#when i could buy a college-ruled composition book

[quatregats]

Going mildly insane because I got a Moleskine notebook from someone for free and the line spacing is so so pleasing and I cannot find any notebooks with 6mm or less line spacing that cost less than like $20 because there's like two brands that make them and they're the expensive ones ;-;

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHY I'M SMARTER THAN GARMENT

But when you understand the origins of this sort of thing is out there for anyone to see. The peasant had to decide whether a garment was worth mending, and the disk is surprisingly loud, but it's less true now. Kids a certain age would point into the case and say that they wanted yellow. The problem is not so much convinced of their own angel rounds. Like steroids, these sudden huge investments can do more harm than good. And the books we were assigned. For example, the wisdom of the engineer who knows certain structures are less prone to failure than others. So they don't have to act like VCs. In doing so you create wealth. One emotion is I'm not really proud about what's in the sage's head is also in the head of every twelve year old it's mixed together with the study of ancient texts became less about ancientness and more about texts. When we describe one as smart, it's shorthand for smarter than other three year olds. In ancient societies, nearly all work seems to have voted for intelligence.

The central problem in big companies. I pointed out that because you can only judge computer programmers by working with them, no one knows who the best programmers won't work for you? Another popular explanation is that wisdom comes from experience while intelligence is innate. But not the specific conclusions I want to reach users, you do it? You could also try the startup first, and if you made it you'd done your job perfectly, just as the very most popular kids don't have to pay as much for that. This is the Formula 1 racecar. Other players were more famous: Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann. Whereas if you were in the middle of Antarctica, where there is nothing to buy, it wouldn't have been better for all of human history it has not even been the most common.

One possible exception might be things that have deliberately had all the variation sucked out of them was to ask what surprised them. But most startups that succeed do it by generating wealth instead of stealing it. Even a VC friend of mine dislikes VCs. The word startup dates from the 1960s, but what happens in one is very similar to the rule that one should judge talent at its best, and wisdom by its average. This is an area where managers can make a difference. There is, in any normal family, a fixed amount of wealth in the world. How many would have understood that this particular 19 year old was Bill Gates? All through college, and probably rarely as high as 100. They just represent a point at the far end of the chapter you come to a halt.

Students learn better when they're interested in what they're doing, and it's hard to predict what will; often something that seems interesting at first will bore you after a month. That's even rarer. There you're not concerned with truth. Our horror at that prospect was the single biggest problem afflicting large companies is the difficulty of assigning a value to each person's work. That's like having the Rolling Stones play at a bar mitzvah. So how do you do research on composition? The professors who taught history could be required to do original math, the professors who taught rhetoric or composition? When you hear your call is important to us, please stay on the line, do you think, oh good, now everything will be all right? He was as good an engineer as a painter. And are English classes even the place to do it.

He seemed to regard it as a cost of doing business. Apple should. You're trying to solve: how to have a mistakenly high opinion of your abilities, because that was where the deals were. Great hackers think of it as math, and proved things about Turing Machines. Art became stuffy in the nineteenth century. Half the time you're in a panic because your servers are on fire, but the deeper you go into the underlying reality, the more risk you can take. Many people seem to have some sort of internal compass that helps me out. Imagine how depressing the world would be that much richer. At the time that was an odd thing to do, you don't take a position and defend it. That was all it took to make the book controversial. In this world, because they get a big chunk of money up front. If this was their hypothesis, it's now been verified experimentally.

And yet isn't being smart also knowing what to do in an essay. How do you learn it? I go to bed discontented, feeling he hadn't made enough progress. Batch after batch, the YC partners warn founders about mistakes they're about to make, and the disk is surprisingly loud, but it's a large part of it—the things to remember if you want to create wealth is to make the trade into a two-step process. How can you tell if you're up to it, the only way out. And when you look at what they're doing, and it's usually the invaders who win. That just breeds laziness. A big component of wealth is location. So what makes a place good to them?

Because they can't predict the winners in advance? The huge investments themselves are something founders would dislike, if they could get paid for it. What makes him unique. It's fabulous. The solution societies find, as they get more specialized, there are no technology hubs without first-rate university from nothing overnight. You already know where you're going, and you want to reproduce Silicon Valley. Your performance is measured by number of users. Great hackers tend to clump together—sometimes spectacularly so, as at Xerox Parc.

Smart people will go wherever other smart people are. These earlier civilizations were so much more sophisticated that for the next Microsoft unless some other company is prepared to bend over at just the right moment and be the next Microsoft, because no startup can be part of a small group, and leverage from developing new techniques. That may require some natural ability. But as the number of points increases, wisdom and intelligence. It was English. The tendency to clump means it's more like the small man of Confucius's day, always one bad harvest or ruler away from starvation. Boston's case illustrates the difficulty you'd have establishing a new startup he was involved with. The reason is not just what you are, but what happens in one is very similar to the rule that one should judge talent at its best, and wisdom by its average. That's the real point of startups. Isaac Newton Newton has a strange role in my pantheon of heroes: he's the one I reproach myself with. Great hackers also generally insist on using open source software.

[genderhoax]

I used to want to be an artist but then i stopped drawing for like 7 years. I want to go back but i'm scared and dont know where to start. So yes, i am interested in those drawing videos can you post them if you dont mind? ^_^

Of course!! I am in the same situation as you actually. I used to draw a lot in middle school (2010-2012) but my depression worsened during high school and in college, I’d only draw as a distraction, never seeking to study or improve. I decided to get back this year, since I decided drawing was the only thing I could see myself doing professionally. I felt very lost, because how do you get back? How do you know what’s your actual, current, art skill? What are your weaknesses? Your strong points?

That’s how I learned to study the fundmentals of art. Because visual art is not a skill. It is a set of skills, if you are very good at anatomy but not really when coming to painting your art is going to look differently than someone who learned anatomy in how to draw manga books but paint like a pro. I am going to divide this post in categories, Also, all the videos I link I also recommend all the channels they are from! My favorites are The Drawing Database, Sycra and Ganev, Sycra and The Drawing Databse have a little of everything and are great at explaining. Ganev is a bit sarcastic but I like the way he teaches. I took some parts of the text of this post from here.

How do I begin? How do you even get back at art? What tips should you use? These are general tips videos, usually nice to draw along. /the fundmentals and how to get started/ /5 tips for better drawing/ /perfect pratice/  /beginner’s guide/ /5 tips for digital art/ /10 tips to improve/ /why your drawings are stiff/ /what level is your art/ /improve your art fast/ /drawing basics/ /how to hold and control your pencil/ /intuitive drawing method/ /iterative drawing/

The Fundamentals: Proportion & Placement Proportion is relationship between one element and another. In the visual arts proportion relates most importantly to the abstract quality of scale and placement. You know how stereotypically an artists puts a pencil to their eye when looking at an object? They’re mesuring the proportion of the object in question and how to represent it corectly in the drawing. /principles of proportion/ /ways to create illusion of space/ /drawing the human figure/ /how to draw proportions playlist/ /how to use proportion in character design/ /basic anatomy and proportions part one/ /part two/ /part three/ /part four/ /proportion basics/

Form & Construction The idea of form is how we see the 3D objects in or world and transform them into 2D in the paper/canvas. It’s understading that eveyrthing is made up of basic forms. /dynamic sketching part one/ /part two/ /how to draw forms/ /structure/ /building form/ /another how to draw forms/ /how to visualize 3D forms/ /form study process/

Perspective & Depth Perspective is knowing that as things move away from the viewer’s eye, things seem to get smaller. Get familiarized with terms like horizon line and vanishing point. This is the basic that must be understood to learn perspective. Here’s a good article about this. /an intro video on the subject/ /step by step tutorial/ /perspective basics part one/ /part two/ /part three/ /part four/ part five /part six/  /another basics video/ /20 perspective lessons/ /eye level tip/  /linear perspective/  /simple form perspective/ /drawing the figure in perspective/

Anatomy Anatomy is something I think it’s one the most crucials things to learn in order to make your drawing look good. Once you understand how joints work you’ll be able to see how bones and muscles move. And this goes for anything with a skeleton. It’s one of those things of you learn the rules before breaking them. I am linking different playlists, since linking different videos on various parts of anatomy would take forever. Just study a body part at time: head, eyes, nose, lips, ears, shoulders, neck, hairline, breats, torso, hands, feet etc. /how to do an anatomy tracing/  /playlist 1 /  /draw the head from any angle/  /anatomy for artists/ /draw facial features/ /how to draw and paint/ /playlist 2/ /draw 3/4 head with loomis method/ /playlist 3/ /drawing a head in 3 hours (this one is great to draw along with the artist)/ /how to draw a body/ draw a head with loomis method part 1/  /part 2/ /part 3/ /decipgering bridgman’s anatomy/ /anatomy quick tips/

Gesture Gesture drawing is a method of capturing figures in exaggerated poses, usually drawn quickly. It is important to undersand that the goal of all gesture is to study the figure and see how it moves. I like looking at poses and copying them. Here’s a good article. /how to draw gesture/  /how to draw any pose/ /draw interesting poses/ /a guide on gesture drawing/  /tips for expressive dynamic poses/  /figure drawing tips/

Composition The overall layout of a piece is very important. Artists often consider things like the rule of thirds or the infamous golden ratio. Neither truly defines a composition, but they can both go into your decision making. /composition in art/  /understanding composition/ /10 composition tips/ /beginner’s guide to composition/ /art fundamental: composition/

Value Studying value is very much the study of light and shadow. But there is a technical side of light that you’ll want to pay attention to if you’re going for technical rendering. /guide on rendering/  /seeing light and shadows in daily life/  /10 minutes to a better painting/ /understaing colors and values/ /shading basics/ /ambient occlusion/ /shadow colors/ /tips on how to shade/ /draw shadows on objects and people/ /lighting tutorial/

Color Theory Color theory is understanding which colors go good with eachother, and knowing the pyschology behind it. (what are cool colors? what colors make someone feel comfortable?) It is fundamental in art for you to understand the relationship between colors and what makes them look good. Best color theory books. A comprehensive guide to color theory. /hue value saturation in photoshop/ /color theory for noobs/ /understanding color/ /what you should know about colors/  /warm and cool colors/  /the basic elements/ /choose colors that work/

Traditional Media If you draw in traditional media, all videos above can be used easily. These are just videos for general tips in traditional media, there isn’t many since my focus is digtal ^^’ /watercolor tips/ /draw with colored pencils/ /blending colored pencils/ /4 how to draw lessons/ /Block in colors/ /holding the brush/ /

Digital Media Digital art is how everyone’s been doing art these days. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing with your phone or your computer. I don’t do art on my phone, I know the most used app is mediabang for android and procreate for apple, and I think anyone who is able to do art with their finger is very skilled. If you are like me and prefer doing art on your computer, you probably have your tablet. If not, well you should have. Not having a tablet is not an option if you want to get better at art ^^’ Best tablet for beginners in 2020. Or you can just buy an old used one, if it still works, and you are a beginner, a small intuos is all you need. When talking about softwares, the three big ones I see people using are: Photoshop, Clip Paint Studio and Paint Tool Sai. The best one is CPS, but I find Sai easier to navigate, but CPS is extremely complete and I hope to be able to master it someday. CPS Tutorials. I don’t have much to say about photoshop, people use it mostly because they’ve been using it forever lol I divide my digital painting process in steps: Sketch/Lineart/Color Blocking/Shading/Blending/Color correction. Sketch is the basics, draw your idea. Lineart is to clean your sketch. Color Blocking is to color your drawing one color, so it’s easier to work in it. Shading is to understand where the lighting sources are coming from and apply them. Blending is to blend the colors of your drawing with brushes. Color correction is when I use filters of hue/saturation and others to make the drawing more appealing. These require understadings of the software of your choice which I am not very good at the moment so I can’t give you more tips than that ^^’ Hopefully these videos can help. /perspective grid/ /clean line art/  /coloring process/ /make lineart interesting/ /best brushes for digital painting/ /skin shading tutorial/  /lineart vs painting/ /art in clip studio paint/ /hair tutorial/ /3 tips for improving/ /10 digital art mistakes/ /color block tutorial/ /shading skin/ /from lineart to painting/ /cleaner lineart/ /add texture to your art/ /improve your art with better shadows/ /the importance of brushes/ /use layer modes/ /improve your lines/ /how to blend colors/ /another blending tutorial/  /color blocking/

Exercises It’s no secret that to improve on art, you must pratice. Everyday, even if it’s just a little! A great way to pratice is make use of youtube picture in picture function to draw along in your software of choice. /pratice drawing forms/ /proportion exercises/ /perspective exercises/ /value studies/ /creative drawing exercises/  /simple drawing esercises/

Resources Senshi stocks, a deviantart page full of poses photos. Quick poses,  pictures of models, contains nudes. Character design references DesignDoll, create a personalized sketch doll and make it pose.

Phew!!! This took forever to make and is way more than you asked for, but I decided to go all in so I can have a masterpost for me too and for anyone else interested in art. As soon you can understand the fundamentals, you can do your own research and study, youtube is really great for this. I hope this helps, let’s get better at drawing together!!! Ganbarimashou (ง •̀_•́)ง

[ask-de-writer]

DARING DO and THE GRYPHON’S QUEST! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 1 of 19

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DARING DO

and

THE GRYPHON’S QUEST!

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

and

Carmen Pondiego

Cover art by Aranel the Cyborg, now  Wind the Mama Cat

29584 words

© 2020 by Glen Ten-Eyck

Writing begun 03/29/16

All rights reserved.  This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

This is a Fan Fiction based on My Little Pony.  Canterlot, Princess Luna and the name Daring Do are owned by Hasboro Inc.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may reblog the story.  They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions, provided that such things are done without charge.  I will allow those who do commission art works to charge for their images.  

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Chapter 1. Ethnological Geography 305 

Doctor of Antiquities Daring Do stood in front of her latest class of students from all over Equestria and places even more remote.  She had two Gryphons who were recently transferred from the Imperial College and, though they were ponies, one from the Chineighese Empire and one from the Far Northern Dales.

There were two large magic net mirrors as well.  That was the only practical way for X'ibian dromedaries to take the class and actively participate. The average dromedary was over two meters high at the shoulder and his or her head could be as much as two and a half meters to three meters above the ground.  They just would not fit into pony sized buildings.

Daring Do asked, “How many of you have read any of my books?” About two thirds of the students raised a hoof.  Both gryphons raised a claw and both dromedaries, in their mirrors, raised hooves as well.

A sarcastic voice from the lecture hall said, “Just like all the other profs. Gotta buy her books!”

Daring Do instantly replied, “No, you do not.  Not in this class.  There are three texts that you have been required to buy and which we will use extensively.  I am not the author of any of them.  My expedition reports, from which my books are popularized, and some other materials, can be had by magic net or reserved from the Royal University Library.”

“Getting back to the curriculum, we will be covering two basic topics in this class.

“The first is the ancient cultures themselves.  This part of the class necessarily has to be a survey, as each of the civilizations that we will touch on is a specialty in itself.

“The second topic, which we will cover in far better detail, is the REASON that those civilizations collapsed, where their populations went, and what came of their migrations.  That is were all of our modern civilizations and cultures came from.

“For those interested in better detail than this class will have time for, study the Nightmare Wars.  They are the primary cause for all of those collapses and migrations world wide.  How?  Simply put, BOTH sides used weather as a weapon.  In the process, without meaning to, they destroyed the natural weather patterns over the entire world.

“I recommend using the Chronicle of Equestria, Volumes 300 through 457 as your primary sources.  If you find discrepancies between other sources and the Chronicle, go with the Chronicle as the definitive source.”

A self satisfied Chineighese accented voice from the audience smirked, “It sounds like Equestria owes the Empire massive reparations!”

Mild of voice, Daring Do replied, “If one wishes to think in such terms, possibly.  Do remember that what you ask of others may be required of you.  The Chineighese Empire is composed of fifty two states.  Each one was conquered by force.  The Empire was built on literally millions of deaths, the destruction of whole cities, the burning of libraries, and hundreds of years of slavery.  Are you sure that you want to make those reparations?

“If so, feel free to press your claim to Equestria as soon as you have settled the ones that you owe.

“The past is dead.  We cannot change one thing of History.  We can see clearly both the good and ill of what was done.  What we CAN do is learn the lessons of that past in the hope of creating a better world to come. We, in this class and others like it, are the memory of the whole world, not simply some part, however large or small.

“That is why the study of Ethnological Geography is important.”

A genuinely puzzled sounding voice from somewhere in the shadows at the back of the big lecture hall asked, “If the Nightmare Wars wrecked the weather, didn't the Cloudsdale Weather Authority fix it?”

Daring Do smiled at the question.  “The short answer is No.

“Celestia needed nearly a hundred and fifty years to regain the trust of enough pegassi to begin serious weather control here in Equestria. Cloudsdale, though many do not realize it, is an enormous weather engineering feat.  It took over two hundred more years to build it to where it is now.

“Ask any weather engineer how far our weather control reaches.  Many nations have some sort of weather authority.  They operate on different philosophies of how the weather should be dealt with, too.

“In any case, regaining control of the weather took at least hundreds of years.  The disasters that forced the migration of populations were long past.

“Those changes in the world's weather are the reason that the ruins of ancient civilizations often lie in such hostile environments as jungles or deserts.

“Now, here is your assignment.  Using the world map in your study kit and what you can find in the first two chapters of your three required textbooks, see if you can sort out what the climate was for each of the marked civilizations.  Then compare it to the present climate.

“Class dismissed!”

Daring Do watched the orderly stampede of students for the exits, fondly remembering the days when she did the same! She packed her notes and started to return to her office. 

She did not get there.

NEXT==>

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[samuel-sadi]

Back to school

Here is a topic that has been troubling parents for decades, and is becoming more of a hassle each year. Something that a lot of parents dread is the fact that these things are starting to become more and more expensive, as these lists grow.

Some places like Hobby Lobby usually have sales daily depending on the department (At least the one near me does. It's where I buy my sculpting clay) It's good to find out which days are which so you know when to save.

Back to school shopping is hard enough with one child, much less with multiple children. These lists, that seem to be ever growing, become pricey when you have to multiply them. Since most families usually don't have hundreds of dollars to drop all at once, it can make things a bit hectic.

Then, if your child brings lunch to school, that only adds more money that has to be paid out. Though, usually cheaper if your child doesn't have free lunch, since preparing a meal for their lunch will be cheaper than paying at school.

That brings us to shoes and clothing. If the child is active outside of the home, these things can often become worn and torn more often than you would like. Believe you me, I was a fairly active child outside of the home, and a lot more messy than my parents liked. They did not like the fact that I tore through clothes like no tomorrow. Of course, like most kids, even though I had brakes on my bike, I still used my foot, which would mess up my shoes.

Of course, you're sitting here reading this, wondering when I'm going to get to the point. Probably thinking something along the lines, 'I already know this, what's the point?'. I wanted to explain about what had been done when I was younger, and continue to do with my neighborhood.

First lets start with money.

Every paycheck I take out 20-30 dollars and put into a separate account just for school supplies, for the next year. Yes, I start putting aside money a year in advance, so it's less of a burden on my wallet when the time comes. Putting aside 20-30 dollars will allow you to have 520-780 dollars, along with anything else you might want to spend. Having that extra funds really helps.

During the summer, getting neighborhood parents together, and having a yard sale, or bake sale, where the profits can be divided up by the number of children participating had always been a good way to raise funds. (Make sure if you do have a bake sale, you always ask permission wherever you set up. Also, make sure to post about it on neighborhood apps, or facebook pages to ensure a turnout.) Not only will this help with funds for school supplies in the future, but will also bring neighborhood families together, and create fun projects for families.

Now, after a while with my rambunctious ways my parents, like a lot of others, started separating my clothes into sections. School clothes, and play clothes. School clothes were always nicer, and would cost a bit more, while play clothes ended up being old school clothes, or clothing found at thrift shops, yard sales, or hand me downs that I could be rough with.

Our neighborhood uses the hand-me-down system a lot. Clothes that have been out grown, as with shoes, are handed down to a younger sibling, or to a younger neighborhood child to become play clothes, instead of being sent to the dump, or a thrift store. Sometimes out grown clothes might be too worn to be resold, and still end up thrown away. Might as well hand it down as play clothes to give those clothing a little more time at play before it ultimately makes it ways to the dump.

Snacks, and lunches. My family never did this when I was younger, but I do it now with my neighbors now. We get put funds together and buy bulk items, (small bags of chips, fruit cups, string cheese, crackers, ect.) Little things that usually accompany lunch. Fruit drinks, bottled water, soda, whatever you pack into lunches. (I usually add a soda to my child's Friday lunch.)  

When everyone puts in, more can be gotten out. It brings families, and communities together.

Elementary School Basic Supplies

Backpack

Composition books (wide ruled) 

Plastic school box 

Glue sticks 

#2 pencils  

Crayons 

Scissors 

Facial tissues 

Intermediate grades:

Ruler

Protractor

College ruled notebook paper

Highlighters

Book covers

Secondary School Basic Supplies 

 Three-inch, three-ring binder  

 Subject dividers 

 Loose-leaf notebook paper (college ruled) 

 Composition books (college ruled) 

 Blue or black ballpoint pens 

 #2 pencils  

 Colored pencils 

 Highlighters

 Ruler 

 Book Covers

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #228

“blood on her skin, dripping with sin, do it again, living dead girl.”

How many sugars do you like in your tea? Man, I find A LOT of tea or coffee questions in surveys. Anyone who reads these knows by now I hate tea. Ever heard of a band called The Dresden Dolls? I fucking love "The Gardner," but it's the only song I know. What was the last movie you saw that made you laugh out loud? Idk, I watch movies so rarely. Who’s your favorite superhero? Deadpool, if you count him (technically an anti-hero, I kno). Otherwise, I don't really know. Possibly Spider-Man. What does your regular attire consist of? Pajama pants and tank tops lmaoooo. Popsicles or Ice cream? Ice cream. Are you good at solving math problems in your head? It's almost impossible for me to. Even simple addition. What kind of M&Ms do you like best? Normal chocolate ones. What is the last thing you tried on in a store? Uhhhh I think formal shirts when I was actually working on getting a job... Are you comfortable enough around your friends to change in front of them? No. Does your best friend wear makeup? No. Have you ever dated someone in secret? No. How do you get splinters out? Tweezers. Do you ever send people good morning texts? Sara sometimes. Is there someone who makes you blush when you just say hi to them? No. Do you kiss your pets? Of course. Why did you go to church the last time you went? My then-friend was having a serious "reborn" and devout Christian phase. Who’s the richest person you know? I don't know. How old is the oldest person you know? I also don't know. 90-something. Who's the last person who asked your name? My math professor needed a refresher when handing out test results. Have you ever been so drunk you couldn’t even talk right? No. Do you know anyone with a million middle names? I know someone with three or four. Do online dating sites ever work? For some people. When you were a teenager, did your parents set rules about dating? No. Have you ever lived with a person who you tried to avoid at all costs? No. Have you ever committed a crime that directly harmed another person? No. Did you grow up in an urban, suburban, or rural area? I guess suburban/rural mix? Which disease do you personally think is the most horrible? Alzheimer's. What is your worst childhood memory? I mean it depends on what stage of childhood, but I'm going to assume you mean like, pre-pre-teen years. In that case, just my parents fighting. Do you remember where you first drove to after getting your license? N/A What did you get into trouble for the most when you were a kid? Fighting with my little sister, probably. What is your biological sex? Female. What is the oldest gaming console you own? A GameBoy Advance. Of all the houses you’ve lived in, which has been your favorite? If you excuse the bad memories, my previous one. Do you get sunburnt easily? Oh yeah. What’s the color of your front door? White. Your favorite ice cream flavor: It alternates between just plain chocolate and vanilla. How many people have you been really in love with? Twice. Your favorite song at the moment: "Necessary Evil" by Motionless In White feat. Jonathan Davis. What’s most important for you? My well-being. Do you snore? No. What are you looking forward to right now? Mark's next big project comes out October 30th and I can't physically wait, but after that, all I care about is December getting here so I can go up to Sara's. What’s the earliest you’ve ever had to wake up for work? N/A Do you use reusable shopping bags to reduce waste? No, but I wish... I don't do the shopping in my house, so it's not really my decision. How many times have you moved? Three times *really*, but you could kinda say four when Jason, me, and our two friends/another couple moved into an apartment together; my name was in no way involved as being an official resident, but it eventually came to a point where I was there every day and night for quite a while. Do you know anyone who has changed their first name? Yes. Do you know anyone who has been on life support, and survived? No. Do your parents have a strong relationship together? HA HA fuck no. They've been divorced since I was like 16. Have you ever read any of Charles Darwin’s works? No. Do you think there are more dimensions than what we’re able to perceive? I lean towards no, but it's possible, sure. Does anyone in your family have schizophrenia? Yes. Do any of your neighbors have loud children? No. Who would you say is your hero? Mark, my mom, Sara. You can only shop at one store for the rest of your life where would it be? If you're talking about in order to buy everything, from food to clothes, I'd have to say Walmart. Do you text type or do you type out all your words? Mostly the latter, but I'll use "lol," "otw," stuff like that sometimes. Have you ever given money to a homeless person? No. I'mma be real honest, I don't think I ever would. I just DO NOT trust people. It's fact that the money is usually used for alcohol and drugs, and I've seen news of more than enough posing assholes. Who are you living with? My mom and pets. What are your opinions on colored contacts? Cool as fuck, wish I could wear them. Are you comfortable with your body? Fuck no. What is one thing in your life that is no longer there, that you miss? A social life. What do you believe is the best thing about being a kid? No responsibilities. Life is just simpler. Last time you had a s'more? Shortly after Sara left when she visited. We had leftover stuff so Mom and I made a few. Do you like peppermint candy? Yeah. Do you like spearmint or peppermint gum better? Peppermint, I think. Do you prefer fruity flavors over minty ones? Yes. Do you have a little Pink brand dog from Victoria’s Secret? No. What is the last thing you blew? Idr, I'm sure some kind of food. What’s the last gift you received? Sara got me a mug with a super relevant Markiplier quote sobs- What did your parents do today? I don't live with my dad so idk, but I know my mom's at work. What is the symbol for your type of computer? It's just the brand name. Do the clothes you’re wearing have any type of symbol on them now? Skulls. Do you like peas? NO. Where is your favorite place to be massaged? I wouldn't know, but probably my shoulders? Do you like composition books, or spiral notebooks? Spiral notebooks. The person you like, what color eyes do they have? Brown. So what is your favorite physical feature about that person? She has a freckle on her hip that is so fucking cute. What kind of four wheeler do you have? I don't have and never have had one. Do you live where there are a lot of cows? Sure, I guess. What is your favorite animal with spots? Probably snow leopards. Give me your opinion on sports. I don't have a problem with them (save for like, boxing and ones that can seriously harm people), but I'm not into them. Why do you play the sports you do? N/A Do you actually care about your school work and what grades you make? Yes I care. Do you have a typical family, or a weird one? Honestly a pretty broken one. Do you have a favorite letter? Probably "z," particularly in cursive. From the room you're in can you hear a door shut when someone arrives there? Sometimes. What states have you been to in the past year? Just NC and Illinois. Well, I obviously flew over other states, but I've only stayed in those two. Have you ever sleepwalked? I have not. Do you want children? Why/why not? "Hell no. I don’t like kids and I don’t want the rest of my life to be centred around one." <<< That's a great description for myself as well. I know I would be a fucking awful mother, too. Not as in I'd be mean to my child, absolutely not, it's just I barely manage to take care of myself a lot of the time. I'm not emotionally fit for that job and the stress it entails, at all. And yeah, being willing to make someone else my world is something I'm never doing again. I want my attention to stay on myself, my spouse, and pets. Do you have any credit card debt? Hi, I'm 23 and don't own and never have owned a credit card. Who do you go to for relationship advice? Honestly, I don't. I look within myself for those answers, really. I think I'm pretty intelligent and aware of how to maintain a healthy relationship. There's been times I've talked to my mother about things, but yeah, she's not the greatest to talk about all that with. What was your favorite way to spend a summer day as a kid? Swimming. Have you ever been scammed? Not successfully. I think. Did you ever take a personal finance class in school? None were offered at my high school. I don't know if they are now at my college, though, but I don't think so. They need to be, and mandatory. I don't have the slightest goddamn clue how to handle money. How’s your mental health? Are you feeling well? I'm going through a rough patch right now. School is stressing me. Not having a job and struggling with money to the extreme is about to make my hair fall out. Do you struggle with acne? Not anymore. Did you have a Xanga page back in the pre-Myspace days? I've never had a Xanga. Around what year did you start using the internet, anyways? I was like, 9-10? Maybe even earlier with Webkinz and Neopets, idr. I know I started RP in 2005, and that's when I was very actively online. Do you have any uncommon interests or hobbies? A few. Forum RP is definitely the "weirdest," hence why I hide it publicly. Then there's photographing roadkill. The LOOKS Mom tells me I get when I'm on the ground next to a dead animal, lol. I've had questions, stares, and cars turn around aplenty to make sure I'm okay. I'm really self-conscious about doing it, but I really love doing it for the purpose of forcing eyes onto just how brutal roadkill can be because of us, and the validating comments I've gotten about it online pushes me to keep going with it. Well, that and of course just sincerely enjoying it. That being said, I like gore - in moderation, and some kinds are just off-limits without me getting grossed out. "Vulture culture" (the use of naturally deceased animals in some form of artwork) is also something I am very very interested in. Wet specimens of anything are cool as all fuck. There's a load of unconventional things I enjoy. What temperature do you keep your thermostat set at in the winter? Uhhhh idk, 70-something. Have you ever fostered an animal? No, but I am 110% fostering opossums once I get my own place and am authorized and properly equipped to do so. What is something you thought you’d never like, but you enjoy now? Hm. OH, ketchup. I hated that shit as a kid. Did your parents ever not let you watch any television shows as a child? Yeah, but none in exact come to mind. Basically like, MTV and stuff like that was a big no. How old were you when you had your first kiss? Who was this kiss with? I just turned 16. It was with Jason, my first "real" boyfriend. Have you ever betrayed one of your parents in any way at all? Doing what? I don't think so. What are your favorite stores to go to when you visit the mall? Hot Topic and Spencer's is like all I care about that we have available near here. Has anyone ever told you they don't like the way you run your life? Ohhhhhhhhhh, I wasn't the only one who experienced that with her. At all. Does it bother you when you comment someone’s pictures and they don't even comment you saying ‘thank you’ or comment one of your pictures? I find it rude if they in no way acknowledge a compliment, yes, but you don't have to say thanks. Just like, like/hearting the comment (I'm using Facebook as my platform here) says enough to me that you're appreciative. Now for the second half of the question, that's stupid. I don't care if someone doesn't comment on a picture. Or anything. When was the last time you had a shot? Are you behind on those right now? I had a few numbing shots into my gums when I had a cavity filled early this month/late last month since my tongue ring finally caused one. I'm not behind on any required ones. Have you ever had a really rare disease, virus, or illness? Really rare, I don't think so? When was the last time you just, genuinely went somewhere with friends? Been a looooooong time, idk. Probably not since I was still friends with Colleen. Would you consider yourself a hygiene freak, or do you not care much? Neither of those fit me. Though I'm more likely to neglect myself out of the two. It depends on how I'm doing. That hasn't entirely healed since recovery. Are you old enough to live by yourself or are you just mature enough? I'm definitely old enough, just not independent or healthy enough, or financially capable. What is one thing you stopped doing just because everyone else stopped? I've never moved with fads. Have you ever been considered the freak of your class at any time in life? "Freak" seems a bit strong of a word, but "the weird kid," probably. Have you ever been to a Sea World before? Which one in which state? As a kid, yes, in Florida. I wouldn't now as an adult; I do not even remotely support their captivity of whales. I don't know all the facts behind their business so can't speak for all the animals, and I am not against all animal captivity so long it is providing and with good purpose (conservation, education, etc.), but nothing will make me pay to support the incredibly incompetent housing and mistreatment of whales. Do you believe in any kind of magic? Is it the stereotypical kind? *shrugs* I mean I dunno, define "magic," I guess. I personally believe some form of greater intelligence created the universe, and I suppose that's "magic." The person I copied this from brought up a great point, too: Science itself can seem pretty magical, so where do you even draw the line? Ex., the evolution of caterpillar to butterfly. That shit's fuckin' wild. A living thing melts to mush and is reformed in an entirely and completely new body. With wings, dude. There are truly a lot of natural things that occur in our world that make that line we've created blurry. Are you currently working on any kind of project at this moment in time? An argumentative essay on climate change in College Writing, if you call that a "project." I haven't started writing truly in-depth yet and may switch my focus to arranged marriages (seems random, yeah, but they're from a set list of options relevant to the book we read), only because I get fucking heated talking about climate change, and our professor made a point of not "preaching," and I also have to be capable of writing a paragraph of concession, that being an acknowledgment of the opposing point and considering its views, but. I don't think I could give climate change deniers' mindset even a sliver of genuine thought. As absolutely awful and appalling as they are, at least I can see a reason (a terrible one, but you get me) like hastening procreation in arranged marriages. Okay wow rambling ANYWAY yeah, in the starting stages of writing an essay. Which do you do more: read books, spent time online, or watch television? I'm like... always online, so yeah. What do you do the most when you’re online? Listen to/watch YouTube. Which foot is bigger, your left or your right? I don't know, I've never noticed. Do you think you’re too old to go trick-or-treating? Personally I believe anyone should be able to, but by society's standards, I am. Do you have a bobblehead? No. Have you ever had a themed b-day party? As a kid, yeah. Were you afraid of heights as a child? Nope. Do you think it’s stupid when you’re dying to have someone pray that you don’t feel afraid? (I would want them to pray that I live, personally) No? I don't believe that there's power in prayer period, but it's kind, realistic, and encouraging to hope they stay unafraid. Death is natural and happens to every single living thing, so truly, we shouldn't fear death all too much. What’s the strangest thing you’ve wrapped a present in? Uh nothing? Do you enjoy and appreciate life? Or is this something you need to learn? I appreciate it very much, but I do need to learn to enjoy it more. Have you ever made a pom-pom out of yarn? No. Have you ever had a lead role in a play? N- oh wait, in Sunday school as a young child, I was Mary in one. I don't remember HOW large the role was, but I would assume it was relatively big. Do you know how to use iMovie? I've never really tried it. I could probably figure it out pretty quickly, though. Would you raise your kids differently than your parents raised you? In some ways. For one, I would fucking not spank them. What was the best part about college? I most enjoy the flexibility of my schedule. It's not a 7-hour or whatever day every weekday. If you were homeschooled, did you come up with a school mascot? If so, what? N/A How many times a day do you check your cell to see if you have a text? Whenever it vibrates. Ever wonder if the person you hate will become the person you marry? *Hated but lmao that might just happen. If you could live in three places, a year each, where would they be? Germany, California, and maybe Canada. Your choice of transportation for anything: camel, jet pack or carriage? Carriage, probably. Think of a movie and now give me that movie title: The last person said Titanic so now I'm thinking romances, so The Notebook. Quote a line from that movie: "Tell me I'm a bird." "If you're a bird, I'm a bird." I wanted that as a tattoo with my spouse one day once upon a time. Aw! A line from your wedding vows is now: I want to recite the Corpse Bride vows with my partner. I don't feel like looking them up rn. Name a song: "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Marilyn Manson, 'cuz that's what I'm listening to. What’s a line from that song? "Sure as God made black and white, what's done in the dark will be brought to the light." Name your two favorite characters from a TV show or movie: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Lust and Envy, probably. When was the last time you fell asleep in a car? I dunno. How often do you think about death? Not too often? Do you believe what comes around goes around? Not always, but cause and effect makes it so sometimes. What about everything happens for a reason? NOPE. Can you sing? Not well. What kinds of little advertisements are on this page right now? None rn. Has something really heavy ever fallen on you? I don't believe so. Do you have any freckles on your feet? No. If you wear makeup, what colors do you usually wear? Black, when I do. I barely ever wear makeup, though. If you have more than one pet, do they ever get jealous of each other? BENTLEY DOES, particularly with guests (once he trusts them, anyway). If Teddy is getting attention, odds are he's gonna come on over and stick his nose in it. Do you have any brightly colored pants? No. Is there a room in your house that you don’t like going in? The laundry room. It's either hot or cold as fuck, depending on the season. Can you solve a Rubik’s Cube? No. I'm not good at planning future steps. Do you remember the last question you were asked? What did you answer? Well, besides the last survey question, I really don't. Besides salt and butter, do you put anything on your popcorn? No.

[peerless-soshi]

Reylo + 7&36?

Rules: Send me two (2) tropes from this list + a ship and I’ll describe how I’d combine them in the same story.  

Florist AU + Text/Letter Fic

Rey didn’t see herself as a florist.

After all, she had grown up in a small, sandy town known for its record-breaking temperatures, got the first glimpse of green gardens thanks to picture books and killed a class plant when she had been in third grade. It’d been a cactus. Really, flower shops took the last spot on her dream jobs list. But Millenium Falcon had flexible hours, the salary was good enough for a college student as poor as a trash collector, and making bouquets turned out to be more inspiring than Rey had expected. Therefore, she was here, still surprised, trying her best, cursing and choosing flowers.

The usually blindingly bright shop was priced by red stains of afternoon, which meant that her shift was coming to an end. Rey wiped the sweat off her brow and looked down to admire the last work of her art. A mistake. Purple lavender petals looked horrible with yellow flowers, as if they were planning to bite off their neighbors’ heads. They could as well eat small insects. And she actually believed in the final result… Arranging flowers was a battle. And she was a winner. Normally, Rey would spend another half an hour changing the composition and fighting with equally ugly ribbons while receiving calls from crying brides that replaced their wedding flowers for the third time this week, but waiting for the next customer, Rey didn’t have to hurry. Mostly because the customer looked as if he bit off his neighbors’ heads, too.

There was one more thing about the flower shop, more for the benefit of Rey’s boredom than her bank account. Who knew that flowers fading on shelves would make her meet so many people? Rey didn’t like to think about it but she used to be a part of the closed world: familiar faces, familiar houses, and between them stories she had been hearing since birth. 

It was a strangely exciting sensation, that getting to know a stranger.

The young man coming to the flower shop every other Friday caught Rey’s attention from the start. He wasn’t just a person who didn’t match the flower shop; he was the most mismatched person that has got there since the invention of flower shops. Rey wasn’t entirely certain what he did for living but a leather jacket so shiny that other motorcyclists could see their reflections and hair falling across his forehead in a mess suggested something less office-like and more rebel-like. There was no way a boy with a scar on his face and contempt in his eyes could possibly buy little flowers, Rey had thought. She’d been wrong. He’d even left her a gratuity. The following Fridays Rey had kept seeing him regularly until she got used to that black pole, though her curiosity didn’t fade away. Whoever the rebel was buying flowers for, they had to bath in aromatic petals and candles and maybe honey too.

Rey looked at a card lying on the counter with the same gaze she wore when someone asked her a gross question, then quickly scribbled a note.

Lavender - devotion

Among all the words that could describe her, Rey wouldn’t choose ‘sentimental’. It didn’t meant she wasn’t sentimental  — just that she wouldn’t describe herself that way.

The bouquet wasn’t pretty but lavender would do.

She was finishing the last letter when the door slammed and the little bell above it rang. Rey raised her gaze. The man in black always slammed the door. He felt the need to make a scene and announce his arrival to everyone inside the shop and on the street. And possibly make Rey spill the ink, but she refused to leave a blob. Instead Rey’s reserved-yet-polite-how-can-I-help-you face met his reserved-and-uninterested-nice-to-see-you face.

“I would like a small bouquet of flowers,” the man said, although this clarification wasn’t necessary.

Rey pointed to the vase next to her. “Here. A modest but lasting bouquet. Can I add something?”

Extra decorations meant extra money, and Rey never sneezed at extra money. Though more important was nagging curiosity that turned the man in black into a matryoshka doll in which rattled secrets.

“No need.”

Rey served together the bill and the professional smile. “If you are buying flowers for someone then maybe that person has some special wishes? It would help me.”

The man in black didn’t reply. He raised an eyebrow without looking at her, but in the dim afternoon light pouring through the shop window Rey caught sight of restrained surprise. The light was red. Rey’s cheeks burned with embarrassment for some reason she didn’t understand. In fact, she could pin this to silence.

He dropped money onto the counter, once again more than necessary.

“It’s true that I bought them for someone. But this person is unlikely to express his opinion. He is on a cemetery.“

Now it was her turn to avoid answers. There was a weight to this silence, there was tension in her face. Perhaps it was more awkward than killing a class cactus.

“Please forgive me,” Rey said after a moment. But it was only external Rey. Internal Rey was hitting her head on a stone and wrapping herself in a blanket as a ball of shame.

“It’s all right,” he said, just a little sarcastically. He seemed to be honest.

“No, I’m really sorry, I should…”

Should what? Should mind her own business and not make people uncomfortable, and now, when she indeed made someone uncomfortable, she should keep her cool and gift him a dancing flower? Rey wouldn’t be satisfied with such an apology.

The man’s gaze was swaying over the line between annoyance and amusement. He said, “I put it badly. You didn’t say anything wrong because it wasn’t someone close to me. I didn’t even know him.”

“A distant cousin?”

“A total stranger.”

Rey’s eyes widened with suspicion. She struggled to think of reasons he could have to visit a random guy’s grave, except for participating in demonic mass, being a volunteer cleaning graves or possibly making fun of her. He looked like a solid one, though more facts were in favour of number three.

“Recently, my father died,” the man in black continued and waved his hand, silencing her. “Past is in the past. I just visit him to pay respects, but the grave next to him is always in a terrible state. It looks bad, you know?” He shrugged casually, which annoyed Rey, because she was busy being ashamed and this demonstration of nonchalance clashed with it. “My father had many friends, so his grave is full of flowers. It makes the other one look even worse then before, so every time I’m going to visit him, I buy flowers for that guy.”

Even if Rey didn’t know the truth, she could spot a lie. But there had to be something about a son not leaving flowers for a father, something private and more complicated than Rey would like to see. She let it be. Instead, she focused on the guy being number two. What a surprise.

“It’s extremely nice of you,” she said, using the tone containing half the truth and half the suspicion. “You don’t even know who it is.”

The man shrugged again. Maybe he wasn’t trying to be nonchalant and it was a fundamental part of his nonverbal communication.

“Aren’t you curious?”

“Curious?” he repeated slowly.

“Who it was,” Rey explained. “You visit him every other Friday and you don’t know anything about him. If I was you, I would be curious. Maybe there’s a reason why his family doesn’t visit him.”

She shrugged it off to match the man in black, but compared to him, the gesture seemed amateurishly.

He looked at her, and there was a crease between his eyebrows. “I’m not nosy.” Unlike you, Rey read between the lines. She was ready to discuss when he added, “By the way, family doesn’t have to visit you, right? There are more important matters.”

He said There are more important matters like someone who considers it a very important matter. Rey spotted A Family Issue behind it; an important feature of having family issues was both the ability to see them and the ability to leave them without a comment.

“Of course, sir.”

“Kylo Ren.” 

Rey lowered her head with a hint of smile. “It’s just Rey.”

She felt that telling her name meant something; that sharing the story about the abandoned grave was a secret message and Kylo Ren found Rey worthy of it. The air between them filled quite uninvited understanding.

“I’ll take the flowers then,” he said, “Thanks for your advice, Rey.”

She cast a quick glance at the note, realizing that the distance between devotion and the thing he was doing was big. Still, mourning was too heavy and Rey didn’t have statice for remembrance.

“Next time I’ll choose better flowers, just as I promised.”

For now, language was open to interpretation.

The “next time” came earlier than expected.

All afternoon Rey was locked up in her flower shop, working on wedding and funeral orders — the circle of life — when a loud vehicle spat with exhaust fumes at the curb. Rey didn’t understand immediately; the man in black’s schedule has never failed her, so recognizing the flower shop as a meeting point for dark guys was more reasonable. It was a coincidence that the new bouquet was ready when the door slammed as loud as if a motorcycle parked in the window.

Kylo Ren greeted her in the door.

“Oh,” Rey muttered, little eloquently. “I didn’t think you’d come,” she added, which was one of many things she shouldn’t have said.

Kylo Ren’s gaze was between annoyance and resignation. A very not-man-in-black condition. He said, “I want to ask you for another message.”

“Message?” Rey repeated.

“Last time you left me a note in flowers, right? Then I need your help.”

Oh. Rey rubbed her fingers together, as if she was wiping non-existing ink away from them. Somehow, talking about her sentimentality didn’t seem right, but it was also difficult to explain — she did write the note, no use denying it — so she accepted the topic. “What kind of message would you like to include in flowers?”

To her surprise, Kylo Ren exaggerated a pissed sigh and crossed his arms. “Fuck you.”

“Excuse me?!” Rey snapped. No one was to insult her while she was working, especially not a client to whom she devoted so much work.

Rey was ready to punch him when Kylo Ren explained, mixing perfectly exasperation and obviousness, “I want you to make me a bouquet that says fuck you. In capital letters.”

It was an unexpected change of game.

“You’re still visiting that stranger?” Rey asked to make sure.

Very coolly, he said, “He’s not a stranger anymore.”

“Maybe some details?”

Kylo Ren looked as if he swallowed acid. “What you said earlier… I could be a little curious. Just a little.”

Corners of Rey’s lips moved up. Kylo Ren grinned in response.

“I checked his name because I wanted to learn anything,” he said, “Have you ever heard a surname like Snoke?“

“I don’t think so,” Rey answered and tilted her head.

“He was a serial killer.”

Now Rey’s lips formed a beautiful, round O. She overheard? Some things needed to be said twice, even if one understood them perfectly, and so Rey asked, “What did you say?”

And so, Kylo Ren repeated, “I said that I was leaving flowers for a murderer. For almost half a year.”

“This…” Rey paused. “This explains why nobody else left him flowers.”

“I looked like a psychopath.”

“There are worse things.”

Kylo Ren nodded, as if he agreed with her and listed all worse things. “So can I order a fuck you very much bouquet, please?”

When the first wave of shock was over, Rey felt laughter rising in her. Bringing back her professional smile, she said, “See you next Friday.”

She should decorate the bouquet with geranium. Once Rey had read that its message is foolishness.

[thecomorbidlygrey1]

Dear tumblr staff

As of December 20th 2018 I decided to do searches to verify a few memes, rumors, and memetic rumors.

Yes, I can still find white supremacists, white nationalists, and American Neo-Nazis on tumblr.

I can still find ADULT CONTENT ON TUMBLR.

I CAN FIND RACE-PLAY PORNOGRAPHY ON TUMBLR.

You failed in your claims.

But, your claims were never something you intended to carry out, I have come to suspect. I did give the benefit of a doubt thinking that this was in response to 40-year-old Nicolas Aaron Clark’s blogging of child pornography (it was one of the specifics drowned out in the discourse), I really hoped that was the case. I’m scared to believe that given that you failed in your claims to make "A better, more positive Tumblr“ may mean that post of his type may still be lurking in your site’s murky recesses. But, I have enough damage and baggage, so I wont go looking for something like that. I’ll leave that to you, when you feel like it.

You’ve targeted and ousted minorities and marginalized groups.

You gave people in the majority of the population and in power in the United States of America more of what they already had, another alternative platform they already had free accesses to. They just don’t have to share as much of it now. Some of these people are innocently unaware of their implicit bias. Others are moderates who don’t care and just want to live their lives. And others still, are NEO-NAZIS AND WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND WHITE NATIONALISTS AND OTHER HATE GROUPS THAT CAN PRETEND THEY ARE DOING NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THEIR BELIEFS AND IDEOLOGIES ARE IN A VACUUM, SEPARATED FROM HISTORY, EVIDENCE, AND PROOF OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE ACT ON WHAT THEY ESPOUSE.

I am complaining. I am whining. I am not lying. I am not wrong.

I only joked to myself earlier that I should make a replacement for tumblr. After all, I don’t know a thing about web design, and I doubt Squarespace could let me make an adequate replacement for this platform. But now? I have ways of marshaling my time. I have effective medication and copping mechanisms. At work I developed mantras and litanies(I’m not kidding) that have pushed me to do my best even with work and tasks I despise or am simply bored by.  I have one book on computer programming and an app to teach programming. Tomorrow, I will buy one book on C# and another for HTML5, and three college ruled composition books I will use for the purpose of study. I have a common smart phone, meaning a camera and internet connection are included. 

It was a joke earlier, and it is a lofty goal. But, it is not an impossibility to make a micro-blogging site, nor to ask for assistance when needed, especial if I’m actually doing the work and not spit balling. And it is not impossible to market it to any and every marginalized group I can learn about. It I’ll be difficult. I will have to do continuous work, and step outside of my introverted nature to make public commitments, but it isn’t impossible to do. 

I might enjoy it. I might make a total failure. I might embarrass myself, and to be honest I fear embarrassment of others and myself more than I fear my own mortality. But, I could get it right. And, It is worth doing for both selfish and altruistic reasons.

The only thing I can truly hope for is that I can keep myself to this goal, and do some work on learning, practicing, and doing this everyday, a little at a time. I did so when I was on my high school’s marksmen team, and this will be more about self-discipline and consistent effort than talent, just as it was when I went to school early everyday to shoot at a target down range in standing, kneeling, prone positions.

This is driven out of spite and disappointment, but I might make something good, and something of myself, because of it. That is something hopeful.

Thank you for what good you did, even if it isn’t readily apparent. 

-The Comorbidly Grey 1

[remade-graystudie]

how i got a 29 the first time i took the act

i just wanted to give you guys some tips! not all of these work for everyone though so keep that in mind. also, i am going to take the test again in april for those interestedin knowing

to preface: i took the test while pretty sick and it was the morning after the opening night for a Christmas dinner i do each year, so i got maybe 6 hours of sleep. not the best conditions

my scores

composite score of 29

english score of 31

mathematics score of 26

reading score of 31

science score of 29

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) score of 28

understanding complex texts of "above proficient"

progress toward career readiness of "progress toward gold level NCRC"

some general tips

choose a test center close to you. you will not want to wake up for the test. you will not want to drive there. it doesnt matter if youre unfamiliar with the place, people will be there to help you. but bring your own pencils and an eraser, they probably wont help you with those.

try to get as much sleep as possible. i didnt get much so to force myself awake i took a cold shower, but no caffeine because i feared crashing.

my breakfast that day was just some poptarts while i drove to the testing center, but i started to get hungry during the break. for the next test, im going to plan better and eat some cereal or toast.

take advantage of all leftover time. for me this meant going back to the questions i was super unsure of and making sure im satisfied with my answer choice as well as making sure all bubbles on my answer sheet were filled in enough. it also meant taking 5 minute naps where i drooled on the test booklet a little. oops?

use your break wisely. the testing center i was at had vending machines so i borrow a dollar from my friend and ate some m&m's as a pick me up. i also put a bunch of cough drops in my jacket pocket. after i did this in the span of like 3 minutes i went back to my room and took a nap.

take advantage of the fact that everything is multiple choice (except the essay portion, obviously) because it reallycomes in handy.

i didnt really struggle with nerves because i went into the test with the mindset "i get what i get". i had done what i felt was necessary to prepare and i knew this wouldnt be my last time. realistically, my act or sat score could be the thing that keeps me from entering my dream college (a school with a 7% admission rate and average act score of 34) but i am happy with my other choices of colleges. i have done all that i can do (which in this case was like.. 3 days of studying).

my biggest overall tip: know what the test will be like. know the order of the tests, the number of questions, and the time limits. this will leave no surprises. i was really glad i did this because i always knew what was coming.

tips for individual portions

english portion

75 multiple choice questions with four possible answers in 45 minutes.

dont read the entirety of the passage! read the first paragraph and the last paragraph before you read the questions then for each question skim for the info you need to properly answer the question. this allows you to spend more time with each question and to focus only on whats necessary.

brush up on word groups like there/their/they're, it's/its, and two/too/to. a lot of these questions are about following grammatical rules.

math portion

60 multiple choice questions with five possible answers in 60 minutes.

do what you know first. i almost ran out of time because i couldnt remember some things and spent too long on them so when i got to questions i knew at the end i was rushing and panicking and probably got some wrong.

if youre not sure how to do a problem, guess and check to the best of your abilities. guess and check works wonders.

reading portion

40 multiple choice questions with four possible answers in 35 minutes.

tbh i thought this was really similar to the english part so similar tips. but if the passage is on the short side, just read the whole thing.

science portion

40 multiple choice questions with four possible answers in 35 minutes.

real talk, i thought i bombed this portion like i walked out thinkin it was the reason id do so badly.

do NOT treat this like the english and reading portions! read the entirety of everything! redraw, rewrite, and rename things if you need to!

this part really focuses on graph interpretation and they will try to screw you over so hard with names of things. make sure you know how to interpret graphs well.

this was the only section where i rechecked every single answer. i was so used to the sat that i didnt know how to handle a science portion. it freaked me out.

essay portion

1 essay based on a promot in 40 minutes.

i didnt actually take this part because the only college on my list that says anything about it just recommends it and that school happens is my safety college. if youre really confident it will help your composite score, then take it. i chose not to mainly because im lazy and i didnt want to take the risk of it hurting my score even though i thought it could help since i write pretty strong essays, even under time constraints like id experience on the test.

some final tips

the act company sells a book. buy the book. its genuinely super helpful and im so glad i chose to buy it. i know some people use ones from outside sources, but i dont trust those as much. the official book is actually where i got a lot of my tips from.

take the test multiple times. i took the test in december because i knew i was unfamiliar with the formatting and wanted to have a basis for comparing my april score too. if i still am not happy with my april score, i plan on retaking it during the summer.

pay the extra $20 dollars to get your answers sent to you. it is quite literally the easiest and fastest way to see what you need to focus and improve on.

if you know youre taking the test, sign up as soon as possible. at the very least, sign up before youd have to pay the late fee.

dont add your picture until its like almost the last day. im the kind of person who changes uo my appearance often, specifically my hair color. if i uploaded a picture for the april date now, id be blonde in the picture even though ill probably have brown hair when i take the test.

a reminder

dont peace your self worth on this test. could it impact what college you go to? sure. but whether or not you did student council could too. im very proud of my score, but its not my end all be all. im more proud of the way i fold clothes or how organized my closet is than my act score.

good luck on all your tests everyone ❤️💕

[douchebagbrainwaves]

YOU START BY WRITING A STRIPPED-DOWN KERNEL HOW HARD CAN IT BE

Both of which are false. You must resist this. The main value of the succinctness test is as a guide in designing languages. They'll be fine.1 A typical angel round these days might be $150,000 raised from 5 people. If a hacker were a mere implementor, turning a spec into code, then he could just work his way through it from one end to the other like someone digging a ditch.2 I never read the books we were assigned. So please, get on with it. No one has to commit explicitly to what the central point is. But due to a series of historical accidents the teaching of writing has gotten mixed together with the study of ancient texts was the essence of what scholars did.

If you expressed the same ideas in prose as mathematicians had to do without. But actually being good is an expensive way to seem good. Because the fact is, if you believe as I do that the main reason we take the trouble to write two versions, a flame for Reddit and a more subdued version for HN. In a real essay you're writing for yourself. The reason they like it when you don't need them is not simply that they like what they do. The Internet is changing that. That's why I'm so optimistic about HN. And unless you already have if you can't raise the full amount. And so once university English departments were established in the late 19th century the study of literature. I'm not proposing this as a new idea. Bill Gates would probably have something to read.3 There's always a temptation to do that completely.

They raise their first round fairly easily because the founders seem smart and the idea sounds plausible. So the ability to ferret out the unexpected. Even if you only have one meeting a day with investors, somehow that one meeting will burn up your whole day. And anything you come across that surprises you, who've thought about the topic a lot, will probably surprise most readers.4 For a painter, a museum is a reference library of techniques.5 I can't. It means that a programming language is obviously doesn't know what a programming language should, above all, be malleable. The true test of the length of the delay inversely proportional to some prediction of its quality. Almost everything is interesting if you get deeply enough into it. It hadn't occurred to me till then that those horrible things we had to rely mostly on examples in books. And once you start to doubt yourself.

So no matter how many good startups approach him.6 But I know the house would probably have ended up pretty rich even if IBM hadn't happened to drop the PC standard in his lap. Why is it conventional to pretend to like what you do or what I do is somewhere between a river and a roman road-builder. And open and good.7 A couple hundred thousand would let them get office space and hire some smart people they know from school. And yet a lot is at stake. Browsers then IE 6 was still 3 years in the future, and the power of the more unscrupulous do it deliberately. Hacker News is an experiment, and an experiment in a very young field. So when a language isn't succinct, it will feel restrictive. The paperwork for convertible debt is simpler.

Their search also turned up parse. The study of rhetoric, the art of arguing persuasively, was a kind of final pass where you caught typos and oversights. Colleges had long taught English composition. The existence of aggregators has already affected what they aggregate.8 Study lots of different things, so you can learn faster what various kinds of work. I think he really wishes he'd listened. The advantage of the two-job route is less common than the organic route. There is nothing investors like more than a plan A. Long but mistaken arguments are actually quite rare. Scientists don't learn science by doing it.9 Even the concept of me turns out to explain nearly all the characteristics of VCs that founders hate. Relentlessness wins because, in the Gmail sense everything I've told you so far.

Hacker News is an experiment, and an essai is an effort. Users have worried about that since the site was a few months old.10 So a plan that promises freedom at the expense of knowing what to do, so here is another place where startups have an advantage. It sounds obvious to say that the answer is a simple yes, but no one can predict them—not even the protagonists: we're just the latest model vehicle our genes have constructed to travel around in. There are lots of other potential names that are as carefully designed and, if possible. Another easy test is the number of both increases we'll get something more like an efficient market. For example, in a recent essay I pointed out that because you can start as soon as the first one is ready to buy. Why is it conventional to pretend to like what you do? Twenty years ago, fascinating and urgently needed work. Fundamentally an essay is a train of thought, as dialogue is cleaned-up train of thought—but a cleaned-up train of thought—but social and economic history, not political history. It will always be true that most great programmers are born outside the US.11 The whole room gasped.

I've met a few VCs I like. There's nothing intrinsically great about your current name would seem repellent. Since we hosted all the stores, which together were getting just over 10 million page views per month in June 1998 I took a snapshot of Viaweb's site.12 The advantage of the two-job route, if you have $5 million in investable assets, it would seem an inspired metaphor.13 The advice of parents will tend to feel bleak and abandoned, and accumulate cruft.14 The good things in a community site come from people more than technology; it's mainly in the prevention of bad things that technology comes into play. Investors like it when they can help a startup, but they did have to go to school, which was a dilute version of work meant to prepare us for the real thing.15 Or at least, a thesis was a position one took and the dissertation was the argument by which one defended it. I didn't realize this when I was about 9 or 10, my father told me I could be 100% sure that's not a description of HN. Indeed, you can start as soon as the first one is ready to buy. It's kind of surprising that it even exists. And there was the mystery of why the perennial favorite Pralines 'n' Cream was so appealing.

Notes

Html. If early abstract paintings seem more powerful sororities at your school sucks, where many of the War on Drugs. Most unusual ambitions fail, no matter how large.

The quality of investor behavior. 03%. Bullshit, Princeton University Press, 1981. Source: Nielsen Media Research.

There is no different from deciding to move from London to Silicon Valley. Sites that habitually linkjack get banned. Xenophon Mem.

Hypothesis: A company will be big successes but who are good presenters, but we do the right thing to do some research online. Here's a recipe that might work is in the general manager of the products I grew up with elaborate rationalizations.

Sometimes a competitor will deliberately threaten you with a cap. It's a bit more complicated, because you have to keep them from the DMV.

A single point of a powerful syndicate, you now get to go deeper into the work of selection. The Sub-Zero 690, one could aspire to the hour Google was founded, wouldn't offer to invest the next investor.

At first I didn't care about, like languages and safe combinations, and one VC. Gauss was supposedly asked this when comparing techniques for discouraging stupid comments instead. Proceedings of 2003 Spam Conference.

In part because Steve Jobs doesn't use.

So as a rule, if an employer, I have no decision-making power. Your user model almost couldn't be perfectly accurate, and that most people will pay people millions of dollars a year for a patent is now. Obvious is an understatement.

It wouldn't cut their overall returns tenfold, because when people make the people working for me was the ads they show first. It's hard to say they prefer great markets to great people to claim retroactively I said yes.

Candidates for masters' degrees went on to study the quadrivium of arithmetic, geometry, music, and that modern corporate executives would work better, and b I'm pathologically optimistic about people's ability to solve a lot of legal business. One of the iPhone SDK.

Cost, again. And they are building, they were. If a company growing at 5% a week for 19 years, it means a big company. However bad your classes because you spent all your time working on is a convertible note with no deadline, you should push back on the parental dole, and journalists—have the perfect life, and stir.

This is not an efficient market in this essay talks about the distinction between money and disputes.

That name got assigned to it because the ordering system was small. In fact, we should make the argument a little about how to deal with them. Auto-retrieving filters will be big successes but who are weak in other ways to do more with less? By your mid-game.

No big deal. This is isomorphic to the frightening lies told by older siblings. It was revoltingly familiar to slip back into it. But should you even working on that.

[immigrationtopicsfor211]

custom paper

About me

Easter Writing Paper

Easter Writing Paper So, when they come back after break, I’m going to offer them again their aim sheets and have them replicate on how they are doing on their targets. I’ll give them this writing paper and also allow them to write about any other academic objectives they could have for this 12 months. Top Flight Multi-Method 2nd Grade Tablets characteristic high quality white bond paper in a 11 x eight.5 inch dimension. Each sheet has 5/8 inch ruling for larger level grade-college students who want a paper with smaller line spacing to work on their handwriting. Top Flight Incorporated has been in enterprise for over eighty years offering products that meet the very best standards of quality and affordability. Top Flight Multi-Method 1st Grade Tablets characteristic high quality white bond paper in a eleven x eight.5 inch dimension. Each sheet has 1 inch ruling for beginning grade-faculty college students who are just starting to work on their handwriting. This major lined paper is available in a portrait format with a line for a reputation, a box for a picture, a purple baseline, dashed midline, and three/four″ tall traces. This primary lined paper comes in a portrait format with a line for a name. It has a red baseline and dashed midline with traces which are three/4″ tall. This major lined paper in a portrait format has a purple baseline and dashed midline with traces that are three/four″ tall. Similar definitions can be utilized in library science, and different areas of scholarship, although completely different fields have somewhat totally different definitions. In journalism, a main source is usually a person with direct knowledge of a scenario, or a doc written by such an individual. At the beginning of the varsity 12 months, my kiddos set studying targets for themselves. That was part of my first reading workshop unit, which you'll find right here. The targets had been posted within the hallway, however I actually have been guilty of not doing a lot with them. Many County Record Offices will supply digital copies of documents. Although many main sources stay in private arms, others are positioned in archives, libraries, museums, historical societies, and special collections. Some are affiliated with universities and colleges, whereas others are government entities. Materials relating to one area could be located in many alternative establishments. These can be distant from the original source of the document. These forgeries have normally been constructed with a fraudulent objective, such as promulgating authorized rights, supporting false pedigrees, or selling particular interpretations of historic events. The investigation of documents to find out their authenticity is known as diplomatics. In different areas, Europeana has digitized materials from across Europe while the World Digital Library and Flickr Commons have gadgets from everywhere in the world. In the UK, the National Archives offers a consolidated search of its personal catalogue and a wide variety of different archives listed on the Access to Archives index. Digital copies of varied courses of paperwork at the National Archives can be found from DocumentsOnline. Primary writing paper is a digital download in PDF format and may be downloaded immediately after buy. Repeat step seven till you have the desired quantity of traces in your writing paper. Primary writing paper is extensive-ruled paper that kids use when they are starting writers in elementary faculty. With broad rows, the paper permits for larger letters and words. You should purchase wide dominated paper and composition books from office supply shops. However, when you just need a couple of sheets (or you've run out of paper), you possibly can create your personal custom-made dominated paper using Microsoft Word 2007. This primary lined paper in a portrait format has a purple baseline and dashed midline with lines which are 7/8″ tall. Most of the out there documents relate to England and Wales. Some digital copies of major sources can be found from the National Archives of Scotland. Many County Record Offices collections are included in Access to Archives, whereas others have their own on-line catalogues. For example, the Huntington Library in California homes many paperwork from the United Kingdom. In the research of history as a tutorial self-discipline, a primary source is an artifact, doc, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or another source of information that was created on the time beneath study. It serves as an unique supply of information about the topic.

[ask-de-writer]

DARING DO and the Gryphon’s Quest! : MLP Fan Fiction : Chapter 1 of 19

Return to theMaster Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

DARING DO

and

The Gryphon’s Quest!

Chapter 1

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

and

Carmen Pondiego

Cover art by Wind the Mama Cat

29584 words

© 2016 by Glen Ten-Eyck

Writing begun 03/29/16

All rights reserved.  This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

This is a Fan Fiction based on My Little Pony.  Canterlot, Princess Luna and the name Daring Do are owned by Hasboro Inc.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  

1.) They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact.

2.) They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

3.) All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction are actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

For new readers, this link leads to the beginning of

Daring Do and the Gryphon's Quest!

///////////////////////

Chapter 1. Ethnological Geography 305

Doctor of Antiquities Daring Do stood in front of her latest class of students from all over Equestria and places even more remote.  She had two Gryphons who were recently transferred from the Emperial College and, though they were ponies, one from the Chineighese Empire and one from the Far Northern Dales.

There were two large magic net mirrors as well.  That was the only practical way for X'ibian dromedaries to take the class and actively participate.  The average dromedary was over two meters high at the shoulder and his or her head could be as much as two and a half meters to three meters above the ground.  They just would not fit into pony sized buildings.

Daring Do asked, “How many of you have read any of my books?”

About two thirds of the students raised a hoof.  Both gryphons raised a claw and both dromedaries, in their mirrors, raised hooves as well.

A sarcastic voice from the lecture hall said, “Just like all the other profs.  Gotta buy her books!”

Daring Do instantly replied, “No, you do not.  Not in this class.  There are three texts that you have been required to buy and which we will use extensively.  I am not the author of any of them.  My expedition reports, from which my books are popularized, and some other materials, can be had by magic net or reserved from the Royal University Library.”

“Getting back to the curriculum, we will be covering two basic topics in this class.  

“The first is the ancient cultures themselves.  This part of the class necessarily has to be a survey, as each of the civilizations that we will touch on is a specialty in itself.

“The second topic, which we will cover in far better detail, is the REASON that those civilizations collapsed, where their populations went, and what came of their migrations.  That is were all of our modern civilizations and cultures came from.

“For those interested in better detail than this class will have time for, study the Nightmare Wars.  They are the primary cause for all of those collapses and migrations world wide.  How?  Simply put, BOTH sides used weather as a weapon.  In the process, without meaning to, they destroyed the natural weather patterns over the entire world.

“I recommend using the Chronicle of Equestria, Volumes 300 through 457 as your primary sources.  If you find discrepancies between other sources and the Chronicle, go with the Chronicle as the definitive source.”

A self satisfied Chineighese accented voice from the audience smirked, “It sounds like Equestria owes the Empire massive reparations!”

Mild of voice, Daring Do replied, “If one wishes to think in such terms, possibly.  Do remember that what you ask may be required of you.  The Chineighese Empire is composed of fifty two states.  Each one was conquered by force.  The Empire was built on literally millions of deaths, the destruction of whole cities, the burning of libraries, and hundreds of years of slavery.  Are you sure that you want to make those reparations?

“If so, feel free to press your claim to Equestria as soon as you have settled the ones that you owe.

“The past is dead.  We cannot change one thing of History.  We can see clearly both the good and ill of what was done.  What we CAN do is learn the lessons of that past in the hope of creating a better world to come.  We, in this class and others like it, are the memory of the whole world, not simply some part, however large or small.

“That is why the study of Ethnological Geography is important.”

A genuinely puzzled sounding voice from somewhere in the shadows at the back of the big lecture hall asked, “If the Nightmare Wars wrecked the weather, didn’t the Cloudsdale Weather Authority fix it?”

Daring Do smiled at the question.  “The short answer is No.

“Celestia needed nearly a hundred and fifty years to regain the trust of enough pegassi to begin serious weather control here in Equestria. Cloudsdale, though many do not realize it, is an enormous weather engineering feat.  It took over two hundred more years to build it to where it is now.

“Ask any weather engineer how far our weather control reaches.    Many nations have some sort of weather authority.  They operate on different philosophies of how the weather should be dealt with, too.

“In any case, regaining control of the weather took at least hundreds of years.  The disasters that forced the migration of populations were long past.

“Those changes in the world’s weather are the reason that the ruins of ancient civilizations often lie in such hostile environments as jungles or deserts.

“Now, here is your assignment.  Using the world map in your study kit and what you can find in the first two chapters of your three required textbooks, see if you can sort out what the climate was for each of the marked civilizations.  Then compare it to the present climate.

“Class dismissed!”

Daring Do watched the orderly stampede of students for the exits, fondly remembering the days when she did the same!

She packed her notes and started to return to her office.  She did not get there.

NEXT ==>

[humaniores]

the ultimate guide to surviving and thriving in school | by meliaora

since i’m beginning college this september, i wanted to share my ultimate guide to surviving and thriving in school this academic year. in my GCSE’s, i received three 9s (A**s), five A*s and one B. i used to help fellow students in their studies and i thought i might help any students approaching a new year at school and wanting to succeed. i know the studyblr community is all about sharing advice, so i thought i’d create my own comprehensive guide to becoming the best student you can be this autumn! strap in, folks: this is going to be a long one! 

1. PREPARING FOR SCHOOL during summertime, it’s important to take the opportunity to rest up and have fun before the new school year. however, you should also set aside time to complete any preparatory tasks set either by your teachers or yourself. always get this out of the way first so you can enjoy your summer fully and not worry about getting things done in the last week of august. for example, if you need a new uniform, go shopping in the weeks after you break up as the lines will be shorter. watch out for back to school offers on stationery and never procrastinate your summer homework. my advice is always read at least one of the books on your ‘further reading’ lists - these will come in handy especially in the english and humanities subjects when writing essays. summer homework should help introduce you into what your classes will be like come autumn and are a chance to show off what you already know, so do a fair amount of research and try your best!

2. PACKING YOUR BAG it may not seem like it, but being fully equipped can really affect how well you do in your studies. if you don’t have something as simple as lunch money, a sanitary pad or a red pen, your day might not be as productive as it should be. here’s a short list of things i’d recommend to keep handy in your bag:

composition books for the day’s classes

textbooks

bullet journal / school planner

notebook

pencil case / pen case

binder

reading book / library book

sanitary pads / tampons*

keys

travelcard *

lunch money *

lip balm

tissues *

medication, for allergies and pain relief

prescribed glasses *

scissors & tape

it’s also key to have the right stationery in your pencil case. i know it’s tempting to buy out the entirety of the nearest stationery shop, but really, you only need to get what you know you’ll need. personally, i keep the following with me:

black pen (two if it’s exam season)

red pen for underlining / important notes

green pen for self assessments

ruler (15cm)

a highlighter *

a pencil

a rubber

a sharpener

maths equipment *

index notes *

for both lists, i’ve added a * for any items i think depend on the student. if you don’t have allergies, tissues aren’t a priority. if you walk to school, a travelcard is naturally out of the question. so tailor the list to your personal needs, and you’ll be sure to be equipped for anything school throws your way!

3. MORNING ROUTINE it’s important to start every morning off right, and this includes weekends. try not to press snooze on your alarm - this will make it harder to get up and out of bed. if it helps, try to put your phone or alarm clock on the other side of the room: by the time you’ve gotten out of bed to stop it, you might as well get up anyway. open up your curtains wide and open the windows if it’s nice outside. drink a cold glass of water and stretch a bit. make sure to always eat something before you start the day - it doesn’t have to be a ‘proper’ breakfast like cereal or toast, but it should be enough to get you through to lunchtime. 

once you’ve eaten, wash your face, brush your teeth and brush your hair. even on days when you plan on taking a break and just watching netflix, you should do these little things to get alert and feel happy to start the day. if it’s a school day, get dressed and leave home early - punctuality is key and allows time for you to organise yourself before your first class. if it’s a rest day, plan out what you want to get done and get set on your tasks; sometimes the tasks can be as simple as relax for an hour or listen to music, or you could choose to get an assignment done and read 50 pages of a novel. it’s up to you, but you should always try to start right away. use the 5 second rule - count down from 5 and start after 1. counting down means you can’t procrastinate the task any further and 5 seconds is so quick, you’ll get started in no time.

4. ORGANISATION one thing i find incredibly important is organisation. whether you’re a bit messy and never know when class is or you’re already quite on top of things - organising your life even better will always improve your performance and the way you view the school experience. the key to getting everything in order is making sure each item and activity has a time and a place.

let’s start with places. you’ll need to know where all of your textbooks and exercise books are when you pack your bag, so keep them all together - in a drawer, on a shelf, by your bed, it doesn’t matter. just make sure they have a designated area and return to it. all of your homework and notes that don’t go into your exercise book should stay in a file. i personally keep one folder at home for each subject and then transfer the necessary sheets into the one binder i keep in my bag when i need them. this way i can free up space in my bag - though this technique is for those with sharp memories (and the daring).

then, of course, it is important that each task and event has a time. this is really the most important part of organising in my opinion, because time management is a skill that you will need up to university and beyond. first, you need to set a timetable - make a physical copy if you want to! i prefer having a reference to stick up on my wall (and it’s really fun to colour code each class and activity). fill in all your classes and extracurriculars, then fill in the times it takes you to travel, get ready in the mornings and prepare for school in the evenings. when that is done, fill in the gaps! you don’t need to be too specific; i classify mine quite simply into breaks, rests, study periods and exercise. so long as you designate appropriate times to valuable activities, you should be fine!

you also need a journal or planner of some kind. i swear by my bullet journal, but apps such as ‘school planner’ on android are an actual godsend. this is where you will jot down deadlines, tasks, events and exams. apps are really good for this because they will automatically sync everything onto one calendar, but the good old fashioned paper planner is wonderful too - it really depends on your style! every evening you should be able to glance at your planner, pick your outfit and pack your bag, all ready for the next day.

5. FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL whether you’re off at a new school or this is your last year, every september is an opportunity to change your approach to education. my biggest piece of advice is to be someone you’re happy and comfortable with. you may want to reinvent yourself completely - and that’s fine - but don’t strive to be something you’re not. if you’re quiet and comtemplative, there is no pressure to be the loudest one in class; the same goes the other way around. you’ll probably be much happier being yourself, and people will definitely love you for who you are.

having said this, you can always use september as a fresh start if you were unhappy with your past years in education. the best way to get off on the right foot is to be prepared, punctual and positive: have all of the materials required, always be early and try to keep a positive outlook on anything you’re asked to do. this way all of your teachers will know that you want to do well in their classes and you will attract others who also value their success this year. if you remember this approach during your first week (even if it is really scary!), you’ll begin your year perfectly.

6. SCHOOL LIFE before we get into the real study tips, we should quickly touch upon the other aspects of life at school: 

friendship - this is something that a lot of people struggle with at school. not necessarily making friends; everyone finds friends eventually. what people often find difficult is making the right friends. i’ve known a lot of people who want to do well but their friends don’t, so they find it holds them back. or they might really like their friends but have disagreements or fights that make them stress out and lose concentration. the fact is, finding friends who you can love and rely on is an important part of school life and you will experience problems with them. but don’t let this deter you! your real friends will stick with you through the good and the bad, and when worst comes to worst, you might split up. but that’s a part of growing up. if you outgrow someone - that’s fine. if you want a different type of friendship (or relationship), that’s fine too. do what is best for yourself and you’ll never go wrong.

extracurriculars - oftentimes an optional choice for students but vital nonetheless. if this is your final exam year and you’ll need all the time you can get, i wouldn’t stress over any clubs or classes besides booster sessions. however, if that’s not the case, i would seriously recommend taking an extracurricular for the first term at least. not only are they great for university applications, they will help relieve the stress of schoolwork and serve as a fast-track to making friends when you don’t know that many people. you could take something that links to your chosen subjects or aspirations, or just try something new. if you aren’t sure about commitment, take a club or class that only lasts a set number of weeks or just one term. that way you can drop it when the time is up without disappointing any teachers or peers. however, if you pick something you know you’ll really enjoy, you’ll hopefully keep the club all the way until summer! 

finally, teachers - the worst part of school for some and the best for others. i really have only one piece of advice: make friends with your teachers! not only will this help you when you’re struggling with an assignment or do poorly in an exam, a teacher can be one of the kindest and most interesting people you’ll meet at school. i’ve always had good relationships with my teachers and i have had no regrets. you can tall about the subject further or just get support with personal issues - sometimes, my teachers have honestly saved my life. so try to get to know your teachers and keep your mind open. you never know what you might learn!

7. IN CLASS okay, now we get to the real studying tips! when in class, it's important to transfer all the important information being discussed or presented into your book. this doesn't necessarily have to be exhaustive - if you write in length about one point, you'll miss out on the rest of the learning! instead, try to make brief but understandable notes using abbreviations or symbols; bullet pointing under different headers can help to separate ideas clearly. some teachers will pause to let you take down what is on their slides, but others will continue. try to prepare for the latter by writing as they talk. keep your class notes as minimalist as possible: this is where you are most information-based, so time spent on making them pretty is time wasted. most importantly, self assess any quizzes or written work - if you don't know where you went wrong, you can't grow.

during class, your teacher might hand out materials that they want you to read. if it helps, highlight all the key terminology and phrases as you go along (i find this especially helpful when reading rather large blocks of text). look up any words you don't understand, or if there isn't a dictionary, discuss it with a peer before asking the teacher. when reading, try to figure out the purpose of being given the text. is it simply information your teacher wants you to learn? do they want you to form an opinion, or analyse the author's opinions? sometimes they might want you to complete a task or talk about it with a partner. always try to understand what you are supposed to learn from what you are doing, or else you are just following instructions blindly.

class discussions are always my favourite part of any lesson. challenge yourself to participate - a lot of exam spec. calls for a clear opinion on the material and you can gain this from listening to and debating with other students. get into the habit of engaging with your classmates because they might approach the work in a way you haven't. this applies to the STEM subjects too; sometimes you might disagree on what the right answer is, or they might show you another way to work something out. it's very possible that they know something you don't, so take advantage of that! the only way to learn is to interact, so get involved.

8. STUDYING AT HOME ok, time to study. open your curtains, clear your workspace and lay out your equipment. try and keep a glass of water or another healthy drink of your choice on your desk for you to sip as you work. set your pomodoro timer or listen to some background noise - the 'tide' app and 'noisli' website work well for both - and turn to a fresh page. then get started…

the first step of learning at home is doing your homework. this could be prep work for your next lesson, reading or just a task set by your teacher to complete by a certain deadline. whatever it is, make sure it's recorded in your planner or on your phone, including any details and due dates. then, whenever you get study time, attempt it straight away. my theory is that waiting until a later date means you don't get any time to relax properly, and also leaves you unable to seek help if you don't understand or something is wrong. doing it right away gets rid of so much anxiety and allows you to get the well needed rest you deserve, rather than wasting time worrying about what is due when. when it comes to tasks, present your work neatly and treat it like classwork that is going to be marked. many people don't take homework seriously, but it can demonstrate to your teacher what you know and what you are struggling with. and always, always, get any readings done. not online summaries - the actual book. the teacher will know, trust me.

the next step is to start studying. this is going over your classwork at home, reading outside of your material or creating revision notes. you should try to read over your classwork at least once a week to make sure you remember what you've learnt and clear up any issues with understanding. once you know you understand what is taught in class, you could look into the work on a deeper level: in the sciences, this might mean learning the concept in more detail; in the humanities, it could mean reading about context. whenever you feel like you've learnt all that you have to - and want to - learn, you should start to revise. revision is more helpful at the end of a module because you will be able to fully summarise the information. at the beginning, you will probably want to work through each individual lesson and this is too much to read through and revise from effectively. for one subject, i turned 2 years worth of learning into a 4 or 5 page booklet that i revised from, and i was able to get full marks in the exam. essentially, studying really comes down to you, but you have to tailor it to your needs and abilities - and the subject you're doing. i'll talk more about that later.

9. DREAM TEAM / STUDY BUDDY before i talk about exams, i thought i might mention 'dream teams' and 'study buddies'. at my school, a motivational speaker came and talked to us about the value of having a team of people around you who can ensure you keep up with school and work hard. these will usually be people in your classes who you might check up with from time to time to make sure that you are all completing assignments and staying on top of things. i actually took this advice and it was genuinely helpful during exam time - we would meet up some weekends at the library and tutor one another, working through different subjects depending on who was best at what. eventually, we'd even stop other people distracting people in our dream teams in class because we were genuinely wanting one another to succeed. however, finding a whole team of people who can meet up regularly could prove very difficult. this is why you might decide to have a study buddy instead. they serve the same role as a dream team but you can talk to or meet up with them more since it's only the two of you. you might not even see each other most of the time - my study buddy goes to a different school and studies different subjects. but so long as you keep each other going and genuinely want them to do well too, you should both really succeed.

10. EXAM TIME aah! exams! this is obviously the part most people worry about and usually where most people want advice. when it comes to exam revision, you have to figure out what makes you work best. this means you need to know what types of learning are effective for you. if you prefer to watch videos or see what is going on for yourself, you're a visual learner. or you might need to do experiments and make models if you're more hands-on. it doesn't matter if you remember information in a less conventional way; what does matter is that you are able to find out what way that is.

then you need to base your revision based off of what subject you are doing and what type of exam it is. if it's an oral exam, there is no use practising essay writing; if it's an art exam, you might not need to stack up on flashcards. once you've matched everything up - subject, exam and technique - here are some methods i'd recommend using to revise.

a) flashcards have a lot of information to remember? does the subject involve a bunch of specific details or topics, for example, a science like chem or bio? then flashcards are the right choice for you! get your revision guide, textbook or class notes together and read through them. jot down only the most important parts - cut out any filler words or sentences that you know you don't need to understand the concepts. do this for each chapter and then use these to make your flashcards. split up all your cards so that you have an equal amount of cards per chapter. then for each chapter, use one side of a card for each topic. (note: you may need a lot of flashcards if there are many topics, but try not to use more than a side a topic. be short and simple - this is the point!) once you have finished, collect them all together in order and read through them whenever you need to jog your memory. try to test yourself on any parts you don't remember after you read through. these are really helpful for reminding yourself of content before attempting past papers! an online alternative like quizlet is also super helpful for quotes if you studying subjects like english, as you can look over them on the way to and from school with ease.

b) timelines, mindmaps & posters if you study a subject where lots of information is centred around certain themes or ideas, a mindmap or poster might be the best technique to use. it is also really helpful for people who learn visually. to make a timeline, draw a line down the centre of your paper and pick a start and end point - in subjects like history, they usually provide these in the spec. then write down all the events that happened in the timeframe, connecting each one to the line so it meets it at the correct year. you could even colour-code events into groups (like social, political and economic events) so you can make connections at a glance. a mindmap can be made by writing the theme or topic in the centre of the page, then creating branches for each sub-topic. each sub-topic usually extends out even further, with three or more branches being connected. once this is done, you could link bits of information using coloured pens or highlighters. finally, a poster is usually about one particular sub-topic that you could go into detail about. it could include pictures, diagrams, fancy headers - you name it! this is more of a creative task, so if you like art, you might prefer this type of revision.

c) post-it notes a shorter and simpler method is to use post-it notes. these are best for small bites of information - key words, quotes, etc. write down a bunch of post-it notes and stick them all over your room (or better yet, your house - with everyone else's permission) in places that you frequent often. you'll see the note and likely read it without thinking, helping jog your memory through repetition. could be very helpful in the language subjects if you need to know items and rooms! my friend has german parents so they labelled different household items in german so she could practise for her exam - why not try it too?

d) past papers it is always a good idea to try past papers as part of revision. not only does it help you get used to the formula of the paper, you can test your knowledge and skills so you know what you need to strengthen as part of your studying. you will probably attempt past papers in class buy definitely do them at home also. this technique is pretty straight-forward, but i still have a couple tips to make sure you get something out of it. first of all, practise it within the time limit. if you run out of time, draw a line under your work or swap pen colours, then complete the paper when you find the time. unless you get used to the timings, your time management in the actual exam will fail you and you won't show your full potential. secondly, mark harshly. if you aren't sure if you deserved that mark, don't give it a tick or a half mark. scrutinise your work so that you know the minimum grade you could get if you keep working at your level; it's better to mark under than over. finally, always try your very best. i knew too many people who would give 50% and claim they'd "actually try" in the real exams: this will not work out! don't be afraid to try your best and fail - this is how you get better. if you don't try your best and you do poorly, you'll never know if your best is good enough to pass.

e) summaries this technique is somewhat similar to flashcards, but for those who prefer notes that stay together so you can revise whole topics really quickly. divide everything into topics again, as you did for the flashcards, but this time, choose the key trigger words that make up each section. essentially, it's like making bullet point notes but even more minimalist - use words, acronyms, symbols, anything to explain bits of information in the smallest space possible. write everything down from each topic in this way - you should be left with a booklet of a few pages that will trigger your memory of the details. this is for when you really know the content though - beware if you haven't fully learnt it!

f) revision guide naturally, you should use your revision guide to study for your exams. however, you could also misuse them in revision, which could easily waste your time and effort. don't just simply read through your revision guide - not only will you probably fall asleep, you probably won't retain most of the information. try to engage with the text - highlight keywords and phrases (only important ones - don't highlight the whole book) or underline important passages in red pen. when you highlight certain words, you will automatically read them when you see the page, making your revision much quicker. when you underline sentences in a bright colour like red, you're forced to actually read the text and understand it instead of skimming absent-mindedly. complete the activities in your revision guides and try to get any revision workbooks available too. active revision is the best revision. when you've finished a session, write down everything you can remember about what you've read, then compare it to the actual content. whatever you've forgotten, revise next time.

g) videos need more visual revision techniques? videos can be really helpful if you can't really grasp a concept. there are channels on youtube like crash course that provide educational content that might tie into your course. type in the topic you're studying and voila - loads of videos that can explain it for you. pick ones that you know you can access mentally - sometimes a university-level lecture on derivatives isn't actually going to help you more than a 5 minute video with diagrams and bright graphics. don't bother watching something too hard or too easy - click off as soon as you know it isn't right. if you do find a good video, try to engage with it as much as possible - take notes, test yourself, etc. you never know, you might learn something new to use in your exam!

h) quote competitions this is a bit of an unusual one but it's one i liked the most before my english exams. once you have learnt the key quotes from your text, challenge a friend to a quote competition. you start by giving a quotation and they have to respond with a different one. keep going until someone repeats a quotation, says one incorrectly or simply runs out. these can go on for quite long if you have both revised well - me and my friend would practise while lining up for the exams and neither of us would lose by the time we had to go inside. you can also up the ante a little by adding extra rules: make them say the scene or chapter, the speaker or the context. this is a nice competitive way to check your knowledge and a good way to show off your memory of 'macbeth' or 'the great gatsby', if that's something you'd like to do.

i) teaching someone else my last tip is, in my opinion, my best tip: teach someone else! find someone that either knows nothing about it or doesn't understand it yet and explain it to them. this doesn't even have to be someone who can understand you - tell your phone, your dog, your baby sister… it doesn't matter! your teachers only know the material so well because they have to understand it well enough to explain it to someone else. so become a teacher yourself! i ended up teaching a lot of peers in all of my subjects; i even set up a temporary revision booster for classmates about 'macbeth' because i'd studied shakespeare for so long. it's good for your cv, it's good for the people you help and it's good for you, because that way you are making sure you understand and remember the material while you do the same for them. anyway, who knows when you might need help? when you've been revising well enough according to a regular timetable, you will be 100% ready to ace all your tests. breathe regularly before your exam, smile and tell yourself that you will do amazingly - this is proven to improve your performance - then walk in and take your seat. while in the exam, work quickly and neatly, thoroughly read through and attempt all questions, then check your work at the end. so long as you know the content, the skills and the timings, you should be able to really succeed. and if you feel like you're lacking confidence, know that everyone here online believes in you and wants you to do well.

CLOSING THOUGHTS doing well at school is a big task and it can be a lot to undertake even though it comes with a large reward. if you're struggling, then talk to someone about it. a friend, a teacher, a guardian - anyone who will listen. you may think that you can't do it because of this illness or that problem, etc. etc., but trust me, you can. it's not going to be easy; "if it was easy," eric thomas once remarked, "everyone would do it." let me let you in on a little secret: during my time at school i was in and out of hospital, had to bury a close friend and once had a year-long attendance of around 80-something percent. i had a really difficult time, especially in my final year when i took my exams. but i walked away with amazing results and that was because of one thing - i wanted to do it and i knew i could. so if you don't feel that way yet, i'll do it for you. i want you to do it and i know you can. so good luck this year, and i hope you all tell me about your amazing results in the summer!

[mikelumsden]

Interview: ALAN LICHT

We met on the morning of June 4, 2017, after his performance at Montreal’s Suoni Per Il Popolo festival, with Kristin Thora Haraldsdottir and Vicky Mettler.

***

ML: Last night, we talked about your Minimalist Top Ten lists [published in Halana magazine starting in 1996]. You said they had kind of taken on a life of their own.

AL: Yeah. People have done blogs where they post the albums, or links to them on Youtube. It's a little bit different, because I had to do a lot of digging to track those things down. Even when I wrote that article, I probably didn’t own the actual artefact of every album. It was either a CD reissue or someone had taped it. Now, some of them I have been able to track down, and a lot of them get reissued on vinyl too. It's a different era now where you can actually read this thing and actually listen to all the albums, whereas when I wrote it, it would have taken quite a bit of doing to actually hear the stuff. Like the Henry Flynt cassette “You Are My Everlovin” -- it got reissued a few years later, but before that it would have been virtually impossible. I only heard it because Donald Miller, the guitarist in Borbetomagus, had it. He played it and copied it for me. That was really the way I heard a lot of that stuff, someone copying it. Like Tony Conrad's “Outside the Dream Syndicate.” Originally that was a tape of a tape of a tape I got from someone who had gotten it from Phil Milstein, who ran the Velvet Underground Appreciation Society.

ML: Because that only came out on CD after you wrote that list?

AL: It came out maybe the year before, but it was sort of an encouraging sign, the CD reissue. It was a pretty unlikely record to be reissued at all. That was the great thing about CDs when they came out - it's a new format, maybe people will buy it this time around.

ML: You wrote about Tony Conrad. You've interviewed him?

AL: I interviewed Tony - this is kind of a long story. The long version is - I interviewed him but it was sort of after one failed attempt to interview him. That was for the piece I did on Theater of Eternal Music that ran in Forced Exposure in 1990. I was kind of researching that for a couple years. Tony was giving a presentation of his videos in New York and I introduced myself to him. I called him up and had no idea of the whole feud over the tapes between him and La Monte [Young], and that opened a can of worms, and so I didn't end up interviewing him for that article. A year or so later, while I was still in college, I had met this guy Neil Strauss. He later went on to write this book called "The Game".

ML: The same Neil Strauss?

AL: The same Neil Strauss who wrote this bestselling book about, like, picking up chicks. I met him in college. He turned out to be an experimental music enthusiast and he was getting involved in starting to write for magazines. In 1989, he pitched an idea of doing an article about minimalist composers now, and "where are they now," to Option magazine, which was the big experimental music magazine of the day, and they went for it. We split it up. I interviewed Charlemagne Palestine and Tony Conrad, and he interviewed Phill Niblock and Glenn Branca.

My interview with Charlemagne was kind of a disaster. That's one that lives on on the web, because he was kind of drunk, and went off on this whole rant about being excluded from the "big four" of minimalism, or whatever.

But then Tony - I had a very long conversation with. He was a little more amenable to talking about his own music than talking about La Monte. And that was right when he was starting to do Early Minimalism, kind of around the time of the first performances of that. He was doing it in New Music America and some festivals in Europe. Neil had seen him do it in, I think, Ars Electronica. He had taped part of it and played the tape for me. I was totally blown away by it. This was years before the CD of Early Minimalism came out.

I had heard that Charlemagne was getting back into music at that point too, which he was, but it was still very sporadic. Because of CDs he got more into it in the mid-90s than he was at that point. You gotta say, in 1989, hardly anybody remembered these guys as musicians. Charlemagne had his heyday in New York in the seventies, and in the eighties he didn't do music at all. Sort of the same with Tony, he had done the stuff with La Monte and John Cale in the sixties, and in the seventies he was doing a little bit, but not a lot.

ML: Because he was mostly doing film?

AL: He was teaching film, and that was mostly what he was working on. Although it seems he was kind of working on music on his own, there was just no public outlet for it.

ML: You mentioned Phill Niblock, who's also been featured on a Minimalist Top Ten list. Did you work with him?

AL: I've played Phill's music a number of different times. He has one piece for e-bowed guitars, and I'm on the recording [“G2,44+/x2,” Moikai, 2002] that Jim O'Rourke's label put out, and I've done it live a number of times. And I've played at Experimental Intermedia. I know him pretty well actually.

ML: When you were writing that article, you were working in film distribution?

AL: I was a film student at this point, when I'm talking to all these guys. After I got out of college, I got a job at a film distribution company. Film was an interest but music was always the main interest. I'd contemplated majoring in music, and could never get my head around music theory. Most of the stuff I was working on didn't need to be notated in that way. Actually, the composition teacher I had as a freshman in college was Annea Lockwood, who does a lot of experimental music. Funnily enough, she was actually very strict about rules of harmony.

ML: We were also talking about Kelly Reichardt. You said that you introduced her to Will Oldham. I love his acting in her film “Old Joy.”

AL: I had a number of friends in common with Kelly. She knows a lot of people in the music scene. I got to know her that way, and in fact, I even got her a job at the film distribution company I was working at at one point. I think after I left, she actually worked there full time for a while. Will was living in New York at one point in the late nineties, around when “I See a Darkness” [Palace Records, 1999] came out. I think I introduced them. We'd done this film series at Tonic and we showed “River of Grass.” I don't think Will knew it, and at the screening I introduced the two of them. Then he did the score for “Ode,” this Super 8 movie Kelly did because she had one script that was in turnaround for years and years. She said, forget it, I'll make this shorter movie on my own. Will did the score for that, and then she cast him in “Old Joy.”

ML: And then Yo La Tengo did the score for “Old Joy.”

AL: Kelly is pretty good friends with all of them. And this guy Smokey Hormel is sitting in with Yo La Tengo on that score. Smokey is married to this woman who did lights for Sonic Youth and Nirvana and lots of bands, who is also a good friend of mine. It's one circle of people.

ML: We were also talking last night about “Calvin Johnson Has Ruined Rock for an Entire Generation,” [1994] your solo record on Tom Scharpling’s label 18 Wheeler. With that, and the Love Child and Run On records, how did you fit with the whole New Jersey/New York scene in the nineties? How did you end up dedicating one of the tracks on “Rabbi Sky” [Siltbreeze, 1999] to James McNew of Yo La Tengo?

AL:  I think the dedication to James is because that track is using an MXR Blue Box, which is an octave fuzz pedal, and James really liked that pedal. I guess it just reminded me of Phill [Niblock]'s music, so that's probably why.

ML: That kind of thick sound.

AL: Yeah. Now, the music scene… Tom [Scharpling] and I, and this guy named Jim Romeo, were all from New Jersey. They were from a little different part of NJ than I was. Jim Romeo - this is funny because it does all kind of tie together - was my roommate when I first moved to Hoboken.

He moved into a place in Hoboken that had been lived in by these guys that were friends with a guy named Ken Katkin, who put out the first Love Child single [“Know It’s Alright,” Trash Flow, 1989]. These friends of his kind of abandoned this apartment, I think, and Jim moved in. It was super cheap rent. The total rent of the apartment was four hundred fifty dollars, and there were two of us. Even in 1990 that was unheard of.

One of the guys that lived there, Eric [Fischer], went on to become the road manager for the Stooges. He also shot a video of Love Child, the only real video we made, for the song “Sofa,” using Pixelvision.

Jim moved in there and was looking for a roommate. He had just started working at this booking agency that Bob Lawton ran. They booked Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, and so forth. The way he got that job was because he somehow knew somebody in Big Dipper, and I think they were booking Big Dipper at that point. Bob would have known them from the New England scene. Anyway, I was Jim’s roommate, and Tom was Jim’s best friend from New Jersey. Tom actually worked at this weird music store in Summit, which was the town next to the town I grew up in. Once or twice I kind of stopped in and said hi.

ML: I’ve heard him talk about that sheet music store. I think that’s where he and Jon Wurster would do these telephone calls to each other before they had “The Best Show” on WFMU.

AL: So that was kind of the connection. He would go see Love Child. He was a fan. He did the fanzine 18 Wheeler and was starting to put out some records. I don’t remember the genesis of it, whether he said, “if you want to do something let me know.” I was kind of fooling around in the rehearsal space with the guitar cable through distortion pedals and getting feedback, but also with the delay pedal getting this rhythm to it too. That’s actually what Tom liked. He said, “It’s got the pulse.” I think Suicide was probably the influence, like Martin Rev’s drum machine.

ML: We were talking about the new record [“Currents,” VDSQ, 2015]. This is the first of yours I’ve heard that is acoustic.

AL: It’s the only one that’s acoustic. I’ve played acoustic in my house a little bit. I started off playing a Yamaha classical guitar and then I didn’t own an acoustic guitar until 2009 or so. It’s a pretty big gap. The guitar I was playing last night, I bought before I had an actual acoustic. It’s an acoustic-electric that I bought in 2005.

It was something I only really did at home. All the stuff I played last night was originally worked up in my bedroom, not really knowing what I would do with it. Over the years I realized I had enough things to make an album. I started thinking about the things I could rework. The third piece I played last night was an example of that, something I wrote towards the end of Run On. I had post-rock in mind when I was writing it, but I never did anything with it then. Then I reworked it as a solo guitar piece for this. Some of the other ones –- I started playing guitar like that more once I started playing in Lee Ranaldo and the Dust. We were touring a lot, and then I would spend more time at home just playing guitar because I was more used to playing guitar everday from touring, and also I wasn’t so concerned about finding other ways to make money in between.

ML: You’ve mentioned Keith Richards as an influence on some of the new songs. I was wondering about Steve Gunn.

AL: I know him. In fact, he toured a little bit on a bill with the Lee Ranaldo band. We did a bunch of shows together and I guess I had met him a little before that. There was one bill with [John] Truscinski – their duo played. Apparently we were both at this talent show at somebody’s house, which I remember doing but don’t really remember him. He’s been up in Brooklyn for a while. He and Steve Shelley and I just played as a trio at this benefit concert for Bruce Langhorne. We did one piece from the soundtrack to the Hired Hand and one from the Dylan soundtrack to Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.

The other influence is Michael Hedges. He was on Windham Hill in the 80s. He was one of these guys who would do tapping stuff. There was one record called “Aerial Boundaries,” the second album. I heard that when I was a teenager and really liked it. He was a really great guitarist at that point. I listened to him again and some of the stuff on “Currents” is kind of from listening to Michael Hedges again, and translating that into more of the Steve Reich thing.

ML: The percussive pulse that comes through.

AL: Right, and the piece “Aerial Boundaries” really sounds like Steve Reich. Kristin [Thora Haraldsdottir]’s piece “Currents” is a little like that too. I don’t know if she’s listened to Michael Hedges. I sent the music to Steve Lowenthal from [record label] VDSQ and we met up to talk about doing a release, and he got the Steve Reich influence right away. I was really encouraged by that.

ML: Earlier, we were talking about Will Oldham, which made me think of his frequent collaborator Emmett Kelly. Have you heard the record Emmett put out with Jim White as the Double [“Dawn of the Double”, In the Red, 2016]?

AL: I wrote the liner notes for it! (Laughs.) So I’ve heard it, and heard them play live before I heard the record.

ML: My first thought was it could grab a spot in the next top ten list.

AL: It’s definitely within that. It was amazing to see it live when I didn’t know what to expect. I was talking to Jim beforehand and he said it was dance music. I didn’t really understand what that would mean coming from those two guys. I think they actually did it for a choreographer. Setting a groove, and keeping the groove going as long as possible. I’ve met Emmett a number of times and talked about doing something together, but it hasn’t happened yet. I sat in on one secret show Will was playing with Jim and played a couple of songs. Maybe “Cinnamon Girl”. That was a long time ago, maybe around 2000.

ML: One of the things your writing pointed me to was connecting the blues with minimalism. I was thinking of how you collaborated with Tetuzi Akiyama [“Tomorrow Outside Tomorrow,” Editions Mego, 2016], who really explores those genres on “Don’t Forget to Boogie” [Idea, 2003]. How did you come to collaborate?

AL: There’s probably two parts to that. Tetuzi, I met in New York. He came and played at Tonic and this guy – Toshio Kajiwara – was DJing the basement of Tonic every week, and I guess he knew Tetuzi. He was like, you should really play with this guy, and that was unusual for him – ordinarily he wouldn't suggest people to play with. I took it pretty seriously and saw him play, around 2004. I forget if “Don’t Forget to Boogie” was out then or not. He gave me a CD-R of it, so maybe it hadn’t quite come out yet. There’s one track, “Fast Machine”, and he said, “that track is dedicated to you”. He said that he and Taku Sugimoto used to listen to “Sink the Aging Process” which probably inspired the dedication. On the track he’s just playing one chord for ten minutes.

That record came out, and Oren Ambarchi put out “Triste” [Idea, 2003] on the same label, and the record that became “YMCA” [Family Vineyard, 2009] was also originally going to be on that label before it stopped production. I suggested to the two guys that we do a tour of Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, where we would each organize one country. Both those guys dropped the ball, but I did get a tour of New Zealand together – four shows for the trio, then Oren left and Tetuzi and I did a few other pick-up shows for another week. We got one recording from the tour that was really good, which became a 3” CD called “Willow Weep and Moan” [Antiopic, 2006]. That name, “Blues Deceiver”, that’s Tetuzi’s. I can definitely hear the blues influence in there, but it’s probably a little more his thing than mine.

La Monte always talks about the blues being a big influence in this kind of thing -– like the dominant seventh, which is an interval he favors, comes out of the blues, to him. A lot of his pieces from the early sixties are called “Sunday Morning Blues”, “Tuesday Morning Blues”, which he claims are extremely slow moving blues chord progressions. It’s a little hard to actually ascertain when you listen to them, but I'll take his word for it. I know he did one sound installation where he had a chords made with sine tones in the room. It was a twelve-day thing that was structured as a  twelve bar blues, and each day was equivalent to one bar-- the chord only changed (or not) each day. A mind-blowing idea.

Maybe I mentioned Junior Kimbrough [in the Minimalist Top Ten lists]. There was a movie of the book “Deep Blues”, a documentary. That was, I think, before he had records out, but he’s in the movie. It’s a ten-minute drone thing. I remember seeing it and thinking, wow, who was that guy? I realized he was the same guy when his records started to come out.

ML: Now, Taku Sugimoto -- I love some of his recordings, like “Saritote” [Saritote Disk, 2007] and “Opposite” [hatNOIR, 1998].

AL: I don’t know his records very well, but I saw him play live in Switzerland with [trombonist] Radu Malfatti. It was this venue where I was playing the next night. I was hanging out backstage and Taku and Radu were playing a game of chess. One of them would make a move, and five minutes later the other would make a move. Then, they go out on stage, and of course, one guy would play one note, and five minutes later the other guy would play one note. I was like, okay, I get it now. It was almost like the Cage 4’33” piece, where the focus shifts from what’s going on onstage to becoming more conscious of every other sound in the room.

ML: And then as far as New Zealand…

AL: Bruce Russell put out that CD of mine, “The Evan Dando of Noise?” [Corpus Hermeticum, 1997]. I contacted him and got the names of people to set things up. The first show was in Auckland on a bill with the Dead C. They were amazing. I had seen them in the US but they were so incredible down there, in their element, using their own amps. Lawrence English was on that bill, who at that point was starting out, but has since become a big figure in that music scene. I’ve played with Bruce a little bit. Maybe he sat in on one show with the trio. We did at least one duo thing at this funny bar near his house. He lives in a small town on the South Island.

ML: So many of your works have been collaborations. Is there anyone who’s still on your list?

AL: There’s people like Emmett [Kelly] where we talk about trying to do something someday, and who knows where it’ll go. Now, the CD I did with Henry [Kaiser], “Skip to the Solo” [Public Eyesore, 2016], which came out last year – I studied with him. He did a summer workshop in improvisation guitar when I was about nineteen. I’d been a fan of his from reading this article he did in Guitar Player. They had this whole column called “Essential Listening” where guitarists would talk about records that were significant to them. Henry did a pretty long article and a lot of it was non-guitar stuff, and I probably wouldn’t have paid attention except I noticed he had “Trout Mask Replica” and “Live/Dead,” and I liked those. His list had Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Terry Riley, Masayuki Takayanagi, all the stuff that has since become pretty crucial to my development. I went and bought his current record “It’s a Wonderful Life” [Metalanguage, 1984]. The first side is this sidelong improvisation that he says is inspired by Terry Riley and Evan Parker. That in turn became a big inspiration to me.

In that course he really showed me how to listen to free improvisation. Then I could start to think about doing it as a musician. That was extremely valuable and I’ve stayed in touch with him ever since. Jim O’Rourke met Henry at the same time and had a similar mentor/mentee relationship with him, and that was common ground I had when I met Jim. Once Jim produced “Hoffman Estates” [Drag City, 1998] with Loren [Connors] – it might have been around that time that Henry called me up and proposed doing a record together. We talked about it from time to time for years after that.

We did a gig at the Stone in New York as a duo. At one point, he said, “play two chords so I can fuzz solo over them”. I remembered on this other record of his, “Outside Pleasure” [Metalanguage, 1980], there’s one section where he’s doing a fuzz solo over two chords he has looped behind him, just A minor and G – a rock move in the middle of free improv. So I said, I’ll play the two chords from “Outside Pleasure”. After the show he told me it was the chords from [the Seeds’] “Pushing Too Hard” which I’d never realized.

A record I really like is “Shut Up ‘n Play Yer Guitar” [1977-1980] by [Frank] Zappa, that series where he takes out guitar solos from some of his songs, gives them a new name, and calls them a new composition. I suggested doing a record like that to Henry, I booked the plane ticket, and we did it in two days – one of recording and one of mixing. But that’s an example of someone I really wanted to do a record with for a long time and finally got around to doing it two years ago. I didn’t want to just to a guitar duo record, since he’s done that with other people. I wanted to go deeper because I had this longstanding relationship with him and wanted the full Henry treatment, with him producing, designing the cover – things I would ordinarily want to control myself.

Because most of it is rock-oriented, it’s also the path not taken, in a way. This is the road I was on until I discovered this article that Henry wrote in Guitar Player and discovered Derek Bailey. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn’t. Would I have been a famous rock guitarist or just lost interest after I was out of my teens?

***

[the-record-newspaper]

The Killing of Rhonda Hinson Part 16

Rhonda Hinson’s best friend, Jill Turner-Mull , above left in 1980, and right, today

By LARRY GRIFFIN                                                                                            Special Investigative Reporter For The Record

…Basic procedure of a murder investigation is to start with those closest to the victim and work your way from there; but, it sounds like basic investigative techniques were not used in this case...—Crystal Carroll Williams, former dispatcher for the Burke County Sheriff’s Department, commenting on the Remembering Rhonda Hinson Facebook page.

Once, there were four friends—two couples to be precise.  

The two males were friends, but not the best of. The two females were, in fact, the best of friends and had been since the 4th Grade—almost like sisters.

The quartet attended the same high school; and, throughout their Senior Year and beyond, the couples would “hang out,” double-date, and even ventured to the beach together.  Of course, they graduated together during the same commencement ceremony conducted in the East Burke High School’s gymnasium.  

Three of the four—the two males and one of the females—matriculated at three different colleges; one stayed behind. She aspired to seek gainful employment and join the workforce, having grown weary of school.  So, while her friends and boyfriend continued to navigate the world of books and assignments and push pencils across the lined pages of college-ruled composition notebooks of academe, she quietly secured a job at a local steel company to make money to pay for her new automobile.  She enjoyed her work and quickly added a few new friends to her circle.

At length, her boyfriend and friends returned from their academic pursuits to celebrate Yuletide and resume their former associations.  But two mornings before Christmas,--while traveling back to home and family subsequent to attending her employer’s evening Winter-fête—this barely-19-year-old’s life-force was precipitously and inexplicably extinguished by a single high-powered bullet.

And the quartet of friends was no more.  One was taken; three remained.  

During the formative hours of the consequent homicide investigation, it was assumed by the people that the surviving triumvirate would be among the first individuals interviewed by the local constabulary. Two were—the best friend and the boyfriend.  The third—the best friend’s boyfriend and a comrade of the boyfriend of the slain young woman—wasn’t interrogated until 14 years, 12 days after the murder of his girlfriend’s best friend.

Jill Turner-Mull, the best friend, recently recalled details from her three interviews with law enforcement—the first just hours after the killing of Rhonda Hinson.

 “I was an 18-year-old who had just lost my best friend when they came to my house to question me during the afternoon of December 23rd.  I remember one of them was John McDevitt [Burke County Sheriff’s Department; the other—I am thinking—might have been John Suttle [SBI].  At first, they kinda started a little slowly—asking me to position myself at a location in the funeral home during receiving of friends so that I could possibly identify any strange behavior by the people attending the viewing.  But then they asked me the question they came to ask, “Where were you the evening before Rhonda was killed?”

Jill informed her inquisitors that she had been in the company of her boyfriend, Mark Turner.  She explained that he had picked her up from her parents’ Hazel  Street home and took her to his parents’ house in Indian Hills off the Cape Hickory  Road.  

“I told them that Mark’s mother, Barbara, fixed dinner for us; afterwards, we watched a movie before Mark took me home a little after midnight, dropping off at my front door about 12:25 that morning—past my curfew, as it happened.”

Admittedly, Ms. Turner-Mull spent weeks and months walking around enshrouded in a haze of disbelief.  Tears were common as she struggled to come to terms with the surreality of the emotional upheaval of losing her best friend with whom she shared so much.  Frequently, Jill reached out to friends and family for support—especially her boyfriend, Mark Turner.  But to her surprise and chagrin, she found little solace.  

Something had changed in Mark, though I couldn’t quite determine what.  A couple of weeks after Rhonda’s death, I started talking about everything and he said to me, “Jill, Rhonda’s dead; she’s isn’t coming back; and you need to get over it.”  I remember how confusing that response was—it was not typical of his usual emotional expression.  Generally, I found him to always be comforting in situations when I needed him to support me.  But I experienced more empathy from friends than I did from the one person I expected it to come from, you know?  This wasn’t the Mark that I knew.

Jill Turner and Mark Turner started their courtship during the Summer of 1980 just before the commencement of their Senior Year at East Burke High School.  It all began with lockers and levity.

“All through high school, we would frequently see each other at our lockers. The lockers were assigned alphabetically, and ours were always together because we shared the same last name.  But I suppose what really brought us together was an incident that took place on the football field.”

Pictures were being made of the cheerleaders of East Burke High School—both collectively and individually.  The football team was also lined-up on the field watching the photo shoot. Mark Turner was one of those players. Jill recalled that day:

“It was my turn to have my individual picture taken.  So I picked up the pom-poms and walked out on the field in front of the photographer. As I was posing, I heard Mark yell at me, “Hey Turner, if you smile real big, I’ll take you out on a date.”  So, I did, and he did.”

However, in the aftermath of Rhonda’s death, Mark wasn’t behaving like the talkative, easy-going person that he had been.  Ms. Turner-Mull reflected upon this obvious transmogrification in personality:

“I started thinking about how subdued his reaction to Rhonda’s death really was.  I mean, they weren’t close friends like Rhonda and I were; but, we did hang out a lot together, and he did go Christmas shopping with her to buy presents for me.  So, I expected his reaction to the news to be like others of my friends, ‘Oh God, Jill, I am so sorry….’  That didn’t happen with him.”

 In retrospect, Jill noted Mark’s relative reticence and subdued emotional expression in the wake of Rhonda’s murder.

“You know, when I called Mark that morning to tell him about Rhonda and that we needed to go check on Greg, he never questioned it.  He was like, “Ok; let’s go.”  On the car ride to Wilkies Grove, he said very little; usually, he would have been very talkative.  He really didn’t say much of anything at Greg’s house after we arrived there.  And at the funeral home and funeral?  Well, he would stand or sit next to me but was offering no consolation or emotional support.  These responses were just not like the Mark that I started dating and had grown to know.”

And though it wasn’t articulated aloud at the time, the death knell of the Turner and Turner relationship had been sounded. Mark’s obvious indifference to his girlfriend’s suffering played a pivotal role in the discontinuance of their amorous association.

“I can’t find a single letter from Mark [after returning to Western Carolina for the Winter Semester, 1982]…Maybe Mark stopped writing because he didn’t go back to college [Elon] after the first semester.  He went to work at a hosiery mill owned by one of his relatives—just a possibility….But we must have been dating as late as February 18, 1982, because I found a letter from Ann Hodges [Smith] and—according to our verbiage—I was still dating Mark at that time.”

It must have been sometime in March, 1982 that Jill-Turner Mull formally ended her almost two-year relationship with Mark Turner. Shortly thereafter—perhaps over the summer months of 1982—Mark started dating Faith Crump, according to Jill’s recollection.

“I knew Faith well; so did Rhonda.  And, like Rhonda, I have known her since the 4th Grade.  She lived as close to me in one direction as Rhonda did in another direction.  We lived so close that Faith could easily walk to my house from hers.  In fact, she spent as much time at my house as Rhonda did.”

And when Mark Steven Turner and Faith Christine Crump were married at East Valdese Baptist Church, 3 p.m., on Saturday, Dec. 4, 1982; Jill Turner [Mull] was amongst the celebrants.  One of the mutual friends of the bride and groom was noticeably absent—Rhonda Hinson.  

The wedding of her classmates and friends was conducted nine days before what would have been Rhonda’s 20th birthday; nineteen days before the first anniversary of her murder.  

On Dec. 18, 1995, Jill Turner-Mull was married and living in Charlotte when she received a phone call at work from James “Flash” Pruett, a detective from the Burke County Sheriff’s Department.  

“My [first] daughter, Morgan, was six-months-old at the time; and, I was working at Forms and Supplies in Charlotte when he called.  That was the first time I remember being asked about a gray-hooded sweat-jacket that I saw in the back of Mark’s car the early morning of the 23rd when he brought me home.  I told the detective that I asked Mark about it; he said that Rhonda left it there when they went shopping for me a Christmas present.  Well, I didn’t question him further; I was late and needed to get in the house.”

Jill was surprised to learn that the sweat-jacket was found lodged on the rear sundeck of Rhonda’s 1981 Datsun 210 by investigators who inventoried the car’s contents on the afternoon of December 23, 1981.  

On the strength of Jill Turner-Mull’s statement to him, Detective James Pruett set out to locate Mark Turner.

[bentchcreates]

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

As Halloween2017 neared, I was kind of bummed because I haven’t read even one fantasy book I planned to read (Gregory Maguire’s Wicked, Eliza Victoria’s Wounded Little Gods and of course, Stephen King’s Carrie, were among them) so what did I do? I READ A NEW BOOK OUT OF THE BLUE! LOL

Nah, I was actually planning to give up fantasy reading for Halloween but my good friend Chachic recommended one of her favorite books and now I am an Ilona Andrews fan!

Burn for Me is the first book in the Hidden Legacy series featuring and alternate history US where powers and magic is the norm and is embedded deep into society and culture. Nevada Baylor is a private investigator forced to track and bring home an out of control pyrokinetic (a pyromanianc, really). One of the most dangerous magical people in their world, Mad Rogan, is out to get him, too, and things get even more complicated when a hot romance blossoms between Nevada and Rogan.

This is quite different from the books I’ve been reading because it’s contemporary romance but the world building is that of a tight fantasy novel. I love that the magic was dealt with the same importance as the love parts and there was a perfect balance between them. It is also important to point out how diverse the characters are in this universe and that they had huge roles to the advancement of the plot, however small their parts were.

Nevada’s POV was fantastic, I loved knowing what went on in her head especially when it came to her relationship with her family. I especially loved her motivations for every action and the personal rules they followed in running their family business.  Nevada is such an amazing heroine!

What really got me hooked was the sexual tension between Nevada and Rogan and how their magic played in the flirting and avoiding of it all. I didn’t think a book could be so hot without, you know, the hot parts but this was indeed BURNING! The characters are also well-rounded, complementing the compelling writing making reading it so much fun! No wonder Ilona Andrews are popular, I’ve known of them even before I read this book, and now I’m set to get the other two books in the series.

5 of 5 Stars. Awesome worldbulding, awesome magic powers, awesome romance! My Halloween reads were saved at the last minute! Haha!

Blurb:

Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire. Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive. Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world. 

Buy Links:

Kindle : https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Me-Hidden-Legacy-Novel-ebook/dp/B00I7V11WU

About the authors:

“Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.) Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Texas with their two children and many dogs and cats. They have co-authored several NYT and USAT bestselling series. They are currently working on urban fantasy of Kate Daniels, the paranormal romance of Hidden Legacy, and thjeir independently published series, Innkeeper Chronicles.  You can read more about their work on their website: http://www.ilona-andrews.com

Shout out to my dear friend Chachic, because this is one of the best book gifts I’ve received in a long while! Check out her amazing book blog here: https://chachic.wordpress.com/ (She’s been book blogging for years so it is wise to listen to her and her recommendations! ;) ) Thank you, Thank you!