#ap classes??? does that mean advanced classes??

[feelingthedisaster]

everytime i watch a new tv show or read a new book set in usa, i just get even more confused how tf the educutional system works

[stackthedeck]

THE TEACHER AU?!?! LMAO I'm a sucker for em but Ted falling first? Or is that just from his perspective?

okay so here's what i'm thinking for this au, there's probably never that oh i'm in love moment from either of their perspectives. there's an "oh i can trust this new guy" moment for ted but I want them to settle into their usually silly friendship

Mr. Carter and Mr. Kord are the teachers that go hard for spirit day, they are the accomplices to the senior prank, they are the teachers that volunteer to get pied in the face for fundraisers.

Mr. Kord is also the teacher that doesn't have late work deductions because it takes him ages to grade your stuff and hey he knows his students they're all also taking a million AP classes, the content is hard so he'll make the classroom producers easy.

Mr. Carter is that social studies teacher. We've all had that teacher at one point. They're usually a coach, super funny and joking around, doesn't do any intense projects, but you feel like you've learned something and actually look forward to being physically in class. You guys remember those teachers? Yeah that's Booster. He's probably reusing the slides from the last history teacher and he's just reading them off and doesn't really pause for questions (because his origin is the same he got suspended from college for a gambling scandal he doesn't know the content or the pedagogy) but he gives grace to all his students and grades easy. Is this a good way to teach? no, but he has high expectations for his students in other ways.

I think Booster and Ted have their like "oh god I'm in love with this idiot" moment when they're at school late grading papers and Ted is helping Booster because obviously this guy didn't pay attention during student teaching god who writes a lesson plan like this. And then as they're leaving, Ted just leans over and kisses him like it's the easiest thing in the world. they both go bright red, don't say a word and leave. and they don't talk about it the next day and both of them are in agony thinking oh god what does this mean. but they're just normal buddies during the day, but it keeps happening anytime they're alone, just a quick kiss that feels so natural and right followed by panic. until one of them finally says fuck it and kisses back. which really starts the drama of the story because oh god there's paperwork and procedures for this and only after Booster and Ted have gone on a proper date does Booster come clean about actually not being licensed to teach technically

also Rip Hunter is there as a unreasonably smart and unreasonably annoying foster kid. He really should be in the advanced classes to keep him busy, but he's a foster kid that's be bounced from school to school, his gpa is ass so he's stuck in Mr. Carter's awful history class and oh god that's so over simplified it's basically wrong mr carter turn off the power point let me explain please! Booster finds out that Rip is being moved to a different home again at the end of the semester along with his older "sister" (fellow foster kid he's sharing a home with) Rani who just wants to finish her senior year. Thus begins the poorly thought out speed run of getting certified to foster which might involve breaking more laws.

[smallfrenchstudyblr]

ahh i should have clarified that i myself don't have a degree (yet). i'm not from an academically inclined background so when i didn't do well in my first two semesters of university (i failed some classes and only barely passed others), i got very discouraged and saw it as a sign that university is just not for someone like me. i then learned a trade and have been working in the field; but i'm interested in going to university as a mature student and i'm going to apply this year for a BA :)

still, precisely because i don't have a degree it really upsets me that someone who used the chatGPT shortcut is a teacher now. teaching high school students is an academic profession, and it doesn't sit right with me how common it is for teachers to say things like "i learned so much useless stuff in university; none of which i need as a teacher"; it's actually really frustrating. then why do you go to university/become a teacher? ??? ????? (i mean i know why, because it pays well here.)

in our country, MA/MSc degrees are required for a lot of positions, so grad school isn't quite as "you're here because you choose to be" but still.. his sentiment is basically, since he teaches high school students it should just be sufficient to be able to teach them, what’s the point of a thesis? like ok with that sort of logic i could have been a teacher with just a high school certifcate. i think tbh there is a wider discussion here about how people just don’t value knowledge too.

he also later said that he sometimes regrets not just paying someone to write it for him and save himself a lot of time and trouble 💀to me that is just the epitome of being so full of yourself. he has just decided that he has what it takes to be a teacher and making him write a thesis is a waste of time because of that. lmao??

also I would like to point out that this guy is not my friend, just someone i met through a mutual friend (and they’re not exactly friends either, they work together💀) i talked about this with my friend and she said that he isn't even the first person she knows who has casually admitted to using chatGPT like this. i guess they feel emboldened to casually admit to cheating because they know that their peers won't report them because that would then make them look like snitches

i'm sorry about venting like this to you; i just remembered that you spoke about the chatGPT problem before

Well first of all: fingers crossed for your BA applications !! Everyone got at their own pace, sometimes you need a few years to figure out how to best approach University!!

That is indeed upsetting that someone who does not value critical thinking and does not understand the point of research/research writing is teaching now. "I don't need it anyway/I did so much useless stuff at school/Uni" is such a dumb. dumb. Argument.

Like, I had to study German and Spanish and Latin and theology. I took the equivalent of AP biology and physics in school and learned how to use a soldering iron and identify rocks. I learned Roman Law, and company insolvency rules, and the procedure to contest a refusal to grant you a construction permit. During my PhD, I had to become proficient in advanced data-driven research methods and 2 different code languages. NONE OF THAT has anything to do with me job, whatsoever. I teach students about the International Court of Justice and some of them are Literature and History majors. I KNOW that their dazzling knowledge in embeddedness theories of international adjudication is NOT what will get them a job.

But it's not about the raw knowledge, it's about

1. Transferable skills: targeted reading, critical thinking, information gathering, writing for different audiences, time management, group work, self-reflection, project management, conflict resolution...

2. Learning how to learn: adapting to new situations, new rules and new logics; switching from one type of reasoning to another; picking up on new practices, new skills, as fast as possible, knowing how YOU best do that: on your own, with friends, listening, writing, visuals, with cues, independently, by teaching...

3. Putting your future work (and honestly, yourself as a person) in a broader context: knowing what the ICJ is to spot dumb and wrong info when you see it. Knowing that it MATTERS that we know different types of rocks, and therefore we should fund research on geology. Knowing quantitative research methods to know when they are used well and when it's bullshit. Knowing that Latin shaped some languages and not others, to understand the limits of translation itself. Knowing how 'generative' AIs work to understand that there is very little about them that is actually 'generative'.

I would evening argue that just being confronted with the sheer vastness of Things and Knowledge and Fields that are not yours has value in and of itself. It keeps you humble, aware that no matter how much you are knowledgeable on your one (1) thing, in the back of your mind, there is the knowledge that there is much, much knowledge you actually do not have and cannot claim to have. OR, in the wise words of Dan Olson on CryptoBros, to avoid being the kind of person that:

"assume that because they understand one complicated thing [...] all other complicated things must be lesser in complexity and naturally lower in the hierarchy of reality"

[owen-not-carvour]

here have more rtc character headcanons!!

i want to know more abt them In Life so. here’s what i think all their favorite school subjects/activities were…

oh also i forget they’re canadian and I Am Not so just. insert in whatever the canadian equivalents are if i say something wrong lol

ocean: sga and gov (idk what the equivalent of ap is in canada but. whatever the ap gov equivalent is. that’s hers. bc you KNOW she was taking all advanced classes just to make a point) but fr. ocean was student gov president and wanted to be the first democratically elected female prime minister of canada (i think that’s all of it) so ofc this would be her thing :) pretty self explanatory for her..

noel: if they had a lit mag, noel was DEFINITELY part of it. idk if he would’ve been an editor or just a main contributor (or both) but he was definitely part of it in some big way for sure. i feel like he’d put in some stuff anonymously (but you could still pretty much always tell it was him) as well as some with his name on it, depending on what it was abt also. ANYWAY.. the being said he’s also ofc an advanced english type. i mean Ofc he is. and i can’t forget how he’s most definitely and obviously a french student bc Duh. (which is rlly fun to imagine bc I am a french student and there are legit 3 people in my class. it’s rlly funny to picture noel in our environment)

-oh also i think noel has been banned from doing pretty much Anything Remotely Invovled With Theater since the whole 7th grade thing. that’s one of the main reasons why he does choir. he’s literally banned from everything else.. he would do it if he could though :)

mischa: this one’s hard bc he’s the Angriest boy in town,, so like. what’s he gonna actually like yknow.. but in a weird way i think he’d really like science classes. just bc of the labs ofc.. but i think he’d like anatomy (basing this on his love of saw 5) he’d just think the dissections and shit are cool yknow :)

ricky: also a hard one.. we know he likes space and sci-fi and he’s rlly freakin smart but idk what that would rlly translate to.. maybe physics?? tbh i’m not rlly sure. he’d definitely also be a science-y person though. since he’s so imaginative i think he’d learn the facts and then sorta work w them in his head to make his own kind of rules and logic that still makes perfect sense to him but would seem absolutely batshit to the majority of other people yknow..

jane: actually forget what i said abt ricky and mischa being hard to think abt. she takes the cake. it’s hard bc i know Nothing abt penny lamb. (i want to though… how do i read legoland??) so all i have to go off of is her mannerisms and her speech patterns really. i think like noel she is also an english person.. a lot of how she talks seems like something i’d see in ap lang or lit,, (allusions and metaphors mainly) and just. a lot of what she says can be analyzed to oblivion like that. (i’m rlly thinking abt her catchphrase. like there’s definitely hidden meaning there).

-also,, here’s a great chance to talk abt my thoughts on her role in the choir!! i think penny *was* technically in the choir. she just didn’t really know how to befriend the rest of them (i think ricky noticed her the most but obviously couldn’t really communicate that to her) so she mostly just hung back. as for why no one remembers her (like the rest of them didn’t even realize there was even a 6th person at first. she doesn’t even remember herself. karnak doesn’t remember reading her fortune even though he actually did) i think that when she was designated a Jane Doe,, penny was actually gone from everyone’s memories until the moment she is chosen to be brought back to life. i think that’s really it. :)

constance: tbh no clue. part of me thinks that she doesn’t really have a favorite class. i think shes even more apathetic towards school than mischa is. like obviously she hides it but.. Still. she just. kinda hates it all yknow. bc it was before the cyclone and before she had her revelation and began to enjoy her life like 30 seconds before it ended.. so she probably just kinda liked the simple stuff like electives.. she probably had a couple art classes she liked (and also choir)

that’s all :)

[truthundressing]

I live in the US and ever since I read angus thongs and perfect snogging in middle school I’ve wanted to understand how British school works. I think we can exchange some information here 🤣 ok so in the US it’s like this: every year you’re in a “grade”, and the school year starts in late August or early September and ends in late May or early June, with a two week break around Christmas that they try to pretend is secular. The first “grade” is “Kindergarten” which you typically start at age 5, so usually everyone is having the same birthday over the course of the school year, but not everyone’s birthday falls just so, and some people skip or repeat grades. After Kindergarten the grades go up like normal i.e. “first grade” “second grade” etc. and the grades are divided up into “schools”. There’s usually elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), and high (9-12) school, but a lot of places alter the delineations or add more. For example, I had intermediate school (5-6), middle school (7-8), junior high (9-10), and high school (11-12) but that’s a bit ridiculous. Then once you graduate 12th grade, you get your high school diploma, and you can go to what we call college at that point, which is “higher education”. There are requirements to “get in” to college, and it costs money to attend. You usually have to take some racist tests and get good scores and send your scores off with applications to colleges and pray that you get accepted by a college that doesn’t cost a million dollars an hour. You are required by law to go to grade school (K-12) but if you drop out you can take a test called the GED to prove you Know Enough and it’s the equivalent of a high school diploma but you don’t have to suffer in actual high school. So how does British school work? I’m thrilled to find out wtf gcse means 🤩 lmao <3

ohhhhh my god ok yes !! lets exchange!!this makes so much sense but i still have so many questions skdjsk i have 2 american cousins so i feel like i should know way more than i do😭😭.

so with the classes you take, how does that work do you just get to choose as many as you want or do you have required classes? and what is an AP class, like is it more advanced? and do ppl take them to help with college applications or smthn? also (sorry im just so curious😭) what is a gpa? like... i have never understood how that works or why its needed lmao.

ok so with english schools we have 'years' but you start at age 4 in reception in primary school. After reception you start year 1, 2 etc and primary school is reception to year 6 (age 4-11). Then in year 6 (age 11) you take these exams called SATs (for maths, english comprehension and english grammar/spelling) which are to help determine your grade targets once you start secondary school, but also if you apply to private secondary schools or even some public schools getting good SATs results helps you get in.

So then secondary school is age 11 to 16 or 18 (depending lmao its a bit complicated). At 16 you do GCSE's which are exams to help you get into sixth form or college (not equivalent to college in the US). At 14 you can choose the subjects you want to take for GCSE's which again is based on your targets. So for example everyone has to take english, maths and at least one science but i had quite high targets so had to follow the baccalaureate where i was required to take all three sciences, a language and either geography or history but then could also choose 2 others (i took food technology and computer science😁). Then you study just those subjects for the next two years, with the exception of P.E. and R.E (religious education🙄) which everyone has to take up to age 16 but you don't have to take the exam for.

Phew ok😅then at 16 you go to sixth form or college. Sixth form is either its own building or part of a secondary school and you have to take either A-levels or BTECs, both are qualifications but you need A-levels to get into university. BTEC's are more career focused i believe, so things like engineering, construction, media, IT etc. A-levels are basically just your usual schools subjects and you can take 3 (sometimes 4) and then when you apply to uni they have specific requirements. Like if you want to study medicine you need an alevel in biology and chemistry for example. Then colleges are only for 16-18yr olds, they offer courses that are again more career focused, for example by 17yr old brother is in college atm doing photography.

The school year is pretty similar here i think, we have a 6 week summer holiday, 2 weeks at christmas and 2 at easter but we also have half-terms which is basically a week off in the middle of each term (so in october, february and may/june). University is completely different though bc we dont get the half-terms :(

I thinkkkkk thats everything😅honestly who decided to make its so comlplex skdjsksl and i didnt even get into the types of schools like private/religious etc😅😅

ALSO angus, thongs and perfect snogging is an iconic read😌

[someinstant]

So it's the week before Spring Break, and that means that my students are currently INSANE, and also I'm an AP teacher so we're in the final sprint towards College Board exams, and also most of my students are seniors and are Going Through It in terms of college acceptance and scholarship drama right now, and also I'm the faculty advisor for Beta Club and I'm doing all the paperwork for new memberships (sidenote: did you know that it costs more than 3k for 100 kids to join National Beta? because it does. discuss), and my six week grades are due, like, NOW, and also the air here is 90% pollen right now so I don't think I've breathed in about three weeks. Yesterday my lunch was literally half a Pop-Tart, because that's all I had time to eat before the kids came back.

What I am trying to express is: I am a little overwhelmed and stressed right now. So when my mother texted me on Monday saying that a friend of hers had some furniture she was willing to give me for free, did I want it?, my response initially was: yes, but I am incapable of organizing anything else this week. And then she sent me the pictures, and--

GIMME.

I mean, did I then have to scramble and find a truck and movers, because my mother's friend needed it out of the apartment by Friday? Yes. This is because I couldn't take time off this week to move it myself because (a) TOO BUSY and (b) days before vacations are deemed "critical days" and have to be approved by admin at least a month in advance unless it's an emergency and (c) writing sub plans is actually worse than being absent and also (d) we have no subs right now and everyone is having to cover classes and I don't want to be That Person to my colleagues if I can help it. And the movers cost me, like, 300 bucks, and I had to get my mom to coordinate the pick up and my sister to coordinate the drop off because I was teaching the whole time, and then I had to move my old dresser and a chair to the guest room and clean everything in preparation.

But all things considered-- worth it.

Now. I just need to make it through the end of the school day tomorrow and I'll be okay. Maybe.

[docholligay]

In as much as I’m aware, G&T is a US only thing though I may be incorrect about that.

The anon is crossing wires a bit, I think, so I’ll explain the GENERAL structure of it. I am assuming anon is in the US, and, I cannot say this enough, if you are not, I do not care. Everything I said stands.

G&T is an elementary school program where children who are considered to be particularly intelligent or have large amounts of potential are given additional out of class time to be taught higher level things. If this sounds a LITTLE vague, it’s because the US states are run a little like UK countries--there is QUITE a bit of variation in how things are done because of states’ autonomy. In Montana, I was required to take several tests and an interview to be considered G&T. I passed. My sister didn’t. My sister makes six figures as an engineer and got accepted to MIT, I talk about anime on the internet. So.

Largely, what G&T programs do is introduce concepts that are considered ‘above’ other children--I was taught algebra at 7 or 8, we often engaged in word puzzles, we were introduced to high-level literature. There is QUITE a bit of the idea that you are ‘smarter’ than other kids, and anyone who says otherwise is full of it. It was like, my sole fucking consolation in elementary school. That these kids were mean to me, but I was SMARTER than them. BETTER. Lol what hot bullshit.

In high school it largely translates into the AP (Advanced Placement) program. I am not 110% sure how you transition into this if you weren’t G&T as a child, but I know you can because the classes got bigger. So, AP kids take math classes a year sooner and can do Calculus before they graduate if they choose the math track for example. I dropped math the second they let me, so I only went to Trigonometry. AP English is a separate class entirely that does more difficult work. So, for example, we did Beowulf, we did Hamlet, we were expected to write higher-level papers and read A Tale of Two Cities over the summer. Crushing. You could opt out of this at any time when you were making your schedule.

College...does not have G&T. lol. They have honors programs, which vary so widely by school that it’s barely worth getting into here. In my college, if you wanted to graduate with honors you had to be a part of the honors program, which involved a whole extra class every year, and, thank you but no, I do not actually care about graduating with honors and I care even less about taking a class a year with a bunch of Fareeha fuckin Amaris.

I never found any of this particularly dealing psychic damage, and I find it a little frustrating that the story on the internet has become “Oh no adults told me I was smart and I found out it was meaningless.” It’s a bit like hearing about the poor little rich girl who was sent to Switzerland for the summer with her governess and was never quite wanted--sure, but also, eyeroll.

[ostronat]

why do schools only reward kids who are good at math? i mean. maybe it’s just my school. but me, a consistently a+ student in humanities classes (writing, reading, english), doesn’t get the extra challenging classes or the praise during assembly. being good with words and being able to easily write a compelling essay is not fucking worthless. i want to be in advanced english or advanced writing but they don’t have those. only advanced geometry or math. 

maybe most schools don’t do it like this but mine does and i’m fucking pissed. kids who are good at english are fucking talented. at least give us an AP class or two.

[clearpathadvantage]

Should I take the ACT or SAT?

Every student will encounter a college placement test before at one point during his or her high school career. The choice is between the ACT & SAT. Some students score substantially higher on the SAT, while others fare a lot better on the ACT. This is why it is highly recommended that students understand the differences between the format of the two tests.

What are the differences between the two?

Questions in ACT tend to be more straightforward.

There is a stronger emphasis on vocabulary in SAT.

The writing test is optional in ACT, but something that is required by many colleges.

SAT does not have a Science section, but the ACT does.

Advanced math concepts are added to the ACT test including Trigonometry.

Content areas in SAT are broken up into 10 sections but are delivered in four multiple-choice sections on the ACT.

Changes to the SAT

Are you leaning towards SAT? Know that major changes in Online Sat prep Classes which will be released come spring 2016. According to College Board President and CEO David Coleman, the test is changing because it has become “far too disconnected from the work of our high schools. They’re too stressful for students, too filled with mystery and “tricks” to raise scores and aren’t necessarily creating more college-ready students”.

The new Sat Training standardized test will now have four sections — Math, Evidence-based Reading, Writing, and an optional essay. “We are not interested in students just picking an answer, but justifying their answers”, Coleman added. This shows that the SAT in 2016 would be more challenging than the previous one.

Changes to the ACT

It doesn’t mean that taking the ACT will be an easier option because the test went through changes as well. The revisions to the ACT will be released earlier than that of the SAT. Come fall 2015, the exam will have an enhanced writing test. In the following Spring of 2016, constructed-response subject tests, online administration, new reporting categories, and new readiness scores and indicators will also be introduced to the ACT. Similar to the SAT, redesigning the ACT also aims to benefit students.

So which test should you take? Familiarize yourself with both formats and take one practice test from the ACT and SAT to see if there are major differences in the scores. Remember that it still comes down to which test suits your abilities. Regardless of changes to the exams, your preparation is what will determine whether you will be ready come the day of the test.

When Should I Start Preparing for the ACT?

There is no perfect time to begin studying for the Act Prep Classes. Many students tend to have a rigorous junior year with honors or AP classes. With a school year packed with classes and extracurricular activities, it is difficult to find a few minutes to spare every day.

This is what makes the Summer before Junior Year an optimal time to start taking practice tests, going over different content topics, and, if necessary, joining a prep course. Enough time is available to go over math formulas, reading section strategies, grammar principles, etc. Many tests can be taken during the summer to make sure you are gaining endurance for the actual test. Yes, the summer is meant for a break from school and a catch-up for all those naps that you missed out on during the school year. However, would you rather take multiple practice tests during the school year? Does it make sense to cram in ACT review when you have so much homework to finish every day?

This is why I always recommend getting a head start before junior year. You will be able to take your first ACT test during the Fall of Junior Year. Once you get your score you have many options to take another test, if needed, in the Winter months or Spring. This gives ample time to raise your score and reach the goal you have set.

If you have any queries, then visit the clear path’s online portal & choose the Best Prep Course now!

[dzthenerd490]

File: Assassin's Creed - Crescent Amulet

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Warning! The following is to only be seen by administrators and O5 council members. If you are not of Level 5 Clearance, you will be exterminated by order of the O5 council!

SCANNING

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CHECKING RANK DATA OF VIEWER

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RANK OF VIEWER CONFIRMED

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NO SIGNS OF TAMPERING DETECTED

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WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

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VIEWING OF SCP-AGS APPROVED

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SCP#: AGS

Code Name: The Crescent Amulet

Object Class: Anticipi

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-AGS is to be sent to Site-AP and locked within the Level 4 Emergency Armory. The armory locked behind advanced and experimental containment locks and security measures to ensure no one without the passcode identification can pass through. The armory is to only be opened when a worst-case K Class Apocolyptic Scenario event occurs. As such anyone who accesses SCP-AGS when no such event has occurred or without the proper clearance, they are to be targeted with Protocol Legacy's Downfall, there will be no exceptions.

Description: SCP-AGS is a crescent shaped amulet made by Species of Interest: The ISU. the amulet has the same anomalous ability as most ISU technology does which is to control the minds of everyone except those with [data expunged] status. However, SCP-AGS is a specialized item belonging to the ISU, so it is in possession of several other anomalous abilities. 

Such anomalous abilities include: 

- Necromancy - SCP-AGS allows the user to heal all wounds even fatal wounds to bring even the dead back to life. However, if someone has been dead for 72 hours or longer than the body will be possessed by energy of the SCP-AGS and not the original soul. These undead corpses will obey the user of SCP-AGS until they are destroyed. The user is able to summon at least [data expunged] of these undead corpses though possibly more. 

- Illusion projection - SCP-AGS can project illusions into the mind of anyone who is able to be under the influence of mind control. Such illusions can affect all five of the senses quite easily and without restrictions. Though the limit is that only five people at a time can be subjected to these illusions and it must be the same illusion for all of them. 

- Holographic projection - SCP-AGS can project 3D holograms of anything the user desires weather it be data, recordings caught form SCP-AGS's memory of previous users, or anything else from the current SCP-AGS user's memory or even their imagination. 

- Accelerate learning - The wearer of SCP-AGS is able to process information at an accelerated pace and can retail all memories of what they learned while wearing SCP-AGS. SCP-AGS essentially turns the user's brain into a computer able to not only think fast but able to make their own calculations and think up simulated experiments like a computer can with the same if not more effective accuracy. They'll be able to remember, learn, and think with perfect speed, clarity, and efficiently. 

- Immunity to Stalking - SCP-AGS prevents anyone, and anything form watching them from far distances. This includes usage of telescope or similar tool, satellite cameras, magic, thaumaturgic rituals, metaphysical means, recordings, use of anomalous senses, thaumaturgic technology, para technology, and other anomalous means. All attempts either lead to malfunction, pain in the viewer's eyes, and/or the complete erase of memories of viewing in the first place. 

SCP-AGS was discovered in 2020 after it was retrieved in the mission when Mobile Task Force Athena-1 "Assassin's Creed" came into conflict with Group of Interest: The Valravn Corporation over a shipment of anomalous items owned by Group of Interest: Abstergo Industries. Thankfully Captain Alexia and her team managed to take the entirety of the shipment including SCP-AGS with minimal casualties. Surprising since they had to fight against both Groups of Interest at the time. Please see Action Report: Assassins vs Vikings for details. 

Because SCP-AGS was deemed dangerous a majority of the Foundation agreed it should be locked away in Site-AP until such time as it is needed like an K Class Apocalyptic Scenario. 

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SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

[newstfionline]

Monday, January 29, 2024

More Renters Than Ever Before Are Burdened by the Rent They Pay (NYT) Half of all renters in the United States spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities, more than at any other time in history, according to a new report by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The center’s analysis of 2022 census data found that 22.4 million renter households are burdened, with a record 12.1 million spending more than half their income on housing. The surge in housing costs affects a wide swath of renters, from low-income households to higher earners. Middle-income renters earning from $30,000 to $74,999 saw the sharpest rise in cost burden since 2019. And a record number of Americans—653,100—were homeless on a given night in January 2023, the report found. “It’s definitely worse than it’s ever been,” said Cea Weaver, a campaign coordinator at Housing Justice for All in New York. “Middle class people, lower middle class people, working class people, they cannot afford their rent.”

Community health centers serve 1 in 11 Americans. They’re a safety net under stress (AP) Elisa Reyes has come to Plaza del Sol Family Health Center for doctor’s appointments for more than a decade. Though she moved away a while ago, the 33-year-old keeps returning, even if it means a two-hour roundtrip bus ride. That’s because her two children see the same doctor she does. Because when she’s sick, she can walk in without an appointment. Because the staff at the Queens clinic helped her apply for health insurance and food stamps. “I feel at home. They also speak my language,” Reyes said in Spanish. Plaza del Sol is one of nearly 1,400 federally designated community health centers. One in 11 Americans rely on these to get routine medical care, social services and, in some cases, fresh food. The clinics serve as a critical safety net in every state and U.S. territory for low-income people of all ages. But it’s a safety net under stress. Since 2012, community health centers have seen a 45% increase in the number of people seeking care. Many centers are short-staffed and struggling to compete for doctors, mental health professionals, nurses and dentists.

Ecuador police destroy over 20 metric tons of cocaine (Reuters) Ecuadorean Police on Thursday destroyed some 21.5 metric tons of cocaine which they seized over the weekend as part of a military offensive declared by the government to combat organized crime. The drugs were found on Sunday stored in hundreds of blocks in storage space built under a pig farm located in the city of Vinces, officials said.

Argentina's new president says there is 'no Plan B' for the economy. (WSJ) Javier Milei says he is bringing a free-market revolution to the country’s long-troubled economy, cutting thousands of state jobs and slashing regulations on everything from divorce proceedings to the price of milk. But after less than two months at the helm of Latin America’s third-largest economy, the self-described anarcho-capitalist is already facing off against opponents in the streets and in Congress, where some of his overhauls have already been derailed. Its inflation rate is now the world’s highest, surpassing even Venezuela’s. In an interview, Milei said he wouldn’t waver from his campaign promise to shake up the state-controlled economy, despite the acute short-term economic pain it will bring.

U.S. war plans for Ukraine don’t foresee retaking lost territory (Washington Post) Still smarting from last year’s failed counteroffensive in Ukraine, the Biden administration is putting together a new strategy that will de-emphasize winning back territory and focus instead on helping Ukraine fend off new Russian advances while moving toward a long-term goal of strengthening its fighting force and economy. The emerging plan is a sharp change from last year, when the U.S. and allied militaries rushed training and sophisticated equipment to Kyiv in hopes that it could quickly push back Russian forces occupying eastern and southern Ukraine. That effort foundered, largely on Russia’s heavily fortified minefields and front-line trenches. The U.S. planning is part of a multilateral effort by nearly three dozen countries backing Ukraine to pledge long-term security and economic support—both out of necessity, given the disappointing results of last year’s counteroffensive and the conviction that a similar effort this year would likely bring the same outcome, and as a demonstration of enduring resolve to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine says corrupt officials stole $40 million meant to buy arms for the war with Russia (AP) Employees from a Ukrainian arms firm conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million earmarked to buy 100,000 mortar shells for the war with Russia, Ukraine’s security service reported. The SBU said late Saturday that five people have been charged, with one person detained while trying to cross the Ukrainian border. If found guilty, they face up to 12 years in prison. The investigation comes as Kyiv attempts to clamp down on corruption in a bid to speed up its membership in the European Union and NATO. Officials from both blocs have demanded widespread anti-graft reforms before Kyiv can join them.

What It Took Young People in China to Get Their Jobs (NYT) They knew the job market would be tough. None were prepared for just how tough it proved to be. China’s economy is struggling through a sustained slowdown, with real estate developers mired in debt, families fearful of spending and entrepreneurs hesitating to take risks. Joblessness levels among young people have hit record highs. We spoke to young Chinese about what it took to find their jobs amid such uncertainty. They described moving home with their parents, exhausting their savings, taking on unpaid internships or working two jobs. They also spoke of a generational disillusionment. Born in the headiest years of China’s economic boom, they grew up with more opportunities and more comforts than their parents—and also higher expectations. They were told that, with hard work and the right education, their futures were all but guaranteed. Now, those boom years are fading, as are many young people’s hopes—with unpredictable consequences for China and the world.

China is absorbing Hong Kong, as geography follows politics (Washington Post) The Sham Chun River and adjoining wetlands, which separate Hong Kong from the Chinese city of Shenzhen, have throughout modern history served as a physical marker of the differences between the two territories and their distinct systems. The river still flows, broad and slow, but the boundary it represented is dissolving. Two mammoth multibillion-dollar development projects backed by the Hong Kong and Chinese governments—including one that will straddle the banks of the river—will change the look, feel and economic pulse of Hong Kong, with one goal in mind: integration with mainland China. Over the next decade, new rail links, bridges, logistics facilities, schools, office buildings and residential towers will transform Hong Kong’s outer fringes and remake the quiet towns and wetlands of the New Territories into an extension of Shenzhen, a Chinese technology hub. New projects will bring Hong Kong fully into the “Greater Bay Area”—Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision of linking nine Chinese coastal cities with Hong Kong and Macao, the former Portuguese colony, as a rival to Silicon Valley.

U.S. troops killed, wounded in Jordan attack blamed on Iranian proxies (Washington Post) A militant drone attack killed three U.S. service members and injured at least 34 in Jordan on Sunday, officials said, marking the first deadly military action against American service members since the war in Gaza triggered a steep rise in violence across the Middle East. The deadly attack targeted a facility known as Tower 22 in northeast Jordan, close to where the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan converge. A U.S. defense official said the one-way drone struck the base’s living quarters, causing injuries that ranged from cuts and bruises to brain trauma. About 350 troops are stationed at the base. President Biden blamed the assault on groups supported by Iran, generating immediate questions about when, where and how forcefully the United States might respond.

Negotiators Close In on Hostage Deal That Would Halt Fighting in Gaza for Weeks (NY) American-led negotiators are edging closer to an agreement in which Israel would suspend its war in Gaza for about two months in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas, a deal that could be sealed in the next two weeks and would transform the conflict consuming the region. Negotiators have developed a written draft agreement merging proposals offered by Israel and Hamas in the last 10 days into a basic framework that will be the subject of talks in Paris. While there are still important disagreements to be worked out, negotiators are cautiously optimistic. The hostages have been in captivity since Oct. 7, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel and killed an estimated 1,200 people and seized about 240 more in the worst terrorist attack in the country’s history. Israel’s military retaliation since then has killed more than 25,000 people, most of them women and children.

Where Is Hamas Getting Its Weapons? Increasingly, From Israel. (NY) Israeli military and intelligence officials have concluded that a significant number of weapons used by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks and in the war in Gaza came from an unlikely source: the Israeli military itself. For years, analysts have pointed to underground smuggling routes to explain how Hamas stayed so heavily armed despite an Israeli military blockade of the Gaza Strip. But recent intelligence has shown the extent to which Hamas has been able to build many of its rockets and anti-tank weaponry out of the thousands of munitions that failed to detonate when Israel lobbed them into Gaza, according to weapons experts and Israeli and Western intelligence officials. Hamas is also arming its fighters with weapons stolen from Israeli military bases. What is clear now is that the very weapons that Israeli forces have used to enforce a blockade of Gaza over the past 17 years are now being used against them. Israeli and American military explosives have enabled Hamas to shower Israel with rockets and, for the first time, penetrate Israeli towns from Gaza.

Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are idling car factories and delaying new fashion (AP) Car factories have idled in Belgium and Germany. Spring fashion lines are delayed at a popular British department store. A Maryland company that makes hospital supplies doesn’t know when to expect parts from Asia. Attacks on ships in the Red Sea are delivering another shock to global trade, coming on top of pandemic-related logjams at ports and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Houthi rebels in Yemen, seeking to stop Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza, are attacking cargo ships plying the waters connecting Asia with Europe and the United States, forcing traffic away from the Suez Canal and around the tip of Africa. The disruption is causing delays and driving up costs. “What’s happened right now is short-term chaos, and chaos leads to increased costs,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of the supply chain management company Flexport. “Every ship that gets rerouted has 10,000 containers on it.”

[ira-407]

How to School Me Better: Recounting Math

[Image description: The cover for the book Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. A kid is falling down a spiral of numbers.]

The image is the cover of a book Math Curse that our teacher read to us in 3rd grade. It does a good job of showing how math appears in many facets of our lives, but also how math can be very overwhelming for many people.

This is a big one. It’s also a very interesting story. I fluctuated anywhere between being in a pull-out math class in late elementary/early middle school to being in AP statistics in high school. I’m proud of the progress I made in those years, but I also don’t think the advanced math courses were really my speed. For most subjects in K-12, I felt like the basic level was too easy (and often had the obnoxious kids in them) while the advanced levels were anywhere between a little and way too hard. Apparently many other ACs felt this way too. This was especially true in my ninth grade math class, which was a fucking nightmare in hindsight. Small classroom, thirty-five people in one class, one single teacher who was replaced halfway through the year, and a state test that only about 60% of the total students in the entire state passed. Those are amazing numbers, I’ll tell ya. I barely passed by the skin of my teeth that year. It was probably the closest I came to failing a class. During the subsequent years of high school, I definitely didn’t struggle as much, but also was far from a star student in math. The math classes I took in college were easy enough for me to skate by quite well in them, though I did get B’s instead of A’s even then. Here’s some things that worked well in particular:

Having formulas readily available

Walking the class through problems step-by-step

Finding ways to apply the math we learned to the real world (ex: graphing projects, budgeting, spreadsheets)

Hands-on measurement activities

Mnemonic devices

Here are things that didn’t work well:

Long problems that required lots of spacing on scratch paper

Teaching entire chapters (or 2 entire chapters) within only three weeks before an exam

Word problems

Expecting us to learn the material by solely doing the homework and classwork

That last one was really only something one teacher did, and it was in the aforementioned ninth grade math class. Word problems in theory work, and are a good way of contextualizing what you learn as it applies to the material world. However, the way many word problems were worded was confusing, perhaps intentionally so. Many word problems require some kind of visualization. Now I’m actually very good at that. The problem is that it’s easy to get lost in specific details, and if a word problem uses words I don’t know, then I can’t visualize it. This is particularly an issue when it comes to anything geometry related. Teaching so much content within three weeks (or even less in some cases) before testing us on it is misguided at best and outright sadistic at worst. Some people can definitely keep up with that pace, but many can’t. I certainly couldn’t. This applies to any other subject in which exams were commonplace. There seems to be the unspoken principle in advanced classes that if you are at that level, then you should be able to keep up with a faster pace and a larger workload, which I not only think is emphatically false, but is an unhealthy mindset to have. More often than not, it leads to burnout. Whether the burnout happens while taking the classes or after graduation, it definitely happens. Pacing especially applies to a subject for which practice is vital, and math is certainly one of those. Now I don’t necessarily think this means there should be homework for math in particular and not for other subjects. I don’t think homework should be a thing, period. There are ways to practice math while in class, and test mastery of the material, without using homework or tests. There are self-paced math classes. I could’ve tried that in college, but ultimately didn’t do it. Not everyone learns the same things at the same pace. Especially not something like math. Math often has different levels of instruction before other subjects in school do for this reason. However, this still means that regardless of if you’re in special ed, standard, or accelerated math, you and the rest of your classmates are going at a set pace. A class of thirty-five students is sure as hell not going to all keep up in equal amounts, but neither is a class of six, or even three. I know this, having been in both of those extremes. Khan Academy’s math course seems to be pretty great and is self-paced. We used pieces of it in some of my classes. It still doesn’t fix the core issues of being forced to learn and practice enough to be able to pass a test on such a tight schedule. I think the skills learned in math class can be applied more directly to “real world” skills than they usually are. Math projects were a good way of doing this. Why not focus more on that instead of simply testing the hard knowledge? There’s a lot of talk about how we aren’t taught to balance checkbooks or how to pay taxes. Both of these things can easily be projects in a math class. Same with cooking. Yes, we had culinary and business classes, though what we would do in those classes was a lot less defined and certain since they were specials. There’s no reason not to combine aspects of these courses more closely.

TL;DR-Math was a subject I made a lot of good progress on over time in school, yet still struggled with in many ways. The pacing at which the math was taught to us as well as the way it was taught made a lot of concepts harder to understand than if there was more practical application of them, which does exist in classes that are electives. There should be more effort put towards bridging the two.

[bullshit-bulltrue]

Hawk Talk

i didn't forget this time <3

so i was listening to rock full blast this morning and it was such a mood

didn't realize that i was next to michael and since i'm a nosy bitch i took one earbud out to listen

so yeah chill

and then i walked away because there was too many tall people and i didn't want to get trampled when the AP (i think it was the AP) let us in the hallways

and i ended up standing next to ANOTHER guy i knew a while back and holy SHIT he is TALL

he's in my broadcast class 👀

so yeah

and y'all he's gender envy frfr

ANYWAY-

i start walking and yk Michael? i went to my locker to put my lunch away and shit and my 1st period is right there and if y'all been paying attention that's the class i have with him

and there was a line starting to wait to enter the classroom and i was Brave Enough™️ to ask him if where he was was the back of the line and he said yeah and i smiled a little and said hi and he said hi back

if you know me, you know that talking to people i think are pretty is fucking difficult and you should be proud and give me a hug for this because i felt like my legs were going to give out from feeling so much anxiety at that moment

so yaeh <3

class went smoothly

Mr. M gave us a kahoot to play that was based on maps and stuff to test our memory and stuff

and he said we were allowed to to help each other (desk buddies) on the quiz and the kahoot bc they're formative grades and delaney (the cuntwad i sit next to) asked for my help so i gave her the wrong answers tehehe <3

and yeah i took notes today and they're legible bc if my friends asks to borrow notes i wanna make sure they can actually read 'em lol

and then i went to math and these dumb bitches talked about highlighter and lipgloss and concealer for a solid 20 minutes

my knowledge of makeup is widened to a completely different level than before

and when i say dumb bitches

i mean

the only way they got to this class (advanced btw) was by cheating on the state mandated tests

it was that bad

but that means i'm the smart one at yet another table so fuck yeah

and Mr. H (math teach) is super fucking awesome

i told him my last name for something bc i was having trouble signing into and application since i never used it before and he was like "what?" bc i always tell everyone the easy way of saying my name

and he's like yeah no that sucks and now he's the only teacher who can say it the right way and i'm excited because nobody ever does say it right !!

so after math ended me and lanie went to English and yk what that means

*drumroll*

are you thinking that means talking to the pretty guys?

well your fucking wrong.

we had to do state mandated testing.

and we have to continue on monday but it's okay because me, lanie, and D are about halfway done

oh and also so it turns out that D's name doesn't actually start with a D

it starts with a B

so we'll call him Delgado from now on because that's his last name

i think

whatever it's either his first or last name and fuck it

so yeah

oh back to testing

so throughout the test i had like science questions??

wtf i don't know why either it was literally an English test

so i had my scratch paper and he had some paper too so we kept writing little notes to each other to pass the time and like flipping the paper when Mrs. K (English teach) came around lol

and like at one point i wrote "fuck whoever created [insert teat name] they can go to hell" and he had the cutest little laugh and wrote "ong" on his paper

ik it sounds like nothing but you don't understand this is the only guy that willingly talks to me (well there's like 2 others but ykwim) and the girls are too hostile for my taste lmao

AND HE DIDN'T MAKE FUN OF MY ANXIETY

at one point i pulled out a lifesaver mint from my suitcase (not really a suitcase but i like to call it that. let me have my fun.) and he mouthed "what is it?" and i whispered back that it was a mint and since the teacher told the class to shut up (she's nice, i swear) i wrote "it helps my anxiety" and tapped my pencil on the desk to show him the note and he smiled a little and was like ohh

yes, i know, not making fun of a girl's anxiety is the barest of minimums, but everyone at my school that doesn't have anxiety makes fun of it, okay

and like baseball guy kept glancing at lanie, and i could sense the awkwardness between them, and every time he looked at her, me and lanie looked at each other, and we were the epitomy of the "👀😶" emoji combo

so yeah

and like i can't tell if she likes him more or if he likes her more but i'll keep you updated

OH AND FORGOT TO MENTION

i saw baseball guy in the hallway and i now know that he passes me in the hall while i wait outside the door for math on odd days (we have even and odd days at our school)

that was litetally the only thing i forgot, i used caps lock because i wanted to be dramatic

anyway

so we were all packing up for lunch and i had the Courage™️ to ask the boys if they wanted to eat lunch with us and two of them agreed

(Delgado and his Short Bestie™️)

so we planned to meet at the front of the mess hall, right? well wrong because apparently i'm too short for Delgado to see or some shit but Lanie is like 5'7 or maybe even taller cus i have to fucking tilt my head upward to SEE HER FACE

so me and lanes were just like fuck it

oh and i couldn't wait for them forever bc i had to give my lunch to a girl in broadcast

so like we sat down and ate and talked

and then Delgado got up to go talk to someone at a table behind us and we make eye contact so i just smile and wave

and he got caught off guard and was like where were you??

and i explained and he was like ohhh

so now we know where he usually sits and on Monday when we all have the same period lunch we'll sit together lol

i have to sit by myself tomorrow because my friend's lunch schedules are different than mine on even days :(

[kuramirocket]

Florida superintendents were advised Thursday by the state to nix their Advanced Placement Psychology classes unless they exclude any topics related to gender or sexuality, according to The College Board, which oversees the AP program.

Such a shift would mean the courses couldn't be called Advanced Placement, however, or used by students to earn college credit, the College Board said. And the organization is advising Florida districts not to offer the class until the state reverses its decision, saying any AP Psychology course taught in Florida will violate either state law or college requirements.

Florida's school superintendents learned of the state education department's decision in a conference call Thursday morning. The news means school districts may have to quickly rejigger many students' schedules just days before the start of a new school year.

"As a student who completed the AP Psychology course last year and personally benefitted from the knowledge it imparted, I'm beyond pissed off," he said.

"High school students, by and large, are capable of higher thought and rational decision-making," said a senior at Leon High School. "By excluding the fields of psychology which they deem 'inappropriate,' Ron DeSantis and other Republicans place their personal beliefs above the rights of public school students across Florida to a full and free education."

How does AP Psychology conflict with Florida law?

Gender and sexual orientation have been a part of the AP Psychology curriculum for the past 30 years, according to The College Board.

Last year, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running to be the Republican nominee for president, signed into law a measure officially known as the Parental Rights in Education act but has been derided by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The law outlawed instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. This spring, the law was expanded this year to 12th grade.

The portion of AP Psychology in question is unit 6.7, which discusses gender and sexuality and includes the definitions of gender, sexuality, gender roles and stereotypes and their socialization factors.

Florida's “Stop WOKE Act” also restricts how race is discussed in schools, colleges and workplaces and prohibits any teaching that could make students feel they bear personal responsibility for historic wrongs because of their race, color, sex or national origin.

[amandamelodramablog]

Blacula (Intro): Helpful or Harmful?

The introduction to Blacula is short yet gets the point across in what filmmakers were trying to do at this time. While watching the introduction, we are able to see the condescending tone within the dialogue of the film and how the white man is still seen as the character of higher power in comparison to the main character, Blacula. In one sequence, the audience is able to see the treatment of Blacula and how he should be delighted about the fact that a white man is admiring his and should be taken as a compliment; however, this can be seen as almost patronizing. There is also a moment where Blacula is related to an animal from the jungle, obviously displaying racist tension and themes throughout the introduction. In the article, “Blaxploitation Horror Films: Generic Reappropriation or Reinscription?,” by Harry M. Benshoff states, “Within the horror genre, lingering racist tropes, such as the black ape-man myth, were now readily identified and expose.” This sheds light on the stereotypes that were publicly being pushed onto lack culture and the discrimination they faced not only within their daily lives but also within film. Now this begs the question of whether having this type of dialogue within a film is helpful or harmful as some people within the community feel as if it is being reinforced through movies or if it sheds light on the terrible discrimination and racist remarks that they have to endure in real life. 

Benshoff also states, “Nonetheless, even as middle-class black audiences and the champions of “respectable” cinema might have been made uneasy by the exploitative and/or generic nature of Blacula, extra textual uses of the film became more important to the struggle for racial advancement.” Although this film is controversial in whether or not it does more harm than good in context of racial progress, it did help start conversation of what it means to represent blackness on screen and what it truly means both on and off the screen.   

[bulldyke-rider]

what does 'gifted' mean when people say that? I'm not from the U.S. and we don't really have a concept for that here. I always get confused reading statements about giftedness on this website, because most people seem to be talking about elementary school or middle school? Whereas over here, if you're like "smarter than average" or something that translates into skipping a year, or if you're extremely smart going to college early. But are there advanced classes or placements over there instead?

Gifted is just kids who were ahead in their classes and picked up material fast. Gifted does refer to elementary and middle school, but a lot of people talking about being a gifted kid stayed on that path until college. Like, my post is about the life path they send you on when you're a gifted kid early in life and how it spirals into something almost no one can handle.

I took honors and AP in highschool. They were higher workload and more in class time (that was often not used to get work done) than college. Most students cheat not because they aren't smart enough to get the work done but because they don't have the time and energy to do it. And then, because of that, they learn fewer skills.

You can skip grades or graduate early here too. I think they suggested I get bumped up a grade once, but my mom wasn't into that. And you don't have to be smarter than anybody to go to college early here (unless we're talking like super early); at my school, you could graduate as soon as you got your credits. Anybody could work extra core classes into their schedule to graduate early.