#the highest grade i can get is like a 62

[fuckthisshitimin]

THAT DAMNED SPREADSHEET

DOES ANYONE TO HEAR ABOUT MY ADVENTURE IN THE SPREADSHEET?

Cause I'm pretty damned sure I know what getting "High" on Milgram means.

Talking about his being rejected by the Magnus Institute, Samama said:

[That definitely feels like when it all started. […] Well, after that it all just went downhill. Didn’t get into Oxford, so I went to Nottingham.]

And that does not sound like what one would say about something that happened when they were, like, eight. So I went to take another look at the spreadsheet. Of course I was wrong, because The Magnus Institute burned in 1999, so he couldn’t have been more than nine, but I found out other stuff.

A thing that bugs me in how I’ve read some discussing the spreadsheet is that Sam has the highest empathy score, and that it made him “too nice/good” for the Institute’s purposes (not necessarily this directly but it has been implied, including in the “recruiting future avatar theories, and… well, implying that low empathy makes you more likely to become a literal monster is quite disgusting, actually).

First, I think we got one thing wrong on the Kohlberg column. Since they are kids, it doesn’t seem shocking that they’d be around stages 1 to 3 of his “Six stages of moral development”; but it doesn’t say Stage 1, 2 or 3 it says Level 1, 2 or 3, and I don’t think it’s a mistake.

His six stages are divided into three levels: Pre-Conventional (1,2), Conventional (3,4) and Post-Conventional (5,6).

People in stages 1 and 2 (Level 1) have a sense of morality that is linked to the direct consequences of their actions on themself — stage 1 is “don’t hit the dog because you’ll be punished” and stage 2 “give her half your banana and you’ll get half her chocolate bar” (very simplified).

People on stages 3 and 4 (Level 2) have internalized their surrounding’s sense of morality and act accordingly — stage 3 being “I’ll get a good grade in being a person by following the rules” and stage 4 “the rules I learnt are true and real, failing to follow them is Wrong and upholding them is Right” (idem).

People on stages 5 and 6 (Level 3) have a personal sense of morality that is critical of societal norms — stage 5 being “there are rules, and those rules can and should be changed through compromise to be fair to the greatest number”, and stage 6 “unfair rules should not be followed, direct consequences like punishment are irrelevant when it comes to deciding to do what it right” (very, very, very simplified).

If I’m right, the spreadsheet is so much more understandable.

First thing I wanted to do was put numbers on how singular Sam’s results are:

He gets “High” on both Milgram and Asch when the overwhelming tendency is that the higher your other scores are, the more likely you are to get “Low”, and the numbers were, indeed, that among the 49 children who scored “High” on both, 33 were in Piaget’s stage 1, 15 were in stage 2 and only Sam was in stage 3.

The 33 kids who were in stage 1 are the opposite of Sam:

(Abbreviating so it’s easier to compare values but P=Piaget, K=Kohlberg, Ps=Prosocial, S-A=Sally-Anne, U=Ultimatum, EI=Empathy Index)

33K: (P) Stage 1 :: (K) Level 1 :: (Ps) Low :: (S-A) Fail :: (U) Unfair :: (EI) ≥62%

Sam: (P) Stage 3 :: (K) Level 3 :: (Ps) High :: (S-A) Pass :: (U) Fair :: (EI) 98%

So that’s weird. And when I went to filter by Kohlberg levels… absolutely no kid that was on “Level 2” scored High on Milgram and Asche.

In fact, among the 99 kids on Kohlberg Level 2, none got “Low” for prosocial, none got “High” on Milgram, only 2 got “High” on Asch.

And when we read “Level 2 (Conventional Morality) instead of “Stage 2 (Pre-Conventional Morality, what benefits me directly)” we can make sense of this: 

“To reason in a conventional way is to judge the morality of actions by comparing them to society's views and expectations. […] Conventional morality is characterized by an acceptance of society's conventions concerning right and wrong. At this level an individual obeys rules and follows society's norms even when there are no consequences for obedience or disobedience. Adherence to rules and conventions is somewhat rigid, however, and a rule's appropriateness or fairness is seldom questioned.” (by Kohlberg himself, from Wikipedia)

Adults can be Level 2, by the way. Adults can even be Level 1. Subjects of the Milgram experiment are displaying peak Level 2 behavior.

“High” on Milgram is “Did not electrocute/Disobeyed”

“High” on Asch is “Did not conform”

GOSH THAT IS SATISFYING

Bonus: the average empathy index is 79,1%, the median is 82% with 116 kids below 82%, 13 kids at 82% and 120 kids above. Of the 116 kids below the median, 11 got “Low” on Milgram. Of the 13 median kids, 3 got “Low” on Milgram. Of the 120 kids above, 91 got “Low”.

If we take the average instead, of the 163 kids more empathetic than the average, 100 got “Low” on Milgram, and 2 got “High”, of the 86 less empathetic than the average, 5 got “Low” and 59 for “High” on Milgram.

So actually here, low empathy is inversely correlated to willingness to hurt if ordered to.

And it makes sense. Low empathy is often associated with anti-social personality disorder, autism, depression — and you know what’s very associated with anti-social personality disorder? Disobedience.

Now I have to make another post about the weird kids in red's names.

[kaywithbeans]

The Witches of Scotland: Dream Dancers 1

Oh boy.

I don't do proper book reviews, I just throw it on goodreads and call it a day. But this shit? Bear with me.

To begin, it reads EXACTLY like something I would try to write in middle school. That would be absolutely fine if this was a book for middle-grade readers. It most certainly is not. The main character is obviously a self-insert and the magic system is elementary, at best.

Nothing wrong with having a SIMPLE magic system, but now it's been complicated by weird titles and making the main character overpowered. Not just having high level magic, but being THE highest. "But, Kay, wouldn't someone being all-powerful make it more interesting to follow?" NO, and here's why.

David is a fucking Gary Sue. He doesn't work for his powers, he doesn't struggle for them. It's that Onision book all over again, Reaper Creek. It's one thing entirely if the character is powerful but struggles with it, I eat that shit up. But when it's effortless? Give me a character with wimpy powers that's STILL our protagonist. We had Sky High, we can do it again.

I am... *checks progress* 62% done. I'll be back when I finish. I do not expect it to get better.

[learn-and-accept]

just bombed my spanish test so that’s how my life is going

[stray-tori]

TPN Vol 8 - Chapter 62-65 First Thoughts

note: some of the content here might be redundant with standalone posts. I sometimes add in thoughts when I get them later.

when geezer's thoughts said "thats not it" it reminded me of his attack in vol 7 where he said "that's not true", and I was honestly expecting for Lucas that it would be "you need to shut up" and im kind of disappointed that it wasn't bc that would have been so emotional jesus christ

also, that his name is blurred out.... I have a hard time believing its just meta, so do you think he's actually forgotten his name or sth? i feel like you could have easily just not have him say his name then like whats the point of putting it there just to blur it aside from trolling your readers i guess

and your anime-onlies who know his name but have agreed not to name-drop so it's just suffering now pff-

.

it's a hunting ground for nobles, huh? how do you know? Aren't the nobles also in charge of the farms? So they... follow the promise by doing production but then ALSO...... give children to a hunting ground? (but I guess only humans can break the promise so IHDKJKDS OKAY THEN-)

Like there's the two options here:

it's a SECRET hunting ground - the children there are escapees + probably the stolen children Sonju has mentioned he hears about. But demons PROBABLY can't steal from the highest farms right and we've heard that the children in the mass production farms can't even TALK, much less be fun to hunt (now, of course, the validity of Sonju's claims is starkly questioned by geezer-senpai's existence to begin with; so it might just be unreliable exposition).

it's a "secret" hunting ground - escapees are captured and more children are given to the hunting ground by the farms. This could be to appease the demon nobles who "want to hunt humans", so they don't cause problems for the power system the farm nobles have build up. And the "stealing children" is just a cover up for the public (would make sense with the IMMENSE security farms have AND would lign up with what Sonju said not being the entire truth)

IF option 2) is the case, it would imply that not EVERY child shipped out would be gupna'd on the spot (and instead delivered to a hunting ground) - I have accepted it as the procedure but actually, we've only confirmed it with Conny. the only other case we could have - Norman - wasn't seen being gupna'd.

But what doesn't make sense to me is that: the nobles want their highest grade meat, right?

So two options again: 1) there's 2 groups of nobles - ones that just eat them gupna'd and one that wants to hunt them (GP) - OR 2) there is only one group, the latter.

That would be easy to think about but is probably not the case. not every gourmet wants to kill it himself.

And while I think it'd be more reasonable for the farms to be in on it, I think it causes an inconsistency: If escapees get captured by GP, it'd have to be in secret because there's no way the nobles would let up on their meal, right? UNLESS every high quality meat ends up in GP and GP is just what is referred to as the "tifari ceremony" by grandma Sarah. I'm not sure if that is the case though, especially because "the 3 can be shipped out as scheduled" but Emma's birthday hasn't happened yet so she'd not be there normally by now.

IT COULD BE completely off of the farm nobles, but I just have a hard time believing they'd never notice the hunting grounds NOR notice any BIG DEMON, yknow, swooping over the fence and stealing a CHILD. IDK haha- it seems like it'd be a lot smarter to just give them food voluntarily to avoid possible chaos.

But maybe not the highest grade and that's why they're also always on the lookout for escapees - which I STILL THINK aren't common enough to warrant keeping an eye on the ENTIRE territory and which demons are regenerated a lot BUT HEY THAT'S JUST ME. So they are appeased by the government (essentially) but they also keep highest grade escapees on their own terms.

or maybe I'm wrong and escapees really ARE common enough to fill an entire hunting ground. But if that is the case, it DEFINITELY is behind the farm nobles' back (unless they're all part of it).

SO MANY UNLESSES HELP. my brain is melting.

.

it's sus! It's also quite sus because the promise is to "not hunt each other anymore" BUT humans are the only ones who can break it? It seems so in favor of the demons, but the HUMANS had the UPPER HAND- so what gives? Maybe the promise is something inherently tied to demons, so without them it couldn't exist at all and that's their "upper hand" in the deal?

.

these goddamn adults man

[translucent-bisexual]

12 24 59 62

12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours?

I can barely stay awake for 24 hours let alone 48

24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)?

English and any art class were the ones I always had the highest grades in

59: Do you like the snow?

I love the snow even though it never stays long where I’m from. Most of the time we just get black ice

62: What makes you happy?

Definitely my dog, but also reading, spending time by myself, being around animals, my closest friends, etc.

Ask game

[tishinada]

100 Days of Writing – Day 62

Continuing with the social structure of the Empire as I'm writing it in Dance.

I’ve rambled about the Imperial military in two of the last three posts, and I want to briefly tackle my general take on Imperial military academies.

All citizens either enter basic training for enlisted personnel or a military academy straight out of school. Most non-Force sensitive citizens attend government run free schools which can include completing the standard curriculum by computer---other than the standard pre-basic military training---but there are elite private preparatory boarding academies for the non-Force sensitive children of high ranking military officers and Sith, the wealthy, and noble families.

As an aside, I treat the tiny number of noble families in the Empire as mostly irrelevant, idle relics, mostly frittering away time with their own tiny closed social circle. They aren’t the ruling class, the Sith are. In particular, the Dark Council, and there’s no sign that they pay the nobles any attention whatsoever. Their only real power is the ability to leverage their (younger) children into high ranking positions in the military. To be honest, they’re an anachronism in the Empire, and my headcanon is that some worlds surrendered to the Empire by making a bargain that the nobles would keep their titles and wealth (but no power) and now congregate in Kaas City, attending parties and jockeying for position within that closed circle.

There are a lot of military academies, but there are also tiers of quality. Anyone determined enough and with a reasonable level of intelligence can get into one. A student from a subsistence neighborhood is probably only going to get into one of the lowest tier academies, limiting their chances for promotions and assignments as an officer. But they might get into a higher tier academy if there’s something eye-catching in their records---outstanding academic achievement in some field or the recommendations of the military trainers at their school. The preparatory academy students have a large edge in getting admission to the better military academies. The top tier academies only take the very best candidates (usually including a handful of the most promising candidates from subsistence neighborhoods.) Family actually has less influence at that level, though they’d be unlikely to reject the child of a Dark Councilor or Moff unless they were too obviously unsuitable.

Entrance is relatively easy. Staying in an academy is another matter. At the lower tier academies, as much as half a cohort (one year’s class) will wash out in the first six months, sent off to serve their required service as enlisted personnel. Even at the top tier academies, about 10% wash out in the first year, mostly because they are found to be temperamentally unsuited to leadership.

A lot of these failures are cadets who are too competitive. Which may sound like a contradiction, but unlike the general Sith philosophy, the military has to have cooperation too. If every junior officer on a ship is gunning for the Captain’s chair, they’re going to constantly undermine her and cause the Empire to lose battles. Even the fear that a Sith might hold all the officers to account wouldn’t deter this if they had that mindset because they’re going to know that risk is pretty small. (I mean, we do see some backstabbing, mostly at the highest levels, in the smuggler’s and BH’s stories, but most units and ships’ crews seem pretty damned dedicated.)

So in the first year in particular, the main emphasis is on cooperation and unit cohesion. There is, in fact, no individual “grading” during the first year. For the general academics, there are no records of test scores kept during the first year as long as cadets meet a minimum threshold score.

What is kept are records of unit achievements. Each class (cohort) is divided into smaller units and these units often compete, with awards given to units who demonstrate superb teamwork, etc. Sometimes these are combat drills of some sort. Sometimes an entire cohort coordinates on an exercise of some sort, “scored” against previous years’ class achievements. Sometimes entire cohorts at the academies compete with each other. Each unit within a cohort will be assigned a particular task in some larger “battle plan” and the cohort that is most successful wins recognition, with awards to units who not only displayed superb teamwork within their unit, but also coordinated exceptionally well with other units. And sometimes, entire academies compete in an exercise.

After the first year, there is more individual competition, but there continues to be a strong emphasis on unit cohesion. Future commanders are going to look for people with unit awards from academies as a sign the officer will put the unit first rather than backstab or undermine.

And, as indicated in Dance, the instructors use other ways to build a sense of camaraderie within each cohort and each academy that’s intended to stick for a lifetime. Like dances (and the rapidly approaching academy reunion dance in Dance, lol.)

And this shows up in other ways in Dance. We know, btw, that Quinn graduated at the top of his class, and given his father’s rank, almost certainly had gotten into a top tier academy. Hinzle felt a bond with Quinn even though they hadn’t seen each other in over a decade (and Hinzle had to know there was something odd about Quinn’s low rank.) That was enough to get Quinn accepted by Hinzle’s friends from Logistics. And in an early chapter of Dance, Lt. Parit commented that Quinn usually came into the cantina in the evening and had a drink or two with old academy friends. Which, although it’s never spelled out, are clearly the only people on Balmorra who didn’t avoid him, because academy bonds are that strong. It’s also one of the reasons Quinn’s defiance of Broysc, even if he did the right thing, was such a problem. Some high ranking officers would see it as disloyalty (or at least not fixing Broysc’s failure in such a way that it covered it up.)

Again warrant officers exist in an odd space in-between enlisted and officers that I haven’t explored much, as does advanced science and technology education. I’ll try to get into both of those in the future.

Tomorrow, more on the Imperial military (I hope, lol.)

(Day 61 here) (Day 63 here)

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2010s: 65 - 61

65. Michael Schulte - “You let me walk alone” Germany 2018

[2018 Review Here] (shared with Eugent)

When Germany revealed this homely carrot top  as their entrant I of course IMMEDIATELY rolled my eyes at it. Discount Ed Sheeran, GTFO!! Idk what the general lowdown on Ed Sheeran is, but good lord that man is responsible for some really BORING and GENERIC music (I will never get the obsession with “Perfect”, ever.) and as you can expect that also bled into my initial opinon of Michael.

However, two things. A of all, “You let me walk alone” is a much better song because it is actually VERY catchy, in a good way. ONE love / TWO hearts /  THREE kids / LOVING mum is among the more memorable hooks in this decade. 

Secondly, Michael’s emotion is *real*. This is a song about his coping with his dead father and well... I am not made from stone. Dude was in GENUINE TEARS during the endgame!! And as someone who deeply loves his father, I can definitely empathize with that message on a personal level.

There are better songs around. There are better performers around. There is better emotional pull left in this ranking. Regardless, Michael was able to stun me into teary-eyed silence and that is a feat which earns nothing less than RESPECT.

________________________________________________________________

64. Softengine - “Something better” Finland 2014

FANTASTIC INDIE ANGELS <333 The appreciation I have to Softengine I have is obvious, yes? Highly energetic indie rock song from one of my favourite Eurovision countries. 😍 That also did VERY well because it’s genuinely that good. Take THAT Finland bullies!!! #HeyaSuomi

However, Softengine offer even more than just a kickass rock song. They offer some of my favourite song lyrics ever? They are both puzzlingly weird and endearingly ESL Even Human Bound People Rolling Dice Such A Novel Life She Thought While Knowing Nothing At All~

What on earth is Topi singing about? 😍 Well actually, it’s the story of an old man looking back at the life he’s had and.. It actually has a LOT of emotional pull wtf? Take a look at the bridge: 

ALL THESE WORDS SHE MEANT TO SAY TO ME

ALL THESE WORDS AGAINST MY FAITH

ALL THESE WORDS BEFORE SHE PASSED AWAY

ALL THESE WORDS  WILL NEVER NEVER NEVER CHANGE

A wonderful display of juvenile energy that has me coming back craving for me. SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOP 10 but lol it’s Finland when is Finland not getting bullied by people with no taste. 😭

________________________________________________________________

63. Litesound - “We are the heroes” Belarus 2012

More rock angels. 😍 However, Litesound rank on the other end of the quality spectrum, being great because of their incompetence.  

Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything more endearing when the inept give it their all, completely oblivious to their amateurism, a description which -let’s be honest- is “Belarus in Eurovision” is in a nutshell 😍. Well that plus the hilariously rigged NF, remember that ALYONA LANSKAYA originally won Litesound’s NF and then had to bequeath her spot to them when her voting fraud was exposed. 😍 It’s not even the most hilariously rigged NF of the decade though, omg YES we shall discuss that whenever it’s “Samo shampioni’s” turn. 😈

Anyway, Litesound bring the a double whammy of hilarity with some A+ Bad English diction (let us all sing along)

WONEVER STEN INDO AR WEH WHEEL MEK IT FRU DE DEH CUZ WE AR DA WEINERS WE AR DA GEEROS

WIR BRACKING DOWN DA WALLZ GODDA HIT DE MALL CUZ WE ARE DA GEEROS WE ARE DA DRIMURS

and the fact that all Litesound members look like animals, introducing:

The seahorse

The afghan greyhound

the mongoose

and of course Dima who might be the lovechild of Alsou and an ostrich. 😍

All of this may make you believe I merely stan Litesound on an ironic level, but I actually LOVE them on an unironic level too. “We are the heroes” is a fun, futuristic electronic rock rollercoaster and Litesound strike a perfect balance between good song, disarming incompetence and going ALL OUT in proving themselves as high quality, laced with high voltage addictive rock beats. SO, NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO, I’LL MAKE IT ALL RIGHT! I’M BRACKING DOWN THE WALLS, THEY ARE THE *HEROES*

________________________________________________________________

62. Justs - “Heartbeat” Latvia 2016

AGE OF AMINATA <3 what a glorious two-piece act in the herstory of Latvia. To Latvia’s credit they completely reinvented themselves in the Supernova Era, usually resulting in bold entries (and Carousel). 

If "Love injected” was the earthquake that shook Latvia AWAKE with her experimental masterpieces, then "Heartbeat” is the aftershock, providing the same avant garde novelty, but not as impactful with a lesser impact. 

However, to recycle a phrase i’ve already used multiple times, a lesser Aminata is still fucking awesome. “Heartbeat” packs a massive emotional punch, being more aggressive and volatile than its predecessor, which... works out fine actually. Killer lines such as:

YOU’RE MY DESIRE AND MY PAIN BUT ALL THE BATTLES ARE IN VAIN YOU MEAN MORE THAN ANYTHING TO  MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

need an emotionally intense delivery and Justs fucking GOES for it without any inhibitions for his own health and safety 

and with every passing second

he gets more into the zone

right until the end, when he LOSES his voice and is reduced to panting an aspirated ”thank you”. 😍 If you’re going to sing about lost love, you’d better do it by also SCREAMING YOUR LUNGS OUT <3

________________________________________________________________

61. Hatari - “Hatrið mun sigra” Iceland 2019

God I’ve been dreading this write-up. Not because of the Hatari stans (lol who is going to complain about getting ranked 61st out of 408), but can I do Hatari justice in print? Hatari weren’t as much as an entry as they were the fiery spirit of mischief, an existential manifestation of defiance, a gestalt of provocative resistance, all contained in the tiny package of two asshole hellraisers.  Yes, assholes.  You see, the one thing you NEED to understand before everything else is that Hatari’s poetic palestine shawl moment is one of grade A assholery. Pulling that at the last sec towards their hosts WAS a dick move and Hatari were fully aware of it. We MUST see this as a fact before we discuss anything else that is also Hatari-related.

However, that’s precisely the point? Provocation was the sensation that swept the icelandic nation and its idolization became Hatari’s vocation with dedication and its application in the humiliation and the vexation of the Israeli station in support of the Palestine civilization, leaving KAN in devastation after months of the rabid disorganization was a justification well worth the potential probation. In other words: GET REKT KAN SHIT HOSTS HOPE U GET BLACKLISTED LOLOL #Hatredwon 😈 😈. 

ps: still getting the Israelis to cheer for them despite being OPENLY pro-palestine when will ur faves.

~My reasons~ for ranking Hatari lower post-show are less grounded in the politics (again, they were jerks but... that’s also the entire point of sending Hatari lmfao) and more determined by the actual live performance: I thought Klemens was underwhelming and his parts of “Hatrið mun sigra” were also the fave bits. 😭 On the flipside I thought Matthias was excellent (when he didn’t miss his cue) and I legit laugh out loud each time I see his hilarious OTT facial expressions.

What a justified use of guyliner <3 The act was yet again a diabolically brilliant clanging of chains, bashing of mallets, grinding of gears, steaming of punk, a satanic cirque du soleil come to rain justice and brimstone down on our hopeless souls. Hatari were the anti-heroes we needed and don’t deserve.

ps: i hope i will ever find someone who loves me as much as Klemens loves Teresa May. 

Iceland’s chart looks much better than I thought it would, but the averages actually put them somewhere in the middle on average. Iceland are always hit-or-miss for me, much moreso in the 2010s than in any other decade and it’s largely down to them failing to pick the best available option because, you know, BadTastitis. 

the next update... will be the FINAL one in this shade of green :o  Yes, we are about to move on to the highest, upperest, bestest tier of Eurovision entries. The mind-blowingly amazing entries that are not off this fucking world. Find out who makes the cut and who doesn’t TOMORROW :o

[inkofamethyst]

May 7, 2020

Had my first nightmare in a while last night.

Day 128 of the cute campaign: It was a cute day!  I’m wearing my mom jeans, a cute patterned shirt, and a maroon cardigan to match my lip color.  I feel pretty good!

Day 56 of quarantine: God, I can’t wait for this semester to end.

So recently I’ve been having a ton of anxiety over organic chemistry.  Mostly because I’m just not very proactive when it comes to getting work done and studying for that class.  But like, the lab exam, the exam tomorrow that I only understand half of, the fact that my presentation yesterday wasn’t particularly spectacular at all, my submission of three lab reports.  I haven’t gotten grades back for any of those things yet, so I’m sort of just lying in wait right now.  Like a purgatory.  And I’m pretty sure I had a nightmare last night about failing the class.  Or, like, getting a C in it.  I mean, I’ve slowly been raising my lecture grade, but my lab grade has probably only been slowly sinking.  And I know it’s only going to get worse with the lab final, whenever they put that in.  I’m just... yeah, I screwed up in this class.

EDIT: Ok so I wrote that paragraph this morning and I’ve actually just gotten my grades back for both: 62% for the lab final and 91% for the presentation, both of which I’m okay with, actually.  I’m mainly only pleased because both of those scores were above the average for the rest of the class (even if only slightly).  Yes, you heard me right: the average for the final was a whole 56%.  That seems a bit wrong, doesn’t it?  The highest score for the lab final was an 81%.  That’s... that’s awfully low, wouldn’t you say?  Anyway, the lab portion of the class apparently gets curved to a B-, and I’ve currently got a low B in the class (83%) without counting four other assignments that have yet to receive grades.  As long as I do well on those (I actually feel decently confident?) I should be able to maintain a B in lab, maybe even achieve a B+ if our grades are curved with the non-majors’ sections (I doubt that possibility, but who knows?).  Supposedly the grade can be curved by as much as 10%, but that’s data from the non-majors’ sections, so we’ll just have to wait and see.  I’ve scored just above average on nearly every assignment so far, so I should be okay.  Luckily, I’m completely done with that class, and I’ll be done with the lab coordinator (who happens to be my advisor) too once I switch majors.  Oh, happy days.

Today I’m thankful for being just above average.  As I’m sure you all know, that’s not ever quite satisfying enough for me though, so I’m gonna have to make some serious adjustments for next semester and beyond.  Still, it’s nice to know that, while I’m not the greatest, I’m also not the worst.

Wish me luck on tomorrow’s exams!!

[icarus-showmethemoon]

im bacc nmbcb cxb, for the ''weird asks that say a lot'': 2,5,7,8,14,16,18,19,21,23,30,31,32,36,38,40,42,43,44,45,52,56,62,67,69, 72,84,90,98. i lov these oneS And i guess you noticed

jesus fuck i was almost done and it went back adsghjkfas ok gonna speed run it

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

ch o c o la te

5.do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

Straight from the can or from a wine glass. Bottles have the weird suction that makes you stop drinking (but on several occasions people have thought i was drinking alcohol even though i was blatantly holding a bottle of coke bc of how i drink it so thats a plus), and unless its a fancy cup its not worth transferring bc it loses the fizzy

7.earbuds or headphones?

headphones!! way comfier and less sound-leakage

8.movies or tv shows?

tv shows!! movies dont give you long enough to grow attached to the characters

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

blue raspberry suckers

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

on the floor, cross-legged. In a chair, with one leg pulled up and folded under the other. I can’t sit either for very long because it kills my knees but its more comfy than any other position oof

18.ideal weather?

snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

19. sleeping position?

half between side and stomach, top leg bent, the other straight, one arm under pillow and supporting head, the other with the hand loosely covering my mouth and nose

21.obsession from childhood?

I was weirdly obsessed with cats. Like, I read everything I could get my hands on about them. I hated non-fiction books, but if it was about cats suddenly i didnt mind it

that obsession never actually stopped oof

23. strange habits?

I stick my tongue when im concentrating, as i mentioned earlier

ok but another, i guess, is that i always have to have my mouth and tongue occupied, be it by talking to myself, singing, or chewing on some random thing (mostly the wire from my headphones oops) and if i dont have something to do with my mouth i get really anxious and restless and also my brain completely stops lol

30.places that you find sacred?

......no where, im pretty sure. No specific places have much value to me.

31.what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

Masc: Leather jacket, combat boots, button up black shirt, camo skinny jeans

Fem: Leather jacket, black dress with a really short skirt and neckline and chest lapels like a black parade jacket, the highest heels i own, dangly jewelry, lots of rings.

32. top five favorite vines?

the one with the piano “SAIL”

uhhh road work ahead? yeah i sure hope it does

What the FUCK is up kyle

yee

CHRIS is that a WEED??

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

fuck, i dont know. probably a grumpy cat one bc my dad showed it to me. or fuckin..... i dunno man i have no concept of time

38. lemonade or tea?

Lemonade, but i do really like tea

40.weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

i havent been to a public school since 4th grade but like

people deadass were 100% convinced i was a vampire or some kind of supernatural being all throughout elementary school lmaooo??? 

another weird thing is that i was the most popular kid in school which like..... hilarious joke lol

42.jacket pockets or pants pockets?

fuckinn jacket pockets!!!!!!!! not as ugly and bulky and they dont weigh your pants down and theyre at a way better height for my arms to comfortably reach in and make sure my stuff is still there!!!

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

leather jacket babeyy

i have three (3) leather jackets they are bomb

44.favorite scent for soap?

natural scents: the ocean

perfumes: white musk (specifically body fantasies brand)

soaps: im allergic to most hand soaps other than lemon, but body soaps i like anything with lavender or jasmine

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

fantasy, hands down.

52. favorite font?

you know the typewriter one that hipsters get tattoos done in? that one

56. favorite tradition?

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh dont like traditions except in my witchcraft tbh and those are classed more as rituals than traditions

62. seven characters you relate to?

i dont...........................know..............

Virgil sanders?? thats the only one.

67.good luck charms?

i dont believe in luck lol oof

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

uhhhhhhh

the female black widow spider doesnt actually kill the man after sex all the time. If she’s well fed before, he lives.

[newstfionline]

The Homeless Crisis Is Getting Worse in America’s Richest Cities

Bloomberg, November 20, 2018

It was just after 10 p.m. on an overcast September night in Los Angeles, and L. was tired from a long day of class prep, teaching, and grading papers. So the 57-year-old anthropology professor fed her Chihuahua-dachshund mix a freeze-dried chicken strip, swapped her cigarette trousers for stretchy black yoga pants, and began to unfold a set of white sheets and a beige cotton blanket to make up her bed.

But first she had to recline the passenger seat of her 2015 Nissan Leaf as far as it would go--that being her bed in the parking lot she’d called home for almost three months. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was playing on her iPad as she drifted off for another night. “Like sleeping on an airplane--but not in first class,” she said. That was in part by design. “I don’t want to get more comfortable. I want to get out of here.”

L., who asked to go by her middle initial for fear of losing her job, couldn’t afford her apartment earlier this year after failing to cobble together enough teaching assignments at two community colleges. By July she’d exhausted her savings and turned to a local nonprofit called Safe Parking L.A., which outfits a handful of lots around the city with security guards, port-a-potties, Wi-Fi, and solar-powered electrical chargers. Sleeping in her car would allow her to save for a deposit on an apartment. On that night in late September, under basketball hoops owned by an Episcopal church in Koreatown, she was one of 16 people in 12 vehicles. Ten of them were female, two were children, and half were employed.

The headline of the press release announcing the results of the county’s latest homeless census strikes a note of progress: “2018 Homeless Count Shows First Decrease in Four Years.” In some ways that’s true. The figure for people experiencing homelessness dropped 4 percent, a record number got placed in housing, and chronic and veteran homelessness fell by double digits. But troubling figures lurk. The homeless population is still high, at 52,765--up 47 percent from 2012. Those who’d become homeless for the first time jumped 16 percent from last year, to 9,322 people, and the county provided shelter for roughly 5,000 fewer people than in 2011.

All this in a year when the economy in L.A., as in the rest of California and the U.S., is booming. That’s part of the problem. Federal statistics show homelessness overall has been trending down over the past decade as the U.S. climbed back from the Great Recession, the stock market reached all-time highs, and unemployment sank to a generational low. Yet in many cities, homelessness has spiked.

It’s most stark and visible out West, where shortages of shelter beds force people to sleep in their vehicles or on the street. In Seattle, the number of “unsheltered” homeless counted on a single night in January jumped 15 percent this year from 2017--a period when the value of Amazon.com Inc., one of the city’s dominant employers, rose 68 percent, to $675 billion. In California, home to Apple, Facebook, and Google, some 134,000 people were homeless during the annual census for the Department of Housing and Urban Development in January last year, a 14 percent jump from 2016. About two-thirds of them were unsheltered, the highest rate in the nation.

At least 10 cities on the West Coast have declared states of emergency in recent years. San Diego and Tacoma, Wash., recently responded by erecting tents fit for disaster relief areas to provide shelter for their homeless. Seattle and Sacramento may be next.

The reason the situation has gotten worse is simple enough to understand, even if it defies easy solution: A toxic combo of slow wage growth and skyrocketing rents has put housing out of reach for a greater number of people. According to Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored housing giant, the portion of rental units affordable to low earners plummeted 62 percent from 2010 to 2016.

Rising housing costs don’t predestine people to homelessness. But without the right interventions, the connection can become malignant. Research by Zillow Group Inc. last year found that a 5 percent increase in rents in L.A. translates into about 2,000 more homeless people, among the highest correlations in the U.S. The median rent for a one-bedroom in the city was $2,371 in September, up 43 percent from 2010. Similarly, consultant McKinsey & Co. recently concluded that the runup in housing costs was 96 percent correlated with Seattle’s soaring homeless population. Even skeptics have come around to accepting the relationship. “I argued for a long time that the homelessness issue wasn’t due to rents,” says Joel Singer, chief executive officer of the California Association of Realtors. “I can’t argue that anymore.”

Homelessness first gained national attention in the 1980s, when declining incomes, cutbacks to social safety net programs, and a shrinking pool of affordable housing began tipping people into crisis. President Ronald Reagan dubiously argued that homelessness was a lifestyle choice. By the mid-2000s, though, the federal government was taking a more productive approach. George W. Bush’s administration pushed for a “housing first” model that prioritized getting people permanent shelter before helping them with drug addiction or mental illness. Barack Obama furthered the effort in his first term and, in 2010, vowed to end chronic and veteran homelessness in five years and child and family homelessness by 2020.

Rising housing costs are part of the reason some of those deadlines were missed. The Trump administration’s proposal to hike rents on people receiving federal housing vouchers, and require they work, would only make the goals more elusive. Demand for rental assistance has long outstripped supply, leading to yearslong waits for people who want help. But even folks who are lucky enough to have vouchers are increasingly struggling to use them in hot housing markets. A survey by the Urban Institute this year found that more than three-quarters of L.A. landlords rejected tenants receiving rental assistance.

It’s not bad everywhere. Houston, the fourth-most-populous city in the nation, has cut its homeless population in half since 2011, in part by creating more housing for them. That’s dampened the effect of rising rents, Zillow found. Meanwhile, the nonprofit Community Solutions has worked with Chicago, Phoenix, and other cities to gather quality, real-time data about their homeless populations so they can better coordinate their interventions and prioritize spending. The approach has effectively ended veterans’ homelessness in eight communities, including Riverside County in California.

Efficiency can go only so far. More resources are needed in the places struggling the most with homelessness. McKinsey calculated that to shelter people adequately, Seattle would have to increase its outlay to as much as $410 million a year, double what it spends now. Still, that’s less than the $1.1 billion the consultants estimate it costs “as a result of extra policing, lost tourism and business, and the frequent hospitalization of those living on the streets.” Study after study, from California to New York, has drawn similar conclusions. “Doing nothing isn’t doing nothing,” says Sara Rankin, a professor at Seattle University’s School of Law and the director of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project. “Doing nothing costs more money.”

Then there’s the moral argument for action. “It’s outrageous to me that in a country with so much wealth--and certainly enough for everybody--that there are people who lack even the basics for survival,” says Maria Foscarinis, founder and executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. Appeals to humanity were part of the strategy in the 1980s, when she and other activists helped push through the first major federal legislation to fight homelessness. Her organization has led a charge against laws that make it a crime to sleep outside in public places, one of the more insidious ways politicians have addressed the crisis. In July the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the unconstitutionality of such bans in a case that Foscarinis’s group--along with Idaho Legal Aid Services and Latham & Watkins--brought against two such ordinances in Boise. “As long as there is no option of sleeping indoors, the government cannot criminalize indigent, homeless people for sleeping outdoors, on public property, on the false premise they had a choice in the matter,” the court wrote. The ruling has led cities, including Portland, Ore., and Berkeley, Calif., to change their policies.

To placate angry constituents, officials too often settle for temporary solutions, such as sweeps of tent encampments and street cleaning. San Francisco Mayor London Breed recently scored some publicity, carrying a broom out to the “dirtiest” block in the city for a photo op with the New York Times. In other places, there’s simply a vacuum of leadership coordinating the patchwork of agencies, nonprofits, and religious organizations trying to help. After reporting intensively for a year on homelessness in the Puget Sound region, the Seattle Times put it bluntly: “No one is in charge.”

Meanwhile, the businesses responsible for much of the area’s economic fortunes, as well as rising housing costs, have been slow to throw their weight behind solutions. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos recently earmarked a portion of his $2 billion philanthropic pledge for homeless services--only months after his company fought aggressively to beat back a modest tax on large employers in Seattle that would have raised less than $50 million a year for the same.

Blaming people who are trying to get back on their feet is probably the least productive way to solve the crisis. Consider Mindy Woods, a single mother and U.S. Navy veteran who lives in a Seattle suburb. In 2010 she developed autoimmune diseases that made her chronically tired and caused so much pain she struggled to work at the insurance company where she’d been selling disability policies. “I was just a mess,” she says. “I had to quit my job.” To help pay rent for the apartment where she lived with her son, she babysat, watched neighbors’ pets, and led a Camp Fire youth group. Still, she and her son ended up having to leave the apartment because of a serious mold infestation, kicking off an eight-month period when they couch-surfed and spent time in a motel and shelter. It was a challenge just to refrigerate her son’s diabetes medicine.

They eventually were accepted into a transitional apartment, where they stayed for 3½ years. But in 2015 her landlord stopped accepting vouchers. Woods had to race to find another apartment owner who’d take her voucher before it lapsed. Application after application got rejected. “The discrimination was alive and well,” she says. Another eight months passed. When she finally found an apartment, there wasn’t room for her son. They had no choice but to separate, and he now lives nearby. Woods bristles when people blame the homeless for their predicament. “This is not about drugs, this is not about mental illness, this is not about lazy people,” she says. “We were doing everything we could to stay in houses.”

[arigathanksgozaimuch]

“It can wait until tomorrow.” Renjun :)))

62. “It can wait until tomorrow.”

If your best friend Renjun were bad at something, it wouldbe at doing his homework.

Which you don’t understand, at all. Renjun isn’t bad atmanaging his time. In fact, he’s able to juggle being part of both the schoolbasketball team and the orchestra. Besides that, he sometimes helps out in hisdad’s dental clinic. He’s also fairly active in the groupchat you belonged in,together with your other friends Jisung and Chenle. He also does pretty well on exams. So,really, you don’t understand why you see him at lunch one day, looking likehe’d been told the world is ending.

Just as you’re about to ask him what’s wrong, Chenle beatsyou to it. “He’s failing Calculus.”

“Why?” is your immediate response as you slideinto the seat. Even if the entire cafeteria was bustling with hungry, sleepy,and exhausted students, you manage to find where your friends were sitting. Notthat you doubted ever finding them. From far away, you can already hearfamiliar voices that are even louder than the noise created by a hundred or sostudents at once.

“Aren’t your exams almost perfect? The dragon ladydoesn’t forget to rub it in our faces when someone from your class gets thehighest score,” Jisung says in between stuffing his face. By ‘dragonlady’, he meant the fifty-something year old Calculus teacher who, according tolegend (aka their trusted seniors Lucas and Kun), used to set exam papers withfailing marks on fire. They consider Lucas a trusted source. He’s failedCalculus once.

“Yeah, well,” Renjun finally responds, rubbing hisface in annoyance. “Apparently, homeworks take up a really big chunk ofthe final grade.”

“Well, don’t you do homework?” you ask, unwrappingyour sandwich before taking a bite.

“I don’t.”

You frown. “What the hell? Those are supposed to be apiece of cake if you’re getting high scores for the exams!”

“I forget, okay?” The boy remembers what he boughtfor lunch and starts to poke through it with his fork. “When the teacherannounces something for homework, I really try to keep it in mind. But thenbasketball practice comes up, orchestra rehearsals happen. When I get home,BOOM!” He mimicks an explosion with his hands, surprising everyone at thetable and making them all look up from their food. “I sleep like a log.Before I know it, everyone’s passing around homework and I’m pretending to lookfor it in my bag.”

“Have you ever tried writing it down somewhere?”Jisung tries.

“Sadly, I’d forget where I write it.”

“Ask [Y/N] to do it for you, then,” Chenlesuggests.

You glare at Chenle, who only shrugs at you in return.Before you even had a chance to fight back, Renjun looks at you as if you werethe answer to all his problems. “Will you really? I’ll pay you, Ipromise!”

“Renjun,” you say, putting your sandwich down. Thetemptation to agree is at an all-time high – just a while ago, you had beenthinking about getting new shoes – but you didn’t want to make it look likeyou’re taking advantage of your best friend’s situation. “You’re better atMath than I am.”

“Well, having a low grade is better than getting azero.”

Sighing, you have no choice but to agree. Even if you were,admittedly, not so good at the subject, you were responsible enough to do everyassignment and pass it on time. (By then, you were managing a somewhat low B.)So that’s how you end up being Renjun’s go-to homework person for the rest ofthe year. After every Calculus class, he meets you by your adjacent lockers andgives you his homework for the day. His grades do a drastic 360-degree changeand he’s so thankful that you receive even more than what he promised to payyou.

When finals week rolls in, however, you barely have time tomeet your friends for lunch. But not wanting to disappoint Renjun, you keepaccepting the additional homework he gives you.

At your usual meeting place, you slam your locker close andsigh, feeling more drained than ever. You catch sight of Renjun standing by hislocker, looking like he’s about to say something. “What is it?” youask, trying not to look like you’re about to pass out from exhaustion.

It takes him half a minute to respond after he scans youfrom head to toe. And then, after thinking for a while, “Nothing,” hesays, smiling.

This takes you by surprise. Usually, the dragon lady givesout more homework during finals week just to spite students. “What– nohomework?”

“There is,” he replies. “But it can wait until tomorrow.”

“Won’t it be due then?”

“Nope. The dragon lady’s giving us a few more days towork on it. Like a review of some sort for the final exams.”

Mentally, you breathe a sigh of relief. You wish your facialexpression didn’t give you away, but you were thankful for the break from extrawork, no matter how rewarding it was. “Alright, if you say so,” youreply mindlessly, heading to your next class. Renjun first makes sure youarrive at your classroom without fainting on the way before he goes to his. Hedoesn’t really pay attention to the discussion, however, because his mind waspreoccupied with trying to remember that he had homework to do.

As soon as the class ends, he goes straight to the cafeteriawith the rest of the group. While Chenle and Jisung were buying their lunch,Renjun pulls his homework out the moment he settles on a seat and beginsanswering it by himself.

Send me an idol and a number!

Masterlist

[dogopower]

Satan, Prince of This World

Secret until long after they had been selected to be “Directors of Political Action.” Pike reorganized the Palladian Rite to provide a secret headquarters for those who direct the W.R.M. because the Lodges of the Grand Orient were becoming more and more suspected as the result of Mazzini’s and Lemmi’s activities. Pike, working from his headquarters in Charleston, S.C. established two supervisory councils to govern the political and dogmatic activities of the other twenty three councils he and Mazzini had located throughout the world. In Rome, under Mazzini, the council supervised “Political action” against governments. In Berlin the supervisory council supervised the dogmatic and financial policies and activities of the S.O.S. The manner in which the director of dogmatic activities developed Nietzcheism into Nazism and then had it destroyed is typical of what I mean. But long before Pike became High Priest of the Luciferian Creed direction of the conspiracy, AT THE TOP, had been from Charleston, S.C. Pike succeeded Moses Holbrook and direction of the conspiracy, AT THE TOP, has remained in the U.S.A. ever since.

The book Irish and English Freemasons and their Foreign Brothers, published in 1878, throws considerable light on this phase of the conspiracy. Like all other books, which contain information which throws even a little light on the diabolical direction of the W.R.M., this book is practically unknown. There are, however, still copies in some of the remaining national archives. I am informed there was a copy in the Vatican Library as recently as 1946. Beginning on page 62 of the above named book we learn that the Highest Authority of the Grand Orient in Italy, i.e., Mazzini or Lemmi, issued “Permanent Instruction (or Practical Code of Rules) Guide for the Heads of the Highest Grades of Masonry.”

One section of this document says “Our final aim is that of Voltaire, and of the French Revolution-the complete annihilation of Catholicism, and ultimately Christianity. Were Christianity to survive, even upon the ruins of Rome, it would, a little later on revive and live. We must now consider how to reach our end with certainty, not by cheating ourselves with delusions, which would prolong indefinitely, and probably compromise the ultimate success of our cause .... The Pope, whoever he may be, will never enter into a secret society. It then becomes the duty of the secret society to make the first advance to the Church and to the Pope with the objective of conquering both. The work for which we gird ourselves is not the work of a day, nor a month, nor a year ... that which we should seek, that which we should await, as the Jews await a Messiah, is a Pope according to our wants ....

“But when, and how’ The unknown cannot yet be seen. The Scriptures indicate and the greatest theologians confirm that despite the supernatural gifts of both angels who have fallen, and those which remain faithful to God, He (God) withheld from the angels the power of foreseeing the future. In other words, they can plan thousands of years in advance the Luciferian conspiracy, but they cannot be sure that their plans are going to mature as they expect. That is why their agents on earth are always trying to learn what the future holds. Thus the old saying “Man proposes, but God disposes.” Nevertheless, as nothing should move us from our mapped out plan, we must labour at our newly commenced work as if tomorrow would bring us success.”

The Supreme executive of the Lodges of the Grand Orient then issued instructions that the document was issued for the information of the rulers of the Supreme Vendita. They said, “the information is to be kept concealed from those simply initiated.” The brethren were to be inculcated by means of “insegnamento” meaning “secret memoranda.”

The plot cooked up by Weishaupt and Mazzini was for Italians and others posing as Roman Catholics to infiltrate into the Vatican and, as Weishaupt had previously stated, “bore from within until it remains nothing but an empty shell.” What Mazzini was instructed to do in the Vatican by Weishaupt himself, he later instructed General Albert Pike to do at the top levels of Freemasonry; and what Adolphe Isaac Cremieux was selected to do in the higher controls of orthodox Judaism.

The instructions given were the same. Those selected to put this phase of the plot into execution were to place agentur of the Illuminati in executive positions in all three organizations and get themselves recognized as “specialists,” “experts,” and “advisers.” They were not to attempt to interfere in anyway with the established teachings and policies of the three religions, but they were to guard against the directors of the three world powers getting information which might make them suspicious that the Synagogue of Satan controlled ALL subversive movements AT THE TOP They were by one means or another to enforce silence on any who grew suspicious.

The late Pope Pius XII must have suspected something was radically wrong within the Vatican because he couldn’t possibly have remained ignorant that he was under continual surveillance. It is most significant that when this surveillance was relaxed, when it was thought he was at the moment of death in 1958 he sent for a trusted secretary and ordered him to ask the 500,000,000 members of the Roman Catholic Church to pray for the “Silent Church.” A misinterpretation was put on the meaning of his words. It was published in the Catholic Press that His Holiness meant the Church behind the Iron and Bamboo Curtains. This is not so. He invariably said exactly what he meant. If he had wanted the Faithful to pray for the “Persecuted Church” he would have said so. He asked them to pray for the Church that was silent although free.

Then again the Pope said, and afterwards reiterated that he had seen and talked with Christ. But this was also hushed up. WHY?

[tkmedia]

Eckert: OL Stat Study 2.0 Using PFF Run/Pass Blocking, SIS Total Points Earned Metrics 2016-2020

Today I am continuing my “Offensive Line Study Series”, here is a link to the first study that I would recommend for full context of this study: OL Study 1.0 I wanted to dive deeper and get a broader view than a single season. I also wanted to answer this question: How did the players grade according to stats from Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Sports Info Solutions (SIS) in the last five years? Here are the definitions for the datapoints used in this study: - PFF Run Block Grade (RBLK) = PFF Grade for Run Blocking - PFF Pass Block Grade (PBLK) = PFF Grade for Pass Blocking - SIS Total Points Earned (TPE) = The total of a player’s EPA responsibility using the Total Points system Some important things before the graph, the players in this study are the leaders in single season TPE with the highest snap counts (for durability), then layering in the PFF grades and TPE from 2016-2020. I also focused on more recent players that have played since 2018, then how those players did over the five-year sample size with the above datapoints. With that in mind, here’s what 2016-2020 looked like:

Great! I really enjoyed layering in the TPE as the dot sizes to see how their team value datapoint compared to the PFF Grades. Any players with larger dots in the bottom left were favored by the TPE stat, and any smaller dots elsewhere were favored by PFF grades. I also marked the Steelers players so we could see how Alejandro, Maurkice, and Ramon compared to the league. This again highlights how durable Villanueva has been, along with the new era at a position we’ve been blessed to see great stability in personnel for several years. All being below the mean in run blocking leads me to an interesting question: Are you optimistic the Steelers line will improve in run blocking this season? If so, which players could be above average league wide? Now let’s look at this angle, who were the best TPE players from the graph according to SIS, with PFF Grades, and Study 1.0 Ranks: Total Points Earned Rk RBLK Rk PBLK Rk Study 1.0 Rk 1. Joe Thuney 29 22 2. Andrew Whitworth 18 2 3. Jake Matthews 42 10 22 4. Zack Martin 2 9 5. David Bakhtiari 20 1 6. Alejandro Villanueva 37 16 23 7. Rob Havenstein 14 48 3 8. Shaq Mason 3 36 9. Kevin Zeitler 26 14 49 10. Rodney Hudson 22 4 21 11. Jack Conklin 11 27 12. Charles Leno 35 26 24 13. Kelvin Beachum 62 25 19 14. Gabe Jackson 46 29 44 15. Ronnie Stanley 27 6 16. Quinton Spain 47 44 17. Ben Jones 16 30 27 18. Andrew Norwell 39 13 19. Brandon Fusco 34 50 20. Brandon Brooks 6 3 21. Joel Bitonio 24 5 5 22. Cody Whitehair 8 53 23. Anthony Castonzo 23 15 24. Ereck Flowers 49 47 25. Germain Ifedi 58 58 39 26. Maurkice Pouncey 44 35 27. Duane Brown 15 12 8 28. John Miller 53 46 29. Corey Linsley 17 17 30. Ryan Jensen 30 43 40 31. A.J. Cann 55 52 32. Ali Marpet 7 20 33. Orlando Brown 36 21 32 34. Trenton Brown 38 33 35. David Andrews 13 34 36. Matt Paradis 10 38 53 37. Bobby Hart 60 59 38. Nate Solder 31 31 39. Ramon Foster 56 19 40. Marshal Yanda 5 7 41. Taylor Moton 28 18 26 42. Quenton Nelson 1 11 2 43. D.J. Humphries 9 40 1 44. Richie Incognito 21 8 45. Donald Penn 19 49 46. Chase Roullier 41 28 6 47. Max Unger 52 24 48. Jordan Mills 64 60 49. Bradley Bozeman 43 63 52 50. Brian O’Neill 25 42 12 51. Travis Frederick 4 23 52. Jermey Parnell 32 37 53. James Hurst 63 32 54. Austin Blythe 57 64 29 55. Will Hernandez 59 51 56. Connor Williams 45 54 15 57. Ted Karras 33 45 36 58. Isaac Seumalo 50 56 59. John Jerry 51 41 60. Dennis Kelly 40 57 45 61. Erik McCoy 12 39 34 62. Greg Mancz 48 61 63. Austin Howard 61 62 64. Austin Corbett 54 55 25 This view will tend to favor players with longer/healthier careers but that is valuable for as physical this position group is. We know this all to well regarding having an offensive line as one of the strengths of the team to being one of the biggest concerns in this sample size. Hopefully this will apply to the 2021 o-line, staying healthy (knocks on wood) so they can build chemistry and hopefully be successful. Now I would like to take all the information from this study to get a more complete ranking for this study: Study 2.0 Ranks POS TEAM 1. Zack Martin RG DAL 2. Andrew Whitworth LT LAR 3. David Bakhtiari LT GB 4. Brandon Brooks RG PHI 5. Joel Bitonio LG CLE 6. Quenton Nelson LG IND 7. Rodney Hudson C LV 8. Duane Brown LT SEA 9. Shaq Mason RG NE 10. Ronnie Stanley LT BAL 11. Jack Conklin RT CLE 12. Joe Thuney LG NE 13. Marshal Yanda RG BAL 14. Rob Havenstein RT LAR 15. Jake Matthews LT ATL 16. Ali Marpet LG TB 17. Anthony Castonzo LT IND 18. Alejandro Villanueva LT PIT 19. Corey Linsley C GB 20. Ben Jones C TEN 21. D.J. Humphries LT ARI 22. Andrew Norwell LG JAX 23. Charles Leno LT CHI 24. Richie Incognito LG LV 25. Kevin Zeitler RG NYG 26. Travis Frederick C DAL 27. David Andrews C NE 28. Cody Whitehair C CHI 29. Taylor Moton RT CAR 30. Kelvin Beachum RT ARI 31. Chase Roullier C WAS 32. Orlando Brown RT BAL 33. Brian O’Neill RT MIN 34. Gabe Jackson RG LV 35. Nate Solder LT NYG 36. Matt Paradis C CAR 37. Brandon Fusco RG ATL 38. Maurkice Pouncey C PIT 39. Trenton Brown RT LV 40. Quinton Spain RG CIN 41. Ryan Jensen C TB 42. Erik McCoy C NO 43. Donald Penn RT WAS 44. Ramon Foster LG PIT 45. Ereck Flowers LG MIA 46. Jermey Parnell RT JAX 47. Max Unger C NO 48. John Miller RG CAR 49. Connor Williams LG DAL 50. Ted Karras C MIA 51. Germain Ifedi RG CHI 52. A.J. Cann RG JAX 53. James Hurst LT NO 54. Austin Corbett RG LAR 55. John Jerry LT CIN 56. Dennis Kelly RT TEN 57. Austin Blythe C LAR 58. Bradley Bozeman LG BAL 59. Bobby Hart RT CIN 60. Isaac Seumalo LG PHI 61. Will Hernandez LG NYG 62. Greg Mancz C BAL 63. Jordan Mills RT BAL 64. Austin Howard RG WAS For the next study, I will add playoff value like my other series and wrap up with more visualizations, hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Recommended for you Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Read the full article

[fueltankstrucks]

Nine Leading Tips to Optimize Your Fuel Efficiency and also Save Cash on Gas

With the intensifying rate of gas, buying a fuel-efficient cars and truck makes a great deal of sense. About 15% of brand-new vehicle buyers reject a version as a result of poor gas mileage. Nearly 40% of those consumers who get rid of a full-size SUV as a result of gas mileage ultimately buy a midsize SUV instead, while virtually 20% purchase another design altogether. (J.D. Power as well as Associates, Sept. 2004.).

However even if you do not presently own a fuel-efficient automobile, there are great deals of ways you can boost the fuel efficiency of your existing car till you're ready to buy among the best gas mileage vehicles. Your individual driving habits have a huge result on your fuel use and also costs. You can better manage your lorry operating prices as well as decrease the discharges it creates by driving less and also a lot more efficiently. Right here are some tips to aid. Initially, you need to recognize what sort of mileage you are obtaining. Calculate this by filling your storage tank as well as recording the odometer reading-or you can reset your trip gauge to zero. Following time you get gas, load the container once more and separate the miles you took a trip between fill by the amount of gas you purchased on this fill-up. Also, Phillip 66 is one of the best product to pick to maintain the good quality and performance of car engine. This is your vehicle's miles per gallon or mpg. If it's quite depressing, below's just how to transform your gas drinker into a gas saver:.

Drive slower: The aerodynamic drag out your vehicle increases noticeably the quicker you drive. The drag pressure at 70 miles per hour has to do with double that at 50 mph, so maintaining speed down can boost your mileage significantly. Gas gas mileage reduces swiftly at rates over 60 mph. Each 5 mph above 60 mph is like paying an extra $.10/ gallon for gas. Observing the rate limit is likewise safer for everybody.

Maintain a continuous speed: Each time you accelerate, you utilize energy, some of which is thrown away when you reduce the vehicle down once more. By preserving a constant speed, specifically driving the published rate limitation, you will boost your fuel efficiency. Simply by boosting your highway cruising speed from 62 miles per hour to 74 mph you increase fuel intake by about 20%! Making use of cruise control on the highway aids you maintain a constant rate as well as will generally conserve gas.

Drive delicately: Aggressive driving-speeding, rapid velocity and also hard braking-wastes gas. These bad habits can reduce your gas mileage by 33% at freeway speeds and also 5% in the city. Additionally, affordable driving is much safer for you and others, so you may be conserving greater than gas cash. Take into consideration making use of overdrive equipments on the freeway, as this lowers engine rate, lowering fuel usage and also engine wear.

Stay Clear Of Excess Idling: Idling obtains 0 miles/gallon as well as wastes gas as well as money, is difficult on the engine and also includes in toxic discharges. Cars and trucks with larger engines generally throw away much more gas at still than those with smaller engines. Switch off your engine if you assume you will be stopped for greater than 30 seconds. Nevertheless, if you're driving a fuel-efficient vehicle like a hybrid, your electric motor gets on when you still, so you're not throwing away any type of gas whatsoever!

Lessen cooling: Utilizing your a/c unit in hot weather can boost your fuel intake by more than 20% in city driving. Whenever feasible, close all home windows as well as utilize the air vents to distribute air rather than air conditioning. You will boost your fuel efficiency in summer by minimizing making use of a/c and also using your cars and truck's flow-through air flow, especially on the highway. If you must use the air conditioning, established the controls to a level that allows the system cycle, and turn it off as soon as the inside of auto is cooled down enough. Also take into consideration such choices a sunroof and colored glass to keep the car cool.

Maintain Your Car fit: Keeping your vehicle in leading functioning problem saves you gas and cash, and decreases long-term upkeep costs while minimizing unsafe emissions.

Maintain Your Engine Correctly Tuned-Getting routine tune-ups when your auto is out of song or has stopped working an exhausts examination may enhance gas mileage by around 4%. If your auto has a malfunctioning oxygen sensor and you have it dealt with, gas mileage could enhance as high as 40%. Ensure the spark plugs, if you have them, are shooting appropriately, replacing them when essential. Have the engine timing looked for precision.

Examine & Replace Air Filters Regularly-Replacing a stopped up air filter might improve a car's gas mileage by as much as 10%. Furthermore, it will secure your engine from pollutants. Modification this more frequently if you stay in a messy environment, drive on dust or crushed rock roads or if you drive off-road for enjoyable.

Keep Tires Appropriately Inflated-Your gas mileage can raise by about 3.3% if you maintain tires pumped up to their correct stress. It takes extra effort and gas for the engine to push an underinflated tire than a correctly inflated one-which supply less road-resistance, therefore enhancing fuel efficiency. Be cautious over-inflation, however, which can bring about dealing with troubles and also uneven tire wear. Inspect tire stress often, trying to find indications of irregular wear or ingrained objects that can trigger air leakages. In winter months, check tire pressure if there is a sharp modification in temperature level, as winter reduces atmospheric pressure in the tires.

Utilize the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil-Fuel effectiveness can improve by 1-2% if you make use of the maker's advised grade of motor oil. Also, if you change your very own oil, seek electric motor oil rated as "Energy Conserving" to ensure it contains friction-reducing additives.

Inspect Which Gas to Use-Choose the right octane gas for your vehicle by examining your proprietor's handbook. It's not necessary to get the "extremely" high-octane gas unless your car manufacturer suggests it or your engine knocks without it. While you won't do damage to the engine, you will be paying more than you require to, considering that costs (highest octane) gas costs an average of 17 cents much more per gallon than routine gas. Just concerning 6% of vehicles offered in the U.S. requirement premium gas, according to the AAA. Additionally, avoid complementing your gas storage tank, considering that in warmer weather condition, fuel expansion can trigger an overflow as well as you'll be wasting priceless fuel. You want to be a gas saver-not a gas waster!

Planning & Integrating Trips: Incorporating errands to do together and in similar locations saves time and money. A number of short trips beginning with a cold engine can use twice as much fuel as a much longer multi-purpose journey that covers the same range when the engine is heated up. With a little advancement preparation, you can stay clear of high web traffic areas, road construction, retracing your route and ultimately decrease the range you travel while running errands. You'll not only minimize fuel, however additionally decrease damage on your automobile.

Travelling: If you can alternating your work hrs to avoid rush hour, you'll spend less time being in web traffic as well as burn up less gas. For quit as well as go web traffic, drive your finest gas mileage automobile if you own more than one automobile. Ponder telecommuting (functioning from home) when your task allows. If you can, participate in carpools as well as ride-share programs. You can cut your weekly gas expenses in half as well as save endure your car if you take turns sharing driving with others.

Taking a trip: A roofing rack or provider pays for extra freight area and also helps out when you have a smaller car. Nevertheless, a packed roofing shelf lowers fuel efficiency by 5%. Decrease the wind resistance and raise your fuel efficiency by placing items inside the trunk when possible. Also, get rid of any type of unnecessary items, specifically heavy ones, as an added 100 pounds. in the trunk minimizes a cars and truck's fuel efficiency by about 1 to 2%.

[minpsone]

Controversial Myanmar pastor who claimed Christians are immune from coronavirus tests positive

[featured in Myanmar Mix]

By Min Pyae Sone  - April 14, 2020

Myanmar pastor David Lah told online viewers of his service that devout Christians would be immune to coronavirus before testing positive for the virus himself.

At least five Covid-19 cases have been traced to his religious service at a church in Insein township on April 6, among them rock band Iron Cross singer Myo Gyi, 44, who regularly sings hymns and Christian rock with the pastor.

An estimated 100 people are thought to have come into contact with those who attended the service, an official told news agency Anadolu Agency.

A health official confirmed to the agency that the pastor is among the new cases.

The gathering defied government instructions to avoid mass gatherings, an order echoed by the Myanmar Council of Churches in a Facebook post on April 2.

But Lah is no stranger to controversy. He has made anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ statements in his sermons as well as claims that Christianity somehow protects worshippers from the pathogen.

“I can guarantee, if you are walking the true path, and have the whole of Christ in your heart, you will not get the disease," Lah told his followers.

A churchgoer familiar with Lah who asked for anonymity confirmed his diagnosis to Myanmar Mix. On hearing of the spread of Covid-19 at Lah’s service, the worshipper text the pastor his best wishes and said he received the reply: “Yes, amen.”

Myanmar confirmed 21 Covid-19 cases yesterday—the highest daily jump, bringing the number of cases to 62 and four deaths. The government has urged people to stay at home over the typically riotous new year period as Myanmar has seen a gradual uptick in the number of locally transmitted cases.

Myo Gyi, his wife, elder sister, and two children, who live in Bahan township’s Pearl Condo, were quarantined in a government facility in Hlaing township on April 12, while authorities imposed a total lockdown on the building where the family lives, reported Myanmar Times.

Meanwhile, government spokesperson Zaw Htay told BBC Burmese that vice president Henry Van Thio, a Christian from Chin state, will be tested for the virus after photographs circulated on social media showing him with Lah.

Zaw Htay said the photos were taken on February 9—the same day Lah spoke at the Myanmar National Youth Conference in Naypyidaw—and the earliest confirmed infection in Myanmar was on March 23.

However, he said the politician and his family members could see the growing public concern over the news, and so Henry Van Thio along with more than 30 other people would be tested.

Lah’s Facebook page describes him as a Myanmar-born pastor residing in Toronto, Canada and currently “touring around the globe to preach the gospel.”

Since February he has preached in cities including Mandalay, Yangon, and Naypyidaw.

During one church service, he is filmed saying the number 768—which some people believe signifies praise to Allah—adds up to 21, meaning “the world must become a Muslim world in the 21st Century.”

He goes on to espouse trite but also sometimes bizarre anti-Muslim conspiracies, which are reminiscent of inflammatory rhetoric heard from ultra-nationalists in Myanmar.

“In cities like London, they are spreading their faith just with sheer population numbers,” said Lah. "When their kids finish the 12th grade, they force them to become lawyers. They are trying to influence the government and the law.”

Perhaps most strangely, he refers to the Panthay, a predominately Muslim Hui people of China who migrated to Burma in the 1800s.

"A Chinese man is frying noodles in peace, a Muslim leader will ask him 'do you want Allah or death,' so the Chinese man shouts 'Allah Allah Allah!' so he is now Panthay,” said Lah.

In another clip, Lah targets gay men, who are sometimes labelled the derogatory term "a chauk" in Myanmar, which is also the same word for "dry."

"There's a reason why we called homosexuals a chauk, because they are dry," said Lah. "For them to become wet again, they need Christ."

[ledenews]

Katrina Davis: Taking That Next Step

Katrina Davis is used to living with pressure. It comes with the territory. Much is expected of you when you put on the Red & Black for storied Bellaire High School. The school’s hardwood has seen a plethora of talented hoopsters grace its planks. It’s called the house of champions for a reason. And of course, given her last name happens to be Davis, even more is expected. Compounding that pressure was the fact that this season, she was the key returning starter from an OVAC championship team that graduated a pair of 1,000-point scorers. When those key moments hit in big games and her teammates needed someone to look to for leadership and help in keeping calm, whom do you think it was they turned toward? How did she respond? Davis capped one of the finest four-year spans in Big Reds’ history with one of its best seasons. She averaged 28.3 points a night in scoring an absurd 629 points as a senior. That gave her 1,564 career points, third on the Lady Reds’ all-time scoring list. For her efforts, she was named Ohio's Division III Player of the Year and a finalist for Ms. Basketball. She also nearly averaged a triple double, posting marks of eight rebounds and eight steals per game. Her 737 career rebounds are also third in Lady Reds’ history. She’s the career leader in steals (433), wins (79) and second in assists (301). Keep in mind, Katrina Davis stands all of 5-foot-2. That’s 62 inches of pure athleticism, fighting and scratching for every rebound, every steal, and every opportunity. It’s a lot of pressure, but again, she’s used to it. Much is expected, but those expectations and that pressure are placed externally. Inside her close-family unit, she’s just Kat; daughter to Alvin, sister to Cierra and cousin to Jose and Nate. A gifted athlete to be sure, but also one that boasts the second-highest GPA in her senior class. She plays softball, but also leads the school’s yearbook club. She ran cross country but also has a love of reading, of shopping and just relaxing at home, chilling on the couch with her dad and watching movies. The two have a special bond. The elder Davis knew his daughter had talent, but he didn’t push her to basketball, rather, allowing her interest to blossom on its own until she came to him, ready to learn. The rest, as they say, is history—Bellaire’s record books show that it is so. Now, having recently signed her national letter of intent to continue her athletic and academic careers at Division II’s Bluefield State, Davis readies to embark on the next portion of her journey.

Senior year is an exciting time in a student’s life, athlete or not. You mentioned looking forward to another season of AAU hoops. You also have softball and prom and graduation. What's the most difficult part for you in dealing with how the last part of your high school career has transpired? Are there any positives to take away from the experience?

I’d say the most difficult part of losing the last part of my high school career is missing my softball season and not being able to go to my yearbook class. I love playing softball, being with my teammates, and the energy that was spread on the diamond. There are so many things that could’ve gone different for me if we had a softball season. I was debating on choosing to play softball in college instead of basketball. I’m also the editor of our yearbook and sadly we don’t get to fill our spring sports pages with pictures or even have graduation, senior skip day, or senior prank in our yearbook. One positive I got from this experience is committing to play basketball in college and growing a closer bond with my sister since we’re both home.  

Katrina Davis poses for a photo with her cousin Nate Davis, a fellow all-Ohioan at Bellaire in multiple sports. The pressure to play "like a Davis" was never fealt from her family, only from external forces. Katrina's family was supportive of her no matter what. She lived up to those lofty expectations, but she admits she never felt the pressure at home to do so.

You've put up some impressive numbers at Bellaire in a school that's had a number of dynamic players, both on the boys' side and the girls. Plus, you’re related to two of them most well-known in your cousins Jose and Nate. Ever feel any familial pressure to excel given the Davis name?

Growing up in a close-knit family full of talent, I actually never felt pressured by my family to live up to the ‘Davis’ name. My family is always very supportive of me, and they taught me a lot about the game; therefore, I believed in my training and knowledge that they helped me obtain. I felt more pressure by outsiders and how they would compare my success to theirs.  

Speaking of pressure, you were able to accel at athletics while keeping a grade point average on the plus side of 4.0. How difficult was that to juggle school and athletics? What was more nerve-racking, a late free-throw during a big game, or the first time sitting down to take either the ACT or SAT?

School actually comes easy to me. I love to learn and soak up information if I’m interested in the topic, so it made juggling the two much easier. I faced my first difficulty my junior year when I took chemistry which was the hardest class in the school. I would say taking a chemistry test from Mr. Xenakis and the ACT for the first was much more nerve-racking than a late-free in a big game with a close score because of the amount of reps at the line I would shoot in the offseason and practice.

You looked at a nice cross-section of schools both locally and further away. What ultimately made you feel that Bluefield State was the best fit for you? Do they have a comparable degree or a gateway undergraduate path that will allow you to pursue your previously stated desire to pursue a career in occupational therapy?

One thing people wouldn’t believe about me is that I'm an introvert. I get really nervous when it comes to trying new things and meeting new people. I decided to go to Bluefield State to get out of my comfort zone and experience things on my own, without my sister’s or dad’s help. I also really enjoyed Coach Bailey’s conversations and style of play. They unfortunately do not offer occupational therapy as a major, so I decided to go into nursing which will keep me in the medical field and allow me to play for Coach Bailey.  

Davis sits with teammate and fellow senior Mia Gavarkavich and receives some last minutes pointers while Bellaire's jayvee team finishes its game this season.

Speaking of recruiting, if the height listed next to your name on the roster wasn’t 5-foot-2 and was, say, closer to the 5-8 range, do you think you still would have waited as long to make your decision? Your skill set says higher level, but were they maybe afraid to pull the trigger and offer a scholarship at that level because of your height? If that’s the case, do you play with a chip on your shoulder, wanting to prove people wrong who may have doubted your ability to compete at a high level.

If I was closer to 5-8. I think I would still have made my decision around this time. I like getting the feel for coaches and weighing all my options before committing to something that will have such a big impact on my life. However, I do feel like my skill set was passed up on because of my height, but my dad and I always say “control the things you can control,” and unfortunately my height is one thing I do not have a say in. I do play with that on my shoulders though. I know that I am undersized on the court, so I try to make up for my lack of size by executing the fundamentals. Read the full article