#today is Research Methods Paper Day

[lightblueminecraftorchid]

Had a productive hour and a half! Knocked out my methods, results, and figures (the easy part of this paper). Now to find more sources so I can have a cogent introduction and discussion…

[srbachchan]

DAY 6057

Jalsa, Mumbai Sept 17, 2024 Tue 11:26 pm

The impotency of content :

"The term "impotency of content" suggests a situation where content—whether in the form of text, media, or other forms of communication—fails to achieve its intended purpose or lacks meaningful impact. This concept can be explored from multiple angles, including the relevance of the content, its delivery, and the broader context in which it exists.

Content becomes impotent when it fails to resonate with its intended audience. Relevance is key; if content does not address the needs, interests, or concerns of its audience, it is likely to be ignored or dismissed. For instance, a marketing campaign that does not align with the target demographic's values or preferences is unlikely to generate engagement or drive sales. Similarly, academic content that lacks practical application or fails to address current research gaps can be deemed impotent in the context of advancing knowledge or solving real-world problems.

Even if content is relevant, its effectiveness can be diminished by poor delivery. This includes factors like the format, accessibility, and clarity. Content that is poorly organized, difficult to navigate, or presented in an unappealing format may fail to capture and maintain the audience’s attention. For example, a well-researched academic paper presented in dense, jargon-laden prose might be ignored by those who could benefit from its findings. Effective delivery involves not just the substance but also the style and method of presentation, ensuring that the content is engaging and accessible.

In today’s information-rich environment, content is often lost in a sea of competing messages. The sheer volume of content available can lead to saturation, where individual pieces struggle to stand out or make an impact. This is particularly relevant in digital media, where algorithms and social media platforms amplify popular or sensational content while less eye-catching material may be overlooked. In this context, even valuable content can become impotent if it cannot rise above the noise. Content must be timely and contextually appropriate to be impactful. Content that is outdated or irrelevant to current events or trends can quickly lose its significance. For instance, historical analysis or commentary that does not consider contemporary developments might appear disconnected or obsolete. Understanding the broader context in which content is produced and consumed is crucial for ensuring its relevance and impact.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of content is measured by its ability to engage and elicit a response from its audience. Content that does not prompt interaction, reflection, or action is often considered impotent. This engagement is not just about attracting attention but also about fostering meaningful connections and responses. Content that encourages dialogue, provides value, or inspires action is more likely to be perceived as potent and impactful.

In conclusion, the "impotency of content" underscores the abd not a word about the mediaimportance of relevance, delivery, and context in determining the effectiveness of communication. To avoid impotency, content creators must carefully consider their audience’s needs, ensure their delivery methods are effective, and remain mindful of the broader information landscape. By addressing these factors, content can transcend its potential impotence and fulfill its purpose, whether that be to inform, persuade, entertain, or inspire."

and hahaha .. 🤣 and not a word about media for which it was intended .. the most protected, educated, ultimate genre in this Universe ..

Love and in the more of reality ..

Amitabh Bachchan

[morganbritton132]

My friend is a high school teacher, and the other day, he told us this story of when one of his students said, "Going 90." And proceeded to type his chair AND his desk to the side aka 90°. The kid landed on his side and got out his paper to start working. He said, "I think better this way." And my friend just had no clue what to do, lol.

I could help but think of Steve just standing there with his hands on his hips, trying to hide his laughter with a look of disappointment. And one of the other students gets it on film. So Eddie sees it and starts doing it everywhere as a joke.

The whole class is in on it which is how it ends up on TikTok for Eddie to see.

Mr. H hasn’t been in a bad mood per se, but there’s something off about him that his whole sixth period has picked up on. It’s not the low energy tiredness that sometimes lingers after he misses a day of work because of a seizure or the tense stiffness that’s present when he’s trying to work through a migraine.

It’s something else. It’s like he’s…sad.

He just seems really sad and the students do not like it, so sixth period looks towards their class clown and Jeremy says, “No problem, guys. I got this.”

They are waiting in anticipation as the class starts.

Steve takes attendance, nothing. He passes out a worksheet and notes, nothing. He starts the lesson and nothing happens until Steve asks, “Can anybody tell me what the characteristics of a right triangle are?”

There’s a moment of hesitation as everybody waits to see if that’s the moment but when Jeremy doesn’t do anything, Annalise answers, “One of the angles is ninety degrees.”

“That’s ri-“

“Going 90, Mr. H!” Jeremy shouts from the back of the classroom and then proceeds to yeet his desk, his chair, and himself sideways onto the floor.

The reverberation of the desk hitting the tile echoes around the room, followed by a round of giggling as Jeremy casually gets his spiral notebook and a pencil. He presses both of them to the desk so they don’t fall.

He’s writing his name at the top corner of his worksheet when he sees Mr. H’s shoes approach. His socks match his tie today. Jeremy thinks that’s very stylish of him. He mentions it.

Steve makes a strangled noise and when Jeremy looks up at him, he sees that he has his hands steepled in front of his face like he’s praying for patience. At the angle that Jeremy’s at, he can see Steve pressing his lips together like he’s trying not to laugh.

Finally, he puts his hands on his hips and asks, “Why?”

“I’m putting myself in the mindset of a right angle so I can learn better,” Jeremy answers and Steve presses his lips together again. He shakes his head so Jeremy presses on, “It’s like method acting but for math. I’m becoming the angle. There’s like, a whole bunch of research and stuff about it online.”

Steve’s shoulders shake when he asks, “That so?”

“Yep, Mr. H. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it.”

“Yeh, that’s up,” Steve composes himself. “That’s hypoten-news to me.”

The whole class groans.  

Eddie rolls his eyes at the pun but laughs at the three different videos he sees of the interaction. He thinks it’s hilarious and he thinks it’s even funnier when Steve retells the story later. He comments on one of the videos, “V funny, gonna steal this.”

A few days go by and then Eddie posts a Tiktok that’s just a compilation of him shouting ‘Going 90’ and Steve scrambling to catch him before he falls over. With each clip, Steve’s reaction gets slower and slower.

The first time Eddie does it, Steve drops everything he’s holding to stop Eddie tipping the barstool he’s on onto the floor. The second time, he follows Eddie into the grass when he goes 90 off the deck. The fifth time, Steve bear hugs him before he can get the phrase out. The fifteenth time, he just lets Eddie fall. 

[eclipsellium]

Why I hate the pomodoro method.

You’ve probably seen someone suggest the Pomodoro method before— you do short sprints (typically 25 mins) followed up by a quick break (typically 5 mins).

I don’t like it, and I will never go back to using it. Don’t get me wrong, it can work really well! My sibling only gets anything done if they use this method, so there is something good about it. However, I’m going to talk about the downsides and what else to do instead of this method.

1. It focuses on time spent rather than results.

Many tasks are quite flexible in how long we take to complete them. Take walking home for example. When I am in a rush to school, it takes about 20 mins uphill, but my legs cramp really bad. When I’m just listening to my music and vibing, it takes about 30 mins downhill.

It's a similar idea for studying. Apply pressure on your learning and assignments, and they get completed faster. Too much pressure, you get exhausted or can’t think straight. (HINT: Procrastination). Too little pressure, and it takes forever to get anything done.

Different results require different amounts of time and pressure.

Trying to strive for a specific time frame undermines what your true goal is: to get some something done. The repetitive cycle assumes a “one size fits all” but that is rarely ever the case. Saying “I studied for two hours today” means nothing compared to “I wrote my essay, read a research paper, and annotated my notes from yesterday.”

2. It discourages focus and flow.

When I was trying out the method, I kept trying to find the ideal time for work and for breaks. The problem is it's never the same. Some days, you are more mentally exhausted and need longer and more breaks, otherwise you are just going to be miserable.

As it is, the five-minute break isn’t long enough to go on a short walk, take a dedicated snack, or fully disconnect. It’s a waste of time that taunts you with distractions that aren’t conducive to a good work environment.

The opposite is also true. Good days can be rare, so when you get into the zone, there’s no reason to come out of it for anything other than a natural transition. A ticking timer to your productivity doesn’t help, and breaking up that “flow state” isn’t maximizing your time or your efforts.

I also haven’t heard many people mention stamina. If you are in school and taking tests, you realize they are typically around the same length (90 - 120 mins where I am). The pomodoro method contradicts this. For a lot of people, focusing and doing your best on a test for such a long period of time can be difficult.

Oh, but that’s just life.

Maybe a part of it is, but you can take steps to improve your stamina during test taking. Spending upwards of two hours studying or taking practice tests, especially leading up to huge exams, can make the test fly by. Simulating test conditions is also a great way to study or increase pressure, which is what long term study periods achieve. Taking longer study periods also relates back to breaks. With the same amount of break time, you consolidate it into a greater block. You can grab a snack, watch an episode of your favorite show, take a walk outside, or do your hair. All fun stuff you can’t do with pomodoro.

3. It brings technology back into the equation.

If you’re using pomodoro method, most likely, its on your computer or your phone. Which means you have to have a device in reach and visible (for work on paper) or be constantly switching tabs (for work online).

Distractions are a huge part of this modern age, which means that you could inadvertently be teasing your mind with a computer game or social media or whatever you enjoy. Even if you don’t give in, you *are* losing focus.

Forget the clocks, forget the devices, forget the notifications. It’s so much easier to be productive if you have nothing else to do and no distractions to take you away from something that, at the heart of it, you enjoy. Because if you hate studying, why are you still reading this??????

This is really long so I’ll make another post about different study methods next week.

[grad-premed-suffering]

2024.02.29 | Day 40/100 days of productivity

Happy leap day!! My day is pretty calm, with an NVIVO workshop in my class this afternoon (which I think I may already know most of) and otherwise just grinding away to get my communicable disease term paper drafted. I don't have any classes tomorrow so I'll just push all my readings for next week until then. After this term paper, the last big assignment I hjave this semester is my thesis proposal, so I should be able to get back into doing more of my research shortly.

I hope you all have a lovely and productive day!

Today's goals:

Qualitative methods class

Draft communicable disease term paper

Drink water (0/2)

Pick up prescription

Buy a few groceries on the way home

Read before bed

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

July Week 1: Dreams, Astral Work, Life and Death Philosophies

So this week we will focus on some pretty broad topics, so that we can pack more learning and practical things into the second half of the year. Let's start with some pretty heavy topics for the week! These days will be very chock full, so feel free to save these prompts for rainy days or to keep working on after this week!

Monday - Dreams and Dream Work

Research/ New Page - scientifically speaking, what are dreams? How do they work? Why do they occur? When do they occur? Now apply a spiritual and magical lens to what dreams are. Then apply a philosopical lens. How do all of these definitions and functions work together to form what dreams are to you?

Research - Sending, Receiving, Shaping and Controlling Dreams. How does one send dreams or influence the dreams of another? How does one become more open to recieving dreams? What are the methods and ways we can shape our dreams? How can we control our dreams? Make a list of any terms, practices, methods, or articles on the subject you want to look further into. Or read and define things now! Learning is understanding. Also look into ways to help you better recall your dreams after you wake up!

Research - Look into the history of dream work, and the study of dreams in general, both in a magical and scientific way.

Tuesday - Astral and Astral Work

Research/ New Page - Define Astral and astral work. What is the astral or astral plane? How do we reach it? How do we see it, sense it, and connect to it? What things can we do when doing astral work? What does this influence, if anything, within your craft?

Introspection - Expectations vs Reality. What are the things you expected from astral work and what you thought you knew? Now compare that to the reality of what you've learned. What did you expect to see/ hear/ feel/ etc when you did astral work? What was the reality of the work you did? It is important to be able to differentiate between reality and your mind and perceptions tricking you.

Research - Gem Study - Pick a gem or other item from your list and study everything about it that you can!

Wednesday - Life, Death and Beyond

Introspection/ Meditation/ Journal - Think on the three topics listed. What is life? What is death? What is beyond those things (before and after)? Really dig deep into your beliefs about the world and the way these things work and how they are connected. Why do you believe those things? What influenced these beliefs in you? How do you feel about each of these things?

Research/ Introspection - Do you believe in reincarnation or a "beyond" where your spirit or soul or what have you goes after death? Define it, describe it, how does it work and why does it work and who is in control, if anyone, of this process or place? Are there multiple places or levels? What are they? Where do they exist? How do they function? The idea of a 'beyond' flows into and around the ideas of life and death. Connect the dots in yourself and in your beliefs.

Research - Herb Study - pick an herb from your list and learn all that you can about it! Magical, mundane, everything!

Thursday - Some fun stuff!

Practical/ Craft - Take today to do some design work on your pages! Color them, decorate them, add paper or notes, stickers or flowers, anything that helps make your grimoire feel more at hand and connected to you! Example: If you've made a page on Basil, find a basil leaf and dry it, then add it to the page! Or draw a picture of a basil plant!

Practical - Attempt some dream work or connection to the astral plane. Journal the experience, start to finish and look back on the experience to learn how to improve it!

Friday - Casual/ Catch Up

Use today to dive deeper into the topics discussed earlier this week, I know these were some big topics to broach. If not, rest! It's important to take breaks on projects as big as this challenge!

Well that’s a lot for the first week! But we’re gonna be getting deeper into a lot of broad topics this month! Stay tuned everyone and thank you for participating! I’m hope you’re all having a wonderful summer so far!

-Mod Hazel

[dangerously-human]

Shitty three-page paper has been submitted! I don't think it's great, but listen, if your rubric is going to be that vague, then you're getting a vague approximation of a paper in return. That leaves, for this class, a presentation to prep for - which should mostly consist of adapting my conference poster into slides, so it's kind of two birds with one stone - and the final paper, which will be adapted from a manuscript I'm already preparing to submit to a journal (but that will still be a large chunk of work, and the main focus of the rest of the semester). For research methods in public health, I've turned everything in except the final, and I can't do a whole lot to prep for that, aside from maybe downloading class materials so I can work on it without wifi on the plane (it's a three-day open book exam, which sounds great except that I'll be at a conference the whole time).

I'm gonna go send that email about graduation tickets so I can at least take one notable stressor off my plate. Not quite past the tipping point, but the boulder is gaining momentum. I mean, heck, a month from today, I'll be in Ireland, the proud holder of a shiny new master's degree! Might be half sleepwalking in a daze, but I'll have one heck of a life goal accomplished.

[eponymous-rose]

Wednesday!

It's super foggy, so my bus gets in later than I'd like and there's no time even for the cup of tea. :( I tell my students how great they did on the first homework assignment and then launch into a lecture about the various methods we use to measure the wind. It's a fun lecture, but I'm most excited for getting into the discussion of radar next week! We also have a lecture on Friday about scientific writing that I think will be pretty interesting. Good times all around.

Lunchtime! I threw a bunch of random stuff into my bag this morning, but there's a good soup and some veggies and fruit, so I'm happy. I should probably be using this time to catch up on (SO MUCH) e-mail, but I'm just sort of zoning out and have a busy afternoon ahead, so instead I hang out and enjoy my lunch, watch some silly videos, and pay for my table vending at a card show on Sunday! Protecting an hour for lunch each day has actually been a big lift in terms of rearranging my schedule, but I notice a huge difference in my afternoon energy levels. (I do check my e-mail long enough to promise my forest service colleague that I'll get back to him tomorrow on the financial stuff.)

Now it's time for a 90-minute meeting with the team on my National Science Foundation grant - 3 professors (including me), a postdoc, and my PhD student, across two universities. The mood is considerably less panicked than it would have been yesterday! For context, all five of us have some fraction (up to 100%) of our salaries paid through this grant. One of the professors on this project is the most Eeyore person I've ever met - every statement that comes out of his mouth is a worst-case scenario or a reason why something won't work, but I've known him since I was a student, and I'm kind of used to filtering that view on life to a degree (I remember some friends and I taking him out for dinner at a conference and him saying in a morose deadpan what a good time he was having - he's just hard to read!). The other professor is an energetic ray of sunshine, but he was a little frazzled today since his kid got sick on the way to daycare and was now jumping on the couch behind him and demanding more crackers.

But it was a great meeting! We got a plan laid out for the next steps of research, and managed to put some blinders on my very, very ambitious and slightly scattered PhD student (every project leads to five side-projects with him, which is amazing... but he's meant to be defending his dissertation this summer). The highlight was when he showed some figures and promptly said "anyway, none of that's interesting, but the paper I actually want to write is--" and everyone cut him off like "WAIT WAIT PUBLISH THAT EARLIER STUFF FIRST IT'S AMAZING". I think we managed to encourage him to just publish this early stuff and also lock in the methodology so the postdoc can get started on next steps, and I got some support from sunny-professor (who was my PhD student's undergrad research advisor back in the day) to help keep my student on track - we decided to see where he's at early next week and set a deadline accordingly. We all finished the conversation in much better moods!

On to a quick half-hour chat with the student who defended his PhD last week - he has a couple questions about my comments on his dissertation and mostly just wants to pick my brain about where to put some figures in his upcoming paper. We agree that this is a job for Supplemental Materials and have a few minutes to chat about how wild the whole process feels. Since we finish a little early, I manage to get my signature on a letter supporting yet another student who recently took his PhD entrance exam.

Onward! Up next is an hour-long meeting with my first-year Master's student and her co-advisor. (Our department is very collaborative - this is my second co-advising experience, and I genuinely do really like that balance, although logistics can be a big pain.) I admire her co-advisor a lot, and I know his students think the world of him, but I think he's a little too hands-off as a research advisor sometimes - there's a time and place to let students investigate and come up with their own ideas, but a new grad student returning to academia after three years working in industry is likely going to need a little extra guidance. We do manage to throw some ideas around and I finally get a little fed up with the vagueness and point her at a dataset that I think will start to get questions going in her mind. Her co-advisor did have the excellent idea of having her put together an application for a national graduate fellowship to put a deadline on solidifying an idea for her Master's topic, and that's really helped. I also talk a bit about a Department of Energy proposal a colleague and I put together that might be a good fit for her research as well. A good chat!

Next is an undergrad research assistant (one of the amazing students taking my class this year, actually!) - she is also co-advised by another of my colleagues and I. That colleague and I have a really fun project we've been developing, also for the National Science Foundation, and one of the biggest comments on our initial submission was a lack of proof-of-concept data. Before sending in the resubmission (which is something I have to work on tomorrow), my colleague and I decided to bring on an undergraduate researcher to do some preliminary research and to get some experience working on this kind of project! We've already sent her to one conference to present her results, so she and I catch up on things (her co-advisor just left for an eight-week field campaign in a remote location in the Rockies, but will be kept up-to-date via e-mails) and she talks a bit about some of the feedback she got on her poster at the conference a couple weeks ago. That sparks some ideas about new data we want to investigate, and I think we manage to thread the needle so that we're going to be able to get substantial science done without overcommitting (she's graduating this spring!).

My final meeting is an hour-long check-in with another grad student prepping for the dreaded PhD entrance exam! He's doing extremely cool work - I like being a committee member for grad students because I get to see the work in these snapshots representing massive leaps in understanding and scientific maturity. I have just a few minor suggestions, and we agree to chat again in the next couple weeks before the exam.

Okay! It's time to make some to-do lists.

Stuff that needs to get done tomorrow (no meetings, work from home all day, sheer bliss):

Send my forest service colleague the financial info he's been waiting so patiently to get from me. This will involve coordinating with our terribly understaffed grants team and may involve me writing a few pages of justifications, so I'm anticipating this one will take a few hours.

Write letters of support for my PhD student. These are a joy to write and shouldn't take too long.

Provide comments to the postdoc out in Switzerland about her proposal. It's not a super long proposal, but it looked a little rough the last time I saw it, so I'm steeling myself for what may be a long read.

Decide whether I want to submit an abstract to a conference that'll be happening in June. It's not needed for me, but it's close by, a good friend is running it, it looks relevant, and I have some travel funds that will be deleted if they're not used by November. If I decide to go for it, writing the abstract won't take long at all.

There's a questionnaire asking how my research would be impacted by various political things going on, so I need to fill that one out.

I have a peer review for a scientific journal due on Monday that I've already delayed once - I simply gotta write it. I'm good friends with the editor, so I want to help him get that off his to-do list as well.

There's some required grants training that expires after four years, so I guess it's time for me to do that again.

Oh dang, speaking of expired, my driver's license is up and I need to apply online for the renewal (no huge inconvenience - I don't have a car and I use my passport for travel anyway).

There's a possibility of applying for a major grant with a friend in the computer science department. I don't know if either of us can put this on our plates, but we should at least chat about it quickly.

Reply to my absentee finishing-remotely-while-starting-a-new-job-but-has-been-incommunicado Master's student who reached out yesterday for the first time in three years.

Work on revisions to a grant proposal - I promised my co-author that we'd have the proposal draft ready to go by Feb. 7.

Work on revisions to the review article I have to cut down by about 5,000 words.

Stuff that needs to get done that I don't have to touch tomorrow necessarily:

E-mail my contacts in Canada and Europe re: my PhD student and future job opportunities (it's a little early to e-mail them now).

Figure out the no-cost extension process for my grant that's expiring at the end of the year - I know it has to be done at least 45 days before the grant expires.

Fill out a form that was sent to me about becoming affiliate faculty with a cool multidisciplinary institute on campus.

Make some fresh recordings for my distance-learning class next quarter (the old ones are from 2021 and I look quite frazzled).

Order copies of a couple of textbooks I'd like to evaluate for next quarter's 100-level class.

Grade the second homework assignment for my students (not due until Friday, but some may hand it in early).

Read a couple of articles recommended to me during my meetings today.

PHEW. Tomorrow is work from home! I'm excited - these have been fun days, but there's been SO MUCH one-on-one intense conversation and I'm ready to be a hermit for a bit.

[pjo-tvs-version]

Fanfic no. 3 !! Wohooo!!! I never thought it would happen. I am sticking with Annabeth POVs currently as I enjoy writing them. This one's based on @liesmultixxx's suggestion of the day Percy goes missing. Title from Love Story by yet again Taylor Swift. Enjoy!

Beggin' you, "Please don't go, " 

I stand outside by the gates of my school, excited. It was a lovely Saturday afternoon and Sally had insisted on having lunch with her. The crowd around me was buzzing with enthusiasm too. Today was the last day of school. Everyone was planning their summer vacations. I smiled knowing that I had already planned how to spend the entirety of the few days I got. Training at camp, finishing the plans for the renovation of Olympus, helping out with the architecture of the new cabins, teaching the new campers a few tricks, chatting with Sally and of course, spending time with my Seaweed Brain.

I was told by a particular green eyed boy that I often get lost in my thoughts. As much as I hate accepting that, it's the truth I realise now. As I’m happily going over my to do list for this summer, I hear a car’s horn, startling me. It’s Paul’s Prius with Percy in the driver’s seat, wearing his orange camp shirt. “Did I scare you, Wise Girl?” he says mockingly. There is a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and it feels wonderful to observe it without a Greek apocalypse taking place.

I dump my books in the back seat, taking my place beside Percy as we set off to his New York apartment. A lunch by Sally’s and then we will be off to Camp Half Blood. I was eager to go to camp as I hadn't seen it in a while. I am looking forward to seeing the new campers, even the ones from minor gods. Yesterday Chiron had even Iris messaged me about my requirement for building the new cabins. Percy was most probably picking on my thoughts (that was something I realised that he is pretty good at doing since we started dating.)

 “Well someone looks happy today despite her pessimistic attitude”, said Percy. “Let me remind you that you have an English research paper to write a History project to work on and not to mention solving questions from Trigonometry” I replied.  Percy let out a groan and said “Well you take the win on this one but please tell me you are helping me out with trigonometry.” I laughed. It was so funny to see the Savior of Olympus complaining about maths homework. I retorted “Only if you give me an extra blue cookie.” Percy looked aghast and I was just enjoying the banter. I knew I hit the right bargain.

 “You drive a hard deal Annabeth. Can’t we just stick with something nicer like I give you an extra goodnight kiss and you help out with the soul destructive maths?” “Hmm let me think about it” I pause dramatically and pose to be in deep thought and then add “nope.” “Please Miss Owl Head. I am begging you” Percy adds with the cute baby seal eyes. Oh no! I stared at them and it was a mistake. The eyes always got me. “Okay fine the extra goodnight kiss it is in exchange for the maths homework. But I am warning you beforehand, I’ll just teach you the method, you are solving them yourself. Also the good night kiss better be good.” I say with a sigh. He grins and I can’t help but adore his raven coloured hair. The rest of our ride passed with more banters about school, camp and dates. I enjoyed every minute of it.

I waited as Percy parked the Prius. Sally is already standing at the door. I could smell the delicious lasagna bubbling in the oven. As always Sally hugged me. She smelt of cookies and honey suckles. It always filled me with warmth whenever I was with Sally. She was like the parent figure I never had. She always treated me so warmly, like her own family. It always managed to make me feel cosy and warmed my heart every time.

“Come in quick! The lasagna is almost done, my dear. The blue cookies are in the oven right now. They will be ready soon too. "Sally said as she beckoned her inside the Jackson apartment. Percy eyes always glazed with amazement whenever a Sally Jackson styled blue cookie was in a 1 mile radius from him. Percy helped Sally set up the dining table as I went to his room to freshen up and change. 

When I returned to the table, a table was ready for three. Paul I had been told by Percy was in school, teaching. Sally and Percy were seated already and were waiting for me. A dish full of mouth watering Lasagna, Sally’s classic seven layer dip with tortilla chips and a jug of lemonade were kept, ready to be eaten.

“Dig in '' Sally said and that is exactly what we did. Gods, it was delicious. We talked as we ate. Sally inquired about my school, Percy sprouting out facts about marine life and me going over my plans for the summer. There was utter chaos as the three of us ate and chatted and it was soo much fun. When our meal finished, I along with Percy helped clear up the table. It sounds weird but I had fun doing the dishes. 

When everything was done we sat on the couch with the blue cookies. Percy’s eyes rolled up in ecstasy at the sight of them and I was pretty sure that my face was pretty much the same. As I savored my last chocochip bite, I glanced at the watch. It was almost 4. I stand with Percy in tow. We had to leave for camp now.

Sally hugs us goodbye, packing a few cookies for our trip to camp too. We hail a taxi to Long Island. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Percy and I stood on Half Blood Hill, enjoying the view. Camp Half Blood was buzzing with excitement everywhere. Many of the Apollo kids were doing target practice. The satyrs were playing a sweet tune on their pipes to grow the strawberries. The sun was dipping and the view was breathtaking. “Race you down the hill. Whoever loses doesn't get the last cookie” I shout before sprinting down the hill. “Hey, that's not fair! You went first. But you're on Chase. Anything for my blue cookies.” Percy retorts and he races against me. 

As always it ended as a tie so the cookie will be divided into half. Chiron was there to greet us. After exchanging a few hugs, I went to meet my siblings in Cabin 6. Malcolm welcomed me back warmly. I make my way towards my bed to start settling in. Unpacking took way more time than I expected. “Hey Annabeth, time for dinner. We are even having a campfire tonight.” Malcolm calls out as I stack my last book on the shelf. Perfect timing. “Coming Malcolm," I reply.

After a filling dinner everyone gathers around the fire for a song night. I sit beside Percy, a little at the back of the crowd. We sing, laugh and dance till our throats are sore from shouting and our knees are worn out from the dancing. The crowd dispersed albeit reluctantly since we were having so much fun. Me and Percy walk, hand in hand towards our cabins.

The walk was purposely slow since we were savouring the solitude. As we reach the entrance of his cabin we both halt. A drop of water fell on my nose then another on my shoulder and then on my hand. Before I knew it, I was standing under a mini raincloud. Percy was getting drenched in the rain too but he was smiling, that classic troublemaker smile and his sea green eyes were full of amusement. “May I know exactly why Perseus Jackson is it raining only above us? Considering that you are a Son of Poseidon, it puts you in a quite suspicious position. There is no scien-” I say before I am cut off. 

Percy’s lips are on mine as kisses me soft and slow. As he pulls away grasping for breath, I remember that he kept his promise about the goodnight kiss. Something must have shown on my face as I leapt to the realization because Percy’s smile widened. “So this is your special goodnight kiss I see. Where both of us are drenched in rainwater” I say. “I always wanted to kiss you in the rain. Might be romantic you know. But I kept my promise. So math homework tomorrow?” he replies. He really is a Seaweed Brain. He looked so cute with his hair plastered across his face and pearl like water droplets on his eyes that I could’nt help but kiss him again.

I will begrudgingly admit that it was actually kind of romantic but there is no way I am saying it out loud. We pull away and I say with a sigh “Okay, maths homework lesson in the morning in the strawberry fields. Okay?” “Thank you so much Wise Girl. Good night.” he says with a yawn. “Goodnight Seaweed Brain” I reply, feeling sleepy too. I make my way towards my cabin with my heart content. Tomorrow will be a fresh new day and I can finally enjoy myself after so many taxing years of war.

I wake up to a sunny morning. I freshen up and grab my supplies. Chiron had requested me to meet him first thing in the morning as he wanted to discuss a few new cabin designs for me. As I make my way to the Big House, I am interrupted by Clarisse. “Have you seen your kelp-filled headed boyfriend? He was supposed to spar with me to a death battle.” Clarrise asks. I laughed. So Percy and Clarisse are going toi spar. Guess I’m going to watch a good show. “I’ll go check on him. He’s most probably snoring in his cabin.” I reply. Clarisse nods and goes to her cabin. 

I knock on the doors of cabin 3. No response. I knock again but still not a single reaction. That was weird so I just pushed against the doors to find an empty bunk bed. Where was Percy? He most probably must be playing one of his pranks on me. I step out and call out his name. Still no answer. I find Chiron waiting at the steps of the Big House. I’m sure he would have some idea. “Have you seen Percy Chiron?” I ask. There is a look of concern in his eyes. “Annabeth, dear I thought Percy was somewhere with you though it is unlikely that he would be awake so early in the morning.” Chiron responds. “What no! I just got up and was on my way to your office when Clarrise asked me if I knew where Percy was. I said no and went to his cabin to find him but he was’nt there.” I say, panic seizing me. “Annabeth, you are not the first camper who inquired about Percy. Are you sure you have no idea where Percy is or is it some joke?” he asked me.

“I swear on the Styx Chiron that I have no idea where Percy is.” I say as my dread increases in my heart. “Well this is serious then. I am going to announce this immediately” Chiron said.

Every camper was searching every possible place. I was getting terrified with every passing second. Percy pulled off pranks but they were light hearted. When I find him, I’m seriously going to threaten him about this. He has no right to give me such panic attacks. After a while of searchin everyone gathered in the Amphitheater. “We’ve looked everywhere, only the strawberry fields are left for us to-” Connor says before I cut him off.

The strawberry field, of course he must be there. Maybe he wanted to surprise me by getting up early and being ready to study. I race against the wind. As I reach the entrance of the field I shout out “I’m here Seaweed Brain. Time for maths.” Still no reply. He was’nt there. My heart was thudding against my chest and I fell to my knees. Where was Percy? The rest of camp arrives to find me there in this miserable condition. Malcom approaches and kneels beside me. “Don’t worry Annabeth, we'll find him. He must be somewhere, I’m sure of it.”

I burst into tears not being able to control them. Percy was gone? Overnight? He kissed me goodnight yesterday and now he is gone? There was no trace of him. He wasn't in camp and I realise with a foreboding fear that this isn't a prank. Chiron removes the crowd as Malcolm hugs me fiercely. “He’s gone, he’s gone” I say with shuddering breaths. “I was supposed to teach him maths, go on a date with him tomorrow and…”. “Annabeth, it's okay. He will be fine” Malcolm tries to reassure me. “You don’t understand. Where is he? Is he alive or…….” I didn't complete the sentence. That’s not possible. I was going to search for him until I found him. A part of my brain nags me- what if I don’t. I push that thought away. I stand up with shaky legs and reach for my cell phone and dial Sally. After a few rings she picks up, “Hey Annabeth how are you and Percy? Any issue?”. “Sally is- is Percy at home?” I say even as my heart slows with dread. “No Annabeth! Why would he be here?”. I can’t reply. I lost my voice and I didn't know how to respond. What should I tell her. Sally must have sensed the silence was not a good one because there was concern in her next words “Annabeth honey Annabeth are you okay? Is Percy okay…” If only I knew that my happy, planned summer was going to be my worst possible one….

So how was this? Positive criticism is appreciated. Thank you @liesmultixxx for the lovely suggestion. Hope you liked it!!!

You can read it here on AO3 too

[cappucinosandnotes]

100 days of productivity

4/100 - 11/7/24

really struggling to feel productive today, i just cannot bring myself to focus on anything but i have so much stuff piling up that i am getting stressed

today's to-do list:

orgo hw

ALS case study

case study evaluation

research

methods and results section

english paper

carboxylic acid and esters reading, notes, and practice problems

at least its almost the weekend so i can catch up on everything and rest and recover

[cnestus]

If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is your job and degree? Getting into the field of entomology is a bit intimidating and I would appreciate any any advice.

i tend to be a little cagey about my exact job since my field is quite small and there's enough people following me that the chances of someone deciding to take offense to something and Get Weird at me are nonzero, but that's probably excessive paranoia on my part. then again beloved internet bug person mossworm got recently sacked from their job on account of weirdo online tattletales so maybe not.

anyway i can say i work for a government agency identifying insects from a pretty wide geographic range, looking for new exotic species and potential pests. during the busy season i spend most of my time processing huge volumes of raw trap samples, pulling out insect groups of interest, mostly woodboring beetles, for myself or one of the other entomologists in the lab to identify to species. during the off-season when we're not getting tons of new samples i get a little more free reign to work on other projects of my own design, so for example lately i've been working on my bee identification skills and am slowly putting together a large reference collection of native bee species that i reserved from years of insect trap by-catch.

i got my PHD in entomology without a specific career in mind but knowing i wanted to do something that wasn't just about developing products and methods for killing unwanted insects which seem like the main entomology jobs anyone wants to fund anymore. in a perfect world i'd love a entomological curation job in a museum but those positions are rare and in-demand and i didn't have the mental fortitude to do the kind of academic work in grad school to make me competitive for that field. but then i went ahead and got a job that lets me do some curatorial work anyway so i sort of won? my position is still at least on paper about controlling unwanted insects but in practice i rarely have to do much of that work, at least directly.

i get semi-regular requests for advice on getting a job as an entomologist and i often feel like i don't have much constructive or encouraging to say, since it's hard not to feel like it's one of the many disciplines being squeezed to death by the iron hand of capitalism. more and more positions in the government and academia are being cut or downsized by bureaucrats who don't see the benefit of taxonomy or any other research that doesn't directly result in their department or some corporation making a bunch of money. whole subdisciplines are dying out as the elder entomologists who were the sole sources of knowledge about them die off. there are entire groups of insects and other arthropods that are effectively impossible to identify to species now because the one taxonomic wizard who specialized on them died without having anyone to pass that knowledge onto. Donald Bright, the only living expert on bark beetles in the preposterously diverse and morphologically subtle genus Pityophthorus, died a few months ago without an heir that i'm aware of.

also most of the taxonomic research that is being done these days is all molecular systematics which i have Opinions about but this post is way too long already.

sorry. that was a bummer. i guess i'm proof that it is still possible to get a job like this today, even if i can't help but feel like it was mostly luck that got me here. plenty of the others in my academic cohort (that didn't burn out from grad school stress) also went on to get degrees in their field of study or at least adjacent to them. and again there are still plenty of entomology jobs in other sectors like agriculture, public health, nonprofits and NGOs and stuff like that. you also don't necessarily need an advanced degree in entomology for a lot of these, and a lot of people in the entomology field came in sideways through related disciplines like ecology, evolutionary science, general biology, or even things like viticulture and forensic science to name a couple examples from my own cohort.

looking back, that was mostly a lot of vague grumbling and not much concrete advice, but to be fair asking for "any advice" is a hard prompt to go off of so i tend to default to the kinds of grim thoughts that are usually rattling round in my brain. i may also be in an especially dour mood at the moment because even though my job isn't to my knowledge at any risk of being eliminated, my lab is currently being passively if not outright antagonized by higher-level bureaucrats for genuinely mysterious reasons and i will not elaborate on that any further for reasons i mentioned at the beginning. anyway! i am always happy to at least attempt to give more specific advice but i can't promise there won't be at least a little grumbling in that as well.

[uncleasad]

This post came past my desk today, and I thought folks here might find it interesting/helpful, particularly the suggestions (from the academic paper, as summarized by the author of the blog post) for clearing a block���or at least a specific type of block:

Take a break from writing: “Stop writing, decide tomorrow is another day, and walk away from the computer until the next day.” (26%)

Work on a different writing project: “Jump from the work on which I’m currently engaged to another.” (13%)

Keep writing: “Force myself to write to a certain page number” (12%)

Revise or reread current work or skip ahead to work on a later section: “Reread notes or drafts” (10%)

Read a book or watch a movie: “I read the work of authors I admire to become inspired.” (10%)

Take a walk: “I go for a walk” (6%)

Discuss ideas with others: “Ask for advice. See what other people think. While you usually won’t use what they suggest their ideas can kickstart you brain.” (8%)

Change writing location or writing method: “Switch up locations or methods of writing – write using a pen, a typewriter, etc.” (6%)

Exercise: “Exercise/movement” (3%)

Research: “Researching relevant or related topics” (3%)

Eat or drink something: “Drinking coffee or snacking” (2%)

Meditate/do yoga: “Meditate for five minutes” (1%)

Number 2 is responsible for pretty much the entirety of my In-Progress list as well as for the Tales from the Salvatore Kitchen series. I’ve also done a lot of #4 (especially on After Ten Long Years, which currently consists of 5 distinct sections, but I also successfully employed the reread/revise strategy on the final part of the Josie Saltzman’s Final Holidays trilogy), some #6—which is really a specific subset of #9 I think—(often working in the yard/garden or mowing the lawn instead of walking per se), sometimes #7 (looking at you, friends 😀)…and #10 is a good procrastinator 😂

One thing I don’t see mentioned, and the source of all my best ideas (as I’ve mentioned before) is take a shower; the article I linked to in that post explains why that works.

(Sadly, none of these suggestions are relevant for my current case of writer’s “block,” which is entirely a lack of time. Maybe I should stop visiting tumblr 😂)

[firewalkwithmme]

☾𖤓 — 19 October 2024

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🦢˚ — Today’s accomplishments:

did 1.5 hours research for a film paper analysing Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)

practiced russian and dutch for 20 min

I am working on becoming a better student as I return to university tomorrow from my fall break. I often struggle with getting work done and today was one of those days, but my new method is remembering something is better than nothing. Whatever I get done today is one more thing I’ve completed. It’s the little things! Tomorrow I will study for my economics exam and do some more work on my film paper

[darkdemeter]

The origins of SCP 999.2’s relationships with the SCP Horsemen are still vague despite 999.2 attempts to explain but it’s known that should anything happen to her, it would trigger a World Ending scenario. Their interactions are usually private and off-screen but fortunate clips have shown a parent-child relationship or a sibling one. SCP 999.2 has shown to calm and comfort the SCP Horsemen, hence why 999.2 is crucial and designated as the same position as 999, likely why she has the .2.

Dr. D-L. Argus: Thank you for speaking with me today. Are you feeling alright?

SCP-999-2: Mm... mhm... (she continues to colour in her page book)

Dr. D-L. Argus: (Leans in closer and proceeds to join in colouring in the page book) Did you feel like drawing anything for me today, sweetie?

SCP-999-2: (Nods) Yes.

Dr. D-L. Argus: That's wonderful to hear. What will you be drawing for me?

SCP-999-2: Horsies.

Dr. D-L. Argus: I like horses too. They're very pretty and very friendly, aren't they?

SCP-999-2: (Begins to draw on a blank piece of paper with coloured crayons) Mhm!

Dr. D-L. Argus: Do you think we could talk again about your relationship with the Horsemen?

(The footage crackles and pops, registering the four forms of the Horsemen standing on the glass window's opposite side, watching over the interview taking place in the room. Dr. D-L Argus' resolve to not be startled by their presence has improved)

SCP-999-2: I guess we can...

Dr. D-L. Argus: I know it's a lot to explain it again. We just want to understand your bond with them. They appear to be very close with you.

Dr. D-L. Argus, who SCP-999-2 associates with as the "nice science lady", is able to make a break through in the on-going investigation of SCP-999-2's relationship with the Horsemen. Though the dynamic is still very much a mystery to the research department, failing to capture anything in surveillance in footage as the recordings seem to either glitch out or delete of their own accord, Dr. D-L. Argus has been able to obtain pieces of information.

Going off by what Dr. D-L. Argus has collected in her observations and interrogations, SCP-999-2 has a form of soul-bond with the Horsemen. She's said numerous times that it's an imprinting process forgotten by majority of modern day humans, only existing between the ages of pre-birth up to close around the ages 8-9 in children. Described as a form of energy that flows between herself and the Horsemen like a tethering thread, she's expressed that an apocalyptic type scenario will take place, subsequently ending the world should anything happen to her such as her demise.

However, much like SCP-999 and indeed hence why a -2 has been added to her numbering tag, she is able to provide a powerful aura that can incapacitate the Horsemen into a state of calm. She doesn't have a need to touch them in order to inflict this effect, but from early experiments, it would seem that by closing in her distance to be able to reach and hold them, this power is more effective in keeping the Horsemen docile.

With this key information, Foundation officials have been able to arrange a sort of road map on how to proceed further to prevent this kind of scenario from taking place. SCP-999-2 appears to be quite taken with Dr. D-L. Argus and her methods given how she willingly participates in activities and experiments obediently when this member of staff is present.

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Lucien's Through Thousands of Mirrors event translation (Day 1 -Thursday)

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️

This post contains a HEAVY SPOILER for the event that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

Through Thousands of Mirrors Event | Day 1 (You're here!) | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | HS/Uni SSR Story: Monochrome Scenery

-

[Tidbits: I don't wanna break the flow so I'll put some information here first 😂. Dr. Lawson is Lucien's post-grad professor. Before, he also appears in UR MQ Distant Similarity. During his post-grad he has three seniors Colt, Elliot, and Caroline.]

-

[Math]

Seeing the particularly puzzled expression on the classmate next to him, Lucien starts to consider whether he should offer some assistance within his capabilities.

For instance, he thinks about telling the classmate that the topic currently being discussed on the blackboard is not from the same chapter as the one in the textbook he's currently reading.

-

[MATH/BIOCHEMISTRY]

After the vending machine devours Lucien's one dollar and twenty-five cents for the third time, and with only three minutes left to get to his next class, he begins to seriously contemplate whether he should try some mysterious repair method—like giving it a good smack or a swift kick.

-

[BIOCHEMISTRY]

Lucien coincidentally runs into Colt by the sports field, just as Colt is about to attend a cricket practice session.

Upon realizing that his senior from the lab is not only managing coursework and a significant project workload but also juggling a 20-hour weekly part-time job and daily school cricket team training, Lucien begins to contemplate whether there is any room for further optimization in his own schedule.

-

[PREVIEW/COMPUTER SCIENCE]

During the brief half-hour period, Lucien typically uses the time to prepare for the upcoming class or visit the library to research and gather information.

In any case, that time should not be spent on arguing and explaining to people, like the enthusiastic campus volunteer in front of him.

"No, thank you. I'm not a high school student attending a summer camp. This is my student ID, and I'm indeed a student here, a graduate student. Yes, I'm not lost, and I need to get to my class. Can you please let me go?"

-

[COMPUTER SCIENCE]

Lucien presses the enter key, intending to ask the teacher if he can leave early once his coursework is done. However, the error message on the screen deters him from that thought. So, he sits back down and begins to examine it again.

But that's okay, he does understand the commonality between computer science and experimental research: it's often hard to know right away if the thing at hand will work, why it's not working, or even why it's even working.

-

[LAB]

Come on, come on, come on. After moving this box, there's another.

And after moving that box, there are three more to go.

The prospects for the future and the shine in one's eyes are often taken away by the God of research in such necessary yet mechanical repetitive work.

-

[LAB]

Lucien goes out to get some water and returns to find a school burger on his desk.

Colt, with dark circles under his eyes, waves at Lucien and saying, "No need to thank me, newcomer. Have some food, we might be staying here today."

Lucien quietly eats the burger, hesitant to tell Colt that he has spent more time in the laboratory than in the dorm.

-

[LAB]

When Dr. Lawson enters the laboratory, what he sees is a scene where his graduate and doctoral students are sleeping and sprawled all over the place.

On the laboratory whiteboard, several words were written in large letters: "Publish immediately! Guaranteed to be published in Nature!!"

Dr. Lawson retrieves small blankets from the cabinet, covering each of these research madmen.

He proceeds to organize the data and take over the finishing work on the project. Of course, when it comes to authorship in the paper, not a single one of these kids' names can be left out.

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

November Week 4 - Turning Magic Back

This week is all about magical defense as well as magical offense. Reflecting, negating, nullifying, diluting, whatever words and methods you’d like to refer to, in order to take magic or energy sent toward you and defeat it or send it back. Let’s dive in.

Monday - Breaking Curses

Research/ new page - we looked at what curses were before and you probably found some info on how to break them. But now we’re going to focus on that topic. What are some methods to break curses on you or others? What items/ tools are required to break curses? What kinds of energies and strengths and weaknesses are involved in breaking curses? Look at history, are there any historical instances of breaking curses? Generational or otherwise? Learn as much as possible!

Research/ New Page - Gem study - pick another gem from your list and learn everything you can about it! Where it comes from? It’s history, it’s chemical makeup, how it is mined, what it is used for, any myths or legends surrounding it! Everything!

Tuesday - Reversing Spells

Research/ New Page - how does one reverse a spell they have cast? How does one reverse a spell cast by another? What are the methods and tools to do so? When and where can you do so? Why do you reverse spells that either you have cast or someone else has? Look as deep into this as you can!

Research/ New Page - herbal study - pick another herb from your list and learn everything you can about it! Magical, mundane, medicinal, culinary and practical uses and associations! History and chemical makeup! Everything!

Wednesday - Breaking / Undoing Spells

Research/ New Page - sometimes reversing isn’t necessary. Sometimes we have to break it, or undo it. How does one do this? What tools and methods are there for doing so? When where and why does one do this as opposed to reversing one? And what is the difference (if there is one, in your opinion and point of view). Learn as much as you can!

Practical/ Journal - if there is a piece of magic or spell you’ve done in the past that you feel is still working, but it doesn’t need to be, why not try undoing it? Work out the process and tools in your lab notebook, down to the details of the day, then journal the experience so you can look back and reflect on your method and your feelings surrounding this prompt!

Thursday - Hot Takes

Ask any three witches the same question and get four different answers. What are some witchy hot takes you’re aware of? (There are plenty here on tumblr, search the tag lol) are there some you weren’t aware of? Make a list of these hot takes, then on a separate sheet of paper or in your lab notebook or your journal, work through each one and flesh out your stance on the hot takes. It’s a practice in self knowledge and introspection that may help you better understand your craft and yourself!

Friday - Catch Up Day/ Rest Day

Utilize today to catch up on any prompts or workings or grumpier detailing you’d like to! Hydrate, eat, take your meds and rest!

Only one month left till the end of the challenge! I’ll be sharing some images of my (once again) redone grimoire. The fancy one id been working on for the past five years got lost then damaged in my recent move. So I’ve had the fun of working through a lot of these prompts with you all! Thank you again for your support for this page!

-Mod Hazel