#autodidact's library

[disorganisedautodidact]

Autodidact’s Library No. 15: Amartya Sen, Identity and Violence. The Illusion of Destiny

I read this book because of a tumblr post. I can’t find the post any more and don’t remember who made it, but they said it was a sort of antidote to Huntington’s infuriatingly stupid “clash of civilisations” idea, and after spending 8 years in a Middle Eastern studies department of a European university, I really, really needed that. Anyway, I wasn’t promised too much – the book not only rebutted Huntington’s simplistic idea of “civilisatons” and “cultural identities”, but it made me chuckle a few times with some rhetorical dig or other at Huntington and his ilk.

What the book is really about is the multiplicity and complexity of identity and the freedom of choice we all have in deciding which of our identities are important to us and what consequences to draw from that. No one is just German or just Indian or just English or just Mexican, but instead the same person can identify as an American citizen, a white person, a woman, a lesbian, a member of her local chess club, a left-wing person, a computer engineer, a Christian, etc. etc. etc., all at the same time. According to Sen, it’s not just right-wing nationalists who tend to flatten people into a singular identity (or a very few identities) and use that to form in-group cohesion and turn people against the out-group, causing a lot of violence, but he claims liberals make the same mistake even in their efforts to counter said right-wing rhetorical strategy. For example, there is a lot of focus on intercultural cooperation or interfaith dialogue, but always with a focus on people as members of cultures or religions (and often focused on religious leaders as spokespeople), when it might be, in Sen’s opinion, more effective to encourage people to work together as a civil society and find a common identity instead of just a collection of cultural groups that remains focused somehow on their divisions.

Even more important, according to Sen, is encouraging people to apply reasoning and free choice to their various identities. There are obvious limits to this, as a young-ish person from Germany I can’t choose to identify as an African man, but I can choose to regard my queerness as a more important part of my identity than my nationality. (Or vice versa, which sadly several conservative politicians in Germany are doing.)

I found his theses clear and worth thinking about, and the various historical examples he brings are interesting. I did think the book gets a bit repetitive at times, like the same points could have been made in 100 pages rather than 150. Still, I’m glad I gave this a read!

[olameni]

I ran across Shepard.study which is an AI tool that will help you learn by creating a study plan. You can feed it notes, documents and it will build quizzes and flash cards to help you. Downside it’s not free.

Nevertheless I’m very excited by the implications of this in not just organizing my studies but also by allowing me to treat AI like a professor asking probing questions to get me to think. As a person who learns best in a dialogue this is wonderful.

[crimson-and-clover-1717]

Stede Bonnet, Renaissance Man (Or an Exceptional Man who Thinks He’s Mediocre)

I’ve posted before about Stede’s love of beauty. He’s an aesthete, finding wonder in art and creative self-care rather than the transcendental. Stede’s a freethinker. He challenges the orthodoxies of his time, rejecting forced heteronormative behaviours, and even questioning the accepted traditions of piracy.

The thing about Stede is he often asks ‘why?’ It’s partly what makes him dangerous to some. This slant towards subversion is much of what Izzy observes and detests. It’s one of many reasons Stede must be kept from Ed. Like a number of Renaissance-style thinkers before him, Stede refuses to go along with the status quo. He is ‘doing something original’, questioning dogma. Many find it ridiculous, bizarre even. And it’s significant that instead Ed finds Stede enchanting, because it demonstrates who Ed might be given the chance to find his own path.

Stede is also a polymath and likely an autodidact - I doubt he learned about ‘insane foliage’ at school. He is self-motived and seems to have knowledge across a broad spectrum of disciplines. Literature, drama, botany, entomology, psychology, art, textiles. Stede’s very much about the life of the mind.

And he’ll approach areas at which he’s not so gifted, such as cartography and sword-fighting, with the enthusiasm of a dilettante; when he can’t succeed the traditional way, he simply subverts the discipline and does it his own. However, the most important thing for me in defining Stede as a Renaissance man is his humanism. People are front and centre. Sometimes that person is himself, and he loses sight of others. But it’s okay as that’s the point. Humanism is partly about being a messy individual who can do better. And Stede is someone who can learn and alter his position when circumstances change. He might not do so in the best way all of the time, but he is a quick-learner and highly-adaptable.

Stede also understands that no culture or institution is bigger than the people within it. The most important thing is human dignity - it’s what he shows and teaches Ned’s crew: that they deserve to be respected as people. Stede also has a strong moral core. When he messes up, he feels it deeply. He demonstrates strong ethics towards the natural world too - he’s absolutely disgusted by turtle vs. crab. Stede believes not so much in human superiority, but human responsibility, and this is the flip side of having dignity as a human being.

Another aspect of Stede’s humanism is his belief that culture should be accessible to all. Some of this might be naivety on Stede’s part rather than a well-thought out philosophy, but he believes in it intuitively. Stede wants the crew to have access to his library despite not recognising they can’t all read. He gives them musical instruments and sports facilities - he’s interested in what makes people flourish. And Stede practically invents art therapy!

His ship is also a safe-space for human relationships to blossom - romantic, platonic, and in between. Zheng’s ship might appear to offer collective harmony, but it’s mandated and dogmatically applied. Opting out of morning tai chi for a 24-hour shagathon might be viewed as an act of dissent. No such big brother is judging you on Stede’s Revenge.

And all of this is because of the man Stede is, and the influence he has on those around him. Sometimes it falls on deaf ears. Many don’t like what Stede’s offering. Others actively rebel against it. But anyone with an ounce of goodness will get what Stede Bonnet is about and embrace it. Stede doesn’t seem to understand his own power, it comes from such an authentic place. For me, it makes him all the more endearing.

[yey56]

MORTIS WORK

Mortis sometimes works on the laboratory assisting Flug with chemicals or with the blueprints.

Mortis dad had a mortuary and sometimes he took them to work with him when she was younger, therefore, they know their way around a human body.

He prefers them dead than alive but oh well sometimes Flug cannot do the operations or the stitching because of lack of time so they do it for him.

Morts arm can sometimes get damaged so she goes to Flugs lab in the middle of the night to ask him to fix it. And whiles they're at it they talk and converse.

It happens more often than Mortis would like to admit. Since she doesn't feel pain, they are not used to actually taking care of their limbs so they got Flug to go it. 💪

Whenever Dementia expressed her undying love and adoration for BH, they basically start sleeping (probably due to insomnia but whatever) and then they wake up just before they finish so he can applaud and pretend she has been paying attention (somehow it always works) 🤔

Once they put their pajamas on, they don't take it off until it's specifically necessary. Like working hours or something like that. Mortis is the type of person that if they could they would stay all day in pajamas and a coat.

As I said, Mortis has terrible trouble sleeping so basically to try and distract themselves they start working late at night which causes her to fall asleep when working at daylight. (He survives on little naps and some walnuts 🫡)

They have tons of replicas of that turtle neck shirt. They refuse to change their signature outfit since then. It's been 5 years, Dementia is dying to make her a make over.

Mortis, at night, enjoys working on the library of the manor since it's very much secluded and desertic (being lil jack the only exception) so they tend to go there to work while also moping the dust. 📗📘

Mortis has an old ass phone that they absolutely refuse to change. Not for hate for technology or something like that, no. They refuse to change it because he has the philosophy that you should use something until it's completely and utterly useless. They won't let anything of theirs go until as long as she can find a use on it. 📱📞

Mort started working for BH Organization pretty young, (at 19) barely having a formal education and depending on her previous experience in life and what his grandfather had taught them while working for him.

Mort also had experience working in cemeteries, mainly digging because his father had one and worked there.

They learn most of the things in an autodidact way. Or through experience.

Mortis has worked on a bar as a bartender for 2 years when they got to America. They are basically the bartender by default in the mansion. He makes great drinks. 🥃🍸

She is banned from the cabinet of drinks because she gave one to Dementia once and it turned out pretty bad.

He almost never says their first name, Victoria. They always presents themselves as just Mortis and in documents she signs as V. Mortis Castillo.

They have an hyper fixation of gothic architecture but you will not hear her talking about it unless someone brings it up on a conversation, then she will talk nonstop until they get tired of it.

They always have a binder on his chest but sometimes they just forget to take it off or they use it while forgetting to put a new one or cleaning it which leaves weals on their back, collarbone and abdomen.

Mortis has the most horribly chapped lips because they are always biting them. She always has some kind on injury in their mouth just by biting it. Some times they suck the blood that comes out of it. 👄🫦

Has horrible migraine, but instead of feeling like something painful, it just feels like s big pressure on her head, making her feel uneasy and dizzy.

[zombiefishgirl]

Rook OC Tag Game

I was tagged by the incredible @feaches and I am tagging @raven-6-10 and @anotherdayforchaosfay

General:

Name: Mara'niel Aldwir (later Aldwir-Dellamorte)

Alias: Mara, Rook, mi vida, mi amore, mamae

Gender: Female Age: 21 at the start of Veilguard

Spoken Language: Common and fragments of Elven common to Dalish, very little Tevene and is learning Antivan

Sexual Orientation: Queer

Occupation: Veil Jumper, post game she turns the nickname Rook into a Crow position (basically a comforting ear and shoulder for Fledglings, some combat training, she grows herbs/poisons for Viago and is occasionally a spotter for Lucanis)

Favorite:

Color: Purple

Entertainment: Reading, she loved reading and would scrounge and read anything she could get her hands on. It was a total Beauty and the Beast moment when she saw the Dellamorte library.

Pastime: Being out in nature, helping things blossom and grow. Putting some beauty into the world.

Food: She has a massive sweet tooth but often gets distracted and forgets to eat. Before she would just scavenge an apple or something bread or something but Lucanis insists on making sure that she eats actual meals.

Drink: She is pretty sure she almost orgasmed the first time she drank cioccolata calda. She also enjoys fruit juice and wine (though she does not have a refined palate), usually in a tavern she will just order a small ale and is a total lightweight. When she is pregnant she likes Peppermint tea for nausea.

Have They…

Passed University: Nope, she is an autodidact. No one in her clan was much interested in educating her and they mistook her endless questions, distractability and fidgeting as her not paying attention but really her mind just works differently, rapidly spotting patterns and connections others miss (if she was in our world she would be diagnosed as AuDHD but she just describes her mind as being very busy)

Had Sex: Prior to Veilguard no. When she was 17 some human guards assaulted her quite badly but there was no actual P in V. Lucanis was her first everything, including first kiss. She never really trusted anyone enough before that plus no one was interested (they were, just look at her, but she is very oblivious about people being attracted to her).

Had Sex in Public: Yes she and Lucanis soon learned that the risk of being caught is a big turn on for her

Gotten Tattoos: Her Vallaslin of course (she knows their original purpose but wants to reclaim it). A series of burgundy flames on her arm and a single flame over her heart

Gotten Piercings: Her earlobes are pierced several times, her left nostril and her belly button

Gotten Scarred: A slash on her cheek where she fell out s tree and caught her cheek on a halla horn when she was 8, slash on her ear where a human tried to cut off the point when was 12, a pink scar on her inner thigh from the assault when she was 17. A crooked bump on her nose from when she broke it and reset it herself when she was 18/19 (she says from fighting a Qunari but it was more falling off of a table face first. Several faint silvery claw marks on her arm from a nightmare demon when she met Varric. Also no visible scar but her left wrist is slightly weak from her mother breaking it when she was a toddler.

Had a Broken Heart: Does family count? Her mother abandoned her the night of her 8th nameday and post game sold her to Venatori blood mages

Are They…

A cuddler: HUGE cuddler. She hugs, kisses cheeks, hold hands, drape herself over people. She is basically an affectionate cat

Scared Easily: She tends to be too impulsive and not really take notice of danger to herself. At the start of the Veilguard almost everyone that knew her told her to try and not get herself killed. Fear is reserved for people she loves.

Jealous Easily: She tries not to be but is very insecure and she was scared of the friendship between Neve and Lucanis because she wanted him so badly but then she felt awful for getting in the way of their happiness, after all they are her friends and she wants them both to be happy. (Meanwhile Lucanis was convinced that Mara was pursuing Neve)

Trustworthy: Depends who you ask, Strife would start off saying that she is too impulsive and stubborn. But really once she cares about you no one will fight harder for you. She is loyal to a fault, does not trust easily but trusts HARD.

Family

Sibling(s): So far as she is aware she is an only child

Parents: Her Mother, Arana was not a loving presence, she had Mara purely out of a sense of duty to the Dalish. Once she was born Mara was treated like an annoying inconvenience who should just sit still and be quiet. She broke her wrist as a toddler, would sit her in the trees when she had a nightmare and threaten that the clan would leave her behind if she cried.

She has no idea who her father is, her mother deliberately had a random hookup at an Arlathavhen and did not bother to get a name

Children: After Veilguard she has six children as she always wanted a big family. Varian, Amalia, Violet, twin boys Telahmis and Misuin and then a surprise pregnancy with Elera

Pets: She and her eldest adopt so many animals, the main ones are a cat who hates everyone but her and Spite, and Varian adopts a stray mabari called Toast

[petervintonjr]

"Powerful people don't like educating the people they oppress, because once they're educated, they will take the reins."

We kick off Black History Month 2025 with a look at the unique academic trajectory of John Henrik Clarke. Born on New Year's Day 1915 in Alabama to impoverished sharecropper parents, Clarke would later add his middle name after the playwright Henrik Ibsen. While his family had hoped he would one day also become a farmer, John eventually opted to leave home at the age of eighteen and ventured first to Chicago, and then to New York City --fortuitously timing his arrival with the emergence of the Harlem Renaissance. An autodidact who never actually graduated high school (he was in fact an 8th-grade dropout), Clarke was nevertheless drawn to academia. One of Clarke's earliest tutors was Arthur Schomberg (see Lesson #131 in this series), who encouraged him to study African history. After a short stint in the Army during WWII, Clarke returned to join the Harlem Writers' Workshop and Harlem History Club.

In 1949, at Schomberg's encouragement, the New School for Social Research asked Clarke to teach courses in a newly created African Studies Center, and was during this period that Clarke began to take close notice of the systematic racist suppression and distortion of African history, noting that detractors reliably took a disappointingly Eurocentric view of the subject; arguing that Black Africans somehow had no culture before European colonization... that their culture in fact began with slavery. Going forward Clarke would devote his life to refuting --and redirecting-- this eroded viewpoint. During the years of the Black Power movement, Clarke became an outspoken voice for the place of Africans in world history; challenging the conventional views of academic historians and helping to shift the manner in which African history was studied and taught.

In association with the Black Caucus of the African Studies Coalition, Clarke founded the African Heritage Studies Association in 1968, an organization dedicated, to this day, the exploration and promotion of intergenerational African heritage and legacies. Additionally, Clarke was principally responsible for the creation of the Black and Puerto Rican Studies Department at Hunter College in New York City. He later lectured at Cornell University as a distinguished visiting Professor of African history; he also traveled extensively to Africa and was a regular lecturer at the University of Ghana and also wrote articles for the Ghana Evening News.

Among other roles, he also took on the responsibility of co-editor at the Negro History Bulletin, wrote regular features for the Pittsburgh Courier (a black-owned enterprise), and co-founded the Harlem Quarterly. He also founded the African-American Scholars' Council, the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, and the African Heritage Studies Association. He was a close friend and advisor to both Malcolm X and Kwame Nkrumah, and edited the definitive biography of Marcus Garvey (a name that has begin to trend again on social media, these past few weeks!)

In 1986, the Africana Library at Cornell University of Ithaca, New York, was named in his honor. At the age of 78 Clarke at long last received an honorary doctorate degree from Pacific Western University in Los Angeles. Clarke's numerous works include A New Approach to African History (1967), African People at the Crossroads (1992), African People in World History (1993), the aforementioned Marcus Garvey biography, and significantly The Boy Who Painted Christ Black (1975), which is perhaps his best-known work. He died in New York City in 1998.

[aaronofithaca05]

Getting tired of relying on Wikipedia and wikictinary to understand things.

I'm getting into homeric greek, i borrowed two books from the library of humanities (science student haha)

And this is my first class (autodidactic): Pronunciation.

@katerinaaqu @perroulisses @iroissleepdeprived

I'm doing it, this ain't a drill hahaha

[auntarctica]

Hi there! Huge fan! I came for the violenty electric ubermensch and his bombshell bimboy, stayed for everything else. Seriously: Despite not being familiar with most of the other fandoms you've written for outside of Metal Gear, I've read every single one of your fics. Your writing really is something. As for my question: Outside of fanfics, what do you like to read? Favourite authors? Books? Genres? Thanks in advance for answering!

Hey, anon!

General stuff first:

Really interesting question. Thank you for asking - you made me think.

So maybe I'm a strange case, but I think maybe other inveterate writers can relate to this. Reading was autodidactic for me at a very early age, and I read absolutely voraciously as a child - and I liked to really immerse. The bigger the book, the better. I used to actually choose books at the bookstore or library based on their thickness, because I went through them so fast.

I'm guessing you did too :)

I was allowed to read whatever I wanted, so in turn, I read everything: my PBS-loving grandmother's adult historical fiction, my mom''s espionage potboilers, my dad's Hemingway, Kesey, Bradbury and Orwell, plus his pulp detective novels, golden-age sci-fi, war classics, noir, and horror novels and anthologies; my Finnish grandmother's old stack of Barbara Cartland romances and battered copy of Gone with the Wind, all the classics from lit classes, and some of what I would call "old-school" young adult books - ones that were written across at kids by former kids, with an empathy toward a developing mind, taking the issues of childhood and adolescence seriously and intelligently, instead of thinly-veiled books about teenagers for adults who need to escape to a fictional "simpler time" in their lives and don't want to think too hard.

When I found a book that resonated with me, I would often reread it over and over, and I think that was really formative, because with each pass I was internalizing it and subconsciously analyzing what it was that made me like it so much. And also what I didn't, and thought could be done better.

Oddly, one of the book series that resonated with me intensely was L.M. Montgomery's lesser-known Emily series. This is the same author who wrote Anne of Green Gables, but she didn't personally relate to Anne. Emily, the author's true avatar, was essentially the anti-Anne; darker, more philosophical, more proto-feminist, more interested in a writing career than a family, aware of the realities of being a woman writer in her time period.

I have lost count of how many times I read that trilogy from age 12-15. And I guarantee it was the thing that made me say, "You should be a writer, too."

When I started writing fiction in earnest as an adolescent, I largely stopped reading fiction as recreation.

This isn't to say I don't read at all - I read a lot of articles, think pieces, Emerson essays, Essays from the Stoics, essays from friends. Stuff that turns my gears.

But reading takes up a tremendous amount of time, and while I know this runs contrary to every piece of advice generally served up to the public by writers - the truth is that you only have so much life in the can to write with, and the words you manage to get out during that time is all you'll ever get to say, or give to the world.

I'm actually ashamed to say I almost never read fanfiction, because I'm always busy writing what I'd most want to read.

(However, given the sad state of feedback/reciprocity in modern fandom, lately I've been making an effort to change that. I'm reading, and I'm commenting - being the change I'd like to see.)

So, with the understanding that I heavily front-loaded/kindermaxxed my lifetime of reading, and that most of my recs will be pretty classic stuff, here's some actual answers to your questions:

Favorite genres:

My absolute favorite genre is what would be called "general fiction", sometimes known as "hybrid fiction" these days. That's essentially a book that can be about any subject under the sun, including genre subjects, but is written in a more literary rather than genre style, and also is not subject to genre lengths or conventions.

(Not to be confused with 'literary', which is its own genre.)

A lot - probably most - historical fiction falls under this category, but you can also find my other favorite sub genres: noir, horror, and some types of sci-fi.

Favorite authors:

E.M. Forster - particularly A Room with a View and Maurice

L.M. Montgomery - (as mentioned above) The Emily Trilogy

Elmore Leonard - anything by

Raymond Chandler - anything by

John Bellairs - written for kids, but with dark magic, noir, horror, ripping good yarns, adult themes, and a way of drawing fascinating characters in very few strokes, while evoking the historically-mysterious atmosphere of the Great Lakes region of America during the 30s, 40s and 50s. I am partial to the Rose-Rita and Anthony Monday books, personally, and the fact that Bellairs often had Edward Gorey as an illustrator Books I liked a lot (off the top of my head) :

The Short-Timers - Gustav Hasford

In a Lonely Place - Dorothy B. Hughes (one of the forgotten female giants of noir writing, her novel about a sociopath Dix Steele is seminal)

Nightmare Alley - William Lindsay Gresham

I'm aware that most of these don't really reflect what I personally write so much as inform execution, aesthetic and prose sensibilities, but what kind of comes out in the wash is that I very much like books that are able to create a lushness of style and setting and character depth and immersive intimacy using poetic language, while still remaining extremely readable.

I will add:

What I do read is the book drafts of author friends, and actually, pretty much anybody who sends me a fanfic or any piece of writing asking for encouragement or feedback. I will read that, absolutely.

On a more personal note:

I literally just wrote a post about The Vicious Pet and the massive albatross its half-finished state is to my psyche. I had the second half all mapped out, but I've been too removed from the lore and canon to really remember or recreate what I had planned for the second half. When the MGS3 remake drops, I'm hoping a replay will reboot my brain chemistry and knock my memory back into the headspace necessary to finish it.

(I know most authors don't finish their abandoned fics, but as evidence that I am built different, I will point at the long-form MGS fic Redux, which Greekhoop and I came back and finished after literal years. We were pretty smug about it.)

Thank you so much for all your kind words and support. Nothing means more than when someone's fandom is your writing itself, and not just the fandoms you write for.

I will use your kind gift of words to write more words for you.

(By the way, somehow I missed this ask whenever you sent it, and all I can blame for that that I'm one of those old skool weirdos who went from LJ and FF.net straight to Ao3 and somehow completely missed the Tumblr revolution when it happened and even now I'm still kind of figuring out how this site works. So I'm really sorry -I hope my answer is still evergreen enough to be interesting.

Let me know if you want to beta-read my novel :)

xoxo Aunt

[reedsofintimacy]

How smart are you? You’ve given some hints before but how many degrees do you have? What are you studying? What do you want to do in live professionally and passionately? What’s your purpose career wise?

Also hypothetically would you be open to being your wives employee if she had a really successful company?

I actually don't have any degrees! I'm a nerd and smart but also certainly have my flaws.

For context, I was an honors student all growing up. Always tested in the 99th percentile for state aptitude assessments. I got a 33 on my ACT, did well on a bunch of AP tests and went to a non-ivy-league but prestiguous state school in the top 25% of the incoming class and as a university scholar, in an accelerated chemistry PhD program, and lived in an honors community on campus.

I learned to speak some Chinese, became an instructor for a traditional Korean percussion group, led a bible study, tutored students in organic chemistry, and did excellent in my humanities courses writing on topics like a linguistic study of gender conception in viking-era icelandic society and designing an interventional plan to address youth homelessness in the community.

College was the best 2 years of my life, I adored everything about it but I also completely overloaded myself. Turns out you need more than raw brains for success. I was conflicted between prioritizing my studies vs my faith, and had unadressed adhd and anxiety i wasnt ever aware of and didnt know how to cope with. When my 19 credit hours were drowning me, I couldnt own up to the shame of overwhelm and failure, couldnt look my teachers in the eye and ultimately stopped showing up to class and dropped out.

I'm now back in school with a better understanding of myself, an absense of competing priorities and a lot of experience. Im pursuing working in Radiology doing either CT or MRI. A lot of my friends growing up are finishing their PhD theses and I love discussing them with them, but I myself don't have even an associate's to my name.

Career wise, I originally wanted to be a professor of either Chemistry or Materials Science. I debated majoring in Linguistics or teaching English as a second language but i don't speak anything fluent enough to really do that yet. I've since considered pursuing a career in comedy, as a science communicator and journalist or PIO, as a university student advisor, and taught myself to code to maybe pursue programming.

I love learning. Currently I'm putting the most effort into Chinese classical literature. I've done personal units on nutrition, skincare, fitness, urban planning, economics, and some software like adobe illustrator and game dev with Unity and Godot.

For my professional future, I think I'm for now planning on being a travelling technician in healthcare. It'd give me an opportunity to see lots of different places which is a goal of mine and shouldn't have too many commitments keeping me held in place. Maybe I'll finally get over my fear of casual hookups and become a traveling nurse by day and city-to-city clit servicer by night sampling all sorts of delicious lady bits. Idk. For now I'm just focused on what I'm doing in the moment.

In terms of passions I want time and independence to pursue learning as an autodidact. I'd love to maintain access to university libraries and attend lots of public lectures and symposiums if i could live near enough a big university. I want to read about the things that interest me and someday get over my social anxiety and travel to make friends all over the world with fellow nerds.

In terms of working for my wife of course that would be really sexy I'd love to be my partners doting but slutty assistant 💕 depending on the industry i guess. I think something like insurance or real estate is kind of predatory tbh and wouldnt want to be associated with it. But if I didn't have an issue with it I'd adore being my partners employee. Or even just a supportive house husband or trusted personal assistant ❤️❤️ a role i've always thought I have the potential to be quite good at

[edwad]

i disagree with you and cordelia that engels just got unlucky in the division of labor. marx was quite obviously smarter than him imo

i'm assuming you're the same person who sent me a similar message a week or so ago. but anyway i don't really remember saying this tbh so maybe you'd have to point me to where that was/the context. regardless i guess i would disagree (apparently with myself) to some extent in that i think marx was definitely the sharper thinker in many ways, but i also think it partly had to do with their backgrounds. engels was an autodidact while marx had years of specialized university training. as a degreeless autodidact, this isn't intended as a dig at autodidacticism or high praise to universities and their students, but it does get at some of the difficulties i think engels had to work through as a thinker which marx had less issue with. norman levine's work on marx and engels highlights some of this in ways that i think are pretty pursuasive, although i think he bends the stick too far -- basically treating engels as an undereducated idiot.

my usual take is that i prefer the young engels and the late marx, which i think has something to do with their "division of labor", as engels really initiates the critique of political economy and a lot of the things i go to the late marx for, but im not sure engels would've been able to really go as far as marx did in pushing that critique to its eventual (albeit unfinished) resting place. over time, i think engels' thinking sorta stagnates after meeting marx and never quite returns to the level he'd achieved in his youth, largely because he's no longer in the same intellectual circles and is having to dedicate so much of his time to things that don't involve spending months in the library. i guess part of that could be chalked up to a kind of "luck" (and more accurate than assuming engels was a dumbass by nature), but it's not reducible to their division of labor alone as if they were the only factor in each other's lives.

[art-of-manliness]

Podcast #1,025: The Life and Legacy of Louis L’Amour

With over 300 million books sold, Louis L’Amour is one of the bestselling authors of all time. All 120 of his books remain in print. But the greatest story L’Amour ever penned was his own. He spent the early part of his life traveling in a circus, working as a lumberjack and miner, circling the world as a seaman, winning over 50 fights as a professional boxer, and serving in WWII. Today on the show, I talk about both the personal and professional aspects of Louis’ life with his son, Beau L’Amour. We discuss some of Louis’ adventures and the autodidactic education he gave himself by way of a voracious reading habit. We then turn to how Louis got started as a writer and how he cut his teeth writing for pulp magazines before breaking through as a Western novelist and becoming a blockbuster success in his sixties. Resources Related to the Podcast * Louis L’Amour works mentioned in the show: * Education of a Wandering Man: A Memoir * Hondo * Yondering * No Traveller Returns * The Walking Drum * Last of the Breed * Louis L’Amour’s Lost Treasures, Volume 1 and Volume 2 * “Holding Her Down” by Jack London * AoM Article: How and Why to Become a Lifelong Learner * AoM Article: The Libraries of Famous Men — Louis L’Amour Connect With Beau L’Amour * The Louis L’Amour website * Beau’s website Listen to the Podcast! (And don’t forget to leave us a review!)   Listen to the episode on a separate page. Download this episode. Subscribe to the podcast in the media player of your choice. Transcript Coming Soon   Help support independent publishing. Make a donation to The Art of Manliness! Thanks for the support! http://dlvr.it/TDbKqW

[charliecraftsthings]

My very dear friend loaned me her family's sewing machine. I have been using it every day since!

Getting it set up took only a little fiddling around, looking up manuals, and a sprinkling of YouTube autodidactism to solve my thread tension issues. But I got it working and have made several mediocre projects already! I even managed to make some good projects, too! But you'll see soon!

I am absolutely delighted to have a sewing machine in my home, and not have to bus to the library to sew!

[kudosmyhero]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW) Micro: Villains #5: Karai

Read Date: April 10, 2023 Cover Date: August 2013 ● Writer: Erik Burnham ● Art: Cory Smith ● Colors: Ian Herring ● Letterer: Shawn Lee ● Editor: Bobby Curnow ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● looks like only two of the five students we can easily see were able to "steel themselves against surprise." ● "What were you before you felt this way?" / "Younger." - oof, felt that one ● Karai is an autodidact. she is … really growing on me as a character

● harsh Leo is harsh ● 👏👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: The issue begins at the Foot Clan's genin training facility in Westchester County, New York. The head teacher Toshiro is leading a group in a training session, teaching them the importance of moving in unison. Karai appears and intentionally surprises the group, seeing which students are startled and which are not. She seeks council from Toshiro. Karai tells Toshiro she is unsure of what direction to proceed in; she struggles to accept her new place in the clan (under Leonardo, now a chūnin). She knows she cannot hope to challenge her grandfather Oroku Saki for control of the clan and win, nor can she leave the clan for without it she feels she is nothing.

She tells Toshiro how in her youth her father Oroku Yori told her stories of the Foot Clan's glory and told her to draw strength from the, but saw that it was apparent that he himself did not, having turned the clan into a legion of lawyers and accountants. On one occasion, she saw one of her father's advising subordinates, Nakamura, speak to him with disrespect, and how he brushed it off with the promise of monetary gain. Caught eavesdropping by her mother, she is sent to he library to occupy herself. It is then that she found the Ashi no Himitsu, the book containing all the history and secrets of the Foot Clan. She studied it in secret, learning everything she could. For years she lived a double life: the prim, proper upper class girl her mother wanted her to be by day, and the ninja her father never was by night. One night, Oroku Saki appeared before her in a dream. He compliments her form, good for one with no formal instruction. Saki admires that she does not fear him. Karai says she has nothing to fear from a dream. Saki slashes her across the hand and asks if one feels pain in a dream. She says he is a ghost then, but still shows no fear. She says she plans on bringing the Foot Clan out of the mire her father dragged it into. Saki tells her that they will do it together. He may be dead, but he tells her that she can bring him back to life.

Karai spent the next few years building the clan's resources, recruiting capable bodies to her cause and eliminating those who were responsible for dragging the clan down. Eventually, Karai hunted down Nakamura, the man who she'd witnessed disrespect her father, and killed him. Without him to aid in the running of the clan, her father eventually died of stress.

She laments to Toshiro that after rebuilding the Foot Clan and resurrecting its jōnin, he chose another as his second-in-command. If she has nothing to offer but her past accomplishments, she wonders, what use is she? At that point Leonardo arrives and derides her for coming to whine to an old man, for not having the strength to deal with things on her own. Leonardo says that he was sent to evaluate the effectiveness of the training facility, and he has deemed it nearly worthless. Karai tells him that Toshiro is an excellent teacher but he has not been given enough time to train the new recruits. Leonardo tells Karai that her opinion is worthless, and her only worth to him is in how fast she can do what he tells her to. Leonardo continues provoking her, taunting her with her poor ability to lead. Karai attacks him and Leonardo is pleased, eager to put her in her place. During their fight, Karai realizes that Leonardo's movements are slower, less sure. She knows she could finish him once and for all if she chose to. Karai feigns defeat and Leonardo leaves. Toshiro asks why Karai stayed her hand. She explains that if she had killed him, her grandfather would kill her for disobedience. She knows she must change Oroku Saki's mind about Leonardo first. She vows to have her revenge, and makes the decision to look to the future rather than the past.

Two days later, Karai has gathered potential recruits (two of whom are Bebop and Rocksteady) at Shorai Research & Development, one of the Foot Clan's facilities. She tells them they have all been chosen for their understanding that power is what makes one last in this world. She tells them that there is one final test before making the decision on who will be chosen for the procedure. They will fight until the last two standing.

(https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/Karai_(IDW_issue))

Fan Art: Leo and Karai by ice-mei

Accompanying Podcast: ● Shellheads - episode 46

[andrewmfriday]

My Autodidactic University

Let’s not talk about how long ago I graduated from university. The world is a different place. I studied journalism and then went to art school. I’m embarrassed to say it took me longer than it should to realize this: graduating from high school or college is just the beginning.

School’s purpose is to teach us how to teach ourselves — or it should be. It’s not about memorizing useless facts. It should be a training center for learning how to think for ourselves. Why? Because knowledge changes. Science changes. Religion changes. History changes.

As a graphic designer, I learned how to use Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and the whole Adobe gang decades ago, but those software have changed over time. And I had to keep learning how to use them.

The same can be said for any subject.

My real education goes far beyond classrooms and tests — it’s a lifelong pursuit. With the vast resources available online today, anyone can continue to expand their knowledge on any subject, at any time.

I have had a few long satisfying careers over my life. I’m in that point in my life where I love to learn for the sake of learning. No interest in a degree. No certifications. Just learning. And, wow, I can do that so easily with the digital advantages we have today.

So, I decided, just for fun to become autodidactic. In my spare time, I wanted to brush up on certain subjects and discover new areas of knowledge. And I didn’t want to go take courses at a local college. And I didn’t want to take online courses. Not that there’s anything wrong with either of those. I decided to just create my own curriculum and study casually as I lived my life.

Here are the steps I took:

Pick a Subject and Create a Syllabus with AI.

I decided to study art history. Or rather, brush up on it. A few years ago, I took a wonderful video course from my city’s library website, but I wanted to revisit the subject. Art history also offers itself as an easy example for this article.

After asking ChatGPT to create a syllabus for a 14-week course (or how ever many weeks you want) on art history, I was on my way. In seconds, it created an outline for me to follow to learn art history. It reminded me handouts I would have gotten many years ago on the first day of class.

All I did was plug in the following instructions: “syllabus for introduction to art history course.” I did this for several subject I am curious about like communication theory and American literature, but I decided to go forward with art history for now.

Study ahead for each week’s subject.

This can be done in several ways. I Googled the information which happened to be early Christian art — yes, there is the art for ancient civilizations, but I felt that is too broad of a subject and deserved its own course. So, I started with Christian artwork and got the basics with a simple online search.

For each bullet point under early Christian art — things like large-scale mosaics, iconographic portraits, and architectural structures — I sought out websites with specific details and examples, and I added these to my personal notes.

Because I was studying art history, I also included graphics of paintings, sculptures and architecture from each art period. Whatever subject you pick will determine the nature of the information and graphics you collect.

Note: the autodidactic can go at his or her own pace. I usually studied one or two topics a week, depending upon how busy I was. I may study both the Dada art period and the Cubism art period in one week. Or I would skip a week in my course.

Watch YouTube videos for each subject.

After studying ahead, I would search YouTube on the specific topic of the week. It’s like having a professor give you lectures on the subject which was true for many videos. I’d create a playlist for that topic — in this case, an art history playlist — and dump everything into it. I would usually pick at least two short videos for that week’s “lecture.” I did this to get a variety of viewpoints on the same subject. I also pick videos that are no longer than twenty minutes. I can get the gist in a short amount of time. This week, I added two videos on the New Objectivity art period to my Art History playlist.

Create flashcards for each week.

This is the part where I study my notes from the videos and websites from which I’ve mined them. Traditional 3x5 cards work, but I use digital flashcards. Flashcardmachine.com is great. I ask questions based on my notes and just copy and paste the answers on the back of the digital cards. Very quick and easy.

In this first round of creating flashcards, I don’t study them too closely. My goal is to get an overall idea of the topic. While I may know what post-impressionism art is, I don’t worry too much about studying as hard as I would if I were in an actual class. Paying tuition. Taking tests. No, this is for fun, and I can come back later and review.

Go into the field.

Hands-on learning is the most effective. Videos, flashcards and taking notes are great, but they’re just laying the foundation. If possible — if the topic you study allows for it — find a way to ‘go into the field.”

Tullio Crali, Flight at Sunset, 1930, oil on canvas. This is an example of a Futurism painting at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo by the author.

You may want to find experts in the field you study. Find teachers, businesspeople, and other autodidactics to talk with. Go visit places — like I did the art museum — to see examples in real life. Use your ingenuity to get hands-on experience.

Test yourself on your knowledge

So, I mentioned the flashcards. Once I’m done with the course I created, I’ll use them to review my knowledge of art history. I could also generate an exam on ChatGPT, but I’m not sure. I love taking tests, but I’m going to make this part optional. Since I’m doing this for the love of learning, I will test myself only if I feel like it. I’ll probably revisit certain lessons over time and add new videos to my playlist or re-read my notes. I’m going to go at my own pace. Because I can.

“I wish I had this technology when I was in university.” I know I sound like an old man when I say that — which I am to some people — but it’s true. If I could have looked ahead to see how information would be available at one’s fingertips, I would have called it science fiction. Now, it’s science fact. And it makes learning for the sake of learning so much easier.

Gosh, I wish I had a computer and the internet when I was in college. I would have killed it.

My Linktree

[exhibitionsvisited]

2025

This year I went to the following exhibitions:

17 January, Groundworks, General Practice, Lincoln

22 January, Andrew Bracey, Project Space Plus, Lincoln

6 February, Hannah Perry, Baltic, Newcastle

6 February, Frankie Ruffles, Baltic, Newcastle

6 February, Leap Then Look: Play Interact Explore, Newcastle

6 February, Mani Kambo, Baltic, Newcastle

6 February, We all came here from somewhere, Baltic, Newcastle

12 February, Alumni exhibition, Grays School of Art, Aberdeen

16 February, Melody Phelan-Clark, General Practice, Lincoln

19 February, Toil & Trouble, Project Space Plus, Lincoln

20 February, Lauren Halsey, Serpentine Gallery, London

20 February, Per Kirkeby, Michael Werner Gallery, London

20 February, Claudia Martinez Garay, Grimm, London

20 February, Autodidact, Almine Rech, London

20 February, Sophie Von Hellermann, Pilar Corrias,  London

20 February, Greg Wilson, Pilar Corrias,  London

20 February, Yves Zurstrassen, Annely Juda, London

20 February, Anthony Caro and Alan Green, Annely Juda, London

20 February, Sammi Lynch, Annely Juda, London

20 February, Mike Kelley, Hauser & Wirth, London

20 February, Martine Rosen and Sharna Osborne, Sadie Coles, London

20 February, Derrick Adams, Gagosian, London

20 February, Takashi Murakami, Gagosian, London

20 February, Last Night I Dreamt Of Manderley, Alison Jacques, London

20 February, Jake Wood Evans, Unit, London

20 February, Elizabeth Abe, Ronchini, London

20 February, Jim Hodges, Stephen Friedman Gallery, London

20 February, Thomas Ruff, David Zwirner, London

20 February, Jennifer Binnie, Richard Saltoun, London

20 February, London

20 February, Christiane Baumgartner, Cristea Roberts Gallery, London

20 February, New Contemporaries, ICALondon

20 February, Teresa Pągowska, Thaddaeus Ropac, London

20 February, Ron Mueck, Thaddaeus Ropac, London

20 February, On Paper, Max Hetzler, London

21 February, Louise Giovanelli, Hepworth, Wakefield

21 February, Forbidden Territories, Hepworth, Wakefield

21 February, A Living Collection, Hepworth, Wakefield

21 February, Mary Griffiths, Stanley and Audrey Gallery, Leeds

21 February, Boris Maas, Stanley and Audrey Gallery, Leeds

21 February, John Hoyland, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds

21 February, The Traumatic Surreal, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds

4 March, These Mad Hybrids, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield

4 March, John Hoyland, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield

4 March, Shadow and Void: Buddha, esea contemporary, Manchester

4 March, Myriad, Oceans Apart, Manchester

4 March, Friends, Family and Other Animals, Manchester Art Gallery

4 March, Lowry and Valette, Manchester Art Gallery

4 March, Room to Breathe, Manchester Art Gallery

4 March, Home, Land and Sea, Manchester Art Gallery

4 March, Out of the Crate, Manchester Art Gallery

4 March, Taking Stock, Manchester Art Gallery

4 March, Climate Justice, Manchester Art Gallery

4 March, Crossing the Borders Manchester Art Gallery

4 March, What's New? Manchester Art Gallery

4 March, Chapters in Change, Manchester Central Library

4 March, Archives+, Manchester Central Library

4 March, Imran Perretta, Home, Manchester

4 March, Bobby Realms, Home, Manchester

4 March, Ten Artists aten Years, Home, Manchester

7 March, Lustratio, General Practice,Lincoln

8 March, Paul Nova, Phillida Reid, London

8 March, Yi To, Project Native Informant, London

8 March, Alice Neel, Victoria Miro Gallery, London

8 March, Place Revisited, Modern Art, London

8 March, Citra Sasmita, Barbican, London

8 March, Noah Davis, Barbican, London

8 March, Hyangmok Baik, Beers Contemporary, London

8 March, Tom Hardwick-Allan, South Parade, London

8 March, Lee Edwards , Domobaal, London

8 March, Ensemble, The Perimeter, London

8 March, Amedeo Polazzo, Herald St., London

8 March, Honk if your Jesus, Paul Stolper, London

8 March, Jeff Wall Production, Hot Wheels, London

8 March, Hany Armanious, Phillida Reid, London

8 March, Peter Hujar, Peter Hujar, London

8 March, Daiga Grantina, Emalin, London

8 March, Regions, Hales gallery, London

8 March, Rose Finn-Kelcey, Kate MacGarry, London

8 March, Yay, to have a mouth!, Roe Easton, London

8 March, Scaffolding, Herald St., London

8 March, James Welling and Bernd & Hiller Becher, Maureen Paley, London

8 March, Erin M. Riley, Mother’s TankStation, London

8 March, Medusa, Union, London

8 March, David Burrows, IMT, London

8 March, Germaine Kruip, The Approach, London

8 March, Sophie Bueno-Boutellier, The Approach, London

8 March, Alex Margo Arden, Auto Italia, London

8 March, Gavin Byars and Jeff McMillan, Handel St. Projects, London

9 March, Mike Kelley, Tate Modern, London

9 March, Anthony McCall, Tate Modern, London

9 March, Helen Chadwick, Tate Modern, London

9 March, Mire Lee, Tate Modern, London

15 March, Fathom, Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield

15 March, Rhea Store, Site Gallery, Sheffield

15 March, Julia McKinley, Gloam, Sheffield

15 March, Jammboree, Bloc Projects, Sheffield

15 March, The Ruskin Collection: Capturing Colour, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield

22 March, Approximity, Corset, Newark

25 March, Re-Posted, Project Space Plus, Lincoln

25 March, Nathan Baxter, General Practice, Lincoln

1st April, Leonard Hurzlmeier, Oliver Marsden, Jordy Kerwick, Vigo Gallery, London

1st April, Alison Watt, Levy Goran Dayan, London

1st April, Auras, Levy Goran Dayan, London

1st April, Matters of Materiality, J D Malay, London

1st April, Elger Esser, Flowers, London

1st April, Maeve Gilmore, Alison Jacques, London

1st April, Yves Dana Citadelle, Waddington Custot, London

1st April, Ann Rothenstein, Stephen Friedman, ondon

1st April, David Goldbatt and Clive van den Berg, Goodman Gallery, London

1st April, Monitor, Royal Academy, London

1st April, Painting in the Round, Nahmad Projects

1st April, Simon Periton, Sadie Coles HQ, London

1st April, Dada Khanyisa, Sadie Coles HQ, London

1st April, A place for Modernism, Pilar Corrias, London

1st April, Marine One, Bomb Factory, London

1st April, Ellie Niblick, Bomb Factory, London

1st April, Eileen Itzel Mena and Jemila ISA, Bonanle Contemporary, London

1st April, Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300 ‒1350, National Gallery, London

1st April, Fiona Banner, Frith Street Gallery, London

1st April, Alvaro Barrington, Sadie Coles HQ, London

1st April, Hessam Samavatian, Ab-Anbar Gallery, London  

1st April, Magdalena Skupinska, Maximillian William, London

1st April, Paranoid Style, Josh Lilley Gallery, London

1st April, Tarot: Origins and Afterlives, Warburg Institute, London

1st April, Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo, Royal Academy, London

1st April, Tim Stoner, Pace, London

1st April, Ceilia Paul, Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert, London

1st April, Richard Long and David Nash, Cristea Roberts Gallery, London

1st April, Richard Serra, Cristea Roberts Gallery, London

1st April, Ella Kruglyanskaya, Thomas Dane, London

1st April, Alia Ahmad, White Cube, London

1st April, On Ugliness: Medieval and Contemporary, Skarstedt Gallery, London

1st April, John Chamberlain, Timothy Taylor Gallery, London

1st April, Jacqueline Poncelet, Richard Saltoun, London

1st April, Carroll Dunham, Galerie Max Hetzler, London

1st April, Dada Khanyisa, Sadie Coles, London

1st April, Tom Wesselmann, Almine Rech, London

1st April, JR, Perrotin, London 

1st April, Teresa Margolles, The Forth Plinth, London

1st April, Mickalene Thomas, Hayward Gallery   London

1st April, Linder, Hayward Gallery, London

1st April, Epoh Beech, 11 Avenue Studios, London

11th April, Dave Eccles, General Practice, Lincoln

11th April, Art for the People, Usher Gallery, Lincoln

11th April, Tinashe Chipawe, Project Space Plus, Lincoln

13th April, Laura Ellen Bacon, Yorkshire Sculpture Park

13th April, Felicity Aylieff, Yorkshire Sculpture Park

13th April, Russell Wilson, Yorkshire Sculpture Park

13th April, Tony Wade, Yorkshire Sculpture Park

13th April, Bharti Kher, Yorkshire Sculpture Park

13th April, Damien Hurst, Yorkshire Sculpture Park

17 April, Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Imperial War Museum North, Salford

17 April, Poppies, Imperial War Museum North, Salford

17 April, Modern Life, The Lowry, Salford

17 April, Wild, Manchester Museum

17 April, Women in Revolt, Whitworth Gallery, Manchester

17 April, J M W Turner, Whitworth Gallery, Manchester

17 April, Matgorzara Nirga-Tas, Whitworth Gallery, Manchester

17 April, Exchanges, Whitworth Gallery, Manchester

18 April, Can't Pay, Won't Pay, People's History Museum, Manchester

18 April, Tom Motley, The Horsefall, Manchester

25 April, Liz Drees, Pierre Street Gallery, Hull

25 April, Studio Burke, General Practice, Lincoln

27 April, Art in The Barn, Dodington Hall

6th May, A Show with No Name, Project Space Plus, Lincoln

8 May, Lost in the Woods, Hartsholme Park, Lincoln

8 May, Mulch, Liquorice Park, Lincoln

8 May, Find Us in the West, West End, Lincoln

8 May, Disorder of Service, Southside, Lincoln

9 May, Queen of Luxuria, General Practice, Lincoln

14 May, Drawing for Animation, Nicola de Haye Building, Lincoln

14 May, Groundworks, Project Space Plus, Lincoln

16 May,Passion on Paper, Christ Church Picture House, Oxford

16 May, Barbara Steveni, Modern Art Oxford, Oxford

16 May, Anselm Keifer, Ashmolean, Oxford

[hanthevampireslayer]

LOOKING BACK AT MY LIFE GOALS AS A TEENAGER 🦋

(15 years old) 

From my old files (2008)

… for the hilarity of it & a bit of light heartiness

Completed - 

(In no particular order)

Get 100% in something

Be on stage 

Admire someone

Enjoy learning (*autodidact 💗)

Win an award for something I love

Fall in love

Let my brother know I love him ❤️‍🩹

Save another animal 

Study or take a class at University

Pass Year 12

Go to England (London)

Act

Meet Daniel Radcliffe & shake hands with him (*that was weird 😹)

Wear a mask (* I don’t know what this meant but it definitely manifested in 2020/2021) 

To do - 

Star in a move (*-no thanks but nice try past Hannah, its okay for values and goals to change! 🌷)

Meet Joe Jonas. (*Sure, I guess?) 

Write and publish a story

Meet JK Rowling (😹*no TERFS thanks, no deal past Hannah) 

Visit HP set (nah don’t feel like setting my psychosis off) 

Direct a film (Sure, why not?) 

Read all the classic novels (*Still planning on it 😊)

Work for charity (*Greenpeace maybe?)

Work in a bookstore or library 

Buy my parents a house (*Dad) 

Visit the Playboy Mansion (*…no, thanks past Hannah, we are over that now) 

Go to amusement parks all around the world (*if I feel like it…) 

Buy something off Ebay (*Um, okayyyy?) 

(Sarah) Do something for Harry Potter (*I don’t know what this means! 😹😹😹) 

Read HP 50 times. (*Maybe, if I feel like it in my later years⚡️) 

Things I now consider ongoing life processes rather than goals - 

Visit famous places 

Share my thoughts

Embrace intelligence 

Thank people for being themselves 

Smell the grass 

Accept death 

Be totally happy with myself

Learn to enjoy life and love

Be happy with the way I look 🪞

Express my feelings 💓

Let go of regret

Travel 

Make lots of friends

Give money to good causes

Be kind 

Take amazing photographs 📷