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enderspawn · 3 years ago

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dream smp asagao au, aka the very specific high school au

also aka the post thats very self indulgent for me and maybe 3 other people.

in short: its a dsmp high school au based on the game asagao academy, where everyone is part of a gaming club and compete against one another in tournaments. more in depth info about the AU/Asagao itself, as well as more info about the plot and roles of the AU itself.

Asagao Academy Basics

So to start, let’s cover the basics: what is Asagao Academy. ….well, an old Youtuber dating sim game (which, despite unfortunately including some fairly questionable CCs, IS still really good and well written and I recommend it) But what is it for AU purposes?

Asagao Academy is a highly elite world-wide boarding school set in Japan for those who are either rich enough to afford it, or those skilled enough to get scholarships. Within the game, there are two main clubs: Normal Boots and Hidden Block. They’re both gaming clubs, and joining is seen as super exclusive since they’re ALSO the most popular people in the school.

The two clubs compete with each other in various tournament events with specific categories. For example: Satch (from NB) and Jimmy (from HB) both compete in the “Tech and Invention” category, where they have to create/invent something related to gaming and have it judged at the event like a science fair. Meanwhile, Jared (from NB) and Wallid (from HB) both compete in “Dance” aka DDR and the person with the highest score wins.

The other categories featured in game include: Puzzle games (like Bejeweled or Tetris), Video Game Trivia, Pinball, Retro Platformers, a three-person fighting game, and 100% completion speedruns. So tldr; the categories can be kind of fiddled with and be whatever you want them to be, because even the original ones are pretty wack.

Also, there’s no rules against competing in multiple categories— in fact, most of the HB members in game do! It’s more about balancing time and practicing for them alongside school and other activities.

The winner of the competition is the team/competitor(s) with the most total wins.

Another thing to note: despite competing as clubs, they’re all actually pretty good friends. It’s all lighthearted and fun in the end, hell the leader of the opposing club even helps the main character join the main club just because he wants a decent challenge.

Speaking of… the main character! Hana Mizuno! I don’t have any current plans to include her in this AU (a la new dating routes), but I wanted to mention her for a few reasons.

For the main reason: her hair. Even as soon as she shows up, Mai (her best friend and roommate, who can break the 4th wall) immediately calls her out for her hair for looking like a main character which as we learn… isn’t an exaggeration. She’s literally a born protagonist, thus being born with naturally pink hair and a tragic backstory. Not only that, but other people are also born protagonists with pink hair as well— she isn’t an exception.

About the AU -- Revolution Era

A few things to note: in this au, when I first drafted it I… wasn’t looking to include 20+ people. I cut a lot of characters, but instead working with the idea that they’re still THERE, they just… don’t compete? Either they aren’t in the club and are just friends with the members, or they’re members who just don’t compete professionally. It’s nothing personal against those CCs and tbh as times goes they may get added more, but for now they’re just in the BG vibin.

It covers a really basic retelling of s1 for most of the planned au. It starts with One Club: the Dream Team. Members include: Dream (sophomore), Sapnap (sophomore), George (junior), Wilbur (junior), Eret (junior), and Fundy (freshman).

For reasons, possibly just as a goof or spite towards their American counterparts, Wilbur declares independence from the Dream Team and makes his OWN gaming club: L’Manberg. He takes Eret (a close friend from his grade) and Fundy (the freshman he immediately adopted) with him, causing the two teams to be 3v3.

But Wilbur’s got a dastardly surprise up his sleeve: TOMMY, HIS YOUNGER BROTHER (bc I am nothing if not a dedicated crimebros stan), AND TUBBO. They’re both too young to actually attend Asagao yet, but theres no age rules in the actual competitions so its fair play. They’re Wilbur’s secret weapon. After all, a 5v3 where the team with the most wins wins the competition? That’s a massive advantage.

… we all know how this goes though don’t we. Wilbur’s day be so fine, then BOOM, Eret betrayal 😔

In this case Eret feels it’s a LITTLE unfair to blindside them like that, plus Dream promised to make him the Leader of the Dream Team and, yknow, that kind of stuff DOES look good on resumes, so…

TLDR; Eret rejoins the Dream Team crew, as well as informing them of Wilbur’s plan with including Tommy and Tubbo and becomes leader. They’re still letting Dream and Co. basically actually do the leading, they don’t care that much, the title is just nice. L’Manberg cusses her out and promises to hold a grudge, but it’s all in good fun. After all, they’re just teens goofing around and playing. The clubs are again 4v4.

Dream tells the L’Manberg club that they can separate, sure… under one condition. They have to win the competition. If they lose, they have to rejoin the Dream Team club.

L’Manberg accepts, but come competition day… they lose. Tommy outright challenges Dream post awards to a speedrun competition for L’Manberg instead. …which Dream professionally competes in, and Tommy DOESN’T.

He loses, but he puts up a good fight despite having little to no actual practice put in, so Dream “grants” L’Manberg their “Independence”. (In this au, instead of being like… weirdly obsessive over Tommy, it’s a lot more “he sees himself in Tommy and wants to support/mentor him” and a “friendly rivalry” kind of deal bc its a damn HIGH SCHOOL AU)

So L’Manberg can be it’s own club! …Next year, when Tommy and Tubbo actually attend, since Wilbur and Fundy aren’t allowed a two person club.

About the AU -- Election Era

SO time skip! Congrats, everything up to now has been BACKSTORY. It’s now the next school year, with two main clubs (I’ve tried to keep them fairly balanced, which is why not all CCs are featured, sorry!)

Dream Team club:

Dream - junior

George - senior

Sapnap - junior

Eret - senior

Punz - junior

BBH - senior

Awesamdude - junior

Ponk - junior

L’Manberg club:

Wilbur - senior

Tommy - freshman

Tubbo - freshman

Fundy - sophomore

Schlatt - senior

Quackity - junior

Niki - sophomore

Jack - sophomore

(Also fun fact! Their grades are loosely based on the CCs actual ages! …Except Fundy, who got Baby-fied to fit the “Wilbur’s Kid” joke, and Eret bc it fit better to be the same age as Wilbur I thought. Oops HEKANDNSN)

So, for whatever Reason (listen this was an au I made in like one night when plagued with brainrot, it’s not all figured out), L’Manberg holds an election. Maybe it’s related to Wilbur wanting L’Manberg to be meaningfully different from Dream Team, maybe it’s a joke, idk!

…. SOMEHOW, Schlatt wins. Which ticks off Wilbur a lot. It’s his damn club, and the whole point was to avoid Americans, tf?? The two start to feud a lot and it threatens to split the club entirely via ppl taking sides. Worse, it means people aren’t practicing for the competition.

All while this is happening, there’s a new intrigue building. Dream catches word of an infamous player in the area, someone known to win entire competitions against teams of people all by HIMSELF. A man with bright bubblegum pink hair called Technoblade. That’s right, literal universe-assigned protagonist Techno. If Dream could enlist him, there’s no doubt in hell they’d be able to beat L’Manberg.

L’Manberg hears of him too and works to try and enlist him as well, so he basically gets courted by both clubs trying to get him to play for them to mixed results. He’s pretty chill vibin by himself, so what’s in it for him? (….I don’t know, remember how this is a WIP au I worked on once?)

Eventually, a teacher named Phil (who’s been the honorary sponsor of the L’Manberg club) gets pissed at Schlatt and Wilbur’s fighting and bans both from competing (aka this AUs version of them dying). Which fucking SUCKS for L’Manberg. They’re now going 6v8 with a wildcard player who’s undeclared on which side he’ll join, if at all.

… honestly, that’s as far as I got. Theoretically, Techno joins L’Manberg to reflect Pogtopia and they win. I never had plans to go into s2 due to its darker theme, but there are definitely changes that could (and might?) be made for the s1 plot just so it flows better.

I already had to shift Wil and Schkatt’s “deaths” to fit, unless I were to have them LITERALLY make a new club. Maybe Schlatt uses his power as Club President to make them work with Dream Team (to the point it basically merges the clubs). Sure, they might be guaranteed to win now but it removes the competition and fun as well as the spirit of OG L’Manberg. So then Wilbur rebels and makes his own club AGAIN, calling it Pogtopia with the intent to get L’Manberg back. Then Techno, intrigued with this group of like 2-3 ppl going against a team of like 13ish people, decides to join them. Idk! Alternative possible plot based more closely on s1 I guess!

I’m gonna add a list of characters in full with their age, their club, and what they compete in (if it’s already brainstormed, most ppl are unknown) below

Character List

dream (DT) - junior - speedrunning

george (DT) - senior - coding/tech and invention

sapnap (DT)- junior -

eret (DT) - senior -

wilbur (LM) - senior - rhythm game/guitar hero-esque

tommy (LM) - freshman - (possibly pick up speed running during election arc?)

tubbo (LM) - freshman - chess

fundy (LM) - sophomore - coding/tech and invention

schlatt (LM) - senior - he never actually declares what he plans to play and then gets banned anyway, aka no game kekw

quackity (LM)- junior - dance

niki (LM) - sophomore -

jack (LM) - sophomore-

punz (DT) - junior -

bbh (DT) - senior -

awesamdude (DT) - junior -

ponk (DT) - junior

technoblade (SOLO) - junior - multiple categories

FINAL BIT

here’s some scraps for ppl who know Asagao already as well as small bits I didn’t bother to write up any further

- Karl, much like Mai, is ALSO aware of the 4th wall and has time travel powers because of it.

- Purpled (undecided if he’s a solo player like Techno or has his own team he competes with that’s not a formal club) plays Literally Bedwars in competitions

- Callahan is the Dream Team club sponsor, Phil is L’Manberg’s club sponsor

- Karlnapity is real and canon bc I say so

- both for balance/laziness, every person only competes in one category. also bc it makes Techno that much more Protagonist-y that he does

- I made this AU in like February man idk I’m just vibin

- Fuck I never even included Ranboo huh

#dream smp #mcyt #asagao au #og post #pwease read this you dont have to know asagao that much i swear #anything you do i explained plEASE fjdskfjl #asagao academy

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georgetownuniversitypress · 4 years ago

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Darcy Lear: What will you take back to the face-to-face language classroom post-pandemic?

Like so many educators who’ve moved first to emergency remote teaching then to something more like online teaching, I have been overwhelmed by the information coming at me. At first, I eagerly attended all the Zoom workshops I could to get over the learning curve. Then I settled into a holding pattern that fit within my comfort zone for the online venue. Now I try limit my time on Zoom to the hours I am teaching or otherwise engaging with students.

Once the clutter and confusion cleared a bit, I was able to start to look ahead toward a return to face-to-face teaching. And what I’ve realized is that emergency remote teaching reminds me of some of the most important basics of language education—things I want to take back to the in-person classroom as soon as that is possible.

Here are a few of the things I am doing now that I want to keep doing post-pandemic:

1. Keep it simple—technology edition

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. And just because a technology exists, doesn't mean you should incorporate it into your classes—especially during forced online teaching due to a pandemic.

I have necessarily added the online teaching platform used by my campus: Zoom. Otherwise, students and I are using the same tech we've always used—the campus online learning system and the publisher's online textbook and workbook materials. I know Flipgrid and Flippity and Padlet and Panopto and Quizlet and twelve different recording and transcribing options exist. I believe that some are great pedagogical tools and have true potential in the language classroom. But not now. There have been enough learning curves during the pandemic.

Takeaway Don't use bells and whistles gratuitously. Identify your problem first, then solve it using technology if and only if it meets your needs.

2. Keep it simple—curriculum edition

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Are high-stakes tests feasible in the new venue? Do I really need 8-10 course components? Are my own pedagogical materials consistent across different documents and platforms?

The first two questions were a pleasure to address when we were first forced online in spring 2020: high-stakes chapter tests and the final exam were eliminated and replaced by low-stakes daily online quizzes (this is stuff we've known is better for a long, long time). These were 5-10 item assessments closely tied to content covered in that day's class. I told students, "If you can't complete those quizzes without resources, that's a red flag for you. Did you miss class and so it makes sense that it was hard? Do you need to brush up on a grammar point? Do you need to meet with me outside of online class? Did you forget to do the online homework (from which some quiz items are copied and pasted)?" This is what assessment is for—to measure student progress and see if they are ready to move on.

In the meantime, students’ course-long blogs and research projects formed the kind of project-based portfolio assessment we also have known for a long, long time is a better way to assess student learning than a lot of our old-school achievement tests (the kinds of tests people are fretting over how to administer securely online while ‘monitoring cheating’).

I folded some course components, such as recorded TalkAbroad conversations, into students’ portfolio projects so that students reported on them within the regular blog posts they were doing instead of in separate assignments.

By the time the spring 2020 course started, there were three major course components: textbook content, an online blog, and a research project. There were a total of 5 grading categories: daily quizzes, daily blog posts, in-class mini-presentations, a course-long research project, and a final presentation of the research project.

A single thread ran through the entire course so that the work to prepare for class led smoothly into the synchronous class period, which was followed by homework and assessments that reviewed all the content before repeating the cycle. Even though this is how it’s supposed to always work, it felt more focused and streamlined than any face-to-face course I've taught in recent memory.

In cleaning up my pedagogical materials, I developed a kind of check list: Do I even need to keep this content? Is there a way to fold this material into something else (portfolio assessments, online quizzes)? Do I use the names I have for assignments consistently? Do they make sense? Why were assignments described as "personal readings" in course documents and grade book columns years after they'd become "blog entries" in practice? Ditto for "documents 1-5" that were really "research project" components. Getting ready to engage in emergency remote teaching forced me to revisit a lot of content that worked inside my own head but didn't make a lot of sense to anyone else, something I know is an issue when designing pedagogical materials, writing instructions, writing academic articles—you name it!

Takeaway Can I simplify logistics for students? Can the various bits and pieces be streamlined so it makes more sense to students and flows better for all of us?

3. Keep it simple—classroom edition

As the teacher, do most of your work outside of class. With emergency remote teaching, most of my time was dedicated to planning before class, then grading and meeting with students after. In the online class sessions, I mostly just set up activities for students then hang out and listen to them interact. Occasionally, I interrupt to correct or explain, but mostly I wait for students to self-correct or reach out to me for clarification. I’ve noticed a lot more self-correction when I gave students the time and space to do it—well, Zoom did that for me.

This experience has reminded me of the kind of planning and preparing required of a novice teacher. I set up my lesson plan, re-visit it after a day or so, then run through it before class starts to make sure I have everything ready to go on my laptop:

Is the ebook opened to the first page I'll reference?

Do students have the link to the Google doc I'll ask them to use?

Do I have the PDF opened and ready to click on?

Is the PowerPoint presentation launched?

Do I know when I'm going to use breakout rooms and how many I will need?

At the beginning of each class, I share my screen to show students the lesson plan and run through the major topics as well as assignments that are due soon. It begs the question: why haven’t I been sharing my lesson plans with students all along?

Getting everything set up seems to take more time and energy than the Zoom session itself, but in the Zoom session I also shed the novice teacher and settle into the role of experienced teacher.

As soon as a Zoom class ends, I go back into planning mode—I post the day's lesson plan and homework online for students to reference, then I prepare the first draft of the next session's lesson plan. Before I polish the next plan, I spend a lot of time grading—reading/watching students' work, making individual comments on it, and checking their progress with online activities and assessments. In the process, I make sure the homework and quizzes align well with the class sessions (something I haven't dedicated enough time to in face-to-face teaching over the past decade or so).

Takeaway Be transparent with students. Make most of your work happen in the prep and follow-up so class time can focus on smooth student activities.

4. Let students learn by doing: Be the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage

Zoom is a horrible venue for "teacher at the front of class soliciting responses from individual students"—but so is a classroom if your goal is for students to build communicative competence in the language. But in classrooms it's very easy to fall into old-school patterns of the teacher doing too much of the talking. Online teaching—where everyone is disembodied and there are awkward pauses combined with people talking over each other—forces me to abandon any remnants of the Atlas complex. If I'm talking on Zoom it's very obvious I'm delivering a lecture or a teacher presentation.

I do talk to the whole group at the beginning and end of each Zoom session, with some teacher-like explanations peppered throughout the entire course. But most of the time spent on Zoom has been students in breakout rooms interacting with each other in Spanish—sometimes discussing textbook content in groups, sometimes preparing brief presentations to give to the whole class, sometimes with student discussion leaders who are formally assessed on their performance. I pop in but try to leave myself on mute.

Takeaway Find a way to put myself "on mute."

5. Be flexible and go easy on yourself and others

Right now we’re in a pandemic, but in "normal times" there are always some individuals who are navigating crises. We don't need to know the details, but we can make interactions with us easier instead of harder—extend deadlines, take late work, allow students to make up tests, and be understanding when they have to miss class.

Takeaway Nobody needs a punitive work or learning environment—ever. Be flexible. Go easy on yourself and others.

Darcy Lear has a PhD in Foreign and Second Language Education from the Ohio State University and teaches Spanish at the University of Chicago. She regularly gives presentations on teaching strategies to departments around the country and has developed languages for special purposes courses at several institutions. Lear is also a career coach, helping people to position themselves to use their language skills in rewarding careers. She is the author of Integrating Career Preparation into Language Courses.

#language learning #language teaching #pedagogy #new books #language acquisition #actfl #online teaching #teaching online #pandemic #covidー19 #covid lockdown

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dillydedalus · 5 years ago

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february reading

truly the month of the 2.5 to 3/5 star books

the testaments, margaret atwood y’all.... i was bracing myself for disappointment but yikes. the first half is semi-decent, with at least the storylines of aunt lydia’s (alleged) diaries and the testimony of a girl raised in gilead opening up some interesting themes (the third, from the pov of a canadian teen, is a fucking disaster from the beginning), but the second half genuinely reads like generic dystopian YA, it’s predictable & tropey & silly & the prose becomes bad, real bad, ‘is atwood okay’ bad. 1.5/5

paul takes the form of a mortal girl, andrea lawlor really cool & propulsive picaresque about paul polydoris, a queer student in the early 90s who can shapeshift (yeah) & explores what that means for his identity, learning to reject attempts to force him into binary categories. it’s a fun read, but it felt a bit directionless (picaresque i know), and like... i read a lot of this on my commute & there really is nothing like sitting on the train, in a half-awake daze, and your book throwing a fisting scene at you. 3/5

delusions of gender: the real science behind sex differences, cordelia fine nonfiction book dedicated to debunking claims about the neurological basis of sex differences. it’s from 2010 so prob a lil dated (scientifically i assume, as well as a relative lack of intersectional analysis), but it’s a good overview of why such claims are often based on flawed or misleading studies (like one on toy preference where monkeys where presented w/ gendered toys, such as the clearly female-coded pan, which like... it’s a monkey...). the section on supposedly gender-neutral childraising was particularly interesting & depressing. 3/5

silence, shusaku endo (tr. from japanese by william johnston) historical novel about the oppression & persecution of christians in 17th century japan - the protagonist, a young priest, secretly travels to japan to find his mentor & ends up betrayed & captured, under threat of torture, struggling with his own doubts about his faith. it’s interesting but preeetty damn slow. also tbh i can’t really relate to the struggle of whether or not you should step on an image of jesus to save yourself or others from torture/execution. (to be fair depending on your reading god does break his silence to be like ‘dude. just step on the fucking image.’) 2.5/5

the garden of the finzi-contini, giorgio bassani (tr. from italian by william weaver) a melancholy novel in which a jewish-italian narrator looks back at his youth & early adulthood thru the lense of his relationship to the finzi-contini, a very rich jewish family whose daughter, micòl, he was in love with. although the narrative is slow and leisurely, the growing antisemitism and the narrator’s retrospective knowledge of what is to come makes this quite haunting & unsettling. what’s also unsettling is the narrator’s campaign of sexual harrassment against micòl in the end of the book, which is painted as silly, lovesick weakness, rather than, you know, harrassment. 2.5/5 why are men like this

white is for witching, helen oyeyemi i love an evil house, i love an evil house that gets to narrate (!!!), i love (conceptually!!!) an evil xenophobic white supremacist parasitic house that loves & starves its daughters. conceptually & thematically oyeyemi sets up a lot of really cool shit about haunting & grief & race/whiteness & yanno, evil parasitic houses that eat you from the inside, but i don’t think the resolution of these themes really works & a lot of the build-up just kinda deflates (the brother especially is kinda pointless). idk. i want to read more from oyeyemi tho. 2.5/5

vater unser, angela lehner (no english translation yet) the blurb for this is big cringe (’you’ve never seen a crazy person like this!’ like bitch i have to see myself every damn day) & the bones of this are not super original (mentally ill compulsive-liar narrator gets herself committed, manipulates everyone around her) but it’s pretty well-executed with a strong & funny voice, lots of austrian-specific weirdness, & a nice zippy pace. the twist is a bit predictable but still well-done imo. 2.5/5

interior chinatown, charles yu really smart experimental novel(ish) about one willis wu, struggling actor, trying to work his way up from Generic Asian Man to Kung Fu Guy in a strange shadow-world-version of chinatown where everyone is an actor & everything is part of the set. this strange half-world & the fact that much of the novel is in script-form are both really clever & also work really well in setting up the novel’s deeper point (i.e. not just that the film industry sucks if you’re any kind of minority, but that the stereotypical roles one is assigned in a culture have deeper repercussions in terms of identity and self-perception). it’s also a really funny books, and the epigraphs for each chapter are *chef’s kiss*. 3.5/5

die erfindung der deutschen grammatik, rasha abbas (tr. from arabic by sandra hetzl, no english translation) funny little collection of very short stories by a young syrian journalist & author who moved to berlin in 2014. the stories are for me most part about her experiences as a refugee, learning german, dealing with german bureaucracy & so on, often with a slightly surreal twist. fun but not super substantial or anything. 2.5/5

northanger abbey, jane austen tbh henry tilney is a condescending ass & the whole thing about him only falling in love with catherine bc she is so in love with him is a big yikes from me but it is so charming & funny (the thorpes! the narrator!) & catherine is so sweet, so ready to suspect gothic misdeeds & so naive when it comes to the much more commonplace cruelties that like, i still love it. 3.5/5

a thread of grace, mary doria russell historical novel about the nazi occupation of northern italy from ‘43 onwards, told thru various perspectives of partisans & resistance members, italian jews and jewish refugees in hiding, and catholic clergy involved with the resistance efforts. given that topic, it’s often brutal and depressing but there is always that (title drop) thread of grace in seeing the heroism of the partisans and the people who aided them & hid thousands of jewish refugees from the nazis. and russell just always brings so much humanity to her characters. not as good as the sparrow, but man, russell is great. 3.5/5

eure heimat ist unser albtraum, ed. fatma aydemir & hengameh yaghoobifarah & many many others (german, no translation yet) 2019 anthology about racism in germany, what it means to be a minority in germany, and why ‘heimat’ (~home(land)) is a problematic concept. as it is w/ anthologies it’s a mixed bag & i will say that i don’t think it’s as radical as it presents as overall but i think the #discourse in germany just ain’t as advanced as it is in the us&uk. 3/5

currently reading: gideon the ninth (i have no idea what’s going on but it’s very stylish)

#the books i read #tbh except for testaments i didn't dislike anything but very few of these books really stood out #to the point that i completely forgot to publish this #long post

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teaaandwriting · 5 years ago

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Story Concept- Ethereals

In this future, humans have become increasingly successful in their endeavours, and are generally seen as very high class beings. All humans are seen in two categories: you have what 99.9% of the population falls into, being category one. These are your everyday people, those who do well in life, get a good job, have a happy family, and all in all are just 'ideal', the types of lives you would want to live, happy, successful, doing what they want.

As for the other 0.1%? They are, what one would call, 'hopeless'.

These people are so rare in this society, that no one really knows how to deal with them. They are deemed as 'unfit' for the community, however when it comes to humans, no one really knows what categorises them as definitively 'hopeless'.

That's where the 'Rejuvenation Observation Program' comes in. Explicitly described as 'for the the truly hopeless to be saved', the ROP specifically targets all Category 2 humans, and assigns them with both an Angel, and a Demon.

Now Angels and Demons are pretty well beloved by all beings, or at the very least they're extremely common knowledge. The two races don't exactly get along, but they work together in a collaborative agreement for the ROP. Both sides can agree that by sending in one of their own, they can assist any humans into maybe having a chance of joining Category 1. However, both sides can agree that this is an incredibly low class job for anyone to do, and practically have zero respect for anyone involved with Category 2 humans.

So what do they do? Well, the ROP is 'for the truly hopeless to be saved', so they will use the worst of the worst, the angels and demons who truly suck at their jobs, and are deemed hopeless by their own kind, and send them in to be the designated conscience. After all, Category 2 is such a tiny percentage of people, that who cares if the stragglers are stuck with them?

For our particular human, Aida, she never really understood why she ended up in Category 2, but she's been there since she was a baby, almost as if it was fate that she was destined to be doomed. Aida herself is actually a very nice girl, always polite to others, although not very smart. One of her biggest issues were probably just her anxiety, which made it very hard for her to connect with others as a child, and which has stemmed into her adult life, with her now being 22.

Now Aida here was assigned with her very own conscience Angel and Demon, being Faye and Liliana respectively.

Faye is her conscience angel. She is, as you would expect any angel to be: dedicated, hard working, very rule driven, always keeping a good image, an all around 'good' person. However, she's been stuck in the ROP, which no one would think as a good thing- well, except Faye. Faye, probably in an attempt to deny how she really feels (which is shown in certain ways she reacts to Liliana's words) shows that she thinks of her involvement in this program as a good opportunity, and as a show of appreciation for her efforts. In reality, she heavily hates that she is stuck here, and actually has a lot of pent up rage from being seen as the bottom of the Angels. Because of this, she is partially swayed by Lili's words, and she starts to rebel against the angel beliefs she's known as her life. The reason that she ended up as one of the lowest ranking angels is because she was never a very good angel. She was only ever given simple jobs, by even then she still managed to screw things up. One time, however, she was given the role of assisting with an important mission- a last chance for her to redeem herself. Needless to say, she failed, and a higher class angel was severely injured because of it. This led to the her being scrapped as a hopeless, and therefore being shoved in the ROP.

Liliana is the demon half of this agreement, made to serve as the 'bad side' of Aida's conscience. Yet her personality isn't even that bad. She's snarky, quick witted, and while quite the rule breaker, she can be quite considerate towards others, however her methods of solving problems can be more problematic than the issue itself. One of the only reasons that Lili is even so low down in the demon hierarchy is because she strayed from her original job. Originally, she was one of the underworld's gatekeepers, guiding those who had entered inside. However, she grew antsy, and wanted to know more than the job she had known her whole life. So, as a side hobby, she would join the succubi in their roles, which she herself genuinely enjoyed immensely. However, once higher-ups had realised what was going on, and due to the nature of a succubus role (and with succubi in general being seen as only just above the hopeless) she was stripped of both roles, and delegated as hopeless. Lili, while being pretty bitter over being downgraded, has expected all the scorn and judgement she has faced for being so low, yet disagrees with Faye, who desperately tries to hide that she is a hopeless, under the impression that she shouldn't have the right to be seen as any better then herself, because they're both in the same boat.

#well ethereals is a temporary name!#it was better than naming it R.O.P #if anyone has any suggestions im open to hearing them!#Story concept #Ethereals #my writing #my work #creative writing #writing ideas #teaa’s writing

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classicalafros67 · 6 years ago

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Let's talk about Gender

I feel that this conversation always brings up a can of worms, and that people are immediately ready with prime typing fingers to respond, "lol there are only to genders, male and female," or something along the lines of, "if you have a penis ur a dude lol, no changing biology, sorry." Before I go into that in depth, I believe that, as a really great professor recently told me, I should go into the academic theory of it all. As I mentioned in my last post, I want this conversation to be constructive, so in order for me to even begin thinking of starting this conversation anywhere, I will first tackle the theory of socialization, then identity, then gender. (And hope I can explain it in a way that is clear.) To be completely honest though, this will be a long one folks, and one which I cannot shorten. It is imperative that we understand this before we dive into discussion, however, I invite you to scroll through the discussion (starting in the fourth paragraph) and refer back to the few paragraphs before explaining the theory if you get confused about anything.

First, let’s talk about socialization. A quick definition of socialization is the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable in a society. It is very interesting how socialization happens as we utilize symbols. (symbols will used in a way to portray things that form cultures such as the media, consumer products, linguistics, vernacular, art, and even behavior) Take the example of media – the way people tell the news, or who’s the obvious target for that Axe body spray or Dove deodorant. Consider how these symbols that you grew up with may have affected your world view. Next, think of the ways these symbols are distributed and how. These symbols are distributed through what we call vehicles of influences. We break this up into three parts: intimacy, repetition, and reach. Intimacy being the exposure of symbols through people we know or trust. (e.g friends of family) Repetition being the multitude of times that you are exposed to a symbol. (e.g. if you’ve had a discussion on gender multiple times, as I’ve had, and you’re reading this and probably hearing the same things more than once about gender once we, finally, get into it) Then reach being the weight and geography of people being exposed to a symbol all at once. (e.g. Hasan Piker’s, a host and producer on The Young Turks, reach to expose or repeat symbols towards others is WAY wider than my blog which I’ll assume will only reach a couple people)

After learning this, we are left to ask how socialization is negotiated. According to scholar and professor Nancy Armstrong, “Culture is a struggle among its various factions to control its signs and symbols.” How do we control the symbols to form the desired culture? Like with the vehicles of influence, there are three ways: maintaining (the status quo or current/accepted condition), transforming (deviating from the status quo), or repairing (sactioning the transformation).

Phew! That’s a lot of theory! And we’re not done, but I promise there’s not a lot of theory left. (we’ll get cracking on TRANSFORMING GENDER soon! Radical!!) The last piece is the theory of identity and how that puzzle piece fits into socialization. (although, there’s a pretty obvious hint if you thought about your world view development!) Identity is how you perceive yourself. It is also a performance of expectations of behaviors based upon the category we put ourselves in while interacting with others. The theory of identity breaks itself into four largely entangling parts: self-concept (our expectations of a category or a performance), self-esteem (how well does one/I fit into this category/schema?), expectations (self definitive), and performance.

Now onto gender! I first learned about what gender meant sociologically. In Jeanne H.Ballantine’s third edition of, Our Social World, gender is a, “socially constructed meaning associated with being male or female… and how individuals construct their identity in terms of gender within these constraints” (246). Gender is mostly based off of sex and stereotypes of what is masculine and feminine. Definitions of masculinity and femininity are different in the United States than they are in Spain or Indonesia, and so on. One could even believe that gender is made up accordingly to a society; hence social construct. (It is also important to note that gender and sex, while entangled, are not the same thing.) However, when it comes to the psychological definition in John W. Santrock’s, Adolescence, “Gender refers to the characteristics of people as males and females” (168). And when we consider gender and adolescence together, there’s a group of other things to consider. As one can see, there is not a concrete definition of gender, especially when you consider beyond the biological and stereotypically. I vehemently believe that there will never be a concrete definition for gender when you consider identifications beyond the binary of male or female. I also believe that this scares people because for so long, the symbols of our culture have maintained the bifurcation of male or female with no negotiation of the spectrum of this. Even when one considers the biological makeup of a person, their primary and secondary sex characteristics, their sex chromosomes, (XY, XYX, XXX, and more), there is not a true binary for that either. Another example of this would be someone who is intersex. (Intersex being when one has a reproductive or sexual anatomy/ies that do not seem to fit the typical binary definitions of female or male) So with all this complexity in mind, why do we look at gender and sex as a binary? Why do we sanction a person’s gender identity or even gender expression when it doesn’t fit our concepts or expectations? Actually, it is for that exact reason that we sanction it. We have been socialized (Western culture) to see gender and sex as a binary. (e.g. these are girl toys, these are men’s jeans, that soap is for guys) Think of my Axe body spray and Dove soap examples. To which genders are the products targeting? (Why is there a section in the Walmart dedicated to Men’s Dove Soap?) The transformation of this binary is seen as a threat not only to gender identity, but to expression and behaviors.

When it comes to gender roles, however, the definition is a little more concrete. According to Santrock, “gender role is a set expectation that prescribes how females and males should think, act, and feel” (168). When I think of a cisgender woman (cisgender meaning someone who comfortably identifies as the sex and gender they were assigned at birth), I think of long hair, pink skirt, painted nails and beautiful eyeliner. When I think of a cisgender man, I think of muscles, beard, suit and tie. These are the social expectations that have been placed in my head as to what man or woman should look and act like. Still, that expectation is never the full reality. These expectations of masculinity or femininity are best portrayed in a spectrum versus a binary.

Take me for example. I identify as a cisgender male. I stated my self-conceptions of what a cisgender male should look like, and we have been socialized to know what a masculine man should act like. In fact, the archetype of masculinity would be a strong, in-control man whom is out of touch emotionally. (Lee, Shaw 119) I remember once in a psychology class, when we were asked to name some typical characteristics of being male we could identify with, I could barely name any. I was able to do a better job at naming some typical characteristics of a female. I believe that this is because I grew up around cisgender women, who conformed to scripts of femininity, as a kid. My father raised me with my mom, but I mostly grew up around the women in our family, and I looked up to my mom more than my dad because she was around me the most. Even when I moved in with my dad, the majority in that house were women as well. I was encouraged to like art, nature, and music, and my father did not like that so much because those subjects were not seen as manly. In my mind, especially as I grew up, my father had a ridiculous personality; bottling up emotions, having explosive fits of rage, being irrational, never truly thinking deeply about things and so on. With that, I imitated my mom, who was the exact opposite from my dad. It wasn’t until high school, after I came out to my father as gay, that I tried to imitate his masculinity in order to gain his praise again. I got into sports, tried to anyway, and joined the speech team and so on. The speech team is an example of me demonstrating my report talk which in Deborah Tannen’s definition is the, “talk that gives information” (179). Public speaking is an example of this, and according to her, males are typically good at this. I did not think too deeply into this when I was 14, but I think I somehow knew that public speaking was typically seen as a “boy thing” rather than a “girl thing.” But of course, I quit speech my junior year of high school because I was way better at music than I was at public speaking. Can you see ways that my family, mainly my father, maintained the status quo of masculinity, in this case to the point of toxicity, and attempted to repair my feminine characteristics especially when I came out? Despite my many feminine characteristics, I do believe that I also have some masculine traits due to how I survived my social environment. (performance according to interactions) I was bullied a lot through elementary and middle school for many reasons; I was short, I was skinny, I was black, and I was suspected to be gay even at that time. My parents raised me to believe that when someone bullies you, you stand up to them. This belief caused me to become very aggressive as a child. I got into a lot of fights with many of my bullies. One fight I got into ended with me gaining some permanent scars on my face. Additionally, as a young adult, I weightlift now along with running, and I’m surprisingly strong when it comes to that. I become very aggressive and forceful when I’m in the gym.

I could probably list off a hundred more things that I do that can be seen as both masculine and feminine, but why does any of this matter? Why is so important that I stay healthy? Why does it MATTER how aggressive I am or how many fights I’ve been in? I share my story without taking care to how I talk about it to show you that I am also victim to this socialization. I was victim to thinking that I needed to fit perfectly into the binary of a masculine cisgender male. However, my love for art and music complicated this, my love for makeup complicated this, my open expressiveness complicated this, and my queerness complicated this. At every step of these complications, someone would attempt or succeed in sanctioning this whether it be myself and my low self-esteem (or my “despite my feminine characteristics” quip), the bullying, the suggestions to play football instead of sing in that musical, or the disgusted shouts from grandma if I walked downstairs with eyeshadow on. With constrictive symbols and the refusal to extend or accept the potential symbols into other categories, we effectively repair them, sanction them, and punish those who dare to try to transform these symbols. It is evident that these repairs and even the maintenance itself causes harm. The socialization of gender, sex and expression as a binary in itself isn’t the problem. It is the refusal to accept these categories are more complex than a binary. It is the repairs that we place upon the people who do not fit the binary of these categories.

We refuse to listen to each other, empathize with one another, and effectively continue to discover new, more intellectual and complex ways to see a sign or a symbol. We argue with each other in guise of discourse learning nothing from each other —for the goal is to be right, not to learn. This effectively lets these repairs upon transformation persist especially when it comes the topic of gender and gender expression. And so the cycle of ignorance continues. I know that I did not cover everything,(I’m think that I might have to break this into parts) so please leave some answers to my questions, advance this conversation here and abroad, and be the transformation not the repair.

Sources:

Santrock, J. (2010). Adolescence (13th ed.)

Ballantine J; Roberts, K. (2014). Our Social World (3rd ed.)

Lee J; Shaw S. (2015). Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions (5th ed.)

#discourse #gender #identity #theory #genderstudies #bigpicture #discussion #ask blog #blogging #expression #pride #academic #education #queer #binary #transform

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empmoniitor · 3 years ago

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TIMEBOXING & TIMEBOXING APP

Do you ever feel that there is not enough time in the day? We all get 24-hours a day right, But some people accomplish so much even after having the same 24 hours a day. How do they make that happen?

The answer to that is better time management.

If you search for productivity hacks, you will find a lot of them online. The highest achievers manage their time exceptionally well. There are many time-management techniques they use, and one of them is timeboxing. There is also a timeboxing app to help you with this process. It is the most optimal quick way to improve productivity and time management skills.

This method is gaining popularity among full-time employees, freelancers, as well as entrepreneurs. Harvard Business Review tested more than 100 various productivity hacks, and they came up with a conclusion that timeboxing is the best. In this article, we will discuss everything that you need to know about timeboxing. And also tips for choosing the best timeboxing app.

WHAT IS TIMEBOXING?

Timeboxing is somewhat different from other time management techniques. For completing a task, we generally focus on the task at hand and work until we complete it. But on the contrary, timeboxing is a time management technique that narrows a task to a fixed and realistic timeline. It can be minutes, hours, days, or even weeks-long according to the task complexity.

Timeboxing is different because it encourages you to focus on time instead of tasks. To use this time-management technique, you allow a certain number of hours or days, called a timebox, to each activity. You then use this time – and only this time – to complete the task.

It is mostly used in the software development field but companies and individuals can also use this technique for better task management.

HOW TO PRACTICE TIMEBOXING TECHNIQUE?

When looking at a long list of to-dos, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, which can lead to stress or procrastination. Timeboxing can help you schedule your day to maximize your productivity and knock items off your to-do list in the most efficient way possible.

#1. DETERMINE SUITABLE TASKS:

Usually, you can choose any task to put in a timebox. But the better approach will be if you were to set timeboxes for two categories.

Tasks You Have No Motivation To Do:

These kinds of tasks are usually overwhelming and take a lot of time and effort. For example- writing a novel, research paper, or writing 3000 words of the article, etc. This task can not be finished quickly, so you delay and keep procrastinating. You can divide these tasks into smaller portions and it will get easier to manage and complete.

Tasks You Don’t Want To Spend Too Much Time On:

These kinds of tasks are unpleasant but necessary and you don’t want to spend time on them. It can be cleaning your room, organizing your wardrobe, etc. But in reality, these tasks do not require much time, you can tackle these tasks easily by limiting the time spent on them.

#2. DEFINE YOUR GOALS:

After picking out the tasks, you need to consider what you want to accomplish and at what time. For example, if you have to write a 10,000-word research paper in 30 days. Your goal would be to complete it within 30 days. But you also have to set goals for how many words you are going to write per day.

#3. SET THE TIME:

Once you have assigned time to each task, set a timer to know it is time to move on to the next task and get to work. It will motivate you to work efficiently and also ensure that you don’t neglect other prominent tasks.

You can decide the time to start working on the task and when to stop working on it – if the time frame permits, you can even mark this time in your calendar to make sure you stay on track with your errands.

#4. MAKE SURE TO TAKE A BREAK:

Make sure to leave a room for a break between each timebox. Having a break can help you to return and look at the task with a fresh perspective. You might feel tempted to work continuously but having a break is good for long-term benefits.

#5. WORK AND ANALYZE RESULTS:

The last step may be the simplest – you start working on your first scheduled task without hesitation, and then you work your way down your list of scheduled timeboxes. At the end of the day, or after completing a task, take a look at your progress. See for the area that might need improvement, and you can apply it to future timeboxing.

#6. REWARD YOURSELF:

It will help you to continue this process when you have something for yourself after completing a task. After reaching a milestone, you can reward yourself. It will make this process more fun and interesting.

TIMEBOXING IN AGILE SCRUM:

Timeboxing is used as a fundamental component in the agile scrum framework. In this, the large project is divided into smaller portions and the productivity is measured by completing the smaller tasks. The timeboxing technique helps to set parameters of time spent on a task.

Sprint:

Sprint is a duration during which the team determines goals and achieves them. They use timeboxing to set the length of sprint and limit of individual tasks.

Sprint planning:

Before starting on a sprint, sprint planning is required to identify the tasks that need to be executed and how they will be executed.

Daily Scrum:

Every day in a sprint, the team meets for 15 minutes to discuss any obstacles or priorities.

Sprint Review:

After a sprint, the backlog is evaluated and given feedback. This process is called the sprint review.

Sprint retrospective:

When the sprint is completed, Scrum teammates meet to discuss the entire sprint process, reflect on areas of improvement, and make decisions on changes for the next sprint.

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF TIMEBOXING?

Using the timeboxing technique to manage your tasks gives a lot of benefits. It makes your workflow better and improves your productivity and efficiency. The timeboxing approach doesn’t have to be related to software development. Companies and individuals in other industries can use it too, but you can also use it to organize your time. Now, let’s see what the benefits of timeboxing are.

IMPROVES PRODUCTIVITY:

It is a human tendency to work better and be more productive when we have a deadline. When we assign a task to a particular time, we have to complete it within that time frame. Timeboxing improves our productivity and efficiency.

SIMPLIFIED PRIORITIZATION:

‍Timeboxing helps you to prioritize tasks. You can do the urgent tasks first, and when those tasks are completed, you can move on to the less significant tasks. It will give you a sense of urgency and manage future projects as well. It plays a significant role in workplaces to streamline employees’ workflows.

PROGRESS TRACKING:

The most simplistic approach to track progress on a project is again by visualization. Timeboxing It informs you and your employees about the progress at any given time.

HELPS TO AVOID PERFECTIONISM:

There is no such thing as perfection, the sooner you realize the better.

Timeboxing helps you avoid working on something until it’s perfect. It rather allows teams to create good solutions which can be improved in another repetition.

CONS OF TIMEBOXING:

Not every method is appropriate for everyone. Maybe, you are already using some other technique to manage your task, so it will be hard to adopt a new technique.

Also, some jobs require gaining a high level of quality, however long they take. Timeboxing can cause you to rush, meaning that you fail in your objective.

Finally, there’s a risk that you may not set appropriate lengths of time for your timeboxes. If they are too short, you may not accomplish much; if they’re too long, you might lose focus or procrastinate until the end of the period.

So, make a note of how long different tasks take you and organize your workload according to this. Timeboxing is a powerful approach, but only use it when it’s appropriate!

HOW TO CHOOSE A TIMEBOXING APP?

You could just use the Google calendar app as the timeboxing app. You can also use a sheet of paper. But a dedicated timeboxing app makes the process a lot easier because they are specifically built for it. When looking for a timeboxing app keep these things in mind:

Shows calendar alongside your predefined tasks.

Timeboxing app has a user-friendly interface and also has essential features.

It makes adding tasks to the list easier.

Integrable with your current calendar.

Offers integrations with other tools.

EMPMONITOR:

You can implement any kind of practice or timeboxing app in your organization, but the results are completely dependent on the execution by the employees.

EmpMonitor is a cloud-based employee monitoring system, and you can monitor every activity of your employees from a single dashboard. With the help of the EmpMonitor, you can monitor every activity of your employees during office hours. It will help you to measure and ensure that they meet the productivity parameters.

EmpMonitor offers many useful tools to ensure the productivity and efficiency of your employees:

Time Tracking:

With the Help of EmpMonitor, you can track every minute of your employee’s working hours. It gives you a detailed report on how much time they have been active, idle, neutral, or offline from a single dashboard.

Productivity Tracking:

With the help of EmpMonitor, you can identify the productivity killers and provide a clear understanding of every process from end to end. You can track and measure the productivity of your employees.

Regular Screenshots:

EmpMonitor captures screenshots of your employee’s system. It keeps them in check that they are working on assigned tasks or not.

Keystroke Logging:

Keystroke logging is one of the best ways to ensure data security. It lets you know about the words that employees type.

CHECK OUR LATEST BLOGS:

What Is Remote Work? Why Is It Important For Business? Here is Why You Should Opt Macro-managing Over Micromanaging Empower Your Management With Employee Productivity Metrics

WRAPPING WORDS:

The purpose of timeboxing is to ensure that you use your time with higher productivity. You can use this technique for better time management and work-life balance. And the timeboxing app can help beginners and advanced time management enthusiasts. It can help to set long-term and short-term goals, stay focused and achieve anything you want.

So what is your take on it? Are you going to use this technique? If you have any thoughts or queries, please let me know in the comments section below!

Originally Published On: EmpMonitor

#Employee Monitoring #Employee Management #Employee Productivity #Employee Monitoring Software #Timeboxing App

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myjobsgeorgia · 4 years ago

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Sr. Surety Underwriter, Commercial Transactional

Liberty Mutual Surety

is currently recruiting for a Surety Underwriter to join our Commercial Transactional Team in our Suwanee, GA office.As a Surety Underwriter you will market, underwrite, and service independent agents, brokers, and commercial surety accounts within an assigned territory.

Using your excellent rapport building skills, you will build and maintain positive relationships and will market to your territory focusing on relationship building rather than transactional sales.

You will also use your business and financial acumen to perform primary credit underwriting and financial/risk analysis, provide recommendations, and make decisions on new and existing accounts.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced and self-motivated surety professional looking to grow their career with a top surety company that focuses on its employees and customers first.Liberty Mutual Surety, a business unit of Liberty Mutual Insurance, is the 2nd largest Surety in the United States and a leading global surety.

Conducting business worldwide through fronting relationships and Liberty-owned subsidiaries, we provide bonds in over 60 countries for construction firms, manufacturers and suppliers, and commercial enterprises on an account and transactional basis.

We are committed to building mutually profitable relationships by providing smart business solutions, ease of doing business, and consistent, responsive service.

Liberty Mutual Surety is dedicated to the communities we serve and highly values a diverse workforce in more than 16 countries.

Responsibilities: Meets with agents and brokers from assigned customer base/territory to solicit business/submissions via marketing efforts and educate agency representative(s) on Liberty Mutual Surety policies, procedures, appetite, and requirements.

Act in a consultative capacity and discuss/review agency accounts and performance.

Underwrites new and existing account submissions utilizing underwriting authority granted by Chief Underwriting Officer.

May handle most complex accounts based on level of role.

Makes thorough evaluations and assessments of a customer’s financial, technical, organizational, and management capacities, past experience, desired objectives as well as a subjective judgment of character, normally based upon data/insights.

In many cases, will meet with client to facilitate above assessments.

Performs analytical evaluations of financial statements on both a static and trend basis.

Determines the present and historical financial position of the account and monitors financial position of risk through analysis of quarterly statements and work in progress data as appropriate Develop/maintain strong relationships with agents/brokers and oversee a book of Commercial Surety business within defined territory.

Meets production, marketing, and profitability goals as set by manager and assist in developing marketing plan.

Stay abreast of Liberty Mutual Surety product lines and identify cross-selling opportunities with agent, engaging/referring appropriate parties as necessary.

Responsible for investigation, analyzing, and managing all necessary underwriting/accounting/workflow issues, within framework of Surety policies and procedures.

Monitor an existing book of business from an underwriting standpoint.

Continuously evaluates the qualitative characteristics of the business (new and existing) as assigned.

Examples include utilization of self-audit programs, financial ratio analysis report.

Makes recommendations to Manager for proper lines of authority to be submitted to Home Office.

Monitors and controls utilization of such lines to ensure compliance with guidelines.

May assess and identify changes in all aspects of the business including, but not limited to, work program to financial strength criteria, nature of work performed (inherent risk), accuracy and timeliness of data flow, and exposure analyses.

Coordinate and surface issues to more Home Office staff and Bond Managers Assists in the evaluation of business continuity arrangements and funding mechanisms (such as adequacy of life insurance) to preclude financial drain of customer in the event of the demise of (an) owner or other insurable loss.

In connection with credit recommendations which tend to fall outside of normal underwriting standards, applies sound reason and business logic to reach decision as authorized.

Effectively documents such logic in file and communicates to more senior Home Office and Field underwriting staff, as necessary.

Provide direction for topics to be addressed in meetings with agents, customers and others, as necessary.

Prepare and implement instructions for administering workflows and accounting/billing issues to service unique situations.

May mentor more junior staff based on level.

Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.

Job Specifications: Reference: 2021-35827 Category: Underwriting Primary Location: Suwanee, GA Additional Locations: Schedule: Full-Time Salary: USD $88,000.00/Yr.

– USD $112,000.00/Yr.

Education Level: Travel: As NeededQualifications Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or equivalent and a minimum of 3 years’ experience expected, typically 4 or more years surety underwriting experience and/or equivalent surety related business experience.

Strong preference with the Commercial Surety product line.

Proven analytical ability to evaluate and judge underwriting risks within scope of responsibility.

AFSB certification preferred Demonstrates strong ability to communicate complex analyses and information in understandable written and/or oral directives for underwriting or training purposes.

Demonstrates strong communication and interpersonal skills in dealing with agents, brokers, CPAs, bankers, attorneys, etc.

required to build & maintain good business relationships.

Excellent organizational skills as well as attention to detail.

Featured BenefitsHere’s some of what you can look forward to as one of our employees.Competitive CompensationOur compensation programs are designed to deliver above-market pay if you perform well, and significantly above that for exceptional performance over time.

Virtually every employee is eligible for some type of variable incentive pay in addition to his or her base pay.Flexible Work ArrangementsWe understand the role work-life balance plays in your ability to stay energized and engaged.

So we place an emphasis on regular hours, flex scheduling, and generous time off through paid holidays, vacation days, and more.Top-Notch Retirement PlansOur pension plan provides a monthly credit equal to 5% of your eligible compensation.

You can also participate in our 401(k) plan, which offers a guaranteed match of $0.50 for every $1 you contribute, up to 8% of your eligible pay.Career DevelopmentFrom regular coaching planning, to paid training, licensing, and 100% tuition reimbursement for approved courses, we’re dedicated to your continued growth, because we know it leads to continued success.Health & WellnessYou’ll have access to comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, as well as a host of other insurance and wellness benefits-including progressive parental benefits and support.See Full BenefitsWhy Liberty Mutual?At Liberty Mutual, our purpose is to help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow.

That’s why we provide an environment focused on openness, inclusion, trust and respect.

Here, you’ll discover our expansive range of roles, and a workplace where we aim to help turn your passion into a rewarding profession.

Liberty Mutual has proudly been recognized as a “Great Place to Work” by Great Place to Work® US for the past several years.

We were also selected as one of the “100 Best Places to Work in IT” on IDG’s Insider Pro and Computerworld’s 2020 list.

We have been named by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers for Women and one of America’s Best Employers for New Graduates-as well as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity.

To learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion please visit: https://ift.tt/2ZnFPBG.

Liberty Mutual is an equal opportunity employer.

We will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, disability, veteran’s status, pregnancy, genetic information or on any basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

The post Sr. Surety Underwriter, Commercial Transactional first appeared on My Jobs Georgia.

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#IFTTT #My Jobs Georgia

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empmoniitor · 4 years ago

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BECOME A MASTER IN ENGAGING EMPLOYEES THIS CHRISTMAS: 07 TIPS

Have you already started to feel those festive vibes?

Can you hear the jingle bells ringing?

Because yeah!! Christmas is about to approach and for the world at large, it is the best season of the year.

But are you wondering how to make your employees get more engaged yet be productive during this season of the year? Check out this blog to know more about reserving your employees this Christmas.

07 WONDROUS WAYS TO ENGAGE EMPLOYEES THIS CHRISTMAS1. CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY

As an employer, you can always plan out competitions or arrange some sort of fun activities that will engage your audience. So during this Christmas, you can try arranging a Christmas jumper party or say competition.

You can ask your employees to get dressed according to a beautiful theme, and the best or worst dressed participant wins the competition. The amount received by them will directly get donated to the trust that the organisation wishes to.

Just imagine how colourful and appealing it would be to arrange such an extraordinary event that will cheer up the employees as well as will be beneficial to the trust you are donating the amount for a noble cause.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

A little decoration in the workplace can change the entire look and feel of the season during the working hours. The employees will feel contained to work even during the holiday season. The main aim of the organisation is to lift the mood of the employees so that they can stay dedicated and productive during employee hours.

Now have you started scratching your head thinking about the theme and the burden of decorating the entire office?

Well, here I have a solution for you. Engage your employees to decorate the office in their way. Divide the employees into different groups so that they can be creative and decorate the office using different themes.

In this way, you will be able to engage your employees so that they can feel the festive vibe, as well as your workplace, will get decorated without you getting stressed about a load of contracting other people to decorate.

AWARD CEREMONY

Everyone craves to get a token of appreciation for the hard work they do throughout the year.

What would be a better time than holding this event during the Christmas season?

As an employer, make a list of your productive and unproductive employees so that you can reward them for their hard work. But try involving all the employees in this award ceremony. Like the categories of rewarding the employees should not always depend upon the projects, accomplishments and productivity.

Try including funny or entertainment criteria so that you can reward all of them, and every employee enjoys the ceremony rather than sitting and clapping at their seats.

SECRET SANTA

Heard of Secret Santa but never organised for your employees?

This Christmas surprise your employees with this uncomplicated yet highly engaging event. You do not have to panic because it would not be a daunting task for the higher authorities. You only have to discuss the rules of this event, and you are good to go.

You can clearly ask your employees to pick up some gifts for other employees secretly without them knowing about it. You can hold this event for a week or 2-3 days according to your preference.

So the employees will be creative in selecting gifts and the employees receiving the presents will be happy, and it will create a great bond within the team.

EMPLOYEES CAN LEAVE EARLY

Okay, now we know that most of the companies would not prefer doing this and will also think how leaving employees a little early can prove to be productive.

Yes, it can be. If your organisation allows the employees to log out just after the end of the working hours, then the employees will be highly productive. They will try to complete the tasks within the time so that they do not have to work overtime.

In this way, the assignments and projects will get completed in time, and the employees can get free and enjoy their Christmas holiday season.

LET’S DINE TOGETHER

Can you imagine how fascinating it would be if the whole office seats down and dines together? What beautiful bond it will create within all the employees even if they are from different teams.

You can host this event in different ways. The first way is if you wish, then you can select a restaurant or café where all of your staff can go out and dine and spend the evening well with all of them. Otherwise, you can ask your employees to carry their authentic food.

If your organisation comprises workers from different parts, then you will have a variety of food to share. The employees will enjoy the food as well as it will create a magnificent bond and you will have a glorious evening with your staff.

CHRISTMAS MOVIE EVENING

Back in school, how engrossing it used to watch a documentary or film with the whole class. Do you remember that?

Then why not implement the same in your office for your staff. Fix an evening when there is not much workload, and all the employees are available to attend the event.

You do not have to make much of an arrangement. Get the projector and play a movie that everyone will be interested in watching. Let your employees grab some popcorn and cold drinks and enjoy that evening to the fullest.

ENGAGE YOUR EMPLOYEES EVERYDAY WITH EMPMONITOR

Here we are talking about engaging your employees during Christmas, but it is also essential to engage employees throughout the year. If you are willing to manage and monitor the productivity of your employees, then you can install one of the best employee monitoring software that is EmpMonitor.

EmpMonitor is a prominent productivity monitoring tool that will help you track and keep a record of the employees so that you will be able to check out who are your productive and unproductive employees.

The tool offers screenshot monitoring and keystroke logging by which you can track the screen and keyboard of the employees during the working hours. It has cloud-based storage, so it will help the employers to never miss out on any detail regarding their employees.

Some latest features of EmpMonitor:

1. Receive specific Productivity Reports.

2. Offers Productivity Alerts to mark productive and unproductive employees.

3. Capture Real-Time Screenshots of the screen.

4. Offers Advanced Access Control.

5. Receive appropriate Productivity Analysis & Measurement.

6. Offers complete information about the visited Web & App Usage Reports.

7. Offers Stealth mode facility.

8. Acquires Flexible Monitoring Mode feature.

9. Receive detailed Timesheet of employees.

10. EmpMonitor provides Role-Based Access.

Check Out Our Latest Posts:

07+ Employee Management Strategies To Boost Up Sales This Holiday Season Why Remote Team Management Should Be Your First Focus In 2021? Remote Management: Here’s What No One Tells You

FEELING ENERGIZED?

It is notably essential to engage the employees during Christmas because when the whole world is busy enjoying this season, you want them to be dedicated and productive. So arranging some of the above events will make them feel the vibe as well as work obligately during the employee hours.

I hope the article helped you know more about engaging employees this Christmas. Is there something that we can incorporate? Please drop your thoughts in the comments below. I would love to hear it from you!

Originally Published On: EmpMonitor

#Employee Monitoring #Employee Productivity #Employee Management #Employee Engagement #Engage Employee This Christmas

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francescamaxime · 4 years ago

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5-week course: Embodied Anti-Racism: A Mindfulness Way for Therapists and Helping Professionals

LEARN ABOUT THE COURSE HERE:

5-week course: Embodied Anti-Racism: A Mindfulness Way for Therapists and Helping Professionals

ENROLL HERE:

A Five-Week Course for Examining Our Inner World So We Can Help Our Outer World

DATES: Call 1: Oct 21st Call 2: Oct 28th Call 3: Nov 4th Call 4: Nov 11th

Call 5: Nov 18th

Welcome,

I invite you to join me for Embodied Anti-Racism, a new course that uses mindfulness principles and a body-oriented approach in the journey of becoming anti-racist therapists and helping professionals. This course has been in development for over a year, and I am so excited to finally open it to the public.

Many of you likely have some understanding of somatic tools and the power of mindfulness practices. So it will be familiar to you when we use those resources to work with what comes up as we address racism in a deeper context. And we can all use this deepened awareness in order to offer our best to our clients—even if we don’t see many clients of color at the moment.

In my own personal journey as a Haitian-Dominican Italian-American multiethnic woman, it was my spiritual mentor Jack Kornfield who encouraged me down the path to becoming more enlightened about racism. Since that time in 2015, I have dedicated my life to educating myself about how racism shows up in therapeutic interactions. During this journey, I unexpectedly discovered that my mindfulness and somatic training have been invaluable allies...

...but trying to do this work alone is overwhelming.

When we try to untangle the many knots of racism woven through the whole fabric of our society, many of us get stuck in our minds and feel alone in our thoughts, with no one to talk to who can help us sort them out. In this course, we will be creating a community for discussing our experiences, teasing apart our confusion, and sharing our struggles. Because in community, this work becomes so much easier.

As a group, we will learn how to pause and examine our shame or traumatic experiences in the moment. We will unpack what it means to be a ‘white person’ and a racialized being. We will also look at neuroscience and Polyvagal Theory to better understand how our mind and body may react when issues of race come up. We will learn to use mindfulness and self-regulation to increase our ability to be fully present for ourselves and our clients.

We need to use both the left and right sides of our brains in our unlearning of racism.

Too many other diversity and cultural competency courses fall short because they focus on trying to be “PC” instead of diving in and interrogating whiteness. I don’t want to simply tell you what you should do to be a non-racist—I want to guide you along your journey of discovering how to be an embodied anti-racist.

As Michelle Obama said, “Make no mistake about it: There are still so many causes worth sacrificing for. There is still so much history yet to be made." So, as a community of helping professionals, I encourage you to join me on this journey together!

Warmly, Francesca Maximé

1) Five Pre-recorded Teaching Modules

2) Five Live Q&A Calls

3) Private Membership Site to Access Transcripts & Downloads

A UNIQUE INTEGRATIVE APPROACH

Mindfulness is opening our awareness to include the ability to intentionally notice what we're actually, presently experiencing, without judgment. Incorporating mindfulness in our anti-racism work can help us meet this moment and understand ourselves as racialized beings, without getting lost in fear, anger, or shame.

Working with Parts invites us to become more familiar with the various aspects of ourselves that long for our wise and compassionate understanding. As we increase compassion for our parts, we are able to show up as a more emotionally responsible, mature adult and stay present in situations pertaining to race.

Neuroscience and the Polyvagal Theory give us an understanding of how our minds and bodies may react when issues of race arise. Using these lenses can helps us understand how to better regulate our nervous systems and transform our responses so that we can act from a place of calm connectedness. Incorporating neuroscience shows us that our brains are malleable and we have the power to change.

Attachment Theory illuminates places of rupture in our lives that may be preventing us from finding our grounded self able to do this complex work. Recognizing rupture in our lives allows us to move into a state of repair. And as we repair those parts of ourselves, we will be more firmly rooted in our self-worth and able to lean in to anti-racism work.

“Racism cuts us off from our humanity. And the worst part is we don’t even know how disconnected we are. If you want to be an anti-racist, you have to be clear about how bad the dehumanization is and do the work to allow yourself to feel again and get reconnected to people.”

— Stoop Nilsson, LMSW, a racial re-education coach, strategist, and organizer

WHO IS THIS FOR?

All Helping Professionals are Welcome

Anyone who sees themselves in a helping role is invited to join us. Participants may be therapists, licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, or social workers, but you could also be a massage therapist, mindfulness teacher, yoga instructor, professor, business executive, organizational leader, teacher, daycare owner, pastoral counselor, or spiritual guide.

We Welcome All Races

We've all had different life experiences. People of all races, especially those with white skin privilege or light skin racial advantage, are encouraged to join us to share their unique experiences and help us further our learning as we work to become embodied anti-racists.

We Extend a Special Invitation to White Professionals

The majority of therapists are white women, meaning that this population has the potential to create significant change. As a multiethnic woman who’s had the lived experience of living with light-skin privilege, I was still quite ignorant until I started my anti-racism journey five years ago. I understand you don’t want to feel guilty, to feel like you’re doing it wrong, or to say the wrong thing. My goal is to help you understand yourself as a racialized being so that you can be more fully embodied and present with people who may not look like you.

“Francesca, not sure I have the words to express the level of gratitude for your session today… As a woman who identifies as white, I witnessed how today’s session was no less (in fact, I think even more from what I could see) healing for the women of color than for me.”

— LB

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

1) FIVE PRE-RECORDED TEACHING MODULES

Join Francesca for five pre-recorded training videos where you will learn how to use mindfulness in your work as an anti-racist.

2) FIVE LIVE Q&A CALLS

Each week we'll come together to discuss current events and identify places where we see systemic racism in our daily lives. We'll also have time to answer questions that come up as you move through your journey.

3) PRIVATE MEMBERSHIP SITE TO ACCESS TRANSCRIPTS & DOWNLOADS

Find all your course materials in the user-friendly membership site. Each training is available in video and audio format so you are able to download and own all the content.

PLUS THESE BONUSES…

FIVE EXPERT TRAINING VIDEOS

1) Accepting Your Assignment with Dr. Jack Kornfield

What happens if you see the act of changing society as an assignment instead of a source of shame and guilt? Dr. Kornfield explores the idea that our culture is in the midst of a difficult process that will eventually give birth to something new. He and Francesca also discuss Buddha, Dharma, holding suffering with compassion, and creating a safe, honorable, and inclusive space for all.

2) Sociocultural and Sociopolitical Considerations for Mindfulness with Dr. Shelly P. Harrell

Making the assumption that race and racism are not relevant if a client is white is not accurate. We need to look at the interconnectedness of our world to see how all clients are reacting. In this interview, Dr. Harrell shares 10 considerations to integrate mindfulness into anti-racist psychotherapy practice. Shelly and Francesca also discuss evolving wokeness, social ecology, and a four-part conceptualization of mindfulness.

3) Whiteness on the Couch with Dr. Natasha Stovall

When the issue of whiteness comes up in therapy sessions, it often feels uncomfortable and is thus often ignored in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. But why? Author of "Whiteness on the Couch," Dr. Natasha Stovall, joins Francesca to explore whiteness, how it shows up in the therapy room, and how to use therapeutic tools to process conversations pertaining to race with a greater sense of curiosity, grace, and insight. Francesca and Natasha also discuss race as a variable, dynamics of perceived and structural superiority and power, our individualistic culture, and the difference between a person's internal experience and outward actions.

4) Everyday Racism with Susan Cousins

Is racism different in different parts of the world? Author Susan Cousins, MBACP (Snr. Acred), works with diverse populations in Wales, and shares some of the challenges the U.K. faces in navigating issues pertaining to racial equity, including the popular terminology used to describe non-white populations, BAME: Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic. Susan talks about her book, "Overcoming Everyday Racism: Building Resilience and Wellbeing in the Face of Discrimination and Microaggression." She lays out six categories of wellbeing with Francesca, including limits, boundaries, empowerment, and the impact of reporting a hate crime.

5) The Racist Part in You with Dr. Dick Schwartz

The more unburdening we do, the more change we can create. Founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dr. Richard Schwartz, discusses what he sees as the four legacy cultural burdens of the United States: patriarchy, individualism, materialism, and racism. Dick and Francesca also look at how IFS can help us work with potentially racist parts of ourselves, how we can use IFS in our work with diverse client populations, and the intention of collective unburdening.

HERE’S WHAT WE'LL LEARN TOGETHER IN

Embodied Anti-Racism: A Mindfulness Way for Therapists and Helping Professionals

Module 1: What Does it Mean to be an Embodied Anti-Racist?

Many structures in our culture have been systemized for decades and have racism cooked into them. If we want to create change, we first have to look at ourselves. Mindfulness is the tool we will use to examine different parts of ourselves, our bodily reactions, and any trauma that lies in our pasts. In this module, we will explore the history that we weren’t taught in school and how our bodies and minds react to this information.

In this module, we will discuss:

The difference between ‘anti-racist’ and ‘non-racist’

The Four Humble Abodes

Attachment Theory and Relationality

Scarcity mentality versus Abundance mentality

Where suffering originates

Understanding your Social Location/Positionality

Module 2: Whiteness & Privilege: Systems We’ve Inherited

Many of us associate racism with an individual bad actor. As long as we don’t see ourselves as racist, then we get to be the ‘good’ people. This belief prevents us from actually seeing the systems in our culture that influence our neurophysiology and our neurobiology. In reality, we are inheritors of systems created long before we were born. In this module, we will use mindfulness to cultivate an awareness of these deeply ingrained systems and recognize their effects on us and what we can do about it.

In this module, we will discuss:

What is ‘Whiteness?’

How belonging and interdependence sustain ourselves and our communities

Polyvagal Theory and the nervous system in relation to mindfulness

Cultural Somatics that exist in our daily life

The power behind privilege

Shifting from feeling shame to feeling empowered

Module 3: Racial Identity Development

Many of us are all familiar with various models of human development, such as those formulated by famous clinicians Freud, Erikson, and Piaget. In this module, we will turn our attention to the Stages of Racial Identity Development created by Dr. Janet Helms. We will discuss all six stages through the framework of what a white person may experience so we can better understand where we are in our own awareness of our identity as racialized beings.

In this module, we will discuss:

Each stage: Contact, Disintegration, Reintegration, Pseudo Independence, Immersion/Emersion, Autonomy

The purpose of guilt and shame

How we can be both white and anti-racist at the same time

Seeing white individuals as racial beings

Reclaiming your heritage

Module 4: Allyship: Are You ‘For’ or ‘With?’

Allies are necessary in the fight against racism. In the past, many allies have engaged in their work with good intentions, however, the outcomes may not have sustained the intended impact. The important question here is, who were they trying to help and why? What is the deepest intention behind the offering? In this module, we will examine how to be present with and attuned to our impulses to help. This approach is important because it can lead us to more appropriate and effective directions of embodied service, as well as allow us to be more compassionate toward ourselves and others. We will learn the difference between trying to save communities and collectively supporting our shared community.

In this module, we will discuss:

What it means to be ‘for’ and ‘with’

What it means to be a white savior

The core mindfulness principle that will create a more collaborative partnership between you and your client

How to bring up race in session in a way that may offer greater safety for your clients

Shadism and colorism

Module 5: Grief Work: Collective & Individual

“There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” ― Leonard Cohen Grief is often seen as somber, but there are ways that we can support ourselves in our sorrow that also celebrate our shared joy. As we use mindfulness to shift our perspective, we see that our heartbrokenness can be an opportunity for something new to emerge. In this module, we will explore grieving the systems, beliefs, and behaviors that we inherited, both from an individual perspective and as a collective community. We will turn our attention to creating a new way of being grounded in wise, embodied, compassionate, anti-racist action.

In this module, we will discuss:

How grief feels in our bodies

The difference between grief and shame

The idea of ‘Spiritual Bypassing’

Creating our collective liberation

Embodied Anti-Racism: A Mindfulness Way for Therapists and Helping Professionals

If you are a helping professional of color, please accept our discounted enrollment price for this course by clicking here. We are glad to have you with us!

PLUS THESE SPECIAL BONUSES:

FIVE Expert Training Videos

1) Accepting Your Assignment with Jack Kornfield

2) Sociocultural and Sociopolitical Considerations for Mindfulness with Shelly P. Harrell

3) Whiteness on the Couch with Natasha Stovall

4) Everyday Racism with Susan Cousins

5) The Racist Part in You with Dick Schwartz

When are the Live Call Dates?

All calls will be held on Wednesdays at 12pm MT/2pm ET for 60 minutes.

Call 1: Oct 14th Call 2: Oct 21st Call 3: Oct 38th Call 4: Nov 4th Call 5: Nov 11th

We will reserve November 18th for a make-up call if necessary.

Do I have to be a therapist to take this course?Collapse

Nope! This course is open to all helping professionals, including, but not limited to, talk therapists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health counselors, couples therapists, sex therapists, massage therapists, cranial sacral therapists, mindfulness teachers, and professors or academic teachers.

Is this course Live or Recorded?Collapse

This course is unique in that it includes live calls and pre-recorded content. All of the live calls will also be recorded for you to watch at your convenience. All sessions are available in video, audio, and transcript format and can be downloaded.

Can I get CEs

Yes, this course is pending approval for 10 CEs. Full information on CEs can be found here.

What is Academy of Therapy Wisdom

The Academy of Therapy Wisdom is an inspiring, multidimensional platform for learning, with courses & videos that are easy to use, access & digest. Our goal is to help you become a more confident, capable & compassionate therapist who works with their clients in a new way.

REGULAR PRICE

$497

INTRODUCTORY OFFER

$347

Join Francesca Maximé for this special five-week online training course

If you are a helping professional of color, please accept our discounted enrollment price for this course by clicking here. We are glad to have you with us!

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codeavailfan · 4 years ago

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teresatranbooks · 4 years ago

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Dear Blog,

Prompt: Write a new blog post with your reaction to the Beuhler chapters that you read for task 3 this week. How does Beuhler's work match with how you view your new role as an English teacher? What experience did you have with YAL in middle or high school? You will go more in depth with Beuhler and YA pedagogy in the fall.

Beuhler’s Chapters 1 and 2 discuss reading YA books with passion and purpose, and viewing YA literature as complex texts as teachers who will one day teach and share YA books with their students.

One of Beuhler’s tenets is in order “to learn, grow, and thrive, what all of these students need is...a wide landscape for reading” (Beuhler 3). That is, most students view reading as a chore, because for many of them, it is something they have to do, over something they want to do. It is an assignment. It is an expectation. It is another box they have to check off the list or a line they have to cross of on the agenda. And because they’re required to read mostly classics written by dead old white dudes, they’re “cut off from the larger world of literacy” (Beuhler 3). Because students aren’t directly told or handed diverse reading options, they fall out of love with reading and don’t develop that muscle of reading for later on. That is why many students, my friends, and myself included, over the years, began to repeat the sentiment of “I’m not much of a reader anymore.” It’s depressing!

But as Beuhler states in his chapter, students must be given a balanced reading diet. They need room (specifically time and space) to discover new books written by people who aren’t dead old white dudes. They need motivation to seek out those books. They need to hear from their teachers that them reading for “fun” and as a “hobby’ is not only good for them, but also encouraged in their ELA classroom. There needs to be room for students to develop their own reading tastes and reading stamina, but they can’t do that if they’re not allowed to employ a sense of agency within their choice in books. It is only through this sense of agency and a diverse palette of YA books will students begin to see reading as less of a chore, and more of a fun activity they can’t wait to do.

This text also made me think about the multiple ways I, as teacher, can do to encourage this love and space for YA literature in the classroom. First, I want to create a space where students who already possess a love for reading YA books outside of the classroom don’t have to steal time to read inside the classroom. In other words, I want my classroom to be a place where students will have a dedicated time to read their contemporary YA titles and keep reading logs about them and talk about them with their peers. I don’t want my students who already consider reading as a hobby to ever feel like they have to sneak around me and the state-mandated curriculum to read their YA books -- and then be afraid I’ll take their books away from them, like the many times teachers did this to me. (I still think about these moments all the time...even in college. I lowkey have some trauma from that LOL).

Second, I want to create whole entire units around YA literature. But this might require going against state standards and school subject departments. So how can I make the case for YA lit in the classroom? Beuhler suggests marketing them as an outlet and/or case study for students’ personal and academic growth. The thing about YA lit is that it is entirely written for them. “YA list offers a way to meet students where they are now -- not just as readers, but as teens who are still figuring out their place in the world...YA lit honors that process of self-discovery” (Beuhler 3). When students read YA lit, they grow as the main characters grow. When students read YA lit, they see their personal journeys and feelings of adolescence (going from young child to young adult) paralleled in heightened and relatable ways. When students see themselves reflected in the literature they read, they end up feeling less alone in the world and develop a sense of community with other students who feel similarly.

When we think about young adult students, we also think about puberty. We think about the multiple weird strange awful beautiful changes that happen physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially for them. We think about our own experiences during that time and how equally tumultuous it was for us. YA lit offers itself as a space for students and people in general to put their feelings and weirdness somewhere, where it’s private and peaceful and doesn’t make adolescence any more more embarrassing than it already inherently is.

In addition, when students read YA lit, they grow as readers. “If students in our classrooms might not have been readers in the past, but they can become readers now -- if we create conditions that support their individual development” (Beuhler 6). When making the case for YA lit in the classroom, I will emphasize how YA lit creates that confidence within students to believe that reading is something they can do. YA lit inherently has qualities that push students to motivate themselves to continue reading and develop a stronger reading muscle for heavier, longer, and more complex YA texts. YA lit makes reading accessible, breaks down barriers, enhances reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, and promotes a sense of creativity, all of which are qualities state standards try to achieve for students but can’t.

And third, Beuhler talks about how his favorite YA novels are “those that defy categorization” (Beuhler 27). I think about how not only young teens, but kids and adults and seniors are reading YA lit more and more over other categories. Why? It’s because YA lit does so much at once to fulfill their reading and personal needs. They’re complex and rich and tackle so many relevant themes and experiences, but probably most importantly, they model a development arc that many folks are always secretly seeking. That sort of adventure of becoming into one’s own and developing confidence as a person with better informed opinions and forming new friendships and relationships with people. For kids and teens, it’s the excitement and hopefulness of growing older and breaking away from adult authority and becoming your own person. For adults and seniors, it’s the nostalgia and also hopefulness of returning to what youth was like and experiencing new things again. Because there is so much complexity in YA lit, it will require a complexity when teaching YA lit.

As a teacher, I want to change the conversation about YA lit, dismantling the idea that it’s a category mainly for teenage girls, which, btw, what the hell is wrong with THAT? So what if it is mainly saturated with stories for and about teenage girls? Most of the books students have had to read have been led by boys and men and written by men -- and students of all genders have had no trouble reading them. But when suddenly girls’ and women’s perspectives are prioritized in narratives, or a category is predominantly centered around the experiences of girls and women, suddenly it’s beneath people and not as complex as other categories? Can someone say SEXISM?. While some people might argue that that is not why they view YA books as not nearly as “complex” as the classics, I think there’s no mistake that gender plays a big part in informing that particular mainstream point of view about YA lit.

Furthermore, alongside Beuhler, I also believe that “sometimes calls for increasingly complex texts are really code for keeping classic literature at the center of the curriculum” (Beuhler 28). More specifically, I believe that most people’s calls for “complexity” in their reading, what they’re really calling for is either

(1) books written by dead old white dudes about the American Male ExperienceTM where they find excuses to be racist or sexist or BOTH (fun!) and argue that it’s a relatable part of being an American Man (which ew! and wow, the bar is low), OR

(2) books written by BIPOC authors that focus on the “Authentic” experience of being BIPOC, but mostly as a vehicle for white folks to fetishize the trauma and pain of BIPOC, without neither the actual empathy and compassion for BIPOC, nor the active commitment to creating systemic and individual change against the trauma and pain that BIPOC often face living under the white capitalist patriarchal police state that these books are often thematically preaching about.

Here’s the thing. YA lit definitely can perpetuate those same harmful practices that the classics often do. In fact, some YA novels already do. I can point to many of the YA Book Twitter drama that rightfully calls out problematic books, such as The Black Witch, on the daily. However, YA lit has shown over and over again that it can reach far beyond its intended target audience and tackle complex themes without infantilizing, again, their intended audience...which is young teens. The thing about literature and education and the passing on of information in general is that if you are an academic or a student or a teacher or an individual and you can not relay your perspective and/or argument in such a way where another person can understand it (even if they might disagree with it)...you have failed.

YA lit is an example of when perspectives and themes and experiences that are often considered “complex” is successfully communicated to a young teenage audience because of its accessibility. If a classic cannot reach a bigger audience or in this case, reach a young teen demographic, it’s not because of a complexity that YA lit “lacks,” it’s because of the unnecessary, often racist and sexist gatekeeping in classic literature that privileges upper class white folks and their experiences which are often communicated in a language only other upper class white folks can speak and understand. Think about how many classic books are written in AAVE, aka African American Vernacular English? Most people will think of Toni Morrison or James Baldwin...but those are only two Black authors. Two. Out of how many white authors? However, I can think of countless YA lit books written not only in AAVE, but also different Chinese, Spanish, and African dialects by Chinese, Spanish, and African authors. As a teacher, I want to use all of these arguments and evidence I’ve just laid out to argue for the case of YA lit in the classroom.

I always viewed my role as an English teacher as one with deliberate purpose. I’ve always wanted to be more than just an English teacher. I wanted to be the one person whose students would go to when they finished a book and wanted someone to listen to them rattle off about the parts they liked and didn’t like. I wanted to be the one person whose students would look to when they got bullied by other students or teachers and protect and comfort them, especially my fellow students of color. I wanted to be the one person whose students would ask for book recommendations and ask to read over their writing projects because they trusted my opinions. I wanted to be the person I needed when I was younger. If I can’t go back in time to the past, I’ll make sure I become that person in the present for the kids of the future generation...

And I’ll start with introducing them to YA lit.

#YAL SU20

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atropaazraelle · 7 years ago

Text

A Sheep or a Lamb

On AO3

Summary: A friendship founded on shared responsibilities, but questions have plagued Ignis until he can't stand it any more.

In the months since becoming sparring partners, spending time with Gladio had become as much a part of Ignis's regularly scheduled activities as cleaning up after Noct. Twice a week they met at the training room, and once a week Ignis accompanied Gladio home afterwards. His shoulder had improved within a couple of weeks, but Gladio had insisted that Ignis's ministrations continued to be necessary.

Time with Gladio had proven him to be unusual, even by Ignis's estimations. He dedicated himself wholeheartedly to his assigned role as sworn shield, but he also held a fondness for nature and camping which was unusual to find within the Crown City. Ignis, personally, didn't see the appeal; he preferred the luxuries of actual beds, and walls, and most importantly, baths, but Ignis, unlike Gladio, didn't look his best when he was grubby and unkempt. Some people, Ignis had privately reflected, were simply born beautiful.

Gladio certainly was, which meant that sometimes their weekly massage sessions could be a little bit of a trial for him. Gladio flirted constantly, with everyone, and comments about Ignis being a lucky man to get his hands on him regularly had been met with digs at Gladio's healthy ego. The discussion of Ignis's sexual preferences had never come up, and after seeing Gladio flirt as ferociously with women as he did with Ignis himself, he'd decided that playing such behaviour off as of no import was the best way to handle it. Perhaps Gladio genuinely didn't know, or perhaps he did, and didn't think it mattered. For now, Ignis contented himself with enjoying a comfortable friendship.

“I'm thinking of getting a tattoo,” Gladio said to him, one day, resting on his back on his bed, while Ignis worked at the muscles along his arm and wrist with two hands. He perched on the edge of the bed, Gladio's arm strung across his lap as he worked his fingers in and down Gladio's arm. Deltoid, bicep, tricep, brachioradial; Ignis was, as a result, learning the names of the various muscles of Gladio's anatomy, and which ones in particular needed his attention.

“Anything in particular?” Ignis asked in reply, as he kept his attention fixed on the flesh under his fingers. For all the jokes about how lucky he was, Ignis found the task as soothing as Gladio seemed to. He'd taken to cooking for Noct, a task which gave him the satisfaction of a job well done when Noctis, despite being an infuriatingly picky eater, nonetheless cleared his plate, and working so with his hands, when so much of his work was cerebral in nature, was relaxing. Providing an effective massage, he found, occupied much the same niche, though Gladio's approval tended to be more audible, and occasionally in ways that were like a hot poker to his spine.

Gladio tucked his free arm under the back of his head and stared at the ceiling. “Something cool,” he said, eventually. He didn't seem to have given the details much thought as yet; a half formed notion circling his mind.

“You spend far too much time around Noct,” Ignis said, disapprovingly. He didn't have a problem with tattoos, it was just that, in his personal opinion, whatever one opted to have etched into one's skin should be of greater importance to oneself than a flash in the pan good idea at the time whim.

“Well, what do you think I should get?”

Ignis raised an eyebrow and turned from Gladio's arm to look at his face. “I hardly think I'm the person to ask in this situation.”

“Why not?” Gladio countered, turning to look at Ignis. There was challenge in his expression, but no anger, no irritation, just a genuine desire to hear the answer.

Ignis looked away. Staring Gladio in the face could be difficult sometimes. He was too intense, and too attractive, though never threatening. “I am not an expert on tattoos,” he said.

“Maybe I just want your opinion, as a friend?”

Ignis didn't dare look at Gladio. He'd resigned himself to Gladio being a flirt, and it having no deeper meaning or intention. Someone that looked like Gladio drew female attention regularly as he made his way through the city, and he responded to it in much the same way as he did to Ignis. But then, sometimes, he made comments that gave Ignis a lot of questions and not many answers. He never had quite been able to work out if Gladio was teasing him in such a way because he was aware that Ignis was gay, or if he was utterly oblivious to the fact that he was teasing him at all, and then sometimes, he said things. He said things with a seriousness and intensity that made Ignis's stomach jump.

The way 'as a friend' was tacked on, as if it was an afterthought, and yet a modifier used to negate the intensity of what came before it caused that jump in his gut.

“An eagle,” he said, eventually.

“Really?” Gladio sounded intrigued.

“They're symbols of courage,” Ignis said, his voice distant, and thoughtful. He stared at Gladio's arm, draped across his lap, but he wasn't really looking at it. There were too many thoughts swirling around inside his own head. Gladio gave a thoughtful murmur in response, looking back up at the ceiling once more. “Of course,” Ignis said, his wandering mind returning to him, “depending upon where you choose to get a tattoo, you may have to forego the massages for a while.”

He almost took delight in seeing Gladio screw up his nose, but his stomach gave that uncomfortable flutter it had suffered more and more in Gladio's presence lately when Gladio said, as if he was genuinely considering it discouragement from the notion, “I hadn't thought of that.” He retrieved his arm without another word and rolled over onto his front. By now their routine was familiar to both of them, and Ignis sat up to straddle Gladio's back, applying a little more oil to his hands before he began to work the familiar contours there. It was easier to straddle Gladio than to stand over him and bend, and Gladio had no objections to the positioning despite, well, the potentially compromising nature of it.

He worked from the centre of Gladio's back and upwards, drawing happy groans from the man beneath him as he worked. “Not that you should let that put you off,” Ignis said. “I'd just have to work around the healing skin.” He pressed his thumbs in to a spot that tended to become stiff, and Gladio grunted unhappily, his fingers curling into a fist. “There?”

“Right there,” Gladio said, through obviously gritted teeth. Ignis worked his thumbs into that spot firmly, feeling Gladio shift and squirm under him until he gave a deep, rumbling groan and relaxed again. “Damn, Iggy,” he said, happily, “you're getting good at this.”

Ignis pursed his lips as he shifted to massage Gladio's shoulder with two hands. “You're the only one that calls me 'Iggy', you realise?”

Gladio's murmur was confused. “Noct calls you that too,” he pointed out.

“With vanishing rarity,” Ignis informed him. “Typically, he calls me 'specs'. He only picked up 'Iggy' since you began to use it.”

“Want me to stop use--” he was cut off with a sharp hiss, and continued as Ignis worked his fingers into the tight muscle at the top of Gladio's shoulder, “using it?”

“I suppose it's a little late, now,” Ignis replied. “It seems to have stuck.”

“Sorry,” said Gladio.

Ignis carefully finished working the shoulder he was on before he spoke again, moving to the other shoulder, his hands near to Gladio's face as he dug his fingers in and carefully smoothed the muscle out. “Don't be. It's an honour you consider your sparring partner close enough to have earned a nickname.”

Gladio seemed to be chewing that over in pensive silence, and then he shifted, rolling onto his side so that Ignis had to rise up onto his knees or be tossed across the bed. “You're more than just a sparring partner, Iggy.”

The moment felt frozen. With Gladio looking up at him, holding eye contact from down on the bed and the way his hand had fallen to Ignis's thigh, holding him steady in his precarious position kneeling over Gladio, time seemed to tick slowly.

It was one of those phrases again. Gladio came out with them more and more in recent weeks. What had once been easily brushed off flirting had morphed into... something else. Mostly that something else was something that made Ignis question Gladio's intentions. He'd never acted on anything, never said anything that couldn't be dismissed as simply the sort of person Gladio was. He was intensely and fiercely loyal and caring underneath the flirting and jokes. What he said could as easily be him simply re-filing Ignis into his friends category, and wanting Ignis to know this as anything else.

Yet it made Ignis's stomach do slow motion cartwheels. Like the time Gladio had pinned him in training, and held him pinned for two seconds longer than was strictly necessary so that Ignis had felt his heart beat increase in speed with the stoppage, or the time he'd said he'd have to return the favour for the massages and get Ignis on his belly on the bed. Ignis always just brushed it off as simply harmless flirting, because that was how Ignis responded to it, and Gladio had always seemed happy with that kind of response, but it left him with questions in the middle of the night, and thoughts that became fantasies that assaulted him unbidden in the shower.

“What am I?” he asked, realising the intensity of his own question with a twist in his stomach, his eyes staying locked with Gladio's.

Gladio stared up at him, mutely, incomprehension on his face, and Ignis cursed under his breath. He'd gone too far; this couldn't be simply brushed off, but at this point, he may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. “Damn it.” His stomach churned as he leaned forward, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips to Gladio's. The stubble of Gladio's unshaved chin scratched at Ignis's cheek as he tilted his head, covering Gladio's mouth with his own for a brief moment of what would have been blissful relief if Ignis was confident he wasn't about to end the only friendship he had that wasn't with Noct. Gladio's fingers curled into the material of his trousers as he pulled away and apologised. “I'm sorry if I've just ruined everything.”

“I,” Gladio began, and faltered. “No,” he tried again, and failed once more.

“My apologies,” Ignis said, turning away as he moved to climb off Gladio and leave. It was worth the attempt, if for no other reason than to silence those questions that circled in his mind and coloured the relationship. It would have been difficult to continue associating with Gladio when that fool question and hope roiled behind every action.

He found himself held firmly in position by the cloth of his trousers, and he looked down to see Gladio holding on very tightly.

“Don't apologise,” Gladio said, eventually. “It was just a surprise.”

“That I'm gay?” Ignis asked, disbelievingly. He daren't make himself look at Gladio's face.

“No,” Gladio said, “that you're into me.”

Ignis raised an eyebrow then and found he couldn't help but look Gladio in the face. To his astonishment, Gladio seemed genuinely, but not unpleasantly stunned. “I find that hard to believe, with the healthy state of your ego,” he replied, unable to help himself. Gladio's ego was truly impressive, after all. He acted as though the only person that considered him more attractive than he considered himself was everybody.

“Hey, I'm hot,” Gladio answered, that stunned expression giving way to something a little more like the Gladio Ignis knew, “but that doesn't mean I'm your type. All the times I,” and heaven's above if Gladio didn't look evasive, and Ignis would have sworn there was a threat of darkening colour at his cheeks, “tried to feel you out, you just brushed it off.”

“So you were doing it deliberately,” Ignis said. Elation washed through him, and with it, a smug satisfaction that he'd been right to question the innocence of Gladio's comments and flirting.

“Well, yeah,” Gladio admitted, “I'm not oblivious.”

“That is up for debate,” Ignis replied.

“So,” Gladio said, his grip loosening on Ignis's trousers as he turned onto his back under him, “what happens now?”

Ignis felt his throat go dry as Gladio turned under him, slickened muscle shifting until the expanse of Gladio's stomach lay tantalisingly within reach of his fingertips. “I think we should play it by ear,” he said. “Don't force things, and see where they take us.”

“Sounds good to me.”

#ffxv #final fantasy xv #fanfic #my fic #Of Walls And Nerds #gladnis #gladiolus amicitia #ignis scientia #crosspost from AO3

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furederiko · 7 years ago

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The third and final 'Lucky Seven' date of the month (07.27.17, right?)! And the final Random-News-Digest for July! Today's R-N-D is also Part 2 (of 2) of the San Diego Comic Con International 2017 related coverage. This time around, they are all things Marvel-ous. Excelsior...!!!

NOTE: Since the whole page will be entirely Marvel related, it will be written chronologically to their SDCC schedule. Each title will also be assigned in its own category, not grouped into 'Marvel Studios' and 'Marvel TV' like I've always done. Oh, and the images used above are obviously courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter and Marvel Studios Visual Development Team (that one's Ryan Meinerding's art to be precise). All credits goes to their respective owners! Long story short, I suffered a blackout TWO times when I was writing this. Forcing me to start over and over again all day. That's why I haven't had time to actually proofread it (as well as the 1st Part). I'll try to do that as soon as possible, but please pardon for any tipo or grammatical error if you happen to stumble into any. Thanks in advance!

Marvel's Inhumans

Marvel TV and ABC Studios led Marvel's SDCC 2017 big panel on July 20th, by headlining "LEGION", their collaboration with FX Network. A bit odd if you ask me, considering that's a FOX product... but never mind that. Marvel TV Head Jeph Loeb then continued the presentation on 06:15 PM PST, by bringing the cast of the upcoming "Inhumans" series to same venue, Ballroom 20.

Loeb reentered while wearing that hideous Medusa's wig, a clear but hopefully unintentional attempt to spite those fans who have been criticizing it. To be honest, that was NOT a cool thing to do, especially for someone who would received an award by the SDCC commitee the day after. He welcomed showrunner the almighty Scott Buck, drector Roel Reine, and actors Anson Mount, Iwan Rheon, Serinda Swan, Eme Ikwuakor, Isabelle Cornish, Ken Leung, Ellen Woglom, Sonya Balmores, and Mike Moh, who were all holding a stuffed Lockjaw doll in their hand. The panel then showed several exclusive footage from the first couple of episodes. Some bits of those would later be released online via Marvel Entertainment's channel as a new trailer. Now about that new trailer...

Seriously?!! For the love of Lockjaw, it was indeed better with the VFX, but worse with all the ridiculous corniness and campiness that made me feel... embarassed as I seen it. And here I thought The CW's Arrowverse were already somewhat corny. And THAT song choice? Others might... like it, but it was totally NOT my cup of tea. Clearly, it was an attempt to emulate the style of James Gunn and the retro tune aspect of "Guardians of the Galaxy". But... one that failed miserably in my dictionary. It was grating so much on my nerves all through the trailer, that I had to put it on MUTE the second time I played it again (with the intention to get some screengrab, but decided to lose that thought and rinse it out of my head right away). Not only Scott Buck is faulty as a showrunner, I do think he has poor taste in style and music.

Fans got what they wanted, as in to see the VFX effects on Medusa's hair in action. Unfortunately, I have a weird STROOONG feeling that those effects, as well as the others' abilities, will be most of the VFX we'll see in the show. Why? Remember "Iron Fist"? That series had waaay too many chit-chat and dialogues, that all the cool scenes were already spoiled in its trailers. I'm concerned the same thing is happening with this show too. Since we're speaking about VFX, I wonder if this is the final product? For some reason, this felt cheap and fake. I'd be VERY surprised if Mark Kolpac and his team are the one behind this, considering the ones he developed for Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." looked way sophisticated and believable. I'd gladly take Robbie Reyes' Ghost Rider transformation scene or Daisy Johnson's quaking anytime, over what this series had shown me so far.

Apparently, this extended trailer would be played alongside Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" screenings on IMAX theatres. Personally? I'm not sure if that's even a wise decision, considering this didn't even scream IMAX-worthy. Then again, IMAX is paying for this show, so of course, the studio has to deliver one, right? But if you ask me to pay to see it? I'll totally pass. Once again, no disregard, but... just not my cup of tea. Marvel's "Inhumans" will debut on September 1st, 2017 on IMAX Theatre for two weeks. The same footage will then premiere with additional scenes on September 29th, 2017 on ABC.

Marvel's Runaways

This one didn't actually arrived on SDCC 2017, but the news hit the market the same day the "Inhumans" panel took place. Coincidence much? I doubt. "Runaways", the show that was once reported to be released in 2018, will be arriving MUCH sooner than expected. Hulu unveiled the Fall Premiere dates for their exclusive shows, and guess what? "Runaway" is among them, set to be released in November! Of course, it's a good news, even if I won't be able to see it. From the looks of it, this series will be even more faithful to the source material than say, "Inhumans", notable because the comic writer himself is involved directly in it. So assuming the worse happens, that "Inhumans" turns out to be a bad show, Marvel TV already has something to counter the possible negative impact by delivering this in just two months after. Who knows, this might be the show that Marvel TV and Marvel fans in general has been waiting for. I think it's safe to say we can expect that (once leaked) trailer to officially arrive very soon. All (?) 10 episodes of "Runaways" Season 1 will premiere on November 21st, 2017.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

Let's take a quick detour to the game zone now. This time, for Marvel's popular crossover fighting game with CAPCOM. Yes, the highly anticipated but sadly much criticized franchise had its own dedicated panel on July 21st, 11:15 AM PST at Room 6BCF. CAPCOM used the opportunity to announce four more playable character to the core launch roster. Friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man as representative from Marvel, while Frank West of "Dead Rising", Nemesis of "Resident Evil", and Mike Haggar of "Final Fight" entered the arena from the CAPCOM side. A gameplay video featuring these characters was later debuted through the game's official channel.

It's actually a bit ironic that only ONE Marvel character was revealed in this event. Not to mention, one that is partially a SONY property. I would've expected Marvel to ask CAPCOM to at least, deliver more Marvel characters, particularly new ones that hasn't been part of the franchise like Gamora or Black Panther. Instead, all four of these characters are known to be 'veterans' in the franchise, having been featured in at least one iteration in the past. So yeah, not really a wise decision if you ask me. But who am I to argue, right? "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on September 19th, 2017.

Marvel's The Defenders

Netflix held their 2nd grand Hall H presentation on July 21st, 05:15 PM PST, and of course, it's for one of their most popular series: the Marvel Netflix-verse. Before the panel got to its big event, Loeb became the star of show as he was awarded with "Inkpot Award" for his excellence in comics and television. I'm not too keen on the guy anymore, but it was a good moving moment, and I'm happy for him.

It didn't take long for the spotlight to be taken away from him though, because actor Jon Bernthal showed up, stealing all attention as the panel's first surprise. He also delivered the first exclusive footage from his upcoming series, Marvel's "The Punisher" (is it... this one?). From what I've read online, the team behind this show had successfully and also faithfully continued Frank Castle's arc from Marvel's "Daredevil" Season 2. I got the feeling, that they have managed to create an amazing balance to Castle's dual emotional struggle. One of his loneliness and grieve over losing his beloved family, and one that is anger and vengeance and he mercilessly track down those who are responsible for it. Sure, the big boss of said violent operation was already executed in "Daredevil", but he DID bring an army to do the crime. That means more people for Castle to hunt!

I still think it's a fatal mistake that he's not included as a fifth member of "The Defenders". He could have added an entirely new dark and gritty color to the team, especially because everyone knows he's waaaay more welcomed than one of its core members. I can't help but wonder though, was Bernthal's presence in the panel, served as a subtle confirmation that he would be in it after all? Not to mention, that recent Netflix Korea featurette (that felt special because it's personally narrated by the great Stan Lee) also included his character. I think he'll be a great addition to the team-up mini-series, and I'd be pretty disappointed if he doesn't even show up... at least for a minor supporting role. Oh well, fans of Castle can still wait for "The Punisher" when it arrives in November.

Cast for "The Defenders" then reclaimed their stage, alongside showrunner Marco Ramirez. All four lead actors, Charlie Cox of "Daredevil", Krysten Ritter of Marvel's "Jessica Jones", Mike Colter of Marvel's "Luke Cage", and Finn Jones of Marvel's "Iron Fist" were obviously present. Deborah Ann Woll from "Daredevil", and Jessica Henwick from "Iron Fist" represented the supporting cast. And Elodie Yung of "Daredevil" was there with Sigourney Weaver as the mini-series antagonists. They teased some bits of the plot, but more importantly debuted a new official second trailer for attendees to see. This one felt more clearer, as Weaver's Alexandra dished out her goal and intention to New York. It showed more ass-kicking action, and more importantly, the characters bouncing off one another in their personal quirks. That's actually the highlight of this trailer, IMHO. By the way, the trailer's already available on Netflix's official channel, in case you've missed it somehow.

But this is Marvel, and even if it's a TV divison, it's not their habit to not show exclusive footage for attendees. So they did, but rather than showing a clip or two, they actually screened the entirety of the first episode for the audience! This wasn't a new thing for Marvel TV, but THAT's what I call exclusive. Several sites have since published their early review for the mini-series after SDCC 2017 ended. These journalist have been allowed access to the first half, or first 4 episodes in advance. In general, they praised the chemistry between the heroes, one that rivaled even the Avengers. But they also unanimously pointed out that Marvel TV hasn't really learned from their mistake: it took TOO LONG to see them finally teaming up. Apparently, it will take a while to catch up with what they are doing after their respective series, which is a bit odd, since the benefit of Netflix is anyone can always re-watched those previous series anytime they want. Oh, and that Jones' Danny Rand is the weakest link and lamest part of the series.

Aaaah, yes, speaking of Rand, the panel delivered a news that I found to be... quite unbelieveable. "Iron Fist" is getting a Season 2. Yay... I guess? I'm quite shocked to see that Netflix actually has faith for this show, even if it's among the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score for a TV show. And particularly, when other Netflix-exclusive shows with higher scores were getting cancelled one after another. It's pretty much the most hated entry of the Marvel Netflix-verse, and it... actually shows.

On the bright side (or... is it? Hmmmm), since the Unparalleled-Talent Scott Buck is busy ruini... I mean, messing aroun... er, WORKING with "The Inhumans", Raven Metzner of the recently cancelled (oh... no...) "Sleepy Hollow" has been assigned to take over as the new showrunner. That means we can at least expect some drastic improvement to the series. Perhaps, we'll be seeing the actual DRAGON (not bulbs) form of Shou-Lao? Lest we forget, "Sleepy Hollow" is an actual SUPERNATURAL show! Simone Missick's Misty Knight has even been hinted to be part of it, and hopefully form "Daughters of the Dragon" with Henwick's Colleen Wing. That fact alone is enough to make me rethink my decision to not give it a HUGE PASS prematurely.

On the down side? There goes my wish for a "Heroes for Hire" team-up. Even if it MIGHT end up happening in the future, perhaps as a direct continuation of both 2nd Seasons of "Luke Cage" and "Iron Fist", the soonest it would arrive is in 2019. I'm not even sure I'm still onboard with this Netflixverse when the time comes. Oh well, let's just worry and rant about that later. For now, we can anticipate to see Danny, along with the other Defenders very soon. All 8 episodes of "The Defenders" arrives on August 18th, 2017.

Avengers: Black Panther Quest

I actually didn't planned to venture into the Marvel Animation category, but since it has an interesting news, I've decided to include a quick one. Yes, the animation division took the Room 6A's stage on July 22nd, 12:30 PM PST, to talk about their future works. One of it, was of course the upcoming Marvel's "Spider-Man" series (premiered the next day, on July 23rd), that's clearly heavily inspired by "Spider-Man: Homecoming". What I didn't expect though, is that they've already announced a renewal the "Avengers Assemble" series! The current 4th Season entitled "Avengers: Secret Wars" had only started airing last month!

And yes, if the new announced subtitle wasn't clear enough for your, the 5th Season will be focused on T'Challa. Does this mean, he will be the leader of the New Avengers in the series? Or this new season will take place entirely in Wakanda, you know, as a synergy to the live action movie that will be premiered in the same year? I can't really tell. I even wonder why they aren't focusing with the Avengers, to coincide with "Avengers: Infinity War". Curious indeed...

LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes 2

One more side mission before we move on to the movies (which is arguably the best categories of all Marvel's participation in SDCC 2017, of course). It's... video game time again! The gang from TT Games this time, as they took over a July 22nd stage at Room 6A, on 01:45 PM PST. In their pannel, they delivered a brand new trailer that featured... Kang the Conqueror. Does this mean, the time-travelling super villain is the culprit behind the game's reality and timeline mash-up? Very likely. Can he top the menace of Galactus from the first game, though? We'll see. "LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes 2" will be released on November 14th, 2017.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Pheww, now we've arrived on the main menu, as Marvel Studios completed the July 22nd Marvel ride with their grand Hall H presentation starting on 05:30 PM PST. It started 15 minutes late though, due to previous panel running off schedule.

Sequel to 2015's beloved "Ant-Man" got the privilege to kickstart Marvel Studios' panel this year! And yes, that's the official title now. It's no longer "Ant-Man & the Wasp" like was shown in the Disney D23 Expo. Turns out that's merely a placeholder title. Unfortunately, the cast couldn't make it to SDCC 2017, because they are busy in Atlanta filming the movie. Actress Evangeline Lilly had already confirmed this via twitter when SDCC began. But that doesn't mean, it didn't bring anything to the panel. Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige himself delivered a humorous video by Paul Rudd and Michael Peña, to make up for their absence.

Rudd is a natural-born comedic (not to mention, charmingly adorable) actor, and Peña also has been hiding a bonafide comedic talent all these time (not to mention, equally adorable LOL). So obviously, this exclusive video that has them narrating Marvel Studios' movies since the first "Iron Man" was an easy crowd-pleasing hoot. You've really got to hand it to these guys, because reading the description (via ComingSoon live blog) alone was already making me giggling like crazy. All those meta jokes! Seriously, if there's any exclusive footage from this panel I ever want Marvel to release online, it's definitely THIS one.

But best of all, just like any Marvel Studios' movie, even this footage brought a twist of its own. Because it was later revealed that the duo was NOT dishing out this Marvel Cinematic Universe 'recap' to the SDCC audience (of course they are, but you know the drill). Nope, apparently they were 'educating' a third person in front of them, which was... Michelle Pfeiffer!!! ...Who was officially unveiled to be playing Janet van Dyne. SAY WHAAAT??!!! Dang, this was definitely the coolest casting reveal that the studio ever pulled off. Nope, make that 'yet another cool reveal', because remember when Chadwick Boseman was announced as T'Challa? Or Josh Brolin as Thanos? Last year's Brie Larson? Yessss... Marvel Studios is indeed the king of showmanship. No wonder their Hall H panel is always highly anticipated. In case you're not Marvel educated, Janet is the wife of Michael Douglas' Hank Pym, and the mother of Lilly's Hope van Dyne/Pym. Similar to Pym, she was the original Wasp before the suit was naturally passed down to Hope. She was absent in the first movie, because she was lost in the Quantum Realm, and the subplot between Hank and Hope in that movie was the side-effect to that incident. In the comics, her Wasp was the actual founder of the Avengers! Getting Pfeiffer to portray her is a dream come true for fans, and also the actors. Marvel Studios had truly done it again!

That's not all. There's another surprise from this movie. Feige confirmed that both Hannah John-Kamen and Walton Goggins are in the movie, and they are playing comic book character. The former is a famous Marvel antagonist called the Ghost (who as far as I know of, is never unmasked in the comics), while the latter plays Sonny Burch, a CEO of Cross Corporation with connection to... Obadiah Stane. Ouucch!! He already screams antagonist for me. But wait, there's another one, and it's the famous... Laurence Fishburne! Guess who he's playing? Dr. William Foster, a.k.a the superhero Black Goliath. I know that Foster's name has come up in the rumor circuit prior to SDCC, but who would've imagined Marvel Studios would be getting Fishburne to play him. After "Doctor Strange", and then "Black Panther" with their stellar casting, now this movie joined the parade with its truly giant cast!

According to Feige, MCU's Foster will be Michael Douglas' Hank Pym associate. Easy money says that he's the one responsible for Rudd's Scott Lang's Giant-Man ability in "Captain America: Civil War". Perhaps, that stunt displeased Foster, and caused a rift between him and Pym? Goodness, the potential for drama is exciting! And speaking of Pym, could we be seeing him donning the shrinking suit into action? Recent behind the scene reports seem to be hinting that direction. Imagine how great it would be, if he's using Darren Cross' Yellowjacket costume. That would be a neat faithful nod to the source material! Beside, the movie can even debut their own size-shifting Avengers team, assuming Foster gets to suit up as Goliath as well.

The first official concept art poster courtesy of Andy Park, was later released on the Marvel booth. And it was amazing! Lang is clearly Giant-Man, adding further connection to Foster's inclusion in the movie, while Lilly's Hope van Dyne shows her moxie as the fierce superheroine Wasp. Gotta love that new hairdo too! I personally loved the first movie, and I'm totally crossing my fingers that this sequel will more amazing. "Ant-Man and the Wasp" arrives on July 6th, 2018.

Captain Marvel

"Captain Marvel" was up next, and boy... this one sure unleashed its own might. Still flying solo without the accompaniment of any cast members (since only one has been cast), Feige unveiled a few concept arts from the movie, starting with one of Brie Larson's costume. It was faithful to the modern comics' version, but has some tactical elements that resemble those of Captain America's suit. That fan-artist rendition that hit the internet long ago? That was almost accurate.

He then confirmed the report that Samuel L. Jackson will be reprising his role as Nick Fury in the movie... but with both eyes open. Wait, how? Does he get an eye implant or something? Courtesy of Tony Stark, perhaps? Nope. Because the movie will be set in... the 1990s. This reveal undoubtedly sent tidal wave of surprise throughout the audience, as well as the internet. But it got even better, when Feige unveiled that Larson's Carol Danvers will be dealing with... the Skrulls. This namedropping was purely unexpected, because many (including yours truly) thought that the shape-shifting alien-race belongs to FOX, having been heavily associated with their Fantastic Four franchise. And Feige was not lying, because a concept art of the antagonistic species was then shown to the attendees. It IS indeed the Skrulls! Feige later hinted that the movie will address why this alien race hasn't been seen until now.

Fans of the comics would easily understand the connection to Skrulls and Captain Marvel. Danvers received her powers from Mar-Vell, who is a Kree alien. And the Kree and Skrulls have been fighting wars against each other for centuries. Interestingly, this whole reveal has raised numerous questions among the fanbase. Like: Why the Skrulls? Does this mean, the origin story secretly serves like a pseudo-"Secret Invasion" movie? Does this mean, among the characters we've seen until now, some of them might NOT be the real ones, and purely Skrull disguises? Or does this serve as a hint, that the 2019 Avengers movie will in fact be... "Avengers: Secret Invasion"? More importantly, if Carol Danvers has been active since the 90s, WITH her cosmic powers and all... why hasn't she been around? What has she been doing in almost 30 years? Why didn't Fury call her when Loki rained down Chitauri in 2009 (Fun Fact: "The Avengers" was set a year after "Iron Man")? And also... why is she NOT part of "Infinity War"? Or... she is? Hmmmm...

So many questions, and still 1,5 years for answers. If you ask me, then my personal speculation is... Danvers is basically NOT on Earth. Perhaps, in the aftermath of her solo movie, she was given a mission deep in space? Perhaps she joins the Kree and help fight the Skrulls... in their home planet? Or perhaps... captured? Or... have fun and funky galactic adventures? The temporal differences between Earth and other planet, will provide a valid science that she's aging slower. Perhaps, one hour there, is one year on Earth? Through this scenario, she'll work as the second Captain America figure, being 'lost in time'. Even better, she could have lost her powers all these years, which has happened before in the comics, and Fury helps her to regain her power in "Avengers 4". What I'm trying to say is, this fascinating choice of setting just opens up worlds of possibilities. "Captain Marvel" is set to start production early next year in California, and will arrive on March 8th, 2019. And just be honest, we are all intrigued about it, right? *grins*

There's a quick break following this part of the panel, because SDCC director of programming Eddie Ibrahim arrived on stage to deliver a surprise. Yes, just like Jeph Loeb, Kevin Feige was awarded an "Inkpot Award" for achievements in movies. No offense to the other guy, but this one is far more appropriate IMHO. Not only Feige has delivered the first fully-working Cinematic Universe in Hollywood, producing beloved critically-acclaimed movies every year, his move has inspired other studios to... create their own Cinematic Universe. That's a massive accomplishment, if you ask me, and he clearly deserves it. So bravo, Feige, hope you'll keep on working in the MCU for more many years to come.

Thor: Ragnarok

After the dust had settled, and cheering crowd had subsided, Feige and moderator Chris Hardwick continued the presentation by summoning... the Asgardians to the stage. Director Taika Waititi arrived with lead actor Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and surprise addition in Rachel House. By the way, this was likely just a small set of core cast members, because there might be more actors having brief supporting roles in the movie. Considering Waititi is famous for his eccentric style of comedy, this part of the panel... was another round of hoot. Hemsworth said that he's bored after playing the same character five times, and wanted to... push himself. Either that's the truth or a joke, is rather unclear. Waititi then replied that he decided to tackle this movie, to help 'a friend in need', which was a fun jab towards Hemsworth. Blanchett added, that she also got the part because she lives in the same continent to Waititi. LOL. Then came Urban, who's a fellow New Zealander to Waititi, with another Australian neighbour joke.

Ruffalo revealed that his green giant persona Hulk prefers to stays that way, and not return into puny Bruce Banner in this movie. Hiddleston said that ever since the ending of "Thor: The Dark World", his Loki has been masquerading as the All Father Odin. That proved to ignite problem, particularly with Blanchett's Hela. Goldblum confirmed that his character The Grandmaster, is the brother of Benicio del Toro's The Collector. They are the oldest being of the universe. His tournament on Planet Sakaar? It is called... "Contest of Champions". Hulk is his champion, and Thor will be called "Lord of Thunder" in the ring. House, also a New Zealander (she voiced Gramma Tala in Disney's "Moana", in case her name sounds familiar) is a frequent collaborator of Waititi. In this movie, she played the assistant of The Grandmaster, named Topaz. Apparently, her character has some hidden beef with the other assistant, who is Thompson's Valkyrie. Thompson also teased the enigmatic nature of her character.

The cast kept bouncing off one another. So suffice to say, it sounded like a fun and warm set of people, that you totally want to hang out with. Just look at the photos of them on stage, and one can easily tell that seeing Hemsworth bromancing with Ruffalo and Waititi was indeed a delight. And the chemistry between these cast members easily infected the movie itself, as proven by several exclusive footages from the movie, exclusively shown for the attendees. The first showed Thor's first meeting with The Grandmaster. He then was tossed into a holding cell, where he encountered Korg, a rock-shaped character with a gentle voice, who was played by Waititi himself. The last footage, showed Thor's first encounter with Hulk in the arena. That last one then transitioned into a new trailer, that has since been made available online via Marvel Entertainment.

That trailer was pure amazing, it brought Hall H to their feet. It confirmed the appearance of both Fenris Wolf and Surtur, as both of them will be dealt by Ruffalo's Hulk. If in "Spider-Man: Homecoming", Michael Keaton had his Adrian Toomes so grounded that he felt like that ordinary neighbour you occasionally ran into every now and then, Cate Blanchett gets to hamm it up with so much sass and slurr for Hela, to the point of turning her into genuine scary and intimidating. The bromancing rivalry between Thor and Hulk, would easily be the gem of the movie. But what I truly love about this trailer, is the vibrant vivid colors that made your eyes glare in awe. Yes, not unlike that psychedelic new official poster. Thor might have had a rough time with his first two solo movies, but this time around, he (and Team Thor) seems to be having lots of fun and a blast. Even Variety has included this panel as one of their best highlight of this year's SDCC.

One last thing, Collider caught up with Waititi after the panel, and asked some bits about the movie. It was there that Waititi revealed, that "Thor: Ragnarok" might be... the SHORTEST MCU movie to date. He stated that "The cut right now, I reckon it’s about 100 minutes. It’s not gonna be a very, very long film. I think that stories are better when you leave them wanting more, and this film moves at a clip, it’s got stuff happening all the time. I think people are still gonna feel exhausted by the end, they’ve been on this big journey and stuff, so I don’t think we need the film to be three hours.". But rest assured, because he said that there would be plenty of "Great scenes. Funny, funny moments" that will go as 'Deleted Scenes' in the home video version. For now, look forward to the movie itself in theatres, November 3rd, 2017.

Black Panther

As the Asgardians exited stage right, a horde of Wakandan claimed their land!

Ryan Coogler brought his A-list stars to the stage. Lead actor Chadwick Boseman lead the pack of Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and two veteran actors in Andy Serkis, and Forest Whitaker. Coogler opened up about his first experience with the character Black Panther, admitting that he's usually on the other side of the panel, sitting as audience (he did, he was present during WB's panel). Similar to the "Thor: Ragnarok" side, each actor shared their experience in the movie, as well as tidbits of their character. Jordan in particular, revealed that his Erik Killmonger returned to Wakanda, to reclaim her role as a Prince. And why is that? Because the movie will be set directly after the fallout of "Captain America: Civil War". So in a way, similar in timeline to "Spider-Man: Homecoming". With King T'Chaka gone, turmoils began to grow from the inside, as Boseman's T'Challa isn't deemed ready to be a king. Perhaps, a consequence of to his avenging stint in "Civil War"?

Coogler then delivered a completely exclusive footage, that was only shown for the SDCC 2017 attendees. The first one featured a James Bond-esque operation, where T'Challa, escorted by Nyong'o's Nakia and Gurira's Okoye, attempted to take down Serkis' Ulyssess Klaue who has been smuggling Vibranium from Wakanda. Clearly, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" was the solid proof to that. As well as Klaue's prosthetic hand, of course. Martin Freeman's Everett Ross was involved in this scene, as he hillariously screamed himself into hiding. Another footage showed T'Challa, suited up as the Black Panther, in an epic car chase. Wright's Shuri was also seen designing and perhaps weaponizing the Panther suit. Killmonger, was also seen donning his own black/gold color battle suit.

The entire footage had the audience floored, as they immediately jumped to their feet to praise and cheer as soon as it ended. Not just them, the cast hasn't had the chance to see it either. So the stage equally erupted in joy and thrills, as each cast members began embracing one another, celebrating the massive work they've just witnessed. The reaction was magical if you ask me, but also completely real that it actually moved me the first time I saw it. The expression of joy and achievement was genuine! Suffice to say, it was special, and the movie IS going to be special. Not unlike that grand looking poster that was handed out for each attendees.

Obviously, I couldn't commented more since that footage was exclusive for SDCC audience. Yet it's more than clear, that Coogler, his actors, and Marvel Studios weren't playing around. Having long standing ovation was a true sign of greatness, and I hope this movie is as worthy as T'Challa to be the king. Let's cross our fingers, with the hopes that that truly will be the case. "Black Panther" arrives in February 16th, 2018.

Avengers: Infinity War

After a brief teasing by Feige, director Joe Russo appeared on stage to wrap up the panel. He delivered the official trailer for "Infinity War", that had previously been screened to the D23 Expo audience. Remember, the attendees of SDCC 2017 Hall H might not be the same 6500-7000 people. I believe only a very a small portion of those audience showed up in both events, and they are mostly journalists. The reaction on Hall H, was pretty much the same, as everyone got carried away emotionally. It was a perfect way to end the successful panel.

On the other hand, the reaction online was... somewhat opposite. Some fans immediately began complaining because unlike another studio (like... WB?), Marvel Studios did not release this trailer online. A leaked trailer has even surfaced for a few span of time on social media! Yes, this IS the internet we're talking about, so I'm not even surprised. But honestly? I think this was still NOT a good attitude. A bit unfair, even. When you think about the effort and hardship the SDCC attendees had to endure, spending all those long hours lining up, just to be a part of a giant panel like Marvel Studios'? It would make sense that they are given an exclusive first look for the trailer, right? And that's precisely what Marvel Studios was doing. HAS been doing for years, to be precise.

Unlike other studio that instantly released the footage online, Feige and his team were treating their guests as VIP customers. Thus allowing them to experience exclusive footages first hand, meeting the cast, and receiving official posters. Logically speaking, that was actually something to be applauded for. Beside, as I said last week... I'm not sure my heart is literally ready to see "Infinity War" trailer just yet. I did check out that poor-quality leak, but immediately stopped halfway because I couldn't handle it. This movie might signal an end of an era, and it might also be the final time we'll be seeing some of our favorite characters in the big screen. So yeah, to be completely honest... I'm VERY anxious about it instead. I would rather see that comedic Rudd x Peña video over such suspense!

Regardless, there was one thing that I actually felt disappointed about. In a way, I was half-expecting some if not all of cast to show up, just like what happened in Disney D23 Expo (that was just 1/3 of them all, apparently). Perhaps, the then-absent actors like Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and more would take turn and showed up this time. Especially when we realize the fact that "Infinity War" will be released a few months BEFORE the next SDCC next year. Such a wasted of opportunity, right? Alas, that's not the case, so my wish of seeing another massive photoshoot of the cast like last year was too good to be true. Oh well, I guess I'll have to make do with the Asgardians meet Wakandans family photo above. Can't help but wonder though, is Marvel Studios going to held an exclusive private event prior to the movie's release? Next year's the studio's official 10-Year Anniversary celebration, so it would be cool to see all the cast reunited in one huge gala. That might be a bit of tall order, eh? LOL.

Anyways, we did get a few bits and teases about the movie after the panel. That's because the directors and cast members had a quick interview session with the journalists, as has always been the case. Boseman said, that Black Panther will be an important factor in the movie. According to Joe, the movie's final act will be so massive, that he considered it to be a staggering level of scale. He also revealed the necessity of the Black Order, as they serve as some sort of mini-bosses prior to Thanos. At the same time, he's also hoping Thanos would be the new Darth Vader for the modern era.

Oh and yeah, the movie might be among the longest MCU movie to date. "The current cut is over 2 ½, yes. Most of it is a movie you can show. Still a lot of work left to be done... It's certainly going to be a film that lives in the two and a half, two and a half plus range", he said. Make perfect sense really, since it will be dealing with soooo many characters. Even that special SDCC interconnected posters (courtesy of Ryan Meinerding) felt jammed-packed with characters (I didn't see Ant-Man though, I wonder why). We can even expect "Avengers 4" to be the same, since it will also be packed with LOTS of characters. Wow, I need to take a deep breath just hearing that! "Avengers: Infinity War" will be released on May 4th, 2018. I hope when the time comes, my heart would be ready... *sigh*

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