#the next post is back to scheduled programming for the next 1 or 2 posts before we have Branden and Lea's courtship and wedding posts

[jmdbjk]

Mental gymnastics...

I am flipping out. That's all. Just my brain doing cartwheels and whatever those things are called where you flip between those high bars and let go for a breathless second and then grab onto reality again. Or this...

Too much Olympics these past few weeks I guess... anyway.

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! I may or may not mention scenes in detail and their outcomes during these long rambling messy posts beginning with the next sentence.

Before I get into it... kudos to the staff for keeping up with these two and for suffering many extremely anxious moments as Jimin and Jungkook drove themselves through NYC, as Jungkook and then both Jimin and Jungkook rode the motorcycle through traffic, and the few heart stopping moments when JK flipped his kayak over and then they took off down the river alone before staff caught up with them. Not to mention probably looking up the nearest ER/urgent care facility in case Jimin got too dehydrated from his bout with the stomach bug.

Seriously though, their lives and global headlines had to flash before their eyes when JK disappeared underwater under that kayak... so big applause for the staff/production crew for not shitting THEIR pants thirteen times too.

So here are some of my thoughts. I'll begin with the first episode...

Episode 1:

In the opening scene, I'm assuming this is Antoya Korean BBQ restaurant. They were talking about JK's sore throat and that he had to visit a medical facility. Jimin kept on about it. It seemed like JK's "stop babying me" attitude bubbled up a little bit. Let them be them. As you can see, JK adjusted Jimin's beanie so he could see his eyes. They were fine.

Pause and reflect: they didn't know what to expect with this idea of a travel show. The moment above happened on Thursday evening, July 13. Both of them were working. Jimin was still working on his concepts, photos, MV and whatnot, planning to finish everything for Muse in the coming months. Jungkook had a full schedule for promoting Seven which was dropping the next day. He had to get up early for Good Morning America concert in the park.

I'm stating all this for point of reference. Nothing is static. JK was in work mode: he had a performance the next day and also not feeling well himself. Jimin had been on a plane for 14 hours. Just keep these things in mind before jumping to conclusions.

In the next scene (the next day) back at the hotel after JK's done with his performance and when he's packing to go on this trip he's all in and ready to go. Hurry up Jimin!

Jimin asked him how the live performance went. As we know, the GMA live performance was mostly rained out. Before the storm came through, they quickly pre-recorded the performances before it would have been time for the live broadcast and then shut it down. Jungkook had to be driven quickly to the studio to be interviewed to fill the leftover time in the program that more of his live performance would have taken up.

Hearing Jungkook say "this isn't my first rodeo" was never going to be on any bingo card in my lifetime.

I don't know what he was scribbling on that iPad but it looked geometric. He was focused. Maybe it was something for the next week's performance, maybe it was a sketch for music show staging, trying to recreate that flower archway they saw at Antoya the night before? maybe he was doodling in Canva... we don't know.

Me either, Jimin... (this was the first of all the hilarious gems that begin to shower down on us).

They are both known to be perfectionists when it comes to their work. And we know they've also both performed when feeling less than 100% on that stage. Jungkook realized there were circumstances beyond his control and he took it in stride.

FYI, in New York City, they stayed at the Loews Regency on E. 61st Street in Manhattan. It is between Madison Ave. and Park Avenue and not far from Central Park. Swanky. The suite looks like the 2-bedroom "Park Avenue Suite" and runs $2100 a night... gasp. Yes, its the same suite where JK did his live after his rained upon GMA appearance. During this live he mentioned being poked with needles, IV's and shots in the butt as well as teasing us with what would become Are You Sure:

No, I don't think Jimin stayed in this suite with JK. Jimin's room had a smaller bathroom and a shower curtain instead of a glass shower door. Staff with camera woke him up.

To be that beautiful when rolling out of bed... anyway, I digress...

It truly was unplanned and spontaneous as if they were doing this with the idea of "let's try it and see if it can be viable." Even Jimin wasn't sure if any of this could be aired.

Once they got in the Jeep they started to find their groove. Being alone, just them, was what they needed. They could focus on what was ahead of them. The driving moments were some of the best for me.

We eventually learn that Jimin wasn't feeling well and I'm certain this is what Jungkook was telling Yoongi during that episode of Suchwita, along with the elbowing in the nose.

Seems like Jimin's stomach trouble started when they were at the first restaurant, the burger place. The bathroom visits continued at the brewery and into the evening at the campsite.

Jimin had some sort of stomach bug that kept him on the toilet a lot and he ran a little bit of a temp. I am sad that he wasn't feeling 100% when they were on the yacht the next day but he still seemed to enjoy it enough to find the humor in his situation. He was a real trooper.

It sure didn't stop him from eating. My man was very brave in that regard. Me... no way I'd be stuffing my face with a big greasy burger when at any moment I might need to make a run for the toilet.

They get back on the road and these are the moments that I wait for:

After arguing in satoori about who is the worst driver between them, they start shopping at Dick's.

And get recognized...

After shopping excursion at Dick's, they finally head to High Nine Brewery...

Jimin's first sample wasn't to his taste (again). His taste buds were probably a little off since he had the stomach thing going on... but JK's eyebrows say that his sample was pretty good.

They finally settle on a hard seltzer and a pale ale and relax for a little bit. Jungkook is still wondering what would make good subject matter to film. They are truly making it up as they go...

Jimin proceeds to explain and an interaction happens and I am not sure what to think about it:

I am going to end this post here because they are now on their way to the kayaks and that segment deserves its own post and I have too many screen shots of it to fit in this post.

[These are all my own opinions about what I am seeing and hearing them say and from what I am observing from the video. It's ok if your opinion is different from mine.]

[ros3ybabes]

Workout Split: Colorado

so, as you all may know, I'm heading to Colorado in a few days for work for the next 8 weeks. I'll be staying somewhere with a fitness center, and while I have no clue what it looks like, as long as it has dumbbells, I'll be able to complete this weekly workout split!

This is my ideal split, but if my schedule changes while I'm out there, then I will have to move some things around. So this is a more vague version of what I'd want to do! I like to be an active person, so I'd only take one active rest day for stretching and light walking at most.

My Ideal 8 Week Split 🎀

2x Pilates (1 Upper Body Focused, 1 Core Focused)

3x Strength Training (2 Glute days, 1 Full Lower Body Day)

1x Workout Class (Reformer pilates, etc) OR 1x Strength Training (Back Focused)

1x Active Rest Day (Yoga/Stretching/Light Walking)

10k steps or more daily

I've heard that 3x glute/lower body days are ideal for short, intensive programs of 8 to 12 weeks, which is why I decided to do 3x lower body/glute days while in Colorado. I am going to stick to dumbbell only workouts as those are my favorite and the most accessible.

This split is subject to change but the whole premise is I want to go a little harder with strength training for those 8 weeks and then come back home and continue a mixed strength/pilates/walking routine that will help me better reach my physique and health goals.

Always open to questions or post suggestions!! Will update with my glute workout routine(s) soon!

til next time lovelies 🩷

[as-kind-as-summer]

I finally have a minute to sit down so I'm going to yell about the Lord of the Rings musical for a bit! I'll put everything under a cut so people can avoid spoilers! Pic of me in my cute hobbit-ish outfit first 😊

So disclaimer first, hopefully I'm remembering everything correctly but I recently started a new job and can't take any days off in my first 90 days but desperately wanted to see this show. So I worked a night shift, drove 6 hours, and by the time everything was over I'd been awake for ~21 hours. And also everyone who knows anything about this show is long. Like we were sitting in act 2 and I couldn't remember if they'd sang The Road Goes On in act 1 because it had been two hours ago by that point 😂All this to say, if I misremember please forgive me and feel free to correct me!

My friend and I had the most amazing seats for this show! I'd been debating whether or not I wanted to go through the trouble of going to see it with work and all but then I got an email because apparently I'd signed up for the Shakespeare Theatre's 30 under 30 program and that made everything worth it. I'll post a picture below but we sat second row in the center section on the end of the stage right side. In the picture you can see the stairs literally came down about six inches in front of my feet. I'm not usually a fan of sitting so close but with how immersive the show was it was perfect.

(Obligatory photo with the playbill because I will always be a theatre nerd at heart)

Starting at ~15 til, the actors all started coming out and wandering the audience, just talking to people and having a good ol' time. Again I'm such a sucker for immersive performances and despite being terribly awkward this was still very exciting.

With everyone wandering around and then the show just sort of starting with no big to-do, it really felt like you're a part of the story. Like 'oh I really am here at Bilbo's birthday party.' Again just a really good time, I think it added another really great layer to the show.

I know I just keep saying how fun this show looked but honestly it looks like such a great time and like every single actor on stage is having the best time. The choreography isn't anything terribly complicated but it just looks fun. Also we saw this on a Wednesday at the evening performance which means there would've been a matinee earlier and you never would've been able to tell. I've seen shows where you can tell the actors are going through it during their second show of the day(and rightfully so) but I wouldn't have had a clue if I hadn't known the schedule. Really just such an amazing cast.

The puppetry was phenomenal! I'm not typically freaked out by puppetry but I had a visceral reaction to those Nazgul puppets. Don't know what it was about them but I was legitimately unnerved. One came up next to me and I did not care for it at all. Pretty sure the people behind me were chuckling every time I cringed but like honestly so fair 😂

So I only found out about the existence of this musical in June and it was absolutely my accident. After seeing the trilogy in theaters, I fell back in hard and was just like 'huh I wonder if there's a stage version of this if not there should be' and googled it on a whim. Pretty much been listening to the London soundtrack on repeat since then but there were a lot of songs that I felt very eh about on the soundtrack that are loads better within the context of the show. Like a lot of the Elvish acapella songs being actually just background to the action that happened onstage felt a lot more natural than listening to them on their own.

Speaking of songs I liked more, Lament for Moria was absolutely beautiful. I hate to compare casts because I think every actor brings their own unique take to the role but that was just a song that I wasn't terribly fond of on the London soundtrack. But the actor that played Gimli in this version had an absolutely gorgeous voice. I was telling someone I always assume actors in a show will be able to sing because obviously they've been cast but there are still times where someone opens their mouth and I'm stunned and this was one of them.

I really enjoyed the set design a lot. I love the current trend of having a simple versatile set with smaller pieces that are wheeled on from time to time. Also, such a sucker for turntables and platforms. I don't know what it is but I think it's A+. Also the climbing wall grips in the back so Gollum could climb up and down were fantastic! Such a simple solution but I think it worked so well. I could see them since we were so close but the way they were painted, I'm guessing they blended in really well further back and the effect would've been amazing.

Obviously even at nearly 3 hours long this is still a wildly condensed version of these stories but I was still disappointed that almost all of Two Towers was cut out other than Treebeard. This of course isn't unique to this production, just the way it's written. I don't think it necessarily detracted from the story since most of the action and important bits do take place in Fellowship and Return of the King but Two Towers is still my favorite so this is a personal gripe mostly haha.

The costumes were all great, a lot of it felt sort of generic fantasy-ish but I love generic fantasy-ish costumes so I was happy. However, I thought the orcs costumes were so cool! Especially with the new(? I'll be honest with y'all I have not read the books(yet) and I feel like I heard about this being the ending somewhere. Not sure if they changed it for the movies and the ending of the musical is the actual ending? anyway) ending they were very neat!

I'm also such a sucker for instruments being played onstage especially when it's the actors doing it and especially when a lot of them are playing multiple different instruments. I just will never get over the talent.

I think I've said most of what I wanted to say so I have to talk about Now and For Always. Since my first listen, Now and For Always was my absolute favorite song. Like hyperfixated listening for hours on end kind of favorite song. I just think it's so beautiful, the harmonies are gorgeous, and it really embodies what these stories were about. I saw the snippet Chicago Shakespeare posted before I went and I was iffy about if I'd like it. I could not have been more wrong. The way it was so slowed down, having the rest of the cast standing around Sam and Frodo, the delivery of the last verse from Frodo to a sleeping Sam? I'm tearing up just thinking about it again. Like that's what it's all about, you know? The tenderness and kindness in the midst of horrors. The true power that friendship has to carry you through the absolute worst of things. I don't even have more words, it was just such a beautiful and touching presentation and it's going to stay with me for a very long time.

Oh no wait I did have one more thing to say, they tried to make me like Denethor and no one will ever make me like Denethor! Denethor hater for life, all my homies hate Denethor. I'm sorry, I know they used the explanation of 'he's too close too Mordor it's poisoning his mind' nope don't care. The best thing Denethor did was set himself on fire, change my mind.

All this to say, I had the most amazing time and I am forever grateful I found this production when I did and had the chance to go see it. I don't think it's for everyone, as like 'duh obviously' as it sounds I think you really have to enjoy both LotR and theatre. The people behind us were snickering from time to time because there were some things that were kind of goofy. Most of it was at the weapons, they're definitely on the cheaper side but it's a regional theatre and I'm sure they only had so much budget. You have to be able to suspend your disbelief when seeing any show but especially this one. Forget what you know from the books and the movies and just go in with an open mind. It's a spectacle, it's goofy, it's serious, it will absolutely wrench your heartstrings if you just let yourself be open to it. Everyone is obviously so passionate about what they're doing and it made for such an amazing show, highly recommend to go see it if you get the chance 💜

[sixpennydame]

You're Not a Hunter, You're a Gatherer

It seems that every writer moot I have is feeling some kind of burn-out right now. I read an amazing post today from Sarah Gottesdiener of The Moon Studio that I think every writer/artist/creative needs to hear:

Many of us are taught to be creators in a way that mimics punishment and productivity culture. To push, force, and maybe even flagellate ourselves into making work.

(Then when it comes to sharing work publicly, it’s another little punishment party going full blast inside, amirite?)

This is a capitalist, patriarchal, hierarchal way of doing things.

To hunt down our innocent ideas and wrangle them in between our bloody, iron grip hands feels like abuse.

To contort our process, our work, and maybe even ourselves so that we might create work that we *think* will get us: paid, laid, loved, and accepted. (Which are all branches of the same gorgeous tree of belonging and security. May we all experience these freely!)

You are not a hunter. Exhausting yourself by chasing down the next innocent idea like that will solve your problems when it only feeds the loop of insecurity and lack. When you operate in hunter mode, deep in a dopamine deficiency, relying on the next big kill to satiate the gaping void inside, nothing you do will ever be enough.

You are a gatherer. Everything you need is a stones throw, or a right click, or a meditation, or a conversation away. Everything you create is a conversation with the world, and it is infinite. Because source is infinite. Ideas are infinite, and form is infinite. Deep exhale.

​ The hunter mentality, complete with spears and endless bloodshed, can live inside of our processes. Ursula K. LeGuin suggests a different approach, the Carrier Bag Method. The first tool was a net, a vessel. Thousands of years ago our ancient ancestors foraged, gathered, carried the life force of abundance back to their homes, and were nourished. This process required curiosity, patience, and an ability to use what already existed on the land they inhabited.

​ Your creations are meant to be friends, stewards of your ideas, companions to others’ fruits, and in conversation with the greater world.

When you create from that space, it’s much easier to get ideas, have a process that is delightful, and share your work with ease.

Here’s an overview of one of the creative processes that works for me. ​ 1. Everything I create is for me, first. What excites me, or interests me, or will force to grow, learn, or implement different behaviors? That is my starting point. ​

2. Structure proceeds flow. Creativity needs containers. Create core intentions and fun rules. Outlines, lists, schedules all help to provide a base, an anchor, some scaffolding. ​

3. Use the Carrier Bag Method whenever possible. Live life. Look around. Gather. A conversation, an insight on a walk, a podcast episode, a shade of the sky: anything and all things can be inspiration. Anything that sparks insight can be fertilizer for creative projects. Never start from a blank page of life. ​

4. Program the subconscious to be the master creator. Know how you ask Siri to set timers, look up information, and help you out? That’s what your subconscious is…but for, like, your intuitive creations and messages. Tell your subconscious you need to write that book, that social media message, that report, or that newsletter by a certain time in a certain way in a certain way and watch what happens.

[szarolina]

intro

Witam! I had been lurking in the studyblr community before I left Tumblr a few years ago. Yet here I come again and hope I still fit since I'm not a student anymore. I hope we'll get along!

About

I'm Karolina and I'm 27 years old.

From Poland (with love ♡).

INTJ & 5w6 / 8w9

I'm a graduate of two Master degrees: 1) International Relations in Asia 2) Russian & Central Asian Studies. I'm currently writing two theses and hopefully finish them by December.

Next, I want to enroll in PhD program and focus on politics, economy and markets in East and Southeast Asia.

In the meantime I'm looking for a job in the field. I'm thinking of an analyst of the area (just Asia or better Eurasia so it would cover both my degrees), but mixing it with academic path, so while pursuing PhD degree.

One of my hobbies are foreign languages! Over time of my education I've managed to learn English, French, Russian and I'm still learning Japanese (currently at B1+ level). I used to learn Mandarin Chinese, but I intend to get back to it at some point. Also, I'm interested in picking Korean.

I like learning often just for sake of it since my mind needs to be constantly on the go (it gave me sleepless nights several times). It could be picking some textbook (I learnt bases of macroeconomics by myself), doing some online quizes on all seas, gulfs and straits or reading a popular history/science books (because of the Oppenheimer movie, I bought "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes and yes, that's my current read!). I just enjoy it.

I have a never-ending books list on my Goodreads account (2600+ and counting). I like nonfiction (history, biography, political science, business, economics, you name it) and catching up on classics. Also, a h u g e Nabokov fan.

I'm one of these people who need to write everything down, from day schedule, important dates and tasks to all kinds of lists, trackers and brain dump. My Filofax is with me everywhere I go.

In general, I tend to be super-organized and put together. That applies to my daily or at least weekly schedule, surroundings or appearance - otherwise I can't properly focus.

I can't live without good coffee and I'm very picky about it.

Blog

The plan is to make it more personal by posting original content: hopefully daily, realistically a few times per week - mostly covering my writing proccess and languages learning, but also other random things. I intend to reblog some posts too, but I wish to keep the balance between that and OC.

Tagging #szarolina and #karolinatalking

My inbox is always open! c:

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Hey Reid, really random question, but what do you discuss in office hours generally?

For context, I'm a new undergrad student (on a joint English, drama, and creative studies course, I know this isnt your department but it's not too relevant) and we've been sent forms to fill in about what we want to discuss with our personal tutor in our first meeting with them. I have no idea what you're supposed to talk about in these sessions and as the semester's only just started we're not yet doing assessments, coursework or big projects at all. Plus, as a joint honours student I don't know whether I can talk about my other subject well with her or not as she's only from one subject's department.

The only thing I was thinking I could talk about would be the fact that it's become clear already that my passion in the subjects is completely different to everyone else's on my course (there's only about a dozen of us in the classes for one of my departments) and I guess that leaves me a little directionless so maybe something about careers to do with that but I feel like it's such early doors to start discussing careers.

Anyway yeah, as someone who has already been there and who I believe is now doing it too (if wrong, sorry!) do you have any general recommendations of what students can talk about in office hours with their personal tutors or other teachers? Thank you!

Psst, I'm going to tell you a secret: the vast majority of students do not actually come to office hours. Even though they should! It literally cannot hurt! And coming to office hours is a great opportunity to build rapport with your instructor/TA and get academic help! But out of the approximately 300 student's I've had, I've met with maybe 10 of them.

I say this not to be cynical, but to drive home the point that you are winning by just showing up. You don't have to come with a list of perfectly prepared questions—you're a student, and you are, by definition, learning! Do the readings and assignments, and engage with your instructor.

Now, I'm not sure how your program works, and you say tutor rather than TA, so the etiquette might be a little different. A tutor is there to help you academically, while a TA is there to answer some questions, but by and large you are expected to be in charge of your own learning experience.

As a TA, I'm generally happy to meet with students by appointment, but I also really appreciate it when students are able to understand that I am 1) a human being with a finite amount of time and energy, and 2) my job is to support you but not hold your hand. Your section may not be the only one your TA is responsible for, and they also have their own studies to attend to.

Here are some things that are appropriate to ask from your TA:

To look over a paper draft and offer feedback (provided this is something they have offered to do as part of their job)

Request feedback on an assignment after your grade to know what you could do better next time

Schedule a meeting to discuss topics you are struggling with

And some things that are not appropriate to ask your TA:

Questions where the answers can be found on the syllabus (due dates, percentage of grades for certain assignments, the readings for a given week)

When will I get my grade? (See my above point about being only human. If assignments have been turned in, assume your TA is working on getting them back to you, and that they cannot do so immediately. Give it at least two weeks before checking in)

Asking for a particular grade on an assignment

As for your first meeting with your tutor/instructor/TA, I'll reiterate: just show up! Introduce yourself, say hi, and don't feel too much pressure to hit the ground running.

Here are some posts I've made that you might find relevant:

Tips to make your professors love you

Student conduct

Citation how-to

Thank your professors

Take a deep breath. I sense that you might be someone who puts a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect. Nobody else is expecting that from you. You're learning, and it's okay to be unsure and make mistakes! Trust in yourself to do your best in the moment; that's all you can do.

-Reid

[magicaleggplant]

extremely belated montreal worlds impressions, part 1

i've been meaning to write this for weeks now, but never found the time for it. finally putting some thoughts down in words before i forget everything.

this post covers the pairs and women's events. part 2 will be ice dance and men (if i ever get around to writing it...) warning for extremely unfocused writing; i have been so stupidly busy lately.

ETA: here is part 2

-----------------------------------

PAIRS:

pleasantly surprised by how much i enjoyed pairs at worlds! the short program was remarkably clean, and while the free was messy, there were still a few bright moments. the level of pairs did decrease after the last olympics, but i think many teams have been gradually building up their technical content and skills, and it's good to see teams coming from many small feds. i have to admit that i did not watch many pairs events this season (it's the first discipline i cut when i don't have time to watch everything), but pairs live is much more fun than pairs on screen. i can appreciate their elements much better. in general, my favorite thing about watching live skating is the sense of speed and scale.

miura/kihara: i was nervous as hell for them but they pulled through! i really didn't know what to expect after all of their injury struggles this season. it wouldn't have surprised me if they didn't make the podium, so i'm thrilled for their silver medal. this was my second time seeing them live and it was clear that they weren't at the top of their game - there were a bunch of little mistakes scattered throughout their programs. the free went much better than i hoped. i'm glad they went back to an old program, but i really wish they had started the season with better programs to begin with... (hear me out: have you considered lori nichol for choreo?) but i think at their best, m/k are still the class of the field. their speed and skating skills really, really stand out when you see them live. i cannot stress enough how fast they are; no other team comes close to their speed. their lifts are also very steady (when ryuichi isn't injured, anyway). i was happy that the audience cheered loudly for them even though they were clearly rooting for deanna and max to win. it was a tough season for them but they are such strong skaters, and i really hope the next season goes better. i'm also really glad they were able to get a medal ceremony do-over after the men's ceremony. they looked happy there.

stellato-dudek/deschamps: the crowd was HYPED for them, i couldn't believe how many people came to watch pairs for them, considering it always gets scheduled in the middle of the week! i'm happy for their win, though there was a little bit of home cooking to help out lol. they have great programs this season. it's a bit of the opposite situation with m/k where i really liked sd/d's programs, but their actual skating, not as much. their lack of speed is really obvious compared to m/k. many of their elements feel like a fight instead of effortless. but i was really impressed with how they held up under the pressure of a home worlds. deanna's determination is amazing.

hase/volodin: ok, count me impressed by this new team. they still have a ways to go in connecting with each other, but their elements are really solid and their skating skills aren't bad, either. technically speaking, i'd put them behind m/k but above sd/d in quality. i enjoyed their short program a lot; the free was a bit of a snooze, imo. minerva is a wonderful pairs skater. i'm looking forward to seeing them improve. that one lift entry they do is SO cool.

other notes:

really enjoyed both of hocke/kunkel's programs. they're fun, i'm a fan now.

also enjoyed golubeva/giotopoulos-moore quite a bit

still can't believe cats won euros

peng/wang's throws were too big for this rink. i was very sad at their placement, but cheng is such a wonderful skater and their choreo was excellent, i especially love their free.

-----------------------------------

WOMEN:

a very up and down worlds after a very inconsistent season. so, more or less as expected.

kaori: her fs was a MOMENT. i think the first time i saw kaori live was...2017 skate america? it was her first senior season, and i remember being so impressed by the lightness of her jumps then. the same is true this time, but her growth has been astounding. kaori was not one of my favorite skaters when she was younger; she absolutely is now. while her free skate this season is not my favorite of hers, i love how her range of expression has expanded. her skating is lush, luxurious, she's learned to take her time with the music. and god, her speed. she makes everything look so easy. i'm so happy i got to see this confident, mature kaori win her third world title. the crowd was losing their shit for her, as they should. also love how she was the team mom at the medal ceremony with the two younger medalists. she's such a great role model.

isabeau: i feel like every time someone talks about her, they have to add the caveat that they hate her jump technique. which, yes, i do agree with that. but from now on i'm just going to talk about the positive aspects of her skating, because i think she deserves more of that. it was my first time seeing her live and i liked her! she's musical, her arm movements are beautiful, and she's not slow at all, except on jump entries. her spins are great when she hits them. i appreciate her a lot more after seeing her live. her reaction after her fs was really cute.

chaeyeon: unexpected medalist but i'm happy for her! she is not my favorite among the top korean women but i'm impressed with her improvement this season. her sp is one of my favorites. that kind of quirky program suits her really well. the fs is a bit muted, but i think she does a good job with it as well. her musicality is the less obvious kind, but it's there. she's gradually growing into her own style.

loena: her sp was a lot of fun, the audience really got into it. she can sell a program, alright. loads of charisma and she skates BIG. the fs...well, to be fair, even without the jump mistakes, i never liked it. i appreciate what loena brings to the women's field, but i hope her programs are better next season. maybe a change in choreographer would be interesting?

haein: sirens is a masterpiece. i'm so glad she could skate it cleanly like that at least once. she has my favorite step sequences in the women's field by far. we'll just ignore everything else in the fs except for the step sequence. i love her so much and i want her to win another world medal someday.

mone: her skating skills are a dream, her overall quality is chef's kiss. but when she's nervous, you can really feel it. she skated like she was terrified in the sp and it showed. it detracted from the performance. i'm glad her fs went better. i hope her confidence improves and that this worlds was a good learning experience for her. i randomly ran into her on the concourse and she signed my japanese flag! she’s so tiny and adorable.

hana: on the other hand, hana does not skate scared. she just goes out and does her thing! but to me her skating still feels a bit "small" at the moment. her lutz-toe technique is terrifying... she can also work on her dance skills a bit more, her overall polish. but i love her programs. i still can't believe she made koo koo fun work. i love that she never does conventional "pretty" programs.

other notes:

amber: love her, but it is what it is. her 3a was excellent.

katia kurakova's fs reaction was a great moment. i like that she's trying different styles of music now, but i think she went a bit too far in the "serious" direction. her natural spark feels too muted.

young you: my darling. we all wanted so badly for her to do well... her sp was wonderful, though.

olga mikutina is becoming a new fave of mine. her skating is powerful and she's a good performer!

also love niina petrokina's powerful skating

[random-mailbox]

Random-Mailbox's Favorite Sailor Moon Fics - Week 46 - Tutoring

Back to our regularly scheduled programming after the excitement of @usamamoweek2023 (check out the blog for various contributions, master post is coming in a couple of days to allow for any late submissions).

This week we look at fics where Mamoru takes on the role of a tutor for Usagi in various settings - ranging from high school to university. Some are more lemony than others.

Reminder that @smquickies2023 are next week! August 6-12 (and is open to any SM pairings).

As always, my apologies in advance for spoiling some of these for you (Fic Titles are linked to either FFN or AO3 entries).

we are absolutely made of glass - @cgsf

This one shot is a lemony culmination of years of build-up that led to Usagi convincing Mamoru to help her graduate.

The Physiology of Tutoring - @uglygreenjacket

Usagi’s dad gets Mamoru to become her tutor for Biology because Ami’s methods were clearly not working. Leading to higher grades for Usagi, but also a lot of miscommunications and half truths spoken that will have to be cleared up. 

A True Hero: An Essay by Usagi Tsukino - @linlamont

Mamoru, who has been dating Rei for a bit, agrees to tutor Usagi in English in spite of his girlfriend’s protests. In this enemies to lovers fic, Usagi and Mamoru slowly discover how to co-exist before realizing what they mean to each other. 

i should tell you to leave ‘cause i (know exactly where this leads) - @goddamnelsa

Usagi thought that taking a physics class in university would be easy if she does it with her friends. Except Ami has too much on her plate to help, so she has to rely on her TA. With their tutoring sessions moving from office hours, to the library and eventually his apartment, Usagi and Mamoru have to make a decision on what they want to become and how ethical that might be. Make sure to read the entire series of stories! 

Stuff Tippy Wrote -- Sailor Moon edition: Chapter 20: Usagi is bad at math - @tiptoe39

Mamoru is trying to help Usagi understand how to solve for X in a new way - using Choco Pies!

---

That's it for this week. Here is the schedule for the next month:

August 7 - Thunderstorms 

August 14 - Food

August 21 - Proposal 

August 28 - Locked In

Here are the links to the previous Tumblr posts in these series to explore more amazing works based on different themes - make sure to check them out if you haven't had a chance! (Click on title name to go to the post) - I will keep updating the list every week as new posts come up:

Week 1 - Groundhog Day

Week 2 - Established Relationships

Week 3 - Sex Positivity

Week 4 - Unfinished Stories

Week 5 - Darker Stories

Week 6 - Potions 🧪

Week 7 - Reveals

Week 8 - 👻Halloween🎃

Week 9 - Wrong Perceptions

Week 10 - Non-Senshi AU

Week 11 - In-Progress Fics

Week 12 - Mutual Pining

Week 13 - Enemies to Lovers

Week 14 - Slow Burn

Week 15 - Christmas Part 1 - Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Santa!

Week 16 - Christmas Part 2

Week 17 - New Years

Week 18 - High School AU

Week 19 - Slice of Life

Week 20 - Coffee shop AU

Week 21 - Huddle for Warmth

Week 22 - Friends to Lovers

Week 23 - ❤️Valentines Day❤️

Week 24 - Do a Grouch a Favour Day (or Cheer Up Fics)

Week 25 - Soulmate AU

Week 26 - Amnesia Fics (and resources)

Week 27 - 🍀St Patrick's Day🍀

Week 28 - Fix it Fics

Week 29 - Prompt: Mug

Week 30 - Flowers

Week 31 - Traditions

Week 32 - Dreams

Week 33 - Friends

Week 34 - Body-Swap

Week 35 - Medical Assistance

Week 36 - Sex Pollen

Week 37 - Psychometry

Week 38 - What If

Week 39 - Missing Scenes Part I

Week 40 - Green Jacket

Week 41 - Dr Chiba

Week 42 - Birthdays

Week 43 - Fluff

Week 44 - First Kiss

Week 45 - Reviving Shitennou

[asena-graywolf]

Full Time Cleaner

You checked the location on your phone as you walked down the street. And then to the skyscraper apartment in front of it. The location indicated here. You were sure you came to the right place.

You've been looking for a full-time job for the last 2 months. You did not leave any advertisements that you did not mix on the Internet and in the newspapers. None of them had a job for you. Until I found a part-time job posting online. Nothing came of the full-time job postings. You wanted to try your luck in the ad you saw.

There was a young man looking for a part-time cleaner for his house. Although the male host made you a little uneasy, you needed the money and wanted to seize the opportunity.

You called the contact number at the bottom of the job posting and said you wanted to meet as soon as possible. The young boy you spoke to on the phone gave you the location of his house and made an appointment for 1:00 pm tomorrow.

It was apartment number 43 on the 12th floor. You knocked on the door. You heard footsteps coming from inside. The door opened and a handsome face than you expected greeted you.

"Hello. We met yesterday. I came for your job posting”

"Really? Oh yes, I remember. Come on in"

He opened the door for you. You took off your shoes and entered the house. The apartment wasn't very big, but it was still a decent place.

While you were looking around, the young man asked you

“First of all, I want to know your name. What is your name?"

“Y/N”

"How old are you? Are you student?"

"No. I'm 24 years old. I have just graduated and am looking for a temporary job that will keep me going for a while.”

"I understand. I'm Kenma. Kenma Kozume”

He extended his hand to you. Hesitantly, squeeze his hand softly. He was more handsome than he thought. Your heart was involuntarily beating faster the more I looked at his face.

“Okay Y/N. If it fits your schedule, I want you to work full time for me."

It was surprising for you to get a full-time job offer when you went for a part-time job interview.

“Oh well… Sure, Kenma-san. Of course I will work"

“I'll pay you twice the price. Including the weekend. Do you accept?"

Without thinking, you accepted the offer. You applied for many job interviews, but none of them were offered such an offer.

“Just call me Kenma. All right, if we're in agreement, be here by 8:00 tomorrow morning. I won't be home. I'll leave your fee in the envelope on the table. You'll get it when you're done"

"I want to ask something. How do we create a full-time study schedule? What time are you at home?"

“I will prepare a program for you by tomorrow. I will list what you need to do. I'm usually not at home between 08:00-17:00. There are exceptional cases every 2-3 days. It can take me to come home by 21:00. If something like that happens, I'll let you know."

"Ok. Then see you tomorrow”

"Congratulations for your new job. Good bye"

You returned home delighted. You had a job, even if it wasn't highly paid, and you could now earn your own income.

Kenma's handsome face flashed before him as he went to bed at night and closed his eyes. You've never met such a handsome employer before. But right now you should be focusing on your work tomorrow. It was important for you to create a positive image in the eyes of your employer from day one.

You were at her house the next morning at the time Kenma said. He was leaving the house with his bag on his back.

“Good morning Y/N. The list of things to do hangs in the fridge. Your fee is in the envelope on the table, as I said yesterday. The spare key is buried in the flower pot in front of the door, in case anything happens. Try to finish your work before 5 pm. Good luck with"

“I will do my best, Kenma. I hope you will be satisfied with my performance. Have a nice day"

You entered the house and took a deep breath to get started. Take off your coat and hang it on the hanger

“Yeah…here we go” you said to yourself

Your first stop was the kitchen. Kenma had already made a list of things to do and hung it on the fridge. You took the list and read what was written

• Water my flowers

•Change my bed sheets

•Mixing the nightstand drawers

•Feed the cat

You were a little surprised at the article about feeding the cat. Because you didn't see a cat or anything when you came to this house yesterday.

Startled when you felt something rubbing against your ankles

"Ah! Oh my God! Cute thing!"

When you looked at your feet, you saw a cute black cat brushing against you. Apparently the owner was a cat lover

Kenma’s cat seemed to like you already too. You bent down and patted your head. He meowed at you and purred as you stroked him and rubbed against you again.

You returned to reading the paper and continued reading the other articles.

• After feeding the cat, close it in the living room so that it does not run under its feet. Or you'll get in trouble

•Change the cat's litter

•Don't touch game cds while cleaning my desk. I arranged them in alphabetical order.

•My laundry is in the dirty basket in the bathroom. Handle them too

•That is all. You already know what to do behind

In large letters at the bottom of the paper

He wrote “Good Luck” and drew a smiley face next to it.

"Ugh! It's like he's kidding me! How can all this work be finished before 5 pm?”

When you looked around, you saw that the house had a lot of work. Kenma has put all the work that will not be completed in almost a day on your head. It didn't seem like all the work would be finished before 5 pm. But you had to start somewhere

You rolled up your sleeves and got to work. You fed the cat first and then locked it in the living room. Then you cleaned the cat's litter. After you've done all the work Kenma wrote on the list, you set about doing the rest.

You threw Kenma's dirty laundry in the machine. You did not dare to touch them one by one. That's why you gathered the laundry in piles as much as possible, threw it in the machine and started it.

You went into the kitchen. You put all the dishes in the machine. You were disgusted by the tons of oil and dirt residue drying on the counter. You wiped the counter, stove and aspirator with a strong detergent

It was time to vacuum all the rooms in the house. You bought the vacuum cleaner and cleaned the dirt by pressing the vacuum cleaner on all the carpets. There were strands of yellow and black hair on each corner of the walls. Apparently, Kenma's hair was falling out like a shed dog.

After you're done vacuuming, you mop it up.

You also washed the bathroom and toilet with bleach. The stinking bathroom now smelt clean. The surrounding was shining.

You have finished the kitchen, hall, bathroom and living room. The only thing you didn't enter was Kenma's bedroom. As soon as you entered, you thought that a tornado was running through the room. It’s from here to sunday

“Jeez, what a mess! Dowdy!" you said to yourself

Judging by the state of the room, Kenma was indeed the forerunner of the scruffy. He threw everything he ate and drank in the corner of the room. His belongings were lying around. Overlaid Coke glasses and more.

You didn't even want to touch this room. You had to give your money's worth. So you had to put up with Kenma's mess

You started to clean from somewhere. You changed your sheets. You made your bed. You collected the packages of junk food that he scattered around and threw them in the trash. You opened the windows and vented. Didn't it occur to you to open the window of his room and air it out? How could he survive in this extremely stuffy room? You couldn't understand

As he continued to tidy the room, the mug next to his computer caught his attention. Take it and look at it. On the small plaque on it was written “Nekoma High School Volleyball Team Provincial Championship”.

She played on her employer's high school volleyball team. It seemed a little cool to you. He was too handsome to be a volleyball player

As you wiped your computer's keyboard, you looked at the devices around you. Judging by the microphones and other equipment, he was not just a gamer but a Youtuber. You wanted to subscribe to the youtube channel. The first thing you would do when you get home would be to watch Kenma's Youtube videos.

You checked the time on your cell phone. It was showing 15.30. Kenma would be home in less than 2 hours. There wasn't much left for you to do anyway. You were going to take out the laundry and hang it up and vacuum Kenma's room and finally dust the windows and finish for the day.

You finished the rest of the work at the speed of light. Kenma had placed the envelope full of money on the kitchen table as she told you yesterday. You took the envelope, put it in your bag, and looked around for the last time before you left, even though there was something missing.

Nothing seemed to be missing. You took your coat from the hanger where you hung it, put it on, and left the house after completing your work for the day.

You walked towards the bus stop. Luckily, the bus arrived right away. You got on and made your way home. You took the seat you found empty. You put on your headphones and turn on your favorite song and start listening.

It was the only thing that would be good for the tiredness of the day.

Several days passed with the same routine work. You were cleaning Kenma's house every day, including the weekend. More precisely, he was distributing, you were cleaning. Because when the next day came, there was no trace of the house that you cleaned and sparkled yesterday.

Kenma seemed quite pleased with you. He would send you a thank you message when he got home in the evening after every cleaning. In this way, your intimacy had improved and you were now sincere enough to be friends.

And one day you got a different message from Kenma than usual

“Y/N…I will ask you something”

“Yes Kenma?”

“I'm not going anywhere tomorrow. You don't have to come for cleaning. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

“Is it at your house?”

"Yes. If you don't want, we can eat outside. What do you say?"

Kenma's offer was very kind and you knew you couldn't turn down that kind offer.

"Sure. No problem. We'll have dinner at your house"

"Wonderful! I'll be waiting for you tomorrow at 19:00. See you later. Goodnight"

"To you too"

-----------------------------------------------------------------

It will continue in Part 2…

[bryan360]

Here’s my note before I’ll get started….

(NO COPYING OR PLAGIARIZING FROM ME AND ONE OF MY CLOSEST FRIEND’S WORK! THAT INCLUDES OUR CHARACTERS, DESIGNS, STUFF, ETC. IMPOSTERS AND SEXBOTS ARE NOT WELCOME TO FOLLOW MY BLOG WHATSOEVER! 😡 That will be all….I mean it.)

“Day 13: Transform 🪵💨”

I’d came back for today’s program already, but also be ready for next week as I’m available for van scheduling that I’ve been waiting for. I’ll be there throughout the weekdays instead of Mondays and Fridays; at least good for my mom so she won’t get worried to drive me there everyday.

Do hope for some of my friends understand when given an update, but can a bit tricky concerning what I’m supposed to get through my Inktober artworks that are still in progressing. Just saying, though.

Speaking in which, here’s the 13th entire while its nothing to do for that infamous slasher. 🩸🔪

However, having Maxwell’s beaver buddy sudden transformation is out of nowhere. Was it a magician who casted spells on kids in the middle of the forest? That’s my inspired idea when bringing this Inktober post; from that Pokémon anime episode for “Ashachu” fans. ⬇️

At least he stayed his shirt on this time.

Bucky (in his Bibarel form) created by me; BryanVelasquez87 (Bryan360)

Tagged: @murumokirby360 @carmenramcat @alexander1301 @rafacaz4lisam2k4 @paektu

Previous: ⬇️

“Day 1: Looney 🐰🔨” - Link Here #1

“Day 2: Imposters 🕷️👉👈🕷️” - Link Here #2

“Day 3: Wild 🌲🐶” - Link Here #3

“Day 4: Thief 🐰💰” - Link Here #4

“Day 5: Moon 🌙🎣” - Link Here #5

“Day 6: Love 🐰❤️🐲” - Link Here #6

“Day 7: Dogs 😣🐶” - Link Here #7

“Day 8: Shake🥤☠️” - Link Here #8

“Day 9: Act ☎️ 🤹‍♀️” - Link Here #9

“Day 10: Pirate 🏴‍☠️🗡️” - Link Here #10

“Day 11: Shadows 🔦🙌”  - Link Here #11

“Day 12: Baddies 🚘 🎃” - Link Here #12

[katherine-ellen-mellors]

A Recap on My Game Design

following my Uni study

WEEK 1 - Creating a Platformer!

Elevator Pitch

In this first tutorial, the aim was to learn the basics of GDevelop; it's scene creation and the use of its conditions and events to create the start of our platformer game.

To start, we used the free assets given to us by QUT and GDevelop. The tutorial also allowed us to navigate the built-in platformer conditions GDevelop provides us when creating the scene.

The aim of this tutorial was to learn what is key in a platformer, and how to use GDevelop to create the starting point for our game development.

Starting the game

We started by creating a new project designed for Desktop - Because I am a major pixel art fan, I enabled the function to optimize the scene for pixel art.

As you can see, my scene is looking so sad and empty, it could really use some assets...

That's better... Now that it's looking a little more like a platform game - it is time to make this game playable.

TO THE EVENTS!

It is now a playable game!

CAT BREAK - I got distracted mid-way through making this post because of this lad.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program!

It's not a game without enemies! Using the same magic, I can whip up some collisions and events to add some danger to this game!

TADDAAAA - we now have enemies

I could only get proper gameplay snippets from my updated game - which will be covered in my week 2 recap, but nothing other than aesthetics and platform location has changed :) And that concludes week 1.

Post-Mortem

To recap, the aim of the tutorial was to gain an understanding on how games, specifically platformer games are created and coded to perform as the user intends. My game, The Curious Case of Hotel Hollow, has demonstrated this knowledge through being a playable and functioning platformer that utilizes assets and commands such as collision and animation sequencing to allow a more fluid and 'natural' state to our sprite's animations. The tutorial has allowed me to expand further on my game, and develop it enough to be able to present it for internal playtesting by my peers and friends.

As you can see by the last gif that demonstrates the actual gameplay of my game, I have expanded on the background and the different forms of sprites and platform tiled sprites.

Until Next Time!

[giggly-squiggily]

Coffee Shop Closure and Other Bloggish Updates

Hello everyone! Happy Sunday! I hope you guys are having a fantastic day so far!

Updates and whatnot below the cut

Coffee Shop Closure

So, as the title says, I will be officially closing down my Ko-Fi (Coffee Shop). The reasons vary, but the big ones are:

1.) With where my IRL life is right now, I know for fact I won’t have time to take commissions in the near future.

2.) It was fun, but eventually I just didn’t want to do it anymore.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in the past with commissions. I am truly grateful for them, and now that I’m at a comfortable place in my life, I no longer feel the need to do them. Once again, thank you.

Next up: 2023 Scheduling

So, I’m going back to school in January! *happy dance* The reason I bring this up is because the program in question is fairly long and demanding. I can’t say for certain yet, but there is a fair chance I won’t be able to post at my usual rate of 3 fics a week. My plan is to write/schedule in advance my fics before then, but after that, it’s hard to say.

The alternative is basically this:

At Best: 1-2 Fics a Week until April 2023 (The end of my program)

At Worst: A semi-writing hiatus on my fics until April 2023 (The end of my program)

I’m leaning towards the former, but ultimately it’s going to come down to what goes on once the class starts. I’ll keep you guys updated!

Candy Hearts In 2023

What hasn’t changed however is my plans to do the Candy Hearts Event again in February! I had so much fun doing it last year that I’d like to do it again with you guys! (Just without the treat box thing- that was a confusing mess for all of us). We’ve got new fandoms this time around, so look forward to that! :D

That’s about it! Thank you guys so much for all the kind words and support! I’m forever grateful for you all.

[chrisodonline]

Finale Spec/Wishes, pt. 5

So it’s looking like this is actually going to be a six-parter. Oops. But it made sense to let this be its own post not just because it’s long, but, well, you’ll see. (You = 2 people following this.) As always, mostly unformatted liveblogging/recap style straight from my brain to the screen.

(I will probably try to finish the last part today but schedule for tomorrow to avoid being spammy.) 

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3 | Pt 4

Cut to Friday/day of party.

The Mission is mostly dark. Callen is walking a group of important looking people down the stairs. One of them tells him, “So we’ll see you in DC next week.” Callen says, “Sounds good.” Important Looking Person says, “See you then, Mr. Callen.” Callen watches them walk out the door to The Mission, still adjusting to not hearing “Agent” before his name. He stands there processing things, then we see him look up to the side, registering a sound. Without turning around, Callen says, “I had a feeling you’d be showing up.” He turns around. “Do I even have to ask if you’ve heard the news?”

Hetty is sitting at her old desk, moving papers and typing something on a computer. She turns on a nearby lamp. “It would be extremely impolite of me not to make sure I cleaned things out for you.” Callen walks to the desk. He just stares down at her, not saying anything for a while. “You’re going to get off easy today.” 

Hetty plays dumb/innocent, “I beg your pardon?” Callen sits down. “You’re getting off easy. I am already going to be saying goodbye to two people next week. And I need to go to a party today and put on my best party face. All things considered, I’m actually glad to see you. So I won’t push you. Today. But where you’ve been, I do want to know. And you know I have more questions about the Drona Project. I deserve answers.” Hetty asks, “Answers about what? I think you’ve put the bigger pieces together. What else are you wanting?” Callen looks agitated. “Oh, let’s see, ‘why’ is a good one?” 

Hetty responds, “The past can get fuzzy. You of all people know that memories aren’t always clear.” Callen shoots her a look. Hetty continues, “Does the why even matter at this point?” Callen says, “The reasons matter. They matter to me. And that should matter to you.” Hetty says, “I didn’t do what you think I did. I didn’t know what you think I knew.” Callen quickly follows with, “Then what did you know?” 

Hetty sighs. “I knew that there was a program. A program to identify, test, and better prepare children with promise. I knew there were studies cited. It all seemed…promising. I knew that once the government classified people as assets, it would make sure they were protected. Any child selected had not only a chance in a promising career, but a better chance at being safe.” Hetty looks at Callen to see if he can see where she’s going. His expression hasn’t softened, though. He just asks, “And you didn’t question anything?” Hetty just says, “You’ve asked for the truth. I’m telling it. I knew if you kept moving around, it would be harder for the Comescus to find you. But I knew that couldn’t last forever. I only ever wanted was best for you.” She looks off. Takes a deep breath. And continues.

“After your first set of testing, I was told that you had promise with cognitive skills but there was concern you were too weak, too soft, to be anything they’d consider valuable. You were susceptible to bullying and showed no sign of being able to fight back. One of the doctors, though, said there was some promising training that could help you. I didn’t want you to grow up and become a victim for anything and anyone. I wanted you to be strong and not be taken advantage of. They weren’t going to take you at first, but I…insisted. It wasn’t until later on when you really started to act out at your foster homes that I started to question things. I pushed for more answers. And you know what I found. I felt so embarrassed I had missed it. After that, I made sure I never missed anything ever again. I made sure I always knew everything there was to know, no matter how I had to go about it. I also made sure that any potential ‘assets’ I wanted to keep safe and put on the right path were handled by me and me alone.”

Callen’s eyes are slightly tearing up. He looks off. He just sits there in silence. Hetty gives him a chance to ask any questions or make any comments. He doesn’t. She finally continues talking, “You see, Mr. Callen, you’ve been looking at this as something that ‘created’ you. Of where you came from and who you are. But it isn’t. It is much more where the Hetty Lange you know of came from.” 

Callen looks at her, “So that makes it okay?” Hetty says, “I can’t tell you that. The truth is always, in its most natural form, simply that. The truth. What we take from it or add to it exists in ourselves and not in the facts. I am only giving you the facts.” She turns back to the computer. “Before I came here, I did more digging. I found something that I didn’t think still existed. It took me a while and a favor or three, to get it digitized.” 

Callen asks, “What is it?” Hetty just says, “I wanted to find something to remind you of who you really are and where you really came from. Neither have to do with an experimental program.” Callen looks confused. Hetty says, “I’ll give you a few minutes, but remember we have to get to a party.” Hetty presses play on the computer. She walks away.

We hear static-y sounds. The audio is choppy. A man says, “Intake interview #31170. Please state your name for the record.” A woman replies, “Clara Callen.” Callen’s face drops. Interviewer asks, “Ms. Callen, you performed well in the pre-training. We understand your father was in OSS.” Clara says Yes. Interviewer then notes they also understand her mother is Romanian. There are concerns with Eastern European infiltration in government agencies. They ask her why she is truly wanting to join. Clara responds, “I promise, I have no ulterior motive. Whatever I can do to prove it to you, I will. I want to serve this country. I want to contribute. I think I can be an asset. I will walk up any hill you give me, even if it is just to prove my loyalty.” Interviewer, “You have a lot of conviction for a woman your age, Ms. Callen.” Clara responds, “Thank you. Not to worry you by speaking Romanian —“ the interview chuckles a little and so does Callen — “but my mother’s favorite phrase was 

‘A-ți lua inima în dinți:’ it literally translates to taking your heart in your teeth. It’s just a way of saying to be daring when you do something. She told me I shouldn’t just have courage, I should always make sure people know I have it. Be brave with your whole heart.” Callen mouths the last sentence as she says it, remembering it. The interview thanks Clara for her time and the recording ends. 

Callen starts crying, hands on his face, just like at the end of “Reznikov, N.”  He knows Hetty is still there. “I can hear her saying to us now. She used to say that all the time. I remember it now.” He looks down and tries to compose himself. “Thank you.” 

Hetty just says, “I figured it was the least I could do. Now take a minute. We’ll be late for the party.”

[whentherewerebicycles]

I am soooooo sleepy still but god I feel so much better physically and emotionally. the swelling isn’t totally gone but it’s not as noticeable and it doesn’t hurt anymore so massive improvement over the last couple days. I have a feeling the anxiety will come creeping back in as it always does but I’m going to try to really savor the post-healthy scan reprieve and I hope that the next time it surges I’ll be better equipped to handle it (more data, therapy, etc).

I also feel better having gotten through that workshop! there was a small group of boys in the back who talked through the entire thing—I was kinda shocked the prof whose class I was visiting didn’t say anything to them?—so I had to do a lot more classroom management than you typically have to do in a college class, but idk when I sat down with them in small groups and facilitated the activity they did a decent job with it. the other two groups (all girls lol) were super engaged and had a great discussion. so whatever lol. I get the sense that students here are very used to being talked at and then when they do small group activities some of them view that as like, well the teaching has stopped so I can do whatever I want now as this obviously doesn’t matter. but it was fun to think on the drive home about how I would tackle that challenge if I was their long-term prof. I think in my past classes we tend to do a lot of activities upfront that are tied to content but are really geared towards teaching students how to be in this type of class (where there’s only brief bursts of lecturing and most of the actual work is hands-on or student-led in their groups). so then you get practice and you learn the expectations and hopefully also you get to experience how much more engaging/useful it is to learn that way so there’s more buy-in from the group as a whole. anyway much to think about. I hope they let me teach soon!!!!!

okay. I have two workshops left this week but only one of them requires more prep (and even that one won’t be too bad—I just gotta find a bunch of specific examples and add a few more slides). today is a campus day but it’s a super easy one. here goes:

6:30-8 can do some mindless scrolling but also brainstorm for slides, answer faculty emails, etc.

8-9 shower/get ready

9ish leave for work… I will let myself buy a nice coffee and a breakfast burrito again if I want. I am giving myself lots of little treats this week as it has been a kinda rough one lol.

10-11 CJ mtg

11-11:30 brainstorm troika problem (I think use the DS program/summer programs issue)

11:30-12:30 lunch with KA

1-2 faculty mtg

2-3 team mtg (troika)

3ish drive home so I can walk the dogs before it gets dark maybe?

3:30-4:30 take an actual long walk with the dogs these poor creatures have been trapped inside for days.

watch hockey game but remember therapist is calling at 6 to schedule. maybe put the game on the TV and then try to finish slides on my laptop while watching

6:30-9:30 choir

collapse into bed zzzzzz these “late nights” on thursdays kill me lol I need to be tucked into bed by 7 these days

[somemovieguy]

Animated Films of 2023

November 12th 2023 (Blog #6)

I should probably preface this by saying these are the only animated films released in 2023 that I've seen (though there have been 4 or 5 others released in theaters). From the wisdom of Guillermo del Toro, animation is cinema, and I believe we deserve more animated films! After the master pieces that are the Spider-Verse films, as well as del Toro's own version of Pinocchio released last year, we have seen time and time again that this medium is not only for children, and is a legitimate art form deserving of more legitimate attention. But back to your regularly scheduled program...

#3 The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Despite the indescribable success of the Mario Bros. games since their initial release in 1983, no successful film adaptation had ever been made about the series. There was an adaptation, released in 1993, simply and similarly titled Super Mario Bros., though it was... not exactly the same quality as the games were. This long-awaited animated film adaptation did exactly what it set out to do: it had cute 3D animated versions of the iconic Mario characters as they fought against Bowser. It wasn’t spectacular, but it also was not a bad movie. It just wasn’t revolutionary. I do believe that such a beloved franchise deserved a movie that had the same level of cutesy animation that the games provided, and this did just that. This film is a great choice to watch with your family.

#2 Elemental

Disney-Pixar’s newest film did not disappoint. Elemental follows a fire-girl who falls in love with a water-boy. The love story is enticing, but there is a lot going on in the underlying society: Many believe that bad things will happen if different elements “mix”, and the city is informally segregated because of this belief. After the two fall in love, they decide to test it out- how bad could it really be?- and, lo and behold, literally nothing happens. The inability for different elements to mix was based on nothing but fear. The fire-people are the most feared because others believe they could cause damage to other elements, and thus faced intense discrimination and were kicked from their lands. This doesn’t really get a conclusion, but the element-mixing leads to people setting aside their fears for a more integrated city. I think that movies like Elemental are great ways for children to learn about the prejudices all around them. Sometimes, these things are just too difficult for young minds to understand at face-value, so putting it into an analogy like elements helps them understand. There are absolutely some issues to be had with the fact that the elements, which are stand-ins for race, actually are different, but that’s a different critique for a different post!

#1 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Comparing this film to the two previous films kind of feels like "hydrogen bomb vs. coughing baby". The Spider-Verse films are not only the greatest super hero films ever made in my opinion, but also the greatest animated films. They are so, so gorgeous, it is hard to put into words. Many films have moved away from using any intense color palettes, and are opting for more subdued colors, but these films completely ignore this trend and make what are probably the most colorful movies I’ve ever seen in my life. They look just like a comic book, but not in a tacky way, and not in a way that will age badly, I don’t think. They are simply the perfect comic book movies. This addition to the series not only lived up to expectations set by the previous release (in 2018), but completely blew its predecessor out of the water. Where the first film was inventive, colorful, emotional, and perfectly-comic-book-y, this film did it all 10x better. The only bad thing about this one is that it doesn’t have any kind of conclusion, as it is the first part of a story to-be-continued and resolved in the next release, the end of the trilogy. Into the Spider-Verse (2018) created this world, introduced Miles Morales, showed us what this trilogy set out to do, and introduced the idea of the multi-verse. Across the Spider-Verse (2023) takes the idea of the multi-verse and dives right in, displaying a world of not only 6 or so Spider Men, but an infinite number of them from an infinite number of universes, all in need of protection from collapsing the space-time continuum. I cannot recommend any other animated films as much as I recommend these! (Though I don’t blame anyone for wanting to wait until the finale of the trilogy is released. Its such a cliffhanger!)

[iviarellereads]

The Murderbot Diaries - Obsolescence

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Murderbot Diaries, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

In which we get our first new POV!

Jixy(1) hears yelling and crying, and heads for it vowing that this time, the kids are going too far. Only, when she gets there, Arnie smacks into her, and she realizes he's one of the ones crying. She hugs him, looking at the others, but before she can determine what's happened, the incident alarm jolts her. The kids know better than to hit it for anything minor.

She asks what happened. Lilly says Greggy is hurt, badly. Jixy's heart sinks, and she checks the comm to make sure Lilly also hit the code for medical emergency, before asking where he is. Lilly points at some storage compartments, and Jixy goes, telling the kids to stay where they are.

Inside the first storage compartment floats Greggy, in globs of floating blood and augment fluid. He's been damaged, several of his metal prosthetics torn to bits, and his metal skull torn into. Jixy first assumes some old bot part exploded, but that shouldn't be possible, and there's no blast or debris except Greggy himself.

Jixy gets Dubarre, the local fixer,(2) to look over the bay in search of the accident's source, while she and the medic, Shen Jean, take care of Greggy. She's never had to clean a friend's body like garbage before, and she keeps shaking. Shen Jean says he's still warm, and just the other day he thought he needed another refit. Jixy is surprised.

In an aside, we learn Greggy spent eighty years as an exploration rover for the Luna government, had helped build the first settlements on Luna and Mars. Twenty two years ago, the other rovers were pensioned out, but Greggy got some of his augments replaced and found work on Kidland Station as a teaching assistant. He was a teacher before the rover program, and he loved it.

Back in the "present"(3), Shen Jean starts to suggest there's too much damage to be an accident, before Dubarre says it definitely wasn't one. He's holding a tool that doesn't belong on a completed station. Jixy can hardly contemplate the tool, but Dubarre says Shen Jean will have to conduct an autopsy. She doesn't want to believe someone did this, but Jixy finally catches on, and asks Dubarre to show her. The tool has what's obviously some of Greggy's tissue on it, from his head.

The worst part is that she doesn't want to think that it could be anyone they work or live with.

They bag the rest of the remains. Dubarre and Shen Jean take it to the infirmary, while Jixy arranges for a headcount of all personnel, and then starts following procedures. She makes an emergency call to the Base Admin, with a brief description of what they found and theorize so far. Next, she calls Sully, whose title isn't given, and asks them to do a rescue search. It's not strictly protocol, but it's the search that looks in every nook and cranny that might hide a person.

Jixy also checks for anomalies on the hull, finding none, though some small vehicles or power suits might not register. Stations are designed for people to show up on schedules, or be calling loudly for help, not to prevent infiltration.

The headcount comes back full, it only took so long because Joi forgot that the total included Greggy.

Jixy puts the station in emergency mode, so every hatch requires an admin code. She forces her face into a calm expression, then heads out to the lounge. She remembers Greggy saying he felt comfortable here because Kidland has so many people with prostheses and medical augments, he didn't stand out as much.(4)

Tia Joi approaches Jixy, as Sully and Aarti come from the other direction. They discuss what's happened, and Sully says they've heard of an incident kind of like this, on Juno Outremer Three-four, some thieves snuck aboard and stole supplies. The group wonders if Greggy stumbled on them and got killed for his trouble.

Lilly slides in and says they need to be detectives. Tia Joi says Lilly needs to go sit down and finish her juice. Lilly says juice is for shock, and she doesn't have shock. Jixy says Base will surely send someone soon, they just need to stay calm until then. The adults go on to the infirmary.

Going over the autopsy, Shen Jean says whoever it was, attacked Greggy from the front, and tried to take his parts. Jixy sees the expression on her face and asks what that's about. Shen Jean says there's a story, told in the Mars tunnels, about some kind of serial killer who goes after helper robots and people with augments and prostheses. Dubarre confirms, there were hazard warnings from Juno Central that warned about someone like that, called them the Piecework Killer.

Jixy says they're supposed to use critical thinking, not conspiracy theories. Dubarre says augments get stolen. Jixy counters, from morgues and medical storage, not people. Augments are usually customized, and no use to anyone but the first recipient. Maybe it's happened, but it's no time to tell everyone there's a serial killer aboard.

Dubarre asks if Jixy has Greggy's comm on her. She doesn't. Dubarre can't even find pieces of it. Shen Jean suggests the murderer took it. Dubarre offers to scan for it, but Jixy thinks whoever did this wasn't dumb enough to leave it running. She says he can try, but she needs to check on the kids.

Jixy calls Lilly and Arnie into a compartment. Lilly is talking about investigation stuff, suggesting they should look for blood splatter.(5) Jixy is about to dismiss it, but suggests Shen Jean give everyone a scan for Greggy's augment fluid, since there was so much of it. Getting back to business, though, Jixy asks if Lilly or Arnie have Greggy's comm, or remember seeing it. The kids say they didn't even think it was a person, just a prank, at first. They didn't look too closely before or after they realized that wasn't the case.

Lilly suggests the murderer took it, to listen in on their conversations. Arnie says they'd have their own comm, but Lilly says nobody who lives here did this. With the mysterious tool as a murder weapon, Jixy can't quite say she's wrong.

The sweep for augment fluid comes up negative, but so does the comm scan. The call from Base comes in, and Jixy is upset to learn the nearest help is twelve hours out. When she tells the other adults, they're no happier. Tia Joi says at least the hatches are command-sealed, but Shen Jean says they might be able to hack them or "jimmy" the hatch seals.(6)

Jixy is worried that Shen Jean is right, and someone might be hanging around, hoping for another victim, or to destroy the station somehow. They haven't messed with any systems yet, but if they came for augments to steal, this is one of the best places in civilization to find them.

She can't just stay here, so she stands and says she has to go look "down the spoke" to check something. The adults are horrified, but Lilly just asks if she's looking for clues. Jixy confirms, clues, and everyone's to stay here while she checks the supply ship. Dubarre and Shen Jean say they'll go with her, but she doesn't want them down there, so heavily augmented, such good targets. Jixy says no, and that's an order.

Dubarre follows Jixy a short way, and whispers she's doing what dumb people in horror films do. She knows, but the supply ship that arrived a few days ago was the most likely source of a stowaway. If they went back there to hide until it leaves again, she might find them, comm for help, and set a trap.

So, on Jixy goes, and through several sets of security protocols and onto the lift, where a small figure flings itself on with her just as the doors are closing. Lilly has followed Jixy, and says she needs backup. Jixy can't turn the lift around mid-journey, and now has to waste all the time going there, coming back to bring Lilly back, and going back down again. Lilly says rule number one is you don't do anything dangerous alone, you take someone who can help or call for help.

Jixy protests, but Lilly says she's the one who found him, they killed her friend. He was her first friend on Kidland. Nobody liked her because she was from Earth, but he said he was too, and they should be nicer to her, and they were. He told her he knew what it was like, to be alone. Jixy isn't surprised that Greggy shared more of his life, before and after his augments, with the kids. She says Greggy was her friend too, but her priority is keeping Lilly safe.

Lilly promises to do whatever Jixy says, and she knows a LOT about mysteries! She can help! She's already guessed that it was the last supply ship. Jixy doesn't ask how long she's guessed that, lest Jixy be embarrassed at how long it took her to catch it. Jixy is angry at herself for letting Lilly stay, but it does feel better to not be alone.

The lift reaches its destination, and Jixy tells Lilly to stay here, and hit the return if she says so. Lilly promises. Jixy looks into the corridor first, then carefuly sneaks along to the shuttle. It doesn't look tampered with. She taps the entry code, and it hisses air as it opens. She cheks the panel again, and sees atmosphere readings as if it were a live transport, not sealed supplies.

Relief and fear hit in equal measure. Good, it wasn't one of her people, but oh no, it wasn't one of her people.

Jixy backs away a bit, then comms to the adults: the shuttle's been tampered with, it's definitely how the visitor got in. She asks them to check the news reports for the last stop it made, Station Titan. She tells them Lilly snuck down as well. The adults suggest they both come back, but Jixy says that she can't. Whoever did this is competent at hacking systems. She has to find them. Shen Jean says to kick their arse. Jixy is oddly comforted by the comment, and mutes the comm again.

She enters the shuttle, carefully. She doesn't find much sign, but little things, like a sticky residue on the handle of a locker, some kind of sugar, and a piece of food wrapper in the nearby intake vent, like someone broke a liquid ration and didn't quite clean it up fully, despite being so careful everywhere else.

Lilly is excited when Jixy comes back. They examine the "clue", and Lilly says they need to check where the shuttle was last. Jixy says Shen Jean is already on it, and asks why Lilly isn't on leadership track. Lilly doesn't know, but says they need to find a motive, that will tell them what the killer wants. Jixy says real life isn't like stories, but Lilly says the stories draw from real life events.

Jixy thinks about the Piecework Killer, and wonders if stealing prosthetics for fun is wrong, and they might have some need to replace their own augments.(7) She admits Lilly might be right, the killer might have wanted Greggy's interfaces. Only, why weren't they on the shuttle waiting to leave? Lilly thinks they might know that the residents know about the shuttle, or maybe they want something else before they escape. Jixy uses her system access to look at the inventory, and says she needs to seal off a particular workshop, which is stocked with everything they'd need to replace augments.

Jixy gets a lock from Dubarre that might stay sealed even against someone who could hack a command seal, and drops off Lilly in exchange. She takes the lift on to the engineering foyer, and sneaks along. She touches the panel for the door she needs to close down, and finds it sticky. She realizes it's blood and augment fluid just as a voice says it's too late.

She turns, activating the panic button in her comm strap silently with three even, subtle presses. The person is pale, nearly colourless, except for brown eyes. Jixy says they killed Greggy, and the person asks if they gave "it" a name. Jixy says he was her friend, and a teacher. The person says he was a rover. Jixy says he was still a person. The person says to make a rover, they murder a person. Jixy says they're the one who murdered a person.

The person stares at her for a moment, and Jixy has a moment of dissociation. She asks why they need his interfaces. They say, for themself. Jixy says Greggy's augments would only work with another rover, which they'd know if they knew anything about rovers. They're almost amused at that, and show Jixy their torso, which is entirely augment.

Jixy asks how they can be a rover, they're all accounted for. They say the heroic volunteers were accounted for, they were corporate.(8) Jixy read about some of the early corporate expansion, and how unsafe it was. She thought they wouldn't have been allowed to make rovers.(9) But no, they made their own, and nobody knew. The person says, of course, to mine the precious elements from the asteroid belt.

Jixy is still confused, can't they go to a hospital for help? They say they needed a refit, and when they need something, they take it. Her friends called it Piecework. Jixy, feeling "dumb as well as terrified", says they used Greggy's comm to eavesdrop. They say they don't need the comm, they can get into any system.(10) Jixy says she could help them get the parts they need. They say she's lying.

“I’m not lying,” she said. “The Luna government, the Mars med/health agency—”(11) “The Luna government didn’t murder me. Vision Space Dynamics murdered me.” Their voice was a whisper of fury. “They said the contract would be for twenty years. Do you know how long ago that was? Vision Space Dynamics went bankrupt, and their assets went to Io Explorations, and then they were bought by Sideral, and then they went bankrupt. And then they sent the old equipment to recycling and told me to leave. It has been seventy-six years.”(12)

Jixy struggles to process. This person deserves better treatment than they got, but they also killed Greggy, and who knows how many others. But then, they have been mistreated, and this is a sort of illness of the mind, and the corporation's tech is rotting from the inside out. The whole situation is unfair.

But she thinks Greggy would want her to help.

She asks the rover's name. It says to call it Piecework. She says that's not their name, not really. She adds that "we" can help them, get them a hospital, a lawyer. The rover is dismissive, and Jixy realizes all she's done is make them mad.

Fortunately, Jixy sees a slight glint down the corridor, as of light off dark hair. Somebody's risked coming to help, thanks to her panic button. She tells the rover she's not a corporation, nor does she work for one. She can get it real help, it's what Greggy would have wanted. As their mouth twists with anger, she steps aside, hoping the others are in place.

It almost works, more or less, but it's headed for a bloodbath. Then, the rover's eyes change expression, and they open the nearest hatch, dive through, and close it behind them before anyone can follow. Dubarre wonders how they could open a biometric hatch, but Jixy says they hacked the command seals, why not this, now get it open again. As schematics load, Jixy sees that they're probably headed for a construction skid they placed as backup.

Jixy works the panel, and just as the rover is about to leave, saying it won't come back, Jixy flushes the airlock, and the rover tumbles into space.

Some of the others are glad the rover is dead, some are upset about everything. Jixy feels like she failed Greggy twice, and the rover as well. Somewhere in their mind was a person who knew their actions were wrong, who escaped instead of having to hurt the humans.(13)

When the Base patrol shows up, they send a security group and search every inch of the station. They don't find the body, or the skid.

Later, Jixy explains what happened to Lilly. Lilly says Greggy would never have done what the other rover did. Jixy says Greggy had advantages that the other one didn't, like his gentle retirement. They have no way to know what the other one went through, or their real name, or anything to follow up besides the defunct corporation name that would never be linked, this long after, to illegal rover programs.

Lilly asks how many more rovers might be out there, like this one. She asks if they could find and help them. Jixy says probably not, but she has no way to know how to find out. Lilly thinks maybe she can think of a way, someday. Jixy says, when she does, to come and tell her. Lilly nods, and goes back to the other kids.(14)

=====

(1)The first not from Murderbot's POV! If you've read the whole story, you know we never go to it, either. This is much earlier in the timeline, it seems. They still talk about Earth, later on. We've never heard a mention of it before. It could be much later in the timeline, but I feel like it's earlier because space expansion is so recent to them. Especially since MB mentioned a documentary about the rover-times. (2) Finding "words not used as we understand them" is always fun in fiction, particularly since it's so common in far-future scifi, but this one may take the cake for me. When I think of a fixer, I think of someone political, like in Scandal, or someone who does that plus murder. I don't think of a repair tech or general handypal. (3) I mean, such as it is. (4) Like Murderbot, hoping to fit in as an augmented human, since they're common enough that it doesn't stand out SO much unless someone has seen real SecUnits before, since they're all identical. (5) This kid is so bright, I'm glad that Jixy doesn't just shut her down every time. She tries to keep things age appropriate, but Lilly is driven to help, and I think it's really sweet and kind and good that Jixy lets her, as much as feels safe. (6) To jimmy - to pry open, especially a lock and/or with a crowbar. (7) Since we've all finished the story before reading this, we can say confidently that the rover does need replacements, just like Greggy was about to get a refit. (8) Murderbot's documentary was somewhat true, but was also false in some of the ways it predicted. Of course corporations ran their own cyborg programs in secret. (9) Wells examining just how easy it is for corporations, even in our day, to make their own rules and answer to authority later, if at all. (10) Truly the early blueprint for SecUnits, then. Such total integration, and then abandoned. It's no wonder the corporation believes the governor modules are so necessary to keep them controlled, as if we didn't already know the mistreatment and control they require are torture in MB's time. They have every reason to fear what those who they've mistreated might do to them. (11) I assume from context that she's about to suggest that they'll help, pension the rover out, like they did for their own. I'm not entirely sure why the rover jumps their response the way they do, to the corporation that made and abandoned them. (12) Not seventy six comfortable years, either. Not like Greggy got. Alone, and on the run, hiding in the corners… just like Murderbot. A mirror version of it. Made obsolete (hence the story title) and abandoned. (13) And here, again, a strange and distorted mirror to MB. (14) I don't think we've heard of anyone called Lilly in the story so far. Do you think we'll get callbacks to this story someday? Do you think it would be Lilly, or the rover, or both at once that come into focus again? Or, was this just a side story, brought to its conclusion, not to be seen anymore? I don't know how I feel, honestly.