#trisha studies

[pretty-little-aesthetics]

[transsexualism]

ALL EXAMS TAKEN!!!! FREEDOM!!!!!! I AM NEVER DOING THAT SHIT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[marcos--budt]

Wjejehhwjejfjwjhwhejd wait wtf is going on with Oli London?? Last time I checked he (she..?) identified as a Korean woman/woman of color and now he's apparently a man again and has become some sort of conservative "politician"??¿? I neeeeedddd to knowww was he a conservative troll all along or is he a performance artist or is he just severely mentally ill what is happening sjdhfjdkdjfjjffj

[preetee-wid-4-es]

Hot take, trisha patys is just a US version of rakhi sawant. Not just physically. They are literally two clones in two different socio-cultural contexts. Someone please get more invested in this...

[username-1121]

My Vedic Astrology Thoughts💭

These are all my random Vedic Astrology thoughts and things that I have noticed while studying different charts. These are my observations but nothing written down are things that I’m a 100% sure about, so I’m open to discussing any of these thoughts in the comments :)

- Sun conjunct Jupiter can achieve success in their respective career fields. I also notice that it could possibly indicate a need to indulge which may lead to weight gain. (Eg: Trisha Paytas, Adele)

- People with prominent 3rd house placements tend to be extremely sexually attractive to the masses. Eg:

1st lord in 3rd house

3rd lord in 1st house

3rd lord in 3rd house

3rd lord in 10th house

Atmakaraka in 3rd house

Or having lumanries in 3rd house

These are placements that I see a lot in sex icons and heavily sexualised celebrities. (Billie Eilish, Megan Fox, Rihanna). In Vedic astrology 3rd house is known for sexual magnetism due to it being 8 houses away from the 8th house.

- Another indicator for sexual magnetism is definitely Mars aspecting your 1st, 2nd, 7th or 10th house. It’s a very potent planet that can really seep into one’s energy. 1st and 2nd house is more physical appearance and 7th & 10th is more energy wise, but either way it’s very apparent.

- The dignity of your Mahadasha/Antardasha planet is SO important. If the planet isn’t strong in the D1 and D9, or atleast receiving aspects from beneficial planets then you won’t be able to reap the full benefits of the planet and it’s associated yogas.

- People with prominent Venus nakshatras and Rohini nakshatra, look really good in pink. Specifically this pastel pink, it really increases their attractiveness. Dressing in pink/pastel colours with makeup remaining light but still angelic using light blushes and soft eyeshadow, is a style that really suits them.

- Vishakhas truly do have this duality to their personalities that can of of course manifest in their appearance.

One example is Dove Cameron (Vishakha moon), she was initially known for her blond hair and innocent persona on Disney. Then for her music career, she decided to fully embody this dark persona by dying her hair black, using darker makeup shades and even adapting a more sexual way of speaking.

This really highlights the fact that Vishakha embodies both the energies of Libra and Scorpio, and they need to learn how to find balance between these two personas in order to achieve fulfilment. Or else they constantly find themselves see sawing between these two energies, thus never finding 100% fulfilment.

- Having Saturn transiting your 4th house in your D1 or from your Mahadasha sign may mean that you’ll be forced to stay at home more often. No matter how hard you try, travelling and seeking out new adventures will be restricted due to Saturn forcing you to deal with your inner karmas in an isolated space.

- Odd ascendant signs (1,3,5,7,9,11) are more likely to actually pursue the career that they desire. Eg: we all know many people who would love to be in the limelight, whether that’s a singer or actress, but not many people are able to pursue it because it is not their destiny. However this is not the case for odd signs, if they wake up and say “I want to be a singer ” then they will because that is their path in this life. This applies to any career that they are interested in.

(Many celebrities have odd sign ascendants. Lady Gaga who’s known for wanting to become a famous singer and then becoming one successfully, has a Gemini ascendant)

- When it comes to the even (2,4,6,8,10,12) ascendant signs, it does not matter if they would like to become a doctor or singer or whatever they desire. They will not be able to follow that career path if their destiny (9th house) does not align with it. These are the people who often thrown into the “limelight” and are uncomfortable by all the attention, or someone who’s forced to take a normal 9 to 5 despite them wanting to desperately follow their dreams.

(I got this technique from Dr. Dharmesh Mehta Ji, who explained it very well on “Exotic Astrology”’s channel.)

- Movable and cardinal signs are often successful in the entertainment industry because their 10th house are not in a fixed sign.

In order to pursue an artistic or freelance career, you need to have indications of an “unstable” career in your chart. Actors, singers, artists, never know when they’re going to get their next paycheck which is why it is associated with movable signs. Actors are always playing different roles, not certain if they’re even going to get their next job. The same goes for singers and artists who are constantly trying to make a living. Nothing is certain or “fixed” which is why having moveable signs in your 10th or aspecting it, is important if you want to successfully pursue this career field.

-This is one of the reasons why Moon or Mercury in 10th house or connected to 10th house is such a prominent indicator in artistic career charts. Because Moon and Mercury are both fast moving planets which can be associated with “instability ” in whatever house it is placed in.

- As for cardinal signs, they start their career off “unstable” but eventually climb the ladder to a more fixed and stable career. Think of rags to riches. Whereas movable signs constantly have to face changing their careers, depending on the Dasha.

- Dasha sequence: When you go through your 2nd, 4th, 6th Dasha period and it being a positive planet Venus, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter. You are more likely to experience an extremely favourable time in your life. I expand more on this technique in my Rise and Fall of Career Success post.

(All the main techniques above are from Dr Dharmesh Mehta, so I would highly recommend you check out his channel on YouTube if you are interested in a more in-depth understanding)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Thank you for reading ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[jennyandvastraflint]

Would love to hear more about your thoughts on the commercialisation of fandom!!

Ooooh, boy you've opened a can of worms. I took a Fan Studies course at uni for a module bc I could choose it, and I did a lot of research into this specific topic... I hope it's okay that I'm just putting in some of my slides and then summarising underneath each!

Now, fandom in, for instance, fan fiction spaces, works on the basis of a Gift Economy in which gifts rather than money are exchanged. However, these gifts aren't just meant for one person, but for many, and even when you for instance do an artwork or a fanfic for someone, other people can still ALSO read it. These gifts can (but don't have to) be responded to with another gift, be it a comment on a fic, or a fic in return. Now, I could go into much more detail here, but I recommend checking out for instance this text by Trisha Turk on the TWC for some more in-depth stuff about this. (I'll list all the sources I used in the presentation in the end btw!) The gist of it is that fandom is a very complex system in which the reciprocation of gifts - and therefore labour - is distributed across the community.

(more under the cut)

HOWEVER capitalism, as always, comes along and tries to ruin things for profit.

Fandoms continue to form because of the unrestricted movement and no one dictating what is well, "really" canon and what isn't. I'm sure you've witnessed some fans in more recent years refusing to ship things that "won't become canon anyway", positioning the canonicity of a ship or a scenario higher than... well, their own critical reflection and interpretation OF the media and their own creative endeavours. At the end of the day, canon for me personally is something to draw on, negotiate with, or reject if it's stupid, while more recent fandoms I've seen sometimes go about their engagement with fandom as a sort of... worshipping of canon almost, and where being noticed by the creators is sort of the ultimate goal.

Now, this is of course connected to corporations realising that hey, actually people engaging with our media and creating something about it bring in numbers, and with them being able to make a profit off of views on social media, they seek to drive certain forms of engagement with the content. However, they are of course seeking to police HOW you engage with things, and don't you dare stray from their vision too much. This, of course, harms especially marginalised communities who propose alternative readings of media, who subvert the show itself and who transform it into something else, adding themselves into the work and into a world where, by design, they were invisible. It's also an attempt to undermine fan activism and grassroots organising by fans (if you wanna hear more about fan activism shoot me another ask and I will ramble <3 edit: link to post about fan activism) by keeping them in line with a sterilised version of fandom. In this sterilised and controlled version, the forms most often encouraged are things like video edits (but don't be too out there, that's bad too) that can be consumed like content by fandom... They like video edits, sterilised fanart, and things that are easily consumed and bring numbers, but "don't you dare write that nasty Spirk fanfiction where they have sex in the captain's chair! Ewww, yuck yuck!"

Rather than having a fandom driven by community, you have one driven by consumption, and that has become increasingly clear in the past few years, with readers on fan fiction asking "When next chapter?", pressuring artists, writers, etc. for more 'content' for them to consume without a) participating in the Gift Economy fandom is built upon and b) realising that these fan works are gifts to the community in the first place, and not content... These are, by the way, often the same fans who will cheer on AI because now they can finally read a story they wanted someone to continue :D Instead of using their own fucking brain, they're asking a bot trained on scraping works to produce them some bad, surface level jumble of words just so they can consume, consume, endlessly consume without ever having to think.

A few years ago (well in like, the late 2000s), a site called FanLib wanted to profit off of the resale of fanfiction, but were quickly shut down. Their mistake was that they mistook the community of fandom for a commodity to exploit for their own commercial interests. I'm not sure you've seen it, but Wattpad has sent authors emails asking them to update their fics frequently because it would appease the algorithm (see Tumblr Post about this here), which leads me to my next little point!

Algorithms! If you have ever done fan edits and posted them on sites like TikTok, Instagram, etc., you'll have noticed that... unless you post regularly and frequently (like. one edit a day at least), the algorithm will NOT push your video at all and it will be buried. Algorithms are based on how well a post performs not in terms of actual community that is built, but of course on numbers. Wattpad also functions on an algorithmic principle, which is why you have some........ individuals coming to AO3 and complaining about the supposed algorithm, spamming their work and reposting it, yadda yadda. Basically, these fans are so used to being spoonfed by an algorithm by now, they are confused when they are actually left on their own and are supposed to learn some basic fandom rules. It's honestly frightening to see fandom not only be reduced to this surface level interaction and to number-based algorithmic systems, but also to the trend-hopping TikTokification of fandom.

A study done by Booth and Dare-Edwards published in 2021 that focused on school age children basically came to the following conclusions... Children still connect "fan" with the same stereotypes of obsessive and unruly individuals that were plaguing us thirty years ago. A whole bunch of children think fandom is a thing of the past and that it peaked in the early 2000s - and while fandom of course is different now and has changed with the spread of the internet, fandom very much still is A Thing. Further, children connected fandom and being a fan mostly with buying merchandise and collecting, and also with plain consuming content, echoing "neo-liberal associations of ‘emotion’ with ‘buying power’, but at the same time, seemed to pathologize those who practice fandom (as they see it) ‘too much’" (Booth and Dare-Edwards 230). The text concludes that while there has been an explosion of media and you are becoming more multi-facetted in what you are a fan of, lilypad hopping and essentially abandoning fandoms after a brief period of surface level engagement and consuming content is increasingly becoming more common. From my own experience, this is for instance the case with shows like Willow (2022), Good Omens(ish), etc. Pretty much anything more recent doesn't have as stable a fanbase and if you enter the fandom a month too late it's already fizzing out. It's really fucked up, honestly.

Right, after that long tangent about this, I want to bring up ancillary models, which is an attempt by capitalist companies to market the previously unwanted Gift Economy of fandom as something new and desirable, but something they are in control of.

Ancillary Content Models try to lure fans in with "free" Behind-the-Scenes content. The guise they have stolen from fandom of acting like a Gift Economy of saying "here, this is for all our dedicated fans <3 Consume :D" is used to downplay the commercial infrastructure these Content Models (honestly it's already in the name). The "gifted" content is more concerned with getting loads of people to individually consume as much of it as possible to create an alternative revenue on for instance social media through views, clicks, likes, etc. They're essentially trying to commercialise our viewing time and keep us engaged with that additional content as much as possible. Rather than having a community that comes together to share their ideas and stories around a metaphorical campfire, Ancillary Content Models want each person alone to sit and stare at the stuff they put out as much as possible, always placidly clicking "like" and demanding more. They also want to cultivate an "official" fan community (aka the ones most dedicated to consuming additional content) that they can monitor and control, and they don't encourage anything that's too... out there, too subversive, too queer, etc. Coined "re-gifting economy" by Suzanne Scott, capitalism with these Ancillary Content Models has warped the Gift Economy fandom functions on into a model that equates consumption with community, and which wants to profit off of fans' engagement and their free labour of making viral TikTok edits that adhere to the sterilised version of what a fan "should be". The example I used in my presentation for this is from The Dragon Prince, which, while I do love the show, has been pushing such Ancillary Content Models. They also have a Discord (which is regulated and monitored) as their "official fan community" place, and not only are the rules pretty strict, but it also just... doesn't feel like a community but just like a bunch of people wanting more content gathered in one place :/

Now, to conclude this, capitalism sucks and is trying to ruin fandom communities in order to replace them with something they can make some more money of, and rather than having a critical fanbase that questions things, they want one that endlessly consumes the "free" content they churn out. Stay active in fandom, remember we're a Gift Economy, learn the fandom rules, and keep hating capitalism <3

Fan Work: Labor, Worth and participation in Fandom's gift economy by Trisha Turk

Now, the sources I have used for this...

Repackaging fan culture: The regifting economy of ancillary content models by Suzanne Scott

Stanfill, Mel. “The Fan Fiction Gold Rush, Generational Turnover, and the Battle for Fandom’s Soul.” The Routledge Companion to Media Fandom, edited by Melissa A. Click and Suzanne Scott, New York, 2017, pp. 77-79.

"No one's a fan of anything anymore, this isn't 2002.": Surveying 7–17-year-olds on being a fan and contemplating the future of fandom. by Paul Booth and Helena Louise Dare-Edwards

[bouncybongfairy]

was wondering if you could write a morty smith x reader where you both get high after studying together?

Study Date

Morty Smith x Fem Reader

Summary: Morty musters up the courage and asks you over for a study date. Who knew studying human biology could have such interactive hands on lessons.

Word Count: 1.5k

Ref Account: @kaionyx

TW: Smut, Fingering, Squirting, Nipple Play.

(Aged up)

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

It was lunch and you were sitting at one of the tables in the quad. Your friends were fixing up their hair and make-up as they picked at their food. Talking shit about girls they either didn’t know and/or don’t like. The conversation was starting to shift, them talking about how Morty came up to you before class. He’d invited you to come over after school and study. A lot of your friends think he’s weird or odd. That was one of the things you liked most about him. Most guys tried acting all big and confident when trying to pursue you. Puffing their shoulders out and bragging about all the illegal activities they partake in. Morty was quite nervous when he spoke with you, like he was savoring every second he could be near you. Him being so flustered and shy made you feel flattered. 

“Are you really going to his house after school?” Trisha asked. 

“Yeah, why not?” you asked, stabbing at your salad. 

“I don’t know he’s just kinda… like strange?” she asked, which made the entire table laugh. 

“Not as strange as Brad going back and forth between you and Jessica like he’s test driving a car he might wanna buy. Even once he picks the one he wants, we all know he’ll run it into the ground,” you said, packing your lunch and bag. 

They were idiots and you didn’t appreciate the little jab towards Morty. You could tell that it took a lot of him to muster up the courage to talk to you. As someone who also struggled with shyness and social anxiety, it hurt you to see people poke fun at that. You ended up going home early, too worked up to go back to class. Even though you had nerves, that didn’t take away from how excited you were. There were two classes where you sat behind him, at times you wouldn’t pay attention to what was going on. Watching all his nervous little mannerisms, the way he picked at his nails. Or scratched the back of his neck when we were given an assignment he didn’t understand. 

Sometimes he’d come to school with a gash above his eyebrow, or a purple tinted bruise under his eye. You liked how he kinda looked sad and tired all the time. It was weird, you weren’t really sure why. It didn’t take long for you to get home. Letting yourself in because your mom and dad were both at work. This worked out great for you, it meant you could take hits of your pen out in the open. Also allowing you to use all the makeup on your moms vanity without her fussing. Time was flying by a lot faster now that you weren’t on campus. This may sound vain but you really want to impress him with your physical beauty.

Ensuring to pay attention to the smallest details, making sure your eyelash glue wasn’t visible. That your concealer wasn’t caking under your eyes. After staring at yourself in the mirror for a while, you drove over. His house was really nice, furnished like a 90’s family movie. Pictures of family and inspirational quotes, very cozy. Morty’s room was nice. He could normally keep it very tidy but, you’d like to think he cleaned it because you were coming over. Different posters scattered about his room, a rug in the middle of the room; made to look like the solar system. 

“Have you always been into science?” you asked. 

“Uh, no my grandpa is the one who made me into it,” he said, pulling out the chair for you to sit at his desk. 

“Oh yeah, Trish was telling me about that. What’s like the craziest thing you guys ever did in space?” you asked, emptying your bag. 

“One time Rick was selling this-” he started but you interrupted. 

“No, no I meant like you. Not Rick, I wanna know what’s the craziest thing you’ve done,” you clarified. 

“I- um well. This one time Rick had to do some business on the citadel, I couldn’t come for w-what ever reason. There’s this, like club/bar thing called the Creepy Morty. It was the first time I snorted kalaxian c-crystals and some crazy shit w-went down,” he said, chuckling a little. 

“Oh my god, that sounds like a lot of fun,” you said, opening up your biology book. Pulling out the notes you’d written during class. 

“Your writing is so nice,” he said, watching you bend down to get your pink pencil box. 

“Thank you, I feel like those were pretty sloppy,” you said, opening the plastic box and revealing a plethora of weed paraphernalia, “Will we get in trouble for smoking here?” you asked, licking the grape flavored wrap. 

“B-be my guest,” he said, laughing nervously, “Can you even r-roll with nails?” he asked. 

Instead of verbally responding, you just finished rolling. He pointed out how you made the mouthpiece slightly tighter than the rest of it. The fact that he noticed this small detail made you blush. Putting the blunt between your lips, gesturing from him to light it. His hand shook a little as he brought the flame to you. It was surprising to you, watching him take ghost inhales without coughing. The two of you began talking back and forth, just about life and whatever came to mind. Eventually the conversation began to shift, you asking if he had a girlfriend. 

“No, w-why would I invite you over if I did,” he laughed. 

“Oh so you invited me over for romantic reasons?” you asked, tilting your head up and blowing the smoke towards the ceiling. 

“What? No Absolutely- I just…” he began slightly panicking. 

“No? Aww that’s too bad,” you said. 

“Really?” he asked. 

“I mean yeah, I think you’re really cool. I like you alot, I can’t deny that when you asked me to come over I was really excited,” you said, handing him the blunt. 

“Holy shit, honestly you don’t understand how good that is to hear,” he said. 

“Well now that we both can admit we never really intended on studying, maybe we can watch a movie on my laptop?” you asked.

He of course agreed, now laying on your stomachs. His twin size bed only made for your bodies to be pressed against each other. Watching a horror movie that he suggested. Already 15 minutes in, you were waiting for him to make a move. He was laying on his side, back facing the wall and his elbow was supporting his head . Rubbing your back but keeping a respectful distance from your ass. Eventually he started to wander down, making your back arch involuntarily. You could have sworn he chuckled, to be fair most of your focus was trying to act like it isn't affecting you. Going down past your skirt, his fingertips now against your skin. At first he was just feeling you up, squeezing and groping after a while. 

You were happy to be wearing makeup because your face was getting hot. He started to make things more intense, now rubbing the fabric of your panties. You had to bite back a gasp as he traced your slit with his fingers. He curls his leg around yours, spreading your thighs apart. Pulling your panties down and slightly, giving his hand room to spread your wetness around. Pushing his middle and ring finger into you. At first he maintained a slow place, giving you time to stretch around him. Starting to get more desperate, you arch and push yourself down onto his fingers. You were no longer regulating how loud you were being, letting pants and moans out without any shame. Morty noticed this and changed his position. Flipping you from your stomach to your back, pulling your shirt above your chest. He became animalistic once he saw your chest. 

Taking one of your nipples into his mouth. Sucking and flicking his tongue as he fucked his finger back into you. Becoming rougher, biting and nipping at your chest. You ran your fingers through his hair, not pulling through. Just caressing him, your mind becoming more and more foggy with pleasure. Your legs were trembling and you could feel your orgasm approaching. So could he, prompting him to pull his fingers out and play with your clit. It wasn’t long until you were coming, squirting on his hand. This took him off guard but made him cum in his boxers. Spreading your juices to your chest and slapping your breasts. Splashing the liquid around until you were squirming and reddened. The two of you laid there for a while until you broke the silence. 

“Can I do you back?” you asked and he shook his head. 

“No I came in my pants,” he said so casually that you couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. 

“Oh yeah?” he asked, started mimicking the way you were moaning. Making both of you giggle yourselves to sleep.

[wolfjackle-creates]

Emapthy Verse

Part 7

Story Summary: Jazz is struggling as the only liminal in Gotham. Interactions with regular humans just feel so hollow when she's used to the dual sense of language and projected empathy from ghosts and liminals.

But everything changes when she literally runs into another liminal on the way to the library. Maybe she can make this work after all.

Jason just has so many questions.

Parts 1-6

Word Count: 1k

-----

Jason exited the bus at Jazz’s side in Elmerton; it looked like your average small Midwest town. Across the street from the bus station was a cafe and Jazz grinned at him as she took his hand and pulled him over to it.

“I can’t believe we’re almost home! I can’t wait for you to meet everyone.” <excited, happy>

Jason pulled on her hand to bring her closer so he could kiss her cheek. He sent back his own <happy, curious>. “You sure I’m gonna make a good impression?”

Jazz rolled her eyes. “Danny will give you a hard time. But that’s just because I’ve dated some real jerks in the past so he automatically doesn’t trust anyone I bring home. His behavior will be a reflection on me, not you.” Her <exacerbation> filled every word.

<concern, righteous anger> “Is there anyone I have to beat up? You know I’m good for it.”

She laughed and projected her <gratitude, amusement, don’t you dare>. “If you even try, I’ll kick you out to spend Thanksgiving at Wayne Manor.”

Jason shuddered. <horror> “Right, no searching out your exes.”

He felt a <delight, good to see you> that felt so different from Jazz that he stopped in his tracks. But Jazz kept hold of his hand and was waving widely with her free hand as she dragged Jason into the cafe. “Angela, Trisha! You’re here!”

Two girls—one with dark brown hair, the other with light brown hair—were waving back just as exuberantly. Both were dressed for the November chill and had rolling suitcases sitting by the corner table they’d taken.

Jason set down their bags against the wall as Jazz ran over to hug them. The strong emotions of <hello, happiness> filled the space. Jason was content to hang back and watch them, a small smile on his face.

Suddenly the lighter haired one broke the hug and spun to face him. “Woah! You just projected? Jazz, where’d you find this guy?”

Jazz grinned and settled back at Jason’s side, sliding an arm around his waist. “Gotham, can you believe it? I was so homesick and needing some good death-talk. I was maybe two weeks away from transferring somewhere that had at least two other Amity Parkers when I literally ran into him outside the public library. Instead I got to stay and got a boyfriend out of it.”

“How could you!” screamed the dark-haired one. But she was projecting <relief, happy-for-you>. “You haven’t talked to us for months! We’ve been worried about you all by yourself. And here you are, just waltzing back with a boyfriend you never bothered to mention.”As she finished, a thread of <frustration> did work itself into her emotions.

Jazz frowned and sent back <I’m sorry>. “Honestly, I wanted to. But Jason here didn’t know anything about liminality. So I didn’t want to talk about him until he got used to that. And my courses have been hell. I’ve so many projects constantly.”

<annoyance, forgiven> “Just don’t forget us again, okay? Hello, Jason. I’m Angela and this is Trisha. We’re both studying at Ohio State. We’re high school friends of Jazz’s.”

Jason shook both their hands. “I’m Jason. Not in school at the moment, but I work odd jobs around Gotham.”

“You should think about enrolling,” commented Jazz. “You’ve mentioned how you wanted to study literature when you were younger.”

Jason grimaced and knew he was failing to hold back his <uncertainty, dread>. “I’d need to finish a GED first. And my jobs are keeping me real busy. Not sure I’d be able to spare the time to go to class.”

Trisha cut through the awkwardness with a laugh and <tired>. “Well, classes are killer. I’m almost regretting going to college right now.”

Jason laughed as well <thanks>. “Honestly, seeing this one”—he nudged Jazz—“and her workload is making me reconsider my former college aspirations.”

“Mr. Baxter isn’t going to be here for another hour,” said Angela. “Get yourselves a drink and something to eat and join us.”

“Has anyone else arrived?” asked Jazz.

“Oh yeah. With your arrival, there’s a good dozen of us in Elmerton right now. No one else from our grade, though.”

Jason kissed Jazz’s temple. “Take a seat; catch up with your friends. I’ll go order us drinks. Any requests?”

Jazz sent him a wave of <gratitude>. “Tea and a scone.”

The barista’s smile was strained when he went up to place their order. But she was professional and only asked what he wanted. Behind him, he could feel the excitement between Jazz and her friends as they began debating Thanksgiving day traditions.

While waiting for their order, he heard the employee whisper to her coworker, “More Amity Parkers.” She used the same tone someone from Metropolis might say “Gothamite” and Jason bristled.

He must’ve let something leak, because Jazz, without turning to look, sent a forceful <don’t>.

Jason rolled his eyes and huffed. <fine>

She reiterated the silent order. Through their silent communication, her conversation with her friends didn’t so much as pause. But the <amusement> from the other two women was quite clear.

The barista who handed him his orders squeaked as she called out his name.

It took all of Jason’s willpower to keep from raising his eyebrow at her and give a simple, “Thanks.” If the muffled laugh from Jazz was anything to go by, though, he wasn’t as successful at holding back the <really?> that he was feeling.

Jazz had told him about Bruce’s visit. Maybe he could learn how to hold back his feelings, too.

But he pushed the thought to the side. For now, he wanted to focus on the upcoming meeting with Jazz’s family. And what better way to practice than by meeting her friends?

He sat down next to his girlfriend and flashed the other girls a smile. “So, do you have any good stories about Jazz from high school?”

They burst out laughing while Jazz feigned offense. Jazz’s friends were more than happy to tell him about the things Jazz and her brother had gotten up to during their high school years.

Jason, in turn, told them about her time in Gotham. Including the time Batman and Nightwing paid her a visit in her dorm room and freaked out her roommate. They thought it was hysterical that Jazz was now in a single because housing had no idea what else to do with her.

The hour wait for their transport passed so much more quickly than Jason had expected.

-----

Hope you guys enjoy this glimpse into Jazz's life beyond just Danny.

Updates will be sporadic, but please check out the Subscription Post if you want to be notified when I do!

[therecordconnection]

Some Thoughts Regarding James Somerton

I know I'm rather late to the conversation and some of these points may have already been talked about in some form elsewhere on the site, but if you don't mind, I have some thoughts of my own regarding the subject of hbomberguy's latest video and I would like to take time to voice. This blog is normally dedicated to music and music writing, not posts about disgraced Youtubers, so I apologize for the detour in regularly scheduled programming.

First, I think it's important to make the distinction that Somerton isn't just a case of "problematic Youtube guy got owned... twice" but rather a genuine case of academic dishonesty, which is several grades above youtuber drama. This isn't something like Tati Westbrook getting angry at James Charles for sucking dick and cock at a birthday dinner. This isn't Ethan Klein and Trisha Paytas or whomever having beef. It's not Charlie Critikal talking about some stupid drama of the day or someone just using Youtube videos to say a bunch of gross and problematic stuff. No. This is a fucking grifter who not only lied, cheated, and stole his way to the top, but also did it by using a vulnerable community that has long had their voices snuffed out and their history completely rewritten or wiped from existence altogether. What history he didn't plagiarize, he twisted and outright lied about. He just made shit up to suit his own gross agenda.

A lot of things about James Somerton left me absolutely livid, and I admit that I didn't even know who he was until hbomberguy's video. I think what makes me the most mad is that I went to undergrad and grad school with a number of jackoffs that were just like him. People that didn't give a shit about the art of writing and research and just treated academia and the pursuit of knowledge and how to critically engage with art and media into a stupid game that only chumps take seriously. Somerton pisses me off because I AM a writer. When I write the Ranting and Raving series of posts on here, that stuff doesn't just fly out of my ass. I have to sit with a song, study it, research it, and make sure I know what I'm talking about so I don't look like a clown. I also have to make sure that I link and credit where I'm getting information from. It's not just important for my own satisfaction, but it's important for anyone who stumbles upon a post on this blog and takes time out of their day to read it and/or reblog it.

I think that's the part that makes me the most mad. That he and Nick Hergott have so little respect for the work that goes into researching and writing about a topic that other people are really passionate about. Spending time with something, studying it, and figuring out an interesting and unique perspective on it is a great feeling. Sharing what you find or how you see something with others and having them either like or reblog your work is an even greater feeling. That's my writing that somebody enjoyed and thought was worth sharing with others. Fuck fuck fuck Somerton for thinking you can take a million little shortcuts to get to that result.

While I'm on the topic, I don't think Hergott gets a pass for Somerton's actions. I've seen some people make the argument that he isn't complicit and there's a chance that he genuinely had no clue that Somerton was doing this... but I don't buy it. There's no way he didn't know and wasn't in on it in some capacity. Even if he wasn't, as Todd in the Shadows pointed out in his video on this situation, Nick is, whether you like it or not, an accomplice to Somerton's lies and he is complicit in the blame, due to his name being included in the "Written By" credit of a lot of those videos with Somerton. The way I see it, I find it hard to believe that he couldn't have known. I imagine part of Hergott's signing on with Somerton was that in the event that shit hits the fan, Hergott would be used as a fall guy to help deflect accusations of plagiarism.

To return to Somerton, in a way, he's almost worse than AI/Chat-GPT because, really, an AI has no morals. It can only do what someone punches in and tells it to do. Somerton is a guy who does have genuinely insidious ambitions and knows fully what he's doing. That shit about "only the boring gays who didn't mess around in the eighties survived the aids crisis" is the wildest and grossest accusation I've seen about gay people in some time. The wild takes about the Nazis (especially all the wrong things he said about fitness relating to Nazis) should also raise a lot of red flags. I'll say this though, I don't blame anybody in the slightest for not fully realizing Somerton was saying shit like that or doing all of what he was doing until hbomberguy and Todd presented it a certain way and made it all very clear. It's easy to not notice it when Somerton buries it by ripping stuff off from other, better writers. So, if you were someone who was a big fan and was genuinely shocked by the things Todd had to fact-check and debunk and worried that you're a bad person for having not caught any of them, trust me, you're not. Nobody should blame you for not catching it. <3

While I'm ranting about this, I want to say that Somerton's patreon grift was really gross to see exposed as well (through Dan Olson's really great thread, which can be read here). I understand the allure of wanting to buy expensive gear and thinking that's somehow needed in order to make Good Content™️, but there's a stark difference between someone saying "I think I need to shell out a little money in order to get something of higher quality" and "I need to have the appearance of looking like my stuff is being made with high quality stuff." As someone who has been experimenting with trying to turn his writing into video, I did some audio tests this weekend and realized that maybe (just maybe) the old Turtle Beach microphone my brother left behind when he moved out isn't going to cut it. If I want to record something I can be happy with, I'm gonna have to bite it and look at getting something decent, but somewhat affordable from a Best Buy or something. You don't need the best tech in order to make something great, but you can't use copper tools forever if you have the means to be able to enjoy using iron ones, you know?

Somerton's grift reminded me of guys like Onision and Spoony. Grifters who looked to Patreon and other creator donation sites for an easy pay day and would bitch and cry and complain that it's your fault when they don't get it. Somerton making poor financial choices ON TOP of it being money that he scammed from a community of people that were looking to invest in a voice that they genuinely thought was speaking for them in a meaningful way, only makes the grift more disgusting and foul. Even if he's just "some Youtuber," Somerton still had a responsibility to his audience to present queer topics in an ACCURATE manner. He didn't and we all have the right to be angry with him about it. This isn't just silly youtuber controversy, this is academic dishonesty in it's purest form and if it gets you expelled from any college program, it should get you expelled from being able to show your face on Youtube as well, which is how Somerton's story will end.

I've been on the internet for many years. I've seen some of the worst, most problematic creators of all time find a way to bounce back from all kinds of controversy and find some kind of success again. I don't think that will happen for Somerton. Not one bit. What he's done is something you can never come back from, no matter how much you try to reform. If two different youtubers can make two completely different videos about why you suck, I don't think there's any recovery. What happened this weekend is a now classic episode of World's Most One Sided Fist Fights Caught on Film.

This post has gone on for a while, so let me wrap it up. I mean this without hyperbole and without exaggeration: James Somerton is a disgrace to both media criticism and the art of video creation. I genuinely hope he remains propped up as a cautionary tale of what can happen when you fully decide you have absolutely no respect for the Humanities and decide that lying, cheating, and stealing your way to the top, all while scamming and being incredibly shitty towards a community that has long suffered and is STILL suffering greatly to this day, is better than any kind of academic honesty. I understand that Somerton is just "some youtube fraud" to some people, but the problem lies more in what Somerton's actions and motivations represent. I really think hbomberguy's video on plagiarism is going to do a lot of good. It's going to help a lot of people avoid doing it as well as help people become more aware of what it really looks like and all the damage it can do.

Thank you for your time.

P.S. It doesn't really need to be said at this point, but make sure you support the queer voices and writers that did the work Somerton thought was good enough to just copy and paste into a video. They're the ones that suffered the most through all of this and my heart goes out to them, from one writer to another. <3

[orphetoon]

Ooh ur Dunmeshi/FMA AU has got my gears turning. (And the idea of the height genes being at war like that is so funny to me) Do you have many plot-related thoughts so far?

I could imagine they wanted to bring Trisha back but revival magic doesn’t really do anything outside the dungeon, so they go there to study how it works. I’d assume ancient/forbidden magic comes into play at some point? Does Al still get cursed somehow? How would a place where bringing back the dead seems so simple affect the boys stance on killing people?

(You don’t actually have to answer any of these. I’m just having fun playing in your little sandbox lol)

hello welcome to my sandbox hope u enjoy ur stay

gonna put everything under a read more cause i might spoil the later parts of dunmesh! warning unless you've finished the manga

okay so, in this au, due to differences in how the races age, even tho ed and al were still young when she died, trisha would've been fairly old for a halffoot. can't remember the exact age she had her kids in canon, but she was like. super young. even if we carry that over to fullmeal trisha and make her 14-15 at the time, bc children of two diff races grow slower, she would've been like. half foot middle aged at the time she died (not giving exact ages for all the elrics cause i don't wanna do math rn)

mostly, the brothers are in the dungeon the same way marcille is: to learn how to expand the life expectancy of the shorter lived races. cause even if they did bring their mom back, she would only have a decade or two left of natural life. bringing trisha back is sort of an unconscious wish (that the demon in this au def plays on :) )

i'm really on the fence abt turning al into a chimera in this au, cause at what point does it stop being an au where these characters are in a new world and starts being fullmetal alchemist but underground. if i do decide to do it, al's gettin chimera'd

i feel like they would still have issues with killing people. not monsters, and probably not humanoid monsters, but they're not killing people unless they really have to. they both know the spells to resurrect people, anyway, so if they really wanted to they could kill somebody and immediately bring them back to life

[awesomedurraworld]

some of my Fullmetal alchemist headcanons: Elric Brothers edition

Edward experienced favoritism in his childhood, he was often met with the lines that he is the older brother and wasn't allowed to act in the same way Alphonse did. Which led him to act out most of the time.

Trisha’s main caregiver was Edward, since the Rockbells couldn't help her full time and Hoho wasn't there. Edward learned everything that his mother did in order to run the house while she was bonded to the bed.

Ed blames himself for Trisha’s death because he fell ill with a cold two weeks before her death. She pushed herself to take care of him and that made her body weaker which lead her to pass away.

Because of that Alphonse when he gets angry, he screams that their mom’s death wasn't their father’s fault but Ed’s

Yuri Rockbell was the closest one to the boys after their mother’s death, he took it upon himself to make sure that they were taken care of and had enough money and all their living needs, he also made sure to spend time with them every day.

After Yuri’s death, Edward and Alphonse were alone, they didn't have enough money to pay for bills and electricity or buy food which lead them to steal sometimes.

When they got caught, Edward will always take the blame, which left the whole village to say that Edward was a brat and a bad boy while Alphonse was the total opposite.

When families from cities come to look for orphans to adopt, and they visit Resembool where all the orphans will line up hoping that they get adopted- the Elric brothers were never wanted- sometimes families choose Al who refuses to go without his brother.

Edward and Al, although close to their granny, she abused them mentally, and sometimes on occasion, physically. They didn't know that was abuse until after they started to work under Mustang.

Alphonse finished only 3ed grade ( while Ed first grade since he dropped out to help his mom.) before they went to study under Izumi for a year before they were kicked out from her home and they made their way back to Resembool.

They tried to bring their mom at ages 10 and 9 ( instead of 10 and 11.) and of course that failed. They ended up living with the Rockbells for 6 months before Major Mustang found them.

Edward joined the military before he turned 12. He was 11 and some and his first birthday after he joined was the 12th.

Both brothers idolized the Colonel, subconsciously or consciously. Since he was their legal guardian, Edward’s commander and the adult who was stable in their life, it just seemed to fit.

Edward is short because as a child he didn't get to eat well, therefor his body did not grow well- unlike Al who ate his meal and Ed’s ( Ed used to give him his meals because let's face it, Ed is dumb like that.) he dislikes being called “ small.” because his mom used to nickname him her small man. So when people make fun of his height, they make fun of his mother’s nickname.

Edward’s harsh, angry, loud and impolite personality comes from two points, the first being not having guides growing up. Maybe Al is considered more polite but really, Ed raised Al while raising himself. Al is just sweeter and is shy and he doesn't put the angry mask on like Ed. And the only reason Ed does have it on is to protect himself and his little brother.

Al calling Ed “ big brother.” or “ brother” more than by his first name because Al sees Ed as an adult if that makes sense? Those names are titles, just like when he called Trisha “mom” that is her title. Ed’s title is “ brother.” because Al can't call him mom or dad so he just sticks to their relation.

Ed’s red jacket was inspired by the colonel’s black one. We see Ed coming to the state exam and receiving his watch while he wears all black- I bet He saw Colonel looking cool with the black coat and since he doesn't want anyone to think he is copying his CO, he went with the red jacket instead.

At the start of his millitry career, Ed refused to sleep and eat to the point he developed disorders. He genuinely thought he deserved to live the same way Al was living- Thankfully he had the whole team Mustang catching him and helping him get better and receive help.

Speaking of team Mustang, they are all just a family to each other, and that includes the Elrics! The boys viewed the men ( Jean, Haymans, Vato, and Maes.) as their uncles, since they acted like ones and it just felt right thinking about them as If they were uncles. Kain being younger and closer to their age, Ed and Al saw an older brother in him. Riza took a longer time for them to see her role in their life, before it dawned on them after a couple of years how much motherly she is towards them, it wasn't the same way as Trisha or Izumi, but Riza was their mom too. As for Roy he was the father they needed but had the hardest time admitting that since the word “ Father and Dad” meant HoHo. Eventually tho, both brothers found happiness in these titles.

Ed’s foodie personality continued even after the promised day. Starving for days as a child made His body always wanting to eat more than a normal person's because it is scared it will go through starvation again.

Sure Ed and Al are close but you bet they still fight like normal siblings on normal things- like who get to sit in the shotgun seat or the upper bunk in the bed or gets to do that one chore.

Ed grew his hair as a promise to Al. He burned the house as a promise as well. The house one so he won't quit and go home and the hair as a reminder, he will not cut it until Al can cut his hair too. So that day when Al got his hair cut after PD, and Edward got one too.

Ed and Al went back to Resembool. They both took a year break before Ed joined the military again as a research state alchemist after Roy was able to pull a few strings, that way Ed could research alchemy and get well paid in order to get Al into a university.

When Roy knew that was Ed’s goal, he surprised him with the fact that he will pay for both of their educations. Saying that “ both of my kids deserve the best education. You did plenty for your bother, let me now carry that burden.”

Alphonse stuided Biochemistry and then traveled to Xing, to learn Alkheasty.

Edward studied physics and engineering ( double majoring!!) he started playing with the idea If humans could fly using vechails ( I like to think he started sketching airplane.) After he finished his studies and traveled around for few months, he proposed to Winry.

Alphonse and Mai decided that they will play as the aunt and uncle in the family as they weren't ready to be parents yet with their lifestyles.

Edward and Winry had 6 kids and Ed was a stay at home dad while Win countined her ever-growing business.

Roy adopted the Elrics, but no one really mentions that. It was after the PD, as a promise that he will still take care of them and look after them even when they left the army, and that they will always have a place with him- all the good parental things.

Ed’s kids are named after important people or things in life. Like his oldest, a boy is named Yuri Roy Elric, honoring both of Win and Ed’s dads. And so on with the rest of their children.

Alphonse gave his gate to Ed as a birthday gift, since he stopped using it and just saw it a fitting after everything Ed did to him.

Edward when he shared that with Roy and how he has his alchemy back, he became a soilder again, “ Colonel Elric.” and became Roy’s bodyguard ( since Hawkeye and him got married.) and Roy’s secret weapon. No one knowss that Ed has his alchemy again so he always took his enemies by shock.

Alphonse lives in Xing and is a honorable member of the royal family.

Ed opened the gate and exchanged his automail leg with his arm. It was painful getting a new port, but for his new bodyguard gig, it seemed like the best choice, since his arm is his weapon.

[flanpucci]

Pucci vs Trisha Paytas

(style study turned into meme)

[graphx]

this au has got out of hand

Very rough sketches that started as silly haha funny winry and ed in each others outfits and alphonse with trisha’s hair style

and then it somehow spiraled into a character study of what is ed when he’s not an alchemist? What is winry when she’s not a mechanic? Its such core parts of their character and its FASCINATING to explore what they are without it

because the gates are tied to ed’s in other universes in 2003 i imagine ed not being able to use alchemy in this au would be a result of ed giving up his alchemy at the end of mangahood.

Al would still have his alchemy and it would be so cool to see ed being worried about alchemy taking another one of his family members away from him and al leaving just like hoeneim did

in 2003 al and ed do have some complications that aren’t really addressed regarding how forgiving al is of their dad and it would be so cool to see it explored!

[upismediacenter]

FEATURE: More than just a game: The impact of sports on student life

Think sports are just about winning and losing? Think again. Sports are a hidden gem in student life, offering lessons that extend far beyond the playing field. The long hours of practice, the pressure to perform, and the balancing act between school and athletics requires student-athletes to deal with various challenges. These moments of growth translate into real-world skills, helping students navigate life's challenges with confidence.

Character Growth Through Athletic Participation

Sports demand a high level of commitment, cultivating perseverance and self-discipline. Through rigorous training and competitive events, students learn to manage their time, set goals, and work as a team.

When asked how being part of a sports team has shaped their personal development, these UPIS student-athletes shared valuable insights.

Joining the UPIS Girls Volleyball Team proved to be a turning point for Trisha Leguiab, who found that being part of a team helped her overcome one of her biggest personal challenges—socializing. Through countless practices and shared experiences with her teammates, she slowly became more comfortable in group settings. “My fear of socializing with people dissipated gradually after spending years training with the team,” she reflects. However, she still grappled with comparing herself to others and the pressure to constantly improve.

Involvement in sports had a different impact on Faye Obaña, captain of the UPIS Table Tennis Team. For her, it was a journey of learning accountability and mental resilience. “I learned that responsibility comes with everything, and you shouldn’t let negativity take you out of the zone,” she explains. This shift helped Faye cultivate her confidence and prioritize her own well-being, regardless of outside opinions.

For Joannah Aguinaldo, the captain of the UPIS Pep Squad, sports are an avenue for developing essential life skills. “Being part of a sports team improved my time management, leadership, and communication skills,” she shares. Joannah also acknowledges how her involvement opened doors to diverse experiences and interactions with people from various walks of life, something she may not have encountered outside of athletics.

These student-athletes demonstrate how participation in sports can profoundly shape character, resilience, and personal growth. Beyond physical fitness, the lessons learned—teamwork, discipline, and self-awareness—equip students to face life’s challenges.

Balancing Academics and Athletics

The relationship between sports and academic performance is complex. The direct impact on grades varies as some students may find that the discipline and time management required in sports enhance their focus in academics, while others may struggle to balance the demands of both commitments.

In response to inquiries about how her academic performance had changed since joining a sports team, Trisha observed that her grades remained relatively consistent. Though sports didn’t directly affect her academic performance, the impact on her routine was undeniable. “Comparing my grades before and after I joined the team, I would say that the sport had surprisingly no effect whatsoever on my academics. My grades were in the same range as before, but what I've noticed is that my eyebags were getting bigger because I was losing sleep. Even though I'd managed to keep my grades stable, I had to pull all-nighters multiple times a week because our trainings would end at night, which gave me less time to do my homework and study for my quizzes. I also developed an unhealthy habit of cramming because of this.”

On the other hand, Faye’s experience with balancing sports and academics led her to become more disciplined. She shared, “I became more conscious about schoolwork and made sure to finish my assignments before heading to training.” This shift in focus helped her manage her responsibilities more effectively, ensuring that neither her studies nor her athletic commitments were compromised.

Similarly, Joannah found that the demands of sports pushed her to improve her academic habits. She explained how dedicating time to both training and games encouraged her to adapt smarter study strategies: “My study habits and consequently, my academic performance have improved ever since I started playing sports. Dedicating most of my time to trainings and games, I needed to find ways to study smarter so that my sport wouldn't get in the way of my academics,” Joannah stated. Her experience reflects how sports can also help instill better time management and efficiency in student-athletes.

These accounts highlight the diverse experiences student-athletes face. While others may struggle with adjusting their schedule at first, others find that the structure of sports pushes them to focus more on their academics. The key takeaway is the importance of finding strategies to balance both passions.

Sports as a Catalyst for Social Skills

Being part of a sports team fosters essential social skills, such as leadership, cooperation, and communication. Each athlete reflected on how sports helped them form connections and develop socially.

Trisha spoke about the bonds she formed through volleyball, emphasizing how the team became a second family to her. For her, being part of the team wasn't just about playing the sport but about forming lasting relationships. “If I hadn't passed the tryouts for the volleyball team, I wouldn't have met my teammates, especially those from the lower batches. As the oldest in the team, I view them as my younger sisters and to be able to grow with them as a player and a person was an experience I would always be thankful for. I'm glad to have met this group of humorous, thoughtful, and loving people and to be able to spend the last years of my high school life here at UPIS with them.”

Reflecting on a pivotal moment during UAAP Season 86, Faye shared how she discovered a new found connection with herself: “I remember a game where I had a highlight play that felt incredible. During that moment, something clicked, and I realized how important confidence is to a person. Since then, I’ve started to cultivate confidence in everything I do. It’s not always easy, but I’m still working on it.”

Evaluating team dynamics, “There are members in our team who are quiet and aren't vocal, but through working together in our stunts and cheering together during games, we were able to help them open up and build more trust in the team,” Joannah observed how sports encouraged quieter members to come out of their shells.

These experiences show how sports create lasting connections, help students develop social skills, and encourage them to step outside their comfort zones. The bonds formed through shared challenges enhance both personal growth and teamwork.

The Impact of Sports on Mental Health and Stress Levels

The mental health benefits of sports are well-documented. Physical activity helps reduce stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins and providing an outlet for energy.

Opening up about her struggles as an athlete, Trisha shared a candid reflection on the difficulties she encountered along the way. Balancing the demands of being both a student and an athlete can take a toll, especially on one’s mental health. “I would say that being an athlete is hard, especially for my mental health. Aside from the class-training-study-sleep cycle, the constant pressure from myself and the training environment caused me to lose confidence in myself and what I can do. I developed an unhealthy way of thinking and started to shut others out while constantly blaming myself for my incompetence and lack of skill. Luckily, after talks with my family and friends, I began to regain my old self and be able to enjoy the sport again.” Her journey highlights the importance of support systems and self-reflection during challenging times.

The emotional rollercoaster of being a student-athlete presents both challenges and opportunities for growth. “There are definitely times when it’s exhausting, and I feel like giving up. Yet, there are also moments when sports helps me relax and reflect on everything going on in my life. It’s a balance that really depends on how I’m feeling at the moment. Overall, I can say it has helped me grow significantly, both as a person and an athlete,” Faye shared. 

Amidst the chaos of responsibilities, Joannah finds that incorporating movement into her routine helps manage the pressure. Reflecting on the benefits of physical activity, she remarked, “It's inevitable to be overwhelmed with all the responsibilities a student-athlete has lined up, but participating in sports allows me to incorporate movement into my routine, which is beneficial to my mental well-being. Aside from that, with my sport being a team sport, I'm able to destress whenever I'm doing what I love with my team.” 

While the pressures of sports can lead to stress and self-doubt, they can also create an environment in which athletes can receive emotional support from their teammates. This aspect of camaraderie, along with the opportunity for regular physical activity, may offer a way to address some of the challenges that arise from competitive participation. Engaging in sports can provide an outlet for managing pressure, contributing to a complex experience for student-athletes.

The Power of Inclusivity and Diversity in Sports

Sports can bridge gaps between students from diverse backgrounds and promote inclusivity in schools. Participating in team activities helps students appreciate and respect a range of perspectives and experiences.

The value of diverse perspectives within a team is crucial. As Trisha explains, “From the seniors to the juniors, you will have to play inside the court with people with values that may differ from yours. Playing alongside these people made me see things from a different perspective and helped me come out of my comfort zone.”

For Joannah, the dynamics of a large team bring both challenges and opportunities. With over 40 members in her team, she explains how this exposure has shaped her ability to adapt and interact with people of various backgrounds: “Being in a team that comprises more than 40 members, it's not a rare occurrence for us to meet new people. This exposure taught me how to connect with others who have different life experiences or viewpoints by understanding that not everyone we meet would get along and/or agree with us, and by being more open-minded as well with our differences.” Her insight highlights the importance of flexibility and openness when navigating diverse team dynamics.

These stories show how sports foster inclusivity, respect, and empathy. The connections formed within the team can transcend differences, fostering an environment where every individual is valued. In this way, sports become a platform for building community, encouraging students to embrace diversity and grow together.

The Journey Ahead

When asked what advice they would give to fellow students considering getting involved in sports, each athlete offered valuable insights drawn from their own experiences. 

For students, the decision to join a sport can be intimidating, but the rewards are often worth the effort. Trisha, for instance, emphasized the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone: “If you are interested in a sport, don't be afraid to pursue it and join for the tryouts. Yes, balancing academics and training is hard, but that does not mean it's impossible. Inside the team, you may meet people who will support your journey as an athlete and help you become the best version of yourself. You will experience hardships—but from those hardships, you'll be able to grow as a person who can overcome any hurdle life throws at them.”

Another important aspect of being a student-athlete is maintaining balance and building connections. “Be content with what you have. Try to make time for everything, especially your priorities. Don’t forget to connect with people. Building relationships is just as important as honing your athletic skills,” Faye shared. Her advice underscores that while sports are important, personal well-being and relationships are equally vital.

Meanwhile, Joannah focused on the advantages sports can bring to academic life, encouraging students to see athletics as a complementary experience. "Don't think about being a student-athlete as a disadvantage when it comes to your academics; think about it as another means to learn, develop, and gain experience that can be an advantage in academics and even in life." 

Participation in sports isn't limited to being an athlete; students can also engage by cheering for their teams and creating a supportive school environment. Embracing and supporting athletic programs not only enriches students' lives but also strengthens the broader school community, highlighting that sports are truly more than just a game.

//by Mira Leaño

[covid-safer-hotties]

Published in May, but it's obvious many people have not read this.

Also preserved on our archive.

New comprehensive review provides strong evidence that masks and respirators effectively reduce the transmission of respiratory infections like COVID-19, based on analysis of over 400 studies from multiple disciplines.

A comprehensive new review published in Clinical Microbiology Reviews provides strong evidence that masks and respirators are effective in reducing the transmission of respiratory infections like COVID-19. The review, conducted by an international team of 13 researchers, analysed over 400 studies from multiple disciplines, including epidemiology, public health, engineering, and social sciences.

'Our review confirms that masks work, with a clear dose-response effect,' said lead author Professor Trisha Greenhalgh from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford. 'The more consistently and correctly you wear a mask, the better protected you are. Respirators, when worn continuously, provide even greater protection than ordinary masks.'

Masks, including cloth face coverings and disposable medical masks, help reduce the spread of respiratory droplets and aerosols. Respirators, such as N95 and FFP2 devices, are designed to filter out smaller airborne particles and fit more tightly to the face, providing a higher level of protection.

The team's novel contributions include re-analyses of key clinical trials and observational studies, as well as a synthesis of evidence from fields ranging from fluid dynamics to anthropology. This comprehensive approach allowed the researchers to not only assess the effectiveness of masks under experimental conditions, but also to explore the real-world factors that influence their use and impact.

While the review found no serious harms from mask-wearing, it did identify some challenges, such as discomfort, communication difficulties – for hearing-impaired people for example – and environmental waste. However, the authors frame these as opportunities for further research and improvement rather than fundamental flaws.

'We need to see these challenges as a call to action,' said co-author Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, an epidemiologist based at the University of Otago, who is herself deaf. 'By investing in better design, more inclusive policies, and clearer communication, we can optimise masks for real-world use and ensure that everyone can benefit from this powerful public health tool.'

The review also highlights the importance of clear, consistent public health messaging to support mask use and combat misinformation. While mask mandates can be effective, the authors emphasise the need for context-specific assessments that consider cultural factors and public acceptability.

'Masks are not just a technical intervention, but also a social and cultural one,' said co-author Professor Deborah Lupton from the University of New South Wales. 'To be effective, mask policies need to be grounded in an understanding of people's beliefs, behaviours, and real-world constraints.'

Looking forward, the researchers call for further studies to improve and optimise mask design, explore new technologies like nanotechnology, and develop more sustainable and inclusive solutions. They also emphasise the need for ongoing public engagement to bring about more evidence-based and constructive conversations around masks.

'This review shows that masks are a valuable tool in our pandemic response toolkit,' said Professor Greenhalgh. 'By continuing to build the evidence base, innovate in design, and engage the public, we can harness the full potential of masks to protect public health now and in future respiratory pandemics.'

Read the full article at: Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review Clinical Microbiology Reviews DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00124-23

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/cmr.00124-23

[nothingtoseehere-7788]

One Man's Trash - Trash Spotted

Now for something completely different...

"You're pretty good at this stuff." Trisha said after Luke corrected her answer yet again. "I gotta be honest, part of me thought you had asked me to study with you as a prank."

"Thanks, you're not too bad yourself! And seems like a pretty lame prank to pull. If we're being honest I've wanted to talk to you for awhile. You just got this thing about you I've had trouble putting my finger on."

"What? Me? But why?" Luke gave a little shrug. "You could have anyone. Grace sits behind me for goodness sake and never wears a bra with her tight shirts" Luke raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like you were looking at her at least. She your type?" Trisha blushed at the question.

"No! I'm not... I just sit in front of her so... shit..." Luke chuckled at the flustered girl. Trisha make a small groan trying to explain without digging herself deeper. "It's just, who would notice me when she's available to look at?"

"Sure, she's pretty hot and I've seen her around the party scene, but hot can be kinda boring you know? I gotta say my favorite days are when you come in wearing your sweatshirt."

Trisha paled and knocked over her bag of pens hearing that. "M-my sweatshirt?" What's so special about that?"

"You know, I never could pinpoint it. You just looked adorable on those days I thought. That's why I wanted to get to know you better. I think I figured it out though."

"Oh? Figured what out?" Surely he couldn't know she prayed as she tried to act calm.

"Well today up close, I noticed a few times when you missed something that you, ah, readjusted in your seat." Shit. "And then it clicked - when I see you on sweatshirt days you do this little back arch move, and sometimes a little hip wiggle." Double Shit.

"You must be seeing things, and a girl's got a right to stretch!" She defended as her mind frantically searched for explanations.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Luke said keeping his small smile. "It's just I had this ex in high school who was into all kinds of things. And some days I'd order her to tie up her tits so I could watch her squirm all day. Or wear a remote vibrator. And she would do the cutest back arch to adjust the ropes and hip wiggles as a kind of slow grind."

"Fuck..." Trisha said almost breathlessly, her face she was sure turning the deepest red. He knew. "I mean, that's fucked up..." she tried to recover.

"Yeah she liked to pretend to be a nice, regular girl with most people but she begged me to do all sorts of humiliating and disgusting things to her - shame she went to a different school, we still text though. I have her in my phone as desperate fucktoy" Trisha gave an inaudible whimper and Luke laughed again. "There goes that hip wiggle."

"Fuck you!" Trisha said cursing her own body for getting so turned on. "I can't believe I thought you were a nice guy!"

"Is that your type? You want a nice guy?"

"I...that...that's none of your business!"

"I can be a nice guy, though I feel most nice girls would have stormed off by now. I'll make you a deal - you can leave right now, we can pretend this conversation never happened, I can just be that guy you studied with once and you can maybe get notes from if you miss class. As far as I'm concerned you're a normal girl who has trouble sitting still. No harm, no foul, I don't pursue this any more."

"Sounds good to me!" She said starting to pack her stuff.

"Or, we can go somewhere a little more private and have a nice chat about likes, dislikes, limits and experiences to see if maybe we're a good match. I miss having a toy to play with, would make sure to respect your limits and privacy, and you could stop whenever you wanted." Luke's deep voice sounded so soothing and confident. Trisha had finished packing angrily, but couldn't seem to make herself leave. "I promise not to lay a hand on you until we both agree on rules and boundaries, but I think we could both have a lot of fun."

"Maybe... maybe if it's just talking..."

------

Trisha was more nervous than usual a few days later as she made her way to class. Her hand idly picked at the bottom of her sweatshirt as she made her way through the halls. Suddenly two strong hands grabbed her and steered her out of the flow of the foot traffic - on hand was on her waist but the one steering was buried in her hair.

"Oh Luke, it's just you," she sighed thankfully upon seeing him. She gave a small wave to his two friends that they returned.

"Sorry about that, you didn't hear me call out T." He left her go and she leaned back against a nearby column on the wall. "Give us a minute guys, I'll catch up with you in class."

"Whatever." The other two guys made their way into a nearby classroom. Luke smiled and moved closer to her, burying his left hand back in her hair and pulling back gently until she was looking up at him.

"I don't think your friends like me very much..."

"They just don't get it, but they'll come around. I see you got my text." He said admiring how she looked in her sweatshirt and jeans before leaning in close to her neck. "Open." The order was quiet enough only she could hear it. She immediately obeyed opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue. He moved his mouth directly over hers and let a long line of spit fall onto her waiting tongue. "Close." Another quick response. Luke's right hand snaked under the sweatshirt and up her bare bare stomach to settle on groping one of her bound swollen tits causing her to give a small whimper. "Such a good voice activated trash can. Open." Her mouth was instantly open again as he moved from on tit to the other. He slowly let out another line of spit to join the first as he tweaked her nipples. "Close." His hand trailed back down to venture under her waistband to wet his middle finger in her slit and slowly tease her clit. "Swallow." She made a face as she swallowed dutifully before opening her mouth as proof and felt her hips lean into his hand. "What a needy little trash slut~" He finally closed the distance between their mouths by pushing her head up into a short kiss. He pulled away and lifted his right hand up to force his slick finger in her mouth so she could suck it clean.

"Thank you..." she murmured as he pulled back. For a brief second her eyes darted around, but if anyone else in the hallway saw or suspected more than a little PDA they didn’t show it.

"Mmm, did you get the program I sent?" He asked letting his hand rest at the small of her back.

"I did, I already have it queued up on my phone." He smirked at how she blushed and looked down while answering.

"I'm definitely looking forward to this lecture. Any regrets yet?" He felt her squirm a little against him in response.

"Mmmm, ask me again after class..." he gave a low knowing chuckle made her stomach flutter.

"Fair enough, we better head in then." They walked the short distance to their lecture hall and separated - Luke taking his seat next to his two friends near the middle of the room and Trisha sitting down in the second row near the middle.

"Man I love this class!" Luke's friends openly leered at Grace who was wearing a tight crop top stretched over her large chest that she was bouncing more than seemed necessary. They weren't alone like usual - she always miraculously entered right before class started so she was maneuvering as the instructor walked in. It had become an unspoken spectator sport.

"Alright everyone, take your seats! It's time to get started." Grace and the other stragglers took their seat and the lecture began.

Luke halfway paid attention to the lecture, but also kept a close eye on his new project. She had agreed to let him set a program for the vibe she kept inside so long as it didn't get above a set intensity. As he watched her reactions it was obvious she never tried it out first, just verified it was all within acceptable range. He enjoyed watching her be extra jumpy and distracted in her seat, granted having a confirmed audience probably didn't help either.

By the time the instructor released the class he could see her immense relief even from this distance.

"You ready?" Luke looked up at his friends trying to file out with everyone else.

"I'll catch you guys at the house." He waited until she was making her way up the stairs to join her. "Very interesting lecture today, don't you think?" She could only manage a small groan in response, hiding her face inside her hood. "You looked a little distracted a few times though. Don't worry you can borrow my notes if you ask nicely." He chuckled as she gave a little hip sway at his comments. "You got time before your next class right? Let me buy you lunch."

His hand was on her waist again, gently holding her close to him as he navigated them toward a place for them have a quiet meal and chat about moving forward.