#Academy structure

[nyoaeuikhoudu]

Elite Force highschool hc's

stealing this idea from @texanmarcusdavenport because I too have headcannons that I must scream into the void.

Centium city is located close enough to Logan High that the kids all go there. Bree and Chase changed their last names so they can go to Logan without being recognized. Their alias last name is "Douglas" because they're not creative and it's hilarious to see their teachers meet Douglas Douglas during conferences.

While the bionic teens are well known around the world, there wasn't quite as much coverage of them in the Philly area because it wasn't super local, so Bree and Chase are able to fly under the radar easier since they're not household names around here.

Idk if yall know what this is, but I feel like it would be fun to have their school structured under the academy system. In short, along with required core classes like math and english, you have to pick an area of interest or career for your other classes. You get cords for completing courses in your academy and most of your electives will be centered around that area of study, plus it helps with college applications.

As always, we'll do this in alphabetic order

Bree:

After much deliberation, she decided on the Natural Resources and Agriculture academy (green). She originally wanted to do Human Services and join ROTC for drill, but Chase wouldn't let her because that would draw too much attention to them.

- her adhd makes it difficult to retain information, so she struggles with classwork, especially lectures.

- in the gifted program w/ Oliver (Chase is jealous lol) no, the gifted program is not based on grades, it's IQ based.

- not super interested in her academy, mostly just in it for the field trips.

- thrives in English classes, can whip out a grade A essay in 20 minutes.

- expert procrastinator, usually doing her homework the morning it's due or in between classes

Chase:

Part of the Business and Computer Technology academy (blue). Though he'd probably thrive more in Engineering, he mostly just joined to work towards inheriting Davenport Industries like Donald wants him to.

- very booksmart

- sacrificed his perfect GPA for maintaining cover. (He's sitting at 3.5, though he's definitely capable of 4.0)

- not the most social, trying his best to lay low.

- started working the schools coffee shop and snack hut for the finance side of things

- refused to test for the gifted program, pissed that Bree did behind his back despite his insistence that they don't draw attention to themselves.

Connie/Skylar:

Part of the Arts and Communications academy (purple). While she's not particularly skilled in the arts, she does enjoy marching band and likes spending time with Jordan and Gus (who are also both in AnC, art and film respectively.)

- gets decent grades. B average

- took an interest in theatre after Gus's Skylar Storm movie, and now helps out on tech.

- works the booth for shows, light design and helps out with mic checks

- surprisingly good at history for an alien- she convinced Chase to join her at history bowl and their team obliterated the other schools.

- involved in multiple sports, namely wrestling and dance team, but colour guard is still her favourite.

- so used to the name Connie that she doesn't even realise when people call her that outside of school, though the twins still slip up and call her Skylar in class.

Kaz:

Part of Health Sciences academy (red) to help with work, though he's less serious about it. If given a choice, he'd choose not to belong to any academy and just go home. He focuses more on the sports injury side of things, learning how to prevent injury rather than treat it for the most part.

- his grades don't reflect his intelligence

- struggles in class due to his adhd

- the only reason he's not failing his medical courses is because Oliver helps keep him on task

- tried three other academies before MM, none seemed to fit him best.

- the only elective he takes outside of HnS is shop, he especially loves welding and blacksmithing.

Oliver:

Also in the Health Sciences academy (red). Though he originally joined because of Mighty Med, he actually found a love for field, focusing on the Medical side. He's been taking extra science classes for fun along with academy courses.

- gets good grades, but definately not perfect.

- terrible at anything that requires math

- builds study dates into his schedule to spend time with Kaz and help him learn the material.- has been in the gifted program since elementary school.

- was originally part of AnC with the rest of his friend group, but switched early his sophomore year when he started working at MM

- still participates in band, playing the oboe for concert and marimba for marching season.

Ages:

Skylar is a senior, everyone else is a junior.

[certifiedbi]

Nothing pissed me off more than seeing WOMEN say that F1A should be cancelled. I've seen so many women agreeing with Sophia Floersch (who bashes any system designed to lift women in motorsport because she's selfish and wants the spotlight on herself) and it's so disheartening.

F1A has valid criticisms, but calling for it to be cancelled when it has already done so much for women in motorsport is not going to fix that and is also going to make it harder for women AGAIN.

[imerian]

Vr46 academy keychains

Set of five charms that all match in different ways

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　 . ✦　　˚　

Open for detailed pictures of each one

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ *ੈ✩‧₊˚

ִֶָ 𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆★⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ

:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

˖⁺‧₊˚⭒✮⭒˚₊‧⁺˖

. ݁₊ ✶. ݁ ˖ˎˊ˗

I ran out of tags so I'll say it here but i would greatly appreciate a reblog, especially if you share your thoughts on these pieces in tags (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧

(Also i forgot that bez have matching part with luca so I didn’t add that to tags sorry

[vesna-v-irkutske]

"Убивать – круто!" (Killing Is Cool!) is the only Dismembered PugachOva song where Corpse (Artyom) is credited as a vocalist.

Artyom also wrote the lyrics for "Мёртвый Круг" (Dead Krug*). The lyrics were used in both Evil Gnomes and Dismembered PugachOva, but only the investigators have a recording of this song performed by Gnomes. *Mikhail Krug was one of the most popular Russian singers of the style of music known as blatnaya pesnya or Russian chanson (they depiction the criminal subculture and the urban underworld which are often romanticized and have criminally-perverted humor in nature), a genre of music that has been popular in Russia since the beginning of the 20th century. In 2002, Krug was fatally assassinated in his house in Tver by several unknown intruders. He died in the hospital a few hours later. I have the lyrics of this song, but I don't think it's that interesting. It's just about violence and them hating him.

[shitpostingkats]

For anyone curious, Sora and Yuri were Obelisk Blues (high ranking soldiers and special ops), Dennis was Ra Yellow (intel and espionage), and Celina was Slifer Red (basic units and grunts). I know this because I made it up.

[rad-roche]

timed study where i ran out of, and you'll never guess, time. still, progress is progress

reference under cut

[chicago-geniza]

This phenomenon (w/ rideshare apps / gig-economy employment) is super interesting to me and I am thinking about it en route to PT--want to think about it a lot more--

[garadinervi]

Plan & Space, Koninklijke Academie, Gent, 1977 [Saint-Martin Bookshop, Bruxelles-Brussel]

Text(s)/Essay(s): Bernard Marcellis, Wim Van Mulders, and Georges Roque

Feat.: Mel Bochner, Nigel Hall, Bernard Joubert, Barry Le Va, Teodosio Magnoni, Anthony McCall, and Fred Sandback

Exhibition: January 20 – February 12, 1977

[batsplat]

casey if you want the showers-

https://www.tumblr.com/kingofthering/766887733130084352/sounds-fantastic

random thought: maybe being a part of a structure like the academy might have fixed teenage casey stoner……

(x) he's getting in the shower, he's enjoying the sausage, he's having it all

and oh hm this is SUCH an interesting idea that had never occurred to me. with the academy, I often think about how valentino himself never ever would have joined it... just this implicitly subservient position to another rider, any restraints placed on individualism, losing the ability to define himself to the same extent... I do actually think valentino would be pretty good at team sports, like it's not a loner mentality that would be the dealbreaker - it's just that specifically the academy vibe would not have been for him

with casey... I mean, yeah, maybe? yeah, I reckon you're right. that could have worked miracles for casey. the closest he got was being one of alberto puig's kids for a while (hence the 27 to dani's 26), but obviously that was a very different vibe. this is how puig is being described in 2006 (x):

Puig is a very powerful figure in the paddock, running teams in the lower classes, as well as the MotoGP Academy, widely acknowledged as the best route into premier class racing for young riders. His influence is hard to exaggerate, and when you add in his forceful personality, known for attempting to silence those who criticize his riders, this makes him a potentially disruptive figure in any team. He is, like so many people involved at the very highest levels of professional sport, utterly driven, and people who are so driven often find it difficult to keep a sense of perspective. Alberto Puig is concerned with only one thing: that the riders he coaches should win. Nothing else matters. In a sense, this is totally understandable: He is paid to nurture young talent to produce winning riders, and he is remarkably good at his job. But his focus and his drive rubs off on his protégés, and can turn them into single-minded, dour automatons, concerned only with their own performance, and little else.

not very valentino, is it. like you do probably want an actual academy-esque structure where the kids within it actually get the chance to... y'know. bond. care about each other. no puig

and while puig did play a critical role in casey's career, that's still a connection that had more or less fizzled out by the time casey gets to motogp. so obviously no real equivalent in casey's career. and... I mean, yeah, surely it would have changed a lot. it always comes back to the same few things with casey, doesn't it. casey, who was bullied at school, who was frequently made an outsider even in the australian motorcycling community until he was eventually pushed out of the country entirely... the impact of this hypothetical academy structure does depend a bit on when it would GET to casey - because by the age vr46 typically steps in, a lot of casey's formative experiences have already happened to him. he doesn't get a racing licence from the AJRRA (the australian road racing association controlled mainly by parents of kids casey had been beating most of his life). he has to leave the country. they leave his sister behind. they depend on the charity of others in england. his family is 100% financially dependent on his racing success. every opportunity feels like it could be his last. like... this is stuff that's kind of set by the time he's 14-15. the contrast between his childhood and valentino's is discussed in this post:

and yeah, obviously a lot of that stuff would have already happened. then again, having somebody step in when he was... what, maybe 16-17-ish? and give him some job + financial security... I mean in blunt terms, I know this ask was probably more thinking about the community aspect - but you cannot understate the importance that these practical elements would have had for casey. and yes, there's the more emotional element of... finally being let into a club, of having someone fight your corner, of knowing you've got this structure looking out for you. of handling your contract negotiations - casey also talks about how he and his father frequently just felt like they didn't GET the paddock politics; the insider/outsider dynamic is so foundational to his experience in the sport. all these unspoken rules casey just didn't know... having someone there who DOES know and is looking out for you and can take care of everything bar the riding would have made such a difference

and my god, yeah, there's the community aspect. so much of casey's time in the sport is defined by how deeply, deeply lonely he was. the childhood friendships he'd had either get left behind or are eroded by competitive tensions. he never gets close to another premier class rider, doesn't get particularly close to his team either. in 2009, he said his only friend in the paddock was his wife. and... y'know, while I have no doubt the paddock could feel like a pretty hostile place, I also reckon it would've been a good thing for someone to force casey out of his shell a little bit. like, I get not getting close to your direct competitors, I doubt I'd be massively different, but maintaining that level of distance from basically everyone you travel with most of the year feels... not ideal. at least befriend some of the mechanics my man. looking at some of the canonical vr46 academy riders - naming no names, but I can also easily imagine them in the loner category if the academy hadn't picked them up. and at least THEY could still fall back on childhood friends and acquaintances if they hadn't had the academy, more so than a bloke who moved to a different continent aged fourteen. casey needed some friends!! and maybe just an occasional reminder that not the whole world is out to get him

so YEAH I do agree an academy-esque structure would've made a MASSIVE difference... to the extent that it's almost tough to imagine that version of casey. it does make you realise just how foundational all of this angst feels to casey, in a sad way. what does he even look like without his isolation... you might wonder whether that change would take a bit of his edge away - it's just undeniable that he got a lot of motivation and drive out of his oppositional dynamic with the rest of the world. he wanted to show everyone that they were wrong about him... the rejection by the club back home in australia made him angry, the rejection of teams in motogp made him angry... and well, his circumstances did make him desperate. they made him hungry. it's what he talks about here, isn't it, the feeling that some young riders just aren't taking their riding seriously enough, contrasting it to how he knew he had to take every single opportunity he was given. valentino vs casey about young riders (2009//2013):

(remember that the question valentino got explicitly referred back to an earlier answer about casey - "serious and sad" is kinda his characterisation of casey specifically)

then again. saying this pain was necessary to casey's success would be needlessly myopic, casey has plenty of drive even without piling on the horrors when he was 16-20, give the kid some friends y'know. you can still be plenty neurotic within an academy, you can still cultivate a persecution complex, look at pecco. also, y'know, obviously sports success isn't worth miserable children and never will be. and I suspect casey himself has softened a bit from the stance expressed in his autobiography - I've been thinking again about that podcast interview he gave earlier this year that takes a more explicitly critical view on how his parents forced their dream on him

speaking of, another big benefit of the academy is in outsourcing the role of enforcing discipline so that it's no longer the parents doing it, which again just feels considerably healthier. casey basically says as much in his autobiography:

though, again, I wouldn't call puig a particularly helpful influence either, and jorge's experience with amatriain should be enough evidence that it doesn't take a parent to establish an unhealthy (and even abusive) dynamic. obviously, the assumption here is that you drop casey in a vr46-esque academy - for all his sins, the academy valentino set up in no way resembles how these other 'talent spotters' manage their charges. it's just... it's a safety net, isn't it, in every sense. financially, job security-wise, socially... obviously it's always going to be performance-dependent, yes, but that bit's never going to be an issue for any version of casey

so, yeah. maybe not 'fix' casey exactly, but it would've changed so much for him... it does feel like it would've been an unambiguously positive presence in his life. no, it wouldn't just erase all his issues with the sport - but if he could've found a place within an academy structure like that, he would've been a lot happier for it. probably could've loved the sport more than he did. certainly would've felt a lot less alone

[danieyells]

If you're going to Darkwick(or any Institute academy in any region really) and you make a deal with a demon what do you even do at that point. Like you were a general student and then you sold your soul, or maybe you sold your soul before you got enrolled, do you. Tell them? Would the demon let you tell them??

What if you become a ghoul while enrolled? They've made it pretty clear that even ghouls can't tell ghouls from normal humans, so like. Would somebody know? Do you tell the staff or keep it to yourself?? Would you smell different to the cats and they alert the chancellor or something??? Actually I guess it might come up in your medical information next time Yuri and Jiro have to do a health check on you. Do you just refuse any further health checks out of fear of being found out???

What about your peers? Everyone seems pretty scared of or offput by ghouls--suddenly everyone who liked you is keeping their distance the second they find out, suddenly everyone's talking about you. And god forbid you tried to hide it, everyone would insist you're trying to cause some kind of trouble for everyone. . . .

How does one learn what their stigma is and when they use it? The stigma test can definitely tell you, but I'm sure none of the ghouls had a test run on them before arriving to an Institute-run facility so. . .when do you find out? When do you learn what your incantation is, how do you know?

If you tell Darkwick you're a ghoul now do they make you do the weighing of souls again and reassign your house? Or do you just stay in your current house? Do they even weigh the souls of general students? And then of course they'll announce it to the whole campus that you're a ghoul and there's no hiding it anymore. . . .

Idk. I think that's an interesting concept. Some general student who just became a ghoul last week suddenly learning what it's like to be one of them. And of course many of the ghouls would be like 'you just became a ghoul, you don't know what it's really like yet' and you might be isolated from them too for a while. . . .

Idk. Worldbuilding thoughts.

[tmarshconnors]

Power of Repetition in Public Speaking

After watching "Oscar-winning actor & writer Tom Hanks gives the Oxford Union an acting lesson" on YouTube I felt inspired to write this blog. The link below if interested.

Public speaking is an art that transcends mere words; it involves a deep understanding of human psychology, effective communication techniques, and the strategic use of rhetorical devices. Among these, repetition stands out as a powerful tool that can elevate a speech from ordinary to extraordinary. In this blog, we delve into the Repetition class in speaking, exploring how this technique can captivate audiences, enhance message retention, and leave a lasting impact.

The Basics of Repetition:

Repetition involves the intentional reuse of words, phrases, or ideas within a speech. When employed thoughtfully, it can create emphasis, reinforce key points, and establish a rhythm that resonates with the audience. There are various forms of repetition, each serving a unique purpose:

Anaphora: This involves repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. For example, Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech masterfully uses anaphora with the repetition of "I have a dream."

Epistrophe: In contrast to anaphora, epistrophe repeats a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences. Winston Churchill's famous "We shall fight on the beaches" speech is a classic example of epistrophe in action.

Anadiplosis: This technique involves repeating the last word of one clause or sentence at the beginning of the next. This creates a seamless connection between ideas and builds momentum. Yoda's sage advice, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering," is an example of anadiplosis.

The Impact of Repetition:

Emphasis: Repetition serves as a spotlight, directing the audience's attention to specific words or ideas. By repeating a key point, a speaker can emphasize its importance, making it more likely to be remembered.

Rhythm and Flow: A well-crafted repetition adds a musical quality to a speech, creating a rhythmic flow that engages the audience. This cadence can make the message more memorable and enjoyable.

Connection: Repetition helps to establish connections between different parts of a speech. It ties ideas together, creating a cohesive narrative that is easier for the audience to follow.

Persuasion: Through repetition, a speaker can subtly persuade the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action. The consistent reinforcement of a message can influence attitudes and beliefs.

Practical Tips for Using Repetition Effectively:

Choose Key Points: Identify the core messages you want to convey, and strategically repeat key words or phrases associated with these points.

Consider Your Audience: Tailor your repetition to resonate with your audience. Understanding their preferences, values, and expectations will help you use repetition more effectively.

Vary Your Approach: While repetition is a powerful tool, overusing it can diminish its impact. Vary your repetition techniques to keep the audience engaged and interested.

Practice Pacing: The timing and pacing of repetition are crucial. Practice delivering your speech with the right rhythm to maximize its impact.

In the world of public speaking, the Repetition class is a formidable ally. When wielded with skill and precision, repetition can transform a speech into a compelling, memorable experience for both the speaker and the audience. By understanding the various forms of repetition and practising its implementation, speakers can elevate their communication skills and leave a lasting impression on those who listen.

[noisytenant]

discovered today that a decently large selection of eromanga on dlsite have accompanying voice acting tracks ("voice comic"). however they often only feature the female characters, which is cowardly

[lonewolflink]

whoa congrats on your new job?! that's so cool! sorry if i sound dumb but for some reason i thought your current job was as a professor? either way congrats!

thank you!!! i think if you don't work within the academy/university systems, the distinctions between different kinds of jobs don't really matter - like, to students in college, every instructor is "Professor ___". But strictly speaking, that's not true; most instructors are not professors (but they do have PhDs, they are "Dr. ___").

explanation under the cut!

In the U.S., where I'm currently employed, the system works like this (note: it's different in other places in the world, especially in the UK and EU countries, re: what these job titles are called and how much stability/longevity they grant you).

You can broadly group university teachers into two kinds of jobs: tenurable (possibility of having a protected, permanent job for your whole life (or already having one)) and non-tenurable aka temporary.

temporary jobs include primarily instructors, lecturers, and postdocs. these jobs have contracts that typically last 1-3 years. of these, at least in my field, the ability to move from instructor/lecturer into a tenurable job, is extremely low. once you're seen as a "lowest on the academic rung" kind of employee, it's really hard to get out of that. postdocs are a bit different; they're 1-3 year research positions (with some teaching) reserved exclusively for people who just received their phds (because of this, they tend to be extremely competitive). right now, i am about to finish the first year of my postdoc.

tenurable jobs are primarily assistant professors, associate professors, and full professors. those are the formal "professor" ranks, and only they should really be called professors. assistant professorships are called "tenure track" jobs because after the first 5 years of employment you become eligible to be considered for tenure. if you succeed and have a strong enough profile as a researcher and teacher, then you are promoted to the tenured rank of associate professor, which basically means you can't be fired (unless you break the law or something).

tl;dr - the official job title of professor means the potential for economic/employment stability for the rest of your life, while other academic jobs are temporary and if you have them your life is in a constant state of applying to new jobs, moving, and never being able to settle down in a place. also you get paid like shit.

so, me getting a professor job is a HUGE deal. it means my life will actually be stable for the first time in at least 2 years and i will also actually be earning a semi-decent wage for the first time in my adult life (since i spent most of it as a poor undergrad, then poor grad student, and now slightly less poor but still poor postdoc).

[metanarrates]

being a fan of utena really hypercharges how you think about worldbuilding in stories. instead of focusing on whether something is logically consistent, I've really only started caring if worldbuilding is THEMATICALLY consistent. does it work with the themes? does it contribute to the ideas being explored in the work? if it doesn't contribute (some things are there for flavor of course) does it at least not actively hinder the themes?

[bodyalive]

Tuesday Poem

TUESDAY, FEB 6, 2024  

BY JIM CULLENY

The moon rose over the bay. I had a lot of feelings

I am taken with the hot animal of my skin, grateful to swing my limbs

and have them move as I intend, though my knee, though my shoulder, though something is torn or tearing. Today, a dozen squid, dead

on the harbor beach: one mostly buried, one with skin empty as a shell and hollow

feeling, and, though the tentacles look soft, I do not touch them. I imagine they were startled to find themselves in the sun.

I imagine the tide simply went out without them. I imagine they cannot

feel the black flies charting the raised hills of their eyes. I write my name in the sand: Donika Kelly. I watch eighteen seagulls

skim the sandbar and lift low in the sky. I pick up a pebble that looks like a green egg.

To the ditch lily I say I am in love. To the Jeep parked haphazardly on the narrow street I am in love. To the roses, white

petals rimmed brown, to the yellow lined pavement, to the house trimmed in gold I am

in love. I shout with the rough calculus of walking. Just let me find my way back, let me move like a tide come in.

by Donika Kelly from Academy of American Poets, 11/20/17

[dweemeister]

August 7, 2023

By Rory Smith

BONDI BEACH, Australia (The New York Times) — Even in the highest-resolution image, examined up close, there was not so much as a discernible sliver of daylight. The margin by which the United States was eliminated from the Women’s World Cup was so microscopic that it cannot be expressed in a unit of measurement the country fully recognizes.

A millimeter, a single millimeter, is no more than 0.04 inches, yet even that most slender gap can serve as the gossamer border between two realities. Such is the unspoken truth of sports, of course: The difference between triumph and disaster, delight and dismay, can be far thinner than we choose to pretend.

For the United States, there is some comfort in that. “It is tough to have your World Cup end by a millimeter,” Alyssa Naeher, the U.S. goalkeeper, said after her team’s loss to Sweden in a penalty shootout Sunday. It does not take an especially vivid imagination to envision how the outcome might have been different.

Had Naeher intercepted Lina Hurtig’s shot at a slightly different angle, maybe the spin would have carried the ball to safety. Had Hurtig struck her penalty more softly, or more firmly, maybe Naeher would have saved it more decisively. Granted a reprieve, maybe the United States would have gone on to win that game in the round of 16, the tournament, the crown. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

That solace, though, is an illusion, and so too is the idea that the United States was eliminated by a millimeter. It was not one penalty that ended its hopes of a third straight title and, in the process, drew the veil over a whole golden, glorious generation, no matter how tempting it might be to believe. This is another unspoken truth of sports: Moments do not exist in isolation.

There is a certain irony in the fact that it was against Sweden that the United States, so limp and insipid earlier in the tournament, started to show signs of life. Naomi Girma was imperious. Lindsey Horan was dynamic. Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Lynn Williams were all, at various points, electric. There were glimpses, in Melbourne, Australia, of what this team might one day be...

... It is not enough... to point the finger of blame at the coach, Vlatko Andonovski. He will, most likely, be removed from his position before his contract expires at the end of the year, and it is hard to make a case for his retention. This is the worst performance an American team has mustered at a World Cup. A price has to be paid.

But Andonovski is not the cause of the malaise. There are structural, systemic issues that have to be addressed, too. There are issues with the way the United States produces players, a fragmented system is reliant on pay-to-play youth teams in disparate leagues, unattached to elite adult teams, feeding into the college system.

Don't read the comments section in the article (from NYT readers for chrissakes). Some make good points; most don't (and lambast the team for its equal pay and racial equality activism). So don't.