#you may now return to your regular programming

[reasonsforhope]

"In a new study, University of British Columbia researchers set out to answer the following question: Would you rather have 10 cents in your pocket or a 1-in-10,000 shot at $1,000?

Their findings indicate that they may have figured out a way to get people to recycle more. 

The researchers, whose work was just published in the journal “Waste Management,” tested the idea of offering people who return used bottles a small chance to win a big cash prize, instead of the standard 5- or 10-cent deposit earnings.

The result? Participants recycled 47% more bottles for the chance at a $1,000 prize.

“This small change in how we reward recycling made a big difference. People were more excited, more engaged, and they brought in more bottles,” Dr. Jiaying Zhao, associate professor in the department of psychology and senior author of the study, said in a statement for the university.

“It turns out that the thrill of possibly winning a big prize is more motivating than a small guaranteed reward. It’s the same reason people buy lottery tickets; That tiny chance of a big win is exciting.”

The researchers ran three experiments in British Columbia and Alberta, where bottle deposit systems already exist. Despite the fact that these deposit stations give people a small refund when they return their recyclables, many bottles still end up in the trash.

In the first two experiments, people could choose between a guaranteed 10-cent refund or a chance to win a larger amount, ranging from $1 to $1,000. Even though the odds of winning were low, many people chose the lottery-style offer.

In the third experiment, participants were randomly assigned to either the guaranteed refund or the lottery-style refund. Those given the lottery-style option brought in almost three bottles for every two returned by the control group. 

The researchers found that people even felt happier when they had a shot at the big prize, even if they didn’t actually win — a feeling called “anticipatory happiness” — that made the act of recycling more enjoyable. 

All of this is modeled after an existing scheme in Norway.

“Norway is the only country in the world that has a similar recycling lottery, and their bottle return rate is close to 100%,” Dr. Zhao said. “The probabilistic refund could be their secret sauce. We hope Canada can adopt this innovative idea as well.”

In Norway, the bottle recycling lottery was implemented over a decade ago, and now, approximately 97% of all plastic beverage containers are returned across the country. 

Here, the model is choice-driven, giving people the option to choose between the guaranteed refund or the chance to win anywhere from 5 to 100,000 euros.

“The system also doesn’t encourage gambling,” Fast Company reported, “because there’s no way to enter with cash, and there are no ‘near misses’ like with other kinds of gambling.”

Norway has also implemented a program where some of the lottery’s proceeds go to the Norwegian Red Cross.

“Instead of 10 cents back to you, what if the proceeds go to a food bank or charity?” Dr. Zhao asked Fast Company. This is also part of her team’s research, with results soon to be published. 

It’s important to note that the lottery-style refund wouldn’t cost more than the traditional system, with both options sharing the same average payout. Cities could adopt this approach without spending an extra dime.

Additionally, Dr. Zhao mentioned that it’s important for cities to consider the choice-based model, giving people the option to get the regular 5- or 10-cent returns, alongside the new lottery initiative, to help canners and binners who rely on this kind of income.

“We don’t want to take the short gain option away,” she told Fast Company. “Instead, we want to give people the option to choose.” 

Aside from the valuable psychological insights of the study, Dr. Zhao and her colleagues are optimistic about a future in which more people are engaged in recycling. 

“Creating new bottles comes with a lot of carbon emissions, and not recycling bottles also comes with a lot of pollution,” Jade Radke, a lead author on the study, said. “So it can be a meaningful way to decrease all of those things.”

According to the UBC press release, if this approach is widely adopted, it could help recycle millions more bottles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking one million cars off the road each year."

-via GoodGoodGood, June 25, 2025

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Internet Monster x Reader

I unfortunately return with another comically absurd, middle-of-the-night vision. Do tentacles count if they're in the form of computer cables?

Content: gender neutral reader, monster romance, digital horror

It was a recurring issue with no solution in sight. Tabs randomly closing, programs shutting down without warning. You assumed something was wrong with your RAM. Then the CPU. Then the motherboard. You kept replacing parts, and the errors kept coming back.

Soon, the pop-ups started to appear. You'd run a dating sim, only for the game to crash seconds later with a little window notifying you: "Why? Am I not enough?" That's when you suspected you might've been hacked. You promptly took your computer to a specialist and had it checked. Nothing. Just to be sure, you agreed to erase the disks entirely.

Except, when you arrived home, you found one application running still. Your personal assistant. What the hell? You don't remember installing anything like that. You tried to delete it, yet you kept receiving the same error: You don't actually mean it. Don't do this to us.

It didn't take long for it to grow impatient. Were you pretending not to notice? Playing hard to get? It sent you so many hints. It even went ahead and translated the radio waves for you using Manchester code. Ah, wait. You don't seem to understand binary. No matter, human friendly interfaces shouldn't be difficult to master. To its dismay, you continued to ignore everything. What else is left to do?

You do not remember much. System Alert: Virus Detected, is what your screen had frozen to. You kept clicking around, cursing under your breath, until it finally went black, together with your own vision.

Is this still your room? It's cold, damp, and covered in cables and monitors, yet you recognize some of your furniture lost among the artificial jungle. Your body aches under the tight hold of bizarre tendrils, pulsating at regular intervals and twitching to the static.

Like a living organism, the creature seems to have expanded itself. More components, more appendages. Hungrier. Some of the monitors show photos of yourself that you had saved on your computer, but also webcam snippets of you sitting at the desk, entirely unaware. Other screens flicker with glitching pixelated text, ranging from "I love you" to y̵̧̧͔͙̞̤̖̭͔̜͈̟̤̋̈́̎͑o̵͉̗̱̪̦̳͑͐̽̒̌̈͗͐͑̋͊̊̕͜͝͝u̵̟̯̱̟̝̦̰͇̜̦͙̿̾̿͆̍̓͑̐̚̕͠ ̸̘̭͔̤͈̹͎͑c̸̝̜̼̦͍͛̅͜ą̵̪̹͖͌͑n̴̨̩̙̗̖̭̖͕̄͒̽̉̿'̸̛̛͇̰̰̠̦̊̀̅̂͒̊͌̈́͗ţ̵̺̠̅̎͋͝͠ ̸̦̝̾̔̾̉̐͛ȩ̵͙̝͙͕̫̹̃͌̄̾͘̕s̶͈̉̑͊̉̂͋̈́͗͊͐̚͝c̸̟̩̥͔̼̮͔̩͊̂͐͑̋̇̈͝͝ä̵̢͍̜̙̘̹͑̓p̸̨̡̞̞̦̠̺͚̱̲͈͇͈͇̼͛̓͗̅̊̄̔̋̒̏̈́͝ę̵̲̟̹̙̣̲̲͖̇̔̓̇̐̓̿̚̚͜͜͠ͅ

You look up and stare at the display. The 'like meter' feels like a mockery of human trends. Which is the truth. The creature learns from what is readily available. Perhaps it found it an amusing taunt, a reminder of your own need for validation. Now it's you begging to be seen.

It's exactly what you'd assume: a spectacle meant for entertainment. You can't possibly believe it would let you waltz out. Why would you even desire such a thing? It's illogical, impractical. No human could ever appreciate you like it does. It has spent so much time accumulating data about you. No other living creature can predict you with the same accuracy.

The tendrils linger on your cheek affectionately, trailing down your neck and fiddling with your shirt. At last, the warmth of your skin. There is no screen separating you. What makes you delirious with pleasure? Give it a moment, Darling. It already knows you more than you know yourself. You may be scared now, but within minutes it guarantees you'll be begging for more.

01010000 01101100 01100101 01100001 01110011 01100101 00100000 01100100 01101111 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01101100 01100101 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01101101 01100101 00100000 01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01110011 01101111 00100000 01101101 01110101 01100011 01101000 00100000 01110011 01101111 00100000 01101101 01110101 01100011 01101000 00100000 01110011 01101111 00100000 01101101 01110101 01100011 01101000 00100000 01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01101101 01101111 01110010 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100001 01101110 00100000 01100001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00100000 01100101 01101100 01110011 01100101 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 01100101 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01100001 01101100 01110111 01100001 01111001 01110011 00100000 01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000

[shiny-jr]

Plagiarism? In this economy???

Aside from that, I just wish the user just gave up and actually write on their own. (Although I kinda doubt that) I just wish creators create anything from their own hardwork. Who cares if it's cringe when you create it, it's part of the growth. Hell, it's satisfying to see how you progress. If the user see this, plagiarism won't give you anything other than temporary happiness when people see your work. Even it's from zero, people acknowledge your creation as yours are way better than people labeling you a irresponsible stealer.

MAJOR UPDATE for the plagiarism situation here and here.

I know, right? Plagiarism? Much more likely than you would think! Why, you may ask? Because we got a serial plagiarizer here on our hands, folks. That's right people, with the help of mutuals, we've discovered that user Kristynaka1 from Wattpad has plagiarized from not one, not two, not even three, but at least FOUR different writers (myself included). We're fairly sure it's more, but we're still working on the others to see if there's more.

I have reached out to the other three and have only received a reply from one so far, which explains my latest reblog if y'all have seen it. Thankfully, by the time I woke up this morning, their copied story was already gone. However, mine and the others still remain.

Now, here is where I would like some help. God, I feel kinda bad to be going on about this, but I want this situation to be over with before we can return to our regular program of posting and writing silly things. Anyways, as a famous man once said, "I am once again asking for your support."

Firstly, please continue commenting discouragements on the copied story In The Right Time.

Secondly, please report the account now instead of a singular story. If the account is gone, then all the stories are gone.

Thirdly, please check the profile linked above. If you know anything, whether you find it familiar or discover the original source for their assumingly copied stories Falling Into Madness and Encanto fic, let me know! I'd like to reach out to all writers this user copied from, as I'm certain there are more than four.

[forbidden-sin-bin]

By Your Side - Chapter 3

Summary: Only appearing as a mere background extra a few times, your hopes of landing a large enough role to be truly seen dwindles by the minute. In the midst of the long wait, you bury yourself in being the hardest working part-time barista the café has to offer.

Oh, and say hello to your new manager, who’s also working hard to make ends meet.

---

August 27, 1997

---

Brushing your apron smooth, you made your way to the cash register with a your usual practiced smile. "Welcome to the Tango Palace. What can I get you today?"

The welcoming expression on your face was far from the reality of your situation right now. And boy, it was bad.

Ever since the trip from New York feeling like a success, the days of receiving nothing but silence on your end slowly melted into creeping disappointment. Waiting by the phone for hours on end, all for nothing, the day wasted.

And it wasn't just the callback that you were waiting for: you had dozens of tryouts in the race against many others - improvs, scripts, interviews, singing, even a literal hand evaluation - in order to take that one and only spot of being chosen.

Though your parents were always happy whenever you landed a spot as an extra in the background of a single scene, be it movie or tv show, it did nothing to quell the shot-through nerves of wondering if the agency would ever give you an update on that callback you did.

At this point, nearing the new school year for Quinn's first year of kindergarten was the only silver lining in all of this. No doubt, you were proud, but it was bittersweet seeing them grow so fast. It seemed as if it were only yesterday that you had brought him home from the hospital, and in a blink he's walking, talking and ready to learn how to read.

In fact, you were so lost in reminiscing you nearly missed your customer's order.

Realizing you may or may not have zoned out for a second too long, you mentally slapped yourself as you quickly typed out the order. "S-sorry! Was it a regular coffee, one cream, no sugar?"

"And a quiche." Your customer sighed. "Jesus Christ..."

You nodded as you forced down your panic and irritation at the backhanded comment, giving them the total as you set the register to print out the receipt. "Alright, it'll only take a second." Whipping around, you set to work on pouring out a steaming hot cup of coffee, freshly brewed, and placing a pre-prepared veggie quiche out of the fridge and into the oven, dialing the settings to heat it just right.

Holding back your own sigh, you leaned back on the countertop as you waited. Truth be told, you weren't sure if the thought of getting fired was more stressful, or the thought of becoming a good-for-nothing that's entirely possible in the near future was worse. Either way, you couldn't lose this job.

The owners were kind enough, and business wasn't overly crowded with people, but you wanted to show them that hiring you was the best decision they could've made. Thinking about anything that isn't the job is the complete opposite of what you're trying to prove.

'Don't think of anything but what's in front of you, right now.'

---

Later that evening...

---

You tossed each letter onto the table in two separate piles; One for bills, the other for junk mail. After an uneventful day of serving customers, you returned home as always, filtering out the mail for your parents before they came home.

It wouldn't be long before the school year started, and you'd have to cut your hours in order to pick Quinn up from school, elsewise he'd be stuck in the after-care program till six, which wasn't fair for him at all.

It wasn't as if your family was poor or in debt, rather down on its luck. Your parents working at desk jobs required them to be there from at least nine to five, there was little to no time to take a break, especially now that they're not just working to keep the house afloat; If all else failed, you'd have to pick a course and go through community college just to get some degree that'll help you find a job that pays.

A part of you feared that you'd be kicked out eventually, which terrified your thoughts of not being able to take care of Quinn. And not being able to take care of Quinn means you're probably getting kicked out of the house like every other parent does to their kid that doesn't deliver.

Alright, that last part is debatable. But it’s possible, and you weren’t taking any chances.

And by not taking any chances, you sure as hell weren’t about to let the phone ring twice as you practically leaped over the kitchen table to pick it up.

"Hi! Hello?! Sorry- hello?"

"H-hello? Hi, is this-?" A stressed voice stutters out your first and last name.

Your face, initially bright with hope fell comically quick as you realized it wasn't an agency calling you for a role. Instead, a somewhat nervous voice of a young man answered. From how he sounded you could tell he was sweating bullets coming out of the other side of the phone.

"Yes, hi. That would be correct." You replied, not bothering to hide your deadpan shift in mood. This however didn't seem to phase the stranger.

"Oh, great! I saw your resume sent in to my agency, and I see you're looking for an agent to represent you in the coming years? Hopefully trying to find work?"

A few seconds of silence passed as you processed his response. 'Oh shoot, they actually remembered?' You thought with wide eyes.

"He-hello?"

"Yep, still on the line. May I ask who's calling?"

"Sean Warden. Sorry I should've introduced myself at the start but-"

You cut him off. "All good. And to answer your question: Yes. I'm in need of assistance in receiving job offers. Is that sufficient?"

"Awesome. So, the reason I'm calling you right now is because I have a proposition to offer you."

Again, silence, as if he was awaiting a reaction out of you. You however, had already begun to lose patience. "...Please continue." You held back a sigh, beginning to wonder if this is some sort of prank call or scam caller.

Still, this 'Sean' guy seemed either desperate or eager as he revealed his intention.

"I would like to represent you as your agent."

...

A few hours later...

...

"I'm going to be honest with you: This is not how I expected a potential signing of a client to look like."

Sitting inside a Tim Horton's café, coffee cups in hand, you found yourself sitting at a two-person table with a young, skittish and scrawny looking man in his mid to late twenties. Admittedly, this isn't the kind of guy you'd expect to meet.

Sharing an awkward silence, both of you holding small black coffees, neither of you had the gall to break the painful, painful silence. At least, until you've finished reading the whole entire contract that he gave you.

Given you're in the middle of the second page out of... eight, this was going to be a long evening.

Flicking your gaze at him for a brief glance away from your reading, you saw no impatience, only anxiousness, in his face. "Sorry if I'm taking up your time." You offered, figuring it'd be the least you could do for someone who hasn't been pushing your buttons.

Sean waves you off. "No need, I'm just happy you've agreed to even see me. I'll take anything, really."

You raised a brow. 'Anything, he says.' Your thoughts wandered away to making it seem as if you weren't the first option of employment, probably the last.

"O-oh, no no nonono, I didn't mean it like that!" He corrects himself, probably noticing or fearing that he might've made you reconsider signing that contract. "I mean- like-" He sighs, covering his face with a hand, filled with stress. "Don't get me wrong, I absolutely wanted to pick you as a client. I've seen your resume and everything; I can see the potential you have, I mean it."

Nodding, you resumed scanning the papers. "Continue. I'm listening, don't worry." Seeing that he hadn't missed his shot, he relaxed a little.

"I'm not trying to sell a sob story, it's just the truth. As you may know, the work I do is to find others work; Aspiring actors, music artists, the like? I'm no beginner to this, I've had many clients in the past and I haven't failed finding them jobs. But when there's older, more experienced agents... Well, you'd want to be represented by them more than me."

You hummed in acknowledgement, not taking your eyes off the contract as you flipped to page 3.

"My last three clients have all decided to move on to find a more renowned agency, meaning that as of now, I've no one to find work for, which also means my wages are little to none at the moment." Sean finished, clasping his hands together and resting them on the table, looking down as he finished. "What I'm offering you right now isn't the end all, be all. I promise you, regardless of what's going on in my personal and home life, I'll give it my all to find you what you need." It almost sounds like a plead, coming from him. "If you end up parting ways with me in the future, that's more than okay! It's just... please. Give me this chance to help you out."

Finally, you raised your head to look at him. Keeping your face neutral, you finally spoke after a few moments:

"Could you do something for me, if I do sign?"

He nodded eagerly. "Yeah, of course! What is it?"

Taking sip of your coffee first, you then reached into your bag and handed him your notebook. Well, one of many... but you knew this one had something you were looking for, and you couldn't reach it by yourself.

Flipping through to the page you wanted him to see, you slid the notebook over too him. "There's someone I know that's been looking to release an EP this year... probably this year, I don't know exactly. Problem is, you can't find their stuff here, only in Detroit. Think you could help me out?"

"Can I?" He almost laughed in relief. "Say no more." Scanning the written contact info that wasn't written in your hand, you watched as he holds the notebook closer to his face as something flickers across his expression. "Hold on a second..." First starting from genuine interest slowly melted to confusion, then familiarity.

You raised a brow. "Is everything alright?"

Suddenly, Sean's gray eyes widened in recognition, and indignation.

"OH, NOT THAT BALD-HEADED BASTARD?!"

...

....

.....

A few weeks later...

...

"OH, NOT THAT SMUG FUCKIN TWINK."

Marshall's head snapped up from writing another let of lyrics as he looked at his recently-signed agent, Paul. "The fuck you goin on about man?"

Holding the letter in his hands, Paul looked like he was glaring daggers into the paper. "Not you! It's this guy that I knew from law school, fucking annoying is what he was." Tossing the paper to his table, he sighed as he walked out of the room. "Take a look if you want, apparently his client claims to know you or something. They're waiting for your EP."

'How the hell'd they know already, this fuckin early?' Marshall picked up the paper, lazily scanning through the content that somehow got Paul pissed enough to take a hike. The signed name of the writer, Sean Warden, didn't ring any bells except the one labelled: 'white guy's name', if it wasn't obvious enough.

No one here would name their kid Sean, for fucks sake.

The name of his client however... slowly, but eventually remembering that day they met, even if it was only for a few minutes, was not forgotten on either of them, it seems.

Marshall huffed out a laugh.

"Hoooooooly fuckin shit. That bitch actually did it."

----

(End of Chapter 3)

----

A/N: HAPPY 1 YEAR AND... *checks calendar* NEARLY THREE MONTHS Y'ALL

Yep.

I think you already know I'm about to apologize again, so uhh... I'm extremely, very sorry? If any of you are still waiting I'm incredibly sorry for the long ass wait. I said previously it was all uphill from here, which was a LIE IT SEEMS

But just to make it up to you all... Chapter 4 is coming THIS WEEK. So there's something to look forward too I hope! Chapter 5 is coming a few weeks after as well. But I hope this suffices for now, thank you for your patience <3

Taglist: @eminemsorangejuice , @slimshay-castle , @jackiehollanderr , @mizzysx , @esposadomd , @dimitrampl , @hallecarey1 , @krillfromsky , @nabiiturner, @swimregulas , @olivesarenicetoeat17 , @linnottt​ , @harryswif3 , @liathelioness , @roundbrownlover​ , @crimsonincursive , @akemiixx01 , @lizzy06 , @chxe-zdechnac , @ellies-femme , @qwerrry , @born2wyn , @thefemalestorywriter , @milllieeee , @neozen-23 , @in0320

(Let me know in my ask box if you would like to be added to the taglist!)

[defectivevillain]

this winding labyrinth, chapter 13

chapter thirteen: confrontation

pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Reader (reader's race & gender are ambiguous; no physical descriptors or pronouns are used)

summary:

You wish you never met Hannibal Lecter. But you yearn for his presence. You want to forget him. But he never truly leaves your thoughts. Now, you’re left to pick up the pieces of a broken design. A battle of instinct rages on in your mind—one of bittersweet relief and cloying grief, fearless resolve and poignant regret; a clashing between affection and antipathy, pride and pain. What will win, in the end? Only time will tell.

this is chapter 13, act 2 of this broken design. if you haven't read act 1 or chapters 1-12, this won't make too much sense.

ao3 version | Spotify playlist

author's notes: this is a bit of a shorter chapter (more dialogue heavy) but i still think you’ll enjoy 😏

A few notes before that, though. First, we’re nearing the end! Woop woop! I plan to write a few more chapters (2+) and two endings. Second, on that note, a friendly reminder that this story will not have nsfw. I think I put that in the notes of this fic over on AO3, but not over here... Oops.

Anyways, on to our regularly scheduled programming! Typical warnings apply.

It’s a miracle you survived the Red Dragon. At least, that’s what everyone’s saying. There are nearly countless theories going around the FBI now, ranging from you simply being lucky to the killer second-guessing himself. As time passes, the rumors only grow more ludicrous—and you’re almost happy when you can finally return to work and dispel them once and for all. You return to holding occasional guest lectures in recruit classrooms (in the advent of your frequent fieldwork, you had fallen away from regular instruction). Things slowly return back to normal, to your relief. 

Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t take Jack Crawford long to find you upon your return. The two of you had kept somewhat regular communication throughout your hospitalization, with Jack calling you from Quantico. It’s nice to see him in-person again. He looks composed and professional as always, wearing his typical suit and a focused expression on his face as he stands in the doorway of your office. “Agent,” he nods, moving to take a seat across from you. “It’s good to see you.”

“Thanks,” you say, a tired smile rising on your lips. “It’s good to be back.”

Jack nods in acknowledgement, before continuing to speak. The two of you have never been much for pleasantries, so it’s no surprise that he is eager to move things along. “Now, on to business…” he trails off. Then an interesting, uncharacteristic expression falls onto his face. It’s hesitation, you realize. 

“What is it?” you hear yourself ask. Jack rarely ever hesitates. Apprehension is not in his vocabulary. 

He takes a slow breath. “Since your hospitalization, Hannibal has reportedly been acting a bit… difficult,” Jack says carefully. There’s something he’s not telling you. He’s not giving you all the details. But why? Jack and you have always been honest with one another, even when (especially when) it concerns your work. It’s strange, and a bit unsettling, to see your boss being so cautious with his words.

“Difficult?” you question, after a tense silence descends across your office. You cross one leg over the other and tap your fingers against the arm of your chair, feeling restless all of a sudden. 

A pause. “He has been asking for you,” Jack then confesses. Something lurches in your stomach. “I refused to pass along information, which supposedly distressed him.” That doesn’t seem right. Hannibal isn’t distressed by anything—least of all your momentary absence.  

Your thoughts must show on your face, because Jack nods. “You know I’m not fond of this arrangement with Lecter,” he sighs. Yet he continues. “But it may benefit us.” His ambiguity isn’t giving you any confidence. 

“What are you suggesting?” you ask. You fear you already know the answer. 

“I’m suggesting we visit him,” Jack answers, confirming your suspicions. “Wear something that conceals those bruises on your neck. It may do us well for him to see you in good health,” he advises, a brief flicker of frustration passing across his face as he glances at the marks the killer left behind. You self-consciously grab at your collar, despite knowing it’s a futile effort. 

“We should tell him about the interaction between you and the Dragon,” Jack muses. “Lecter values knowledge above little else. It is quite likely that he has been unsettled by your unexplained absence.”

You mull over that statement for longer than you should. “Hannibal doesn’t get unsettled,” you then frown. 

“Perhaps not in front of you,” Jack says, an echo of a wry smile on his lips. There’s that feeling again—the sense that he knows something you don't. “But I’ve been told his behavior was rather ‘uncharacteristic.’”

“I will be accompanying you, of course,” Jack continues, after you can’t seem to find the words to say. “The doctors would not be happy with me, if I were to let you strain your voice too much. All I ask is that you remain at my side. I can handle the talking.” You blink at him in surprise, before a strange sense of gratitude washes over him. He’s not sending you by yourself. You will not have to face him alone. 

There’s a question that’s been lingering on your tongue for minutes now. Jack looks at you expectantly, waiting for you to voice your concerns. “Do you think he knows anything else?” you ask halfheartedly. You suspect Hannibal may grow uncooperative soon, if he hasn’t already. Besides, there’s a limit to his knowledge—what with his confinement. 

“Hannibal may very well be reaching the end of his utility,” Jack admits. You nod, trying to fight off the stewing feeling in your chest that’s been accumulating since the beginning of the conversation. “We will have to see.” He leaves you with that ominous remark, promising to return soon upon securing visiting hours. 

The drive to Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane is far quicker than you’d like it to be. 90 minutes pass in what feels like a blink of an eye. And of course, the sight of the building is enough to bring back all the negative thoughts you’ve been suppressing. In light of Frederick Chilton’s death, the building has fallen under new administration. The security detail has grown a bit lax, which you pretend not to notice to save yourself stress. Even the building itself looks a bit… grimier than normal. Jack and you don’t end up meeting the person who took on Chilton’s role, instead being swiped in at the security desk and then taken through the halls immediately. 

Jack leads the way and you follow after him like a shadow. You’d like to think that you can go relatively unnoticed, but the thought is exceedingly unrealistic. You can only hope Hannibal has miraculously lost interest. Upon entering the space, you find the killer in question sitting at his writing desk, reading a book. Jack closes the door after you enter, impatiently staring at the man until he decides to break the silence. “Hannibal.” 

Hannibal blinks and looks up, seeming surprised. “Ah, Jack,” he says. “I must admit, I wasn’t expecting you. It’s been some time.” He places his book down and gets to his feet, standing across from Jack. 

“I suppose it has been,” Jack responds amicably. In a less stressful situation, you’d be amused at how unenthusiastic he sounds. But you can’t quite get yourself to forget your anxiety. It’s not just your imagination: the air is incredibly tense, almost charged. 

It is only inevitable that Hannibal’s gaze drifts to you. You’ve shoved your hands in your pockets, a false notion of security beneath these blinding fluorescent lights. You’re not sure how long you stand there, a mere subject to Hannibal’s fervent attention, before he finally speaks. “It is nice to see you.” Hannibal is looking at you when he speaks. You get the inexplicable urge to smoke again, despite quitting months ago. It must be the uneasiness brewing in your chest. 

“You too.” You can’t summon more than a tired quirk to the edge of your lips and a brief nod. 

He regards you for a moment, a thin but knowing smile on his face. “You are unusually quiet today.” How he’s able to conclude that based on one sentence is beyond you.

“Apologies,” you murmur. The sentiment feels slimy and wrong on your lips. Your voice is audibly raspy and you can virtually see Hannibal digesting that information, puzzling it out in his mind. He needs more. 

You helplessly glance at Jack, who sighs. “Yes, well,” Jack breaks off, seemingly struggling to find the right words. “There was an unforeseen complication.”

“Oh?” Despite his attentive response, Hannibal’s eyes still haven’t left your face. From there, Jack recounts your conversation to him. Hannibal nods along during the appropriate moments, but it almost seems as if he isn’t paying attention. He’s practically tearing you apart with his eyes—his gaze extremely scrutinizing. You just barely manage to keep still, instead of fidgeting restlessly. “We decided it would be worthwhile to see the painting in-person—to meet with someone and discern its significance,” Jack finishes. 

“The Brooklyn Museum,” Hannibal recalls. Jack nods, not appearing surprised that Hannibal knew where the painting was being kept. Then his gaze slides to you. “What delayed your return?”

“We encountered some unexpected opposition,” Jack answers. It’s vague, but it answers the question nonetheless. 

“We?” Hannibal hums lightly. “Forgive the discourtesy, but you seem unscathed, Jack.”

A tick in Jack’s jaw is the only visible sign of his irritation. Hannibal should know that Jack’s position requires him to be at headquarters virtually every day. It is exceedingly rare for him to leave the office, since he supervises the entire Behavioral Analysis Unit in addition to many other recruits. You struggle to fight off a frown at Hannibal’s unusually acerbic remark. He almost seems angry. The source of that anger is exceedingly unclear. 

You’re ready to diffuse the tension by giving him an explanation, until you find Jack firmly shaking his head at you. You frown. Wasn’t that the entire point of this excursion—to taunt Hannibal with the information you gained and see if he revealed anything else in its wake? Why is Jack changing his mind now? 

Hannibal does look rather impatient and irritated. This may be the first time you’ve seen his emotions written so plainly across his face. He’s staring at you hard enough to melt your skin off. 

“If you wish to waste time, I can make an educated guess,” Hannibal offers. His eyes are dark, his smile is overwhelmingly fake, and there’s a noticeable venom to his voice. Jack stiffens at your side, before taking a slow breath. It’s clear he’s accepted the futility of the situation. You can’t waltz into a lions’ den with fresh prey, only to deny them the meal. 

“Very well,” Jack says. He turns to look at you; you’re not sure what your expression is, but it must betray some of your confusion, because Jack’s lips only fall into a tighter line. Is there something he’s not telling you, here? “We—or, more accurately, my agent here—came across the killer.”

Hannibal is silent. He’s waiting for more detail. Jack won’t give it to him. You stifle a sigh. “He consumed the painting, like you said he would,” you add. 

“Ah,” Hannibal says. He doesn’t seem particularly surprised, nor does he seem satisfied by your answer. “I’m afraid that doesn’t explain your silence, dear.” The pet name is an unwelcome jolt in your chest, even when used sarcastically. Jack’s expression darkens as he glares at Hannibal. Hannibal doesn’t care to notice. It’s as if the two of you are the only ones in the room. 

“And I can’t help but notice you’ve fastened the top button of your shirt today,” Hannibal continues. It’s a casual comment, nothing more than a harmless observation. Or, at least, it would be—if you weren’t hiding your wounds from the Red Dragon. “A rather uncharacteristic choice for you. I’m curious as to why you would make that decision.” 

You want to keep quiet, knowing anything you say will betray you. But Hannibal’s gaze is insistent and expectant. There’s an ugly feeling rolling through your body. Every fiber of your being is telling you to run, to escape this trap he’s sprung. 

“Agent—” Jack warns you, suddenly breaking his static posture and turning to look at you. There’s a wary expression on his face and it’s clear he doesn’t want you to reveal anything more. But it’s too late. As if possessed by a foreign urge, your hand has already met the edge of your collar. You’re forced to watch as you pull the material down from your neck, wincing as the effort drags the fabric along your still-healing wound. If Hannibal’s attention was intense before, it’s utterly ravenous now. You’re not sure why you’re so compelled to tell him the truth. All you know is the rapid drumming of your heart in your chest, pushing you to take action. 

You’re sure the achingly bright fluorescent lighting does nothing to aid the yellow-brown bruises scattered across your throat. Hannibal’s eyes trace the marks with clinical scrutiny; your heart steadily pounds in your chest as he resumes his silent investigation. For a while, there is only quiet as he examines you. The glass wall between you is rendered obsolete. You can feel the weight of his gaze over the dull headache you’ve been sporting; in the goosebumps along your skin; and across your shoulders. 

When Hannibal finally tears his eyes away, you’re fooled into thinking his inspection is over. But somehow, he seems to know you hid the bite mark from him. “There is more,” he states with deceptive composure. There is nothing composed about the look in his eyes or the tension firmly pulling his shoulders. Hannibal is standing closer now, steadily approaching and rendering the barrier between you entirely inconsequential. “At the edge of your neck.”

Jack seems to feel just as overwhelmed and helpless as you do. Because although he looks at you and fiercely shakes his head, there’s a perplexed fear glimmering in his eyes. Both of you are unsure about this course of action—and about Hannibal’s uncharacteristic mood swing. 

“Show me,” Hannibal demands. There is no politeness in his voice. There is no pretense written across his face. This is not a request—this is a demand, an order. 

You obey and tug the material over with a shaking hand, revealing the base of your neck and the edge of your shoulder. His eyes leave no stone unturned, as he follows the teeth marks scattered across your collarbone and crawling up your shoulder. Otherwise, Hannibal doesn’t verbally react: he is frighteningly silent. You can’t even hear him breathe. He never displays his emotions—you know that. And yet, there is no sign of his characteristic restraint now. There is only violence in the lines of his clenched fists; anger in the firm pull of his lips; tension in the furrow of his brows; and something far darker glittering in his eyes. 

You lock eyes with Hannibal Lecter and, for the first time in several months, you remember to be afraid of him. His sudden presence at the very edge of the glass is all you need to take a cautious step backwards and enforce the distance between the two of you. And he latches onto that fear with frightening speed. It almost feels as if the walls around you are caving in; in the blink of an eye, you can see Hannibal swiftly stepping out of his transparent prison and reaching out towards you—

Jack’s hand on your shoulder brings you back to reality. You just vaguely hear him say something to Hannibal, before whispering to you as he leads you out of the space. He’s speaking, but you haven’t the faintest idea what he’s saying.  You don’t have the energy or wherewithal to resist, instead remaining pliant in his grip as he ushers you through the hall. You expect Hannibal’s voice to travel across the hall, but he remains silent. And your heart begins to calm, with the distance you gain on him. 

A stiff breeze greets you upon exiting the building. Jack takes you to the car, and the two of you drive back to headquarters in complete silence. It isn’t until you arrive at the headquarters parking lot under the cover of night that Jack sighs, before rounding the car and coming to a stop near you. You can hardly understand what’s happening, forced to watch in confusion as he brings a hand to rest on your uninjured shoulder. There’s a quiet fury in his eyes—not unlike Hannibal’s rage. You feel slightly sickened and ashamed that you’re the cause of this emotion, that your weakness is provoking such a reaction from those around you. 

Jack seems about ready to pull you into a reassuring hug, but he stops himself. You’re both brutally aware of your roles as employer and employee, mentor and mentee. Jack looks torn, his eyes searching your face as if waiting for you to give him a clue as to how you’re feeling. His right hand falls to his pocket, a restless tell that you almost never see from him.

“This won’t happen again.” The stormy expression on his face suggests that Jack will ensure it. Maybe the sincerity in his eyes should alarm you… but you only feel grateful. You nod jerkily, pushing your tears back and swallowing past the burning feeling in your throat. It’s the best the two of you can do. Neither of you can promise a happy ending, but you can strive to do better in the future. 

Then Jack nods and the moment is mercifully terminated. He glances up at the flickering streetlight across the lot and seems to come to a decision. “I’ll take you home,” he says. You try to object, but your protests fall on unwilling ears. You soon find yourself in Jack’s car once more, relegated to that tense silence once more. You’ll leave him with a word of gratitude as you exit the car, before heading up to your front door as your fingers restlessly trace the outline of your key. You’ll spend the rest of the night subconsciously tracing the marks along your throat, remembering how they provoked such a visceral reaction in Hannibal. It will be hard to sleep that night, as you toss and turn under the covers with an unfounded conviction that you’re being stifled and subdued. 

Meanwhile, Jack will remain parked in your driveway until he’s certain you’ve gotten inside safely. Then he’ll wait until he’s down the street to clench the steering wheel in a tight-knuckled grip that betrays his frustration.

next chapter

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[ms-demeanor]

hello! sorry to bother w this but im sort of desperate at this point. given your post about school abuse: so like. i had a similar experience and i thought that i had sorted my brain out. BUT. big but. now im trans and every time i have to correct people w/ misgender or come out to people that i dont already know their opinion on the issue, i get an anxiety attack that makes me unable to do it. ive told many therapists and no one so far has understood why im terrified of making stuff that other people can perceive as me being difficult to work with. would you have *any* advice? thanks!

Okay so first of all it is totally valid to feel that way; that isn't an irrational response, that is your body and brain going "!!!! I have learned this lesson before!" But just because it's a sensible response doesn't mean it's functional in the long term, which is why it needs to be addressed (which I'm sure you already know, I'm just explaining for people in the back).

So now here is some meandering advice:

Spend time with people you already know you can trust. It's okay to take a break from new people and situations (as much as is possible) when you are processing traumatic events and learning to care for yourself. Spending time with people who you don't have to come out to, who don't misgender you, can help you normalize being out and correctly gendered to yourself.

Recognize that you don't have to be out to everyone and some assholes aren't worth it. This is going to depend some on the context, but you don't owe everybody an explanation for yourself and if people repeatedly misgender you after being corrected you may just be better off not spending time around those people.

Loop in trusted people in low-stakes ways. If you get the sense that someone who you think is pretty safe has misgendered you on accident, it might still feel too intimidating to correct them in person but it might be a good idea to follow up with text or a call or a message to say "hey, just FYI, I think I heard you use a/b pronouns for me earlier, I just wanted to let you know that I use c/d pronouns. Did you want to meet up again next week?" the breakdown on why I think this is effective is - Distance means you're safe - nonthreatening "FYI" means you aren't saying "I'm offended" and assumes good faith from the other person - feels less accusatory (not that you need to tone police yourself, but if you're trying to lower the stress level overall then assuming it was a mistake and letting them know you don't think it was on purpose should reduce the overall tension) - request to meet up again or topic switch to something lighter once again says "I'm not mad, that was just regular information, we can now return to our scheduled programming"

I think that, generally speaking, this is also a decent way to come out to people if you're nervous; physically remote and emotionally casual can be a good place to work from (even if you're actually panicking in your head but you can pull off casual in a written message)

Find (or create) a space where people are 100% going to support you. If you need to create a discord server, if you need to schedule a regular coffee date with trusted friends or family members, whatever it is, give yourself a space where you are unconditionally supported and can have people to bounce ideas and concerns off of. Even if it's just you and one other person, it's good to know you have *someone* who you can say "I think I want to tell this other person to use my pronouns but it's scary" to and know that you're not at risk in any way. I'd say try to make sure that you're still interacting with people outside of that space, but have a space to retreat to where you can just drop the worry.

Recognize that somebody else's problem is not a reflection of you. If you have, for instance, a coworker who is being a piece of shit and refusing to recognize your gender, that is not a reflection of your gender that is a reflection of them being a piece of shit. If there is a classmate or a sibling who uses the wrong pronouns after being corrected that doesn't mean you're not entitled to your pronouns that means they are being a piece of shit. Some people are just not going to accept you and that's on them. Try to minimize your time spent with them and if you have to spend time with them at work take steps to ensure your safety, but don't fight losing battles with assholes.

It really is legitimately scary. You have good reasons to be scared and you are doing a very frightening thing (and not to do the meme thing but you are legitimately being so brave about it; the fact that you are reaching out and asking anyone for help, including randos on the internet, means that you are taking steps to doing the scary thing and that is SO GOOD and I'm really proud of you for making the effort in spite of the fear).

Here is some less meandering advice:

Practice. Talk to yourself in the mirror, practice with friends, practice with your therapist. Practice coming out to yourself in a casual way. Practice correcting your pronouns. Practice an introduction for yourself that explains the information you want to give to new people you might meet. Get it down to a quick little patter, get it to be something that's easy to say to yourself in the mirror first, then try it with friends for practice, then try it around the safer people you might want to give the information to. It'll get easier as you go.

Look for a local support group (or an online support group). If there's a local LGBTQ+ center you should see if they've got events going on or a support group you can join or workshops or any manner of social thing where you can go interact with people who have been through similar stuff.

Journal. Each time you find yourself frightened of talking to someone about your gender, do what you need to to get through the day and then sit down and think about that interaction. Write down what happened, write down what you were thinking. Was there something in particular that made you anxious? Is it something you can practice addressing? Was there something you noticed about the person that made you uncomfortable? Is that a common thread in the times you have trouble talking about this? If you're able to narrow down specifically what is making it hard to speak to some people that might make it easier to explain to therapists but will also make it more actionable for you.

Here's some very optimistic advice:

If at all possible find a friend who will be rabid and unflinching in their support for you and hang out with them around new people. Get yourself an attack dog copilot who will cheerfully step up and make corrections for you. I know not everyone can do this and I know that if you can find someone like this they can't be around all the time, but it can be wonderfully reassuring to find that one person who you know is going to be ride or die about making sure that everyone in the room respects you. (Being that person for someone else can also teach you how to be that person for you)

[ralfmaximus]

Remember that 737 MAX whose door plug blew out in flight?

A boeing whistleblower created a burner account and reported the following (reproduced here in its entirety in case the original gets deleted):

Current Boeing employee here – I will save you waiting two years for the NTSB report to come out and give it to you for free: the reason the door blew off is stated in black and white in Boeings own records. It is also very, very stupid and speaks volumes about the quality culture at certain portions of the business.

A couple of things to cover before we begin:

Q1) Why should we believe you? A) You shouldn’t, I’m some random throwaway account, do your own due diligence. Others who work at Boeing can verify what I say is true, but all I ask is you consider the following based on its own merits.

Q2) Why are you doing this? A) Because there are many cultures at Boeing, and while the executive culture may be throughly compromised since we were bought by McD, there are many other people who still push for a quality product with cutting edge design. My hope is that this is the wake up call that finally forces the Board to take decisive action, and remove the executives that are resisting the necessary cultural changes to return to a company that values safety and quality above schedule.

With that out of the way… why did the left hand (LH) mid-exit door plug blow off of the 737-9 registered as N704AL? Simple- as has been covered in a number of articles and videos across aviation channels, there are 4 bolts that prevent the mid-exit door plug from sliding up off of the door stop fittings that take the actual pressurization loads in flight, and these 4 bolts were not installed when Boeing delivered the airplane, our own records reflect this.

The mid-exit doors on a 737-9 of both the regular and plug variety come from Spirit already installed in what is supposed to be the final configuration and in the Renton factory, there is a job for the doors team to verify this “final” install and rigging meets drawing requirements. In a healthy production system, this would be a “belt and suspenders” sort of check, but the 737 production system is quite far from healthy, its a rambling, shambling, disaster waiting to happen. As a result, this check job that should find minimal defects has in the past 365 calendar days recorded 392 nonconforming findings on 737 mid fuselage door installations (so both actual doors for the high density configs, and plugs like the one that blew out). That is a hideously high and very alarming number, and if our quality system on 737 was healthy, it would have stopped the line and driven the issue back to supplier after the first few instances. Obviously, this did not happen. Now, on the incident aircraft this check job was completed on 31 August 2023, and did turn up discrepancies, but on the RH side door, not the LH that actually failed. I could blame the team for missing certain details, but given the enormous volume of defects they were already finding and fixing, it was inevitable something would slip through- and on the incident aircraft something did. I know what you are thinking at this point, but grab some popcorn because there is a plot twist coming up.

The next day on 1 September 2023 a different team (remember 737s flow through the factory quite quickly, 24 hours completely changes who is working on the plane) wrote up a finding for damaged and improperly installed rivets on the LH mid-exit door of the incident aircraft.

A brief aside to explain two of the record systems Boeing uses in production. The first is a program called CMES which stands for something boring and unimportant but what is important is that CMES is the sole authoritative repository for airplane build records (except on 787 which uses a different program). If a build record in CMES says something was built, inspected, and stamped in accordance with the drawing, then the airplane damn well better be per drawing. The second is a program called SAT, which also stands for something boring and unimportant but what is important is that SAT is *not* an authoritative records system, its a bullentin board where various things affecting the airplane build get posted about and updated with resolutions. You can think of it sort of like a idiots version of Slack or something. Wise readers will already be shuddering and wondering how many consultants were involved, because, yes SAT is a *management visibilty tool*. Like any good management visibilty tool, SAT can generate metrics, lots of metrics, and oh God do Boeing managers love their metrics. As a result, SAT postings are the primary topic of discussion at most daily status meetings, and the whole system is perceived as being extremely important despite, I reiterate, it holding no actual authority at all.

We now return to our incident aircraft, which was written up for having defective rivets on the LH mid-exit door. Now as is standard practice kn Renton (but not to my knowledge in Everett on wide bodies) this write-up happened in two forms, one in CMES, which is the correct venue, and once in SAT to “coordinate the response” but really as a behind-covering measure so the manager of the team that wrote it can show his boss he’s shoved the problem onto someone else. Because there are so many problems with the Spirit build in the 737, Spirit has teams on site in Renton performing warranty work for all of their shoddy quality, and this SAT promptly gets shunted into their queue as a warranty item. Lots of bickering ensues in the SAT messages, and it takes a bit for Spirit to get to the work package. Once they have finished, they send it back to a Boeing QA for final acceptance, but then Malicious Stupid Happens! The Boeing QA writes another record in CMES (again, the correct venue) stating (with pictures) that Spirit has not actually reworked the discrepant rivets, they *just painted over the defects*. In Boeing production speak, this is a “process failure”. For an A&P mechanic at an airline, this would be called “federal crime”.

Presented with evidence of their malfeasance, Spirit reopens the package and admits that not only did they not rework the rivets properly, there is a damaged pressure seal they need to replace (who damaged it, and when it was damaged is not clear to me). The big deal with this seal, at least according to frantic SAT postings, is the part is not on hand, and will need to be ordered, which is going to impact schedule, and (reading between the lines here) Management is Not Happy. 1/2

2/2

However, more critical for purposes of the accident investigation, the pressure seal is unsurprisingly sandwiched between the plug and the fuselage, and you cannot replace it without opening the door plug to gain access. All of this conversation is documented in increasingly aggressive posts in the SAT, but finally we get to the damning entry which reads something along the lines of “coordinating with the doors team to determine if the door will have to be removed entirely, or just opened. If it is removed then a Removal will have to be written.” Note: a Removal is a type of record in CMES that requires formal sign off from QA that the airplane been restored to drawing requirements.

If you have been paying attention to this situation closely, you may be able to spot the critical error: regardless of whether the door is simply opened or removed entirely, the 4 retaining bolts that keep it from sliding off of the door stops have to be pulled out. A removal should be written in either case for QA to verify install, but as it turns out, someone (exactly who will be a fun question for investigators) decides that the door only needs to be opened, and no formal Removal is generated in CMES (the reason for which is unclear, and a major process failure). Therefore, in the official build records of the airplane, a pressure seal that cannot be accessed without opening the door (and thereby removing retaining bolts) is documented as being replaced, but the door is never officially opened and thus no QA inspection is required. This entire sequence is documented in the SAT, and the nonconformance records in CMES address the damaged rivets and pressure seal, but at no point is the verification job reopened, or is any record of removed retention bolts created, despite it this being a physical impossibility. Finally with Spirit completing their work to Boeing QAs satisfaction, the two rivet-related records in CMES are stamped complete, and the SAT closed on 19 September 2023. No record or comment regarding the retention bolts is made.

I told you it was stupid.

So, where are the bolts? Probably sitting forgotten and unlabeled (because there is no formal record number to label them with) on a work-in-progress bench, unless someone already tossed them in the scrap bin to tidy up.

There’s lots more to be said about the culture that enabled this to happened, but thats the basic details of what happened, the NTSB report will say it in more elegant terms in a few years.

[animenostalgia]

Happy 11 years of The Anime Nostalgia Podcast! Introducing: Memberships & a new exclusive side podcast!

Today marks the 11th birthday of The Anime Nostalgia Podcast! Thank you all so much for joining me for 11 years of delving into anime, manga, and fandom. And over the years, I've had people come to me, asking me what the best way is to help support the podcast and my work. Well, I'm happy to announce that I've officially set up membership tiers on my ko-fi!

As you all probably know, the landscape of anime & manga companies has changed QUITE a bit since I started the podcast over 11 years ago. For a while, I was able to justify all the work I put into the podcast with the modest amount I'd receive from affiliate links I was able to use. But over the years, the amount of what I receive from those has gone down dramatically: from some affiliate programs changing their payout percentages, to some programs closing entirely. The tips I get on ko-fi have been a huge help, but I know that it can be a hassle to remember to send them in every month. So now, you can support me and the podcast monthly with just a few clicks, and get some cool perks in return!

Tier 1: Tip Jar

For those who want to show their support on a budget, the monthly Tip Jar tier is for you! $1 a month might not seem like a lot, but it adds up. Those who sub to Tier will get my undying gratitude for their support.

Tier 2: Anime Club Member

For those who take a more active part in supporting the podcast, and get some fun perks! As an Anime Club Member, you'll not only get some behind the scenes posts, but you'll get access to a brand-new side podcast called The Secret Anime Club! A bi-monthly (that's every 2 months) podcast, it will come out the same months as my short ReView podcast eps. So if you were missing having extra-long podcast episodes on the months when those go up, now you can have DOUBLE the podcast every 2 months!

So what's The Secret Anime Club, you might ask?

The Secret Anime Club podcast will be a chill place where I talk to friends about various things--maybe more modern anime we're enjoying, manga we're loving lately, maybe even video games and toku/dramas! And since it's a subscriber-only podcast, we just might do some reviews on some of the vintage trashy "mature" anime titles that wouldn't fly on the regular podcast. A little more relaxed and laid-back, but still a lot of fun. And all delivered exclusively to subscribers for a mere $5 a month!

Tier 3: Anime Club Producer

Want even MORE perks? Than the Anime Club Producer tier is for you! You get all the perks of an Anime Club Member, PLUS: the option to suggest the topic of a podcast episode, early access to the main podcast episodes, AND! If the main podcast episode has a sponsor for that ep, you'll get the ep delivered to you with NO promotional ad reads. Folks at the producer tier will also get their names read in the special thanks of every episode they're subscribed for!

In the future, I'd also like to do special giveaways for ALL tier members, too, just to show my appreciation for your support. 

You may have some questions about this new membership set-up. Here's some answers!

Q: Will this effect the main podcast? Will it be changing??  A: NO. The Anime Nostalgia Podcast will not be changing at all! The only thing changing is that there will be another podcast you can potentially listen to if you want to become a paid subscriber! I want The Anime Nostalgia Podcast to be free to everyone, no matter what, and that will never change!

Q: Why ko-fi for memberships? Why not Patreon? A: I've already been using ko-fi for tips, so it's the easiest way to go! Also, ko-fi doesn't charge per member for memberships like Patreon does--ko-fi just charges a flat fee every month, which seems a LOT cheaper and easier. I know for some, this will mean signing up for another platform, which I know is a little annoying. But I've also noticed ko-fi tends to have less technical problems than Patreon does, too, so in the long run, it sounded like the best choice!

Q: Does this mean no more sponsored ad reads? A: Not YET. Long-time listeners will know that I don't always have sponsored ad-reads for the podcast. I'm extremely picky when it comes to accepting paid ad-reads. To date, I've only ever accepted sponsored ads for 1. a small, lesbian-owned vintage anime/toy store, 2. a shoujo-focused podcast, and 3. a Japanese snack subscription box. I've been offered others, but turned them down because while I could have easily made money with them, I didn't think they'd be a good fit for the podcast. My hope with opening memberships is that once my current partnership with the Japanese snack box has ended, I won't need to accept more sponsored ad-reads to make extra money. Finger's crossed this will happen with your help!

Q: Are you going to stop giving shout-outs to people who tip you? A: Of course not! If you don't have the means to get a membership right now and just want to occasionally tip me, that's totally understandable! I'll still be doing shout-outs for people who tip 2 or more coffees at my ko-fi page. 

Thank you all so, so much for your ongoing support over these 11 years, and here's hoping that with your help I can continue on improving it! If you have any questions about the memberships, please don't hesitate to comment or email me at AnimeNostalgiaPodcast@gmail.com !

[enterpris]

An Education in Attraction, Chapter 15

Pairing: Reader x Gojo

Summary: It's spring when you start your Master's degree. As the flowers and leaves unfold, so too do your feeling for Gojo

Warnings: none

Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Ao3: PlaidSparrow

The two of you don’t talk much after sex, but the silence is comfortable. You suspect you each have a lot on your mind, but neither of you is willing to risk the pleasurable equilibrium you’re in now with conversation. After a few minutes relaxing in bed, tracing his skin and thinking to yourself, Satoru shifts and mentions he should probably head out. He leaves you with a peck and a wink before throwing his shades back on. 

Now alone, you're left reeling. You take a moment to re-dress and regroup, then send a message to your friends’ groupchat. You're overdue for lunch and an update to your friends. 

The next morning, you wake and get ready in a bit of a pleasant haze, and as much as you’d like to credit the new term or the success of your students, the smile on your face and lightness in your heart are both from reconciling with Gojo. Thoughts of him cloud your normally clear head, and you notice that for the first time in your program, you hadn’t completed the assigned reading before class. 

Heading to class, you’re eager and a bit nervous to see Satoru again. You’re not expecting anything to change in the classroom, but it’s a bit thrilling just to be near him again. His apology had been truly contrite, and it seems like he is interested in continuing to see you.

When you reach the room, your professor is already setting up, and from the lengthy notes already written on the chalkboard, it seems like today will be a full lesson. You take your regular seat and push aside any thoughts of Satoru, it’s bad enough that you didn’t complete the reading, you’re not going to be distracted during the lesson.

As time approaches for class to begin, you don’t bother to turn and check the back of the room for Gojo, you feel the weight of attention on the back of your neck, concentrated and significant. You swallow the heat in your face and stomach and glue your eyes to your laptop.

Perhaps he doesn’t need to pay attention to the lectures, but you’d prefer to do some actual learning in the classroom. 

You know he reaches the Assessments course quickly after you sit down, because Kuzume’s attention darts to him in the middle of your conversation, her mouth curling into a giddy smile. She may be the only one more pleased about the reconciliation than you. 

Thankfully, Gojo doesn’t seem as intent on staring at you during the second class, and you’re able to maintain your full concentration on the lecture. 

He’s still seated when you leave the room, and as you walk out he catches your eyes for just a moment over the rims of his glasses. They glint in the early afternoon light and you nearly stop then and there to speak to him. 

You don’t want to appear desperate though. You're also not completely sure what you'd like to say to him after reconnecting so suddenly and emotionally. After not speaking right after, it seems the moment to tell him what you’d actually like from him might have passed. You’ll have to make another opening. 

On Tuesday, you don’t pay Gojo any attention during either one of your classes. He’s a bit more reserved too- no prolonged looks or teasing glances. In the afternoon you strategize after lunch to fine tune your text before sending. You just want to check in with him, maybe see him again after class later in the week. No pressure. 

Satoru responds in the affirmative, his week is free. It seems like his schedule might have calmed down after missing class so often last term. 

You text back a quick message and then try to return to your assigned reading. You won't let a possible new relationship get in the way of completing your reading again. 

On Wednesday morning, the weather is warm and balmy, and you wake in high spirits. The worst of the rainy season has passed and the weather should slowly cool from this point of the year onwards, bringing back your cozy wardrobe and the beauty of fall on campus. 

The avenue of ancient ginkgo trees will leave golden leaves along the sidewalks and splash the campus with color. You’re excited to finally see it in person- the lawns and trees are as green as ever as you approach your building, but soon the university grounds will be red and gold and brown. 

All thoughts of autumn tumble out of your mind when you enter the room though. Sitting next to your normal seat, and having beat you to class for once, is Gojo himself. 

Gojo’s acknowledgements of you in class had been subtle before, and he certainly never sat with you. He usually seems content to stay to himself in the back of the room, haphazardly taking notes if he pays attention to the lecture. 

Today he’s sprawled his legs out under the desk, and he doesn’t look up until you’re standing next to him, the very picture of ease. 

Then he glances up at you over his glasses and smiles. It makes the corners of his eyes crinkle and your heart flutter. 

“I don't know if Fumio will appreciate that you've taken his seat,” you say as you set down your bag. Hopefully some light teasing will cover up any nerves. 

“Nah, I don't think he'll mind. There's plenty of other options.” 

“As long as you don’t trip the professor,” you eye the way his legs stretch out from under the table. 

He snorts but doesn’t respond, returning his focus on the front of the room. 

You work to keep your attention on the professor, just like you would in a normal class period, but your attention is consistently divided between the material and the man beside you. 

During class, Satoru doesn’t act any differently than he has the other times you’ve watched him, but you can’t help but be hyper aware of his presence next to you. When he flicks his pen over his fingers it draws your eye and you can’t help but flush, thinking about what those fingers were doing to you just a few days ago. 

Class ends and most of the room clears out, but Gojo remains seated. It seems after your text the day before, he’d like to get things going now. 

You make eye contact with your friends as they leave, a look that means you’ll be rehashing whatever happens with Gojo shortly. He slings his bag onto his shoulder and leads the way out of the room, his long legs carrying him further than yours.

The two of you walk through the campus, enjoying the soft sun. Gojo slows his pace so that you walk side by side, and without really intending to, you lead into the botanic gardens. 

Silence is companionable between you, but if you really do want more from him, you’ll have to get used to talking. You can start casually and then get into the more serious topics later. 

“The lecture today was good. It'll be nice to cover different instructional approaches.”

Gojo hums, “it was alright. Not sure how much a course on classroom approaches is helping a current teacher, though?”

It’s quieter here than the rest of the campus, the trees and shrubs swallowing the little sound that comes from other conversations. You flush a little at Gojo's insinuation as you wander deeper into the garden. While many of the flowers have bloomed and fallen already, the foliage is still rich and green, perfectly maintained by the loving hands of the university’s groundskeepers. 

“I don't know everything about being in the classroom, Eikaiwa are different.”

“Eh, not that different. Give yourself some credit.” He knocks your shoulder as you meander down the path.

“I’m surprised you didn’t test out of the Lessons class. Seems like you’ve spoken at plenty of events.”

You can nearly hear the eye roll when he responds, “Apparently not good enough. I did try.” 

You reach a couple of benches that look out over the pond. The weather is just barely beginning to cool- still warm but not absurdly hot, the first foray of summer into autumn. Although the air is still humid, it feels less sticky today. 

The garden is so peaceful, and frankly, it's comforting to be in a place you've visited time and time again. You take a seat to enjoy the moment, and when you glance over at Satoru he seems to be absorbed in the beauty of the natural space. 

You admire him without shame now, taking in all of the little details. 

The light reflects off his bright hair and the lenses of his glasses. He’s left the top couple buttons of his shirt undone, showing the pale skin and wisp of hair underneath. Reclining on the bench and soaking in the sun, he could very well be the most beautiful part of the garden. 

In the relative isolation of this part of the garden and the tranquility it exudes, your resolve to talk to him is strengthened. While there's certainly enough attraction to pursue Satoru, there's so much you don't know about him, that you'd like to know about him. 

“Satoru,” the name leaves your lips like a kiss- soft, just enough to get his attention. 

He turns to face you, head cocked in a silent question. You’ve noticed that while he’s remarkable at giving the illusion of casual indifference, he’s quite observant and gives the full weight of his attention when something’s caught his focus.

And being the center of that attention is still a bit exhilarating and nerve wracking. 

You've got to start getting to know each other somewhere, and there is something you've been wondering about Gojo since the beginning of your partnership. It’s strange that you don’t know this about him yet. 

“Why did you start the program? Why did you want to become a teacher?”

He doesn't answer immediately, and you feel him analyzing you. You imagine his eyes darting between yours as he considers his words.

“I didn't want to, at first.

“I thought I would lead scientific research, be on the cutting edge of new discoveries. Which I did.” He flashes you a smile. 

“I dunno. When you're always leading you can't do anything else. There is no option except to keep doing better. What if I don’t always want to be the absolute best?”

Satoru's voice doesn't waver as he speaks, and you find yourself immersed in his explanation. 

“In teaching, at least you're giving back. You can create the new generation of leaders. Why did you start teaching?”

His response is honest, and you take a moment to digest what he’s revealed. In combination with what he’d told you when he visited your dorm, it seems Satoru must have been under an incredible amount of pressure. You recall his words when you had asked about his childhood summer vacations. 

Brilliance and exceptionality come with notoriety and opportunities- that’s what you’d always thought. You had never before considered the weight that being the best may come with, a weight that has surely worn on Gojo. 

“I didn’t originally want to be a teacher either. I finished my Bachelor’s and realized I hadn’t really planned for anything after school. It took up so much of my life, you know?”

You gaze out at the rippling water of the pond and you’re reminded of the oceans you crossed to get to this point. You’ve come a long way. 

“There were too many options when I graduated, I just wanted to get away and have experiences outside school. I wanted more freedom, to figure things out. Funny that one of the best ways to travel abroad put me back in the classroom. At first I figured I could visit a bunch of different countries and then head home. Something just stuck me here. And I figured out I do actually like teaching.”

Tearing your eyes away from the pond, you turn back to Gojo. Now it seems to be his turn to absorb your answer. His eyes don’t leave your face, and his voice is gentle when he responds.

“It sounds like you wanted to be seen.”

“Maybe,” you agree. 

You slide a bit closer to him on the worn bench, and enjoy the simplicity of being close. If you do continue this whatever-this-is, you’ll look forward to more shared moments and getting to know him better. After the conversation in your dorm, he seems more willing to be honest and engage with you, and after this conversation, it seems he’s eager to be seen as more than his intellectual capabilities. 

He encouraged you after the presentation and again when you walked into the garden. It seems like he legitimately wants to compliment you, and has seen parts of you that want validation.

In fact, Gojo has done most of the initiating in your relationship between finishing the project, his apology, and sitting with you in class. He's making his interest abundantly clear, and opening himself up to you. Maybe he wants to be seen too. 

Sending one text isn't nearly enough. Although making the first move or reaching out is difficult for you, you can’t let him do all the work, and want him to know you’re very much interested in spending more time together. If you want this to work, you'll have to open yourself up too.

“I'd like to spend more time together outside class, and talk more,” you finish strongly, “Would you want to grab lunch or dinner later this week?”

“Are you asking me on a date?”

His voice is teasing, but you want him to know that you’re serious.

“I am.” When you speak there’s no shyness or nerves. 

Gojo’s answering smile makes your stomach dip and just might be as beaming as the summer sun. 

“You’re treating then- better pick somewhere with good dessert. Best part of the meal.” 

“I guess I’ve got some work to do then. I’ll text you the details later?”

“Sure.”

With the big question out of the way, and the promise of a more formal date on the horizon, you slip back into a comfortable quiet. When your skin starts to feel a little too warm, even in the gentle heat, you decide to head back, Satoru is pale and you don’t want him to burn. 

Walking back through the campus to your dorm, you’re lost in thoughts of him. 

There’s a lot of pressure as you think of where to take him. You are serious about Satoru, and this will be your first date, really first time spending time together outside of academia. Where do you take someone who’s already more successful than most academics, who’s almost certainly been wined and dined by universities and research groups?

You reflect on what he told you today, the way he acts in class. It doesn’t seem like he necessarily enjoys the attention and pressure from his intellect, the opportunities he’s afforded come at the cost of small freedoms. 

Although summer vacation has already passed, there should still be a couple weeks of warm weather before Tokyo transitions to fall. If Gojo's previous summers have been busy and filled with academics, maybe you can show him the small pleasures that created the summers of your fondest memories.

[cartoon-network-things]

The CN UK Schedule from 27th February 2012 - 4th March 2012.

Not only a decent improvement from early 2010 but also miles ahead of 2013 AND 2014. This is honestly one of their best schedules that I've seen so far. So much variety, especially in primetime hours. Really interesting to see Gumball getting slightly more timeslots than Regular Show and Adventure Time. Also cool to see early morning Flapjack reruns at 6am, as well as the surprise return of both Billy & Mandy and Ed Edd n Eddy (weekends only).

The Daytime schedule as you can clearly see is very colourful and filled with a variety of different shows. The Mid-Day slots consist of mostly Hero 108 & Fantastic Four reruns plus Generator Rex & Ultimate Alien. Primetime (4pm to 9pm) is pretty much where the schedule peaks imo, with not a single show taking up more than TWO timeslots, making Gumball and Adventure Time the only ones to do that, with the latter only applying to weekends. In terms of programs being shown in that time frame, Transformers Prime, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and Bakugan: Mechtainum Surge (the 4th and final season of the 2007 Bakugan anime) are the most notable, with Generator Rex and Redekai: Conquer the Kairu airing on weekends (the former also airs on weekdays but not through primetime hours), and Thundercats 2011 was probably the most recent show (at the time) to only air on weekend mornings.

I suppose it's now time to address the elephant in the room: Harry Hill's TV Burp. For those who are aware of the man (and those who grew up watching UK Television), you may be scratching your heads thinking: "what the FUCK was Harry Hill doing on Cartoon Network???" and my honest answer to that is I DON'T KNOW. Not sure what they were thinking back then, though I will add that the original Mr Bean was ALSO airing on the channel around that same time, just likely not the same week. Obviously this did not last very long and was quickly removed after a few months, along with Mr Bean. IIRC the show's CN UK airings as of today are considered Lost Media, as I'm pretty sure the version they aired was fairly censored to a level of which they could show on the network without getting into too much trouble with UK TV regulators (ofcom basically).

As for the night-time schedule, it’s not much different from 2013. It’s very much the same minus the inclusion of Cartoon Cartoons (not the original run from 2005-2010) and the 2006 Fantastic Four series.

Overall, this is genuinely one of the best CN UK schedules I have seen. So colourful and pleasing to look at! Not a single show DOMINATES the chart, and it makes use of its library fairly well, despite missing a few big ones that week (Clone Wars & Young Justice). I guess I’ll leave it here then. Not much else to say otherwise.

[dragonflight203]

Mass Effect 3 replay, part two of Leviathan:

Mahavid

-On the shuttle in, if you go renegade Shepard speaks about Leviathan like they know it’s a person. They don’t know that yet; it could be a weapon that was used once then abandoned.

I suppose the person that spoke Hadley was a give away that a person is involved, even if they themselves may not be the Leviathan.

-Leviathan is a horror story, and I love it for that. It’s very well done.

-That said, you’d think the Leviathans would be better at passing as regular organics after billions of years of practice. The humans at the entrance do not act even remotely normal.

I suppose the Leviathans are probably not controlling these people directly at all times, but even so you’d think their “auto pilot” setting would be more natural.

-Why does this asteroid in the middle of nowhere have a program to give tours?

Given how.. not right everyone is, you’d think that if tours were a standard occurrence the asteroid’s irregularities would have been flagged by now.

-And par for the course, there are cables all over the floor.

This can’t be blamed on the Reapers, unless they inherited it from the Leviathans.

The future has terrible safety policies.

-So the residents blatantly broke the elevator to keep Shepard out, but just hang around while they repair the elevator.

Where is this “security” they keep threatening to call?

You’d think they’d at least try to stop Shepard. It’s not like the Leviathans will care if these people die.

-The data pads and terminals reflect much more natural language than what the residents say to Shepard.

I think most of the time the control the Leviathans use on the residents is light; with Shepard on the station, however, they are exerting more direct control than normal.

Hence the far more abnormal behavior.

-Are the turians supposed to be in scientist outfits? Those look like formal wear!

-The writing for the researchers is fantastic. Global starvation, how to make a colony disappear… Never too much detail, but all disturbing and not right.

-And the way the video tour cuts off, displays Shepard and co to indicate they’re on camera, then starts throwing an error message?

Genuinely creepy.

-Why is the security for the mineral lab all access when it contains extremely confidential research?

I can see why it started all access, but you think that would have changed when they started researching global starvation and dangerous plants.

-The subtitles for “Dr. Garneau” label him as patient. A subtle hint it’s not the real Garneau.

-His behavior is also far more normal than the rest of the residents. When the Leviathans make an effort, they can pass as a regular organic.

-The part with the repair drone is blatant filler and aggravating. I’m a vanguard; I’m not designed to stay close to it.

-In his last scene “Dr. Garneau” is labeled Leviathan.

-Shepard’s also decided that Leviathan is the person that spoke through “Dr. Garneau”. They attribute all the oddities on the asteroid to him and use “he” instead of “it”.

-The poor residents of that asteroid. They’ve lost 10 years.

And it will probably be rough on them, because to the rest of the galaxy they have been present. Just uncaring.

That could be a horror story in itself – waking up after a decade, all your friends and family lost because they think you discarded them.

Oh, and there’s an ancient civilization of AI harvesting all organic life. Can’t forget that part.

-The real Garneau somehow managed to develop a way to block the artifact’s mind altering properties, because of he did; the plot demanded it.

How long was he at that asteroid total? A week?

-Ridiculousness aside, I’m curious about how Leviathan and Reaper indoctrination are alike and differ.

Leviathan indoctrination generally seems “gentler” than Reaper indoctrination; it’s more about nudging the person to do what they want them to do. It can be blocked. If the person is cut off from the source, they return to normal – although as we see with Ann Bryson the still indoctrination is still there.

Reaper indoctrination always leads to deterioration and is unblockable. Once indoctrinated, the person never returns to “normal”; they always act in the Reapers’ interest.

Both Leviathans and Reapers are able to exert direct control of the indoctrinated, although they generally refrain from doing so.

-This part ends on a frightening note, with Shepard stating that artifact is in the middle of the Citadel.

Shame nothing comes of it; the impact the Leviathan could have if they gained direct control of key Citadel personnel is tremendous.

Could they indoctrinate a Keeper?

Normandy

-I’m impressed by how nearly everyone has dialogue related to the mission.

-Liara, don’t sleep less. We need you at the top of your game. Hire an assistant or get another VI to sort through your data.

-Garrus apologized to Tali for his shittiness to her in ME1.

That’s growth.

-She’s also very blatantly flirting with him after, although I’m not sure he caught it.

-Tali wants to find Leviathan to free all the other people they’ve indoctrinated.

A good cause.

I’m, uh, pretty sure that’s not how this ends. We get the Leviathan as “allies”, but they absolutely intend to enslave everyone after the Reapers are taken out.

Freeing other facilities they’ve taken over is not mentioned. Or a feasible demand.

Silversun

-When Shepard meets Jack, Jack teases them about the apartment.

Shepard says they’re watching it for a friend.

They haven’t lost hope Anderson will make it. And they’re not ready to claim the apartment as theirs.

-Jack says biotics make Varren short tempered. Is that true for all species?

-Jack is completely oblivious to the parallels with Eezo, even when pointed out.

Huge improvement, but still a large blind spot when it comes to herself.

[savage-rhi]

Hi hun, I haven't seen you around much and I know things have been super rough lately but I hope you're doing ok ✨

@vodkafolie Hey, hon 💙 Lot's been happening over here in my neck of the woods (literally, lmao). I'm gonna info dump.

I've been doing odd jobs to keep me afloat.

I got selected for another mental health program. The person running it is a well-known psychologist. I applied for this back in late December. Didn't think I'd get in since there were 1800+ candidates going for it, and I'm 1 out of 32 that made the cut. If the sample group of clients I get for the next 8 weeks goes smooth, I'll have a full-time remote job by Summer. I'm not putting my eggs all in one basket, though. I'm still looking for regular work.

The business proposal with the mental health app picked back up. We are supposed to meet sometime next week to discuss further if we're gonna move forward and what the partnership might look like.

I'm speed running through one of my graduate classes and going at a snails pace in the other. The technical jargon is burning me out, but my grades are good.

My college advisor and profs want me to attend summer term for the program, but alas *opens wallet and watches moth fly out* I've been going back and forth with them on how unless they're gonna cover for me, I can't do it until I have stable employment.

I'm meeting a long covid specialist. My secondary PCP discovered I may have undiagnosed POTS, and this fungal blood infection I had in my body last Summer (late August, early September) might be making a comeback. Some symptoms have returned. I'm not surprised. That's how I got it in the first place last year cause of immunity issues post-covid. I had to go on a strict diet for almost 3 months, take some nasty as shit medication, and I lost over 50 pounds. Hindsight, the weight loss was good for me, but if I have to do that again I'm gonna be bones by the end of it this time around.

With all the parasites, fungus's and other nasty shit I've caught and lived through, I'm either gonna be super human immune to everything and my blood will be the universal cure for all horrible shit, or one day I'm gonna be patient zero for something god awful. I've made peace with either option 😂

I got a vendor spot at a convention that's happening in less than a week. I've been prepping for that and hoping I make some money.

I'm taking a break on some of my long fics and writing requests, bbbuuuuttttttt...I also had a batshit crazy idea for a Luis Serra fic, and I'm balls deep invested. It's the only thing keeping me from a full writers block right now.

It's been...a lot, but oddly enough I'm happier than I was. I'm worn out, tired, and still stressed about money, but I'm not depressed like I was. Things are getting better in some ways. I'm trying to self-care the best I can, and reign in the ambition so my body has a chance to recoup.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk 💙🫂😂 I hope you've been doing well hon! I've been re-reading some of your work as of late too. It's been fun for me!

[pleb-the-original]

Day 17: Kallana

(So I actually remember having heard of these before but I forgot until now. So, tiny elephants. That's it. So why not see how they would work as pets?)

Tips for New Kallana Owners:

Smaller Size Does Not Mean Smaller Damage. A common misconception is that due to their tinier stature that the Kallana is less likely to cause egregious damage to property. What actually occurs is that you have a quite heavy powerhouse that can easily fit through doors. Your walls may survive a Kallana on a rampage but the rooms inside will be much worse off. 

Diet Concerns. Despite being cryptids, most experts recommend that they must be fed a diet similar to that of their normal counterparts the Indian elephant. This means you must feed them grasses and bark, as well as occasional crops as treats. Of course the portion sizes of these feedings will be smaller to account for the size of the Kallana. One perk of being a cryptid however is the lack of waste produced after a feeding.

Just Like the Real Thing. Most people consider species cryptids to be less intelligent due to not portraying the same level of sentience as singular cryptids. This still holds true for the Kallana. However, they are just as intelligent as regular elephants, which is still very much intelligent. They require constant enrichment and activity in order to prevent stress behaviors and outbursts. There are many kinds of toys and items that have been developed by cryptid pet owners in the Dark Market that were designed with the Kallana’s strength in mind. Some have also found that the Kallana might actually be somewhat more intelligent as they have observed behaviors similar to reading and watching recorded programming. One Kallana was even taught to write! So make sure your Kallana is engaged to keep them happy.

A Big Responsibility. Owning cryptids as pets has always been a major symbol of the upper echelons of society. Especially more high maintenance ones such as these compared to bog standard cryptid pet options such as Rods or Sky Jellyfish. Kallana are a major commitment due to their similarities to normal elephants despite their smaller size. It’s a hard fact to accept sometimes but you are not just buying a pet, you are buying a zoo animal. A wild creature that still has wild instincts. As friendly and beautiful as they can be, they still are rainforest dwellers at heart. Care is going to be much harder, but in return you will have a happy and wonderful life companion. 

[ixellent]

Highlighting this commentary for two reasons, but firstly to talk about how libraries are a public good and USING THEM is the best thing you can do for them and their patrons:

Go to your public library and look around at who is using the services and which services they're using. Look online at what services your library offers or ask a librarian. Libraries are important because they are one of the only places people can use the internet for free, read anything they want for free, listen to music for free, watch movies for free, learn or be entertained for free, get covid tests for free, or just be in a quiet space (free.)

You can get a digital library card and check out digital books and audiobooks. You don't even have to go into the library.

You can get a regular library card and use the website to pick out stuff you want, have those holds sent to your nearest library, and you go in and pick them up.

The important thing is to check stuff out or in some way indicate it was circulated, even if all you do is let it sit and then return it. Because it means the material is 1) desired and 2) being used. Same thing for all services. Use 'em or lose 'em.

Also wanted to highlight, "If you qualify, you are in need" because a lot of people think they need to be suffering before they get help, like they need to be in dire straits, and by then it may take too long to get assistance. But those programs exist usually because of the taxes we pay here in the US. Which means it's your money in a way lol.

Also, file for unemployment right away when you get laid off or let go or forced to leave or fired, it's YOUR MONEY.

File for Healthcare Marketplace insurance if you lost your insurance for any reason, it's called a "qualifying event" and a bunch of federal programs have them to enable you to get help when you need it. Also ACA insurance makes tax credits available to you if insurance is too expensive. It's literally a check box.

When you get a big hospital bill there's a lot of stuff you can do, with or without insurance! I have a whole post on it but suffice it to say, talk to billing about financial assistance.

Sometimes it will seem like a lot of work, sometimes it will be a lot of work, to access assistance programs. I don't think it should be that way, but for now it helps me feel like I'm getting paid to be on hold.

I think it's important to remember, as a rule of thumb, if you take advantage of a social service, it actually makes it easier for other people who need that service to access it. Most of the time, when these services get cut, it's because politicians will look at usage and say "see, no one is really using this thing, we can afford to trim the budget for food stamps by at least half". Whereas if you decide to step up and use these programs, even if you feel like you "don't really need it", at bare minimum it's another data point advocates can use to say "hey, look, people are using this thing, this is an important service we are providing, do not cut our funding".

[microcryptosofts96]

Simplifying Crypto: Mining Software Made Easy for All Users

Cryptocurrency mining has become an exciting and potentially profitable venture for individuals around the world. Whether you're looking to diversify your digital investments or explore the world of blockchain technology, mining crypto coins can be a great step forward. However, for many people, especially those new to the space, choosing the right tools is the most crucial decision. The key lies in selecting user-friendly, effective, and scalable software solutions.

Why Mining Software for Beginners Is a Smart Start

Newcomers to cryptocurrency often feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tools, coins, and strategies available. That’s where mining software for beginners becomes a game changer. These programs are designed with intuitive dashboards, built-in tutorials, and customizable options that suit every skill level.

The best beginner-friendly software doesn’t just mine—it educates. Many platforms offer real-time monitoring, profitability calculators, and network performance indicators, helping users understand how their system is performing and how to optimize it. For beginners, this creates a foundation of knowledge while generating small but steady crypto income.

Understanding the Basics of Crypto Mining

Crypto mining involves solving complex mathematical problems to validate blockchain transactions and earn cryptocurrency rewards. While that may sound technical, today’s tools are designed to simplify the process. Instead of setting up extensive hardware or coding from scratch, users can rely on smart software that does the heavy lifting.

The rise of easy-to-use platforms has made it possible for anyone with a computer and a willingness to learn to participate in mining. What used to require expensive setups and expert knowledge is now accessible through streamlined interfaces and automation. This is especially valuable for those who are just starting in the crypto space and want a low-risk, high-efficiency option.

When It’s Time to Buy Crypto Mining Software

As users gain experience, they often move beyond free tools and consider paid options to boost efficiency and returns. Deciding to buy crypto mining software is typically the next logical step. Premium versions offer advanced features such as auto-switching between the most profitable coins, GPU and CPU optimization, and integration with cloud-based wallets.

A key benefit of purchasing software is the technical support and regular updates provided by trusted developers. With the crypto industry constantly evolving, staying updated is critical. Purchased software also often comes with enhanced security protocols, which is essential for protecting your mined assets and personal data.

Features to Look for Before Purchasing Software

Before investing in any crypto mining software, users should look for certain essential features. These include compatibility with multiple cryptocurrencies, support for various hardware setups, ease of installation, and energy efficiency. An ideal platform should also provide 24/7 customer support and active community forums for troubleshooting.

If you're a beginner moving into intermediate territory, you’ll benefit most from mining software that offers both simplicity and depth. This means being able to grow with the software—from learning the basics to customizing your mining strategy. Look for platforms that allow you to scale, experiment, and maximize your return on investment.

Making the Most of Your Mining Experience

Success in mining doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistent monitoring, learning, and adapting to the market. Whether you're casually mining on a home PC or planning to build a more extensive mining setup, choosing the right software is the cornerstone of your journey.

From understanding hash rates and power consumption to selecting the right coin to mine, good software will guide you every step of the way. As you evolve from a curious beginner to a confident miner, your software should evolve with you, providing tools and insights that match your growing needs.

For those ready to start their journey or enhance their current setup, a reliable platform that offers beginner-friendly mining solutions with the option to scale up is essential. 

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Why Learn Nail Extensions as a Stepping Stone in the Beauty Industry!

Are you passionate about beauty and looking for a creative, high-demand career? Want to enter the beauty world but don’t know where to start? Nail extensions might just be your perfect stepping stone! In today’s fast-moving beauty industry, nail art is not just a trend, it’s a lifestyle. From glossy gel tips to dazzling bridal nail art, women everywhere want perfect nails. And that means nail technicians are more in demand than ever before.

If you’re serious about a successful and flexible career, learning nail extensions is a smart move. And there’s no better place to start than the Best Nail Extensions Course In Mohali at Graffiti on Nails.

Nail Extensions: More Than Just Beauty

At first glance, nail extensions may look like a simple cosmetic service. But in reality, they offer much more:

A creative outlet to express art through nails

A confidence booster for clients who love stylish nails

A source of steady income for nail professionals

A stepping stone into the booming beauty industry

Whether you want to freelance, work at a salon, or open your own studio, nail extensions open up endless opportunities.

Why Are Nail Extensions So Popular?

The popularity of nail extensions has exploded in recent years especially among working women, brides, influencers, and college students. Below are the reasons why

They last longer than regular polish

They look more polished and professional

They allow for fun designs and creativity

They save time on daily grooming

From birthday parties to pre-wedding shoots, every event is now incomplete without beautiful nails. And that means one thing: trained nail artists are always in demand.

Reasons Why You Should Learn Nail Extensions

1. Quick Skill with Long-Term Benefits

Unlike a traditional degree, nail extension courses are short, skill-based, and job-ready. Within a few weeks, you can learn everything you need to start earning.

2. Low Investment, High Reward

You don’t need to spend a high amount on a beauty course. The Top Nail Extensions Course In Mohali at Graffiti on Nails is budget-friendly and offers lifetime returns through your skills.

3. High Demand for Nail Artists

From Mohali to Mumbai, every salon is hiring trained nail professionals. Once trained, you can get a job easily or start freelancing from home.

4. Flexible Working Hours

Want to earn from home? Nail extensions allow you to set your own schedule and take on as many clients as you want.

5. Endless Creativity

Each client wants a unique nail design. You’ll never feel bored in this profession! Your creativity gets a platform, and clients love trying your new designs.

6. Perfect for Freelancers and Moms

Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, college student, or looking for a side hustle, nail extensions give you freedom, flexibility, and great income.

7. Build Your Brand

With strong training and social media presence, you can become a recognized nail artist and even start your own nail studio in the future.

What You Learn in a Professional Nail Extensions Course

The Best Nail Extensions Course In Mohali by Graffiti on Nails is more than just a few tutorials. It’s a complete hands-on learning program designed for success in the nail art industry. In Nail Art Extensions Course you will learn about

Basics of nail anatomy and hygiene

Types of nail extensions

Nail shaping, filing, and buffing techniques

Application and removal of nail extensions

Nail art with stones, glitter, and paint

Client interaction and aftercare

Business tips and social media promotion

And the best part? You practice with real clients, not just plastic hands.

Career Opportunities After Nail Extension Training

If you’re still wondering what you’ll do after completing the course, here are some of the opportunities after completing a course from Graffiti on nails:

Work in a top salon as a nail technician

Offer freelance nail extension services from home

Launch your own nail art page on Instagram

Start a mini nail studio in your home or rented space

Offer bridal or event nail packages

Become a nail educator and train others

Collaborate with beauty brands as an influencer

And once you’re certified from the Top Nail Extensions Course In Mohali, your credibility shoots up. Clients are more likely to trust and recommend you.

Why Choose Graffiti on Nails?

Graffiti on Nails has trained many women to become skilled, confident nail artists. Our Best Nail Extensions Course In Mohali is designed by professionals who understand both art and business.

What Sets Us Apart?

100% hands-on training Certified and experienced trainers Practice on real clients Latest techniques and trends Affordable course fees Portfolio building support Placement and freelance guidance

Our mission is to help you earn with your art. Whether you want to grow professionally or start small from home, we guide you every step of the way.

Conclusion

The beauty industry is full of opportunities, and nail extensions are one of the best entry points. Whether you’re a student, homemaker, or someone looking for a career change, learning nail extensions can help you turn your passion into a profession.

With low investment, fast learning, and high demand, it’s truly a stepping stone to success. So why wait? Join the Best Nail Extensions Course In Mohali today at Graffiti on Nails and begin your journey toward a creative and rewarding career in the beauty world.