#also: tenant is great and you should definitely read it

[marybeatriceofmodena]

A'ight, what is it about Anne Brontë and Tenant of Wildfell Hall? I keep seeing stuff about how Anne is the unproblematic Brontë sister and that's what kept me away from her books lol

*kracks knuckles* All right. So, remember how the Brontë sisters wrote three novels simultaneously? Charlotte wrote The Professor, Emily wrote Wuthering Heights, and Anne wrote Agnes Grey. The two latter got picked up by publishers, but The Professor was rejected, so Charlotte finished up Jane Eyre and sent it to a publisher, who accepted it immediately and had it published before Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey got printed. All three of them wrote under pen names (Charlotte was Currer Bell, Anne was Acton Bell, and Emily was Ellis Bell), because they knew their novels were, say, a little controversial, and that if it was known they were women, their characters would be judged and immediately associated to their works. So needless to say, they were VERY supportive of each other, because they knew no one else would. (Their father was also supportive, but they published their novels without telling him at first but once they did, he was very encouraging, thankfully.)

It's easy to see why Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights would be considered controversial in their day (they still kind of are today given the Discourse(tm), lol). Agnes Grey, while it didn't do as well as JE and WH, was criticized for being a little too... let's say, honest about a governess' day-to-day life, when Anne wrote it drawing from her own experiences as a governess. The thing with Anne is that people find her stuff a little moralizing, but it was in her best interest to present Agnes as virtuous given how she made little secret of how poorly governesses could be treated, since it wasn't that rare they'd be accused of profiting from the families they were employed by, when there were abuse cases more often than not.

Then The Tenant of Wildfell Hall came out, and that's when criticism started to fly. May Sinclair (an early 20th century suffragist) would later write that the scene where Helen (the main character of the novel) slams her door to her husband's face had a reveberation that was heard throughout England. It's the story (in case you don't mind getting spoiled for a 150-year-old book) of a lady who marries a Victorian fuckboy called Huntington, ends up in an abusive household where her only comfort is her son, and once she realizes that her husband is becoming a bad influence on her child, she leaves him and manages to hide in a house that her brother is willing to rent to her, while she tries to earn a small living by painting. And people lost their shit, because according to them, Helen was a bad woman for leaving her husband, even though she did it to, you know, get her son out of a toxic environment. If Charlotte criticized anything about the novel, it's that she thought some aspects of Huntington were depicted too graphically, but they mostly had to do with his alcoholism and his adultery (this is important: those critcisms have nothing to do with Helen, or how Tenant is shade thrown at Charlotte and Emily's works). That might have been because Anne got some inspiration for Huntington from Branwell, their brother, who was also an alcoholic and got fired from his job as a tutor for having an affair with the lady of the house. Charlotte was pretty fed up with Branwell at that point, and while Emily was the one who got along with him best, they had some pretty big fights because she was in no way a pushover (so the belief that Charlotte and Emily idolized Branwell while Anne was the only one who saw through his BS is also, incidentally, BS).

So, why did Charlotte stop Tenant from being re-printed after Anne's death? Simply put, the criticism against it was getting worse, and people were defaming Anne's character because of it. Charlotte had had her own share of troubles with Jane Eyre - she dedicated the second edition to William Makepeace Thackeray (of Vanity Fair and Barry Lyndon fame) because he was her favorite author, without knowing his wife was institutionalized after suffering from severe post-partum depression. And that led, of course, to people speculating that Jane Eyre was semi-autobiographical, and that Charlotte was Thackeray's mistress. (I mean, it *is* semi-autobiographical, but Thackeray had nothing to do with it.) So she was understandably a little on edge, and while she edited Agnes Grey for a reprinting after Anne's death (given there were a lot of spelling mistakes and the like in the first printing), she asked for Tenant to not be reprinted to protect her sister's memory.

So no, Charlotte did not block Tenant from being as well-known as Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre because she was "jealous", or because she was mad that Anne was "throwing shade" at her and at Emily. She was protecting her sister's reputation, because she wasn't even alive anymore to speak for herself and mount any kind of defense, and that was while Charlotte's own reputation was under fire, after she had lost the two people who had supported her the most - Emily died in 1848, and Anne in 1849. To try to pit these sisters against each other, when two of them died far too young and the surviving one had to pick up the pieces and defend them against public opinion - it is simply distasteful, and it needs to stop.

[kmgkmg]

EVERYTHING - LEE HEESEUNG

word count: 2.8k…

pairing: heeseung x gn!reader

synopsis: you are a freshly moved in tenant to a cheaply priced apartment, but is it too good to be true?

genre/s: fluff, non-idol!au, strangers-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers more of a miscommunication trope, college student!reader, neighbor!heeseung

warnings: none!

rating: pg

a/n: for @dearhee!! hi, i was matched with you for the @kflixnet's exchange event! i'm a bit shy so i didn't message you, but i've enjoyed seeing your posts on my dash ^^ i hope you enjoy this short oneshot piece! the title is based off of everything by kehlani. i had a hard time choosing between her song and butterfly dream by khalil fong, also i did kinda get carried away and made you a fic playlist! and an older outdated playlist i made for heeseung a while back if you'd like to listen to it! sorry this author's note is so long omg.

Brown moving boxes cluttered your new living room. Sure, it looked a bit barren and depressing from the boxes and bubble-wrapped items lying around, but those would be dealt with right after you finished your coursework. Sitting down at the kitchen table you and Jungwon assembled just hours ago, your mouse hovered over the pause button of your laptop.  

You were attempting to finish the recorded lecture your professor posted yesterday. Latin American Politics seemed like a fascinating topics course to take, and to top it off, the professor had stellar reviews from classmates. Who would’ve known that you were getting yourself into the most intensive courses you’ve taken to date? The readings were interesting and you never had a problem completing them, but what drove you insane was the exams. Your professor would always include questions that would leave a lot up for interpretation, yet he would grade it seemingly randomly based on his mood.  The other half of the questions would require you to know a decent amount of outside information since he would ask questions that were never discussed in class or case studies, but would be relating to relevant precedents.

Something that was quickly driving you insane was your next door neighbor. You hadn’t had the chance to introduce yourself yet, but for almost the entire time you tried to watch the lecture, music could be heard through your shared wall. You thought the noise would subside if you waited long enough, but your patience finally met its limit when they turned up their music enough for you to feel the bass. 

This isn't how you imagined introducing yourself to your neighbors. You weren’t hoping to be best friends with them or anything, but you definitely didn’t think you’d be storming over to their doorstep at 11pm to complain. Still, it’s a weekday. How could they not have the common sense to be courteous of those who needed to wake up early in the morning?

Opening your door, you walked over and knocked three times on the door. A man with grayish blonde hair opened the door with a quizzical smile flashed towards you.

And maybe, no, definitely, his looks would’ve been more noticed by you on any other day. But you had an oral exam to finish polishing to present in front of your professor and classmates. 

“Can you lower your music please? I’m trying to study and it’s distracting,” You request, without paying much attention to your neighbor’s confusion gradually showing on his face. 

“I wasn’t playing any music though?” He innocently replies.

“For the past forty minutes I’ve listened to music from your side of the wall, don’t act innocent,” You groan. 

He smirked at you, “Sure, I can ‘turn it down’,” emphasizing the last part by using air quotes with his hands. 

“What do you mean with the air quotations?” You frown, imitating the air quotes he made moments ago. 

“Don’t you think you owe me a favor for turning down my music? I mean it is my apartment, I should be able to act how I want. Not my fault that the building’s walls are thin,” He shrugs. 

Of course, your neighbor is entitled. Just great. 

“You won’t turn it down? Okay, there’s an easy solution. What was the landlord’s number again? I think filing a noise complaint would make my problem solved real quick,” You answered, unlocking your phone screen and showing the dial pad screen to him.

His smirk fades, “Alright, alright, I’ll stop playing my music and singing,” taking your phone and typing a number onto it, “here’s my number.” He extended his hand to you with your phone placed on his palm. 

You snatched your phone back, narrowing your eyes at him. “Why give me your number? So you can bother me through texts and phone calls instead?” You scoff, already heading back to your apartment next door. 

“You can message me instead of our landlord when I make noise again,” He waves, before slamming his door behind you. 

Asshole.

One thing you absolutely hated was hot weather. Without the A/C on in the middle of today, a day that was record-breakingly hot, you felt certain you would melt any minute now. Your landlord sent out an email to all of the tenants in the morning explaining that the A/C broke and would probably be repaired by tonight. You didn’t need her email to wake you up though. You were already awake, sweating profusely. The comforter had long been thrown to the floor. You stumbled sleepily to your thermostat which read as 100°F/38°C. Outside it was a bit cooler, but being outside only exposed you to the blazing sun. It was truly choosing the lesser of two evils. 

What made the day even worse is that you ran into your annoying neighbor, whose name you learned is Heeseung, as you went outside to make a quick run to buy some cold snacks. It did make it slightly better when he was covered in as much, if not more sweat than you. You couldn’t revel in his misfortune for too long though. He miraculously managed to trip over his doormat, falling onto you. Both of you scowled at each other while childishly wiping each other’s germs off yourselves. 

He hadn’t played his music anymore since the day you confronted him, but he did sing nearly everyday. If you weren’t studying, you couldn’t help admiring how talented he was. His vocals sounded like they came straight from a CD. But your appreciation for his talent never lasted long, since he always had an intuitive sense to bother you. 

Y/N, I sound good, don’t I?

How would you feel if I serenaded you sometime?

Don’t you think a guy who can sing is sooooooo hot?

Have any song requests Y/N?

His texts immediately removed any hint of charisma his music might’ve given him. Heeseung knew that his texts drove you insane, and if you were just an ounce less nice than you were, he would’ve been blocked a long time ago. Still, he had texted you about a week ago informing you he’d be redoing the foam sound panels he installed a couple years back in order to hopefully be more soundproof for your sake. While you felt relieved that you would finally have some peace and quiet after weeks of living with his incessant noise, it was bittersweet. You had grown used to his singing, occasionally singing along to the songs you knew. Although, it didn’t change the fact that he was still arrogant as ever whenever he interacted with you. 

Snapping out of your thoughts about Heeseung, the elevator doors opened on your floor. You looked down into the plastic bag of goods you got from the convenience store and sighed disappointedly at the distorted shape of the ice cream you bought. 

“Sorry if the phone was cut out, I was in the elevator. But Jake, I’m going to die in this heat!” You whined through the phone, searching your pockets with your free hand for your keys. 

“Why don’t you just come over to my place then?” He offers generously.

“That would give me the perfect excuse to see Layla…” You trail off, tempted by your friend’s invitation. 

“See, Y/N just come over and we can eat some ice cream to cool down,” Jake persuades you further. 

“You know, I actually got ice cream and other stuff and I’m pretty sure it melted on impact the moment I stepped into this damn complex,” You reveal, lightening up at the sound of Jake’s laughter. 

You finally found your keys and unlocked your door, noticing the fan by your door. There was a Post-It note attached to it: You seemed to need it more than me - Seung. He was definitely sweating more than you earlier, so why would he give his fan to you?

“Jake, my annoying neighbor just left me a really nice fan to use?” You tell him, still glancing over the note. All of a sudden? For no reason? Your suspicions grew as they usually did, sure that he must have an ulterior motive. Nevertheless, you carried the fan and your melted snacks into your apartment. 

“You mean the neighbor with the angelic singing voice?” Jake asks to confirm he was thinking about the same neighbor. 

You open your fridge, placing each item in their designated spot, “You heard him one time, Jake.”

“One time was enough, Y/N. Dude’s got the voice of an angel for real,” Jake stands his ground. 

Rolling your eyes, you take out the semi-frozen pineapple juice you put in the freezer hours ago. The original plan was to drink it for yourself, but it couldn’t stop bothering you that Heeseung had seemingly been nice for no reason. The fan he gave you blew cold air and if you wanted it to be even colder you could add cold water or ice to a compartment. It was expensive, you could tell from the look of it alone. Also, you did happen to browse for fans while you were waiting in line at the convenience store. Was the fan in front of you the one you considered buying? That’s not important right now…

“Y/N?” Jake’s voice snaps you away from your thoughts. 

“Sorry, give me a sec,” You grabbed the plastic bag on the counter and added the frozen pineapple juice and gummies to it. It’s not equivalent to his fan, but at least it’s something. 

You reopened your door, preparing to hang the bag on his door handle and go back to your conversation. What you didn’t expect was Heeseung to be walking in the hallway, humming a song while twirling his keys with one hand and carrying takeout in the other. He caught you in the middle of what was supposed to be a discrete delivery, raising his eyebrow in amusement. 

“And what do I owe the pleasure, Y/N L/N?” He moseyed over to you, flashing one of his infamous smiles at you. 

“I just left some things in the bag since you gave me that fan. I appreciate it, but um, if you don’t want the snacks since you just got food, I can grab it later,” You mumbled, trying to scurry back into your apartment since Jake was definitely going to tease you about any interaction you had with Heeseung. 

“Wait, is that the angelic neighbor, Y/N?” Jake’s voice practically booms from your phone. You must’ve accidentally pressed the speaker button. Heeseung’s smile only grows wider as he looks at your phone, with you being completely mortified and hanging up on your best friend. 

“Angelic neighbor, huh?” 

“Don’t let it get to your head, Heeseung. That’s just my friend’s nickname for you,” You attempt to crush anything he was imagining, matching his cheeky energy. 

“Aw, so you talk about me that much? I’m flattered, really,” He places a hand on his heart, closing his eyes in a feigned earnest expression. 

“He heard you singing one time, Heeseung. Then, I mean I might’ve told him you were always singing with that flawless voice of yours, but that was it really,” You rambled, not thinking much about the words that were coming out of your mouth. 

“Flawless voice…” He repeats, turning shy at the surprise compliment you gave. 

You were completely unaware of what you said, still trying to make your way back to your apartment. 

“Anyways, if you don’t have anything else to say I’m going to head back into my place…” You point with your thumb to your door, confused as to why he suddenly turned so quiet. 

“Thank you.” 

Now it was your turn to be surprised, “For what?”

“I’ve been going to all these auditions but keep getting rejected. Each place I go nitpicks my technique, but you called my voice flawless. I guess I really needed to hear that right now,” Heeseung explains, now fidgeting with his keys. 

The puzzle pieces started falling into place, “So that’s why you’re always singing?”

He nodded in response, “The first day you came over to my door, I was practicing for a callback the following morning. I knew that we were expecting a new tenant and sure, I heard you moving things in, but moving in took me like three days. The last time someone new moved in was me, which was two years ago. So, I just assumed that you would still be moving in. It didn’t occur to me that you could’ve moved all your stuff in one day. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I was making that much noise that night, I didn’t know you were all moved in yet.”

His sincere apology surprised you for the second time, “I’m sorry, too. I’m a law school student and I was prepping for an exam that determined a huge part of my grade. I can get a bit sensitive to sounds when I’m studying for exams,” You apologized back. 

Heeseung’s fingers stopped fidgeting with his keys as his expression softened, “Thank you for the snacks, I’ll enjoy them, Y/N.”

The warmth in his voice as he said your name made you flustered, used to him only saying your name in a teasing tone, “Y-Yeah, no problem. Thanks for the fan, I’ll use it well.”

“Oh, before I forget, I was going to drop off one of these sandwiches by the fan if you weren’t home yet,” He reaches into his takeout bag and hands you a sandwich. 

Today must be the day he decided to endlessly surprise you since he handed you your regular order from the local deli, “How’d you know my order…?”

“About a week ago, you made an UberEats and the delivery person knocked on my door first,” He nonchalantly explained. 

“Ah, I see. But why are you being so nice to me? I mean it’s a complete 180 from this morning,” You question him, still suspicious of his kindness. 

“I just woke up when I tripped into you earlier. Also, I absolutely hate hot weather so I would’ve made that face if I bumped into anyone,” Heeseung answers, “I hope that we can get along from now on.”

You nod in agreement and thank him for the fan and sandwich once again before parting. 

Finally back in your apartment, you FaceTimed Jake only to be met with the faces of both him and Jungwon. 

“Tell us everything!” 

Months had passed since Heeseung and you finally cleared up your misunderstandings. Your once sour relationship with him had turned into a strong friendship, spending most of each other’s free time with each other. 

His love as a friend was anything but conventional. He knew all of your details, from the first time you officially hung out and watched the newest John Wick movie to the time when you went to a dog cafe together, he was always attentive to you and your interests. You were equally attentive to him, recommending songs that would suit his voice, or sending videos about fishing since it was his hobby. Jake had grown closer to Heeseung as well, reporting back to Jungwon each time you and Heeseung would gush about each other. 

It was obvious to everyone that you loved each other. Well, obvious to everyone but the two of you. That was, until one fateful summer night spent on the apartment’s rooftop with each other. You were watching a fireworks show in the distance, enamored with the various colors filling the dark night sky. 

“Isn’t it stunning, Seung?” You exclaimed happily, not breaking your attention from the fireworks in front of you. 

He wasn’t looking at the fireworks though. His eyes were fixed on you beside him, taking in everything you are, “Yeah, absolutely stunning.”

You turned towards him, only to be met with his unwavering gaze, “Heeseung?”

He softly led you to the table and chairs on the rooftop, hinting that he wanted to sit down next to you. You followed him, picking up when he wanted to say something.

After a deep breath in Heeseung began, “Y/N, I love the way you teach me about things I never would have thought to learn about. I love the way you listen to my concerns and nonsensical excited rants about my favorite shows or album releases. I love your extrovertedness and willingness to help those around you. I love your laugh. I love you.”

“Heeseung, I love you too,” You reply, unable to properly formulate all the reasons why you loved him. If you started listing the reasons why you loved him, you feared you would never stop. 

But your confession back was enough for him to shine brighter than any of the fireworks you watched before, “Really?”

You smile at him, causing him to envelop you in a hug. 

Who would’ve thought that your noisy neighbor all those months ago would end up being the person you loved?

[keire-ke]

Three Body Problem/Dark Forest

I’ve only read the first two so far, and overall I really enjoyed both (with some caveats)! I have it on good authority the third one goes off the rails, but I’ll report back on this one :P Thus far they were very enjoyable as sci-fi epics, TBP takes place in more-or-less now, DF spans centuries, the worldbuilding is great, the ideas it has are very cool and the prose is so good.

That said, they are immensely frustrating, too, in very particular ways (least among which is “wow, this was definitely written by a man”). TBP not so much, that’s just great, but the follow-up...

I’m putting it behind a cut, because spoilers (if you’re thinking of reading the books, avoid spoilers, the spiral they take you on is Something Else)

My particular point of frustration is in how these books are broadly speaking about the relationship between the collective and the individual, how one feeds into and affects the other, but the individuals are... Well, they have names, definitely, and also occupations. It’s less of a problem in TBP, which is very straightforward with the cause and effect, but in DF it rolls out into a whole sprawling... something.

Okay, so book one, Ye Wenjie is so disillusioned with humanity after living through the Chinese revolution and watching her father’s murder that she asks the aliens to come over and destroy it. Cool. There’s a whole organization dedicated to helping the aliens out, which she leads, but she has second thoughts after things start happening, all that.

In DF we get the very explicit consequences of the “humanity over humans” in the form of the history of the Great Ravine(? - not sure how it’s translated in English), and how that lead to a nigh-perfect society based on individual rights, whose only real problem was that they were too trusting and hopeful, to the point that older characters refer to them as children. Also cool. Yes, sometimes bright-eyed optimism will not save the day, which doesn’t make callous pessimism right. Humanity didn’t get to its darkest hour by being too lovey-dovey (though mistakes were made and hubris didn’t help). In the end the only future is one of cooperation and mutual respect.

So, the day is saved by a guy who only really wants to reunite with his family. Again, so far so cool. Humanity is made of humans, who may think of humanity in the abstract, but they are also creatures of the here and now and that’s what civilisation is and should be about. For better or for worse.

The problem is, the guy’s family is a cardboard cutout not only in the meta sense of having hardly any lines and existing mainly between scenes, oh no. That would be... disappointing, but also par the course for, hell, most of literature. No, instead the family starts when Luo imagines a perfect woman, who becomes real to him, to the point he has self-induced hallucinations about her being in the car and having conversations with him, and later uses the societal powers granted to him to get the police (his chief bodyguard with whom he has a reasonably compelling actual friendship) to find him a girl matching that exact description. Who is then lured in to his house under the pretense of working for him. Within a year or so they marry and have a child.

And then the epilogue concludes that humanity has problems with the Dark Forest metaphor because love is so important in human culture (it’s not as egregious as in Interstellar, don’t worry, it actually comes off quite well). Which...

But wouldn’t it be much stronger if they were both actual characters? If they met the normal way, if they fought and made up and had human interactions that weren’t limited to Luo thinking how perfectly in line with his fantasies his mail-order-imagination bride turned out?

That’s not even mentioning that the core tenant of the Dark Forest theory is the complete impossibility of communication between alien civilisations, when the whole entire series is predicated on perfect communication being not only possible, but pivotal from the point of first contact, but that doesn’t actually affect the plot all that much.

[justforbooks]

The literary landscape is strewn with signposts decrying the decay of print publication and robust readership. Can readers continue to flourish in the strange new world of new media? With this volume, Alan Jacobs enters the fray by examining the effect of this cultural climate on the task of reading. As a professor of English at Wheaton College, Jacobs is a vocational reader who has reflected on these issues carefully. With no traditional chapters, the book takes the form of an extended essay where each section or heading begins a new topic or idea. With this meandering format, each step further into the book develops an element of Jacobs's overall perspective on the task of reading.

Jacobs begins by pointing to the number of “devoted readers in America” and notes that there has been a “surprising uptick in the reading of literary fiction and other long-form works.” Contrary to the “lamentations of many contemporary Jeremiahs, the cause of reading is not a lost one by any means” (p. 5). However, many who share an enthusiasm for reading also lack confidence and “wonder whether they are reading well, with focus and attentiveness, with discretion and discernment” (p. 6). Jacobs explores the root of this anxiety by reviewing the main tenants of How to Read a Book, the enduringly popular guide for reading by Mortimer Adler. According to this approach, getting “the most” out of a book is the duty and obligation of a good reader. Reading, in other words, is fundamentally a “means of self-improvement” (p. 9). A characteristic example of this mindset is the “eat-your-vegetables lists of approved authoritative texts” in a given field that are endlessly (and usually annually) proliferated (p. 12).

Jacobs argues that this “strongly legislative tone is not ideally suited to today's habits of mind” (p. 8). Rather than pursing the didactic tact of telling us what to read, Jacobs seeks to describe how we read and presses the motivations for why we read. In stark contrast to duty-driven reading, the most prominent reason for reading in Jacobs's account is “that reading books can be intensely pleasurable” and that “reading is one of the great human delights” (p. 10). This type of reading is difficult because “a significant chunk” of the American reading public still “can't take its readerly pleasure straight but has to cut it with a sizable splash of duty” (p. 11). Jacobs seeks to articulate “a very different model of what reading can be all about” (p. 12).

His understanding of the task of reading forefronts a dual emphasis on reading for pleasure and reading at whim. These interlocking principles govern his remarks throughout and serve as the heart of Jacobs's contribution to this discussion. First, Jacobs seeks to convey his “commitment to one dominant, overarching, nearly definitive principle for reading: Read at Whim” (p. 15). He distinguishes between reading with “thoughtless, directionless preference that almost invariably leads to boredom or frustration or both,” which he calls “whim,” and reading based on the guidance of “self-knowledge,” which he characterizes as “Whim” (p. 41). The reader governed by the “sovereignty of Whim” is one who reads out of desire and delight rather than duty or perceived accomplishment.

Though “reading at whim” might sound purely capricious, Jacobs connects this element with the “pleasures of reading.” He warns at the beginning of the book that his reflections are not for those who dislike or feel indifferent to reading. Rather, they are for “those who have caught a glimpse of what reading can give-pleasure, wisdom, joy-even if that glimpse came long ago” (p. i). His paradigmatic suggestion: “Read what gives you delight-at least most of the time-and do so without shame” (p. 23). Though “reading for fun” or “reading for entertainment” is sometimes derided, words like “pleasure” and “joy” are “richer words, with a greater range of connotations” (p. 17). For Jacobs, “It should be normal for us to read what we want to read, to read what we truly enjoy reading” (p. 33). Jacobs avoids saying that “all reading is equally good, equally valuable” (p. 38). However, his “standard of readerly value” is not matched to the informative or beneficial nature of a given work. Instead he appeals to “the standard of the reader's own pleasure-a criterion that sounds more simple and straightforward than it is” (p. 38). There is nothing mechanical or arbitrary about the act of reading and the joy it can bring. People read for pleasure and are deeply affected by scanning their eyes over marks on a page, and “this is a mystery” (p. 33).

The power of these two elements (reading at whim and reading for pleasure) is that they can help guide us as we choose from the many options that are always on offer. For Jacobs, becoming a “self-guided” reader is a more laudable goal than mechanically following a prescribed path that allows us to “offload accountability for our reading” (p. 43). Rather, the goal should be an “informed consent to Whim's sovereignty-without a teacher to direct us” (p. 43). This is Jacobs's overriding concern, to help individuals mature into certain types of readers, namely, ones in tune with their own readerly habits and desires.

The follow-up concern Jacobs addresses is how one can maintain this type of love and practice of reading “in an age of distraction.” Interacting with several forms of recent technology (e-readers, social bookmarking, etc.), Jacobs considers the implications of reading various types of text in online platforms. He also analyzes the notion of distraction in general and the effect it has always had on readers. The temptation to “rotate through the possibilities for informational novelty” is acute, especially for a generation of people who are “very rarely without the option of going online” (p. 79). This situation threatens “to return us all to virtual babyhood” (p. 79), where overstimulation is a recurring reality. The siren song of the link will indeed be irresistible unless “we do some work to alter our habits” (p. 78).

Recognizing that the recent technological paradigm shift creates a nexus of perplexing issues, Jacobs nonetheless argues that it is unreasonable to render technology as “the enemy of reading” (p. 82). Rather, “it's at least possible for new technologies to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem” (p. 82). But for many, there's the rub: “It's not hard to come up with handy-dandy practical suggestions; what's hard is following them-or rather, even wanting to follow them. What's hard is imagining, fully and vividly, the good things that happen when we follow through” (p. 84). The ability to read devoid of distraction is painful to lose and “worth cultivating” (p. 86) because “raptness is deeply satisfying” (p. 86).

The value of hermeneutical reflection on reading is the opportunity for the bewildered reader to “develop strategies of discernment” (p. 111). The call to journey deeper into the world of books is calling, but “you just have to practice to hear it above all those other voices screaming for novelty” (p. 133). One simple method Jacobs suggests is the countercultural practice of reading slowly (pp. 67-68). If reading really is all about the uploading of information, then slow reading would be intolerably deficient. However, Jacobs intimates that there lurks a more excellent way. Aside from information technologies, at a deeper level internal distractions are unfailingly present, and “the spell of reading is always in danger of being broken” (p. 124). In order to experience the fullest reading experience, one has to possess a “deep solitude” that will often times need to be created “by force of will sharpened by habit” (p. 125).

Jacobs's prose surely ambles but never seems to ramble. Along the way, he entertains a delightful assortment of variegated asides, including discussion of the cognitive processes involved in the task of reading, the stunning plasticity of the brain, the lurid myth of multitasking, the odious art of marking up library books, the joy of “getting lost” in a good story, Machiavelli's reading habits, and Harold Bloom's disdain for the Harry Potter series. Though most readers will recognize that there are certainly other modes of reading that must be pursued at times (e.g., digesting dense theological tomes!), Jacobs makes a persuasive case that reading for pleasure should remain a live option in any discipline. There might also be room in this account for further considering the distorting effects that sin can unleash upon our readerly whims and desires (i.e., What should we do if the “joy” of reading that Whim brings us turns out to be Turkish delight?).

The book as a whole makes many compelling points and refreshingly celebrates the God-given gift of reading in an age where texts are ubiquitous but often neglected. As he warmly reminds us, “The books are waiting” (p. 25). His waits as well. He has given us a rumination on reading that is instructive while also itself a pleasure to read.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[itstimeforstarwars]

am beg to hear your thoughts and rambles on this please

I've put some of my thoughts here, but I Have So Many lmao. Disclaimer that I've only seen part of the Clone Wars series and that while I've read a lot of star wars comics, I certainly haven't read them all, so these are mostly Just My Thoughts on my made up Mandalorian school politics that I made up mostly for the Galidraan au.

(it's also really long so here's a readmore)

So I don't think that education past age 13 is mandated on Mandalore. For the most part, education past middle school has been handled by one's clan, through apprenticeships and adults handing down knowledge and stuff like that. Perhaps there are specialized schools for like space travel and stuff. I think even elementary schools were a hard fight to institute, especially among the more traditional clans, but I like to imagine that either a) at one point the True Mandalorians and the New Mandalorians were like "education of children is very important to both of us so we should make sure all children get educations" or b) Mand'alor Tarre Vizsla was like "Education is a core tenant of both Mandalorian culture and the Jedi culture I was raised in and so I personally am making sure all kids get educated k thx."

Education inequality is fairly rampant, as big powerful clans like Kryze or Vizsla can afford to send their children anywhere in the galaxy to get education, whereas your local Vhett dirt farmer will do what they can with the clan they have, so you might have great practical knowledge on how to deliver strill whelps and you can easily calculate how much space corn seed you need per space acre but you never had calculus and you don't know a lot about how to get legislation enacted and you definitely never got the Flying Spacecraft 101 class that all the rich kids got to have at age ten.

Then the New Mandalorians decide that Mandalore needs public schools beyond just the elementary schools. I think this happens before Satine Kryze gets into power, but she definitely goes absolutely fuckin ham on expanding education. It's very divisive at first--some farmer Houses think it's a ploy to convince all their kids to move into cities and industry, others think it's a great opportunity to give their kids a chance to achieve something more than space corn. Some warrior clans think this is an evil New Mando plot to turn all their kids into pacifists, while others are elated at the chance to let their kids learn things that would never be affordable otherwise, and an educated warrior is a better warrior. So now they want to get involved in the public schools.

So now we have (more) school politics, and the politics of education is always a divisive thing.

The thing is, the New Mandalorians don't have total control of Mandalorian politics until Satine Kryze. There are Factions. The big factions are the New Mandalorians, the True Mandalorians, and Death Watch, but there are also smaller factions, as there are in all communities. There are traditionalist clans that never remove their helmets and won't even give their names to strangers, there are industrialists who want to expand their business beyond the Mandalore system and want their kids to learn languages and laws that they couldn't even hope to comprehend, there are strong clans who argue that the clan system has always worked perfectly fine, and there are people who have lost their clan or who have been kicked out of their clan, who now have kids and have no idea how to even begin teaching them.

Can you ban all weapons from school when your student populace has a lot of members from a faction where the use and care of weapons is a literal tenant of their religion? Should you include a class on the use and care of weapons in such a case, or leave that to their clan? Should the children be able to keep their helmets on all day? What about in the case of it being religious? What about the rest of their armor--especially armor pieces that double as weapons? How much security should each school have, especially when Death Watch is in the area and has been known to kill children? Would having armed guards posted around the school endanger them more--or send a message that your school board doesn't want, that it's actually really dangerous to send your kid to school? Should the school provide free breakfast and lunch to children? Is that their job? Will the parents consider it an attempt to brainwash their children into being sympathetic to the ruling faction?

Despite being extremely divisive, as soon as the New Mandalorians implement schooling for teenagers, everyone else also immediately decides to implement schooling for teenagers. Implementation and effectiveness varies. I think areas with primarily True Mandalorian rule or clans that are more like Din Djarin's clan would have fewer public schools overall, and most of the families would stick to the traditional clan-based education. Death Watch ruled areas probably have schools that are basically military schools. I think New Mandalorian schools would focus a lot on business and politics--trying to get children to be a new generation of leaders, because a good economy is very important in keeping people peaceful. In places with New Mandalorian control, weapons are banned outright on premises, but with True Mandalorian schools, I think the use of weapons is banned, maybe you have to keep it in your locker or something, but I don't think school is a weapons-free zone.

After the Mandalorian Civil War, Satine Kryze takes power. The True Mandalorian faction is dead, and Death Watch is in hiding. And Satine Kryze goes ham on education. Everything she does is for Mandalore's children, of course she goes ham on education.

She builds schools everywhere. She enacts legislation to make sure that there are elementary schools and secondary schools enough to service all the children of Mandalore. Real "x amount of schools for every y amount of population" stuff.

All schools provide free meals for all children--this is her single most popular law for a populace just starting to recover from a civil war. So many people lost everything; making sure that their kids have two meals a day even when there's nothing in the pantry at home is worth whatever the hell these New Mandalorians are teaching in these schools.

She brings in several teachers from across the galaxy to help them build a curriculum, though most of the education stuff is still decided by Mandalorian locals. What do Mandalorian children need to know in order to thrive on any planet they set their boots to? Mandalore will need to trade with other planets, and they will need to know about these other planets to not be exploited in their current state of weakness. Mandalore has a seat in the Senate; its children need to know about who else has a seat, and what their priorities are, and whether or not those priorities will conflict with Mandalore's priorities. Mando'ade will need to learn new languages, and they will need to learn math and engineering and history and politics and civics and there is just so much to learn and their population has been reduced so drastically. There are a lot of people who would teach if only they were still alive, but they are not, so we hired advisors.

She doesn't even consider involving the EduCorps--that's a Jedi thing, and even Obi-Wan Kenobi is barely welcome on Mandalore after having helped end the Civil War.

Secondary education is still not mandatory, but more people than ever are taking advantage of it. In a generation's time, nearly everyone will be sending their kids to school for at least a bit--maybe just a few months when there's no harvesting to do, so they can learn basic engineering and shop skills, or sending the kids to school for as many hours as they can go when Mom is between jobs and the pantry's getting a little thin--and regardless of Satine's popularity with the interplanetary stuff, regardless of what's happening with the Senate, the one thing most people like about Satine is the schools.

Right up until children start getting poisoned.

[bellasbookclub]

How it all started: G and M's original "better books for Bella" DM conversation

[July 26th, 2022]

G: you know how Bella lists all her favorite books and authors in Midnight Sun? what books would you recommend Bella base her personality off of instead?

Like, what favorite books would you give Bella to make her more interesting or fit into the story better?

M: G my dear! Bella's booklist is very very classic lit you read in high school or universal children’s books. BUT in her defense she mentions a couple sci-fi authors.

full (700-word) conversation continues under the cut

I think she was sleeping on the pillars of YA lit. I have an affinity for Isobelle Carmody as an Aussie, I think Alyzon Whitestarr would be a VERY Bella book

I think her uninspired takes on Austen and Brontë are pretty on point for Bella. But frankly the ONLY Brontë I personally like is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and that is NOT a Bella book at all. I think Wuthering and Eyre are on point for Bells, it's the red flags she loves

Honestly I think she would be way more into fantasy, I don't understand why she would embrace immortality and be so excited for it otherwise.

Like, maybe a little bit of my mans JRRT at least as a child. The Hobbit is GREAT for silly immortals. I could see her and Renee reading it. But like L J Covey in To All The Boys I think she should also be hugely into the Romance Genre.

I think P&P checks out as a Classique, and Jane Eyre and Wuthering, kind of set her up to be taken in by Edward's brand of Romance. But some funner ones like Alyzon (I wish) The Hobbit, hell, I'd love for some non-fiction too! Simone de Beauvoir has a truly moving recounting of watching her mother die

I think that would set up Bella's fear of growing old and dying (can't believe they never touched on the fact that Bella's paternal grandparents were so old and Charlie had to take care of them like???)

Also maybe SUPER controversial but I like to think she's a VC Andrews fan. Like Heaven definitely, maybe she wouldn't like what Neiderman has done since

G: M you psychic how did you know

this list is from yesterday

M: Shut uuuup this wavelength is strong and loud!!

G: I was mostly going through thinking of how I would de-genericize Bella’s list, because a big part of it truly reads like Stephenie Meyer just googled "classic books for girls" and ctrl+ved that

M: yeah but classic is classic for a reason. Also I thought Steph did an english course in college and was prolly using that

[Here they go on a tangent about Christian themes and racism in the Chronicles of Narnia and how as kids they both enjoyed the books despite rather than because of said stuff]

G: anyway you just know if Bella had based her entire identity on the du Maurier gothic instead of the Brontë gothic she would be so much sexier and more confident

M: She might have even had an iota of self-esteem!! du Maurier is for bad bitches

G: I think I'm gonna end up having to research Stephenie Meyer's Austen opinions…“Emma Woodhouse is so full of herself" is the biggest red flag like ok Bella we get it, you're ugly

M: Her opinion on Emma is so basic, like tell me you’re not like other girls without telling me you’re not like other girls. Her distaste of Emma reeks of jealousy. Maybe someone wanted to have confidence in herself. Too foreign for her to comprehend

G: EXACTLY

I'm gonna have to research whether that's just an in-universe Bella opinion or if Stephenie Meyer truly believes basic self-esteem is that much of a Sin, because Yikes. also, way to miss the entire very simple point of Emma

[August 1st, 2022]

G: M DID YOU KNOW I FOUND AN OLD STEPHENIE MEYER INTERVIEW WHERE SHE NEGS PERSUASION RIGHT ALONG WITH EMMA

sorry for the all caps I'm just mad. she says it's—get this—"too sad"

ma'am you wrote New Moon

M: THAT IS MY FAVE AUSTEN YOU DO NOT FUCK WITH PERSUASION ON MY WATCH

LIKE???? WHICH PROTAG ALSO HAS NO SELF ESTEEM ?? ANNE ELLIOT !!! She can't do this to me

"Persuasion is just so sad" .... haha ...

[Book-related conversation ends here]

Fun fact: let the record show that G and M also discussed their above defenses of Emma and Persuasion “live” on the podcast, but unfortunately the conversation had to be cut for time.

[abbottlaursen10]

Home improvements are not as difficult as you may think. You just might surprise yourself by taking on a project that you did not think you could do. Read through the following tips to find the help that you need to make the ideas for home improvement projects a reality.

Many tenants who are renting an apartment or home are in a pickle when landlords don't allow tenants to paint the walls in a different color or take off the wallpaper that doesn't suit their tastes. A great way to get around this is by purchasing flat bed sheets (the unfitted kind) and tacking them in a pleasing design on the wall. This will not harm the underlying wallpaper or paint and can add a touch of personality that won't displease the landlord. Improving your home's energy efficiency is a type of home improvement that could deliver significant returns in both the short and long term. Possible improvements to consider are: installing solar panels on your roof, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and replacing any single-glazed windows with double-glazed or even triple-glazed windows. If you are taking on your project alone, consider hiring a interior designer for a consultation. An hour with a professional can help clarify what you want to do and help steer you away from those projects that sound good in your head but would be a nightmare to complete. A very simple home improvement tip is to declutter. Start with this easy task: If you have kids, you may be guilty of cluttering your fridge with their work and little design magnets. Keep your appliances clear by attaching just some of your children's artwork and only a few magnets at a time. You can switch these items out every week. Landscaping is a home improvement project you should consider. The lawn in the front of the home is the very first thing that people will see; if it looks good, the entire house seems impressive. Keep your grass neat and tidy, and add a border of flowering plants and shrubs to add additional beauty and dimension to your yard. The shingles on your roof will at some point need to be replaced. As asphalt shingles get older, they start to lose the bound granules and curl up on the corners of the sheets. If you are experiencing leaks that have gone through the ceiling, then it is definitely time to lay down a new roof. Otherwise, if your roof has lost several shingles, this is a less drastic but firm indication that it's time to replace the roof. Spice up the look of your rooms by using patterned wallpaper on your walls and hanging a conversation piece of artwork. alpha bed with many textures or images to look at. Don't be afraid to go bold and interesting to show a sense of personality through your choices. You can even paint something yourself and hang it up to match your wallpaper. Use your old luggage rack to make a unique side table. Just use a large piece of tempered glass or an attractively finished piece of wood to create a top. Be sure to secure it well with permanent adhesive. Then, place a lamp and a couple of books on the table for added interest. Perpetually closed doors can make a hallway or corridor appear uninviting and uncomfortably narrow. Replace your solid door with a French door, which has a series of clear glass panels framed by wood. If you are concerned with privacy, opt for translucent glass or an adhesive to give the glass a "frosted" look. Home Depot and Lowe's carry adhesive window films for under twenty dollars. Does your floor need some work? If you are ambitious, you can pull up your floor and lay down sticky wood flooring. Although lots of people think that doing this is just the easy, cheap method of replacing your floor, it can actually look really good. This flooring is also easy to lay down by yourself. Taking the time to read these tips is going to help you do the best possible job to complete the home improvement projects that you are considering taking on. Apply the information that you have learned from this article to the planning of your project and enjoy the beauty of the completed project.

[guldborgsunesen80]

Home improvements are not as difficult as you may think. You just might surprise yourself by taking on a project that you did not think you could do. Read through the following tips to find the help that you need to make the ideas for home improvement projects a reality.

Many tenants who are renting an apartment or home are in a pickle when landlords don't allow tenants to paint the walls in a different color or take off the wallpaper that doesn't suit their tastes. A great way to get around this is by purchasing flat bed sheets (the unfitted kind) and tacking them in a pleasing design on the wall. This will not harm the underlying wallpaper or paint and can add a touch of personality that won't displease the landlord. Improving your home's energy efficiency is a type of home improvement that could deliver significant returns in both the short and long term. Possible improvements to consider are: installing solar panels on your roof, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and replacing any single-glazed windows with double-glazed or even triple-glazed windows. If you are taking on your project alone, consider hiring a interior designer for a consultation. An hour with a professional can help clarify what you want to do and help steer you away from those projects that sound good in your head but would be a nightmare to complete. A very simple home improvement tip is to declutter. Start with this easy task: If you have kids, you may be guilty of cluttering your fridge with their work and little design magnets. Keep your appliances clear by attaching just some of your children's artwork and only a few magnets at a time. You can switch these items out every week. Landscaping is a home improvement project you should consider. The lawn in the front of the home is the very first thing that people will see; if it looks good, the entire house seems impressive. Keep your grass neat and tidy, and add a border of flowering plants and shrubs to add additional beauty and dimension to your yard. ev charger installation auckland on your roof will at some point need to be replaced. As asphalt shingles get older, they start to lose the bound granules and curl up on the corners of the sheets. If you are experiencing leaks that have gone through the ceiling, then it is definitely time to lay down a new roof. Otherwise, if your roof has lost several shingles, this is a less drastic but firm indication that it's time to replace the roof. Spice up the look of your rooms by using patterned wallpaper on your walls and hanging a conversation piece of artwork. Pick something interesting with many textures or images to look at. Don't be afraid to go bold and interesting to show a sense of personality through your choices. You can even paint something yourself and hang it up to match your wallpaper. Use your old luggage rack to make a unique side table. Just use a large piece of tempered glass or an attractively finished piece of wood to create a top. Be sure to secure it well with permanent adhesive. Then, place a lamp and a couple of books on the table for added interest. Perpetually closed doors can make a hallway or corridor appear uninviting and uncomfortably narrow. Replace your solid door with a French door, which has a series of clear glass panels framed by wood. If you are concerned with privacy, opt for translucent glass or an adhesive to give the glass a "frosted" look. Home Depot and Lowe's carry adhesive window films for under twenty dollars. Does your floor need some work? If you are ambitious, you can pull up your floor and lay down sticky wood flooring. Although lots of people think that doing this is just the easy, cheap method of replacing your floor, it can actually look really good. This flooring is also easy to lay down by yourself. Taking the time to read these tips is going to help you do the best possible job to complete the home improvement projects that you are considering taking on. Apply the information that you have learned from this article to the planning of your project and enjoy the beauty of the completed project.

[jessensmedegaard74]

Home improvements are not as difficult as you may think. You just might surprise yourself by taking on a project that you did not think you could do. Read through the following tips to find the help that you need to make the ideas for home improvement projects a reality.

Many tenants who are renting an apartment or home are in a pickle when landlords don't allow tenants to paint the walls in a different color or take off the wallpaper that doesn't suit their tastes. A great way to get around this is by purchasing flat bed sheets (the unfitted kind) and tacking them in a pleasing design on the wall. This will not harm the underlying wallpaper or paint and can add a touch of personality that won't displease the landlord. Improving your home's energy efficiency is a type of home improvement that could deliver significant returns in both the short and long term. Possible improvements to consider are: installing solar panels on your roof, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and replacing any single-glazed windows with double-glazed or even triple-glazed windows. If you are taking on your project alone, consider hiring a interior designer for a consultation. An hour with a professional can help clarify what you want to do and help steer you away from those projects that sound good in your head but would be a nightmare to complete. A very simple home improvement tip is to declutter. Start with this easy task: If you have kids, you may be guilty of cluttering your fridge with their work and little design magnets. Keep your appliances clear by attaching just some of your children's artwork and only a few magnets at a time. You can switch these items out every week. Landscaping is a home improvement project you should consider. The lawn in the front of the home is the very first thing that people will see; if it looks good, the entire house seems impressive. Keep your grass neat and tidy, and add a border of flowering plants and shrubs to add additional beauty and dimension to your yard. The shingles on your roof will at some point need to be replaced. As asphalt shingles get older, they start to lose the bound granules and curl up on the corners of the sheets. If you are experiencing leaks that have gone through the ceiling, then it is definitely time to lay down a new roof. Otherwise, if your roof has lost several shingles, this is a less drastic but firm indication that it's time to replace the roof. Spice up the look of your rooms by using patterned wallpaper on your walls and hanging a conversation piece of artwork. Pick something interesting with many textures or images to look at. Don't be afraid to go bold and interesting to show a sense of personality through your choices. You can even paint something yourself and hang it up to match your wallpaper. Use your old luggage rack to make a unique side table. Just use a large piece of tempered glass or an attractively finished piece of wood to create a top. Be sure to secure it well with permanent adhesive. Then, place a lamp and a couple of books on the table for added interest. Perpetually closed doors can make a hallway or corridor appear uninviting and uncomfortably narrow. Replace your solid door with a French door, which has a series of clear glass panels framed by wood. If you are concerned with privacy, opt for translucent glass or an adhesive to give the glass a "frosted" look. Home Depot and Lowe's carry adhesive window films for under twenty dollars. Does your floor need some work? If you are ambitious, you can pull up your floor and lay down sticky wood flooring. Although lots of people think that doing this is just the easy, cheap method of replacing your floor, it can actually look really good. This flooring is also easy to lay down by yourself. Taking the time to read these tips is going to help you do the best possible job to complete the home improvement projects that you are considering taking on. Apply the information that you have learned from this article to the planning of your project and enjoy the beauty of the completed project.

[bojesenfarrell13]

Home improvements are not as difficult as you may think. You just might surprise yourself by taking on a project that you did not think you could do. Read through the following tips to find the help that you need to make the ideas for home improvement projects a reality.

Many tenants who are renting an apartment or home are in a pickle when landlords don't allow tenants to paint the walls in a different color or take off the wallpaper that doesn't suit their tastes. A great way to get around this is by purchasing flat bed sheets (the unfitted kind) and tacking them in a pleasing design on the wall. This will not harm the underlying wallpaper or paint and can add a touch of personality that won't displease the landlord. Improving your home's energy efficiency is a type of home improvement that could deliver significant returns in both the short and long term. Possible improvements to consider are: installing solar panels on your roof, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and replacing any single-glazed windows with double-glazed or even triple-glazed windows. If you are taking on your project alone, consider hiring a interior designer for a consultation. An hour with a professional can help clarify what you want to do and help steer you away from those projects that sound good in your head but would be a nightmare to complete. A very simple home improvement tip is to declutter. Start with this easy task: If you have kids, you may be guilty of cluttering your fridge with their work and little design magnets. Keep your appliances clear by attaching just some of your children's artwork and only a few magnets at a time. You can switch these items out every week. Landscaping is a home improvement project you should consider. The lawn in the front of the home is the very first thing that people will see; if it looks good, the entire house seems impressive. Keep your grass neat and tidy, and add a border of flowering plants and shrubs to add additional beauty and dimension to your yard. The shingles on your roof will at some point need to be replaced. As asphalt shingles get older, they start to lose the bound granules and curl up on the corners of the sheets. If you are experiencing leaks that have gone through the ceiling, then it is definitely time to lay down a new roof. Otherwise, if your roof has lost several shingles, this is a less drastic but firm indication that it's time to replace the roof. Spice up the look of your rooms by using patterned wallpaper on your walls and hanging a conversation piece of artwork. Pick something interesting with many textures or images to look at. Don't be afraid to go bold and interesting to show a sense of personality through your choices. You can even paint something yourself and hang it up to match your wallpaper. Use your old luggage rack to make a unique side table. Just use a large piece of tempered glass or an attractively finished piece of wood to create a top. Be sure to secure it well with permanent adhesive. Then, place a lamp and a couple of books on the table for added interest. Perpetually closed doors can make a hallway or corridor appear uninviting and uncomfortably narrow. Replace your solid door with a French door, which has a series of clear glass panels framed by wood. If you are concerned with privacy, opt for translucent glass or an adhesive to give the glass a "frosted" look. Home Depot and Lowe's carry adhesive window films for under twenty dollars. Does your floor need some work? If you are ambitious, you can pull up your floor and lay down sticky wood flooring. Although lots of people think that doing this is just the easy, cheap method of replacing your floor, it can actually look really good. This flooring is also easy to lay down by yourself. Taking the time to read these tips is going to help you do the best possible job to complete the home improvement projects that you are considering taking on. Apply the information that you have learned from this article to the planning of your project and enjoy the beauty of the completed project.

[monicasantanarealtor]

10 Ways to Make Sure You Get Your Security Deposit Back

Here’s some expert advice for making sure your security deposit money goes back into your wallet — where it belongs.

Start Planning When You Move In

Take precautions when you move in to save time (and money) when you move out. To avoid getting charged for damage, use removable poster putty or removable hooks to hang things, and use felt pads to protect wood floors from scratches.

Stay Organized

You know all of those rental-related documents you received when you moved in? Make sure they get read thoroughly and keep all of them in one place. Research the proper procedures for ending your rental agreement and comply with them.

Document Everything

Unfortunately, “fair wear and tear” is subjective. Some landlords stretch this phrase to the limit. Photograph everything in the rental property to serve as proof of the property’s condition.

While photo documentation is great, sometimes it’s not enough. Take a video walkthrough of the unit when you first move in and again when you move out.

If the property manager tries to keep your deposit, your video will serve as proof that you kept the rental in quality condition. It makes it very hard for them to argue with you. It can help save a few hundred dollars, and it only takes a few minutes.

Further, keep a record of each time you contacted your property manager to report maintenance issues. And whenever reporting maintenance requests, do so via email or through a reporting system that sends you a confirmation. This serves as proof for your record keeping.

Contact Your Landlord

Confirm how far in advance you need to alert your landlord about your move-out date. While your rental agreement may already note this, a quick conversation serves as both a helpful confirmation and a courtesy to your landlord.

Clean Thoroughly

In addition to the standard vacuuming and dusting, plan to do a serious deep clean if you want all of your deposit money back. This means behind and beneath appliances, plus details like light switches, door frames and more. And don’t forget to confirm whether your rental property is required to be professionally cleaned. If so, keep your service receipt as proof for your landlord.

Move Out on the Same Day as Your Roommates

If possible, coordinate a move-out day with your roommates. You don’t want to leave it up to your roommate to make sure the apartment is perfectly cleaned and ready for the next tenant. You also don’t want your roommates to move out before you, leaving any junk for you to clean up. Make it a team effort!

Do a Mock Inspection with Friends

Invite some trusted friends over and go through your move-out checklist together. You may be surprised by how many things you would have missed if you went through your checklist solo. It is suggested to mark every damage or deterioration, because some of them are the landlord’s responsibility, while others should be deducted from your deposit.

Once you know who’s responsible for what, you can fix any issue that occurred during your occupancy.

Have Your Landlord Do a Mock Inspection

Ask your landlord to do an unofficial inspection before your move-out date. This not only helps you assess what needs fixing but also allows both of you to get on the same page about what needs additional cleaning or repairs.

Give yourself a few days between this inspection and your move-out day so you have time to correct anything your landlord may be unhappy with.

Do Necessary Repairs

Small repairs like replacing light bulbs, filling nail holes and unclogging drains are small things that make a big difference. They’ll take you no more than an hour to complete, but they’ll raise the general condition of the property. The landlord will definitely appreciate the work done and will be less likely to claim deductions from the deposit. Additionally, painting a coat of the original paint color on any walls with scuffs or holes. Either going a DIY route for around $50 or hiring a service and asking for cheaper “white boxing” rates.

Depending on the condition of your walls, this could be more cost-effective than losing that money out of your deposit, especially if your rental is small. And if you don’t have the funds for either option? The next best thing I’ve seen is the Magic Eraser. It will be your BFF when it comes to getting rid of scuffs and marks.

Research Local Laws

It’s illegal in most states for a landlord to keep your security deposit without explanation, so research renter’s rights related to security deposits at the city, county, and state level. Good starting points for this information are the websites of your state’s attorney general and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. While your property manager should already be aware of these regulations, you should be too. Landlord-tenant laws exist to help you but be your own advocate.

Finally, while following these 10 suggestions will certainly go a long way, so does being nice. Patience and politeness are memorable qualities, especially if you live in a large apartment complex where plenty of other residents are moving out around the same time as you.

If thinking about the process of getting your security deposit back is daunting, rest assured that it doesn’t have to be. With some planning and clear, considerate communication, you’re well on your way to getting your hard-earned deposit money back into your hands.

[chadypmcha]

A guide to make sure your rental property is well managed

An expert's guide to managing rental property which others are not aware of.

If you are reading this blog, there is a great chance that you are planning to buy a property or already have one and are willing to make money out of that. Indeed it is a challenging task to cope but at the same time, it is a rewarding investment in term of a short period with minimal risk involved. Lots of still find rental property management out of their syllabus and want to outsource this management work to professional hands. It is also quite possible that you have Airbnb, VRBO properties that you want to manage and generate handsome money as a second income which already lots of people are making as of now. Here is some step by step guide by real estate industry specialist to abide by and generate bucks:

 Furnish your property beforehand

In order to attract tenets, the first prerequisite is to keep your property fully furnished beforehand so they can't say no to your offer. It is rightly said "first impression is the last impression", and you as an owner never want to mess up your deal in the very first instance.

Determine accurate pricing

It is something crucial and critical aspect of renting your property. People generally offer prices by comparing locality rates at a particular period, which you should avoid. Firstly figure out the existing price in your locality prefixed by the government. Secondly, assess some Economics of your tenant to reach the final concluding price.

Advertise your rental property

Try to strategically advertise your property so that you hit to best possible tenets. It is generally assumed that advertising is something special to handle and only professionals existing in this arena can do that, that's another reason that owners prefer rental property management firms to assist them.

Rent it in correct hand

After your advertisement, congratulations your property became visible in eyes of various tenants and they want to rent it from you but be careful in this. Try to do some due diligence against whom you want to rent your property. Search their background and connect with someone who can give their reference genuinely.

Put everything in written

You own something precious in your hand and sometimes your property might be your saving. You don't want any legal proceedings against you on behalf of your any statement, so try to document each and every agreement beforehand as evidence for the courts.

Maintain your property properly

After all of these, you are not over yet! You have new responsibilities to look for, that is repair and maintenance of your property. This is something hectic task to deal with, but remember if you do well, there is a great chance that your tenant will renew the lease.

Collect rents honestly

Now you have to collect your rent. Instead of waiting for credit messages, you should actively use online rent payment systems like Cozy and Tenantcloud as digital landlords. Tenants also prefer payment online. Try reminding them frequently and honestly about your payment.

Doomsday: The Eviction

Eviction is characterized as a headache for the landlords which is certainly a true story. General evictions cost $2K+ or a time period of 4 weeks. Some landlords prefer cash for key strategy by reimbursing tenants to avoid a headache. But it will not be the case if you outsource management to a firm specialized in this. That's why…..

Outsourcing the management is key

If you earlier had have any experience in the management arena, you definitely know how much this task is rewarding but more demanding. Thus, landlords prefer such a critical task to us for managing their rental property and they can enjoy their life on vacations. We do all of the mentioned work diligently and professionally so as to bring smiles to the face of landlords.

For a novice owner, rental property management is indeed mind boggling work. Maybe you want to dedicate your time to family and want to outsource this management to us. We are well versed in every nuance of rental property management and we make sure that our client's Cleaning, Laundry, Taxes, & Keys, will Not be their problem.

[chadypm]

A guide to make sure your rental property is well managed

A guide to make sure your rental property is well managed

An expert's guide to managing rental property which others are not aware of. 

If you are reading this blog, there is a great chance that you are planning to buy a property or already have one and are willing to make money out of that. Indeed it is a challenging task to cope but at the same time, it is a rewarding investment in term of a short period with minimal risk involved. Lots of still find rental property management out of their syllabus and want to outsource this management work to professional hands. It is also quite possible that you have Airbnb, VRBO properties that you want to manage and generate handsome money as a second income which already lots of people are making as of now. Here is some step by step guide by real estate industry specialist to abide by and generate bucks:

 Furnish your property beforehand 

In order to attract tenets, the first prerequisite is to keep your property fully furnished beforehand so they can't say no to your offer. It is rightly said "first impression is the last impression", and you as an owner never want to mess up your deal in the very first instance.

Determine accurate pricing

It is something crucial and critical aspect of renting your property. People generally offer prices by comparing locality rates at a particular period, which you should avoid. Firstly figure out the existing price in your locality prefixed by the government. Secondly, assess some Economics of your tenant to reach the final concluding price.

Advertise your rental property 

Try to strategically advertise your property so that you hit to best possible tenets. It is generally assumed that advertising is something special to handle and only professionals existing in this arena can do that, that's another reason that owners prefer rental property management firms to assist them.

Rent it in correct hand

After your advertisement, congratulations your property became visible in eyes of various tenants and they want to rent it from you but be careful in this. Try to do some due diligence against whom you want to rent your property. Search their background and connect with someone who can give their reference genuinely.

Put everything in written

You own something precious in your hand and sometimes your property might be your saving. You don't want any legal proceedings against you on behalf of your any statement, so try to document each and every agreement beforehand as evidence for the courts.

Maintain your property properly

After all of these, you are not over yet! You have new responsibilities to look for, that is repair and maintenance of your property. This is something hectic task to deal with, but remember if you do well, there is a great chance that your tenant will renew the lease. 

Collect rents honestly

Now you have to collect your rent. Instead of waiting for credit messages, you should actively use online rent payment systems like Cozy and Tenantcloud as digital landlords. Tenants also prefer payment online. Try reminding them frequently and honestly about your payment. 

Doomsday: The Eviction

Eviction is characterized as a headache for the landlords which is certainly a true story. General evictions cost $2K+ or a time period of 4 weeks. Some landlords prefer cash for key strategy by reimbursing tenants to avoid a headache. But it will not be the case if you outsource management to a firm specialized in this. That's why…..

Outsourcing the management is key

If you earlier had have any experience in the management arena, you definitely know how much this task is rewarding but more demanding. Thus, landlords prefer such a critical task to us for managing their rental property and they can enjoy their life on vacations. We do all of the mentioned work diligently and professionally so as to bring smiles to the face of landlords. 

For a novice owner, rental property management is indeed mind boggling work. Maybe you want to dedicate your time to family and want to outsource this management to us. We are well versed in every nuance of rental property management and we make sure that our client's Cleaning, Laundry, Taxes, & Keys, will Not be their problem. 

DONE ✅

[obrienmartinussen11]

Fantastic Real Estate Expense Concepts And Guidance

Fiscal specialists would agree that the easiest method to improve your extra money is to use ventures. An especially successful choice may be found in real-estate shelling out, once you learn how to go about it. Please read on for a few helpful easy methods to get moving from the field and develop with it. https://susthiraa.com/ should take time to discover up to you may before starting a job being a real-estate investor. Carrying out research lets you get useful approaches and ideas to use. Get a great deal of videos about this and appearance your nearby library in order to discover publications to learn about real-estate to gain access to a great position. Track record is essential when you are stepping into this world. Comply with what you say, and you should not lay to feasible clientele. When individuals know you're honest, they'll be a little more willing to use you later on. Never select a component of real estate property you have not got examined by a completely independent or thirdly-get together professional. Some dealers could try and include the examinations, even so, they may opt for someone who enjoys them. Instead, choose a simple get together or an individual you believe in. If you want to put money into real estate property, you have to be devoted to this process. You should price range your time wisely if you would like make great income constantly. Shove the poker night time or softball league aside to become a successful trader. In order to go into property shelling out, but do not possess adequate money to purchase a piece of house all by yourself, tend not to stress. Look at real estate property purchase trusts. Working much like joint cash, it is possible to invest what cash available for you into a bigger group of people swimming pool area and yet make some funds off of real estate property mortgages. Get an understanding of taxation legal guidelines and latest adjustments. Taxes legal guidelines are updated and amended on a regular basis which implies it is perfectly up to you to take care of them. Occasionally the taxation situation on a house can really in the headache. Whenever it seems to be progressing to thick to deal with, consider a tax advisor. When making an economic plan, you must be sure that you have believed of all the associated expenditures. You must spend lawyers, closing expenses, fees of property staging and a host of other bills. As you go by way of margins, be sure to think about every potential price and may include them at risk piece listing. Be sure you choose expenditure properties which can be inside a well-known location through which potential tenants might be fascinated. This is important given that you may get a lot more from the resale benefit with this variety residence. Also, try to find attributes that take tiny to keep up. By no means imagine that house ideals are usually likely to climb. This isn't good to consider for virtually any residence available because this supposition is pretty risky. Being harmless, select a residence that will easily be switched. If the home likes in value, it will be good for your profits.

Realize that your time and efforts is important. Remodeling components might be entertaining for yourself, but does the project your self priced at you too much money regarding the investment of your time? Your time and efforts could be much better invested searching for another chance. Subcontract what you could. You may very much take pleasure in the leisure time that you will get to help you focus on other important things. When you start, remain calm. You can definitely find your initially purchase usually takes some time. Probably the phrases weren't proper or else you just couldn't look for a absolutely wonderful property. Don't be happy with an investment residence just to start. This will actually lose you money in the end. Maintain waiting around, and you are certain to stumbled upon a good deal.

After you create an investment program, get other people to have a look at it. Even if your person is not an expert inside the discipline, they just might explain some things that just will not work. An expert, however, may help you adapt your program to make it considerably better to suit your needs. They will also be in a position to speak to you about marketing too. Join an excellent real estate foreclosure itemizing assistance to understand the best possible deals when they come to fruition. This particular service will save you time and cash. These will even regularly be existing and able to search. Get a Real estate professional you can trust. A Real estate professional can be quite a real ally when you are interested in purchase qualities. He can aid you to work out excellent deals making the full buying process much easier. Take the time to interview numerous Real estate professionals, to make one last choice a crucial part of your crew. Before buying any property in a area you don't know, look at the economics and developments of the neighborhood market place. Higher unemployment along with a scarcity of reasonable careers always keep residence prices straight down. Things like this tend to make for a tiny profit, when they make a single in any way. Nevertheless, a functioning area will give you an effective come back on your purchase. Real-estate is just one of those things where by it helps to experience a network of people who are your "head to" folks. You have to know someone who can give you a brief evaluation of your buildings, whether or not they have deep problems beneath a fairly facade of paint or have other flaws that may find yourself priced at you in the end. In case you are thinking about long-term ventures, take into account acquiring real estate foreclosure attributes. These places will bounce back eventually, and people who purchased at very low occasions stand to make a lot of money. Keep in mind that it might be a bit of time before you money in and have a refund, even so. Even though it can seem to be a little difficult initially, purchasing real estate doesn't need to be out of reach. It's a buyer's marketplace right now, and permitting serious amounts of successfully pass will let you see wonderful income. Remember these tips before beginning to get real estate.

[kinkozambo0]

Let's start with the definitions of personal loans

Personal loans should be tailored according to your needs. It is now relatively simple to obtain personal loans in the UK. There are more UK loan providers that offer personal loans. They also have innovative modifications that can be applied to any person.

Let's start with the definitions of personal loans. For any financial reason, personal loans can be offered by financial institutions. There are many financial institutions that offer personal loans in the UK, including banks, building societies, loan lenders, and others visit our website.

Personal loans must be repaid just like any other loan. The loan term is the time period for repayment. Personal loans are governed by the amount borrowed. This includes repayment terms, interest rates and repayment terms.

Personalloans have been broadly categorized into two types - namely secured personal loans and unsecured personal loans. Secured personal loans are loans that are secured against your home or other personal property, such as your car. The collateral is the security that the personal loan in UK is secured against. This collateral is the security that guarantees the loan's repayment. The loan lender may seize your property if you fail to repay the personal loan.

Unsecured personal loans are not the same as secured loans. Unsecured personal loans in the UK can be furnished without collateral. Unsecured personal loans in UK are a great option for tenants. However, homeowners are also eligible for unsecured personal loans in the UK.

Why would anyone get a secured personal mortgage if unsecured personal loans were available to everyone? There is one catch. Unsecured personal loans have their own disadvantages. Unsecured personal loans have a higher interest rate than unsecured loans. There is no guarantee, so the interest rate on unsecured personal loans will be higher. Unsecured personal loans tend to be more expensive than secured loans. You would like to learn more about the APR when it comes to interest rates. Although it is well-known, APR is not very well understood. The annual percentage rate is APR. It is the interest rate you pay on your loan. The APR is the interest rate on a mortgage, including certain closing costs, such as insurance and interest.

You can choose between fixed and variable interest rates for personal loans in the UK. The fixed interest rate for personal loans will not change regardless of changes in the loan market interest rate. Even if interest rates in the open market decrease, you will still be charged the same interest rate.

Variable interest rates can fluctuate. Variable rate personal loan are also known as adjustable rate personal loan. If the interest rate drops, adjustable rate personal loans can be beneficial. If the rate of interest increases, your monthly payments will be higher than what you would have paid. This is an unpredictable situation.

Personal loans are a great option for those who need the money for less than ten year or to pay off existing debts. Personal loans depend on your personal circumstances and temperament. You are more likely to get a personal loan in the UK if you tell your lender all about your situation. In its simplest form, a loan is borrowing money. You borrow money and then repay it when you are ready. Personal loans are easy to explain.

Amanda Thompson has a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from CPIT, and a Master's Degree in Business Administration (IGNOU) from IGNOU. She is just as careful about her finances than anyone reading this. She works as a financial consultant.

[awritersreads]

(WRITTEN ON: 18 October 2022, published late due to reasons)

Currently Reading: Restore Me by Taherah Mafi

QUESTION: Who is/are your favourite book character/s? And why?

This one is hard, given the way characters just seem to carve a route to my heart and live there rent-free but if I have to choose, I'm happy to say that I do have a list of tenants, though in no particular order at all.

Percy Jackson

I think most people at least go through a phase of having him as a favourite character or a comfort character. In all honesty, Percy is definitely in my top 3 characters, and I simply adore Kelphead.

I love this guy for a multitude of reasons, not only is he super funny, sweet and adorably dorky but Percy's also the perfect example of a positive, boys will be boys.

I found his POV amazing, it was hilarious, light-hearted, fast-paced and so much more.

He was one of my first comfort characters and this guy is honestly one of the main reasons I have such a positive attitude towards my ADHD.

I feel like I did a terrible job explaining why I love Perce so much but I don't know, here's my feeble attempt at explaining my affection for this hyperactive little puppy.

And one last thing to add: while there's nothing wrong with having a crush on Percy, I mean a good chunk of the fandom either does or did, I can truthfully say that for whatever reason I just didn't fall for him and so romantic or physical attraction to him doesn't at all play a part in this affection.

Hermione Granger

I adore Hermione to an unknown, probably never-ending length.

She was the first character I just felt that click with and she's always been an inspiration to me and has helped me to feel a lot more secure in my own skin and under my crazy curls.

She's also inspired me to speak up in class even when I was embarrassed, she's inspired me to be proud of my nerdiness, to keep trying to do my best, and to be ambitious but work hard to achieve those ambitions.

And she cries all the time. Which I love. This helped me to be more comfortable expressing my own emotions and become more comfortable with vulnerability and not chase after an idealised, stupid version, of strength and intellect.

Hermione also shares the same greatest fear as me; the fear of failure, of never being good enough, as we see in Prisoner of Azkaban. Which I could (and still can) just relate to. It was honestly so wonderful to be able to have that in common with her.

Although the thing that most drew me to Hermione was that she wasn't just perfect.

We see her put in so much effort for her good grades and that was extremely validating for me, the reason being that I already adored Hermione and am super hard on myself about just being smart. Sometimes I used to feel as though if I were truly so smart I should just be able to do everything, just like that, but seeing Hermione working so hard for all of her successes was liberating for moi.

Harry Potter

I just love this guy, okay?

And I also can't count the number of times one of his lines or thoughts made me laugh so hard I choked-often when both laughing and choking were not too great to be doing, like say 1AM when you're re-reading Half-Blood Prince and are supposed to be sleeping.

The HP series are also the books that had a massive impact on me, not only for Harry's amazing sass but because he really helped me to grow as a person, for the better, and he taught me bravery, strength and his point of view, and his story, always has been an escape back home for me.

And also, this boy screws up, all the damn time.

I just can't not love him for that, it helped me get over my perfectionism issues alongside Hermione.

And again, he says stuff like:

‘Yeah,’ said Harry, ‘but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone.’

(Order of The Phoenix)

‘There's no need to call me 'sir', Professor.’

(Half-Blood Prince)

‘Why are they all standing around that manky old boot?’

(Goblet of Fire)

("Listening to the news! Again?") "Well, it changes every day, you see," said Harry.

(Order of The Phoenix)

Cyra Noavek

She is badass, yet sweet. Hard, yet kind. Strong yet weak. Daring yet sly.

When I need to do something that scares me and I need to be strong Cyra's book is the one that's coming with me.