no, Mr. Quinn, not just dancing. And the fact that people are so quick to just boil it down to just dancing is… Not only ridiculous but fucking reductive. Yeah, it has some big downsides to it. Like any other form of social media, there’s toxicity and negative impacts and even people manipulating other people. A narrative that doesn’t align with the truth, but then —”

“That…is most social media.” His nose scrunched a bit, “Well… In the name of all transparency… Not just social media, but… Traditional media as well. Interviews and misquotes running amuck… I guess it’s not any better or worse.” His lips nudge to the side as his shoulders give in to a shrug. “I suppose I shouldn’t have downplayed it, especially since I didn’t know much about it… Until now, of course.”

[zartophski]

If you followed me for my writing, you probably noticed by now that I haven’t been posting much in recent times. I’ve been avoiding acknowledging it for a while, but I think it’s time to properly address it. 

I started sharing my writing during the pandemic, but I have been writing fanfiction for a long time. Before I even knew the word for it, I was writing stories based on my favorite books and movies. Creative writing has always been an important hobby in my life, and I can’t imagine life without a project to lean on when I need a break from the real world. Unfortunately, I have been living without creative writing for the past year or so. What once had been second nature slowly began to require more and more brainpower, and the process became less fulfilling and fun. It’s a hobby that I love, and I couldn’t understand why it became so hard. 

In my real life, I am a student. My academic life had a bit of an overhaul halfway through undergrad, when I decided to pursue a completely different field than I had planned. Now, years later, I’m in my last semester of Masters awaiting news on Ph.D. applications. I’m also supposed to be writing my thesis, but you can probably guess how well that’s going. I went into Masters directly from undergrad, and if all goes well, I’ll be going straight on to Ph.D. from here.

I’m sure you know where this story is going. I’ve been ignoring the signs of burnout, hoping that if I don’t touch writing, it’ll magically come back. Well, my creative writing for the past year has been minimal, but when I open a word document, I’m back in the throes of paralysis. Even if I have an idea I love, the words just don’t come. My creative ideas are trapped in my mind, no longer able to escape into a coherent written narrative. Trust me, I’m still thinking like a fanfiction writer. It’s just that all of my writing skills are suddenly gone. Well, not suddenly. In truth, I’ve felt this way for almost two years, but a year ago, I was still able to chip my way through a couple small projects. But this year, the one project I had on my plate that I was hoping to bring me back to writing has only solidified the painful truth that I am not the writer I used to be. 

So where do we go from here? Well, I have a couple pieces that are finished and waiting to be published. Those will be posted when I have permission from the team, which should be in the next few months. But aside from those, I have nothing. And I don’t think I’ll have anything for a long while. Like I said, I could be going into Ph.D. in the next year. I know this is probably disappointing to some of you, and others are probably wondering who the hell I am. That’s okay. I wouldn’t choose to stop writing, but the choice doesn’t seem to be mine anymore.

This isn’t a goodbye. I’m still around, my previous works are still posted. I’ll still be on Tumblr reblogging art and memes and hanging out. But I felt it important to address the drought on my page. I think I just need permission to set this aside with the intention of leaving it alone. So, I won’t be writing anything in the foreseeable future. I hope that one day that’ll change and I can come back to it. In the meantime, I’ll be here to chat and share the love.

[sincerely-ellaa]

I have been on the internet for a long time.

One of the best things about certain apps is getting to connect with people outside of your immediate circle and create a community.

I found that community on twitter before it was sold.

But most importantly, I found a community here on tumblr many years ago when I was only 13 back in 2011.

And then I found that community again on TikTok.

People in real life are often mean and cruel when you have an interest that is outside of the norm, or just not popular in your region.

These apps that operate more like open forums allow people to create communities that make them feel genuinely seen.

When I first joined tumblr I was basically strictly teen tv drama content and fan fiction. And every now and then I was post a lengthy rant about what’s going on in the world.

Eventually this blog became a catch all for everything that I’m interested in.

Then my posts slowly came to a halt as i I was starting college and going into my 20s.

After that I started using tumblr strictly for downloading sims 4 CC.

I was on musically when I was in high school, but I had stopped using it at some point and didn’t realize that it had turned into TikTok until I saw a video of someone talking about it… on TikTok.

I originally was not going to join TikTok. I didn’t see a reason to, I didn’t want to get invested in another app in that way, and I was trying to focus of school.

And then my brother died. And then several of my classmates and friends died. And then the pandemic happened. And then my mom died. So many drastic changes so quickly and it was like a snowball.

I felt so alone during those years. So then I joined to get that dose of dopamine. And I would post, not really to get views, but just as a distraction for myself.

I was learning new things, I was connecting with people with similar interests again.

I started posting degrassi and sims content.

I was seeing multiple point of views on topics that I cared about, and topics that I wasn’t aware of and grew to care about.

And then I got into an abusive relationship this past year.

I can confidently say that if I hadn’t found support on there I probably would not be here.

Connecting with people who had gone through or were going through similar situations really helped me through it. It was nice to not feel completely alone in my darkest hour.

And then we got later into the election season. I started posting content on a separate TikTok account that my boyfriend could not see, as we have very different opinions and even me reposting videos on my main account was causing arguments.

So I started building a community there. And I really didn’t care if my videos gained much traction, for me it was about reclaiming my voice that was being so heavily suppressed.

This ban feels like my voice is being suppressed again.

Especially because I can just feel it in my bones that if it gets sold to a US company, that it won’t be the same.

I stopped using twitter because it felt like its soul was gone.

I stopped using instagram regularly because it’s UI honestly sucks, but also because it’s so difficult to build that kind of community on there. I use instagram for my local friends, I don’t use that to talk to strangers on the internet. It’s not that kind of app and it never will be.

A lot of people somehow don’t realize that the purpose of the first amendment is so that we have the freedom to criticize our government without consequence. Freedom of speech does not mean that you get to say whatever you want without social consequence. That’s why twitter (X) went to hell the minute it was sold. It’s not enjoyable anymore. FB isn’t enjoyable. IG isn’t enjoyable.

They don’t want us talking to each other in a constructive way.

They want use to fight amongst ourselves, because it keeps us distracted from the real issues.

If there’s anything I’ve noticed it’s that people who mostly engage on twitter have worse communication skills than those on TikTok because they hide behind a keyboard. They take the actual humans out of the equation and forget that they’re not just talking to a profile picture, they’re talking to real people.

When you have face to face interactions with people, and have REAL discussions and debates with other that way, it is so much healthier for society. People say a lot of things online, in comment sections, in threads, that they wouldn’t dare say to someone’s face.

And the powers that be, know that.

They know that when people actually talk to each other with the intention of learning from each other that people aren’t nearly as hostile or divided.

I’m not okay with having my voice suppressed by a bunch of power hungry narcissistic billionaires, whose only motivation is control and money.

They’re marketing in fear tactics because they equate fear with respect.

They’d rather us be afraid of THEIR punishment, than to do things worthy of true respect.

I don’t respect bullies and abusers. I don’t respect oppressive behaviors. I don’t respect putting greed above people.

We cannot keep being complacent in our own societal downfall.

Our voices matter. ALL of our voices matter,

They broke the social contract.

[some-sort-of-ecologist]

some thoughts on doing science as a PhD drop out

I saw this post on Facebook and it so perfectly summed up the gatekeeping aspect of doing research on a charismatic species. Ultimately the gatekeeping led to me quitting the PhD program, but I hadn't even really realized it until I read the way this person verbalized it.

When I did my undergrad thesis, I worked on reintroduced elk that no one really knew existed beyond a tiny group of biologists. Any research about these elk was exciting and GOOD, because so few people had the funding to study them. I got so much support from biologists and so much "wow, that's so cool, I had no idea we had elk here!" from the locals.

I love research. It plays up my strongest skills - outdoor field work, intense observation, patience, technical writing, and analysis. I love collaborating with people and seeing how we can ask new questions together.

I moved on to caribou for my masters and predators (wolves, bears, and cougars) for my PhD. Suddenly everyone and their dog had an opinion on these species. How they should be managed. Whether they should be studied or left alone. Whether my particular study had any value. And I heard about it. All. The. Time.

I started dreading talking about my research. I was so scared of people thinking my methods weren't rigorous enough, or I wasn't asking the right question, or I wasn't using the right statistical analysis for my question. It seemed like everyone I met had some sort of investment or special interest in my species, some reason why I had to consider their advice.

(Now don't get me wrong, I value constructive criticism from colleagues and appreciate suggestions for improvements, but these were constant, unending comments from people outside the field, people working on different species, and people I didn't ask for advice.)

Anyway. I didn't have any real kind of community or support from peers during grad school, especially compared to the network of Elk People I had during undergrad, and it, combined with the effects of the pandemic on the world, eventually led me to quit my PhD. Talking about my project felt hostile, no matter who I was talking to (and especially my labmates), and my heart wasn't in it.

The thing is, I love research. I love wildlife. I would love to pursue a PhD.

I think I just need a less charismatic wildlife.

[bitletsanddrabbles]

Book Review: Loch Down Abbey

Right, so, I’ve mentioned Loch Down Abbey before, but since this is apparently the year my brain has decided we’re actually going to write down some of the fanfic that it’s been kicking about since...*checks tumblr for first reference*...2022, I might as well write a review. I feel like I probably don’t do enough book reviews. Then again, these days I mostly read fanfiction, but the books I do read are good fun and our modern world could certainly use more of that. So, in this post I will discuss the books, why I like it, it’s flaws, why I don’t mind it’s flaws so much, and so on. In this way people might, at the very least, understand why I’m writing fanfiction for it.

First off, it’s always billed as a parody of Downton Abbey. While this isn’t entirely untrue, I do find it a bit misleading. I mean, yes, the title is clearly a play on Downton Abbey, but it is also a play on “lock down”, having been written during the Covid 19 pandemic and being set during a fictitious outbreak of Virulent Pernicious Mauvaise in the 1930s resulting in, well, lock down, among other things. Functionally the only other great resemblance is that it’s set in a country house relying heavily on upstairs, downstairs dynamics, and an ensemble cast. This means less than you’d think. Beyond that, the dogs are named Grantham and Belgravia, and there the resemblance pretty much ends. Even with Lady Georgiana as the dowager countess being comparable to any character based off of Julina Fellowes’s great aunt, the family dynamic is quite different. The estate set up is different, leading to different issues, even though both families face financial issues. There’s more garish tartan and less lavatory paper. Honestly, if we’re looking at other works by Julian Fellowes, I could make more comparisons between it and Gosford Park given that they’re both country house mysteries.

Above all, it’s Scottish, not English.

In short, I would not bill it as a parody of Downton Abbey so much as a humorous country house mystery with nods to the period drama genera in general and the works of Julian Fellowes in particular that will appeal to Downton Abbey fans and anyone who lived through the Covid Pandemic.

That being said, I will allow that “Downton Abbey Parody” is much shorter and easier to say.

The main plot revolves around two things: the aforementioned outbreak of Virulent Pernicious Mauvaise and the mysterious death of Lord Inverkillen. Your main PoV character is the housekeeper, Mrs MacBain, although it does shift – more on this later. When Lord Inverkillen dies, it’s proclaimed an accident by the local (not overly skilled) constabulary, but that doesn’t sit quite right with her, so she becomes our detective, sniffing out the truth of the matter. This is made much more difficult by the fact her staff keeps shrinking due to the pandemic and that the first person in the house to come down ill of (and promptly die of) the disease was Nanny. Saying the Inverkillen children are a handful is inaccurate. They are six handfuls. Solving the mystery is ultimately far easier than getting the family to make adjustments to allow the house to keep running with a skeleton crew that’s missing a femur, five ribs, six vertebrae, and the skull.

Meanwhile, upstairs, the entire family, with the exception of Fergus, the second son, is attempting to find ways to ignore the fact they’re broke. Completely broke. “Do something or the house goes on the auction block, oh wait, it’s too late for that” broke. They generally accomplish this by fighting with each other, complaining about the pandemic, complaining about the servants, or, in the case of the new Lord Inverkillen and his brother-in-law, spending all of their free time in the tennis pavilion. Oh, or looking for expensive family knick-knacks to make off with in the case of the late Lord Inverkillen’s brother.

Yeah. This family is ridiculous. I mean, beyond ridiculous. I personally suspect that Fergus is a changeling, it’s the only way to explain why he’s part of this group. Of course, according to the “about the author” part of the reason for this book is that she was “hoping it would be enough to get her disinvited from the annual family walking holiday”, so that explains the rest of the family. Alas, it didn’t work.

(Incidentally, I have chatted a little with Beth Cowan- Erskine on Instagram and she seems to be a nice person. She’s answered my questions on how Scottish titles work vs English. She even bought some of the Loch Down tea I made on Adagio and gave it a nice review. So if you live in the Cotswolds and are looking for an interior designer, which is her main profession, you might consider looking her up.)

Now, moving on to the structure of the book. I must stress that this is a first novel, and as such, it’s rather ambitious. That ‘ensemble cast’ I mentioned earlier? Yeah. The opening list of characters has thirty names on it. Now, they aren’t all PoV characters, but still – thirty. If you have ever tried to write an ensemble cast, even if it’s just Downton Abbey fanfic that touches on everyone who was around during the season in question, you know that is not an easy task. In many ways I really hope the rumors that it’s being developed into a television program are true, because there are things that will just work better in a visual format, such as the opening. The opening is probably the most Downton thing in the entire book, following the characters through the arrival of the family home from a local ball in much the same way Downton opened by following Daisy and Thomas through the building. The big difference is that you get the PoV of each character. Yes, in one scene. Yes, that is very difficult to do to the extent that most writing instructors will tell you not to do it. Yes, it gets confusing. And that is, honestly, the book’s biggest failing – the PoV is less “third person limited” than it is “third person wandering”, especially at the outset. It gets better as you go, and then will occasionally backslide. However, particularly bearing in mind what the author is trying to do here (thirty characters!) I feel this is more of a failing on the editor’s part, and even then…yeah, I don’t know you’d do that intro any better. I could probably figure it out if I really worked at it, but dang. That is a doozy of an undertaking.

...okay, you’re not actually meeting all thirty characters in the first scene, but you meet enough of them! Actually, give me a second. I borrowed Mum’s copy since I couldn’t find mine. We have four in the first section, which doesn’t sound like much, but is still twice as many as Downton follows in the same space of time, and we’re doing it with character PoV shifts.

This leads to the second, absolutely unavoidable failing – character development. Some characters get much more PoV screen time than others, which means more development. With a cast that size, this was going to happen. Now, you might think “But it’s a novel! There’s not a one hour time limit! Surely she could have done better!”

Sorry, but no. A novel still has to have good pacing. Giving equal development, or even near equal development, to a cast that large would make it drag. Even half of that cast would make it drag. This book is supposed to make you laugh, not serve as a cure for insomnia. More to the point, while it is a comedy it does have it’s more serious, drama points and there are character arcs that just aren’t funny. At all. In fact, if you dig into them, some of them are straight up kind of depressing, which is why these characters don’t get much screen time. You can acknowledge what they’re going through well enough, but getting inside of their heads would have ruined the entire tone of the book. So there are places you just need to go with the surface knowledge or go write yourself some nice fanfiction. That’s what fanfiction is for, after all.

So! Having covered the flaws, what do I like about this book? Seriously, what’s had me read it multiple times, make tea based off of it (supporting salmon conservation), writing fanfiction, and hoping there’s a TV version eventually?

As a comedy, it succeeds. It really is funny. Visually I want to see what a TV production crew would come up with for the Inverkillen tartan.

It’s also a pretty good mystery. I can’t really say a lot without saying too much, but the mystery works on two different levels. And it stays both a good comedy and a good mystery through multiple reads, which is a bonus.

The fact that the family name is Ogilvy-Sinclair family which reminds me of "Thomas and the Earl of Findlater" by @alex51324 is a personal amusement.

You do care about the characters, even the less developed ones. There’s a list of characters at the end that matches the one at the beginning as circumstances change quite drastically over the course of the book (it serves as sort of an ‘epilogue to the epilogue’), and I can’t say it leaves you needing more, but you’re certainly interested in where everyone’s going. There’s been talk online of a sequel, and while it’s not necessary, you’re definitely invested enough to not say ‘no’ if one comes along. There are more stories to be told of these characters, and you are left suitably curious to what they are.

And, of course, if you were an essential worker during the 2020 Covid pandemic, you connect with the servants. Seriously, trying to convince people who will not listen that, no, there is no more toilet paper in back. No, there’s no flour either. I’m sorry you need fifteen bags, we only have three. No, you can’t have an extra pack of toilet paper either, I’ve already said that, is bad enough when they aren’t the most ridiculous family of aristocrats to ever carpet their house in the Clan tartan. Mrs MacBain’s experience helps put everything else in perspective. Bless the woman.

I need to read it again now that I’ve actually been to Scotland. I suspect there are a few things that will be even funnier, like the rival family trying to buy the estate.

And the ending is just satisfying. Parts of it are predictable, others you absolutely don’t see coming, but it all comes to leave you with that “Ah, yes. That is as it should be” feeling. It’s also a fast read that’s easy to pick up and put down at meal times and for sleep, which I consider a bonus.

Anyway, that is why I recommend it. If nothing else, see if you can borrow a copy from the library.

[authenticcadence18]

recently got an ask concerning art, instead of answering directly I wanted to talk a bit about my own journey as an artist!!!

I’ve been drawing on and off for more or less my whole life. But my artistic journey REALLY kicked off when I was 11 and caught the end of Across the Second Dimension on TV. Within like, four days of this happening, I drew Isabella over 20 times🤣. For the first time there was something I wanted to draw over and over again, I was so inspired! And Isabella is still one of my favorite characters to this day, when I want to draw she’s one of my go-tos.

From there on, I started drawing a lot more. Lots of PnF stuff of course but other things as well. Star vs the forces of evil was also a huge art inspiration for me, my style is likely a blend of those two shows.

I fell out of drawing for a bit, just bc life got busy. But!! in 2020, thanks to a certain world-stopping pandemic, I got back into phineas and ferb and started drawing again, partially as a way to cope and channel anxiety. My growth as an artist just from 2020-2021 is pretty astounding to me!!! And I grew like that primarily by drawing Phineas and Isabella over and over…and over🤣🤣. You CAN draw a ton of stuff to grow but you don’t have to to enjoy art as a hobby. Art isn’t my job, so I only need to learn as much as I need to create the pieces I want. And having that desire to draw certain characters or stories is a great inspiration to grow and expand as an artist!!

Another great catalyst for my growth as an artist was drawing thumbnails for MWCA videos in 2021-2022 (I honestly can’t remember if I drew anything for 2023, I don’t think I did tho). For the first time I didn’t have to come up with an entire idea from scratch, someone was giving me a baseline of what they wanted and I built off of that and responded to feedback. I ended up drawing things and pushing myself creatively in ways I likely never would have otherwise!!!! Like, backgrounds, I rarely draw them for myself but when it’s for a YouTube collab well I had to!! I’m really proud of all my Mwca work, heres just a few examples:

I’m 24 now, I don’t have as much time/energy to draw these days, but when I do I’m able to use those skills I gained from drawing characters I’m passionate about and collaborating with others. My advice to any aspiring artists seeing this post would be to follow your inspiration!!!! Draw the things you love. Draw them over and over. You WILL grow as an artist. You can take inspiration from artists you admire (just don’t trace their work and post it, haha!). I know I’ve done that!! It might take time. It took me, no joke, FOUR YEARS to be able to draw phineas’s head freehand in a way I liked. I just had to keep practicing and practicing till I got where I wanted to be.

I also think working with friends is a great way to grow as an artist! You of course need to be careful with who you interact with, esp if you aren’t an adult, I would not have interacted with the MWCA crew at all if I wasn’t an adult, in fact I didn’t make my tumblr and start finding online friends till I was 19😅😅. Just be mindful if you’re younger, be safe, maybe work with friends from school if you can! I used to do that when I was a teen.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: John Burn-Murdoch

Published: Mar 14, 2025

What is intelligence? This may sound like a straightforward question with a straightforward answer — the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “a capacity to understand” — but that definition itself raises an increasingly relevant question in the modern world. What happens if the extent to which we can practically apply that capacity is diminishing? Evidence is mounting that something exactly like this has been happening to the human intellect over the past decade or so.

Nobody would argue that the fundamental biology of the human brain has changed in that far-too-short time span. However, across a range of tests, the average person’s ability to reason and solve novel problems appears to have peaked in the early 2010s and has been declining ever since.

When the latest round of analysis from PISA, the OECD’s international benchmarking test for performance by 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science tests, was released, the focus understandably fell on the role of the Covid pandemic in disrupting education. But this masked a longer-term and broader deterioration.

Longer-term in the sense that scores for all three subjects tended to peak around 2012. In many cases, they fell further between 2012 and 2018 than they did during the pandemic-affected years. And broader in that this decline in measures of reasoning and problem-solving is not confined to teenagers. Adults show a similar pattern, with declines visible across all age groups in last year’s update of the OECD’s flagship assessment of trends in adult skills.

Given its importance, there has been remarkably little consistent long-running research on human attention or mental capacity. But there is a rare exception: every year since the 1980s, the Monitoring the Future study has been asking 18-year-olds whether they have difficulty thinking, concentrating or learning new things. The share of final year high school students who report difficulties was stable throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but began a rapid upward climb in the mid-2010s.

This inflection point is noteworthy not only for being similar to performance on tests of intelligence and reasoning but because it coincides with another broader development: our changing relationship with information, available constantly online.

Part of what we’re looking at here is likely to be a result of the ongoing transition away from text and towards visual media — the shift towards a “post-literate” society spent obsessively on our screens.

The decline of reading is certainly real — in 2022 the share of Americans who reported reading a book in the past year fell below half.

Particularly striking however is that we see this alongside decreasing performance in the application of numeracy and other forms of problem-solving in most countries.

In one particularly eye-opening statistic, the share of adults who are unable to “use mathematical reasoning when reviewing and evaluating the validity of statements” has climbed to 25 per cent on average in high-income countries, and 35 per cent in the US.

So we appear to be looking less at the decline of reading per se, and more at a broader erosion in human capacity for mental focus and application.

Most discussion about the societal impacts of digital media focuses on the rise of smartphones and social media. But the change in human capacity for focused thought coincides with something more fundamental: a shift in our relationship with information.

We have moved from finite web pages to infinite, constantly refreshed feeds and a constant barrage of notifications. We no longer spend as much time actively browsing the web and interacting with people we know but instead are presented with a torrent of content. This represents a move from self-directed behaviour to passive consumption and constant context-switching.

Research finds that active, intentional use of digital technologies is often benign or even beneficial. Whereas the behaviours that have taken off in recent years have been shown to affect everything from our ability to process verbal information, to attention, working memory and self-regulation.

The good news is that underlying human intellectual capacity is surely undimmed. But outcomes are a function of both potential and execution. For too many of us the digital environment is hampering the latter.

[ Archive: https://archive.today/vhoGi ]

[tgm-zeej]

Love that 2023 is becoming the year of ‘actually? fuck this.’

WGA, SAGAFTA, and UPS have come across my dash today, but there was the Canadian Federal Worker’s Strike earlier this year and the various ongoing airline strikes in Europe too. Granted that I don’t know a lot about those last two in particular, but I find it somewhat telling that many of the industries whose workers were particularly abused during the pandemic are now striking. And they should. They did their jobs to pull people through the most strenuous parts of lockdown and got dumped on for it, both by their higher ups and the worst parts of the general public. 

Big changes move a little slower than we’d like sometimes, but one bright spot in the abyssal pit that was the pandemic is a rather urgent sense of working class unity. It’s not universal, obviously—bootlickers have always and will always exist—but the pandemic really spotlighted how much being working class sucks and how needless that suffering is. You used to have a blue collar vs. white collar animosity running through any discussions about stuff like this, and that has taken a very firm backseat post-lockdown.

A lot of it is down to the fact that a lot of people had time to sit around and learn, even if they weren’t actively trying to. They saw it. They saw people being treated like garbage by their jobs in every sector of employment. They experienced—in a very personal and organic way—the soulless indifference to human pain that we’ve allowed to become the accepted norm in businesses across the world. 

That kind of injustice puts resentment in your chest. So deep you can feel it at your spine. You can’t do much about it at first, but the next time you encounter a similar injustice, you won’t have indifference or a passive hope that kindness will win. Often, it’s something that would alone be somewhat inconsequential. A lit match has very different effects on concrete and gunpowder, after all. All the same, that event can often serve as the starting pistol for societal change bubbling beneath the surface. 

I feel like the WGA strike is that event. It’s a very publicized strike, mostly because it’s headed by a group that knows how the media machine works. They have connections and skills within that area; they don’t have to explain their grievances to journalists who may or may not be receptive. It’s pushed worker’s rights up to a profile that ensures they’ll be covered in tabloids as well as op-eds and financial columns. That is very much a good thing.

It’s not the first one. It’s not the hardest fought. It’s not the most important by itself. But it is a fight worth having, and a signal that better things are to come. As long as we win, of course.

[mbti-notes]

hi! im an entj and i wanted to know if you have any tips on how to be a better student whilst not thinking too much about grades or results. i feel like i place alot of emphasis on grades and results and i think it often hinders me at times. i often have trouble finding more ''meaning'' in my work and i'm not sure how to add more value into it other than achieving a good grade.

Your question is too vague because you haven't specified what level of schooling you're at and what your idea of a "better" student looks like. This "hinders you" how exactly? What is the exact nature or source of your discontent? What exactly are you aiming for? Without this context, it's hard to craft a response.

Did you know that professors in the US are witnessing a "literacy crisis" in their students that has never before been observed in the history of modern education? While there have always been unmotivated and underachieving students, nowadays, an alarming percentage of motivated students are barely able to handle more than ten pages of text at a time (the average assignment used to be 20-30 pages), nor are they able to analyze and comprehend the meaning, themes, or arguments being communicated in the text.

A literacy deficit poses a serious threat not just to the student's individual success, but also to the integrity of higher education and the functioning of society. Colleges have no choice but to "dumb down" their offerings over time. But more importantly, a successful democracy is difficult to sustain without intelligent and literate citizenry making sound judgments about complex social, political, and economic issues.

One obvious factor contributing to this problem is that many students have fallen behind due to the pandemic. Another obvious factor is the smartphone and the major role it has played in decimating people's attention spans. Extended focus and concentration are extremely important for learning, but endless internet scrolling trains the mind to expect rapid change and crave instant gratification. Yes, anyone who genuinely wants to be a good student should care deeply about the factors that hinder/inhibit their learning process. Increasingly, misuse of technology, such as smartphone addiction and excessive reliance on AI, is a major factor that prevents students from reaching their greater potential.

High school and college students are still in the early stages of ego development. Since their self-awareness hasn't had much time to develop, they don't tend to be aware of their own underlying motivations, for example, they will often just do something because it's just what everyone around them does. Additionally, heavy social media consumption at this stage of life leads them to believe that "success" is just for show or about obtaining likes/praise.

This brings us to the main factor to consider, which is that students are increasingly trained to be motivated by extrinsic rewards. For example, in the US, school funding is often tied to exam scores, so teachers have been forced to focus more and more on teaching only to exams, in order to secure funding. Higher education has also become much more competitive, which means excellent grades are essential for securing a seat in university.

While there is nothing wrong with extrinsic motivation per se, there is something wrong when a person is only motivated by extrinsic rewards, to the point where they are completely ignorant/neglectful of intrinsic rewards. The research strongly suggests: People who are more intrinsically (than extrinsically) motivated tend to be better learners because they assign their own value to learning and understand the inherent virtues of intellect, knowledge, and skill, apart from their real-world applications. The topic of intrinsic motivation comes up often, I suggest you read past posts.

Before you asked me for "tips", did you put in a reasonable effort to inquire into yourself and figure out why you overemphasize extrinsic rewards? Could you come up with the reasons/causes on your own, through self-reflection? It's difficult to find the right solution to a problem when you don't understand its origins. This is an important point because a common symptom of extreme extrinsic motivation is abnormally low self-awareness due to having little to no inner life. How's your inner life?

With regard to type development, people who are very extrinsically motivated tend to a) be too easily influenced by environmental factors, and b) lack introverted development. The answer to your question already lies within you, specifically, in the state of development of your introverted Ni and Fi functions:

1) Extrinsically motivated people tend to believe that their life lacks meaning because the world lacks meaning. What they don't realize is that meaning starts from within, so the actual problem is that they aren't able to generate enough meaning on their own.

Ni is a key function for constructing meaning, usually through patiently exploring context and connections to a bigger picture (of life as a whole and/or the world at large). As such, lack of Ni development commonly manifests as:

dislike of ambiguity (due to preferring clear categorical answers)

impatience for complexity (due to wanting easy answers)

superficiality (due to not going beyond the known/obvious)

lack of vision (due to overemphasis on rapid results)

Since you didn't provide any details about function development, I can't speak to how much you struggle with the above issues. The only thing I can say is that all of them are detrimental to learning. Clarify your aim: Do you want to be a good student in school or a good learner in life? Do you know the difference? It is the difference between lower order versus higher order learning, which I have already explained in previous posts.

A good student wants to know the final answer. A lifelong learner uses ambiguity as an opportunity to explore more nuanced truth.

A good student can handle some challenges but stops at the most difficult point. A lifelong learner takes the initiative to unravel complexity and eventually encounters profound wisdom.

A good student reads the book all the way through. A lifelong learner is intellectually curious, which leads them to discover new realms of knowledge far beyond the book.

A good student follows instructions and is reasonably competent as a result. A lifelong learner sees the greater potential of the field as a whole and gradually becomes an expert as they attempt to realize that potential.

If a certain activity or subject matter doesn't hold any meaning for you, is it because it's boring, or is it because you haven't really given it a proper look? This isn't to say that you have to be an expert on everything; it is only to say that you won't be able to truly appreciate something until you dig deeper into it and actively nurture appreciation for it. This brings us to the second point...

2) Extrinsically motivated TJs tend to believe that "utility" is the only measure of value. What they don't realize is that value is inherent to existence, so the actual problem is an inability to recognize value.

Fi is a key function for assigning value, usually through forming uniquely personal and intensely emotional attachments. As such, lack of Fi development often manifests as:

taking things for granted (due to not honoring their value)

dismissive attitude (due to lack of emotional attachments)

passionless existence (due to fear of emotional intensity)

Again, I can't speak to how much you struggle with the above issues. I can only inform you that they also tend to be quite detrimental to learning:

Human beings need to stay fed and sheltered in order to survive, but they also need activities that affirm their humanity and enrich their life. What happens to learning if your only concern is securing a comfortable material life?

Human beings learn best through feeling deeply moved and inspired by the best of what humanity has to offer. What happens to learning if you remove the human component of knowledge and only treat it as "data", just another object for your consumption and disposal?

Human beings discover themselves and express themselves through their varied interests, which is how every subject comes to have its fans, devotees, and experts. What happens to learning if you refuse to take an interest, downplay enthusiasm, and temper or repress passion?

If a certain activity or subject matter doesn't hold any value for you, is it because it is "worthless", or because you are blind to its value? This isn't to say that you must love everything; it is only to say that you won't be able to know yourself truly and feel energized about learning as long as you have a habit of dismissing every aspect of life that isn't immediately or practically "useful" to you.

Having intrinsic motivation basically means you generate your own personal reasons for learning. Nobody can force you to care or take an interest. Becoming an adult means you have to be the one to realize the virtues of going above and beyond whatever is required to ace exams. It may all sound very abstract, but this makes the difference in determining whether you will end up being just another cog in the machine of society or whether your life will always feel imbued with a greater sense of meaning.

[mariacallous]

We are seeing a worrisome rise in mental distress among young people in the U.S., a trend that began in 2011. Various studies show that young people are now the country’s most unhappy demographic, with unprecedented increases in anxiety, depression, and suicide. In a recent ranking of happiness in countries around the world, American young people came in at 62, behind Bulgaria, Ecuador, and Honduras.  

What explains this rise? The usual sources of blame are all too familiar: smart phones, pandemic precautions, and declining church attendance, among others. In addition, political polarization, toxic debates, and misinformation increasingly influence our civic discourse and discourage the young from participating in civic life. There is also a stigma against admitting emotional problems—particularly for males—and a shortage of affordable mental-health treatments when people do.

Yet the root causes for this crisis run deeper. They include rising education costs, uncertain employment prospects and declining wages, particularly for those without a college degree, and the absence of a sense of community in many places. In a recent Brookings paper economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton found that the life expectancy for the college educated in 2021 was eight-and-a-half years longer than for the two-thirds of American adults without a bachelor’s degree—more than triple the gap in 1992. Most of the jobs available to those without a B.A. do not offer health insurance, part of the explanation for the mortality gap. These trends result in losses in human welfare and productive potential. They also exacerbate the uncertainty many young people feel about their futures.

While there is no magic bullet for this crisis, most suggested policies focus on better regulation of social media, programs that support civic engagement among youth, and better mental health care access. But an important and underreported part of the solution is restoring hope. The crisis stems in significant part from a lack of hope that often is fueled by a sense that higher education—and the economic and life expectancy benefits it brings—is beyond reach of many. My research finds strong linkages between hope and better long-term outcomes in education, health, and mental well-being, with hope more important to better outcomes of those with limited access to post-high school education and mentorship.

My recent research on populations and places vulnerable to misinformation, for example, finds that they share two linked challenges: the lack of opportunities for higher or vocational education and community-wide despair (and related deaths), with young people lacking a pathway to a better future particularly vulnerable. Solutions on the education front not only require reducing costs and increasing access to post-high school education opportunities but mentorship that supports young adults seeking more education to achieve their aspirations and suggest pathways to the kinds of employment opportunities that can give them better future lives.

Jose Santana’s story is telling. In early 2022 he was thinking about dropping out of his Bronx high school. He simply did not see a purpose in going to college. That changed the summer after he participated in Youthful Savings, a New York and Santa Monica-based program that educates low-income students in middle and high schools about economics and entrepreneurship, mental well-being, and ethical business. After completing the program, he started his own business, helping young entrepreneurs better organize and utilize web and graphic design tools. Jose earned his high school diploma this June and plans to major in business at Andrews University in Michigan.

While Jose believes the skills that he learned were valuable, what most influenced him was the mentorship he received from the program’s founder, Somya Munjal, who is a champion of educating youth about financial literacy. She shared with Jose her own struggles to pay for college and business school and how that led to what she does to support low-income youth get ahead.

On the surface, Youthful Savings may not look like a way of alleviating the mental health crisis that is plaguing American youth. Yet the program is part of a proliferating trend that has the potential to bolster young people’s mental well-being while fostering their immediate goals of acquiring more education. Somya’s ability to expand Youthful Savings was supported by Civic Wellbeing Partners, an initiative which facilitates opportunities for the young and supports well-being in low-income populations.

Somya grew up in Chicago, the child of Indian immigrants. From the time Somya was in high school, influenced by her parents’ struggles, she worked 40 hours every week. Given her strong performance in school, her parents dreamed of her attending Harvard but lost their savings during the 2001 recession. She attended Northern Illinois University, majoring in accounting. She was frustrated with her studies until she found her passion in a class about the role of education as a change agent. In Jose’s words: “Hearing Somya’s story … inspired me to continue and stay in higher education.”

Macomb Community College (MCC) outside Detroit provides another example of how to support young people in school and train them for meaningful work. The college pairs every incoming student with a mentor, which ensures that even those who need help or counseling but are reluctant to ask for it get ready assistance. Its university hub—founded in 1991—hosts several Michigan universities offering courses on its campus, providing students a more affordable route for gaining credits towards their degrees. Roughly 65% of transfer students from Macomb, many of whom remain on the home campus to get their degrees from the partner schools, complete a bachelor’s degree.

The hub—the first of its kind—has since been replicated by several other community colleges around the country, such as Lorain (Ohio) and Temple College (Austin). While some modalities have changed due to the increase of online learning, an important focus continues to be streamlining the pathway from associate to bachelor-degree completion to eliminate waste of time and money.

Macomb County, traditionally a political hotbed, has a population that is divided by three very different populations: retired autoworkers, a historically discriminated African American Community, and an influx of new immigrants. The Legacy Project at MCC invests in the civic engagement of these communities as a source of learning, credible information, and reasoned discussion. Jim Jacobs, president emeritus and legacy founder, noted that “the real value added of community colleges is how well they can convince young people that their aspirations for a better a life can be obtained within their communities. It is not only more education—but the belief they can use their skills.”

Communities—and their colleges—are an important source of support for low-income populations and their youth, providing mentorship and employment opportunities, among other things. They also play an important role in stemming the tide of loneliness that is linked to mental illness, as the data from the U.K.’s Campaign to End Loneliness shows.

Dunya Kilano, the daughter of immigrants from Iraq, came to Macomb as a child and later attended the college: “College wasn’t something that felt like a clear pathway for me. I was the first in my family to go. My parents supported me although … they would have been OK if I decided to take over their business instead.” Transferring to Oakland University while still taking courses at Macomb made a four-year degree more affordable. Her college experience laid the groundwork for her career with Face Addiction Now (FAN), a community organization that provides resources, education programs, and hope to those recovering from substance use disorder. “Education …[was] helpful but the connections I made are what led me to the work I do … An advisor suggested I take a social work class; I ended up becoming president of the Social Work Club and received a leadership award. Social work was my calling.”

Another example, focused on middle and high school youth, is the BeeWell initiative in schools and communities in the U.K.’s greater Manchester District. BeeWell introduces skills such as self-esteem, adaptability, and strategies to combat loneliness into school curriculums. It has yielded significant positive effects on both the mental well-being and academic performance of the students.

The combined emphasis on individuals and communities is key to the success of these initiatives. Macomb’s focus on civic engagement helps break down barriers separating the county’s diverse populations and enhances the chance that newly educated youth will live and work there. And communities are becoming a critical part of efforts to address the mental health crisis, as the traditional individual doctor-patient model is unable to keep up with the increasing demand for services.

Reversing the decline in youth mental health and addressing the uncertainties they face are daunting challenges. While we cannot immediately resolve them, providing youth with the skills they need to navigate them is an important step forward. By helping young people gain agency, skills, and connections through education—critical links to better outcomes—these efforts show that restoring hope and improving mental health is not just a pipe dream.

[lysolstrider]

i didn't know you were making a game thats really cool, can you tell us more about it?

yes!! just for you my dearest mutual axolotlworld… sorry I took forever to respond I really had to think about what to say!

our game is (tentatively) called COLLEGEBOUND.. or SCHOOLBOUND… or CLASSBOUND.. we are indecisive. it revolves around concepts of change, willpower, and the drive to keep going. it is tangentially related to the COVID-19 pandemic though a physical sickness is not present anywhere in the game… quite the opposite

you play as atlas, a tired sophomore who’s ready to just leave school altogether. what’s crazy though is that you can’t leave. nobody can. you’ve all been on campus and its extended neighborhood for a year straight without any contact with the outside world. your college is floating in the sky, cut off from the outside world. it’s time to fix that.

it is based VERY heavily in paper mario style combat, and is heavily inspired by games like undertale and persona 5, i would go so far as to say i hope this is an appropriate love letter to those games!! if you enjoy making friends and avoiding class, you will love this game. we are trying a lot of new things outside these games’ scopes

ideally, we get the kickstarter launched sometime after having a workable demo in mid 2025. at the moment, the majority of the demo’s soundtrack is finished, the character designs are mostly complete, and the demo’s story is 90% done. though not programmed enough to have anything tangible, the combat system is 40% complete and the UI is about 5% done. the only reason i wouldn’t be like HERES THE DEMO SCRAPS is just because i hate reading devlogs where nothing happens 😭😭

there is a secret i cannot say, but it is the reason development isn’t as quick even though it’s a two person project. just know it’s a popular mechanic for indie games to do this lately and i’m wanting to take it to a logical extreme in the most intense way possible!!!!!! which is really challenging in Unreal Engine but it is possible!

the environments and such are extremely easy and not a concern because tbh most of that is free assets we have permission to edit mixed with my hand drawn or modeled things. unironically i’m really digging the amazing world of gumball style it gives the game. i’m a huge huge perfectionist and even refuse to answer texts unless i have a perfect response so i’m polishing things as i go and am really enjoying making it!

also, we’re going to apply for multiple scholarships dedicated to things like this— with what we have so far visually we actually have a shot maybe????!!!!! i dont have any good videos on hand but the paper style is PERFECT for my art and it’s really endearing to look at and play as

i wish i could be more specific but it’s such a novel idea and i told shems i can’t talk about it anywhere for a while ugh 😭 i can’t remember my login for here on the computer but when I post some of the soundtrack snippets I will tag you in them!! the music is coming along the best so far lol

here’s some screenshots of concept art tho!! theresa and anya. theresa is an HR management major and anya is an illustration major. we thought about Anya’s color changing when she performs certain skills but that’s up in the air rn

us messing with the lighting in unreal lol (we’ve since changed the filter on it as well as making the textbox different)

[pinkeoni]

Re: The Concern for Actor Ages

This is a post to discuss and hopefully alleviate some of the concerns regarding the actor’s ages for season 5, as well as offer a counter to some of the points being made.

The whole “the actors are going to look so old once season 5 comes out!!” is a joke as old as season 4. And like, I get it. I GET it. The actors do look a lot older than they are supposed to be. And honestly, it will probably happen again. I just don’t think it’s an actual issue.

And clearly, you’ve never seen El Camino.

So El Camino is a sequel film to the tv series Breaking Bad, which is meant to take place directly after and during the events of the last season of the show. It was also made several years after the series had concluded.

The biggest concern from fans was centered around Jesse Plemons reprising his role, who now looked much different from how he looked while filming the show. For comparison, here is Jesse Plemons in Breaking Bad vs Jesse Plemons in El Camino

There were a few options to circumvent this:

Force Jesse Plemons to lose a ton of weight during their short 50 day filming period, a dangerous and unhealthy method

Digitally de-age and slim down, an unreliable process with the potential to be distracting

Somehow find an adequate actor who looks exactly like young Jesse Plemons

And here’s the option that Vince Gilligan decides to go with, which I think is much better:

Cast Jesse Plemons in the role and have him act as is with his current appearance, and ask the audience to suspend their disbelief

To be fair, suspending your disbelief for a film production is a lot harder than say, for a staged production. An audience watching a play understands that what they are watching isn’t a perfect representation of reality, but an audience will interpret a film as reality.

So maybe it’s a little impossible to not notice if actors look different from how they are supposed to in universe. And if it’s distracting for you, maybe it can’t be helped. And I probably can’t change your mind. I didn’t find myself distracted when watching El Camino, however, because Jesse Plemons fucking kills it.

His performance is great. Plemons had gained maturity and skill in the six years since BB ended, and it’s reflected in his performance. He sells it and I buy it.

And I bought it in season 4, too. Of course the kids look older than they’re supposed to. But what were the Duffer’s supposed to do? Reverse time? Stop a global pandemic from happening? Find the fountain of youth?

They do use digital de-aging with El, but that was specifically to express El at a much much younger age that doesn’t have too much screentime. De-aging the entire cast for the entire season would have cost too much, taken too much time, would be too distracting and take away from the performances. And all of the kids do a stellar job.

So my general reaction when watching season 4 and seeing that the kids looked older: 🤷🏼‍♀️ Oh well. Shit happens.

To add another layer to this, I think it’s interesting to be able to peak behind the curtain and see the filmmaking process in the actual finished product. In a perfect world where pandemics don’t happen and production doesn’t take years, the actors would look how they are supposed to in universe. But they don’t. Seeing it warts and all just makes it so much more interesting and human.

Does this mean I always wanna see mistakes in the production? No, but when it’s something as unpredictable and human as how human bodies look, I’d rather just see the actors for how they are.

So. The actors are going to look different. It happens. I promise it’ll be fine. It could distract you, but once you accept the reality of it, you can move on.