#Early Learning Documentation system

[ccssmanagementsoftware]

Streamline Your Childcare Centre with Xap Technologies' Innovative Tools

Managing a childcare centre involves a lot of moving parts, from scheduling to documenting children's progress. That's where advanced child care applications come in, offering solutions that simplify your daily operations. At Xap Technologies, we provide cutting-edge child care applications that help both educators and parents stay connected, organised, and focused on the children’s development.

Our childcare booking system is a game-changer for busy childcare centres. With this system, parents can easily book and manage their child’s attendance, while staff can access real-time schedules and ensure everything runs smoothly. The childcare booking system reduces the time spent on administrative tasks, allowing your team to focus on providing high-quality care. Whether it's for scheduling, cancellations, or reminders, our system ensures seamless communication between parents and childcare providers.

In addition to the booking system, our Early Learning Documentation system provides a streamlined way for educators to track and document each child's learning journey. This system allows staff to easily capture developmental milestones, learning progress, and key moments. The Early Learning Documentation system offers a digital platform where educators can create detailed reports and observations, giving them a comprehensive view of each child's growth. This system not only helps improve the learning experience but also ensures compliance with regulatory requirements.

At Xap Technologies, we believe in simplifying childcare management so that educators and staff can focus on what truly matters – the children. Our child care applications, childcare booking system, and Early Learning Documentation system provide the tools needed to enhance both operational efficiency and the learning environment. Reach out to Xap Technologies today to discover how our innovative solutions can support your childcare centre’s growth and success.

Source

[ayeforscotland]

What is Dataflow?

This post is inspired by another post about the Crowd Strike IT disaster and a bunch of people being interested in what I mean by Dataflow. Dataflow is my absolute jam and I'm happy to answer as many questions as you like on it. I even put referential pictures in like I'm writing an article, what fun!

I'll probably split this into multiple parts because it'll be a huge post otherwise but here we go!

A Brief History

Our world is dependent on the flow of data. It exists in almost every aspect of our lives and has done so arguably for hundreds if not thousands of years.

At the end of the day, the flow of data is the flow of knowledge and information. Normally most of us refer to data in the context of computing technology (our phones, PCs, tablets etc) but, if we want to get historical about it, the invention of writing and the invention of the Printing Press were great leaps forward in how we increased the flow of information.

Modern Day IT exists for one reason - To support the flow of data.

Whether it's buying something at a shop, sitting staring at an excel sheet at work, or watching Netflix - All of the technology you interact with is to support the flow of data.

Understanding and managing the flow of data is as important to getting us to where we are right now as when we first learned to control and manage water to provide irrigation for early farming and settlement.

Engineering Rigor

When the majority of us turn on the tap to have a drink or take a shower, we expect water to come out. We trust that the water is clean, and we trust that our homes can receive a steady supply of water.

Most of us trust our central heating (insert boiler joke here) and the plugs/sockets in our homes to provide gas and electricity. The reason we trust all of these flows is because there's been rigorous engineering standards built up over decades and centuries.

For example, Scottish Water will understand every component part that makes up their water pipelines. Those pipes, valves, fitting etc will comply with a national, or in some cases international, standard. These companies have diagrams that clearly map all of this out, mostly because they have to legally but also because it also vital for disaster recovery and other compliance issues.

Modern IT

And this is where modern day IT has problems. I'm not saying that modern day tech is a pile of shit. We all have great phones, our PCs can play good games, but it's one thing to craft well-designed products and another thing entirely to think about they all work together.

Because that is what's happened over the past few decades of IT. Organisations have piled on the latest plug-and-play technology (Software or Hardware) and they've built up complex legacy systems that no one really knows how they all work together. They've lost track of how data flows across their organisation which makes the work of cybersecurity, disaster recovery, compliance and general business transformation teams a nightmare.

Some of these systems are entirely dependent on other systems to operate. But that dependency isn't documented. The vast majority of digital transformation projects fail because they get halfway through and realise they hadn't factored in a system that they thought was nothing but was vital to the organisation running.

And this isn't just for-profit organisations, this is the health services, this is national infrastructure, it's everyone.

There's not yet a single standard that says "This is how organisations should control, manage and govern their flows of data."

Why is that relevant to the companies that were affected by Crowd Strike? Would it have stopped it?

Maybe, maybe not. But considering the global impact, it doesn't look like many organisations were prepared for the possibility of a huge chunk of their IT infrastructure going down.

Understanding dataflows help with the preparation for events like this, so organisations can move to mitigate them, and also the recovery side when they do happen. Organisations need to understand which systems are a priority to get back operational and which can be left.

The problem I'm seeing from a lot of organisations at the moment is that they don't know which systems to recover first, and are losing money and reputation while they fight to get things back online. A lot of them are just winging it.

Conclusion of Part 1

Next time I can totally go into diagramming if any of you are interested in that.

How can any organisation actually map their dataflow and what things need to be considered to do so. It'll come across like common sense, but that's why an actual standard is so desperately needed!

[seiwas]

two-part something (shouto x reader)

wc: 1.3k

contains: christmas, holiday parties, santa, mid-20's pro-hero!shouto x assistant!reader

full fic sequel: three-part honesty

a/n: just a lil writing exercise on shouto! first time writing him hehe

shouto’s late to his agency’s holiday party tonight. 

he breathes out, warmth floating as white puffs from his lips. the heating system on his office floor has been turned off, subtext directed solely to him: whoever’s here today, at this time, shouldn’t be.

his fingers move deftly around his waist, routinary—utility belt unbuckling as he reaches his desk. 

the venue for tonight is on one of the lower floors—a function room where briefings and press conferences are normally held. the number of attendees has grown compared to last year’s, sidekicks doubling and staff tripling; expected, given the agency’s projected growth next quarter. 

this is the agency’s third move since humble days in a rented studio unit (one shouto stubbornly and adamantly paid for fully, on his own), but one thing’s invariably stayed the same—

shouto’s office has always existed in its own space, whether tucked in a corner or spread out over an entire floor.

and wherever that space is, so are you. 

he settles in his seat, leather creaking as he twists to stretch his back. it’s been a long night, being dispatched earlier for an emergency downtown. his hand reaches for the folder on his desk, fingers swiping to release the yellow paper clip on the far left corner—evidence of your presence. 

since being hired as his assistant five years ago, you’ve devised a system for shouto that he now deems essential to keeping his entire agency afloat. his own urgency for paperwork hinges on the color of your paper clips (blue for next month, green for next week, yellow for tomorrow, and red for now).  

he should listen to you; the details of this evening’s take-down can be set aside for tomorrow—tomorrow, when everyone’s allowed to clock-in midday for the sake of tonight’s festivities. knowing you though, you’ll still show up early, if only to go over his desk, ensuring to swap that yellow paper clip for red. 

if he finishes this now, you won’t need to ensure anything; in all the years you’ve been his first and only assistant–a perfect match for how much of a workaholic he is–you might actually opt to sleep in for once. 

besides, it’s more productive if he gets it over with; crimes and mishaps never take breaks to party, after all—even during the holidays. 

that’s what he’ll tell you, at least. 

the party’s more for everyone else than him, anyway. 

he clicks his pen, letting out another puff of warm air as he spreads the document in front of him: 

page 1: basic information. identification details, time markers, a summary of the take-down. 

page 2: breakdown of events. scene-by-scene, additional comments, a two-beat knock on his door. 

then comes your voice, soft, unsure—

“sir?” 

—before you step inside, heels clicking against the natural stone finish of his office floor. 

he looks up, wide-eyed, piercing gray and blue. 

your gaze flits to the papers in front of him, eyebrows scrunching before you sigh. there’s an all-too-familiar smile on your face, a quiet chuckle brought about by how characteristic it is of him to be in this situation right now. 

“sir, that report is tagged yellow.” 

he shifts, looking at your paper clip; without a word, the leather of his seat crinkles again. it’s like this with shouto sometimes, you’ve come to learn: a non-response is a response on its own.

when his eyes meet yours, you shiver. 

goosebumps litter the sides of your arms, the decision to forego your blazer leaving yourself exposed to the chill of tonight’s office air. you try to hide it, but some things are impossible to keep from shouto. 

of course he notices your jaw quivering. 

“are you cold?” he stands up immediately, already moving halfway out from behind his desk.

“i’m okay, sir,” you stop him just as quickly, hands motioning for him to stay where he is.

two beats of silence find him tilting his head, gaze as intense as it’s always been pointed towards you. 

“shouto.”

“pardon, sir?” you step closer, leaning forward. 

“call me shouto.” 

the red fabric in your hand almost slips from your hold. 

this isn’t the first time shouto’s insisted on you using his name—he offered it up the moment he hired you, and the day you searched store after store for his thrifted leather chair during the agency’s second move; he’s suggested it plenty over the years, a casual reminder that it’s no big deal—if the world can call him shouto, so should you. 

pro-hero shouto, top three in the charts. 

pro-hero shouto, late to his agency’s holiday party because of paperwork—his tendency to be a workaholic. 

pro-hero shouto, asking you to call him shouto, but not in the way the world does. 

his eyes don’t leave yours as you blink, swallowing down your feelings (inappropriate, you tell yourself). 

“shouto.” you repeat. 

he nods slightly, a small, imperceptible lift to the corners of his lips. there’s an awkward pause as he looks down to the papers on his desk then up at you again.

“the party,” you clear your throat, smoothing out the fabric between your fingers, “you’re running late to your own party, si–shouto.” 

he tilts his head again, confused, “is this party not for everyone else?” 

you blink—he’s got you there. 

“i guess that’s true,” you sigh, chuckling. a pause, “that report is still yellow, though.” 

blue and gray land on white, bond papers spread out on his desk. he could argue with you, but where has that ever gotten him? you’ve kept him in check for years—it’s how he’s managed to stay on top of things. 

he looks down at his jumpsuit, the same shade of blue since he was 15. not much has changed with the design of his hero suit, just an overall sleeker design fit to match his age. the utility belt still exists, albeit more compact and less clunky; a similar modification was done to the straps that run down the sides of his chest. 

if anything, the biggest change is how the suit has molded around him—shoulders more defined, arms large enough for the fabric to cling onto it. shouto’s build has always been lean, but the areas of defined muscle stick out more evidently now that he’s older, much taller and wider.  

“i don’t have a costume.” he pouts.

you grin, stepping closer to his desk, hips digging into the edge. the red santa hat unfurls from your hands as you wave it in front of him—a perfect match to the shades of his hair. 

he blinks before you catch it, the slight curve of his lips as he leans forward, dipping his head low enough for you to reach the top of it. you tiptoe just a bit when you open up the hat to place it over his head.

you’re gentle with your touch, fingers running through the strands of his hair lightly; you tuck them neatly underneath the fluffy white rim of the santa hat. 

(it’s warmer near him, you notice—his quirk regulating a circumference of heat around himself that extends to you right now, you know. but you’re confident you’d still feel your own version of it–on your cheeks, down your neck–even if he weren’t). 

the hat sits perfectly atop his head, much like anything else that’s on him. when you lean back, moving away to take a better look, you notice it—

midnight blue, the backdrop on shouto’s floor-to-ceiling windows, littered with speckles of white—the first snowfall, and one you stand in awe of.

—gasping at the sight. 

you’re still so near when your eyes light up, zeroing in on the view behind him. you can’t help it, that smile on your face, bright and pretty, he thinks; it’s a short moment, but he feels it, a two-part ‘ba-dump’ that resounds in his heartbeat. 

a/n: they thrift the chair bc it's real leather so buying a new one is just no-no + he texts natsuo otw home after the party that he feels a bit funny! (it's just his feelings 😭)

comments, tags, and reblogs are greatly appreciated ♡

[glowettee]

°❀⋆executing your comeback plan (the actual doing part) - part 4/5 °❀⋆

1st post 2nd post 3rd post

posted by: glowettee

hey study angels! ♡

okay so we have this gorgeous plan, but now comes the real tea - actually making it happen! don't worry though, i'm going to break down exactly how to execute your academic glow-up strategy. this little guide will help you make this comeback actually stick!

♡ week one survival guide

this is literally the most important week:

day 1:

set up your study space (make it cute but functional!)

organize all materials by subject

create your new schedule in your planner

gather all missing notes/materials

reach out to study buddies

first week priorities:

stick to your new schedule (even when it's hard!)

document everything in your progress journal

identify early challenges

celebrate small wins

adjust as needed

♡ making the daily grind actually work

consistency is literally everything:

morning routine:

wake up 30 mins earlier than usual (i know it's tough but trust me)

quick review of today's goals

prepare your study space

get in the right mindset (i do positive affirmations in my mirror)

organize materials for the day

during study sessions:

start with the hardest subject (when your brain is fresh!)

use the pomodoro technique (25 mins study, 5 mins break)

actively engage with material (no passive reading!)

take aesthetic but useful notes

check understanding after each session

evening wrap-up:

review what you learned

prep for tomorrow

update your progress tracker

clean your study space

set intentions for tomorrow

♡ active learning techniques that actually work

just reading isn't it, bestie:

the explain-it method:

teach concepts to your stuffed animals, family or friends

record voice memos explaining topics

write explanations in simple terms

create examples from real life

make connections to things you know

practice makes perfect:

solve problems without looking at notes

create your own practice questions

do past exam questions

explain concepts to study buddies

make concept maps

♡ dealing with motivation dips

because they're gonna happen:

when you're feeling unmotivated:

look at your progress tracker

remind yourself why you started

take a cute study break

change your study location

reach out to your study support squad

do something small but productive

emergency motivation boosters:

change up your study playlist

try a new study spot

use different colored pens

take a short walk

message your study accountability partner

reward yourself for small wins

♡ handling setbacks

they're part of the process:

when things go wrong:

take a deep breath (seriously, do it)

identify what happened

adjust your strategy

reach out for help if needed

remember this is temporary

get back on track immediately

prevention strategies:

regular progress checks

weekly schedule reviews

maintaining backup plans

keeping support contacts ready

staying ahead of deadlines

♡ progress tracking system

make it cute but keep it real:

daily tracking:

concepts mastered

time spent studying

questions/confusion points

wins (big and small!)

areas needing more work

weekly review:

compare to previous week

adjust study methods

celebrate improvements

plan next week's focus

update long-term goals

execution is where most plans succeed or fail. it might feel weird at first, but stick with it and you'll see the glow-up!

xoxo, mindy ���

[sophiethewitch1]

I wonder how the batboys would be with a reader with a MAJOR interest in foreign languages. I'm not just talking about knowing several languages, I'm talking about a reader who's also capable of using the basics of so many languages that people don't really tend to learn or even know exist (can you imagine casually speaking Burmese or Catalan in front of the boys??), and they know how to read numerous writing systems. Imagine if the Reader's room is just full of language textbooks and their phone is full of language apps

They'd be incredibly impressed, of course. They all know their fair share of languages, considering their job/hobby/personal exercise routine, but the level of effort and care you put in is astounding.

Tim, despite himself, immediately gets competitive about it. He needs to be on the same level as you, and understand you in all ways. And if you love something as much as you love languages, he needs to love it the same way too. So, get ready for quizzes and competitions galore. He probably adds you on Duolingo, even if you didn't give him your contact details, the little stalker. He wants to win (you).

Dick's absolutely over the moon if you decide to research his family's preferred dialect of Romani. He'll happily teach you and you'll have many quiet, whispered conversations together. The language is quite romantic (it is actually a romance language), just like he is, and he probably starts flirting with you all the time in Romani. Just, constantly hitting on you, but in a way only you can understand, so he doesn't get too embarrassed. Flirt back using his mother tongue, and you'll have a swooning Dick Grayson on your hands.

Damian sees this as a grand opportunity to invite you closer into his space. His family has connections in all of the Middle East and further, and he's got access to thousands of ancient documents in hundreds of languages. Is very smug every time you ask him for his help or a book you think he might have. Which, of course, he does. Even if he doesn't he'll have it soon, so don't go asking the others, alright?

Jason 'number one Shakespeare fan' Todd suggests you start learning some old English with him. And like actual old English, not early modern English like Shakespeare actually used. Enjoys reading classic Russian novels like Dostoevsky in the original text to you. Will also quiz you, but in a chill, uncompetitive way.

[whencyclopedia]

The Gifts of Isis: Women's Status in Ancient Egypt

An inscription on an Egyptian papyrus dating from the 2nd century CE relates that the goddess Isis, bestowing gifts on humanity at the beginning of time, gave as much power and honor to women as she did to men. This brief passage reflects not only the ancient Egyptian value of balance, but the high-status women enjoyed in ancient Egypt.

Although they never had the same rights as males, an Egyptian woman could own property in her own name and hold professions that gave her economic freedom from male relatives. Girls whose families could afford the tuition were educated along with boys beginning around the age of 7 and many went on to professional careers. Women could serve as clergy, practice medicine, handle money, travel alone for business purposes, and make real estate transactions. Most women, however, were groomed for marriage, became homemakers, and were taught by their mothers to cook, clean, sew, and weave.

A wife was entitled to one third of any property that she owned jointly with her husband and, on her death, could will her property to anyone she wished, male or female. Egyptian women were equal in the court system and could act as witnesses, plaintiffs, or defendants (as one would understand those terms today). Women were accountable for crimes they committed and would have to stand trial the same as any man.

The equality of the “gifts of Isis” did not mean, however, that women had completely equal rights with men; only that they were regarded as equals under the law. Egyptian society was patriarchal and hierarchical but, even so, offered women more rights than almost every other ancient civilization. This paradigm was observed from at least the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-c. 2613 BCE) until the fourth century and the rise of Christianity.

Education

Until the age of around 4, boys and girls were kept under the care of their mothers, usually residing in the women’s quarters of a home. After that age, boys began to learn their father’s trade or were sent to school, depending on the social class of the family. Girls remained with their mothers unless the father chose (and could afford) to send her to school. The Egyptian curriculum included astronomy, geography, mathematics, music, medical applications, reading, religion, writing, and physical education, among other subjects. Scholar Rosalie David comments:

Royal tutors taught some of the nobles’ children together with the king’s offspring, and future officials for the home and foreign services attended special training schools. Despite this hereditary pattern in the professions, some children of humble origin were able to receive education alongside the sons of the wealthy and powerful and to pursue important careers. However, education was not free, and each family was expected to pay in kind; in country areas, they would have offered the produce of the land. (205)

The” children of humble origin” could include girls if their parents could afford the cost and recognized either a certain aptitude or family need. An example might be a business the father wished to keep in the family and so wanted his daughters educated as accountants or supervisors, knowing he could trust them, but there is documentation of highly educated women who became career professionals such as Merit-Ptah, the royal court’s chief physician c. 2700 BCE and the first female doctor in world history known by name.

Women’s opportunities in ancient Egypt were determined by their social class, just as men’s were, having nothing to do with gender. Scholar Barbara Watterson notes:

The fact that, unlike women of most ancient civilizations and also of some modern countries, ancient Egyptian women enjoyed the same rights under the law as ancient Egyptian men, goes a long way towards explaining their relatively high social position. “You have made a power for the women equal to that of the men,” words written in praise of Isis, and quoted in a papyrus of the second century AD, might have been written with this in mind; and the point is one that many scholars have commented upon. The de jure rights of an ancient Egyptian woman depended on her class in society and not upon her sex. The king of Egypt was chief lawgiver and upholder of the law; and in theory everyone in Egypt, both male and female, noble and peasant, was equal under the law and had the right of access to the king in order to obtain justice. In practice, as might be expected, some, notably the rich and powerful, were more equal than others. (34)

Although the opportunity under the law was there for women to receive an education, however, did not mean that every woman could afford to seize it and many, if not most, may not even have been aware of their rights. Egypt was, generally speaking, an insular society and, especially in rural areas, a young girl may not have known that education was even a possibility. There is ample evidence, however, through correspondence, that many women could read and write even among the majority who married and raised a family.

Continue reading...

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Reptilia - Podicipediformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our next order of birds are the Podicipediformes, commonly known as “grebes”. They are composed of one family, Podicipedidae, and 6 living genera containing 22 species.

Grebes are aquatic birds, though they do not have webbed feet, instead having lobes that come out the side of each toe. They cannot fly well, and they prefer to escape predators by diving under the water and swiftly swimming away. Their feet are set far back on their bodies, making them well suited for paddling and diving, but not for walking on land. Most species can not walk on land and spend their entire lives in the water. Grebes can be found on every continent except Antarctica, and usually reside in freshwater habitats during the warmer months, some migrating to marine habitats along the coast in the Winter. Those that can fly only do so at night to avoid being detected by predators. Most grebes eat aquatic invertebrates such as crayfish, while some larger grebes have long, spear-like bills adapted for catching and feeding on fish and amphibians.

Grebes are perhaps most famous for their elaborate courtship displays, which involve the pair performing synchronized duets and dances on the water’s surface. Some species do a "penguin dance" where the male and female stand upright, breast posturing out while they run along the water's surface, in a display of athleticism and agility (see gif below the read more). Some species perform a "weed dance" in which both partners hold pieces of aquatic vegetation in their bills. There is also the "weed rush" in which partners swim towards each other, necks stretched out with plants in their bill, and just before colliding position themselves upright and then swim in parallel. If the female decides the male has danced well, they will mate on floating vegetation. Females lay two to seven eggs on a floating nest, either at the water’s edge or anchored to reeds some distance from shore. If the parents have to leave the nest for a time, they will cover the eggs in weeds to hide them. Incubation can last nearly a month. Once the whole nest has hatched, the chicks climb on one of their parent's backs, as they do not quickly take to the water as well as waterfowl. Both parents take care of rearing their young. One parent usually dives for food while the other carries the young on the surface. After four weeks the chicks begin learning to swim, but will still return to their parents’ backs for safety.

Grebes belong to the clade Mirandornithes, which they share with flamingos. Basal members of Mirandornithes, such as Juncitarsus, existed in the Eocene before the two orders diverged, but it is not known when the split occurred as transitional grebe fossils are rare. True grebes do not appear in the fossil record until the Late Oligocene or Early Miocene, around 23–25 million years ago.

Propaganda under the cut:

Some grebes eat their own feathers to aid in digestion, as the soft feathers will protect their digestive system from sharp fish bones and invertebrate exoskeletons, and also act as a filtering “plug” to hold bones in place until digestion. They will even feed feathers to their young.

Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) (image 4) feathers were formerly used as decorations on hats and earmuffs, and they were hunted in the Eastern United States in the 19th century.

Ecologist Anne LaBastille documented the decline of the Atitlán Grebe (Podilymbus gigas) over a period of 25 years. The Atitlán Grebe was a large, flightless grebe that looked like a giant Pied-billed Grebe. The decline of the Atitlán Grebe began in 1958 after Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) were introduced into Lake Atitlán for fishermen to catch. These invasive species reduced the crabs and fish which the grebes depended on for food and killed grebe chicks. The population of the Atitlán Grebe declined from 200 individuals in 1960 to 80 in 1965. Anne LaBastille made efforts to establish a refuge in 1966, where the species was able to rebound. Unfortunately, after the 1976 Guatemala earthquake, the refuge’s lake bed fractured and began to drain. By 1983 only 32 individuals were left, many of which were hybrids with the Pied-billed Grebe. The last two birds were seen in 1989, and it was declared extinct by 1990. The same fate happened to the Colombian Grebe (Podiceps andinus) in 1977, and the Alaotra Grebe (Tachybaptus rufolavatus) of Madagascar in 2010, also due to the introduction of invasive fish and loss of habitat. Lake-dwelling grebes are especially vulnerable to extinction as they usually only live in one or a few lakes, and are not quickly able to disperse elsewhere.

The Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus) is the smallest species of grebe, ranging from 21–27 cm (8.3–10.6 in) long and weighing 112–180 g (4.0–6.3 oz). They have a breeding call which has been compared to the sound of a horse whinnying.

Western Grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) have a “ticking” alarm call that is only used to signal to their chicks that danger is near. If on their parents’ backs, the chicks will hide their heads and go silent. If the chicks are old enough to be in the water, they may dive and swim away to hide.

The Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) (image 1) has 4 pair-bonding ceremonies: the discovery ceremony, the weed ceremony, the head-shaking ceremony, and the triumph ceremony. The discovery ceremony begins with advertising displays, which include an upright posture, erect "horns" and sounding their advertising call. Then, they will both engage in bouts of penguin dance and preening. The discovery ceremony is to ensure correct species identification, sex, and compatibility. The weed ceremony follows the completion of a successful discovery ceremony. The male and female will dive, retrieve weeds, and rise in synchronisation. The pair will come breast-to-breast with their weeds then turn side by side to continue swimming. The weed rush can continue multiple times until both individuals are satisfied. Finally, the head-shaking ceremony and triumph ceremony are performed for primarily established pairs.

The critically endangered Hooded Grebe (Podiceps gallardoi) is most threatened by the American Mink (Neogale vison), which was introduced to Argentina after the minks escaped or were released from fur farms. Between 2010 and 2011, when the minks were first introduced, they killed more than half the adults in a breeding colony of two dozen nests. Between 2012 and 2013, just one mink killed 15 adults and 7 juveniles at El Cervecero and 10 adults and 5 chicks at the C199 colony in La Siberia plateau. They are also threatened by the overgrazing of domestic sheep (which leads to erosion), territorial Flying Steamer Ducks (Tachyeres patachonicus), and predation by Kelp Gulls (Larus dominicanus).

Around 30% of grebe species are threatened, as they are shy birds particularly sensitive to human disturbance. Boats, even just the waves from them, may destroy floating grebe nests or scare the parents enough to cause them to abandon the nest. They are vulnerable to habitat loss, entanglement in fishing nets, and the introduction of invasive species such as predatory fish.

[aamputation]

SVSSS AU ... Benevolent System 0.4

related to [THIS] Shen Yuan art and -> [1st][2nd][3rd][5th]

Shang Qinghua is no stranger to his own misery. Having reincarnated into the world of his own Proud Immortal Demon Way, he had quickly learned that setting the world of his web novel in one full of wank and shitty porn tropes was a terrible idea. But that wasn’t the worst part. No, the worst part was that he had been reborn as a canon fodder character, the snake-like traitor destined to be tossed aside and murdered by the very demon king he’d become a traitor for in the first place!

But what really irks him now is not his imminent demise. It’s Wu Shuang Huang Gua—Peerless Cucumber.

Shang Qinghua has always been overly aware of Peerless Cucumber—this ridiculous, scathing, critic with an endless vendetta against his web novel. Everything the guy wrote cut to the quick with the sharpness of a blade, each flaw magnified and publicly mocked. Shang Qinghua always knew that Cucumber was an online force to be reckoned with, even if the guy was one of the few he could count on to help pay his bills! What he hates to admit the most about the persistent bastard even now, is that Shang Qinghua actually likes the guy. Yes, his reviews were scathing and harsh and sometimes they made him cry when he was at his lowest—frantically typing out absolute garbage just to pay his bills—but beneath all the vitriol Shang Qinghua sees the guy’s intention. Cucumber had been around since the beginning, after all. He remembers the first few reviews, excited while praising his world-building and his plot hooks, rooting for Binghe and overall positive. Anything negative in those early days were primarily critiquing his actual grammar like a real beta reader or editor would, and Shang Qinghua had been so grateful for the feedback.

When he’d fallen on hard times, he’d had to lose his artistic integrity to write what paid the bills. He’d been so afraid that he would lose his favorite supporter, that Cucumber-bro—as he’d taken to calling the faceless guy in his head—would abandon him and his story entirely as the things that Cucumber-bro’s had loved the most took an unfortunate backseat to the typical YY stallion genre smut tropes. He’d been surprised but ecstatic that his favorite reviewer hadn’t up and left as the guy continued to review, chapter after god-awful chapter, but Shang Qinghua despaired that he’d lost the beloved excitement from Cucumber’s reviews. Partially for himself and partially as a way to keep some integrity, he’d promised himself that when he’d finished Proud Immortal Demon Way, he would somehow get the world-building document he’d been compiling into Cucumber-bro’s hands, as a way to thank him for being such a loyal fan-turned-antifan; for sticking by his side even through the rough patches.

(There were times, dear reader, that Shang Qinghua had felt so downtrodden and alone, that he would go back to re-read those initial reviews from the beginning chapters, if only to feel that kind of uplifting support again.)

When he’d accidentally electrocuted himself with cup noodles while trying to finish the real final chapter—the one without a cliffhanger, that is—only to find himself as an infant in another world, he’d despaired losing the one potential friend he’d had in a long time. Growing up as Shang Qinghua with a solemn, insistent System dictating his life through mandatory missions was unbearably lonely, even after meeting Mobei-Jun—and oh, his ideal man in the flesh was perfect, even all beat to shit—leaving him to long for the days of opening his inbox to yet another scathing, bitchy message from his favorite anonymous person.

Shang Qinghua realizes something’s off when he’s poring over intake forms after the latest acquisition for Cang Qiong’s libraries. Part of his duties as An Ding’s Peak Lord is handling trade agreements and the Sect’s import-exports. Both Qing Jing and Ling You had requested a significant number of new texts this time, although the former’s request was not as much of a surprise as the latter. Normally, such documents just gave him anxiety, but for some reason the fact that the Beast Peak was requesting books of all things rather than the usual feed or other tools captures his attention. The overlap is bizarre, and he squints at the name of the text that appears on both Peaks’ lists, frowning in confusion.

Now, it’s been a while since Shang Qinghua has reincarnated into PIDW, but as the author of the damn universe he can’t remember including the Complete Compendium of Beasts: Volume 1 in his canon. Dropping the intake forms and adding to the already massive mess on his desk, he calls for his head disciple Yan Qi. He requests she bring him a copy of one of the requisitioned Bestiaries, and of course as efficiently as ever, she gets it into his hands within minutes. He examines it, curious as to what makes this Bestiary so special that not only the Beast peak is requesting it, but the Scholarly peak as well. At first glance it’s nondescript, but well bound. Paper being as expensive as it is, it’s clear that this is a luxury item, specially designed for cultivation sects or wealthy patrons. His curiosity gets the best of him, and he opens the book. 

The first thing that strikes him is the overwhelming level of detail. There are illustrations—meticulously drawn, filled with sophisticated textures. Each entry chronicles a creature, beast, or monster that had appeared in the original text of Proud Immortal Demon Way—analyzed in painstaking detail. Descriptions of these beasts are paired with psychological analyses of their behaviors, notes about ecosystems, hierarchical structures, and even speculation about the emotions of each creature. The Proud Immortal Demon Way he’d written didn’t have such elaborate and creative lore about these creatures in the text. Sure, they were mentioned in passing as stepping stones for his son’s growth and development, but not anywhere near this level of detail. One particular illustration catches his eye: a massive, mythical beast called a Veilclaw Phantasmal Stag. Its spindly antlers somehow glow, its body translucent as clouds of mist billow around it; twisting and bending as though the tendrils might lash out and strangle him from the very paper itself. The description accompanying it is just as meticulous—its behavior, the way its hooves leave no trace in the world, even how its mournful cries can influence the mind. 

“Wait a minute…" Shang Qinghua mutters to himself, his breath catching, "this… I never actually put this one in PIDW.”

Shang Qinghua remembers creating this creature. The only reason he hadn’t included it was because he hadn’t wanted Cucumber-bro to berate him for the obvious comparison to Shishigami from Mononoke Hime. The Veilclaw Phantasmal Stag only ever existed in his massive compilation of world-building notes, never making it into his actual web novel text as a true canonical creature. And yet…

“Ho- How does the author know about this? Did… did my notes somehow become canon?”

That’s a scary thought.

Feverishly, he reads on. What strikes Shang Qinghua the most as he reads is the way each entry is written. The entries aren't cold or dismissive, but passionate, lively. Thorough, yes, but never dry or boring. There’s a love for these creatures that is so genuine Shang Qinghua can’t help but wonder what kind of person the author is, and honestly kind of wants to meet them, this person so enamored with the fauna of his world. The footnotes are even more bizarre, seemingly the author’s afterthoughts. It gives him minor tonal whiplash but it’s still just as brilliant, pointing out subtle contradictions in Shang Qinghua’s web novel’s lore about similar creatures, snarky and pointed. The writing there, tucked in those footnotes, feels... familiar; personal. The tone is scathing, yes—ridiculously so, actually—but there is also a deeply intimate understanding of Shang Qinghua’s world-building; a hint of nigh omniscience that he hasn’t experienced from anyone else aside from himself, as the author and creator of this universe. No one besides him should have this kind of encyclopedic knowledge…

As he flips through the other pages, each one more well-researched than the last, something clicks in his head.

Shang Qinghua frantically searches for the author’s name and upon finding it, drops the bestiary as if it has burned him.

Wu Huang. 

Peerless Cucumber. 

The bitchiest, most critical, most sarcastic, and most self-righteous anti-fan of his work; the biggest Binghe-stan and the ultimate hater of anything papapa, the most loyal of all and the only one he could count on to pay his bills. And now—now—Cucumber-bro is somehow here, in the same world Shang Qinghua is trapped in, living out the very thing the guy had spent countless hours tearing apart.

What–and he cannot emphasize this enough–the fuck!?

[1st] | [3rd] < > [5th]

shout out to adornedwithlight for the reblog banner

[cisthoughtcrime]

I’m interested in learning Latin, where would you suggest I start?

So exciting! I'll try to keep this short:

I recommend starting with this very short informal intro, especially if you don't have a strong grasp on technical terms about grammar (most textbooks take that for granted). Latin grammar follows a rigid organisational system and the earlier you understand how it works, the easier it will be to learn the rest of the language. The 18-page PDF in the link uses English examples and practice questions to go through basic Latin grammar concepts and tables. It doesn't go through less basic things like participles or conditional clauses, but it does explain everything you need to know in order to learn those more easily. It also includes a hyperlinked list of good online resources for self-taught Latin and Greek students.

If you want to work through a textbook, Wheelock's Latin is probably the most widely used and comes with a lot of accompanying resources and guides (even though the official website looks older than Rome). Ecce Romani may be a bit more approachable and there are plenty of unofficial online lessons and guides made to go along with it. Those are my top two personally; I know some people like Latin Via Ovid because the practice texts are adapted from an actual ancient text about different myths, but imho I don't think it's as good a starting point if you're teaching yourself from scratch. Keep in mind that they'll all follow different formats for conjugation/declension tables, which can make it a bit confusing to switch between them; the short intro in that first link is a good way to understand how these charts work well enough to use them no matter the format.

There are tons of free resources online, even including full recordings of lessons, live study groups to join, communities with forum posting, and written-out explanations. For any individual concept that's troubling you, there are almost definitely multiple youtube videos of someone in front of a whiteboard saying it differently from the textbooks. Again, there's a good list included in that first document.

For practice in reading and understanding without deliberately translating, it's fun to try reading Latin translations of books you already know well in English, like Harrius Potter, Hobbitus Ille, Winnie Ille Pu, Alicia In Terra Mirabili, and many, many more, most of which are free on Archive and/or can be bought as physical copies.

However, this will be much more rewarding once you've built up some vocabulary and grammar, and might be frustrating or discouraging if you try the long ones too early, especially since they sometimes use words irregularly to convey modern meanings.

There are also a handful of recently-written stories in Latin targeted at students who like this kind of practice more. The German Netflix series Barbarians has all the Roman characters speaking in real Latin, and listening to it with subtitles can help build your ear for what sounds right.

Those are my recs for where to start! If you're stuck on something and can't find a good explanation, you can also send me an ask about it and I'm always happy to lay out how I think about it (even if my response times are irregular).

Good luck and enjoy!

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

Oh, also, I really hope that this point isn't news to anyone, but if you don't already have a basic understanding of what it means to develop information security, now is the fucking time.

Critically, I want to see people being responsible in how they interact with:

A) the dissemination of information and the correction or disruption of misinformation

B) privacy related or personal data (of themselves, but ESPECIALLY of others who you could unknowingly harm)

C) pictures and visual media

D) your bodies: not a good time to start leaving traces of yourself where they shouldn't be, e.g. blood, saliva, etc

E) triangulatory/tangential information (you know that guy who can tell where you are by the weather descriptions? That's an extreme example very few people can pull off, but you'd be horrified how little info I need about someone to correctly interpret whole sections of their personal history and data)

F) other people. If you have never formally done so, find a conflict resolution/group facilitation class with a local organizing group or community college. Start learning what healthy boundaries (flexible, but neither porous nor rigid) look like for you. Pick a communication style to cultivate so you can be consistent in how you navigate stressful moments. Figure out what it means to you to share space with others with intention. (And yes, there is no one way to do this, but every one of us will need to find our most secure version, whatever that is, ESPECIALLY those of us who are already vulnerable here due to past trauma, neurotype, TBI, healthcare/wellbeing needs, etc)

I'm a really open book in a lot of ways, and yall might rightly look at that and go "butts you're one to talk about infosec"

And yeah. Yeah. But like.

I know what you know. I made those choices on purpose or at the very least addressed the aftermath of the accidents with intention. I also know what I did to be protective of myself and my info, and you don't know those things. You should know how to do them for yourself though, because it will help you understand why I can have done what I've done over the years and still say this now.

It matters what people know. It matters how easy that knowledge is to revisit. It matters how much of that knowledge is heresay vs documented and verifiable. It matters what contrary information is ALSO known. It matters what interconnected information about OTHER PEOPLE is known. It matters when you haven't said anything at all versus when you said a bit versus when you said a LOT. It matters when you say a lot without saying anything at all.

Information gathering is about putting together puzzle pieces. It's slow work, and it involves a massive amount of resources to do comprehensively and at scale. Information security is about making the gathering process not worth the investment such that the gatherers give up before they are able to put together enough pieces to do real damage. This is what "need to know" means.

For example, in a healthcare practice, it is a HIPAA requirement that access to protected patient info be limited to those who have a clinically relevant reason for accessing it. This means that certain system credentials or permissions will reveal varying amounts of protected information about a person. While one MIGHT be able to put together enough puzzle pieces for certain minor information gathering from early stages (e.g. where someone will be a the specific time of their appt), one likely cannot identify deeper and more vulnerable levels of information (who is the appt with and what is it for?)

This kind of layered buffer is most important when people who AREN'T PERMITTED (permited as in able to do without effective correction/consequence, not permitted as in legally or appropriately authorized to do) to access this info are trying to access it. If someone is permitted (e.g. if person with the appropriate credentials/access permission discloses it voluntarily or if a subpoena is ordered, etc) then the level of access is less protective - they will typically simply access the level of info they need if they will be permitted to.

But there are further layers still of information security. For example, you can tie up a LOT of time forcing authorized bodies to refresh and specify their authorization over and over again, each time appropriately only providing the exact level of disclosure they have required of you. The more specific the information they are looking for, the easier it is to bury so deep down that they literally cannot access it even if they are looking right at it.

I was taught to write documentation "like at any time it could be read out by the patient in front of you, or by another provider asking us to justify a treatment, or in open court by order of a judge". For a year, my supervisor had me write four copies of every piece of documentation I ever made. My personal copy (burned upon completion of the billable note), my "soft note" that removed all protected/identifiable information from the narrative (e.g. names, ages, genders, specific diagnoses/conditions), my "hardnote" which removed anything "heresay" which had been self-reported by the patient unless I could professionally verify it), and lastly my billable note which I understood needed to offer "detailed justificstion" for the used (and named) interventions which cannot be used to work backwards and interpret the originating care conversation.

The only note that ever gets read by anyone but myself is the billable, because they others are never retained long enough to be seen by others, even if they do have the appropriate access. It becomes very difficult for someone to use the hard data they are capable of getting from me, voluntarily or by force, to actually confirm context. This is a similar principle when orhanizers compartmentalize need-to-information.

So start learning what it looks like to cordon off each layer of infosec you're about to implement in your life. What it will look like to grant someone access to a new layer.

Be responsible. We protect us.

[ccssmanagementsoftware]

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Source

[transmutationisms]

sorry if you've answered this before, but how do you keep track of all your readings? do you have a crazy well organised zotero system? how do you take notes?

I use zotero yes but it's not particularly organised. I have folders for each of my grad classes (when I had those) and then I try to make new folders whenever I'm looking at a new subtopic or body of literature.

it's really an imperfect system though, like truly you don't have to be a professional organising wizard to make this work. for example here are six real folders that exist in my zotero and will do permanently:

Lamarck &c <- secondary literature about Lamarck; some of Lamarck's own works

Lamarck 20thc <- specific clump of early 20th century literature on Lamarck that is usually considered to be secondary literature but that is also occasionally useful to me as primary literature

Lamarck biog <- archival documents pertaining to Lamarck's life; some of Lamarck's own works

Lamarck primary but not authored <- primary biographical sources on Lamarck but nothing he wrote himself

Lamarck primary <- a misnomer, this one means primary sources written by other people who happen to be relevant to things I want to say about Lamarck

5033 <- classwork & term paper pertaining to Lamarck from 2019

these collectively account for maybe 20% of my zotero library and the rest is in similar condition. it's fine because Eye remember the years-long process of that ⬆️ happening and so those folders are still useful mental collections for me. don't let getting organised stand in the way of actually reading things you want to read lol.

when I take notes on nonfic I prioritise reminding myself what page numbers I can find key ideas on. occasionally I write out a full quote but usually my notes look more like this (real copy/paste from the last thing I had open):

145 q about how much influence these doctors had in strengthening the medical profession prior to 1914; focus on their contributions to professional reform. Campaign to abolish the position of health officer in 1870s, aftermath of Medical Reform Act of 1892, efforts to reform pharmacy and nursing. Physician-legislators played an important part in the reorganisation of the medical field post 1870s, but their ability to do so was hindered by the demands of a political career and the expectation that they served as rural spokesmen. 170 narrow focus of professional goals made it hard to equate them with social improvement. The structure of Third Republic politics limited the power of parliament to alter the social forces that regulated progress in the health professions

like the point isn't to learn special journallingg techniques, it's just prompts so I can go back and find things when I'm like "wait who the fuck was saying something about parliamentary structures and doctor careers..?"

I do all my note-taking in zotero as well because then I can text-search all of it in one place with the books themselves (the ones I pirate anyway, which is most).

so the key techniques here for me really boil down to 1) group things together however will make most sense when I'm prompting myself in the future and 2) make it all text-searchable. I don't have some steel trap memory lol I just try to work around what I do have as best I can.

[glowettee]

˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚maintaining your academic glow-up (forever!) - part 5/5˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

1st post 2nd post 3rd post 4th post 5th post

posted by: glowettee

hey academic angels! ♡

we've made it to the final part of our grade recovery journey! now that you're back on track, i wanna talk about how to keep that academic glow permanent. because we're not just trying to fix one grade - we're creating a whole new you! and we want it to last as long as possible <3

♡ creating your prevention system

catch problems before they happen:

early warning signs:

feeling confused in class more than usual

taking longer to complete assignments

procrastinating more than normal

losing interest in subjects

feeling overwhelmed easily

skipping study sessions

quick intervention steps:

review your notes daily (even if just for 15 mins!)

keep a confusion log for each class

schedule regular check-ins with professors/teachers

maintain your study buddy system

track your understanding weekly

stay ahead of readings

♡ building sustainable study habits

because we're in this for the long haul:

daily non-negotiables:

review today's class notes (make them pretty but useful)

preview tomorrow's material

update your planner

check for upcoming deadlines

organize materials for next day

celebrate small victories

weekly must-dos:

deep review of tough concepts

organize notes and materials

plan next week's study schedule

check assignment progress

connect with study group

reflect on what's working

♡ maintaining your academic aesthetic

looking cute while studying actually helps:

your study space:

keep it clean and organized

update inspiration board regularly

maintain good lighting

rotate study locations when needed

keep supplies stocked and cute

create seasonal study vibes

your materials:

color code consistently

update planners weekly

maintain digital backups

organize notes beautifully

keep supplies aesthetic but functional

create pretty study guides

♡ long-term success strategies

thinking ahead like the queen you are:

grade monitoring:

track all assignments and tests

calculate grade scenarios

maintain grade goals

document improvement patterns

celebrate progress milestones

adjust strategies as needed

knowledge building:

connect concepts across subjects

create master study guides

maintain concept maps

build on previous learning

develop deep understanding

share knowledge with others

♡ emergency preparation

because life loves to throw curveballs:

your emergency kit:

quick review sheets for each subject

backup study materials

digital copies of everything

contact list for help

stress-relief techniques

backup study locations

preventive measures:

stay ahead in readings

maintain good notes

keep organized files

build support networks

practice self-care regularly

maintain work-life balance

♡ mindset maintenance

keeping your academic confidence high:

daily practices:

positive study affirmations

progress appreciation

growth mindset exercises

self-care routines

gratitude journaling

visualization exercises

long-term mindset:

view challenges as opportunities

celebrate all progress

maintain high standards (but be kind to yourself)

focus on growth, not just grades

build academic confidence

stay curious and engaged

maintaining success is like maintaining your favorite aesthetic - it needs constant care and attention, but it's so worth it!

final thoughts:

trust your systems

stay consistent

keep things cute but functional

maintain your support network

celebrate every win

keep growing and glowing

thank you for joining me on this journey! remember, you're capable of amazing things, and one bad grade doesn't define your academic story. keep shining, keep studying, and keep being absolutely amazing!

stay brilliant and beautiful!

xoxo, mindy 🎀

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

By Betsy Ladyzhets

Since early in the pandemic, people with Long COVID have faced challenges in applying for disability benefits, including from their employers, insurance providers, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. Applications often take a long time and are denied even for people who clearly have debilitating symptoms, leading to years-long, arduous appeals processes. The same has been true decades prior to 2020 for people with other infection-associated chronic diseases.

To learn more about the disability insurance system, Betsy Ladyzhets spoke to Barbara Comerford, a long-time disability lawyer based in New Jersey who specializes in these cases. Comerford has represented people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS), for more than 30 years, including high-profile cases like that of journalist Brian Vastag.

Comerford discussed how the process works, her advice for putting together applications and appeals, how Long COVID has impacted her practice, and more. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Comerford’s tips for disability benefit applications:

Comerford recommends that people applying for benefits extensively document their symptoms. Medical tests such as neuropsychiatric testing and cardiopulmonary exercise testing are her recommended method for documentation, though she acknowledges that these tests can be expensive. Comerford suggests that applicants should be careful to find lawyers and medical providers who have experience with these cases and won’t dismiss their symptoms. During the appeals process, Comerford recommends requesting a company’s administrative record and combing through it for any evidence that they abused judgement, cherry-picked evidence, or made other errors in assessing the case. Make sure to follow deadlines for filing appeals, as cases are closed if documents are not submitted on time.

Barbara Comerford: Should we focus on disability insurance, or do you want to focus on social security disability, or both?

Betsy Ladyzhets: Both, because people [with Long COVID] are applying for both.

BC: Right. And often, people think they should only apply for one, [but they should apply for both.]

Most of the disability plans that people have are often through their employer. Those plans are known as ERISA plans, that refers to Employee Retirement Income Security Act. It was created in the 1970s… Congress created this regulatory scheme, and then immediately created a zillion loopholes that corporations can drive a truck through. Later, ERISA covered all employee benefits in general.

Insurance companies wound up selling policies to corporations saying, “You can get the best people if you offer incentives.” And what’s a better incentive than, if someone gets sick, they can collect a substantial percentage of their salary until full retirement age? These are the sorts of perks that… People think, “If something happens to me, I’ll be protected.” The promise of these policies is that they will give people, usually, between 50% and 80% of their pre-disability income if they satisfy the requirements. Well, that’s a big if.

I’ve been doing this for 38 years. And I can tell you that 38 years ago, these [disability claims] were not problem cases. I used to do them for free for my litigation clients… But over the years, and really starting after 2001 with September 11, all hell broke loose. They [insurance companies] began to get very aggressive. Every time there is an economic downfall, whatever it is, they get extremely aggressive. So you can imagine, with the onset of the pandemic, they knew what was coming.

I did, for many years, advocacy for ME/CFS cases. I represented thousands of people… A lot of my colleagues say, “Long COVID social security cases are almost impossible,” because they don’t know what to do with them. My office hasn’t found that to be the case. I think the difference is, you have to document these cases with as much objective documentation of symptoms that people have… Get neuropsych testing, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and other tests.

I started doing webinars and seminars [about disability benefit applications] in 2020, because I knew this was coming. At that point, they weren’t calling it Long COVID, they were just saying, some people with COVID weren’t getting better. But I knew it was going to turn into another ME/CFS disaster.

BL: How have you found the rise of Long COVID has impacted your practice? Do you find you’re more in demand now?

BC: We’ve always had a high volume of cases. Quite a few of them were ME/CFS cases. We did a case, Vastag v. Prudential, in 2018. Brian Vastag, who was a science writer for The Washington Post, was my client, and I could not get over how aggressively Prudential was just dismissing him because it was an ME/CFS case.

And the same is happening with Long COVID. We do cases all over the country on Long COVID and ME/CFS. It’s my livelihood, so it’s important for me, but it also makes me a little crazy that people get treated the way they do and that they have to hire people like me.

One of the things that people get upset about is that they have to spend money to medically document their symptoms. And worse than that… I see these Long COVID clinics, with doctors who are completely ignorant on Long COVID, who surreptitiously write notes in the chart that they think it’s a psychiatric case. I don’t know how familiar you are with this.

BL: Unfortunately, I’m very familiar.

BC: It’s awful. Not only is it really hard on my clients… It triggers them to read things that might not be what they said or might not be pleasant. And the number of times that I have seen that and it has sabotaged cases! I have to reconstruct the cases and have the clients contact the clinic [and get them to make corrections].

Mental/nervous limitations exist in all of these [insurance] policies… They can limit someone’s payments to two years if the case is a psychiatric case or mental/nervous limitation with a DSM diagnosis.

BL: I wanted to ask also — there’s been a lot of research on Long COVID at this point, and there was a report this summer from the National Academies specifically in response to a request from the Social Security Administration about Long COVID as a disability, in which they found that this disease can result in inability to work, poor quality of life, all that stuff. Have you seen that report, or other research, like the growing body of research on these diseases, have an impact?

BC: I was asked to comment on that [report]. Part of the problem with Social Security’s initiatives in this regard is that every social security case goes through what they call “sequential evaluation process.” You have to go through five steps to determine whether or not someone’s disabled. And among those steps is [matching people to a “medical listing of impairments,” but the list doesn’t include major symptoms for ME/CFS and similar diseases].

Years ago, there was a ME/CFS ruling called 99-2p. It offered guidelines [for ME/CFS cases that don’t fit the typical Social Security process]. After that, I was asked to present to the national association of Social Security judges, there were 500 judges in the audience. And I asked, “By show of hands, how many of you are familiar with 99-2p?” Two hands went up.

Despite the guidelines, in practice, [the judges aren’t familiar with these diseases]. Until there is a time when we can come up with a firm diagnostic criteria for Long COVID, and we can say, “This is what you have to document for this illness.” … And it can’t just be a positive COVID test, because many people got sick before testing was prevalent or they got sick after people stopped documenting that they were positive.

The other problem for Long COVID cases is it’s not like cancer or a broken leg or herniated disc or something that people are accustomed to. Those people are not told they’re crazy. Those people are not told they’re imagining it. Those people are not told, “Well, we just don’t buy it.” This is what happens with [Long COVID] and ME/CFS. The psych component that they try to pigeonhole these cases into is really a master stroke by the insurance industry that spends billions of dollars trying to persuade people that anyone who files for these benefits is a crook or fraud.

BL: It’s infuriating, especially when you see how deeply people’s quality of life is impacted by these diseases.

BC: Yes, every part of their life is impacted.

BL: I see what you’re saying about needing diagnostic criteria. In this time where we don’t have that yet, what would you want to see the Social Security Administration or other government agencies do to make it easier for all these people who are applying for benefits with Long COVID and ME/CFS?

BC: They should [reevaluate] the sequential evaluation process, which has been there forever, and look at medically determinable impairment in the context of Long COVID and ME/CFS. These diseases can be documented by things like neuropsych testing.

I’ll quickly go through the five-step sequential evaluation process. The first step is, “Is the person engaged in substantial gainful activity?” That is something you can do predictably, something that will last at least 12 months, and something that leads to gainful work, where you get paid and you can report for a job either part-time or full-time. In Long COVID cases… you have to document that this person is not engaged in substantial gainful activity because they don’t know tomorrow if they’re going to be able to get up and get out of bed and take shower, never mind report for work.

If you satisfy step one, they go to step two. There, they ask, “Do you have the ability, in light of your disability, to perform basic work-related activity?” Sitting, standing, reaching, pushing, pulling, reading, concentrating, things of that nature. And, “Does the disability negatively impact your ability to do these things?” [You need medical evidence, which can come from] a physician’s evaluation from a Long COVID clinic, for example.

If you have that, you go to step three, which is where that horrible “medically determinable impairment” crap comes in. There isn’t {a specific listing} yet for Long COVID, although they’re talking about it. Frankly, we’re still waiting for them to do one for ME/CFS, so I’m not holding my breath. That’s the only step in the process where, if they don’t satisfy it, you can still move on to the next step.

The fourth step is, “Is this person capable of performing the work that they performed for the last five years?” Until June of this year, it was the last 15 years… So we go through each job they had, all their symptoms and limitations and why they can’t do [the job anymore]. If we document successfully that they can’t perform their past relevant work for the last five years as a result of their disability, we can then go to step five.

Step five, the burden shifts to the Social Security Administration. Social Security has to document that, in light of a person’s age, education, and work experience, that there is no work in the national economy that they could perform. [To do this], Social Security has a big graph called the “medical vocational guidelines.” And essentially, the younger you are, the more skills you have, the more education you have, and the more skills that are transferable, generally you are found not disabled. But the graph is not supposed to be used for cases that involve what we call non-exertional and exertional complaints together. Pain, fatigue, things of that nature are all part of the non-exertional limitation.

That is how we lift ME/CFS and Long COVID cases out of that graph. Despite the fact that many of our clients are very young, many of them are highly educated, many of them have developed skills that are not only transferable, but are also in high demand in the national economy — [we say that] because they can’t predictably perform sustained work of any kind, the grid should not be used to find them not disabled. But with all of this, every one of these cases, medical documentation of limitations is crucial. I can’t emphasize that enough.

BL: I know a lot of people in Long COVID community, they’ve already sent in their applications, and then it gets denied, and then they have to appeal. What is that process like, and how would you suggest people go about finding someone like you?

BC: It’s really important to do some research. You want to know if the doctor or attorney you’re dealing with has experience in these cases… I do [webinars and one-on-one education] for lawyers all the time, because I’d rather them hear what has to be done, and understand what happens if they don’t do it.

If I’m giving people advice on appeals… If it’s coming from a United States employer, you’re going to be governed by ERISA. That’s important because people might file a claim without knowing the exact company policy. Despite the fact that federal regulations require employers to give that information to employees, when someone gets sick and files a [short-term] disability claim, they are immediately cut off from the employee benefits portal [that has all the exact policy information]. So then I’ve got to write a letter to the employers, and fight to get that information.

You can’t even get discovery in these cases… Sometimes they will award benefits, and then six months in they’ll say, “We no longer believe you’re disabled.” Under ERISA, [employers and insurance companies] get all the advantages.

BL: It seems like people should know, if you’re filing against an employer, to save that policy information before you lose access to it.

BC: When you get the notice of a denial, you can request a complete copy of the administrative record. You are entitled to see everything that the insurance company had on the case, and under federal regulations, they have 30 days to produce it.

And then you have 180 days to appeal that [denial]. People say that’s a long time. It’s really not. Because you’ve got to go through thousands of pages of documents. You’ve got to document where they abuse their discretion. It’s not enough to have medical evidence… [The standard you have to push back on is that] the insurance company or the employer has a “reason” to deny the claim.

The lawyer’s job or the claimant’s job is to show all the examples they found in the administrative record that show [mistakes or poor judgement on the part of the insurance company or employer]… Sometimes, you will see reports of experts that they’ve retained to review the case, and the expert will say, “I think it’s a payable claim.” And then the next thing you find is them looking for another doctor who’s a little more receptive to their suggestions. If we see they’ve ignored the opinion of one of their experts, that’s an example of abuse of discretion and arbitrary, capricious conduct. Cherry picking the evidence is another thing you often see in these cases.

BL: So it’s not just sending your own medical records, you have to show that the company has messed up.

BC: The insurance company or the employer, whoever is paying, you have to show that they abused their discretion.

BL: Is there anything else, any other advice or resources you would give people?

BC: This is really important. If it’s an ERISA case and they do not get that appeal in within 180 days, they’re foreclosed from pursuing it any further… [It’s a big mistake] if you blow those time deadlines.

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[whencyclopedia]

Olaudah Equiano's Account of the Middle Passage: A Glimpse into the Horrors of Slavery

In the late 18th century, Olaudah Equiano, an enslaved African who later became a renowned abolitionist, shared a harrowing account of his journey through the infamous Middle Passage. His story, documented in his autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, reveals the brutal conditions faced by millions of Africans forcibly transported across the Atlantic. Equiano's personal experience highlights a pivotal moment in history when the horrors of slavery were exposed, fueling the abolitionist movement in Britain and beyond.

Key Facts

Olaudah Equiano was taken from West Africa at about the age of ten and later became a prominent abolitionist writer.

He was bought and sold multiple times before buying his freedom in 1765.

The Middle Passage was part of the Triangle Trade, where enslaved Africans were transported from West Africa to the Americas.

Conditions on slave ships were extremely harsh, with overcrowding, disease, and cruel treatment leading to a high mortality rate.

Equiano's autobiography significantly influenced public opinion against slavery.

Historical Context

The Middle Passage was a central part of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, a trade system involving Europe, West Africa, and the Americas that lasted from the early 16th century to the mid-19th century. Enslaved Africans were traded for goods, which were then sold back in Europe, creating a continuous cycle of exploitation.

Historical Significance

Equiano's work not only exposed the inhumane conditions of the slave trade but also contributed to the growing abolitionist movement. His writing helped shift public perception and push for the eventual abolition of slavery in Britain in 1833.

Why You Should Know About it Today

Understanding Equiano's account is crucial today because it underscores the enduring impact of slavery on society. His story serves as a powerful reminder of the systemic injustices of the past and continues to inform discussions about equality and justice in the present.

Learn More: Olaudah Equiano's Account of the Middle Passage

[sophieinwonderland]

Hi sophie (again) one really quick note, the reason i read through your ENTIRE blog is because my dissertation is on facetious disorders portrayed and influenced by social media and the likes of such- it is literally a 250 page document about people like you. It's literally a part of my research to read long-winded things like this and write about them. My livelihood revolves around this. I don't expect to see a Dr. before your name, but you can damn well expect to see it before mine.

The only reason I sent that ask and wrote a targeted post was to get a response from you. The only reason. Had some writers block lol, I needed some material 😅😅

Another note to add to the grooming part was not about LGBTQ or transgender people as I am both myself. Please do not take it as a jab to your gender identity, and I apologize if it came off that way. It was in no way meant to insult you in that regard.

First, thanks for clarifying about the use of grooming. I don't mean to suggest you did intend it as a remark about my gender identity.

But I do think it's important to note in a "you are not immune to propaganda" way. Because I think, consciously or unconsciously, anti-endos have adopted transphobic talking points.

I assume and hope that this is unconscious. That rather than looking at how conservatives have used these talking points to harm queer communities and going "yeah, we can use that talking point too with these people we don't like," this absorption and repetition of these talking points is happening on a subconscious level. In which case, I think it's important to understand where they've originated and what the history is behind them.

As well as what misusing these terms normalizes. Because repeating them does contribute to a culture that is okay with using "grooming" this way to associate people they don't like with child abusers.

Now, allow me to first commend you on starting work on your dissertation so early. Working on it at just 20 is quite impressive indeed.

Although I have to question the subject matter.

A factitious disorder is when somebody is faking a disorder or pretending to have a disorder. It seems strange that you would seek to use examples of people who do not actually have a disorder and are not claiming to.

Even if endogenic systems were lying, unless they're presenting themselves as having a disorder they weren't, they wouldn't qualify for criterion B.

If you do want to write about people who have plural experiences without having trauma or a disorder, you might want to actually read my studies and research page. I'm sure that you could find stuff there that could help you on your journey.

And if you plan on writing about tulpamancy, specifically, Dr. Samuel Veissiere's Variety of Tulpa Experiences is probably most useful in understanding the tulpamancy community and viewpoints on the practice.

I would also recommend Learning to Discern the Voices of Gods, Spirits, Tulpas, and the Dead, as it offers a great comparison between tulpamancy and other forms of non-pathological voice hearing.

I imagine that these studies are much more productive uses of your time than scrolling through over 11,000 Tumblr posts, and would look better as sources in your dissertation.

Finally, if you are committed to doing a dissertation on factitious disorder, I would highly advise learning how to spell factitious. Because it's not "facetious" disorders, and spelling it that way might look a bit awkward on your dissertation about factitious disorder.