#what can i change to give myself enrichment?

[beevean]

I feel like an emptied cup but I'm not sure what I was emptied of.

[imperatorrrrr]

another new Nico Hischier interview, this time in French, highlights below:

Q: Are you still living your dream? A: Yes, of course. It has always been my dream to be a professional hockey player. It is an honour to be able to do it, to have the health to do it. To do what I love. Many others would have loved to be in my shoes. I wake up every morning with the thought that I am privileged. I do my best to help my team win games. 

Q: You are presented as a hockey star. How big is the pressure? A: It is enormous. It starts right away when you become a professional player. And it stays the whole time. In Europe and across the Atlantic. The pressure is everywhere, not just in hockey. It is about knowing how to manage it. To put yourself in a condition to release it. It is not always easy, when you have thousands of people scrutinizing what you do. You have to take the best of it. The pressure helps me give the best of myself in every situation. That is how I can go to bed with a good feeling without being disappointed in myself. 

Q: "It's not always easy," according to you. What were the most complicated moments of your career? A: The most difficult period was undoubtedly the season marked by Covid. Also because of the injuries that affected me. I learned a lot from that period. There was the virus. I was injured, I trained in my corner. Fortunately, my mother was able to join me, even in times of pandemic, to be by my side during the operation. I realized at that moment that health was the most important aspect. These injuries affected me at the time, but they also sounded like an inner awakening. I was able to put the cursor on what matters and in sport it is health.

Q: How do you deal with loneliness and being away from your loved ones? A: That's not easy either. I love Switzerland. I love being here with my family and friends. It's very important, even more so during the summer, to be with the people who matter, to recharge my batteries. When I go back to the United States, my life pretty much revolves around hockey. Well, only around hockey. We play three to four games a week, we travel a lot. When my friends or family come to see me, it gives me a good boost. To sum up, I appreciate both situations: my life there but also being able to come back, recharge my batteries and go back to America to give my all in hockey.

Q: Who are your friends and how do you find the balance between hockey and everything else? A: In the team, I share a lot of things with Jonas Siegenthaler and Timo Meier. Guys I already knew from a young age. It's cool to be able to play with them. I'm also lucky to have been able to meet players from other countries, to meet new people. Americans, Canadians, Swedes, Czechs. It's very enriching to have all these cultures and to be able to come together around a common passion.

Q: Has life in the United States changed you? What is American in you? A: Open-mindedness. Being open to others, to meeting new people. You don't need to be friends with everyone, but it is important to listen to others, to take their opinions into account. Nevertheless, I remain very Swiss, I feel very Swiss. 

Q: What do you mean? A: I don't know. I'm still very close to my family, my friends. I try not to attract too much attention. I'm content with little things, simple things. A good dinner, a raclette from time to time, a good glass of wine. These are moments that I appreciate.

Q: Let's talk about your club, the New Jersey Devils. A club that has evolved considerably since your arrival? A: That's for sure. It's very different from what I knew when I started. We were among the youngest on the team with Jasper Brett and Pavel Zacha. The other teammates were all more or less in their thirties. Everything was new to me. But it was good. I was able to learn a lot from all the experienced players. They made me understand a lot of things. What it means to be a Devil, how to take care of your body, it was very varied. In the middle of my journey, the team got younger and I had to take on more and more responsibilities. Today, there are obviously some younger than me. It's changed a lot in 7 years and that's normal. For my part, I try hard to present the best version of myself every day. 

Q: You are seen as a leader. You are a leader. Was that natural for you? A: Absolutely. On the ice, it's clear. I've always wanted to do things well. I've always wanted to win. A true leader has to have that mentality, putting your ego aside for the good of the team. Off the ice, I'm not the most visible or the loudest but I also enjoy the camaraderie, the jokes and the outings. Maybe that's where I have the most to learn. But I'm still learning. I'm only 25 years old. There's still more to explore. 

Q: You might think that communication is essential? A: It is very important. You never know how people react, what they need. You have to find a good balance between what you give, what you ask and what you receive. To be a leader, you need empathy, understanding but also firmness in your demands. Some aspects were more complicated for me but I try to find the right balance.

Q: Is the feeling of representing Switzerland even stronger when you have a career so far away like you? A: It's clear. They speak Swiss German in the locker room. I meet friends I had known in juniors. Hockey remains a small world, a small environment and not just in Switzerland. And it's always nice to meet up with people you know to share such an experience in a world championship.

Q: Are you ambitious, optimistic for the next big events, the 2026 Olympics and the 2026 World Cup? A: Of course. We have proven in recent years that we have a very good Swiss team. We know how it works in sport. Every piece is important, every detail counts to reach the top. But we have to believe in our chances. And we have a good group, as I said. I am looking forward to the next tournaments. The Olympic Games are certainly a dream for me, having never been there. It is different from a world championship but we will have the same ambition. You never know in sport. 

Q: Your season is so long. You could skip the Swiss national team selections. Why is it so important? For the good times, the ones that remain. I grew up watching Switzerland. And to be able to represent them, it really means something special to me. It's always a pleasure to wear this jersey, to see the fans of the national team. It gives me a lot of joy. It hasn't happened yet, but the only reason that would make me give up would be physical unavailability or mental fatigue. If I feel fit, I'll go. If not, it's a matter of being honest and giving up, because it wouldn't be good for me or for the team. 

[pokemonshelterstories]

I understand that gyarados are extremely high-needs pokemon that require a ton of resources, training, and enrichment, but they still seem like such cool pokemkn to me that I always find myself kinda wishing I could care for one even though I'm not cut out for it lmao

Anyway, I was going to ask if you had any fun facts about the evolution line to share? Learning weird facts is my way of coping with how many pokemon I'll never have the chance to meet lol

I understand you probably don't have a lot of interaction with them though, given you mostly work in a shelter

i have had the pleasure of meeting with the cascarrafa aquarium's gyarados keeper a couple of times and getting to meet the gyarados he trains! part of my preparation for my dragon handler's license was learning about non-dragon types that often get grouped in with the dragons. they really are incredible pokemon.

gyarados are what you get when one of the world's hardiest pokemon evolves into a tremendous pokemon capable of surviving treacherous environments. unfortunately, due to the way this changes electrical patterns in their brain, evolution also causes them to become extremely aggressive. because they're able to handle environments unfit for many other pokemon, they aren't particularly cautious about maintaining the integrity of their territory, which contributes to their ability to completely devastate the area around them during an aggressive fit (often called a "rampage"). these rampages are difficult to control, and a lot of gyarados training is focused on giving them the proper outlets for their energy without encouraging them to get worked up or to feed into that aggressive tendency. the keeper i met with has specially reinforced pokeballs as well as potent tranquilizer on hand in the event of an emergency. in the wild, these rampages have been known to occur in clusters of activity lasting as long as a month, but thankfully good management and training goes a long way to preventing them.

i'm particularly fascinated by their powerful jaws, which are often seen gaping open as they swim or fly. gyarados have both lungs and gills, and they can push several hundred thousand gallons of water an hour through their mouth and over their gills while swimming. their bite force has been recorded at an incredible 22,000 psi!

[antiquitiesandlabyrinths]

Kemeticism Under the Advice of Ptah-Hotep:

Maxim 5

In this maxim, Ptah-Hotep teaches about the proper behavior of a leader who respects the unending Rule; the philosophy of Ma'at.

Translation:

If you have the responsibility of leadership, are in charge of setting guidelines for a large number of subordinates, seek every opportunity to be effective so your behavior is irreproachable.

Great is the Rule – its effect on both great and small is complete and long-lasting. The Rule is illuminating and practical and has not changed since the time of Osiris.

Those who break the law must be punished – something the greedy fail to understand. Wrong-doers can achieve material gain, but evil never leads to good. It is wrong to say: 'I want only to take things to enrich myself,' rather than: 'I want my actions to benefit the position entrusted to me.'

Whenever anything reaches its due term, it is the Rule which endures. And a just man must acknowledge the domain of his spiritual father.

Breakdown:

Lesson

Jacq's Translation

Direct Translation

(Note: I will be using numbers here instead of asterisks since the number of asterisks will get confusing and distracting with the amount of author's notes I have on the terms used here.)

Be effective with your tasks and advice so that none can criticize your guidance.

“If you have the responsibility of leadership… seek every opportunity to be effective so your behavior is irreproachable.”

“If you are a leader in charge of giving guidelines to a large number (of people), seek, for yourself, every occasion to be efficient¹, so that your behavior² is irreproachable.”

Ma’at’s effect on all things big and small is whole and thorough, leading to enlightenment, knowledge of morality and its' practicality, and the universe.

“Great is the Rule… it’s effect on both great and small is complete and long-lasting. The Rule is illuminating and practical and has not changed since the time of Osiris.”

“Radiant, luminous, useful is the Rule, durable its precise efficiency³. It has not been disturbed⁴ since the time of Osiris.”

People who do not follow Ma’at must be punished. Those who are greedy will not understand why Ma’at must be upheld, or why those who do not follow it must be punished.

“Those who break the law must be punished – something the greedy fail to understand.”

“The one who transgresses the laws is punished, and that is what escapes the attention of the one with a greedy heart.”

Cruel and evil people can gain many material possessions but this evil path will never succeed; it can never fulfill its objectives.

“Wrong-doers can achieve material gain, but evil never leads to good.”

“Iniquity will get hold of quantity⁵, but evil⁶ will never succeed in bringing its moment of action safely into port.”

Taking things only for oneself is wrong and evil; it is better to think about the improvement of those around you within your life, as well as for your own needs, but not more.

“It is wrong to say: “I want only to take things to enrich myself.” rather than: “I want my actions to benefit the position entrusted to me.””

“The one who acts wrongfully says, “I acquire for myself”; he does not say: “I acquire for the benefit of my function.”

Although all things pass and die, Ma’at’s Rule remains. This makes all things temporary, except Ma'at, which is eternal.

“Whenever anything reaches its due term, it is the Rule which endures.”

“The end comes, the Rule remains.”

A good spiritual son must put to realization and acknowledgement the lessons and the work of their spiritual father.

“… and a just man must acknowledge the domain of his spiritual father.”

“That is what a just man says: “Such is the domain of my spiritual father.””

(1) - Efficient; menekh, implies a work that is well-adjusted and well finished; overall well-rounded.

(2) - Behavior can also be translated as ‘your way of governing, of guiding’.

(3) - Precise efficiency is translated from seped, which means to be pointed and efficient. The Rule of Ma’at always reaches its aim and never fails when it’s guidance is heeded. Characteristics include its duration, its eternity, stability, and in alter ability; as the worst interference or misappropriation from humans cannot defile or alter it.

(4) - Disturbance here is indicated by a verb, khenen, describing serious troubles and their consequences. The sign specifying the category of idea it belongs to is the Set-animal, representing the God responsible for cosmic disturbances. Ma’at’s Rule is not harmed by these disturbances. “Being at the origin of every creation, it is neither weakened nor lessened by this creation. ‘The time of Osiris’ is that of eternity. Born within the dimension of time, our world and the human race are condemned to disappear, but Ma’at and Osiris, not subject to time, will endure.” (The Wisdom of Ptah-Hotep, Christian Jacq, p. 160)

(5) - Iniquity is translated from nedjyt, meaning baseness or villainy, whilst quantity is translated from ahat, meaning heap, piles, accumulation, or quantity. “Injustice gains unfair advantage wherever quantity is important. While the Rule of Ma’at and quality reign, baseness does not predominate; when quantity, mediocrity and injustice reign, it becomes widespread.” (The Wisdom of Ptah-Hotep, Christian Jacq, p. 160)

(6) - Evil here comes from the word djayt, formed from the root dja, meaning to transgress or oppose. One who is quarrelsome is one who transgresses and opposes, causing isfet within an environment of Ma’at.

With the length and range of this particular maxim, there are a lot of lessons that can be found within its' paragraphs. The overarching idea is concerned with Ma'at. Whilst it refers mostly to one who holds the position of a leader, Ma'at is something that all should aim to follow. It is the eternal and everlasting essence and substance of the universe – it is all things with equilibrium, balance, and harmony. It cannot be twisted or swayed by the outcome of its' own creation, nor can it even be harmed by the Gods.

I have spoken before about what Ma'at is, and who Ma'at is, in a cosmic sense. But this does not specifically describe what adhering to Ma'at means. So, Ma'at is the precision and the eternity and the essence of the universe. It is the substance. But what does it mean to follow this substance? What does it mean to adhere to equilibrium?

Often when people first begin to read about Ma'at, they read first the 42 Laws, also called the 42 Negative Confessions. They think of these laws as strict, unbending, stern, and intransigent. But harmony has nothing to do with the ideas that these words describe. Ma'at is something that is highly personalized to everyone and everything. The 42 Negative Confessions, even though seemingly a strict set of rules, was different for every person, and every time a version of this text has been found it has been different from every other version. This is because people with different lives and statuses have different vices, or sins which they are pulled to. The life of a vizier is very different from the life of a farmer, and so their vices are different. Whilst a vizier may be pulled to embezzle money, a farmer would be tempted to steal a neighbor's cow. A priest may need to ensure that he is being respectful in all holy places, while a governor may want to keep from the sin of adultery. Similarly, our good deeds will be different as well, and this is why Ma'at is so changeable. As said by Ptah-Hotep, the daily deeds of a sage are to follow the callings of his creative energy, his ka, which knows better of Ma'at than the mind, who is so easily swayed by the emotions which stem from the gut.

Whether or not we follow Ma'at, She is always there. Knowledge of Her will lead to great joy and heals the heart, whilst ignorance of Her leads only to failure and to isfet. The true freedom of human choice consists of taking part in the Great Divine Plan or departing ourselves from it; from accepting fate and entering into a state of Blessedness, or refusing and wandering in sorrow as we wonder helplessly how to control our destiny. The Gods are the ones to lead our destiny, and though humans have the capability of ignoring this and creating chaos, it is only what They ordain which comes to pass. It is our duty to trust Them and realize They know better than our transient minds do. It is hubris to believe you know better than the Gods.

In Egyptian mythology, there is little to no mention of any sort of hell. This concept comes from later cultures and was then imparted upon Kemetic thought, however in its' original form, the only thing to come after death to those who did not follow Ma'at was nonexistence. For the people of the time, this was enough punishment, as there was nothing better than life and its' continuation in the Field of Reeds, where all is peaceful and the sun shines forever. But for us, in our modern age which is steeped heavily in the idea of a monotheistic, Semitic God and the concept of Hell, the idea of nonexistence being the punishment for perpetrators of isfet seems to be somewhat lenient. However these wrong-doers were also to be punished in life. Ptah-Hotep outlines that those who are greedy, and those who do not understand what Ma'at is, will not understand why Ma'at must be followed or why they must be punished for their transgressions. In future maxims, Ptah-Hotep once again brings up this subject in reference to training a spiritual son – in our terms, a sage's apprentice. A spiritual son may act out of line or without Ma'at in mind; this does not mean you send him away immediately. Instead, he must be punished in a way that makes him understand his transgression, and if he understands, all is well. However if one repeatedly creates problems and does not listen to his ka, Ptah-Hotep advises to "... send him away. He is not your spiritual son." (Maxim 12)

The difference between the one who acts viciously and the one who acts within Ma'at is the ability to listen. If one is able to listen, they are able to understand. If they are unable to listen then their tasks in life will not succeed. "He who does not listen is prey to distractions. He who knows gets up early in the morning to worship, to maintain his balance, while an ignorant man bustles about." (Maxim 40, Epilogue 3)

It seems, in positions of power during both the past and the present, that those who are the least well-suited to be handling power are given it. As quoted above from this maxim, "Wrong-doers can achieve material gain," however, "evil never leads to good." (Maxim 5) So let us first ask, what does material gain give us? Everything material is temporary. Ptah-Hotep does not shun the importance of material goods. Food keeps us alive and nourishes us, and we require air to breathe, and water to drink, and it is good to have all these things in good quality. What he advices against is excess. When quantity of things becomes more important than the quality of these things, greed and a lack of appreciation derive. This is from an inability to see things as they truly are, and comprehend the world with no preconceived notions or feelings.

When we are able to see clearly, we appreciate every small thing, and are conscious of everything we have, and everything we are fortunate enough to not have, such as diseases or bad relations. We can see bad things which are out of our control and not react negatively to it, instead observing our emotions without reacting, and acting positively when it is possible. This perceived lack of emotion, as well as the understanding of material wealth's temporary state, does not mean we cannot enjoy good things; it actually gives us more power and awareness to enjoy and adore the good things in our life without being plagued by isfetic forces beyond our help, and without our hearts being warped by the instincts and fears of the gut. Without this clear vision, we rely on external and material things to keep us happy which are, as Ptah-Hotep says, temporary. This means our happiness would be temporary, as it is based on temporary things. "The end comes, the Rule remains." (Maxim 5) When happiness is based on the eternal, which is comprehension and realization, devotion, and perfect listening, then our happiness is eternal. Understanding and realizing this subject can be difficult. Understanding is easy enough; that appreciation leads to happiness, while the accumulation of things does not give any. But enacting it within your mind is a step of enlightenment, or realization, which does not always come easily.

The second question to ask when analyzing the phrase, 'wrong-doers can achieve material gain, but evil never leads to good,' is why is it possible for wrong-doers to achieve material gain?

Those who do not listen, the followers of isfet, who pay more heed to their gut than their heart, have their place in this world. Their evil ways are centered on getting their material gain no matter the cost to their soul or to the people around them. Their means are cruel and their behavior is to be despised. Temporary, material pleasures have more worth to them than the infinity of their souls, or the connection between humans. They do not see value in these things; they do not listen, and only see the value in material gains, but cannot see far enough to realize that these benefits will never last, and can be taken away in a second. Wrong-doers achieve material gain because they are set on it in their mind. It is the only thing important to them. The Gods always punish them with their fate, but this punishment is not visual to us.

This lesson bleeds into the next phrase, which says it is better to earn and achieve things for the benefit of your function, but not to yearn ceaselessly for more quantity. When one understands the quality of the goods we consume they do not yearn for quantity. They appreciate what they have in the moment and let it pass on like a pleasant dream. Peace follows and Ma'at is adhered to.

The lesson of Ma'at's eternity is one that I have repeated many times. Ma'at is enduring and beautiful, and She cannot be changed; however, Her presence can be diminished as more and more people forgo the Rule. That's why it is of paramount importance to listen to the sages who dedicate their lives to the understanding of Ma'at, whether from Egyptian culture or otherwise, as Ma'at is a universal subject found in many cultures. A 'spiritual father' is one who is a teacher. To us, we would call him a spiritual master, and his 'spiritual son' a disciple. The line of knowledge is not always genetic, and often we are able to choose our teachers and the style of knowledge we acquire. If the teachings are good, then the learning is good, and the learning is passed on, even over the millennia.

[mama-qwerty]

Okay. So.

The Sonic 3 trailer.

First of all, I watched this with my whole family, so didn't see it until about 2:30 this afternoon. My son is the one who got me into Sonic in the first place, so I thought it was only fair that I wait until he got home from school so we could watch it together.

We all absolutely loved it, and think it looks like a really fun ride.

I've rewatched it a few times, and a few things stood out to me.

The Race Scene

The little bit at the beginning when the three are having what looks like a race into the forest back home. Maybe they're actually racing or playing capture the flag or some other kind of game to give them some enrichment and exercise (so they don't cause shenanigans). Based on a few other quick shots, it looks like they're having fun.

Now, further into the trailer we see Knuckles kicking off Big Ben, and Sonic zipping up the side of a bridge, much like he did off the log back home during this game. I'm thinking we'll see a parallel of the game at some point, where they maybe need to work together, or just need that connection to home to really focus and get the job done. (I'm guessing they're going after whatever that ship is that's coming out of the water. Maybe. I dunno. The time of day looks right, though.)

Team Sonic Working With GUN

Walters isn't recruiting the boys out of just desperation. He wants to see them in action, wants to know what they're capable of. And he's only going to tell them what he wants them to know. They're not chomping at the bit to join the very organization that tried to capture them (Sonic and Tails) or likely hold them accountable for partnering with Robotnik the last time (Knuckles).

Sonic calls Shadow a "rogue alien", which would be odd if he knew Shadow's true origins. Walters likely told them Shadow appeared on earth 50 years ago and was subdued and put into status, but escaped and now is a danger to the planet. They likely don't even know he's a hedgehog. Which would explain Sonic's claim of not wanting to fight once they realize he's like them.

Which ends badly for all three.

My guess is that line about how "Shadow isn't too different from Sonic" is said later, once the family confronts Walters about who this other hedgehog really is. Walters has no choice but to fess up (to a point) and tell them what happened.

"What did you do?"

Sonic says this line with such a combination of anger and fear and pain that I can only guess that Shadow did something to Sonic's family. Likely Tom. This would cause Sonic to drop all pretense of jovial banter, and get really, really pissed.

I've seen theories that this maybe brings about Dark Sonic, which would be cool, but I have my doubts. But it will test Sonic's heart, calling back to the scene at the beginning that Tom said his heart never changed after everything. If Sonic thinks Shadow hurt (or killed) someone he loves, he would feel very conflicted in how he'd react to that.

Robotnik

Okay. So, he's back, no surprise there, and he's looking really unkempt. Depression does that to a person. I'm eager to see the back and forth that gets him to agree to work with the boys, and wouldn't put it past him to demand the Master Emerald as payment. To which Knuckles will of course refuse, which is why Sonic will give him one of his quills instead.

He likely has no idea about Shadow, as it seems as though Shadow escapes on his own. (Or does he? Could Robotnik have access to whatever containment system Shadow's been kept in, and releases him simply to cause mayhem?)

The group somehow end up at what used to be the ARK for some reason. I take it this is where Robotnik double crosses the boys (shocker!) and chains them up to let Shadow finish them off.

This is also where he meets his grandfather, Gerald. (He calls Gerald Pap Pap, which is a term some people use for their grandfathers, myself included.)

Now, here's where I have a few theories. It could really be Gerald, still alive and running on his anger after all these years. If he stayed at the ARK after the military overran it, that would be 50 some years of solitude, where he's dwelling on what happened, why it happened, and what could have been done to prevent it. He's become twisted and insane, seeing humanity as a plague and releasing Shadow to enact his revenge.

Or, based on how identical Ivo and Gerald look, it's possible 'Gerald' is actually Ivo himself. Maybe a subplot of this is the chaos emeralds, they need to find them so Sonic can be powerful enough to stop Shadow. But maybe they're like the Infinity Stones, and one has the power to manipulate time. Ivo gets hold of it, goes back in time, and proceeds to use the quill that Sonic gave him during their little agreement to work together to create Shadow.

Or the chaos emerald itself was used to create Shadow as well, and that's why he's got so much chaos energy in him that he can't control. He can't find that damn fourth chaos emerald, because he IS the fourth chaos emerald.

Or, Ivo is a clone that Gerald made of himself to continue his research. When the ARK was raided, all of Gerald's experiments were taken, including Gerald IV--that the government named Ivo before placing him into an orphanage.

I dunno. None of these are likely true. But they're fun to play with and think about.

Tails

Adorable as ever. I'm hoping we get some more engagement and action from him.

Knuckles

My boy. Needs an ice pack for that wrist. Just wanna scoop him up and care for him. I hope we see some good interactions between him and the rest of the family.

Shadow

He looks good. Like, really good. I'm not 100% sold on the voice acting, but we've only heard 2 lines from him, so I'm reserving judgment on that. The fight scenes look great, and he's a very formidable adversary for the boys. Unlike anything any of them have seen or fought before. Running on pure grief and anger, he's thrown into a world he doesn't understand, and doesn't care to because it stole his sister from him.

~~~

I found the trailer very fun, and am excited for the movie. And I'm happy to see some excitement for the SCU out there again.

[accio-victuuri]

Xiao Zhan “Blog World” interview section:

"Blog World": In 2023, you have three dramas starring you on the air, which have achieved very good results. If you sum up this year, what is your evaluation of yourself, or what do you want to say to yourself?

Xiao Zhan: Enrichment and gain. I hope that I can continue to work hard and give back to the audience with more and better works in the future, and also deliver more positive energy through my own actions.

"Blog World": In the period emotional drama "Where Dreams Begin", you play the role of Xiao Chunsheng, a tough and upright young man who bravely pursues his dreams. What impact does this character's character and story have on you? What did you gain from the process of creating characters?

Xiao Zhan: Xiao Chunsheng is a very vital and infectious character. I am often moved by him. He is tenacious and always sticks to his inner bottom line, and will not be easily affected by the people around him or the surrounding environment. At the same time, he has the drive to face difficulties. He often says, "The difficult road is the uphill road."

This character is actually much more outgoing than me. He also acts as the "big brother" among his friends. He is very responsible and always tries his best to take care of the friends around him and help everyone solve problems. This innocent heart is also affects me.

"Blog World": As a period drama, involving decades of time changes, how do you grasp the characteristics of the characters at each stage? For you, what is the most important element in a person's growth process, and what needs to be adhered to?

Xiao Zhan: I think the first thing is to believe and allow yourself to put yourself in Xiao Chunsheng’s shoes and experience the situations he encountered at different stages. In fact, there are subtle differences in the stages of military service, retirement, employment, entrepreneurship, etc., including the relatives around him. , friends will also slowly get closer or become separated, so when performing, I need to think about the front and back scenes, and immerse myself in the situation: with Chun Sheng’s unyielding spirit, what will he think and do when faced with these situations? .

I think for me, it means sticking to what I believe in and doing what I think is right.

"Blog World": This time you starred in the fantasy drama "Yuguya" and returned to the field of costume dramas. Do you have any new feelings and surprises?

Xiao Zhan: The new feeling for me about the character Shiying is that he is a mortal human being with all the seven emotions and six desires of a human being, which is very vivid. The surprising thing is that this character has a sense of contrast. He is reserved and sharp, cold but affectionate. He is not a single character. These all gave me a better fulcrum to understand and interpret this character.

"Blog World": Shiying in the play is a lonely and cold person, but his destiny has experienced great twists and turns. What do you think the character's attitude towards life is?

Xiao Zhan: Shi Ying’s attitude towards life is that man can conquer nature and everything depends on man-made efforts. Therefore, he will firmly do what he thinks is right, and in the end he will dedicate everything he has to the righteousness of his family and country.

"Blog World": In the urban drama "Sunshine By My Sdide, you play the role of designer Sheng Yang. The character has a sunny side of a young man, but at the same time he is very mature inside. Is this the image you want to maintain?

Xiao Zhan: As far as I am concerned, I do not deliberately maintain a certain state or image at a certain stage. In my understanding, Sheng Yang is a person who knows the world but is sophisticated. He has the energy of a young man but is not naive at heart.

As an actor, I hope that everyone will not have a fixed concept of my performance or role. It is best that every work can bring a new image to the audience, making everyone forget who Xiao Zhan should be. what does it look like. (laugh)

"Blog World": Do you imagine what your life would be like now if you had not entered the entertainment industry?

Xiao Zhan: Actually, I have never imagined that I might still be in the design industry, where I commute to and from get off work every day, and may have to work overtime frequently. Or open a bakery, paint when I have nothing to do, or go traveling with family and friends.

"Blog World": In recent years, you have participated in a variety of works and diverse roles. What method do you usually use to detach yourself from the emotions of the previous role and adapt to the next role?

Xiao Zhan: Maybe I just give myself some time off, return to my daily life, sleep, exercise, and relax for a while, that’s about it. It also takes a while to welcome a new role, to read through and become familiar with the script, and to sort out the relationships between the characters.

"Blog World": Regarding the profession of actor, do you have any new insights now compared to when you first debuted? Is there any change in mentality?

Xiao Zhan: My previous idea was relatively simple, I just wanted to act well and try different roles. My thoughts have not changed now, but I will have higher demands on myself. In addition to hoping to be recognized by the audience, I also hope to bring some strength to everyone through my roles and works. I think this will be very meaningful and valuable.

"Blog World": What is your current ideal on the road of acting? What are the requirements for yourself reflected in your work?

Xiao Zhan: My goal has always been to hope that everyone can see their own progress and changes through each work. I also hope that my performance can be affirmed and recognized by the audience.

What I can do is to fully understand and appreciate the role, discuss and communicate more with directors, screenwriters, and senior actors who I have collaborated with. At the same time, I will also listen to the audience’s well-intentioned and helpful suggestions on performance, and improve my own performance. shortcomings.

Be down-to-earth, interpret each role carefully, and do your job well.

source.

[project-reaper]

Moving forward into 2024!

I haven’t really had a proper chance to say Happy New Years, so this will have to suffice, with a little breakdown of what’s been going on and what’s to come!

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO

I’ve been spending the better part of the last year working on new projects and endeavors. Both with Time Gate and outside of it. From vendoring at markets and working expo’s for the first time to working on art pieces completely outside of Time Gate, 2023 was a hell of a year and it makes me all the more hyped for 2024. That said, I’ve been carrying a weight with me through 2023 that’s made it difficult to enjoy it to the fullest - the weight of knowing that [AFTERBIRTH] is still on hiatus.

This isn’t the longest hiatus that I’ve been on, but it’s certainly starting to approach the record and I wanna get it back on track. Like getting back in shape after spending an entire winter hibernating and eating nothing but junk food, getting back into drawing [AFTERBIRTH] on a schedule is gonna be a process of rebuilding good habits and learning what I can do better to keep those habits alive and well.

The fortunate side to taking hiatuses is that it always does give me a new sense of perspective. In this case, I learned that I put myself through a lot at the start of [AFTERBIRTH]’s production. Like, way more than I realized. At the time I thought I was super capable - and I am! - but now in hindsight I can recognize it wasn’t healthy or sustainable for me to manage that sort of output all on my own. I’m still grinding away at comics like I always do with those other projects I’ve mentioned, but it’s still nothing near the amount of work I put myself through just to meet my own deadlines with [AFTERBIRTH]. I also have this thing called help now in the form of a background artist who’s been working with me on those other projects, which has been an amazing and enriching experience.

Having that time away from [AFTERBIRTH] not only gave me the breathing room I needed to recuperate from the burnout I got myself into, but also got me out of the routines I had stuck myself into, which has given me some new tricks and skills that I’m really hyped to bring back into Time Gate with me.

This does, in a way, mean that I’ve had to really reflect on Time Gate, a lot. It’s a project I’ve been writing since I was a kid, and drawing as a webcomic since I was around 18-19. It’s changed a lot in that time, but I’m finding while a lot of those changes have been reflected in the comic as it is, there are still so many more I want to make - because like the comic, I’ve changed a lot, too, both as an artist and as a person, and considering Time Gate’s always been a sort of personal extension of myself, I no longer resonate with a lot of parts of it that I’ve since outgrown. It’s not so much that I want to hide or take for granted those parts of it that are ‘uglier’, but I want the writing and art to be expressed in the best way it can be because at the end of the day, I’m trying to tell a coherent story that’s enjoyable to read and experience. I’m also the sort of person who learns best by just getting their hands dirty and learning what not to do, and boy, have I spent a lot of years doing just that through Time Gate.

GOING FORWARD

So, going forward, I’ve adjusted my schedule with my other projects to accommodate the time I need to both get back into Time Gate: [AFTERBIRTH] as well as prepare for the upcoming convention season. I’ve got a bunch of plans for this year’s markets with new ideas for prints and stickers and other goodies that I’m really excited to make! And I just, overall, want to pull myself out of the burnout funk. You can’t force recovery to happen on your own time but there does come a point where you gotta start taking steps otherwise you get stagnant, and I feel like that’s where I’ve been the last few months.

AFTERBIRTH FORMAT CHANGE

[AFTERBIRTH]’s format will be changing back to page format in its second season. Vertical format works for some projects and stories, but not for Time Gate. It’s been fun, but part of learning what I’m best at is learning what I’m not best at and the vertical format is too limiting for what I want to do with Time Gate in the future. Color will still be remaining!

REAPER RECOMPILED

I will also be working on the Recompiled editions of Reaper. These will predominantly be the first few volumes redrawn and rewritten to accommodate a tighter story down the road. I know, I know, “don’t get trapped redrawing/rewriting stuff”, but I feel the changes that I wanna make are so necessary that they’re part of what’s holding me back from continuing with [AFTERBIRTH] into Thread of Fate and beyond. There are a lot of really silly and otherwise unnecessary writing decisions I made back during Reaper that I currently feel aren’t working for what I’m trying to accomplish in its sequels, and let’s face it, I wrote it almost ten years ago when I was still very much learning, so it’s due for an upgrade. It'll be the last time too, because it'll be putting us on Loop 9999 and remember what Matty said about surpassing 9999-

This will be something I’ll be picking at slowly but surely. When it’s ready I’ll basically be replacing the old pages and updating any new mirror sites with only the new version (I’m currently planning on trying out NamiComi and Lemoon and of course I'll be continuing to post on ComicFury and GlobalComix).

THE BIG GREEN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM-

All of that will basically be working towards my biggest step - getting the flying fuck off Webtoons. Because let me tell you, I've basically spent the last two years like this:

Y’all know that I’m not really one to roll over and take shit from massive platforms, and Webtoons is no exception. I’ve been posting to it since 2016 and I’m very very much done with it; just like with Tapas it’s no longer the site it used to be and there’s fresh competition entering the market that I’d rather put my focus on. At the very least, I want my independence back, if I’m gonna be stuck having to market and network my own work anyways I’d much rather be doing it for my own site or platforms that aren’t constantly undercutting its creators by removing core features and not implementing necessary ones. I as well as many others have been doing our own investigating into Webtoons and we’re basically feeling like canaries in the mineshaft right now, picking up on some massive warning signs that we want to get ahead of. The worst that can happen is that I pull the same stats I pull on Webtoons somewhere else, what a tragedy that would be LMAO

LIVESTREAMING

And then of course there are my livestreams. Like learning the hard way that I shouldn’t have been drawing [AFTERBIRTH] on such a strict schedule, I’ve learned that streaming on the schedule I used to be streaming on just ain’t for me. Call it the ADHD but I’d much rather stream when I have something to legitimately talk about or showcase rather than force myself to stream even on days when I’m really not feeling up to talking. And I’d like to get back into doing actual video editing content, whether it’s speedpaints or gaming videos or commentary stuff, whatever have you. Now that I have a proper PC rig that’s actually built to do heavy duty stuff, the possibilities of what I can create are a LOT more vast and I wanna take full advantage of them!

That said, if you wanna see an example of what the streams will look like when we return, check out this lil’ time lapse demo:

Definitely couldn't do that on my old setup! It might not be regular streaming like before, but it’ll damn well be higher quality and more fun to watch haha

WELL THAT WAS A BIG WALL OF TEXT WASN'T IT

So yeah! That was a lot of words but I hope it clears up everything that's been happening on my end. Thanks for following along with my work all these years, whether it’s Time Gate or my lil’ secret projects or my streams, through all the ups and the downs. Long-term projects like these may take their toll but there’s so much joy in seeing them change and grow over time, and I want to fully embrace and reflect that growth as best as I can through what I bring you guys.

Thank you all so much, let’s make 2024 a good year <3

[miwhotep]

It's always a lonely feeling when you end up liking that character everyone hates with passion - and you even understand the reason for that passion. I am a Moriarty the Patriot fan for more than 3 years, but I never interacted with the fandom due to having Milverton as a favourite - well, my obsession with him actually started as a child, reading Sherlock Holmes stories and he was my favourite villain. So I was happy when I first encountered him in the YuuMori manga... and I was sad to see his character going waste because the author didn't take time to properly write him. But I started wandering on the what-ifs anyway.

His character kept intriguing me, because we basically know nothing about him. I decided to enrich his character myself - at least, with headcanons. Why was his hair fully white when he was too young for that? Going through a great trauma can turn a person's hair white - maybe he wasn't always the true evil he claimed to be, he just turned into one due to the things happening to him. Remember, despite being in a powerful position, he was no noble. Maybe he was once someone, too, who got broke by the class system and turned to evil thanks to that.

I have a headcanon for his origin story (and a fanfic I never posted).

He wasn't always had that fancy name, he just took that on later. He came from a lower-class family, growing up with a mother who got bedridden due to how the noble who employed her treated her. He somehow learned reading as a child and thanks to this and his wit, he was able to get a better job as a journalist at a newspaper. He was a really idealistic, young journalist who hated the class system and the way the newspapers lied to the commoners to serve the nobles. He became a journalist to give justice to commoners. He came across a murder where a commoner was unfairly accused of the crime - while actually a noble commited it. He promised the commoner to help him clear his name, but neither the police or the newspaper he worked for wanted to reveal the truth, because they were afraid of the noble. In the end, the noble hired an assassin to kill young Charles' mother (and fiance) for trying to get in his way. When his family got murdered in the flat where they lived, noone in the house helped them, despite hearing their screams, because they were afraid. Charles felt that everyone betrayed him at that moment - even the commoners he was fighting for.

After this, Charles met the child Liam who tried to comfort him and told him that he can't fight the nobels through idealism. He suggested him to blackmail nobles so they will do what he tells them and through this, he can get into a powerful situation and make a newspaper what's on the commoners' side and write about their stories. Charles took the advice - but his heart was already full of pain, hatred and the feeling of betrayal for both nobles and commoners. His dark feelings, the necessary evil method he tried to set things right with and slowly coming to a powerful situation fully corrupted him - and in the end, what remained from him is a ruthless creature who takes pleasure in ruining everyone's lives, the way his life was once ruined, too. He likes turning heroes into villains to show that everyone can become a monster like him - who was also a hero once.

He is actually a dark version of William - a once necessary evil who was unable to keep his heart uncorrupted due to the actions he tried to change the world with, and became true evil.

Well, that's the first part of the big Milverton lore existing in my head. I decided to maybe try to interact with the fandom after all, due to that one person who after all those lonely years, actually interested in my thoughts.

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

Hi slug! I've decided that i really don't like my major after graduating and working in it for 1 year, and im thinking of changing my career path to the translation and interpretation industry, as i find myself good at nothing but languages. I want to ask if there's any advice you'd like to give for this career? I’m quite nervous bc even that im good at languages, im not that confident in myself, and i get a lil pressure from seeing ppl like you who are so passionate & good at what they do ;;

I'm never quite sure what to say when people ask open-ended advice questions, since there's so much ground to cover I could happily talk about. In the end, though, it doesn't sound like you want advice. It sounds like you want someone to tell you you're making the right choice, so here it is: go for it, and have fun!

The translation and interpretation industries are made up of many, many sub-industries with all sorts of roles in each. If you think any of them sound interesting, give them a try. If one doesn't work out, there's always another. If you end up not finding your niche here? That's cool too. You can always try something else unrelated, and the industry will have been enriched by your presence and talents during your stay.

Don't be intimidated; everyone is flying by the seat of their pants. That's adulthood.

It is, imo, a great thing that there are always better translators and editors out there. There are always new ideas and powerful new executions popping up in the translation industries, and when you come across a work you really like, it's great to study it and see what you can learn from it! I'm very lucky in having/having had multiple roles which let me deep dive other translators' and editors' texts, and every time I come across a work I think is excellent, I ask myself "Why do I think this work is good?" "What has the translator/editor done to achieve that?" and "How can I integrate this information into my own work?" Embrace having lots of people to learn from-- both older and younger-- and, most of all, enjoy yourself!

[celestiall0tus]

Long Road - Chapter 11 - Second Chance

Beginning || Previous || Next

            Marinette stopped atop the walkway down to the Seine where Liberty, the Couffaine houseboat, was docked. She took several deep breaths to calm her nerves that ate away at her. It had been a week since they were dragged away to another universe. She gulped at the memory of the event, but above all, when she admitted her feelings to another version of Luka with her Luka around. When they got back, they agreed to speak, but later decided to give each other a week to collect themselves after that event.

            Marinette took another deep breath and headed down. She stepped onto the deck and down into the hold. She glanced around but didn’t see anyone. She shook herself as she headed towards Luka and Juleka’s room where she found Luka sitting on his bed, meditating. She took another breath, then knocked on the wall. He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

            “Hello, Marinette.”

            “Hey, Luka. Uh, I’m here!”

            Luka giggled. “I’m glad you are. We… have something to talk about, don’t we?”

            “Y-yeah. Unless you don’t want to, then I completely understand. I mean, this is crazy, right? Who knows, right? Maybe what I said was just miscommunicated, you know? Heat of the battle kind of thing.”

            “Marinette, breath. It’s ok. Would you like to take a seat?”

            Marinette nodded and sat on Luka’s bed next to him. “So, where do we start?”

            “I guess… is this something you want to do? Do you… do you really like me?”

            “I… I do. I just… I’m sorry. For everything. I just… you know I was Ladybug and what that meant then. And, sure, everything is different, but that’s the thing. Everything is different. I know I’ve changed a lot, and I was worried you might have too. That, you know, you wouldn’t want to be with me too. I wouldn’t blame you. I hurt you. You were nothing but good and patient with me, but I just… I hurt you.”

            “Marinette, you didn’t hurt me. You enriched my life.”

            Marinette shook her head and stood. “I did hurt you, Luka. I won’t deny it anymore. Even if you don’t see it that way, the reality of it remains, and it’s something I have to live with. And I’m worried I’ll make the same mistakes again. But more than that, I’m afraid you won’t like the me I’m becoming. I’m not the same girl you fell for before.”

            Luka smiled and stood. “It’s not just you, Marinette. I feel myself changing as well, but I know how I feel about you hasn’t. Maybe we shouldn’t do this. Maybe we should move on, but I would like to try again. Like you said, this isn’t before. Maybe we can give this a second chance?”

            “Yes! I mean, yeah, I’d like that. But where would we start?”

            “Let’s start small. We’re both changing, let’s get to know that change and see if we can make this work with the new us.”

            “I, uh, have time now. Would you like to take a walk? You don’t have to, of course. I didn’t have anything else really to do today, but I totally understand if you do. But would you?”

            “I’d love to. Shall we?”

            Luka held out his hand. Marinette smiled and took it.

Patreon || Discord || Ko-Fi

[pizzatrocious]

So! With the end of this wonderful little event, I do have a bit of a bittersweet announcement.

I'll still be around here and there on a low-effort multimuse I plan to make a while from now... but, save for any light activity you'll still see from me, I plan on retiring from writing.

I'm not retiring for any bad reasons, quite the opposite! But as someone that's been writing on Tumblr for roughly... 14 years? I think I've done most of what I've wanted to do. Every kind of thread you can imagine, every type of character, and every type of genre. For the past few years I've jumped blogs A LOT, but really only because I loved chasing whatever next big thing felt fun to write.

I was here when ask blogs were the standard instead of RP blogs, regardless of whether or not the mun could draw. I remember my first ever Bowser RP blog, iconless and full of crack on a classic Redux theme. I unfortunately remember the Homestuck and Danganronpa craze, and an era where icons were a semi-new novelty that only the 'fancy' blogs used. I remember back when a majority of the Pokemon RPC was a fairly popular crack group that, at its peak, had 300~ active blogs all at once.

I remember the Splatoon Marie roleplayer that chased after me, even when I'd socially isolate myself during the darkest spots of my life, and the Rosalina blog she made later down the line. You might know her now as my wife, Rosie. Funny to think, our more popular duo wound up being Peach and Bowser.

I remember all the different iterations of the Smash RPCs, and all the people that rocked the community with every post. Then there was the Sonic RPC, a place that was almost torn apart by an awful person's hold on the community, only to rise from the ashes! That RPC's pretty quiet nowadays, but those guys may as well be sleeper agents for Sonic content.

Then there's the people I affectionately call 'The Elder Gods'. The ones that, despite being here over a DECADE, they still dedicate themselves to the same characters they always have. They're usually the ones with the ancient-looking blogs that go largely under-the-radar nowadays, but they're the foundation that built these writing communities. You guys mostly just keep to yourselves nowadays, but I see you.

And of course, my good ol' kindred spirits, the people that roleplay the most obscure, hyper-specific characters. Those one-off indie games, obscure shows, characters stuck to a spinoff title or are just dubiously canon, or characters with basically no canon that they've made into their own!

Of course, that's not to forget the people that take the big popular characters, and absolutely ROCK them in a way that makes the character all their own. Gotta toot my own horn, considering one of my old Bowser blogs had a couple thousand followers.

I could go on, and on, and on... but long story short, I've had a great time here.

Part of me never wants to stop, to be honest. But in all this time, I've become a different person. My hobbies have changed, my interests have changed, I'm a completely different person now! But I've also always been a stubborn creature of habit, never wanting to give anything up.

As a result of being anchored to my old habits so long, I'm left a little at a loss for what I want in life. More and more I've felt like a caged animal, just circling around my little enclosure and doing the same things over and over for enrichment. Add to that the usual struggles of adult life being rough and expensive, and you can imagine wanting to spend more of my time on survival is a factor too.

Nobody's gonna know what I really want now, except for me. I need to get out there and do some soul-searching. Find new hobbies, make new friends, experience new things... who knows what I'll be doing a year from now!

That said, I give my genuine, most heartfelt thank you to everyone I've ever crossed paths with in throughout all of the Tumblr RPCs I've been in. Honestly, the only reason I don't list off names is purely because I want to make sure nobody gets left out of my little expression of gratitude. You all know who you are, anyway.

I wish I could've known some of you a little better... but that's just life, isn't it? Sometimes the most impactful people in your lives are the ones you never get to really know. I'm sure I've gotten to be that person for my own fair share of people, with how reclusive I tend to be.

Again, this isn't goodbye. I mean, I'd be a little embarrassed if people thought I was gone forever, only for me to pop up a week or two later. This is a hobby I've always loved, I'll always find my way back to it. I'll always be lurking about, sometimes posting during funny shenanigans. Like I said at the start of this post, I plan on making a private, low-effort multimuse! Mostly I'll just use it to keep tabs on my friends and the writers I really enjoy seeing, but I still have a small list of characters I'd like to play around with a little.

Otherwise though, it's time to leave the nest and try other things.

Thank you again. This is Vincent, signing off.

[pokemonshelterstories]

Hem! Sorry to send this message to someone from Paldea, but I got the idea considering the close relationship between your region and Blueberry Academy, where I teach history -

Slim Pickens (Snorlax, late adult, male, cowboy hat) and the Little Professor (Gengar, unclear, female, mortarboard cap with bright purple tassel) are two Pokemon I've had since my former career as a Gym Leader, and I like to flatter myself by thinking that I'm in tune with their needs and emotions. (Believe me, when Slim Pickens doesn't like something, he doesn't hesitate to let me know it. His son, Shady, is the same way.) The Little Professor has been moving around and getting excited less and less as of late. While a few years ago I could find her using Pickens' stomach as a trampoline while he uneasily slept and interrupting my lessons at random with demands for attention, she's been doing that less and less lately, sleeping nearly as much as both Slims. At first I thought she was just getting older - we all are, nothing to be ashamed about - and while I admit that I missed the Little Professor's disruptive presence in my life, I assumed everything was part of the natural process of aging - or as close to the 'natural process' as a Ghost-type can manage.

Unfortunately, we've got a new Ghost-type expert teaching at Blueberry Academy, and she says that I'm 'starving' my Gengar. I was shocked since there wasn't any changes in their diet from what I'd been giving them for years - and she says that the Little Professor needs a steady supply of new 'pranks' to pull on people in order to be fulfilled, happy, and healthy, and that my insistence that the Little Professor limit their mischief to me and not permit them to bother my students is resulting in some sort of Ghost-type malnutrition.

I'm not sure I trust her - she's a bit of a mystic and given to anthropomorphization. So I thought I would ask for a second opinion, since Pokemon Centers in Unova tend to focus more on the brute survival and nutrition of the Pokemon they treat rather than 'enrichment' and environment - is my insistence that the Little Professor *not* yank chairs out from underneath my students and then levitate them around the center of the room, spinning them around near the ceiling lights, a physical or mental health issue for her? Am I really being too hard-headed and rules-oriented with my Pokemon, have I let my old Gym Leader instincts make me be too harsh and demanding? And if you aren't sure, what do you think the best way to tell or research more would be?

(NB: If this is serious enough to refer this to your local Ghost-type Gym Leader, please do not mention my identity. It's embarrassing, but I fumbled the ball *badly* when asking her sister if she was married when she visited from the Academy.)

you work at one of the most well-funded and well-regarded schools in the world and you haven't consulted their library for pokemon care information? i'd highly recommend looking there.

as for your gengar, she's just slowing down as you age, because- as i would hope a ghost-type expert knows- they're life force feeders. i'm not sure where this expert has gotten her information, but the gengar line are not like misdreavus or shuppet. they prey upon people's life force by hiding themselves in shadows. it would in fact be unusual for them to draw so much attention by playing pranks. she's less active because she's basically "aging" with you.

now, while i don't mind to reassure you on your care, i do take issue with you saying pokemon center nurses in unova dont worry about enrichment. theyre as hardworking and well trained as any other nurses i've met. if you haven't heard about care outside of battle from them, it's because you haven't asked. and as for ryme, don't assume she's not professional enough to put aside whatever faux pas you committed for the sake of a pokemon. these are professionals, and it's unkind and unfair to act like they won't do their jobs properly.

[jellyfish-grave]

(screaming into a megaphone) I THINK THE FRENCH BAC IS BULLSHIT (huuuuge ramble under cut. Read at your own risk)

listen. I have arguments.

Finals are coming for me like. Right tomorrow, yeah? Yeah. The written trial consists of two options: You can either write a dissertation on a given subject (which you have studied through the year. There's only 4 parcours in the year) OR you can make a text commentary (but it's on a text you've never heard of before and it's not linked to any of the parcours you studied).

On paper it sounds okay (if not slightly unfair that both exercises are judged the same way, despite the fact that you have much more knowledge to back up your dissertation if you chose that). It tests the student's ability to think for themself, to use knowledge that was given through the year or to use personal culture in order to make an interesting reasoning!

The first time they tried this out they realised "hmmm wait everyone is failing, maybe that's cuz the expectations are too high" and yes! Exactly! That's cuz we're introduced to the exercise of dissertation the very same year that we're expected to make a full one. Before that? Barely mentioned. We make around 4 of them throughout the year, and we're never EVER given a full example. The only examples we get are detailed plans, but never a fully written out dissertation.

You'd think "oh, then the simple solution is to either lower the stakes, or introduce the exercise earlier in the education, right?" and yeah that does sound logic. But what change was made, you ask? Oh. Simply give all the answers through the year.

That's right. We get full on answers for the full dissertation during the year, and you could argue that the subject isn't the same during the year compared to the end of the year's prompt, however. All subjects basically boil down to the same core elements but written out differently. They decided that since students of our age aren't capable of making clear and complex reasoning/analyses of a given subject, they should just. Give us the answer.

This kills the entire purpose of the exercise. I don't think of myself as some literary genius or some shit, but i do think I'm capable of basic reasoning. But that's not what's being tested here.

Besides, if your dissertation plan doesn't fit their exact expectation, your entire work will be labelled as out of subject, completely killing the idea that multiple people can think of multiple reasonings. Which is. Yk. The entire point of a dissertation.

I know I'm being overly dramatic, but for people like me who have horrible memory problems, I just feel like this is entirely unfair. This isn't constructed at all because I didn't try to, my brain is turned off after 5 hours of memorizing the exact order stuff should be brought up in. We aren't allowed the fucking books the subject is about during the trial. What's the point in that?? At what point in life will you actually need the skill to be able to make a literary commentary without the actual support???

Even funnier! Yk how I mentioned you can also make a text commentary? Yeah! You don't get the answers for the text commentary during the year. And the expectations haven't gone down. It's basically a suicide to pick that unless you've got huge personal culture to enrich your arguments. It's highly unrecommended by all my teachers so far for a reason.

Should I even go on about the oral trial? You need to site by heart the exact explanation of the text (one out of 12 extracts your studied during the year) line by line out loud. It's bullshit. You get 30 minutes to prepare (which. Btw. Isn't enough.), then you have a grammar question (really the only fair thing about this whole thing.), and then you need to present one of the 4 (8 for some people) books you had to read during the year. You can thankfully choose the book, but this is STILL learning a lesson by heart.

It's not teaching you critical thinking. It's not valuing your opinion, it's not valuing a student taking risks and talking about a subject in an interesting way, because you're expected to do the exact thing the teachers want. A very specific plan. Even the main question your entire work is centered around is just a rewording of the subject.

What is the point? What. Is. The point.

[dinoburger]

weirdly, having thought more critically about consumerism does make me consider selling my work more? I think it would be nice to give folks a way of supporting me and being able to give them something in return, because doing that feels important to me - seeing how willing some artists are to pursue absolute commercial success or institutional recognition makes me want to put things out there that I just think are beautiful and feel worthwhile...

I think overwhelmingly the problem with fan culture and how it intersects with consumerism is just that the pleasure you get out of something is seen as the totality of its value. Even a lot of people who are "critical" still engage the same way, with that means to an end, not necessarily rethinking why they want to keep approaching it the same way or what that means in a broader context.

The answer isn't staunch, joyless withdrawal from anything that exists for the sake of pleasure, it's giving yourself ways of thinking about and engaging these things that extends beyond whatever you want to extract from it.

I think finding purpose and meaning and flexibility outside of what we know can be intensely pleasurable. Emotional, cultural connections that we can delve into beyond transaction are enriching, being able to peel apart and dive deeper into our psychological limits and expanding outwards is something worth doing.

Art is a means of communicating, I think looking at what we say and how we say it is important. Not that it always has to be "that deep", but that we feel open to exploring it and changing the way we feel about it.

Maybe I don't want to sell myself, but I want people to have things that I think are beautiful.

[tomorrowxtogether]

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s HUENINGKAI on Defining the Next Generation of K-Pop

HUENINGKAI of TOMORROW X TOGETHER graces the cover of an exclusive edition of the Men’s Folio December/January 2023 issue.

“I’m very flexible. I’m willing to try new things and challenge myself,“ HUENINGKAI says with an expressive gesture, “I believe that I can truly learn to grow as a person once I accept the changes instead of running away.”

He is the youngest member of BIGHIT MUSIC’s fourth-generation boy group entry TOMORROW X TOGETHER, which makes music that sits comfortably between the fluorescent idealisation of teenage melodrama and the anthemic bliss of pop songs — a distinctive blend for which their debut single “Crown”, serves as its anthem. In 2019, their debut mini-album, The Dream Chapter: STAR entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 140, making it the highest charting debut album by any male K-pop group in history and cementing the group as one to watch. Straying from the conventional, the five-member starlets are known for their distinct individualism, where their unique point of view and adolescent experiences formulate songs of effortful chemistry geared towards a sense of honesty and relatability for audiences.

HUENINGKAI is wearing the Tissot PRX Automatic Chronograph in stainless steel with matching integrated bracelet; Bottega Veneta Wool-blend jacket, wool-blend pants on the cover.

Speaking with HUENINGKAI, it becomes clear that being an artist is much more than just a presentation of perfection. The shapeshifting singer/songwriter, rapper and dancer is best known for being expressive — in “Lonely Boy” and “Good Boy Gone Bad,” his voice raptures with heartbreak and angst, gripping at every inch with anger and regret that mirrors storm clouds ebbing to the sun. It becomes a recurring feature in TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s songs and its vulnerability is indeed a rare trait amongst new groups emerging into the scene.

“Like how earlier generations of K-pop artists have shaped the industry today, I believe that the challenges the current generation of artists — including TOMORROW X TOGETHER — are tackling now could enrich the future K-pop industry,” says the young artist who is making aware of how the group and him have been finding their own conviction and ultimately, their own voice.

Hello HUENINGKAI! We are delighted to have you as our January 2023 cover star. The release of TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s next comeback — The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION — has been highly anticipated, could you tease what fans can expect from it? We always like to keep our new releases as a surprise to our fans. But one thing I can share at the moment is that it will be epic! The songs and the choreography greatly represent TOMORROW X TOGETHER as the artists we strive to be. I’m so excited to try out a brand new chapter with our fans, MOA.

What was the preparation for The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION like? It was a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Preparing for a new album always give me butterflies, especially because we don’t know how it will turn out until we take the stage. But I was extremely thrilled to try out the new style of music that manifests the message we want to deliver to the audience.

How does the concept of the new mini album differ from previous releases? This album’s concept focuses on how the guys from our last album — minisode 2: Thursday’s Child — transformed and embraced a new phase of their youth. Check out how “Good Boy Gone Bad” will explore the new stage of life in our new album! The sound and choreography — they are very trendy and stylish — but they still mirror who we are as artists.

It’s been almost half a year since we had new music from TOMORROW X TOGETHER, are you excited about this new chapter? Definitely! All of the members have waited to come back with a new album and meet our fans on stage. We put in a lot of efforts to create satisfying music. I can’t wait to see our fans’ reactions.

It has been four years since your debut — do you still remember the day you first performed live? What was that experience like? I remember it felt surreal. We were a new group just starting but our audiences cheered so loudly and passionately for us. We were so thrilled. It’s an experience none of us can forget.

Speaking of performances, what is one dream venue you would like TOMORROW X TOGETHER to perform at one day? It’s really hard to pick one because every stage, wherever it takes place, means so much to me. I would love to perform wherever our fans, MOA are there. I can’t wait to be back on stage with our fifth EP!

Do you have a pre-performance routine or ritual before going on stage? I always remind myself and the team of putting out the best we can for our fans. I like to motivate myself to become a better performer every time.

The fans in South East Asia are wondering if the rest of TOMORROW X TOGETHER and you will ever perform here, is that something we can expect someday? Nothing is set in stone, but we are all thrilled to visit our fans in cities where we’ve never been. I just want to thank all our fans around the world for all their wholehearted support and love. Hopefully, one day, we will get to meet you there!

That brings us to the next question: is there anyone in the music industry who inspires you to grow into the artist that you are? TOMORROW X TOGETHER, of course! We try our best to tell “our” story through our songs and performances. There are so many talented artists in the music industry, but I feel like our group shines most when we sing about our own experiences and the meanings of growing up in today’s world. We want people to hear our music and relate to them. It’s what we stand for.

You were very young when you first wanted to do something with music, what charmed you about music back then? I was first attracted to singing and dancing because music is so boundless. It’s so dynamic and challenging, and I feel like it helps me grow and learn so much as an individual as well.

How are you keeping up with what inspires you these days? I have so many interests. I listen to music like everyone else, and watch a lot of TV shows! Aside from all the aspects of my lifestyle, our fans MOA really inspire and motivate me. I love interacting with them not only on stage but also on a more personal level like Weverse live.

How about inspirations in terms of fashion? Has anyone been a style inspiration or muse to you? Everyone is so fashionable nowadays. You would walk down the street and be amazed by how stylish people are. But, not to pick favourites, our member YEONJUN is such a nice dresser — his outfits are always on point.

Speaking of fashion muses, the rest of TOMORROW X TOGETHER and you are put together stylishly all the time. How does it feel knowing others might regard you as their fashion muse? I would be flattered if anyone thinks of me as their fashion muse. I do have a few favourites though, like hoodies! All our fans know I own a lot of them. So, if anyone is interested in how I try to be fashionable, my words of advice would be to find what’s most interesting to you, because everyone is unique and beautiful in their own way!

How did you develop your sense of style into what it is today? I’m very focused on what I like. If I like something, I adore it. I guess you could say it speaks about me. I generally prefer comfortable clothes, and comfy attire is what I’m usually found in. It might not be fancy, but I still think it expresses who I am.

Speaking of trying on different styles, how has fashion been transformative in your experience? I think fashion has been most transformative for me on stage when we perform. We’ve tried so many different sounds and genres over the years, and fashion has really helped us to amplify the vibe and mood of the song. Fashion helps complete the visual components of our shows as well as the listening experience of our albums. It helps us enter another zone and put on the best show we possibly can.

Everyone has their unique personas when it comes to personal style — how would you define yours? It’s a tough question. I would like to describe my style as friendly, approachable and very comfortable because I love to get to know people in various settings.

What do you think are your best characteristics? I’m very flexible. I’m willing to try new things and challenge myself. I believe that I can truly learn to grow as a person once I accept the changes instead of running away. It’s so intriguing that the only “constant” in life is paradoxically “change.”

What has changed the most about you while being a part of TOMORROW X TOGETHER? This is a good question, I actually want to ask this question to the other members. I learned so much, yet out of all, I learned to become a team player. There’s nothing more rewarding than accomplishing things “together.”

When the group was teased before you were revealed, the phrase “You and I, different but together. We explore one dream” was shared on the introductory website, what might that dream be? There can be many different interpretations, but I think the biggest and the most meaningful dream “we” can share is finding ourselves through a beautiful journey called growing up. We are all in this together, experiencing the highs and lows life has to offer.

More importantly, TOMORROW X TOGETHER often revolves around building a possible, hopeful future. As the youngest member, what does “TOMORROW” mean to you? For me, the meaning of “tomorrow” varies from time to time. I always hope for a better tomorrow, a better future and a better me. As the youngest member of the group, I think tomorrow means growth that I get to share with amazing team members and our fans MOA.

Do you hope others will feel the same about what “TOMORROW” means? Of course! I hope others have a positive view of what tomorrow means to them. It could mean a challenge or uncharted territory, but that itself is an opportunity, right?

K-pop has helped bring Korean culture to the world; I’m also aware that you speak Mandarin and Portuguese, besides Korean and English, how does it feel to be a bridge between multiple cultures? Language is just a component that shapes an intricate web of culture. There are so many things to consider before you say you “know” a certain culture. Through K-pop, the world is more aware of Korean music and started to get interested in other aspects of Korean culture, like food and the dramas! I’m really humbled and grateful to be part of something that brings people together.

What do you think this generation of K-pop can bring to the future of the K-pop industry? Like how earlier generations of K-pop artists have shaped the industry today, I believe that the challenges the current generation of artists — including TOMORROW X TOGETHER — are tackling now could enrich the future K-pop industry.

Do you have anything you have learned to let go or overcome after debuting? Every song, every dance and every tour is a challenge I successfully overcome. Yes, they are difficult and sometimes even scary. So, I’ve learned not to be afraid of anything without trying, I would say.

Lastly, do you have any messages for your fans in South East Asia? Words cannot express how much I love you MOA! Thank you for always being with us. We hope to see you soon.

[sapphic-horny-tears]

Thought dump/Storytime: If you aren't interested in people discussing your opinions maybe don't put them on the internet.

People get so pressed when they put their opinion out on the internet and then get mad when people give THEIR opinion about their opinion, AND THEN HIDE BEHIND THE "OH ITS JUST MY OPINION" LINE!!! it's like oh have you never heard of idk, the idea of a conversation? of debate? a discussion? the exchange of ideas? the fact that people have different experiences and backgrounds than you? Cause let me tell you, you are never going to agree 100% with everybody. And some people get overly rude and mean true. But others are genuinely just also stating what they think, and are open to discussion because that is how people learn and grow. If you immediately always start at a "fuck you and your family" mentality communication stops, and no one has learned anything. Chances are you aren't going to change someone's mind, but maybe it will make them think later on down the line, or plant a seed that might eventually make them see the world differently.

Storytime: I was at a friends birthday party a few years ago, in an area of my country that tends to be conservative and definitely not politically correct. I was chatting with this group of guys and when they found out that I had a degree in politics and gender studies they started to ask me questions about feminism, and then later the trans community. I told them that I am not trans, so I cannot speak for trans people, but I can do my best to answer their questions. They had a lot, and it was mostly just that they didn't really understand it and they were afraid to ask questions because they didn't want to be yelled at or seen as bigoted people. They were really excited to have someone to talk to about it, to ask questions, and to learn. I answered their questions as best as I could, with what I knew from being in the LGBTQ+ community myself, and what I had learned throughout my degree. Some of them had some really thoughtful and insightful things to say and it was honestly a really enriching experience for me, and I hope for them as well, because while I was definitely not going to have my mind swayed about the trans community. I still came away from the experience having learned more about communication, advocacy, and being able to have an open discussion even if you disagree. We were literally holed up in a randoms bedroom during a massive house party having these deep philosophical chats, some would get called away by their mates at times but they always came back for more, they were deeply invested. I never saw them again, and I have no idea what they may have taken from our talks that night, I know that I was better for it, and I can only hope that they were too, that maybe next time they encounter a trans person, or even just the topic of the LGBTQ+ community, they might think back to what we talked about.

All this to say that I think we sometimes get so consumed with right and wrong that we forget that we haven't always had the correct take every time, and to think about what helped change your mind, helped you to learn, and grow. We have forgotten the art of good faith and open debate. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE TO DEBATE THEIR RIGHT TO EXIST!!!! THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM SAYING, BEFORE YALL COME AT ME CAUSE I KNOW WHAT YALL ARE LIKE!!!!. IF SOMEONE IS BEING A BIGOTED ARSEHOLE, YOU SHOULD TREAT THEM AS SUCH!

We can't expect people to be lawful good from birth to death, we all miss the mark from time to time. If someone is being genuine and in good faith to you, I think you should try to be the same back. Until they're not and then you can unleash hell.

TLDR: People have forgotten the old if it's not for you keep scrolling trick, and instead are airing out their personal grievances on the internet, they can dish it but can't take it. If you're not interested in people discussing your thoughts maybe don't put them on the internet. REAL-LIFE, CHARACTERS AND MEDIA are not always lawful good from their inception. If you want to change someones mind maybe start with honey instead of vinegar.