#so i've learned and listened to a lot of things about architecture over the years

[irishsaints]

Y'all wanna talk about BRUTALISM?

OKAY!

Williams College, in Western Massachusetts had a CLASSIC example of brutalism when it came to their library- for YEARS. they only finally redesigned the horrid thing in 2016, but for EONS it looked like this:

It was built in the 70s and I remember my mother, father, AND brother all groaning about how terrible looking it was.

Here's another one for you: Trinity College Dublin's Eavan Boland Library is just a fkn CONCRETE BRICK.

Trinity recently (like just this year) finalized the process of renaming the library, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a horrendous concrete block, and the interior is no better. Swear on my life this was one of the most unwelcoming libraries I have ever been into in my LIFE. (No, this is not where the Book of Kells lives- that's the Old Library, in the Long Hall, and what most people think of when they think of TCD.)

More photos of the interior can be found here:

Another pretty well known example is one that I both love and hate in equal measure: Boston City Hall.

I mean, my god. Look at this hideous thing. But here's the deal- Boston City Hall was built this way because the purpose of the building is municipal, and the architects wanted there to be good flow for people to get around it. It's worth noting, by the way, this is a photo from 2012. These days there's a LOT more greenery around it, as part of significant efforts to improve green spaces in the city to help combat ongoing effects of climate change.

Despite it's ugliness, it continues to be regularly talked about when it comes to brutalist architecture, so if nothing else, it's made an impact.

A lot of the most popular or well known Brutalist architecture designs are located in North America, though some are across the Atlantic (as noted with TCD's Boland Library, above)- so have one WAY far from where I am, that I think is actually kinda slick, as the last little treat.

The Genex Tower, or Western City Gate, in Belgrade, Serbia!

Now, do I think covering the entire right side with a Fenty x Puma ad is a great idea? no of course not, but capitalism abounds.

This is a 36 story sky-scraper originally designed in the late 70s by Mihajlo Mitrović , and was meant to act as a sort of "welcoming gate" to visitors of Belgrade, as they arrived from the airport. The tower at the top is a revolving restaurant (apparently the revolving restaurant never become operational), and was the tallest building both in Belgrade, and in all of Serbia, from the time it was built in '79, right up until 2021. It has a sister gate, the Eastern City Gate, which is a set of three, but looks slightly different. The left handed one, the taller of the two towers, is residential, and according to a quick wikipedia search, the right side is now empty, hence the huge ad campaign on it. These days it's considered a cultural landmark in Serbia- but the majority of my info is coming from wikipedia, so if someone here happens to be Serbian themselves, or wants to chime in with more details on this one, please do by all means!

Anyway, thanks for coming to my brief ted talk on brutalist architecture. I think it's weird and mostly pretty ugly but it generally serves a purpose and overall isn't any worse than anything else out there so, you know. there's that!

i feel like we don't appreciate these days how much the twin towers sucked, like, design-wise

they were contemporarily hated for just being these giant grey monoliths

like there probably could've been an easier way to get rid of them, but they probably needed to go either way

[scottsummersgal]

Misc. Tag Game~ (thanks a lot for the tag, Emily @1waveshortofashipwreck!♡) started by @ronald-speirs

Favorite place in the world you’ve visited? - Well, I think my favorite has to be Australia. I was there for ANZAC day last year and the sights really took my breath away.

Something you’re proud of yourself for? - I'm quite proud of my determination and ability to be analytical. It's a really handy skill to have in my academics and in daily life. I just love analysis a lot, helps me feel more connected with the world as a whole.

Favorite books? - In no particular order, here are some books that have left an incredibly lasting impression on me:

The Things they Carried by Tim O'brien - (blurb taken from the internet) '[...] tells the story of the men of Alpha Company, a squad of soldiers in the Vietnam War. O'Brien cuts through the veil of romanticized war to show these men as heroic, flawed, loyal, afraid, and above all - human.' -> This book is nothing short of a masterpiece in my opinion.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt -(blurb taken from the internet) 'Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.' -> Has a forever special place in my heart :)

Behind the Secret Window by Nelly S. Toll - (blurb taken from the internet) The autobiographical account of an eight-year-old Jewish girl as she hides from the Nazis in a small bedroom in Lwo+a7w, Poland, in 1943 contains twenty-nine examples of her many paintings during that period. -> I picked this up randomly because I liked the illustration on the cover...made me really emotional as I finished it

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - (blurb taken from the internet) Anna Karenina is a novel of unparalleled richness and complexity, set against the backdrop of Russian high society. Tolstoy charts the course of the doomed love affair between Anna, a beautiful married woman, and Count Vronsky, a wealthy army officer who pursues Anna after becoming infatuated with her at a ball. -> About over a year ago I listened to the audiobook during my bouts of insomnia and found that I quite enjoyed it

Something that makes your heart happy when thinking about it? - My very niche interests and dreams hehehe. A lot of it is historical related, of course. I love historical and vintage architecture and fashion, etc. My dream since middle school was to be a historian.

Favorite thing about your culture? - Hmm...perhaps the values of being fair and hardworking!

When did you join the HBO War fandom? What was the first show you watched? - Pretty late last year, hahaha. My teacher did once show a clip of Band of Brothers in class once and it left quite an impression. Recently I started watching The Pacific. I've only had Eugene Sledge for five minutes but if anything happened to him I'll kill everyone in this room and then myself

Have you read any of Easy Company’s books? If so, which ones were your favorite? - I'm reading Ambrose's book at the moment. I intend to get my hands on a copy of each of the others, too...especially Speirs'. @ronsparky 's posts really interested me

Favorite HBO War character and your favorite moment with them? - Eugene Roe and Shifty Powers my beloveds :( My favorite moment is perhaps when Doc Roe receives the chocolate from Renée for the first time and he smiles..I think my heart melted then and there. As for Shifty, it was when he spoke to Winters in the last episode. Again, I'm weak for that boy :( ♡

Do you make content for any fandoms, if so; what sort of content? - I mostly make content for Band of Brothers but I intend to branch out now that I'm getting pretty into The Pacific...I post some stuff from comic books I like from time to time on my instagram (mostly art).

Favorite actor/actress and your favorite film of theirs? - I love Emma Stone and Audrey Hepburn!! I find them to be really witty and charming. They're quite my role models hehe (esp. Emma). I'd say for Emma Stone I'd prefer Easy A, and Roman Holiday for Audrey.

Favorite quote/s that you wish to share with others? - "Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage" by Anais Nin is something I like to live by

Random fact your mutuals/followers don’t know about you? - I can't swim, guys

If you’re a writer, do you need a beta reader? - Most of the time I just write and then call it done. No beta, we die like men

Three things that make you smile? - 1. Sunlight 2. french windows 3. sunlight pouring in through french windows (all of which remind me of my younger years sighh) bonus: Christmas!

Any nicknames you like? - I like being called by my name usually but I particularly enjoy it when people call my by my last name, especially when followed by a 'Miss' . Something about it makes me want to chuckle in amusement

List some people you love to see around on tumblr! - All my moots and the entirety of the hbowar fandom, to be honest! Historical blogs, too! bonus: @pilferingapples @just-aloststar @myrthena @rknchan @foolsocracy @macau1ay are some personal favorites that I always enjoy seeing

What would you do during a zombie apocalypse? - I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try to survive which can be possible if you can be pragmatic and smart enough about it. I'd try to explore how far I can go, maybe try to enjoy a few lawless days or months, help out when I can.

Favorite movie? - Roman Holiday (1953). I watched it a long time ago, but it still has a special place in my heart. aaand Sleeping Beauty (1959).

Do you like horror movies? - I'm always a sucker for good horror movies

Again, thanks so much for the tag Emily! 🥰 No pressure tagging: @montied @roeinyourheart @vanellq77 @executethyself35 @star-trek-supernatural and anyone who'd like to give it a go

[homoeroticfisticuffs]

WIP Wednesday Thursday

Meant to post this yesterday but never got around to it.

So for that fic that won my poll (Gamora character study + Zen-Whoberi culture exploration + Starmora), I haven't started actually writing it yet so it's still in its bullet-point-list phase. But here's a general outline of some things I've got so far:

- Thinking of maybe making it three chapters. First chapter would be about Gamora learning about her culture in her adulthood after being stolen from her home, second chapter would be about Peter learning about her culture to show her how much he cares about her and learning about her people, and the third I'll need to do some more research about before committing to it lol

- Would base the reasons for Zen-Whoberi's pre-Thanos decline on factors of real-world falls of civilizations like Rome and the Maya

- Part of chapter 1 would be Gamora trying to cope with what happened in adulthood after learning more about her people (learning to stop covering up her naturally golden eyelids with makeup, feeling distanced from and abandoned by her gods, etc.)

- Through her research over the years, she's learned a lot about her home city, and how it was a hub for architecture, philosophy, mathematics, and religion. Through reading public records she learned more about her mother, her mother's family, where they came from, and maybe takes up a familial trade as a hobby (need to workshop that more for specifics)

- First chapter would end with Peter walking in on her reading up on things, or maybe trying to figure out that previously mentioned trade hobby, and sitting down with her to learn alongside her. He's patient and curious, listening to her talk and having questions, genuinely eager to learn more about her and her roots

- Chapter 2 would basically just be them being together and Peter unknowingly does something that is the Zehoberei cultural equivolent of a marriage proposal, or mating for life, something really huge like that. Gamora kind of freaks out about it because it's a really big deal and Peter realizes that he REALLY needs to do more research

- They get everything clarified and sorted out and afterward they have a good laugh about it. He starts making silly references to Zehoberei history and pop culture like he does with his Earth references to try and show her that he knows his stuff, and it's really endearing, but he kind of just sounds like an idiot (lovingly)

- And that chapter 3 idea that I need to research more. Apologies if there's holes in this. Basically, Peter tries to pitch going back to visit Zen-Whoberi because the planet itself wasn't destroyed. I thought about him using that holo-map projector/chrono-scanner he used on Morag to view what the planet looked like before it was abandoned. Not sure how plausible this idea is but it sounded fun to explore

[skymagpie]

Which one of your interests do you think you could go on the longest tangent about and why?

Oh, it's more like interest within an interest. Like a part of an interest and someone just mentioning it instantly sends me into a rant or a spiral.

From video game/fandom stuff:

Dishonored - literally anything about Dishonored, but mostly about Jindosh and his Clockwork Mansion. Legit can talk about it for hours.

Anything about Subnautica like at all

Darkin Lore, Aatrox, Kayn/Akali, Zed comic lore, old Viktor lore for League, they are huge hyperfixations

Ayleid, Clockwork City or Greymoor for ESO, I love the whole world of TES but these things can get me going for hours

Pirates of the Carribean, especially Davy Jones and Calypso, but good PotC meta gets me going

World of Warcraft - this is funny because once I was drunk at a New Years party and was telling my friend the entirety of WoW's lore. She didn't care but she was more drunk than me so she listened to me as if we are on a seminar. So like WoW lore in general, but probably anything Khadgar and "The Last Guardian".

And in general outside of video games

Films, like all kinds of films. I am a film major so I watch those 3 hour long Albanian indie film people make fun of (and yes they can be really good). Like anything film related. Also I am almost graduated in film editing so like editing related questions are within my realm.

Writing, especially character writing. My minor is in screenplay writing so I am kinda also obsessing over plays and screenplays and plot structure etc.

Horses. Horse girl at heart, used to ride for 4 years. Anything horse related is a go!

Gardening. I've gotten into gardening lately and it's such a relaxing thing to do, I recommend it to anyone that can get at least 2-3 flowers for their home.

Art/architecture history, like specifically fascinated by architecture history, even though I feel like I forgot a lot of what I learned 3-4 years ago.

[petitelepus]

(sorry if the formatting is wonky, I'm on my phone. Also I hope this sends properly? I've been having problems sending asks lately)

Hi there, I was wondering if I could get a TWST match up?

I’m NB (he/they) and pan. INTJ and 5w4, if that helps you grasp my personality.

When it comes to interacting with others, I’m a rather quiet person, not one to approach anyone first or start a conversation because haha what are social skills. But when I feel at ease, I'll do or say anything and everything that comes to mind. I can talk your ear off when I’m passionate about something, and I tend to be opinionated and stubborn, but I still try to be kind.

I have a lot of things I’m passionate about, and can be rather ambitious with my plans. Plus I love learning about anything and everything (though classes take away that enjoyment lol, I hate going to classes and would rather teach myself things).

I’m a literature student in university but I have learnt about art history, calculus, chemistry, astronomy, physics, architecture and computer programming over the years; I am decent at three languages, learning three others, and aspire to be a polyglot.

I consider myself to be very artistic as I’m a ballet + contemporary dancer, a theatre kid, a singer, I’m currently learning piano and used to play the drums when I was younger. I also love to exercise, I’m a fencer and do bouldering from time to time.

I tend to always seek some sort of stimulation, be it mental or physical, but when I do get some down time or lazy days, I appreciate those with all my being.

I’m never one to back down from a challenge (even if it’s something small and ridiculous, I shaved my eyebrows just because a friend called me a coward) and I like to say that the only reason I exist is spite, but despite being bold I am very scared of intimacy and vulnerability, not allowing myself to show any “weak” side of me like the sad side or the soft side. I’m trying to unlearn that (toxic masculinity is a bitch). I’m very bad at expressing feelings but deep down I’m a romantic. Love letters and old fashioned romance and soft lingering touches and all that.

Appearance wise, I’m short (5’3’’) but have a decent amount of muscle so that won’t stop me from kicking anyone’s ass; I have (very messy) shoulder length, blue hair and dress casually.

I match you with Jade Leech!

What a cute little thing you are! Jade immediately takes a liking to you when you first visit Mostro with all those textbooks with you. Imagine his joy when he comes to take your order and you blush and stutter as you try to order something so you won't get kicked out of the Lounge.

Jade brings you your drink with a smile that makes you wonder if he spat on your drink. No, he just slipped his phone number on the napkin. Smooth Jade smooth. That was the start of you two.

At first, you're quiet around him, but Jade is a gentleman when he wants to be. He can wait until l you open up to him and while he is at it, he gives you sweetnames. He happily listens to you talk about your interests because he likes it how your eyes sparkle in glee when you talk about something you hold close to your heart. You're cutest when you're being stubborn and Jade learned that you have no filter and it's so funny to him.

Jade may be a bastard who might tease you about your pronounces but he makes sure that others honor you and your choices. No one wants to see Jade angry so they do as he says, but mostly everyone respects you and your wishes.

If you focus you can achieve anything you desire. Jade adores and admires your indescribable passion to learn. Not many enjoy studying like you do and it's different in a good way.

You're smart, that goes without saying. If Jade wasn't so sneaky he might say how smart you are, but he is what he is so he just smiles and asks if you learned something new that day. You always reply happily and start repeating everything you learned that day. Jade likes to listen to you because he discovers something that way also.

The longer you and Jade keep seeing each other, the more he learns about you and in general. You're a dancer? Jade chuckles at that because when he came to dry land he had trouble even standing up. You singing? Jade is surprised to hear how good you sound, but instead of giving you a direct compliment, he asks if you are actually a siren? He ends up complimenting you anyways.

Your physique also stuns Jade from time to time. You might be a little shorter, but Jade has a feeling that you could easily take on his twin brother Floyd. You are both strong and it shows.

Don't worry, Jade keeps you busy so you won't get bored. Wanna help around the Mostro? You can try serving customers and if you're eager to learn then Jade will teach you how to make drinks.

Your payment? Well, if you help around then Jade might get out earlier and the two of you can spend more time together, just the two of you. Of course, you can always rest in your room and if you still want to hang out with Jade then he is happy to bring you some sort of dessert from Mostro so you can enjoy your lazy day to the fullest.

Hey, Jade knows that not everyone can be perfect all the time. Okay okay, Jade loves you, BUT he absolutely LOVES daring you to do things that usually end up with him gaining something and making you step out of your comfort zone.

He bets you can't kiss him for 2 minutes straight? You can do it or not, but you would be damned if you didn't kiss him!

Since you're eager to learn, Jade enjoys teaching you to trust him. You're his partner and there must be trust between the two of you. He may tease you, but he does it to everyone.

You can be whatever you want to be and despite being an asshole sometimes, Jade supports you genuinely. If you ever feel down, he is there to tell you how amazing you are and how he loves you for being yourself and not something society expects you to be.

He might be a sneaky and ruthless eel, but he is in love with you and no one else.

[runningdownthatroad]

I just have to get this off my chest after seeing some very disturbing posts about 9/11 floating around on my dash as well as some truly crude commentary. A lot probably won't agree with my sentiments but I feel like this needs to be said.

I've seen a lot of things on Tumblr in the past that maybe I consider to be in poor taste or don't agree with but I usually just scroll past, sometimes block for curating sake, but today is the first time I truly was shell-shocked. To see the memes and blasé jokes people are making about this day are just absolutely horrific and appalling.

I get that a lot of people on this site now may not remember what happened that day and only learned second hand through school or media or other people telling them. I get that a lot occurred after this that wasn't right which we definitely should be learning from. I also get that there is a lot of anti-American and anti-white sentiments going around currently, especially on this site.

But here's the thing:

Not only Americans died that day. Not only white people died that day. That's the thing about terrorists and what these hijackers did: they don't care about your skin color, your culture, your religious preference, your sexual orientation, your gender orientation, your age, your economic status, your personality, whether you support them or not, your political persuasion, your job, or any of it. Everyone is fair game to them. For crying out loud, look at what the Afghani people are currently going through and how the Taliban are treating their own country's people, women especially. If you think this is bad (which it truly is), have you seen how things went under their rule before 9/11 even happened? Do you know their terrifyingly violent and brutal history? Women had acid thrown in their faces if they didn't wear a full hijab. People were mutilated or executed if they didn't fall in line with the law of the Taliban. And this doesn't even begin to go into Al-Qaeda or Isis. But I'm not here to talk about that or delve into that topic too much.

My point in mentioning all of this is that white Americans weren't the only ones that were killed that day. People of all faiths, of all colors, of different countries, died that day, too. And the unity that is consistently discussed every 9/11 anniversary is in regards to us being aware of that fact, us mourning all of their losses together, and the collective desire to come together and help once the planes hit and after the towers collapsed.

So when people say "why am I supposed to cry over white Americans getting killed that day" think about that. Not only white Americans died that day. And regardless of their color, their nationality, their culture, their religion, etc. anyone dying is always sad. Whether it be a jetliner being used as a weapon that crashed into their floor or someone dying of cancer or someone being killed in a mudslide or someone dying in a car accident -- it is always sad. And empathy should always be shown in response, even if it doesn't impact you personally. Let's not forget these people have loved ones that got left behind, that are still here.

So when people say "if something knocks into a cow and knocks it over, I'm not expected to care, but if something knocks into a building and knocks it over, suddenly I'm supposed to care?" think about that. People aren't grieving two large pieces of steel architecture. People aren't saying "always remember those two towers". The WTC Towers were a symbol (yes, for American wealth, I get it) but became so much more of a multi-faceted powerful symbol after 9/11. The towers represent a way of life before 9/11 happened, but more importantly they represent the people lost that day, who were in the towers when they collapsed. For all of the first responders who were stuck on those floors still trying to help evacuate people to safety when the buildings finally gave. The two footprints and two blue lights aren't a symbol of American wealth or a naivete and simpler way of life pre-9/11 - they are a symbol of memorialization for that day. The Freedom Tower was erected to show that despite the loss of that day, we stood united (even if there seems to be more and more division these days). It's a message to the world that yes, destruction and death happened that day in NYC, but so did rebuilding and life carrying on. It's a symbol of strength, resilience, and unity - something that was everywhere you looked days after this event occurred. The two towers (aka NYC) may have gotten knocked down but the city got back up. They weren't kept down - that's the point of the Freedom Tower.

When people say "I don't understand, what is it that I shouldn't be forgetting since I can't remember it anyway" here is what we all should be remembering despite our age or our connection (or lack thereof) with this event:

2,997 innocent civilians died that day. Among them were 343 firefighters, 37 police officers, 23 Port Authority police officers, 8 EMS workers, and 4 other first responders. Also among them were 246 people on the four planes that crashed.

The passengers of United Flight 93 made a choice to fight back against the hijackers and saved lives that day by sacrificing their own.

Many children lost parents. Many parents lost children. Many brothers lost sisters, and many sisters lost brothers. Many spouses lost their significant others. Many lost friends, family, and loved ones.

For those who want a better connection to this day who didn't experience it and/or don't remember it, and for those others who are seriously lacking in empathy: yes, it was a highly publicized event due to the hundreds of cameras (including media outlets) watching that day, but if the horrific images aren't enough to garner some of your empathy, then there are plenty of other resources at your disposal. Documentaries like 9/11 by James Hanlon and the Naudet brothers, 102 Minutes That Changed America (which shows you not only all of the first-hand eyewitness accounts that day but also lets you hear 911 calls, radio transmissions between firefighters, and people's reactions to the event and each other who were there), 9/11 Firefighters (on Discovery Plus) and even more recently, 9/11: The Turning Point (on Netflix) which provides a 360 degree view of the events that led up to 9/11, 9/11 itself, and what came after, displaying all different viewpoints. You can read the 9/11 Commission Report or there are several books and memoirs out there like Wake-Up Call by Kristen Breitweiser, or even historical accounts in books, newspaper articles, and online. But most importantly, listen to people's stories. The ones who were there, the ones who saw it happen, the ones who ran in to help, the ones who lost loved ones. That is the most important part and the most powerful. On Hulu, ABC News ran segments of 9/11 Twenty Years Later, "Women Of Resilience" being especially powerful. It's hard not to feel a human connection to these stories or any kind of empathy.

For those who are making these jokes and memes, if you like shows like 9-1-1 and Chicago Fire, etc, imagine those first responder characters rushing into those buildings to save lives and losing theirs in the process. If you don't remember 9/11 or feel any connection or empathy, imagine hundreds of Bucks or Eddies or Bobbys or Hens or Chimneys dying that day as they worked to save so many. Sorry to be so blunt because I love those characters too, but do you get a little bit of the connection now? Do you feel any empathy? I'm not trying to equate real life heroes and sheroes with fictional characters of course, but if it helps you to understand a little better in some way, well...I'm throwing it out there.

I myself lived in the Tri-State area at the time of the attacks. I remember seeing the second plane seconds before it crashed into the second building. I remember the devastation I felt watching the first tower collapse knowing that a loved one was most likely inside and how hard I cried thinking he was dead. (thankfully, he had been late to work that day and he got out of the area before the towers came down) I remember the relief and gratefulness we all felt hearing from him to assure us that he was alive when he finally was able to get to a phone, stating he was covered in dust and ash from the buildings. I remember the panic and fear we all felt, thinking the world was ending and we were all going to die, that this was it, this was World War III, after it was confirmed that the Pentagon had also been hit and there was also a downed plane in Pennsylvania. I remember the grief another loved one suffered because she lost her entire floor (she had been out sick that day) and every single one of her co-workers. I remember the race to pick up children from school and get them home as soon as possible. I remember the rage that coursed through us seeing the footage of some people in certain countries celebrating the attacks in the streets, enjoying the deaths of so many Americans, a couple of these countries who lost citizens themselves in these attacks. I remember the camping out in front of the televisions night after night for a week straight afterwards, watching the news 24/7, worrying that there might be more attacks. I remember the feeling of sheer terror anytime a plane was heard overhead or seen appearing low enough in the sky that you could practically make out which airline it was for months afterwards. I remember seeing the lights the first time they were lit from our home. I remember feeling pure fear not only for what happened that day but also what came afterwards (not yet understanding that these weren't practitioners of Islam that did this but radical extremists who had literally hijacked the religion). I remember seeing the devastation at Ground Zero through a tear in the fabric over a fence as we walked through the city months afterwards. I remember not wanting to fly for years. I remember the anger I felt that our government had failed us due to political bs between agencies and countless others (which we found out especially when the 9/11 Commission Report came out) and that because of this horrific and absurd failure, thousands of innocent people had died. I remember seeing the crushed ladder truck, and the toy of the little girl who was on one of the planes at the 9/11 Memorial Museum and all of the pictures in that room that just floored me. (I also remember being pissed off that many were treating it as a selfie op where they were allowed to take pictures, completely missing the point of the museum's existence) But most of all, I remember feeling that life would never be the same for any of us ever again, and that the feeling of safety we had naively enjoyed on September 10, 2001 would never return.

But I also remember the compassion and unity we saw rising in the country after those attacks. I remember the gratitude for all of our first responders, those we lost that day and those who were still with us, actively working to recover those lost and to clear Ground Zero. I remember the feeling of collectiveness, that we all shared grief and showed support to one another in those days afterwards. I remember the fallen heroes and sheroes who ran into those buildings, who were off duty but raced from wherever they were that day to come and help. I remember The Man In the Red Bandana aka Welles Crowther (and many like him who worked to save others) who has become another important symbol of that day. I remember hearing all of the stories of people helping one another before and after the towers collapsed. I remember the good that this day represents. That while we may have seen some of the worst of humanity that day in the form of violence, death, weaponized airplanes, and devastation, we also saw the very best of humanity in the form of our first responders and people helping one another.

Look, did Islamophobia happen? Yes. Was it right? No, absolutely not. As I stated above, I myself feared the idea of the religion until I was educated by a friend of mine about the difference between the religion and extremism. This form of hijacking ideology can be seen in examples like the Westboro Baptist Church or even Hitler. Terrorists do not represent the true spirit of Islam no matter what the former tries to force people to believe. Just as the WBC is not the true spirit of Christianity, and so on and so forth. But even during the time I had feared the religion before gaining understanding and clarity, I never confronted or mistreated any practicing Muslim or Arab-American. Ever. I never posted hate or spewed vitriol against them. Just like with the current pandemic, I still cannot believe there are people out there attack Asian-Americans as if this whole thing is their fault. That's still mind boggling to me and it is absolutely 100% WRONG. It should not be happening. Same with Islamophobia. And it breaks my heart to read that many Arab-Americans and practicing Muslims still worry when this anniversary comes around that they may be attacked. It might not mean much, but I just want to say I am truly sorry for that and you have my full support. Always.

Did we go to war and was it just? Yes we did go to war. Was it just? Afghanistan? I need more information in order to have a fully-formed opinion but there are plenty who say yes and plenty who say no. Plenty who say we made things better over there (before we exited and the Taliban advanced) and plenty who say we didn't and only made it worse. I truly cannot say which assertion is correct and I think it would be narrow-minded and completely moronic (and possibly arrogant and presumptuous?) of me to speak on a subject I know so little about, one way or the other. Iraq? No, I don't think it was just and I honestly wish we could go back and do things differently.

But coming back to 9/11 and what this day means for so many, the people who died, the people who rushed headfirst into danger, the people who lost their loved ones. We saw incredible bravery, selflessness, and compassion for your fellow human that day despite what happened. We saw the strength within ourselves despite the fear and anger. We saw resilience. That is what the anniversary is meant to be a reminder of. The sacrifices, the loss, the courage, and the strength. Black, White, Gay, Straight, Christian, Muslim, Man, Woman, Young, Old -- it didn't matter. We all came together.

So regardless of whether it's the cool thing to do right now on this site (or elsewhere) to hate on America or 9/11 or white Americans or the anniversary itself on the very anniversary of these attacks, I ask that you please consider when posting these hurtful (and frankly harmful) words of hatred and vitriol such as referenced above that there are people out there who lost their loved ones on 9/11, that yes some of them may be on this very site and going through the 9/11 tag, and that some of them may have even lost a loved one in either war and are again on this site reading your words. Regardless of what you think or feel, please consider them and tag appropriately if you're going to post. Please consider that some of these people are currently losing their loved ones due to 9/11-related illnesses because of the cleanup at Ground Zero. Please consider that there are children who lost a parent or loved one, or who were orphaned that day (yes, they exist, we had some in our school district) who are also on this site reading your words. Basically, please just consider and be considerate. Please stop spreading hatred on a day that happened due to hatred; please stop perpetuating that cycle.

Like Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

TLDR: Love and light, my friends. Love and light. ✌️❤️

[umichenginabroad]

Salut, Hello, (Almost) From Paris!

Hi everyone! My name is Ian Rosenberg, and I’ll be your blogger for #IPEParis this summer. I just finished my freshman year at University of Michigan, and I’m looking forward to continuing the great time I’ve had over the last eight months, but this time, abroad! I’m studying Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering here at U of M, and now, I’ll be taking thermodynamics and French Sports and Culture in Paris. In my free time, I play the viola and enjoy learning languages and about the world. Hence, I’ve traveled far and wide, and I’m psyched to add France to my list. 

I’ve done a lot of traveling in the past, so at this point, I’m not too worried about the actual traveling experience. In fact, I’d say that I can speak French fluently, so I’m feeling rather confident about my abilities to get around the city. I’m just more curious, I’d say, about what it’ll exactly be like. I know I've begun to look at some places I may end up studying, some boulangeries (bakeries) and markets I may get my food from, and even charted my commute over to class. I spent a while on the phone with a friend yesterday looking at all the cool places in store for me on Google Maps, and I can't wait to see them in person! For now, I can't wait to make it to the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris (City of Paris Historical Library), as it looks like a stunningly beautiful building with study spaces galore.

Not to drag on too much about this, as it's something I really enjoy talking about, but I find it often very interesting to see how American culture has worked its way into different places. Of course, we tend to associate Europe as being more similar to the US than, say, East Asia, but I find myself always pleasantly surprised at the little differences that we see in Europe—the city life and greater respect for public spaces that comes along with it, the history that weighs down on you when you even just walk through the streets. That library I was talking about is just in the middle of the city! But one aspect of American culture that has not made its way, at least in my experience, to Europe is the friendliness to strangers. When I was in Bulgaria, nobody smiled back at me, and when I’d ask questions to shopkeepers or people on the streets, the vast, vast majority would have one-word answers to me. I remember, though, one shopkeeper. Though he didn’t speak English, and I only spoke the most rudimentary Bulgarian, I was interested in the art he was making. I came into his shop, and though he had a right to disregard me and continue on his work, we talked for about twenty minutes over Google Translate about his drawing process and the beautiful city that we were in. I greatly appreciated his enthusiasm, but I understood that the cultural norm in Bulgaria is to keep to yourself, don’t greet people, and small talk is not so appreciated. (Of course, none of this is to discourage a visit to Bulgaria… the cities, history, and scenery is absolutely stunning! Totally worth the trip). 

In the other direction, one of my favorite little tidbits to share is that when I was in Mongolia, I got the once in a lifetime experience to visit Mongolian Barbecue, the American chain, in Ulaanbaatar! Here's a picture...

One last thing before I go. To say I'm passionate about classical music is an understatement; it's pretty much all I listen to. France, and Paris especially, has long been home to great composers such as Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Enesco, and Stravinsky after his exile from the budding Soviet Union. That being said, I have listened to very little music by any of these composers. My impression of French classical music is that it’s rather subdued. Lots of introverted and quiet music, for whom texture is the most important aspect. It is not meant to show off, rather, present something nice to listen to. The works are mainly piano solos, string quartets, and sonatas—works that are much smaller scale than your typical Germanic symphony. I much prefer the German style of music, with its impressive and emotional climaxes, thought provoking works set to stories, and symphonies that require upwards of a thousand performers. I think they match my energy much more than that calm French music. I get excited by the fiery nature of Spanish dances and Argentinian Tangos, and the angst of a Soviet composer’s music never ceases to capture my thoughts. But I’m excited, however, to experience what it’s like to be in Paris. To live amongst the architecture, see the art, and most importantly, be immersed in the culture for six weeks. Maybe with this, I will finally be able to understand the beauty and great traits of the French works. I'm also excited because I've bought tickets to go to a Philharmonie de Paris concert the day after my birthday, and it's a fantastic conductor, and they will be playing one of my favorite works, Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra (which opens with the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme, for those of you who'd recognize it by that).

A Bientôt! Talk to you all in Paris!

Ian

NA&ME UMich '25

[waluigis-837th-testicle]

you put it into words beautifully.

so I've had a lot of different ones over the years.

England

used to genuinely stan him when I first got into Hetalia because i saw a lot of myself in him

i was in a HUGE tea-aboo phase (wannabe British person) and i identified a lot with his personality (snarky/cynical, kind of a hardass, imaginative, lonely)

i watched a lot of British dramas with my parents and read a lot of British poetry and listened to bands like The Police, Genesis, and Jethro Tull so that informed my interest in English history (especially concerning the 19th century)

when i saw punk fan art of him i thought it was super cool and it was the impetus for me to investigate the original punk scene in the 70s/80s (which still informs my fashion sense)

i should mention that never did i fucking EVER gloss over the fact that the actual British empire was a colonizing piece of shit. yes i loved the character, no i didn't conflate him for the irl country of England and its failings

he's no longer my favorite but i do enjoy his design and his cranky old man tendencies

also i defy anyone to come up with a better playlist for him than me so there xx

Scotland

canon be damned, i miss the og sexy redhead

again, genuinely thought he was a cool dude

he informed my habit of dyeing my hair red and getting my cartilage pierced

was on a scottish history kick thanks to the movie brave so he just amped that interest Right The Fuck UP

went so far as to teach myself scottish gaelic

similar to England in thinking he was aesthetically cool. i read up on the history and because of the gaelic i learned i can do a pretty baller (albeit mishmosh) Scottish accent

i was flabbergasted when his canon design came out ngl

nowadays i don't think about him or the UK sibs really at all but they used to be My THING

France

oh fuck oh god oh shit oh girl im drowning girl ive been swept out to sea girl help

didn't really think about him until i commissioned someone to match me w/ a hetalia character and i was assigned Frog Fucker

he's pretty :)

but he's also kinduva bitch :/

i use him as a muse now (which im sure would go straight to his head), he's informed a lot of my artistic motivation vis a vis character designs and world building

i cannot TELL YOU how many characters have been loosely based off France (the character) or things like irl French folklore/history/architecture/literature etc

ngl i self-ship w/ him

i just think he's super cool not only for gender reasons but also France can be portrayed in so many ways??? from foppish and self-absorbed to poetic to calculatedly cruel i just!!!! love exploring the potential for his character!!!! he's infinitely fascinating to me

also did i mention his tits and hair please let me talk about his tits and hair i've been dying to talk about his tits and hair all day

Spain

a bastard-coated bastard with bastard filling

was one of my OG faves because of how sunshiney and ditzy he was

now i like him for his potential to be deceptively valid but also an asshole???

like full on anarchist who would gladly choke the monarchy with his own hands but also will only admit that he fucked up to himself and no one else. you'll have to claw an apology out of him and even then you won't get a proper one

i got interested in Spanish medieval history, specifically during the time of Muslim rulers

it isn't talked about enough look it up stan Al-Andalus she's perfect we love her

i wanna write a fic about Tono but i'd have to get back into learning about Spanish history and it's been a while since I touched on any of that

Romano

bastard energy

love his commentary, one of the funniest characters imo

not super attached to him as i am to the others, but i also think he holds a lot of potential as a character if you were to write him in a grittier fic

mostly i just think he's funny

Denmark

i love me a good himbo with tits you could suffocate in between

randomly got really into him and started teaching myself danish

at one point i was able to think in danish, so there's that

in any event, i think he's fun and funny but i have my own interpretation of him that's much more mellow (closer to how he was portrayed in the first season with a voice actor that sounded like a normal adult man)

i also self ship with him to a lesser degree than france uwu

Prussia

bastard energy but in a polar opposite way to Romano's

he's a stinky man your honor and i wouldn't have him any other way

i also think he's funny

a fascinating mix of nerdy german uncle who wears socks with crocs to the beach and annoying older brother who won't shut up about Star Trek and plays the bass in some local band with his uni buddies

the man has a fucking DIARY

thousands of them

geek ass nerd i love him

Korea

this guy holds a lot of sentimental attachment to me because he helped me place a lot of feelings and have someone to identify with at a time when i felt really alone

silly as it sounds, i loved this guy so much i wrote full on prose about him

i self-shipped with him for a LONG time, and i guess to a certain extent i do still but not with the same fervency/dependency that i used to (yay personal growth)

i completely understand why the Korean government was pissed and wanted him out of the show but :( i'd still like to see him animated

i still have a keen interest in Korean history (especially from Korean rather than American perspectives)

obligatory fixation on idol groups

but again. never creepy or fetishistic about it. just thought the music was good

I have an observation I'd like to share...

I really believe that reason Hetalia fans stick around, or come and go in huge waves, has almost everything to do with the characters themselves and not the actual content of the franchise.

I think having a large cast of characters that are defined by various generic personalities traits is going to draw people in and out depending on their own irl personal life and development (maybe why we've largely been represented by the teenage population lol)

It's easy to pick one that you can readily identify with, and then a lot of us just fill in the gaps with other things that interest us. There are many many hetalia fans that know better than to give into the ignorant source of the icons, and unfortunately there have been more than enough fans that don't think critically about what isn't actually funny (the original series and much of the first animated seasons).

Subsequently, there's also a lot of fandom portrayals of characters most of us accept in place of canon when the real show/manga is still ignorant, outdated, or just plain inaccurate. Sometimes these headcanons go so far as to collectively change physical features based on a general consensus, or in more blunt terms, unwhite-wash.

That all being said, No!! No arguing on my post, there's an infinite amount of other places to do that, so not here!!! I recognize the bad and reject harmful outdated humor, do not bring up the bad here!!

Personally I've loved having a character that can be encased by his boisterous personality and bad eyesight lol, and I know back when I was a tween and had just discovered the series I'm sure I said or imitated very stupid things!!

As people it's our responsibility to learn and grow, it is NOT our responsibility to punish and hurt others (especially minors) for their mistakes.

Who's your favorite character(s) and why? Do they mean a lot to you, or do you just enjoy the designs and slapstick humor?

[jacksgreysays]

I've been really loving "It's Thunder and It's Lightning" by We Were Promised Jetpacks and "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons lately. I feel like there's a thematic link there (obvious in the song titles), but the songs themselves are quite different. Do you think you can do anything with them (together) as a prompt?

I love both of these songs, lionheadbookends! I never really thought to compare them even though, as you said, their titles are similar. I suppose it’s because of when I encountered the songs (years apart, that is) and again, as you said, the feel of them is quite different; but I’ve given them both another listen with the lyrics in mind and I think I’ve got the link.

Thunder by Imagine Dragons is more easily understood as a song–not that simplicity of meaning makes it less musically entertaining–but as a piece of literature it’s fairly straightforward. An age old story of a kid from a (small) town who doesn’t quite fit, who is going to leave and make it big even though no one really believes in them. It’s almost the same idea behind a hero’s  journey–an internal call to action that differentiates the protagonist from the others in their hometown who are satisfied to stay behind.

In Thunder, it’s the vocalist vs the rest of his town/the world, but in a way it’s also the vocalist vs his own determination–can he keep going and achieve his dreams despite all the negativity trying to bring him down.

It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning by We Were Promised Jetpacks is more difficult to parse. Frankly, I’m still not sure how many people are involved in the story. There’s definitely at least two people: the vocalist and whoever the vocalist is going to guide home. That person is probably also the person whose body was black and blue. But there is probably a third person who is threatening to punch out the vocalists lights.

So as a narrative, this song might be about two teenagers dating and one of them has an abusive parent. Unless it really is just about two people in a rather disastrous relationship. But regardless it’s not really about the story so much as it is about the feeling: there’s chaos and violence and fear and at some point the vocalist decides to leave not out of an actual desire to do so but out of necessity, out of survival and desperation. And on top of that, the vocalist is not entirely sure if outside is more dangerous–it’s night and there’s a storm, no guarantee of safety, but at least it’s not where he is now about to get beaten. Bleak, yes, in comparison to Thunder which is uplifting.

In Thunder, the thunder and lightning is a good thing–a goal to be reached, to become so great that you change the sky, everyone looks up to see you, everyone listens; no one can beat you down. In It’s Thunder and Lightning, the thunder and lightning is neutral–force of nature which the vocalist decides is a better fate than the closer, human violence.

Ultimately what connects these songs, besides their titles, is the theme of leaving a toxic place–maybe to follow one’s dream towards a bright future, or maybe just to escape, braving the unknown to get away from the known danger. Moving on to bigger if not necessarily better things because to stay is to stagnate, be victimized, and die.

But you’re not here for an essay analyzing these two songs, you’re here for what I can make from the analysis as a prompt.

—

Frankly, lionheadbookends, whenever I see lightning (or thunder) my brain immediately goes to Tetsuki because she’s… well, she’s it for me. Maybe also Kiyoshi Utsugi–who has Lightning natured chakra as well–but given her specific circumstances it’s hard to apply prompts as easily to her.

Tetsuki is my go to OC–my everywoman, if you will–and this prompt could not be more suited to her. But it’s a very different side to her than I normally explore because it’s, well, less fun?

For me and for her, I think.

Because except for her “first life” that is, Trailblazers in KHR, Tetsuki doesn’t really have a toxic home life either because a) her families are kind if not loving or b) she has no home/family.

In her first life, Tetsuki’s parents were neglectful if not outrightly emotionally abusive. They might have possibly also been physically abusive earlier on–leading to Ryohei and Tetsuki taking up martial arts–but nothing that continued for long.

Were I to ever write Trailblazers properly, there would be a scene where, for the first time since the mafia madness started, Tetsuki’s parents came home (they travel a lot, mostly, hardly ever in Namimori which is why she can get away with so much but also where the neglect comes from) and suddenly the badass, cool senpai who will throw herself into this world of Flames and danger is just a teenaged girl who trembles whenever her parents raise their voices.

There would then be a point where–primarily the Sasagawas, but also the rest of the Family–remind her that she isn’t what they say she is, that she’s more than just a burden or an incompetent or whatever they say of her. And she leaves, probably to live with the Sasagawas properly (whose parents have always been quietly preparing for this day, pretty much have everything but the paperwork done to make her their third child) or, depending on the timeline, to a full-time member of Vongola.

So while it’s similar to the prompt idea, unfortunately, that’s not quite enough.

For this prompt I would probably go with a Viridescent–though I’m not yet sure what fandom would best house this particular episode–in which Tetsuki has the memories of her previous lives but none of the powers.

Which isn’t a combination I’ve yet done, I think. I’ve done powers and memories (Externality, Multiphenomenal, the Power Rangers Viridescent). I’ve done limited powers and limited memories (Iron Will). I’ve done powers but no memories (Deuteranomaly). But I haven’t done no power with memories.

I think I might have tried something like that previously in Big Hero 6 but I’ve put myself off of that fandom, unfortunately, and it wasn’t very good to begin with…

Because here’s the thing. In a new world where she has the memories but none of the powers, then that really brings the validity of the memories into question. If she could just randomly manifest lightning in her hand, that’s close enough to proof for the rest of the odd things in her life. But if she only has the memories and no way to prove it than what is inside her own mind, then there’s no way to tell if maybe it’s all just a delusion.

… which perhaps means it’s an Inception fic?

Hrm… but unless she encounters the characters, there’s not much point in her being in Inception given that it’s basically “the real world” but with mental espionage. And considering that, the memories themselves would give her powers as related to everyone else because she would have the best security ever if not also thorough forges or intricately physics-breaking architecture.

Ah, shit, that actually sounds pretty cool though.

So perhaps the fill to your prompt would be the “prologue” to this Inception Viridescent: like, Tetsuki is born in a “normal world” to awful parents who are, perhaps, so similar to her original, awful parents that it puts the rest of her memories into doubt. Maybe there never were any reincarnations or any fantastic powers, maybe it was just a desperate, over imaginative dream of a girl in a terrible situation.

Maybe she tries to run, tries to go to Namimori only to find it doesn’t exist. Maybe her grandmother was actually named Hisae Kaiza, but she passed long ago and certainly wasn’t a calligraphy/magic teacher. Gotham may very well exist, but there’s nothing on the level of the superheroes she knows (Nolan'verse Batman might very well be a real thing, given all of it is ~science~ and, possibly, Ra’s al Ghul’s “immortality” is him doing a pre-PASIV mind restructuring such that his consciousness gets passed onto a newer, younger body).

As far as she can find, none of her memories are real, and yet… she’d rather try to scrape out an existence out there, which may never be as good as the lives she remembers, than go back home which she knows for certain is worse.

And then maybe it gets worse. Maybe she is snatched–this is an awful world, but a lone teenage runaway who thinks she’s more powerful than she actually is will not survive long–and gets experimented on (there’s a new technology and different countries/companies are eager to be the first ones to crack it). She’s a fascinating subject, but hard to break, and so  they get her addicted to Somnacin thinking that will let them control her.

Maybe she escapes anyway, learns of extraction (and inception), of weaponizing dreaming and imagination, and turns her weakness into her strength.

I’m not saying she eventually ends up as Saito’s on-call secret keeper (extractors learn to fear the shadow of this mogul, the one whose mind can’t be broken into) but that is one way of getting her to interact with the characters. Maybe instead of him being “the tourist” it’s her.

Or maybe she’s just another professional dreamer in the world of Inception, dreaming of worlds and lives that probably don’t exist.

~

Check out the Ask Box Advent Calendar!

[ais-n]

Hi ais! I've just finished re-reading icos and I once again feel so sad that it's over again. Do you have any nook recommendations or books that you like?

Aww thank you for reading ICoS the first time, let alone rereading it! That’s sweet of you

I could have sworn at some point I compiled a list (which I was going to link only because I have the worst memory and forget things I love whenever I try to list it all) but I can’t find anything! What the hey.

So, I made a list below the cut :D I broke it up between M/M, nonfiction, fiction, YA, and anime/manga. You should know ahead of time that I tend to read mostly manga or nonfiction, and/or I tend to gravitate toward “darker” stories or stories that deal with a lot of nuance and complexity. I don’t tend to gravitate toward stories that are really black and white (but idk about the ones I mentioned from when I was a preteen/teen because it’s been so long since I read them).

That may tell you if you might like any of these or not :) I wrote a little about the book by most of the names to give you a bit more of an idea.

Hopefully at least one of these looks interesting to you :) Let me know if you need links on something if you can’t find it, or if you want a bit more of an explanation on anything. Some (honestly, most) of these books I haven’t read in forever but others I periodically reread just because I

BOOKS BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS BELOW

**M/M:**

All for the Game series by Nora Sakavic - m/m, super awesomesauce series, it’s my fave in general. First book free, second 2 books 99 cents each. Nora was having some issues with the first book not being on the site with the rest so I put it on my site until she’s got that figured out, so people can still read the series. Get the first book here: http://aisylum.com/tfc/ and then I link the other books on there.

Raised by Wolves series by W.A. Hoffman - m/m, this one is a very different series and style of storytelling. I personally adore this series but it’s also the sort of thing some people may not be into for various reasons. But for me, I read the series all the way through and instantly started over and reread it all again. First book is Brethren.

**NONFICTION:**

anything by Simon Singh but especially The Code Book and Big Bang - these are nonfiction books and if that makes you go “UGH NO WAY” then know that Simon writes nonfiction like fiction so they’re really great and easy reads, plus you get lots of great info. Also, The Code Book is what I used as research for Jeffrey’s knowledge base + the whole thing with the message in Evenfall and the OTP comment. (If you’re like “Hey yeah what WAS all that about?” I answered it here.) (Also also, if you saw Imitation Game, then you should know that the Code Book covers at least part of the same history as that movie)

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder (follows the story of one of my favorite humans, Paul Farmer who founded/co-founded Partners in Health which is one of my favorite charities) also Tracy writes other books that look intriguing to me but I haven’t read yet.

Erik Larson - Devil in the White City, Thunderstruck, and other books by him – he, like Simon, writes nonfiction in a way that reads very easily like fiction. I like the way he interweaves various stories of various people into one book. Devil in the White City might be my favorite of his that I’ve read? Mostly because it combines architecture + America’s first serial killer + the 1893 Chicago World Fair and all of these things make me go YES PLX

Troublemaker by Leah Remini and Rebecca Paley - this is about scientology; I listened on audiobook–it was interesting and informative

Also, I listened to Dan and Phil’s first book (The Amazing Book is Not on Fire) on audiobook and that was also entertaining–although if you have no idea who tf Dan and Phil are, that may be less entertaining to you lol

Death’s Acre, or Beyond the Body Farm, by William Bass and Jon Jefferson - so, Bill Bass is super interesting, tl;dr is he’s a frontrunner in forensic anthropology, these books are about a farm people donate their bodies to where they decompose in various states to help forensic anthropologists learn more on decomposition which then helps in murder trials and elsewhere. If you’re into forensic anthropology, check out Bill Bass

Dismembered by Susan Mustafa and Sue Israel - this is true crime about a serial killer in Louisiana. It is, therefore, quite graphic and you should heed the title as quite accurate representation of what you will be reading about in the book. But if serial killers or true crime intrigue you, I really liked this book and have been on the lookout by more from these ladies. I thought it was written well and told the story well.

**FICTION:**

books by Jefferson Bass - there’s a whole series called the Body Farm series or something. Jefferson Bass is the combo if the two people for Death’s Acre, except that pseudonym is for their fiction series based on scientific reality/facts. It’s a pretty interesting series from what I recall but I never finished it. But if you like forensic anthropology and want to read a sort of murder mystery/detective type of series written by an actual acclaimed forensic anthropologist with all the science being legit, this is your series

Tony Foster series by Tanya Huff (starts with Smoke and Shadows) - ok so, Tanya Huff was SUPER nice the one time I messaged her. I like her a lot as a person. I will say that this series is not the actual best writing you will ever read–BUT Tony Foster is such a freaking great narrator that I love the series. Also, Tony’s a gay male which is always cool to have as a lead, especially in a sort of fantasy like this :)

Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman – honestly, just about anything you pick up by Neil Gaiman will be good. I’d have to reread all the books to say which is my favorite but I do recall liking Good Omens a lot, which he cowrote with Terry Pratchett. But Sandman is what got me into graphic novels, eventually manga (because I was used to reading GNs by then) and Neil Gaiman as a whole. I fucking love Sandman and will forever recommend it, but it’s a GN so it may not translate well to nook? idk

Speaking of Terry Pratchett, if you like stories that are easy to read and oftentimes have a fair amount of humor infused into them, I recommend him and probably any of his books but my particular recommendation would be Mort as well as the Sam Vines books. I think the first time we see Sam Vines is in the Guards! Guards! book.

Otherland series by Tad Williams - ok in all honesty, I never finished the series (got partially through 3rd of 4 books) and it’s been probably 20 years since I read them, so maybe my opinion would be different now. But Otherland was such an interesting sci-fi ish series which I honestly think is probably going to end up being somewhat realistic to our future. Basically, VR is a thing and people choose to live there instead of in reality sometimes, and now people are dying IRL because their bodies are wasting away and a diverse group of people from around the world get together in the virtual world to try to figure out what’s happening and how to stop it, but they don’t realize the politics and danger involved. Why didn’t I finish reading, you wonder? It’s because I read this series when I was a teenager when it first came out, and I think when I read reading the 3rd book the 4th hadn’t even been written yet. Anyway I was suuuuuper engrossed in the series–so much that when a certain thing happens related to my favorite character in the series, I was too emotionally affected by it I set the book aside to take a moment to reset my emotions before continuing, and then I just…. never continued…. ^^;; I got too distracted by other series but I always plan to finish it. Also side note, Tad Williams is a super nice author who actually wrote back to little teen me(!), taking my email seriously and encouraging me to write. Also side side note, Tad Williams wrote a bunch of books and I recall liking all of his fantasy series I read too but I don’t think I’ve read all his stuff.

Tamir Triad by Lynn Flewelling - first book: Bone Doll’s Twin. It’s been a while since I read this (as is the case for pretty much everything on this whole list) but I remember thinking this was a really interesting trilogy with a rather unique story, especially for the time this was written. If you ever read Lynn’s other book series (Nightrunner, m/m) then know that the Tamir Triad is set in the past of the Nightrunner world, by I don’t remember 500 years or something– also it’s written TOTALLY different than Nightrunner. The two styles are like night and day; if you don’t like the Nightrunner style, totally give Tamir a chance. If you do like Nightrunner, I still think you should read the Tamir books because I think they’re better, even though I did like Nightrunner in the beginning :)

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. This book is the inspiration for the wildly popular musical Wicked (which I also recommend you see because it’s omggggg

**YA:**

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer - for the most part, I quite like this series. It’s a very easy to read YA series that re-imagines the Disney Princess/fairy tale female leads into a sort of cyberpunk Earth with space adventure future. Most of the females in this series are pretty strong female characters, leading their own stories, having agency, not being overpowered by the male characters like in their Disney or fairy tale versions. It has kind of a Sailor Moon vibe in some aspects, mostly because Marissa’s a total nerd who loves Sailor Moon lol

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - this is actually part of a series but tbh I liked Six of Crows more than the other book. Basically this book is a heist novel with young adult MCs. It’s a freaking BEAUTIFUL hardcover btw, like black edged paper and cool illustrations on the chapter pages and omgggggggg so this is one I recommend you buy in print if you like it, rather than just getting the ebook. It has an MC (Kaz Brekker) who I swear to god is like if early Evenfall Boyd and Hsin had a baby lol

Books by Sherryl Jordan - it’s been approximately forever since I read any of these books so maybe my opinion would change if I read them now, but back in the day I loved the fuck out of Sherryl’s books when I found them as a preteen/teen. I remember feeling like a lot of her female characters felt strong or at least I thought they were cool. The main one I remember liking back then is Winter of Fire. Mind you, Sherryl Jordan’s books are now really hard to find–turns out she’s a New Zealand author and a lot of the books went out of print at various times. But if you happen to run across one, you can check her out and see what you think. I mention her because her stories stuck in my head for 20 years.

Mage Heart (and the Chronicles of Dion Trilogy) by Jane Routley. Another one from forever ago–no idea what I would think of this if I read it today but I remember really liking it when I read it as a teenager, and the story has stuck in the back of my head since. I don’t remember a lot about the actual plot, just that I was inspired by the story/world.

Aaaaand that’s probably enough. You’re probably regretting asking XD

There are a couple of other books I remember from when I was really little but you probably don’t care about those lol The only one I’ll mention is Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede - that’s the first book in a YA series. I quite like Dealing with Dragons, but tbh I was really frustrated by the other books. You could read just the first if you wanted to check it out.

Lastly, if you like manga/anime at all, here are some other recs: fave anime/manga recs, plus here’s another good manga

[tortuga-aak]

I've been coaching execs for 25 years, and the same 6 habits keep coming up in the best leaders

Strelka Institute/Flickr

A management expert who works with top executives at successful companies noticed they all have six habits.

Sharing knowledge, figuring out how to innovate, and moving on from wrong decisions are all key to great leadership.

The best leaders also engage with their companies in multiple ways — like volunteering with organizations, taking lunches, and joining task forces.

  Over the past 25 years, I've coached a mix of executives in for profit and not-for-profit companies like Kellogg's, Monsanto, SoCalGas, Newark City Government, The United Way, IBM, and AT&T. I've been in board rooms with people fretting about decreases in market share, swirling about regulatory agencies, and agonizing about visions for a tomorrow they don't quite understand. Along with getting paid to calm their nerves, there are a few common themes I've noticed that keep popping up that are helpful for everyone, from the C-Suite to the junior staffers.

1. Sharing is key.

When I share my notion about root problems with the CEO and executive team they usually say that I am really sharp. I correct them. My discovery comes from talking to the people who work there, asking questions beyond defined job roles. The first five people lead me to others who lead me to others that lead to the weaving of the real story.

Share what you know. People believe that knowledge is power so they tend to hold it close. If the people I speak to would have shared what they knew with each other, they could have come up with a similar conclusion.

2. Brilliance resides where you least expect it.

With that in mind, sometimes the executive team is surprised by some of the people I speak with, unaware that insight and understanding reside with people in roles they would not have considered. People in finance, product development and legal affairs have a different understanding about the market than marketing people do.

Therefore, keeping in your insulated worlds can limit you at the workplace; find opportunities in other departments to use the breadth of what you can do.

3. Figure out how to innovate.

Companies that are market leaders tend to be attached to what brought them to that space, believing that what they had always done would keep them successful and the rules wouldn't change that much. They get stuck. They don't know how to look outside of their habits to discover what will make them successful in the future.

Everyone at work should keep in mind that the skills, knowledge and talent that got you to where you are won't necessarily keep you there. Continue to learn and innovate products, services and self.

4. No one is perfect, and that's a good thing.

I once witnessed a CEO and his staff make the decision to outsource equipment fabrication, believing that their success rested on marketing and this action would increase profits. When some core design capabilities became industry standards within a few years, the CEO recognized the mistake and took action, without finger pointing.

Getting it wrong is your greatest opportunity to getting it right the next time. Don't let conformity keep you from taking risks or judiciously speaking your mind. And, if you are wrong, learn from it and move on quickly.

Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/flickr

5. Leave your desk.

In another company, employees were concerned about changes in regulation and how the company was responding to up and coming competitors' low cost approach to market. The C-suite believed that brand and legacy would carry them. Over time, price emerged as a more important driver. Senior management could have learned a lot by listening to informal conversation among employees in a relaxed setting.

Engage in more at your company than just your office. Join task forces, volunteer at organizations the company supports, do something as simple as go to lunch with a coworker or boss. You never know where concerns and good ideas can be heard and travel upward.

6. Your problem is not what you think it is.

The root of a problem is not always obvious. Even if there's agreement in the boardroom, such cohesion can lead to interfering with something that might not be broken while what is broken gains steam. For example, decreases in market share are not always a marketing problem; sometimes it's an engineering or fulfillment problem.

Look deeper into a problem by talking with your peers across the organization. The extra effort can yield important findings impactful to your organization and you.

Helen Rothberg is a professor in the school of management at Marist College. Her book "The Perfect Mix: Everything I Know About Leadership I Learned as a Bartender" is out now.

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