#free java course

[learnershub101]

25 Udemy Paid Courses for Free with Certification (Only for Limited Time)

2023 Complete SQL Bootcamp from Zero to Hero in SQL

Become an expert in SQL by learning through concept & Hands-on coding :)

What you'll learn

Use SQL to query a database Be comfortable putting SQL on their resume Replicate real-world situations and query reports Use SQL to perform data analysis Learn to perform GROUP BY statements Model real-world data and generate reports using SQL Learn Oracle SQL by Professionally Designed Content Step by Step! Solve any SQL-related Problems by Yourself Creating Analytical Solutions! Write, Read and Analyze Any SQL Queries Easily and Learn How to Play with Data! Become a Job-Ready SQL Developer by Learning All the Skills You will Need! Write complex SQL statements to query the database and gain critical insight on data Transition from the Very Basics to a Point Where You can Effortlessly Work with Large SQL Queries Learn Advanced Querying Techniques Understand the difference between the INNER JOIN, LEFT/RIGHT OUTER JOIN, and FULL OUTER JOIN Complete SQL statements that use aggregate functions Using joins, return columns from multiple tables in the same query

Enroll Now 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 https://www.book-somahar.com/2023/10/25-udemy-paid-courses-for-free-with.html

Python Programming Complete Beginners Course Bootcamp 2023

2023 Complete Python Bootcamp || Python Beginners to advanced || Python Master Class || Mega Course

What you'll learn

Basics in Python programming Control structures, Containers, Functions & Modules OOPS in Python How python is used in the Space Sciences Working with lists in python Working with strings in python Application of Python in Mars Rovers sent by NASA

Enroll Now 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 https://www.book-somahar.com/2023/10/25-udemy-paid-courses-for-free-with.html

Learn PHP and MySQL for Web Application and Web Development

Unlock the Power of PHP and MySQL: Level Up Your Web Development Skills Today

What you'll learn

Use of PHP Function Use of PHP Variables Use of MySql Use of Database

Enroll Now 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 https://www.book-somahar.com/2023/10/25-udemy-paid-courses-for-free-with.html

T-Shirt Design for Beginner to Advanced with Adobe Photoshop

Unleash Your Creativity: Master T-Shirt Design from Beginner to Advanced with Adobe Photoshop

What you'll learn

Function of Adobe Photoshop Tools of Adobe Photoshop T-Shirt Design Fundamentals T-Shirt Design Projects

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Complete Data Science BootCamp

Learn about Data Science, Machine Learning and Deep Learning and build 5 different projects.

What you'll learn

Learn about Libraries like Pandas and Numpy which are heavily used in Data Science. Build Impactful visualizations and charts using Matplotlib and Seaborn. Learn about Machine Learning LifeCycle and different ML algorithms and their implementation in sklearn. Learn about Deep Learning and Neural Networks with TensorFlow and Keras Build 5 complete projects based on the concepts covered in the course.

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Essentials User Experience Design Adobe XD UI UX Design

Learn UI Design, User Interface, User Experience design, UX design & Web Design

What you'll learn

How to become a UX designer Become a UI designer Full website design All the techniques used by UX professionals

Enroll Now 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 https://www.book-somahar.com/2023/10/25-udemy-paid-courses-for-free-with.html

Build a Custom E-Commerce Site in React + JavaScript Basics

Build a Fully Customized E-Commerce Site with Product Categories, Shopping Cart, and Checkout Page in React.

What you'll learn

Introduction to the Document Object Model (DOM) The Foundations of JavaScript JavaScript Arithmetic Operations Working with Arrays, Functions, and Loops in JavaScript JavaScript Variables, Events, and Objects JavaScript Hands-On - Build a Photo Gallery and Background Color Changer Foundations of React How to Scaffold an Existing React Project Introduction to JSON Server Styling an E-Commerce Store in React and Building out the Shop Categories Introduction to Fetch API and React Router The concept of "Context" in React Building a Search Feature in React Validating Forms in React

Enroll Now 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 https://www.book-somahar.com/2023/10/25-udemy-paid-courses-for-free-with.html

Complete Bootstrap & React Bootcamp with Hands-On Projects

Learn to Build Responsive, Interactive Web Apps using Bootstrap and React.

What you'll learn

Learn the Bootstrap Grid System Learn to work with Bootstrap Three Column Layouts Learn to Build Bootstrap Navigation Components Learn to Style Images using Bootstrap Build Advanced, Responsive Menus using Bootstrap Build Stunning Layouts using Bootstrap Themes Learn the Foundations of React Work with JSX, and Functional Components in React Build a Calculator in React Learn the React State Hook Debug React Projects Learn to Style React Components Build a Single and Multi-Player Connect-4 Clone with AI Learn React Lifecycle Events Learn React Conditional Rendering Build a Fully Custom E-Commerce Site in React Learn the Foundations of JSON Server Work with React Router

Enroll Now 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 https://www.book-somahar.com/2023/10/25-udemy-paid-courses-for-free-with.html

Build an Amazon Affiliate E-Commerce Store from Scratch

Earn Passive Income by Building an Amazon Affiliate E-Commerce Store using WordPress, WooCommerce, WooZone, & Elementor

What you'll learn

Registering a Domain Name & Setting up Hosting Installing WordPress CMS on Your Hosting Account Navigating the WordPress Interface The Advantages of WordPress Securing a WordPress Installation with an SSL Certificate Installing Custom Themes for WordPress Installing WooCommerce, Elementor, & WooZone Plugins Creating an Amazon Affiliate Account Importing Products from Amazon to an E-Commerce Store using WooZone Plugin Building a Customized Shop with Menu's, Headers, Branding, & Sidebars Building WordPress Pages, such as Blogs, About Pages, and Contact Us Forms Customizing Product Pages on a WordPress Power E-Commerce Site Generating Traffic and Sales for Your Newly Published Amazon Affiliate Store

Enroll Now 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 https://www.book-somahar.com/2023/10/25-udemy-paid-courses-for-free-with.html

The Complete Beginner Course to Optimizing ChatGPT for Work

Learn how to make the most of ChatGPT's capabilities in efficiently aiding you with your tasks.

What you'll learn

Learn how to harness ChatGPT's functionalities to efficiently assist you in various tasks, maximizing productivity and effectiveness. Delve into the captivating fusion of product development and SEO, discovering effective strategies to identify challenges, create innovative tools, and expertly Understand how ChatGPT is a technological leap, akin to the impact of iconic tools like Photoshop and Excel, and how it can revolutionize work methodologies thr Showcase your learning by creating a transformative project, optimizing your approach to work by identifying tasks that can be streamlined with artificial intel

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AWS, JavaScript, React | Deploy Web Apps on the Cloud

Cloud Computing | Linux Foundations | LAMP Stack | DBMS | Apache | NGINX | AWS IAM | Amazon EC2 | JavaScript | React

What you'll learn

Foundations of Cloud Computing on AWS and Linode Cloud Computing Service Models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) Deploying and Configuring a Virtual Instance on Linode and AWS Secure Remote Administration for Virtual Instances using SSH Working with SSH Key Pair Authentication The Foundations of Linux (Maintenance, Directory Commands, User Accounts, Filesystem) The Foundations of Web Servers (NGINX vs Apache) Foundations of Databases (SQL vs NoSQL), Database Transaction Standards (ACID vs CAP) Key Terminology for Full Stack Development and Cloud Administration Installing and Configuring LAMP Stack on Ubuntu (Linux, Apache, MariaDB, PHP) Server Security Foundations (Network vs Hosted Firewalls). Horizontal and Vertical Scaling of a virtual instance on Linode using NodeBalancers Creating Manual and Automated Server Images and Backups on Linode Understanding the Cloud Computing Phenomenon as Applicable to AWS The Characteristics of Cloud Computing as Applicable to AWS Cloud Deployment Models (Private, Community, Hybrid, VPC) Foundations of AWS (Registration, Global vs Regional Services, Billing Alerts, MFA) AWS Identity and Access Management (Mechanics, Users, Groups, Policies, Roles) Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) - (AMIs, EC2 Users, Deployment, Elastic IP, Security Groups, Remote Admin) Foundations of the Document Object Model (DOM) Manipulating the DOM Foundations of JavaScript Coding (Variables, Objects, Functions, Loops, Arrays, Events) Foundations of ReactJS (Code Pen, JSX, Components, Props, Events, State Hook, Debugging) Intermediate React (Passing Props, Destrcuting, Styling, Key Property, AI, Conditional Rendering, Deployment) Building a Fully Customized E-Commerce Site in React Intermediate React Concepts (JSON Server, Fetch API, React Router, Styled Components, Refactoring, UseContext Hook, UseReducer, Form Validation)

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Run Multiple Sites on a Cloud Server: AWS & Digital Ocean

Server Deployment | Apache Configuration | MySQL | PHP | Virtual Hosts | NS Records | DNS | AWS Foundations | EC2

What you'll learn

A solid understanding of the fundamentals of remote server deployment and configuration, including network configuration and security. The ability to install and configure the LAMP stack, including the Apache web server, MySQL database server, and PHP scripting language. Expertise in hosting multiple domains on one virtual server, including setting up virtual hosts and managing domain names. Proficiency in virtual host file configuration, including creating and configuring virtual host files and understanding various directives and parameters. Mastery in DNS zone file configuration, including creating and managing DNS zone files and understanding various record types and their uses. A thorough understanding of AWS foundations, including the AWS global infrastructure, key AWS services, and features. A deep understanding of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) foundations, including creating and managing instances, configuring security groups, and networking. The ability to troubleshoot common issues related to remote server deployment, LAMP stack installation and configuration, virtual host file configuration, and D An understanding of best practices for remote server deployment and configuration, including security considerations and optimization for performance. Practical experience in working with remote servers and cloud-based solutions through hands-on labs and exercises. The ability to apply the knowledge gained from the course to real-world scenarios and challenges faced in the field of web hosting and cloud computing. A competitive edge in the job market, with the ability to pursue career opportunities in web hosting and cloud computing.

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Cloud-Powered Web App Development with AWS and PHP

AWS Foundations | IAM | Amazon EC2 | Load Balancing | Auto-Scaling Groups | Route 53 | PHP | MySQL | App Deployment

What you'll learn

Understanding of cloud computing and Amazon Web Services (AWS) Proficiency in creating and configuring AWS accounts and environments Knowledge of AWS pricing and billing models Mastery of Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies and permissions Ability to launch and configure Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances Familiarity with security groups, key pairs, and Elastic IP addresses Competency in using AWS storage services, such as Elastic Block Store (EBS) and Simple Storage Service (S3) Expertise in creating and using Elastic Load Balancers (ELB) and Auto Scaling Groups (ASG) for load balancing and scaling web applications Knowledge of DNS management using Route 53 Proficiency in PHP programming language fundamentals Ability to interact with databases using PHP and execute SQL queries Understanding of PHP security best practices, including SQL injection prevention and user authentication Ability to design and implement a database schema for a web application Mastery of PHP scripting to interact with a database and implement user authentication using sessions and cookies Competency in creating a simple blog interface using HTML and CSS and protecting the blog content using PHP authentication. Students will gain practical experience in creating and deploying a member-only blog with user authentication using PHP and MySQL on AWS.

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CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript And PHP Stack Complete Course

CSS, Bootstrap And JavaScript And PHP Complete Frontend and Backend Course

What you'll learn

Introduction to Frontend and Backend technologies Introduction to CSS, Bootstrap And JavaScript concepts, PHP Programming Language Practically Getting Started With CSS Styles, CSS 2D Transform, CSS 3D Transform Bootstrap Crash course with bootstrap concepts Bootstrap Grid system,Forms, Badges And Alerts Getting Started With Javascript Variables,Values and Data Types, Operators and Operands Write JavaScript scripts and Gain knowledge in regard to general javaScript programming concepts PHP Section Introduction to PHP, Various Operator types , PHP Arrays, PHP Conditional statements Getting Started with PHP Function Statements And PHP Decision Making PHP 7 concepts PHP CSPRNG And PHP Scalar Declaration

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Learn HTML - For Beginners

Lean how to create web pages using HTML

What you'll learn

How to Code in HTML Structure of an HTML Page Text Formatting in HTML Embedding Videos Creating Links Anchor Tags Tables & Nested Tables Building Forms Embedding Iframes Inserting Images

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Learn Bootstrap - For Beginners

Learn to create mobile-responsive web pages using Bootstrap

What you'll learn

Bootstrap Page Structure Bootstrap Grid System Bootstrap Layouts Bootstrap Typography Styling Images Bootstrap Tables, Buttons, Badges, & Progress Bars Bootstrap Pagination Bootstrap Panels Bootstrap Menus & Navigation Bars Bootstrap Carousel & Modals Bootstrap Scrollspy Bootstrap Themes

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JavaScript, Bootstrap, & PHP - Certification for Beginners

A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners interested in learning JavaScript, Bootstrap, & PHP

What you'll learn

Master Client-Side and Server-Side Interactivity using JavaScript, Bootstrap, & PHP Learn to create mobile responsive webpages using Bootstrap Learn to create client and server-side validated input forms Learn to interact with a MySQL Database using PHP

Enroll Now 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 https://www.book-somahar.com/2023/10/25-udemy-paid-courses-for-free-with.html

Linode: Build and Deploy Responsive Websites on the Cloud

Cloud Computing | IaaS | Linux Foundations | Apache + DBMS | LAMP Stack | Server Security | Backups | HTML | CSS

What you'll learn

Understand the fundamental concepts and benefits of Cloud Computing and its service models. Learn how to create, configure, and manage virtual servers in the cloud using Linode. Understand the basic concepts of Linux operating system, including file system structure, command-line interface, and basic Linux commands. Learn how to manage users and permissions, configure network settings, and use package managers in Linux. Learn about the basic concepts of web servers, including Apache and Nginx, and databases such as MySQL and MariaDB. Learn how to install and configure web servers and databases on Linux servers. Learn how to install and configure LAMP stack to set up a web server and database for hosting dynamic websites and web applications. Understand server security concepts such as firewalls, access control, and SSL certificates. Learn how to secure servers using firewalls, manage user access, and configure SSL certificates for secure communication. Learn how to scale servers to handle increasing traffic and load. Learn about load balancing, clustering, and auto-scaling techniques. Learn how to create and manage server images. Understand the basic structure and syntax of HTML, including tags, attributes, and elements. Understand how to apply CSS styles to HTML elements, create layouts, and use CSS frameworks.

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PHP & MySQL - Certification Course for Beginners

Learn to Build Database Driven Web Applications using PHP & MySQL

What you'll learn

PHP Variables, Syntax, Variable Scope, Keywords Echo vs. Print and Data Output PHP Strings, Constants, Operators PHP Conditional Statements PHP Elseif, Switch, Statements PHP Loops - While, For PHP Functions PHP Arrays, Multidimensional Arrays, Sorting Arrays Working with Forms - Post vs. Get PHP Server Side - Form Validation Creating MySQL Databases Database Administration with PhpMyAdmin Administering Database Users, and Defining User Roles SQL Statements - Select, Where, And, Or, Insert, Get Last ID MySQL Prepared Statements and Multiple Record Insertion PHP Isset MySQL - Updating Records

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Linode: Deploy Scalable React Web Apps on the Cloud

Cloud Computing | IaaS | Server Configuration | Linux Foundations | Database Servers | LAMP Stack | Server Security

What you'll learn

Introduction to Cloud Computing Cloud Computing Service Models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) Cloud Server Deployment and Configuration (TFA, SSH) Linux Foundations (File System, Commands, User Accounts) Web Server Foundations (NGINX vs Apache, SQL vs NoSQL, Key Terms) LAMP Stack Installation and Configuration (Linux, Apache, MariaDB, PHP) Server Security (Software & Hardware Firewall Configuration) Server Scaling (Vertical vs Horizontal Scaling, IP Swaps, Load Balancers) React Foundations (Setup) Building a Calculator in React (Code Pen, JSX, Components, Props, Events, State Hook) Building a Connect-4 Clone in React (Passing Arguments, Styling, Callbacks, Key Property) Building an E-Commerce Site in React (JSON Server, Fetch API, Refactoring)

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Internet and Web Development Fundamentals

Learn how the Internet Works and Setup a Testing & Production Web Server

What you'll learn

How the Internet Works Internet Protocols (HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP) The Web Development Process Planning a Web Application Types of Web Hosting (Shared, Dedicated, VPS, Cloud) Domain Name Registration and Administration Nameserver Configuration Deploying a Testing Server using WAMP & MAMP Deploying a Production Server on Linode, Digital Ocean, or AWS Executing Server Commands through a Command Console Server Configuration on Ubuntu Remote Desktop Connection and VNC SSH Server Authentication FTP Client Installation FTP Uploading

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Linode: Web Server and Database Foundations

Cloud Computing | Instance Deployment and Config | Apache | NGINX | Database Management Systems (DBMS)

What you'll learn

Introduction to Cloud Computing (Cloud Service Models) Navigating the Linode Cloud Interface Remote Administration using PuTTY, Terminal, SSH Foundations of Web Servers (Apache vs. NGINX) SQL vs NoSQL Databases Database Transaction Standards (ACID vs. CAP Theorem) Key Terms relevant to Cloud Computing, Web Servers, and Database Systems

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Java Training Complete Course 2022

Learn Java Programming language with Java Complete Training Course 2022 for Beginners

What you'll learn

You will learn how to write a complete Java program that takes user input, processes and outputs the results You will learn OOPS concepts in Java You will learn java concepts such as console output, Java Variables and Data Types, Java Operators And more You will be able to use Java for Selenium in testing and development

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Learn To Create AI Assistant (JARVIS) With Python

How To Create AI Assistant (JARVIS) With Python Like the One from Marvel's Iron Man Movie

What you'll learn

how to create an personalized artificial intelligence assistant how to create JARVIS AI how to create ai assistant

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Keyword Research, Free Backlinks, Improve SEO -Long Tail Pro

LongTailPro is the keyword research service we at Coursenvy use for ALL our clients! In this course, find SEO keywords,

What you'll learn

Learn everything Long Tail Pro has to offer from A to Z! Optimize keywords in your page/post titles, meta descriptions, social media bios, article content, and more! Create content that caters to the NEW Search Engine Algorithms and find endless keywords to rank for in ALL the search engines! Learn how to use ALL of the top-rated Keyword Research software online! Master analyzing your COMPETITIONS Keywords! Get High-Quality Backlinks that will ACTUALLY Help your Page Rank!

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[aspiretechsoft]

🔴 Join a Free Webinar on Full Stack Java & DOT NET 🔴

✍️ Registration Link: 🔗 https://forms.gle/hoQ1iWmJ3MQGvRec9 🔗

👉Online Webinar Details:

Date: 5th April 2025

📞Contact us: +91 – 7620830992

🚀 Ready to Level Up Your Tech Skills? 🚀

Join our FREE Full Stack Java & .NET Webinar and dive into the world of cutting-edge development! 🌐💻

#Webinar #FullStackDevelopment #Java #DotNet #TechCareers #aspiretechsoft #LearnToCode

[emexotechnologies]

Best Full Stack Course in Electronic City Bangalore - eMexo Technologies

🚀 Master the Art of Full Stack Development at the Best Full Stack Training Institute in Electronic City Bangalore! 🌟

🌐 Learn more: https://www.emexotechnologies.com/courses/full-stack-certification-training-course/ 📞 Contact us: +91-9513216462 📲Whatsapp Us: https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=919513216462

eMexo Technologies proudly presents a Free Full Stack Demo Session, your key to unlocking the world of front-end and back-end development. Are you ready to become a Full Stack Developer?

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📚 The Full Stack Course in Electronic City Bangalore is your comprehensive journey to success, offering in-depth training, hands-on experience, and expert guidance to pave your way to becoming a Full Stack expert.

Don't miss this opportunity to explore the endless possibilities that eMexo Technologies can offer you. Secure your spot today and embark on a journey to Full Stack mastery!

eMexoTechnologies #FullStackTraining #WebDevelopment #ElectronicCityBangalore #BestInstitute #FreeDemoSession #TechTraining #FullStackCourse #FrontEndDev #BackEndDev #fullstack #webdevelopmenttraining #electroniccity #bangalore #FullStacktraininginstituteinelectroniccitybangalore #FullStacktraininginelectroniccitybangalore #FullStackcourseinelectroniccitybangalore #FullStacktraininginelectroniccity #FullStacktraininginstituteinelectroniccity #FullStackcourseinelectroniccity #FullStacktraininginbangalore #FullStackcourseinbangalore #FullStacktraininginstituteinbangalore #education #best #top #trending #popular #courses #course #job #careers #jobs #career #instapost #ads #onlinecourse #onlineclass #offlineclass #classroom #training #freedemo #demosession #bangalorejobs #html #css #bootstrap #javascript #js #nodejs #angular #angularjs #reactjs #java #python #sql #mysql #oracle

[onlinecoursesworld]

Advance your career with Java techniques like syntax, conditional statements, functions, loops and collections. Exit the program with employable skills to solve real-world programming problems.

imp.i115008.net/GmVdgm

[dreamdolldeveloper]

back to basics

mostly free resources to help you learn the basics that i've gathered for myself so far that i think are cool

everyday

gcfglobal - about the internet, online safety and for kids, life skills like applying for jobs, career planning, resume writing, online learning, today's skills like 3d printing, photoshop, smartphone basics, microsoft office apps, and mac friendly. they have core skills like reading, math, science, language learning - some topics are sparse so hopefully they keep adding things on. great site to start off on learning.

handsonbanking - learn about finances. after highschool, credit, banking, investing, money management, debt, goal setting, loans, cars, small businesses, military, insurance, retirement, etc.

bbc - learning for all ages. primary to adult. arts, history, science, math, reading, english, french, all the way to functional and vocational skills for adults as well, great site!

education.ket - workplace essential skills

general education

mathsgenie - GCSE revision, grade 1-9, math stages 1-14, provides more resources! completely free.

khan academy - pre-k to college, life skills, test prep (sats, mcat, etc), get ready courses, AP, partner courses like NASA, etc. so much more!

aleks - k-12 + higher ed learning program. adapts to each student.

biology4kids - learn biology

cosmos4kids - learn astronomy basics

chem4kids - learn chemistry

physics4kids - learn physics

numbernut - math basics (arithmetic, fractions and decimals, roots and exponents, prealgebra)

education.ket - primary to adult. includes highschool equivalent test prep, the core skills. they have a free resource library and they sell workbooks. they have one on work-life essentials (high demand career sectors + soft skills)

youtube channels

the organic chemistry tutor

khanacademy

crashcourse

tabletclassmath

2minmaths

kevinmathscience

professor leonard

greenemath

mathantics

3blue1brown

literacy

readworks - reading comprehension, build background knowledge, grow your vocabulary, strengthen strategic reading

chompchomp - grammar knowledge

tutors

not the "free resource" part of this post but sometimes we forget we can be tutored especially as an adult. just because we don't have formal education does not mean we can't get 1:1 teaching! please do you research and don't be afraid to try out different tutors. and remember you're not dumb just because someone's teaching style doesn't match up with your learning style.

cambridge coaching - medical school, mba and business, law school, graduate, college academics, high school and college process, middle school and high school admissions

preply - language tutoring. affordable!

revolutionprep - math, science, english, history, computer science (ap, html/css, java, python c++), foreign languages (german, korean, french, italian, spanish, japanese, chinese, esl)

varsity tutors - k-5 subjects, ap, test prep, languages, math, science & engineering, coding, homeschool, college essays, essay editing, etc

chegg - biology, business, engineering/computer science, math, homework help, textbook support, rent and buying books

learn to be - k-12 subjects

for languages

lingq - app. created by steve kaufmann, a polygot (fluent in 20+ languages) an amazing language learning platform that compiles content in 20+ languages like podcasts, graded readers, story times, vlogs, radio, books, the feature to put in your own books! immersion, comprehensible input.

flexiclasses - option to study abroad, resources to learn, mandarin, cantonese, japanese, vietnamese, korean, italian, russian, taiwanese hokkien, shanghainese.

fluentin3months - bootcamp, consultation available, languages: spanish, french, korean, german, chinese, japanese, russian, italian.

fluenz - spanish immersion both online and in person - intensive.

pimsleur - not tutoring** online learning using apps and their method. up to 50 languages, free trial available.

incase time has passed since i last posted this, check on the original post (not the reblogs) to see if i updated link or added new resources. i think i want to add laguage resources at some point too but until then, happy learning!!

[learnershub101]

12 Udemy Paid Courses for Free with Certification (Only for Limited Time)

[yoyowstudies]

Hi guys,

So results for the last semester are out and my GPA dropped (T-T)

I'm down to 2.9 broo....that's high key demoralising. But now I am more motivated to do better this semester. I hate where I am now.

Also I was supposed to have my french class yesterday but the lecturer didn't come so I basically had a free day yesterday.

I really wasn't feeling upto studying today but I got off my Butt and got to studying.

Here's me learning java from youtube academy(freecodecamp has really good courses for programmers )

[dreamdolldiary]

My Personal Coding Journal Notion 🍂☕️🪵

I'm kickstarting my reunion with coding by being organized! and with this field importantly, I want to track all my progress, notes and all the resources I find all in one place and this is what it looks like!

It includes:

My notes on each language HTML, CSS, Java...

Keeping track of when I start specific tutorials, courses, etc.

Free courses

Bootcamps I am researching

Resources to books

A personal FAQ

and more as I continue!

(click for a better view)

A quick peek inside the "Notes"

I haven't started it but this is how it'll be formatted:

happy coding and long life learning! ⊹｡ꕤ˚₊⊹

[leilani-lily]

~Oh Deer~ (Chapter 6)

Weeee we made it to 6~! ✧｡٩(ˊᗜˋ )✧*｡ I'm deciding to take more time to edit and review each chapter before I upload it. I don't want the excitement to take over and I post it in a happy rush and then look back on it and wish I could change things too late (≡ ε ≡;) This chapter was delightful to write. I had too much fun. I have no regrets (< w <) SYNOPSIS: AroAce! Alastor x Chef!Singer! Reader. Reader isn't satisfied with not perfecting the jambalaya recipe, and is determined to try again. Alastor is lured to the kitchen, and of course, chaos ensues~ Word count: 5.7 k

Chapter under the cut!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As happy as you were that you had nearly recreated his mother’s jambalaya, a small part of you itched to make it perfect. The joy you felt when you watched Alastor taste your cooking, it was something you wanted to experience again. It had kept you up that night as you lay in bed, thinking about the things you could adjust and remembering what Alastor had said was missing.

Charlie was kind enough to order food in for the guests on the weekend so it allowed you weekends off. However, that Saturday morning you were too inspired (and probably stubborn) and found yourself back in the kitchen during your free time, preparing to try and correct the rice dish. After making a quick pot of coffee and pouring yourself a cup, you turn on your trusty radio and let the music begin to pump you up. The fast paced jazz made you begin to bounce on your toes as you took a sip of java, feeling your body begin to loosen up and mind buzzing with determination. As the first song came to an end, you set your mug down and begin collecting all the cooking supplies, a sly smile curling up your lips.

Alastor’s weekends were usually filled with various tasks that needed to be attended to. Meeting’s with the other Overlords, get-togethers with Rosie, or running personal errands. However, the Radio Demon was shocked to find this morning was open, which was a rather pleasant surprise. Alastor was walking down the hallway, debating on either reading or taking a stroll through the city, when the sound of music floated to his ears. The lanky demon paused, his ears unbeknownst to him perking up at the sound as he deciphered where it was coming from. Determining it was coming from the kitchen, it made his eyebrows furrow in confusion. 

He knew very well that you had weekends off. And nobody else used the kitchen that often, especially with jazz blaring in the background. Curiosity was getting the best of the Radio Demon, and before he knew it, his long legs had guided him towards the kitchen.

(link to song here) 

As he got closer and the songs changed over, he was surprised to hear your voice suddenly gasp out in delight before joining along in the next song. It was a slow rhythm as you crooned along, your vibrato trilling as you held certain notes. Remembering how enchanting your voice was from when you had first met, his smile slowly widened, heeled boots unknowingly picking up the pace.

Turning the corner and seeing the entrance, Alastor slowed his stride and crept up to the door frame. The waft of simmering sausages and spices filled his nostrils, and he had a jolt of memories back to when he was a small child. The song’s beat had picked up slightly, the lyrics became faster. And surprisingly, you were keeping up like a pro. This must’ve been a song you were very familiar with, explaining the excited gasp he heard earlier. Beyond intrigued, he dared to peek around into the kitchen to a sight that he honestly wasn’t prepared for.

You bounced from foot to foot, your hips swinging to the beat, your shoulders shimmying as your head nodded side to side. You were poking a couple sausages on the stovetop, the fat sizzling and popping from the heat. You turned on a heel and approached the island, grabbing a kitchen knife nearby and quickly mincing some onion like a natural. You continued to sing quick and on the beat, completely lost in the music and singing your heart out.

There was a mess of other ingredients and cooking utensils scattered around you, and you were sweating from the heat of the stove. Usually this would bother the Radio Demon, liking to keep things tidy; both in space and appearance. But oddly enough, that wasn’t what he focused on. His eyes remained on the beaming smile on your face; your eyes shining in pure delight and cheeks flush. You were completely in your element, and he a mere observer. 

At a certain point you even stopped chopping the onion and began to dance on the spot, eyes closed as you completely rocked out. You twisted your feet in and out, swayed your arms side to side (your dominant hand still holding a very sharp knife), and bopped your head, feeling the beat in your veins and taking a hold of you. 

You knew a super fast part in the song, so you were preparing yourself to really nail the fast lyrics. So when you felt two long arms slide down your own and a warm body press up from behind you, your soul almost left your body.

“No need to stop on my account darling~” Alastor crooned behind you, speaking before you could turn around and stab him with the knife in your hand. But then his long fingers wrapped around your hands and pulled you away from the island. 

Without a second though, you quickly dropped the knife as he twirled you in place, the music still playing in the background. Feeling yourself bubbling with excitement, you began to sing faster than lightning, the joy in your heart from this rare opportunity and secretly wanting to show off a moment. Alastors eyebrows raised impressively, and seemingly wanting to take it up a notch, as if this was a competition of talents. 

The suave demon twirled you out and let go of one hand but still firmly holding onto your other. You both break out into full swing dance as the horns blared and violins sang in the background. Alastor was quick on his feet, pulling you in close then spinning you out as both of your feet tapped and twirled. You managed to sneak glances at the Radio Demon, thoroughly surprised at his skill in dancing. The tall demon flashed you a smile and even dared a wink as you shimmied together, his grip on your one hand tight and secure. You continued to sing, although found it much more difficult to do while dancing to such a fast paced song. 

The melody slowed for a moment, indicating an instrumental and Alastor was quick to act. He pulled you in gently and immediately grabbed onto your hip, his other hand still tightly holding yours. You could feel your heart thrum in your chest from the proximity of the Radio Demon. You had never been so close to him before, your chest was pressed to his and the hold he had of you was captivating. Like even if you tried to push away he wouldn’t allow it. Not that you even wanted to. Not ever. This was a rare occasion; and definitely something that you didn’t want to pass up.

Finally finding the courage, you glance up at him, feeling very shy but your heart racing with exhilaration. You can see his crimson eyes are shining with delight as hooded lids focus on you. His grin was wide with amusement as he guided you around the room. You had to stop yourself from laughing out loud at the obscurity of it all, never imagining this is how your morning would end up. 

Dancing in the kitchen with a serial killer; your mother would be so proud. 

You knew the music would pick up again soon, and you knew Alastor could feel it the way he lightly squeezed your hand. You both shared a look, equally looking smug and ready for the next round. Giving him a nod of encouragement, Alastor twirled you out once more as you burst into song again. You belted out the lyrics, so full of glee you couldn’t contain your voice. 

You both continued to dance together, feet kicking up to the beat and arms swaying to and fro. He swapped you from hand to hand, guiding you around the room and switching from left to right, but never letting you go. At one point you both were hand in hand, looking at each other and dancing on the spot. From the giddy expression on his face, you could tell he was enjoying himself as much as you were, both of you feeling the drums thump in your chests. With all the fast dancing and excitement, you found your singing was occasionally interrupted by a tired laugh, especially when Alastor suddenly flung you around. But you knew the last note was coming, and you wanted to finish off strong.

When the instruments stopped and the final sentence played out, Alastor spun you out and let you have your moment; you belted that last note with pure joy. The song came to an end, and was promptly met with a commercial break as a muffled voice droned on in the background. The adrenaline coursing through you finally dropped and you let go of the demon's hand, bending over to catch your breath. Hands on knees, you couldn’t help the weary giggles escaping your throat as you panted, your brain still not sure if you had just imagined all of that. Feeling Alastor’s burning eyes still on you, you finally rise up and give him a tired, but beaming smile. You look him up and down and can't help but let out a single guffaw as you notice something.

“Are you freaking kidding me?” you laugh, “How are you not even sweating right now?? After all of that?!”

The tall demon stood before you, hands behind his back and completely composed as if he wasn’t just dancing up a storm with you. His expression was calm and amused as he watched you wipe your brow. His smile creaked up further onto his face. 

“Practice my dear y/n,” he hummed. He began to walk towards the sink with his head held high, clearly thrilled to gloat in front of you. “I was known to be quite the jitterbug back in the day~” He grabbed a clean cup and began to fill it up with cold water. You watched him in pure amazement; who would’ve known Alastor liked to dance? His gaze eventually slid back to you.

“Nevertheless, I must say,” he continued, turning the water off and striding back to you, “I was not the individual dancing and singing along to the melody. That’s an admirable skill set.” He offered the cup of water to you with a cocked eyebrow and you laughed out a tired ‘thanks’, happily taking the drink. You chugged it back instantly and sighed in relief, the Radio Demon watching you amusingly.

“Well,” you chuckled, setting the empty cup down and looking to the floor sheepishly, “I can’t really say I’m the best of dancers. I’m sure I looked like a ragdoll compared to you.” Your mind wandered back to the dance and could only imagine how you looked compared to your graceful and experienced partner. You couldn’t help the amused smile spread across your face.

“Hmmm… Perhaps…” Alastor mused, looking off to the distance and only confirming your thoughts. He was too much of a gentleman to admit a lady’s faults. It only made you laugh silently to yourself. 

“However, I will argue,” he continued, his gaze falling back to you, “your entrancing voice was enough to carry you through. And what more, you still chose to dance with pride, even if it was out of your comfort level. So for that, I applaud you~” Alastor bent slightly at his waist in a small bow as an applause track fizzed in the air. You giggled at the theatrics, feeling your cheeks redden at the compliment.

“Well, thank you,” you tittered, giving a small awkward curtsy in response, “It was nice having such an amazing dance partner; I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.” You beamed up at him, genuinely grateful for the impromptu dance session. Alastor watched you for a moment, taking in your expression before standing up straight again, looking down at you mirthfully.

“Well then my dear, we’ll just have to-” 

The Radio Demon stopped suddenly, his mouth still open and grinning. But his eyes had flicked up and away from your face. You watched his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as his pupils shrank in what appeared to be shock. You were just about to ask if he was alright when the distinct smell of burning meat entered your nostrils. You whipped your head around and watched in horror as flames were licking up the side of the pan and smoke began to bellow.

“Awh FUCK!”

You sprint towards the stove at lightning speed and turned the flames off. Without even thinking you grabbed onto the handle of the pan to pull it away from the hot element. It immediately fell from your grasp however as the searing heat had burned your hand and you immediately gasped in pain. The pan and now crispy sausages clattered to the ground as you gripped your tender hand to your chest, eyes shutting tight against the pain and falling to your knees.

You heard a rush of static and felt a draft of wind tickle your skin. Eyes still scrunched in pain, you felt yourself jump when large hands suddenly gripped on your wrists and began pulling them away from your chest. 

“Show me your hand y/n.” 

You felt a wave of embarrassment pour over you. Here you were trying to master his favourite dish, but got too caught up in your silly little fantasy. And now you had ruined it. And in front of him nonetheless. Shame settled in your stomach, making you clutch your burnt hand tighter to your chest. 

“I’m fine Alastor really, I-!”

“That was not a request.” The sternness in his voice caught you off guard. You had never heard him speak to you in such a tone. Your eyes finally opened to see his red claws grasping your wrists. His grip on you tightened.

“Look at me y/n.”

You felt your stomach lurch. You felt so stupid, like a child being scolded by their parent. You couldn’t bare to face him. But you heard your radio in the background fizz and crackle dangerously, and you knew Alastor was losing his patience. Humiliated beyond belief, you finally tilt your head up and dared to peek up.

Alastor’s eyes immediately locked with yours, as if he was watching your face this entire time. His demeanor was surprisingly calm; still wearing his classic smile, but the corners weren’t as high on his face as usual. His gaze on you was strong; unmoving. It almost burned into you more than the burn on your hand. You had to catch your breath.

“I wont say this again.” he warned, his tone still very stern but now quieter as he looked at you. “Show me your hand.”

The last time you had felt so small was when you had accidentally touched his antlers without permission. You weren't scared of him this time, but his eyes still managed to make you quiver on the spot. Finally, you felt your muscles relax and you allowed him to pull your hands away from your chest. In an instant he held your dominant hand in both hands and gingerly turned it over, inspecting the flushed skin that was already beginning to swell. His eyebrows narrowed a moment before he immediately rose to his feet, dragging you up with him. Without a word, he led you to the sink, his grip on your wrist gentle but firm. You stumbled after him and before you knew it, the Radio Demon had turned the water on and dunked your hand under.

You hissed out in pain as the cold seemed to burn you even more. Alastors eyelid twitched at the sound, but you were in too much pain to notice. You both stood there a moment in silence as he gently guided your hand under the water, turning it over and twisting your wrist to insure every burnt part was rinsed. It wouldn’t be until later that you noticed how attentive he was to all of it. 

Turning off the water, the Radio Demon snapped his fingers and a roll of gauze blinked out of thin air. The other hand still holding yours, he began to carefully wrap your palm in the fabric. You flinched ever so often as the gauze grazed over your tender skin, but you couldn’t help but sneak a peek up at your nurse. His face had remained surprisingly calm, his attention focused on the task at hand and unwavering. But you did notice his ears seemed to be pressed to his head, and a single bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. 

Eventually, Alastor delicately tucked the end of the gauze into the wrapping, giving it one last look over before letting you go. His gaze slid up to you, his small smile slowly growing into more of his signature look.

“Fortunately, the damage is minimal given the circumstances. Give it a few days rest with lots of ointment and you’ll recover.”

You lifted it up to eye level and gave it an inspection, surprised to find how neat it was. As if he had done this before. The idea of that both fascinated and worried you. 

“Now tell me my dear, why is it that you were cooking today? Or do you just enjoy setting my kitchen on fire?” His cocky grin spread across his face, already enjoying the opportunity to tease you. You let out a groan of embarrassment, your wrapped hand flapping to your side like a wet noodle.

“Lord have mercy. You’re never going to let me live this down are you?” you whined, already hating yourself for giving him more material to work off of. He cocked his head to the side, absolutely tickled pink by your reactions. 

“Oh, you know I’ll be roasting you about this for weeks~”

Another pained groan escaped your lips. Oh great. Here come the puns. Your uninjured hand rose to pinch the bridge between your eyebrows, trying to calm the rage in your heart, but also to stop you from actually laughing at it all. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. He leaned in even closer so he was face to face with you, his shit-eating grin threatening to crack his face.

“What’s the matter my dear? Can’t handle the heat~?”

Your grip on your arm and bridge tightens. His face inches closer.

“Unfortunately for you, I’m just getting warmed up~”

You could feel your shoulders start to shake. He leaned close enough that his lips were right beside your ear.

“Come now y/n, don't be flame,”

“ALASTOR!” you finally caved and burst into angry laughter, turning away from him in shame and hiding your face as you crack up over his god awful puns. Damnit, you hated how he could make you laugh at your own misery. In a way you were grateful; it was a good distraction from the pain. He always knew how to make you smile, especially if you were upset. Unmoving, Alastor watched you in pure delight as he drank up your laughter, his own chuckle of amusement slipping from his mouth. Finally satisfied, he leaned back up and took in the mess on the ground and other various ingredients in the kitchen island. 

“You never answered my previous question dearest.” Alastor spoke up from behind you, “Why are you cooking jambalaya so early in the day?”

You felt yourself freeze on the spot. Man, nothing got past this man; he was as sharp as ever. 

You felt your shoulders start to tense as heeled boots clicked closer to you. 

“Don’t get me wrong, it is an exquisite meal, but even I would never consider it before 10am.”

You could feel his tall figure looming from behind you, body almost pressed to your back as he closed the distance between you both. You sighed in defeat, knowing you couldn’t talk your way out of this. You shamefully turn around to face him, but refuse to look him in the eye.

“I was trying to perfect the recipe,” you mumbled quietly, feeling yourself fidgeting under his gaze, “It’s just… you’ve done so much for me, and I feel like I haven’t been able to return the favor. I don’t have magic or power or endless resources. So…” your cheeks were starting to turn red, feeling your tongue swell in your mouth, “S-so I figured… if I can cook your favourite meal exactly like your mother… If I could help you to recreate that moment in time… th-then maybe…”

You trailed off, unsure what to say, and feeling smaller than a speck of dust. He must think you’re pathetic. And who could blame him? He was an Overloard; he could eat demons like you for breakfast. You still didn’t understand why he seemingly wanted to spend time with a nobody like you. You knew he was going to laugh at you now. Make fun of you like he always did and tease you about this for weeks to come. You shut your eyes tight with frustration, feeling them begin to burn with tears and preparing to hear his laughter track drone on any minute now.

… But there was silence. 

You paused a moment longer, suddenly uncomfortable in the silence. It was odd, even his usual static that hissed whenever he was around had gone missing. You were just about to dare a peek up at him when you felt a warm, heavy hand on your shoulder. Your head immediately lifted to him, eyes shimmering and maybe a bit hopeful.

He looked at you and didn’t say anything. His grin was still ever present, but it felt loose, wavering. His eyes flicked over yours as his brows furrowed, signaling the look of… Deep thought? Confusion? … Worry? 

Alastor watched you, eyes wet with unshed tears and lip threatening to quiver. Something stirred within him. No one had ever… done something so thoughtful for him. So used to demons making deals with him, only giving so they could take. A soul for power. Or for riches. Or fame. Greed and selfishness was a sickness Alastor was very used to when dealing with others. It was one of the things he despised the most about sinners. And he was no saint either. He knew himself he would take what he wanted, but only if he deemed it necessary to his ascension. His greed was different, as least in his own twisted mind. 

… But you…

After what felt like an eternity, Alastor finally lifted his hand on your shoulder and cupped your face, his other hand reaching to do on the other side. Startled as to what was happening, you gasped softly, feeling your heart begin to hammer against your chest. His smile was warm and genuine, which was honestly a stark difference to his usually sharp features. Eyes hooded and looking down at you in wonder. He even dared to squish your cheeks a couple times, surprisingly making the Radio Demon chuckle in amusement at their suppleness. His warm hands pinched for a moment longer, taking a moment to drink in how soft your cheeks were. How could a previous murderer and cannibal somehow be so innocent? Finally, he opened his mouth to speak, his voice soft as static crackled in the air.

“You never cease to surprise me my dear. What a peculiar little thing you are...”

And without another word, he removed his hands from your face and rose to full attention, striding past you and towards the sink. You blinked back your surprise and dumbly turned to watch as he rolled up his sleeves and turned the faucet on. All you could do was stare numbly as Alastor began to wash his hands, and even began humming softly to himself. As he finished up, he quickly dried his hands and flicked his wrist up, his fingers snapping sharply. An apron suddenly poofed onto his figure; a basic white with ‘Kiss the Cannibal Cook” printed on it.

Turning on his heel, he continued to hum to himself, the radio filter over his voice making it seem sharper than the average hum. But that wasn’t the thing making you tilt your head. It was when he opened the fridge and looked about, as if looking for something in particular. After shuffling a few items around, he finally turned his head to you, eyes still on the fridge and smile absolutely giddy. 

“Tell me y/n, if we had any okra, where would it be~?”

You felt your eyelids blink one at a time as you watched him stupidly, mouth partially open. When you didn’t respond, his pupils finally slid to you and caught your expression. He cocked an eyebrow as his eyelids fell flat.

“Close your mouth dear, it’s not very lady like.”

You click your jaw shut and blink back to reality. He looked at you expectantly, and finally cluing into his question, you responded.

“Oh. Ah. Bottom left hand drawer. Sh-should be in a little plastic bag…” 

Alastors smile brightened as he turned back to the fridge and followed your instruction, a satisfied ‘Ah!’ coming from his mouth before pulling the bag out and closing the refrigerator. As he approached the island, you finally were able to utter the biggest question on your mind.

“Alastor… What are you doing?” 

The Radio Demon stopped humming, turning his head to you as he grabbed a spare knife and cutting board from below. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow as if you just asked the stupidest question in the world.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he remarked, turning back to the okra and began to slice the green plant into thin segments. “If you really thought you could master the recipe without my help, then you are sorely mistaken. Besides,” he lifted his knife to point it at your wrapped hand, eyeing you a moment, “Now that one of your hands is out of commission for the day, it would be against my mother’s teachings to force a woman to cook something for me alone and with only one arm.” 

He turned back to his chopping board and continued to slice.

You watched him a moment longer, processing his words until you felt your heart bloom in your chest. He didn’t laugh. Didn’t tease. Didn’t make you feel small or inadequate. He saw your genuine pain and surprisingly, chose kindness. And even more, chose to help you personally rather than summoning his minions to do the work. You felt a lump in your throat, a different kind of tears threatening to fall down your face. But Alastor didn’t notice, thank goodness, too absorbed in his work.

“My dear,” he began, swiping the sliced okra into a bowl, “Would you pass me the peppers next?”

“O-oh!” you stuttered, quickly wiping your misty eyes with your sleeve, your smile going ear to ear as you rush to the requested veggie, “Of course.”

Between the two of you, you were quite the team in the kitchen. Who would’ve known that Alastor was actually quite the chef himself? He admitted that he loved to cook, of course inspired by his mother, but simply didn’t have the time nowadays with the hotel and Overlord work. You could tell he was being genuine; his dicing skills were remarkable. The speed and precision he had with a knife was impressive (and maybe a little terrifying if you thought about it too hard). But the fond look on his face while he was doing it, that's how you could tell he wasn’t lying about enjoying it. 

While he chopped and diced, you were on saute duty. Alastor was hesitant to give you this task, given how the last batch of sausages ended up… But after lightly smacking his arm with a wooden spoon, the Radio Demon laughed and allowed you near the stove.

... With close supervision that is. 

You collaborated with each other, Alastor explaining his method and you explaining how you made yours. And you were sure somewhere in the middle was the true recipe. The radio continued to play in the background, and out of habit you’d sing along to the songs you knew and Alastor would hum. For one particular song he pulled you in for another quick dance in which you laughed the entire time. But he made sure to deposit you back to the stove quickly, not wanting to recreate the disaster from earlier. While you stirred with your unscathed hand, Alastor would pop up behind you on occasion for a taste test. You’d offer him the spoon and he’d give it a try, comparing the flavor from what he remembered. And if needed, would add more spices or scour the cupboards for something new. 

Finally, after letting it simmer and adding the last remaining garnishes, the jambalaya was ready.

The smell alone was absolutely divine, spices and oils melding together to create a rich aromatic scent. You wiped your sweaty brow in satisfaction as you watched Alastor divvy up two plates and bring them to the island. The dish was a beautiful vermillion colour with fiery red veggies and soft green herbs snuggly tucked away with the sausage, shrimp and rice. You felt your stomach rumble, not realizing how hungry you were having skipped breakfast. You felt the strong urge to just dive in, but you pulled back. You couldn’t eat. Not just yet.

Your eyes slid carefully over to Alastor as he looked at the plate below him, inspecting it with a calculated gaze. He seemed almost… hesitant. But before you could think on it further, the Radio Demon scooped a mouthful up, paused a moment, then took a bite.

He chewed.

Stopped.

Chewed again.

Swallowed.

His head hung over his plate, his bangs covering his face and making it impossible to read his face. There was a heavy pause, the air feeling thick as you waited for his final thoughts. The static around him buzzed louder for a moment then went completely silent. Finally, he raised his head, and his expression almost made you want to weep. His eyebrows were tight and sorrowful, his smile pinched and threatening to tremble. Pupils dilated and never moving from the plate below him. Eventually, his mouth creaked open. 

“This is it.” 

The radio filter over his voice was gone, and that almost floored you. You had never heard his natural voice before, and honestly it was one of the most beautiful sounds you had ever heard. He scooped another spoonful and tasted it again, closing his eyes and sighing to himself with a sense of longing. You had never seen him so at peace. 

Swallowing his previous bite, he looked down at his plate again, eyes drifting over the dish as a low chuckle suddenly began to rumble from his chest. He closed his eyes and shook his head, smiling and eyebrows furled as he hummed about something. And then, he spoke, his radio-like quality returning to his voice.

“You remind me of her.”

It felt like your heart had lurched into your guts at his words. You knew how much she had meant to him. The impact she had on his life, in living and in death. And for him to admit that to you? It made your hands tremble in your lap. Alastor opened his eyes again and looked down, deep in thought.

“There was always music drifting in the air when my mother cooked,” he reminisced, “Jazz music of course; it was in our bloodline. I remember as a boy watching her from the dinner table. She would sing along to the music, and would even pull me in for a dance if a certain song compelled her to.” He chuckled a moment before sighing, tilting his head up with eyes lost in memories gone by.

“Oh, she was a beacon of light and life itself. Always looking out for others, never asking for anything in return. A strong, selfless woman with a heart of gold. The only woman I ever, truly…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but he didn’t have to for you to understand. Your hand reached for his without a second thought. He flinched at the sudden touch, his eyes shooting open, but eventually you felt his hand relax under your warmth and eyelids soften again. You held his hand tenderly as he continued to stare up at the ceiling, head swimming with fond reminders of the past. Gentle minutes trickled by before you felt the Radio Demon’s hand twist up so it could hold yours tightly. And soon after, he lowered his head and looked straight at you.

“You have given me a gift no one has ever been able to give.” He smiled, his eyes remaining gentle as his scarlet orbs never wavered. You could feel yourself melting under his gaze. He began to lift your hand towards his face, stopping mere inches from his mouth. You could feel your heartbeat quicken. 

“Thank you, mon passereau~” he purred, pupils falling to your hand and pausing for a moment. You could feel his breath on your skin and your heart raced.

He wasn’t going to do what you thought he was… right? 

Finally he lifted your hand up and gently pressed it up to his forehead, like he had done weeks before. You felt a breath escape your noise, from relief or disappointment, you weren’t sure yet. But honestly, what were you expecting? This was Alastor. He wasn’t one for romance or being overly touchy. 

Please, like he would ever kiss your hand. Get it together y/n.

Still, when you focused on him again, a warm smile spread from your lips as you felt the warmth of his forehead and the pinpoint that would be the ‘x’ on his head. This gesture was intimate for him, and that was more than enough for you. And thinking back on the joy and gratitude he showed you earlier… it made you sigh blissfully. You had done it. You achieved your goal of somehow paying him back. And you felt that your relationship with him had only grown stronger with the morning you’d had. With a content smile, you breathed a reply.

“You’re welcome Alastor.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Fun fact: 'Passereau' in French roughly translates to "songbird" ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝) Thank you for reading thus far! As always, comments and reblogs are much appreciated; the more encouragement, the more fueled I get to write more (•̀ᴗ•́ )و I eat your delicious words and poop out a story that's hopefully to satisfaction LMAO okok I'm done, gnight folks ꨄ

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[wonumatics]

✰ wonwoo x gn. reader ; fluff ; 0.6k

Wonwoo's blue full-sleeved shirt was curry-stain free and worn the proper way. He smells of freshly washed linen and breath mints. The weather is perfect, warm rays of sunshine spreading across a cloudless sky (he carried an umbrella nonetheless).

So far so good. Grade B, even.

Today is the day Wonwoo would try and catch the seat next to you in the Environmental Technology elective you both took. Maybe strike a colloquy with you on environmental toxicology. Maybe even exchange numbers.

“You’ve been saying the same thing for the past three weeks.”

“But-” Wonwoo stops, frowning at the notification on his phone. Soonyoung glances over his shoulder to take a look. The former sighs. The latter doesn’t bother to conceal his laugh.

Wonwoo had run a lot of scenarios through his head, finding appropriate solutions for each case. Nothing however would have prepared him for the class getting cancelled today.

“On the brighter side, you can practice your pick up lines on yourself for another day.” Soonyoung clears his throat to match Wonwoo's voice, “are you a data type? because you float inside my mind.”

Soonyoung sidesteps, avoiding the jab coming his way. He backpedals away, mouthing better luck next time as he leaves for his next class before the “Shut up.” leaves Wonwoo's lips.

And that’s how he ends up in the library, trying to finish his assignment for the OOP using Java bridge course. The key word is trying; there’s only so much freecodecamp.org can help with. He twirls his pencil around his thumb. Today was a failure. Maybe he should quit this and visit that new boba place instead.

“Hey, Wonwoo.”

The pencil falls from his hand and onto the floor. Wonwoo looks up to face you. Milliseconds pass by as he digests the fact that you did, indeed, call him.

He likes the sound of his name on your lips.

You pick his pencil up for him, a smile adorning your face as you continue, "I'm-

-(name)”, fuck, what happened to his lower register? “I've seen you around. We share the environmental technology class.”

It all comes out at a pace too fast for his liking, but you nod along. Wonwoo takes his pencil from your outstretched hand, mumbling thanks and trying not to hyperfixate on how his fingers would've brushed yours had he moved them a little closer. Cerise colours his ears at the thought.

You glance at the material strewn across the table, recognition flashing across your face. "I took this course last sem." Your eyes shift to his laptop's screen, which currently flashes a runtime error.

Of all times, why now?

He follows your gaze, feeling sheepish. "Well, this course is not for the weak."

You snort in agreement. "So, want some help debugging?"

"Oh please."

Wonwoo knew he should be paying attention to what you were doing but trying not to hyperfixate is easier said than done. '(name) pulled a chair right next to you to help you', chanted a little voice in the back of his head. From the spark in your eyes and the furrow of your eyebrows to the shade of your currently pursed lips, he couldn't help but notice it all.

This is nice.

"I'm done."

Wonwoo blinks. Already? He looks at the screen and then at you in awe. "That was really fast. Thank you."

Your smile widens. You move your chair and sling your bag over your shoulder, getting ready to leave. "Let me know if you need help with anything else."

It was now or never.

"Are you free for a boba run? it's on me."

One second. Two. Three. He shouldn't have-

-sure. Should we check out the new place downtown?"

"Yes." Yes, anything you say. He stuffs his bag with his books.

Maybe, today deserves a solid grade A.

[klavery]

My 5 Year Old Forever World!

This is just a general infodump post about my bedrock world, posts going into more specific locations and builds will follow...

the top image is the center of my area & main base, its... a unique build. heres a sky view of the land + a (slightly outdated) map (orientation marked 4 convenience)

Bulleted info!

my singleplayer world was originally created on 4/20/20 in version 1.15 on my switch, the current file size is 801.1mb, and the seed is 285279141 (i dont actually remember if i entered a seed or not, it mightve been something dumb like dragonheartshipping4lyfe or iheartirisxbenga, bcuz i was obsessed w them at the time HDHDGD). i am currently at 10009 in-game days, and my account playtime is 135 days and 12 hours (3200+ hours). aside from my test world and a couple copies it is the only world i play on bedrock.

i play on survival + normal difficulty and have cheats enabled, so on bedrock that sadly means no achievements. cheats i play with/have played with are keepinventory, teleport, use of barrier blocks, wandering trader spawns off, fire tick off, and creative/spectator in place of free-cam. before spectator was added i used the program amulet to serve its purpose. i have yet to see credits, get elytra, shulker boxes, or a beacon. i have also used online tools like chunkbase for locating biomes/structures, and amulet to trim my world.

sometimes i plan builds in a creative test world and copies of my survival world. i know this kind of thing can seem pointless, but i just dont get the same sense of satisfaction just building in a creative world. heres what my test world looks like!

my "build style" is over-detailed and inconsistent! i understand not many people enjoy that, but i do, i think its really fun! building whatever i want where ever i want with no regard to the surrounding builds was a staple of my world from the very beginning. it takes a lot of the stress off of just simply playing a video game! this is also a good time to mention that half my base is located underground, so theres a lot not visible in the overhead view! also also, disclaimer that some builds in my world are not of my own design (they are directly copied) or take inspiration from others! i usually look to google images, hermitcraft, and fellow tumblr users for insp.

i save back ups frequently, to my internal hard drive, usb sticks, and my google accounts. ive lost a couple minecraft worlds over the years and do NOT plan on losing this one.

Some Background Info(Dump)!

so my world was originally started on my switch. i actually bought the game on a whim the day before i started it cuz i could (stimulus money). and having not played minecraft regularly at all for a few years, i was excited to get back into it, and being able to lay down while playing. that was a pretty big justification for getting bedrock while already owning java gdgffj.

but of course, that inevitable 2 week minecraft curse that seems to haunt the fandom came for me too. though, for me, the curse tends to crop up at the point im meant to enter the nether. this is the fate many of my old survival worlds had fallen victim to, being abandoned as soon as that portal gets lit, it was like, tradition for me. i could never stay dedicated to my worlds because the monsters, and dying in the game, scared me. that, and being overwhelmed by building. for some reason, i always thought building in the game was a lot harder than it really is. i think i just didnt have the practice, or confidence. these things are why ive had long minecraft droughts, despite really enjoying the game.

so i took a couple months break, believing this to be another case of a neglected world. but the thing that actually inspired to return was hermitcraft. i saw what they did, what they built and what they accomplished, and thought to myself, why couldnt i try harder to be like them? so eventually i returned to my most recent world, i didnt make a new one, and start over, as most people in this same situation do. i continued from where i left off, and, allowed myself to use keepinventory for the first time.

...that is until, after 9 months of owning bedrock, my switch decided to lock me out of the game. less than a year in, the data generated in my world, through natural intended gameplay (exploring WITHOUT the use of online biome and structure finding tools), had exceeded the switchs apparent limits. i know i had free space on AT LEAST the sd card, and yet it refused to let me keep playing, saying to, and i quote, "delete some stuff" so i could play again. aside from a test world that had to have been less than a megabyte in size, i didnt have any other "stuff" to delete to free up room. i thought this was the end of my beloved world until i did some research. buying a realm, copying my world to that realm, and then buying the windows version of bedrock on my laptop and saving the world to it from the realm was the one way to get my save off my switch without hacking it. so i ended up not only purchasing a useless realm, but an entirely new copy of the game just to continue playing on this one world. that probably gives you an idea of how dedicated i am and have been to it, lmao. i have played it pretty regularly ever since.

its so funny to me how what i thought at the time was just another "2 week" throw-away world became something so much more to me. ive never played this game for so long and so consistently, ive never gotten so much done in it, not even in old creative worlds. its really amusing how early builds like my starter house look exactly like all my other builds from my much older java worlds, "build style"-wise, compared to how i do it now.

so, as someone whos been so fiercely dedicated to the same world for half a decade, i just wanna express my love for the forever world trend thats going on right now. thats what inspired me to wanna post about my personal minecraft experience more. i rarely ever do, and thats because.. well, idk. ive become very passive with talking about myself or my interests lately. i guess im also afraid of being judged, because im gonna be real here, the minecraft community is deeply and obnoxiously obsessed with how people play the game, and what the "right" and "wrong" ways to do things in the game are. it really, really gets on my nerves. its one of those things where id prefer to just not get involved. so ive just kept stuff about my play-through to myself this whole time. but the mindset behind the forever world concept going around right now has given me some confidence!

so yeah!! i'll be trying to post more about my time with the game from now on! 🩷

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Kitchensink callithump linkdump

On July 14, I'm giving the closing keynote for the fifteenth HACKERS ON PLANET EARTH, in QUEENS, NY. Happy Bastille Day! On July 20, I'm appearing in CHICAGO at Exile in Bookville.

With just days to go before my summer vacation, I find myself once again with a backlog of links that I didn't squeeze into the blog, and no hope of clearing them before I disappear into a hammock for two weeks, so it's time for my 21st linkdump – here's the other 20:

https://pluralistic.net/tag/linkdump/

I'm going to start off this week's 'dump with a little bragging, because it's my newsletter, after all. First up: a book! Yes, I write a lot of books, but what I'm talking about here is a physical book, a limited edition of ten, that I commissioned from three brilliant craftspeople.

Back in March 2023, I launched a Kickstarter to pre-sell the audiobook of Red Team Blues, the first novel in my new Martin Hench series, about a forensic accountant who specializes in unwinding tech bros' finance frauds:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865847/red-team-blues

One of the rewards for that campaign was a very special hardcover: a handmade, leather-bound edition of Red Team Blues, typeset by the typography legend John D. Berry:

https://johndberry.com/

Bound by the legendary book-artist John DeMerritt:

https://www.demerrittstudios.com/

And printed by the master printer JaVae Berry:

https://www.jgraphicssf.com/

But this wasn't a merely beautiful, well made book – it had a gimmick. You see, I had already completed the first draft of The Bezzle, the second Hench novel, by the time I launched the Kickstarter for Red Team Blues. I had John Berry lay out a tiny edition of that early draft as a quarter-sized book, and then John DeMerritt hand-bound it in card.

The reason that edition of The Bezzle had to be so small was that it was designed to slip into a hollow cavity in the hardcover, a cavity that John Berry had designed the type around, so that both books could be read and enjoyed.

I offered three of these for sale through the Kickstarter, and the three backers were very patient as the team went back and forth on the book, getting everything perfect. Last month, I took delivery of the books: three for my backers, one each for John DeMerritt and John Berry's personal archives, one for me, and a few more that I'm going to surprise some very special people with this Christmas.

Look, I had high hopes for this book. I dote on beautiful books, my house is busting with them, and I used to work at a new/used science fiction store where we had a small but heartstoppingly great rare book selection. But these books are fucking astounding. Every time I handle mine, my heart races. These are beautiful things, and I just want to show them to everyone:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorow/albums/72177720318331731/

As it happens, the next thing I'm going to do (after I finish this newsletter) is turn in the copyedited manuscript for the third Hench novel, Picks and Shovels, which comes out in Feb 2025 (luckily, I had enough time to review the edits myself, then turn it over to my mom, who has proofed every book I've written and always catches typos that everyone else misses, including some real howlers – thanks Mom!):

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865908/picksandshovels

Of course, the majority of people who enjoy my books do not end up with one of these beautiful hardcovers – indeed, many of you consume my work exclusively as electronic media: ebooks and (of course) audiobooks. I love audiobooks and the audio editions of my books are very good, with narrators like Amber Benson, Wil Wheaton, and Neil Gaiman.

But here's the thing: Audible refuses to carry my books, because they are DRM-free (which means that they aren't locked to Audible's approved players – you can play my audiobooks with any audiobook player). Audible has a no-exceptions, iron-clad rule that every book they sell must be permanently locked into their platform, which means that Audible customers can't ditch their Audible software without losing their libraries – all the books they purchased:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/07/25/can-you-hear-me-now/#acx-ripoff

Being excluded from Audible takes a huge bite out of my income – after all, they're a monopolist with a 90% market share. That's why I'm so grateful for indie audiobook stores that carry my books on equitable terms that Audible denies – stores like Libro.fm, Downpour and even Google Books.

This week, I discovered a new, amazing indie audiobook store called Storyfair, where the books are DRM-free and the authors get a 75% royalty on every sale:

https://storyfair.net/helpstoryfairgrow/

Storyfair is a labor of love created by a married couple who were sickened and furious by the way that Audible screws authors and listeners and decided to do something about it. Naturally, I uploaded my whole catalog to the site so they could sell it:

https://storyfair.net/search-for-audiobooks/?keyword=cory+doctorow&filter=any

These books are DRM-free, which means that no matter who you buy them from, you can play them in the same player as your other DRM-free audiobooks. You know how you can read all your books under the same lamp, sitting in the same chair, and then put them in the same bookcase when you're done with them? It's weird – outrageous even! – that tech companies think that buying a book from them means that they should have the legal right to force you to read or listen to it using their technology exclusively.

If you let your Storyfair audiobooks touch your Libro.fm audiobooks, they won't get cooties! Audible is like a toddler that won't let their broccoli touch their peas – only that toddler is also a rapacious monopolist that keeps 75% of every sale.

The fight for fair audiobooks is one of those places where the different parts of my professional life cross over: activism, digital media, art, writing the web, and breaking down complex technical subjects for a mass audience. I've just signed up to a six-year project to combine all those facets in a structured way, in collaboration with Cornell University.

Cornell just named me as their latest AD White Professor-at-Large. This is a six-year appointment that involves a series of week-long visits to Ithaca to lecture, run seminars, meet with colleagues, collaborate on research, and do community performances:

https://adwhiteprofessors.cornell.edu/

We've tentatively scheduled my first visit for early September 2025, to coincide with the Ithaca Book Festival, and we've got big plans, roping in multiple departments at Cornell, the local alternative school and local colleges, doing talks at the fair as well as at the university, and (we hope!) squeezing in a stop in NYC on the way home for a day at Cornell Tech. I'm so excited (and honored) to be working with Cornell (and getting a chance to visit Moosewood Restaurant, whose cookbooks taught me how to cook!). Watch this space.

Authorship has always been a political act, but never moreso than today, with waves of book-bans sweeping the country. One of the heroes of those bans is Maggie Tokuda-Hall, who made headlines when she publicly excoriated Scholastic for demanding that she remove references to racism from her kids' books in order to make them more palatable to reactionaries:

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/15/1169848627/scholastic-childrens-book-racism

Tokuda-Hall has stepped up the fight, co-founding Authors Against Book Bans, an org that provides training and support for author/activists so they can fight back against book bans at library board and city council meetings:

https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com/

Authors Against Book bans is looking for members! I signed up last week, within seconds of having Tokuda-Hall give me the pitch when we ran into each other in Oakland at the Locus Awards. Are you an author? Sign up too! They're especially interested in branching out beyond YA and kids' authors (though they want those kinds of writers, too!).

Book bans affect us all. Even if you personally are never stymied when you visit your library and discover the book that you want to read has been removed by a swivel-eyed loon with terminal groomer-panic. The bans sweeping our country mean that our neighbors and loved ones are being denied literature by these cranks. There are people in your life who are losing out on the possibility of a life-changing literary adventure (which is why the far right hates these books – they want to be sure no one encounters the ideas between their covers).

The realization that you have to live in a society with people who are harmed by injustice, even if you personally escape that justice? It's the whole basis for solidarity.

Americans are living through a multigenerational project of stamping out solidarity and insisting that we only ever view ourselves as individuals, with no stake in the plights of our neighbors. That's how the US got the most expensive, least effective health care system in the world. And even if you are in the vanishingly tiny minority of Americans who are happy with their health care, you live amongst people who are being killed by the system around you.

The health system is a perfect example of how monopolization drives more monopolization, and how that comes to harm the public and workers. Health consolidation began with pharma mergers, that led to pharma companies gouging hospitals. Hospitals, in turn, engaged in a nonstop orgy of mergers, which created regional monopolies that could resist the pricing power of monopoly pharma – and screw insurers. That kicked off consolidation in insurance, which is why most Americans have a "choice" of between one and three private insurers – and why health workers' monopoly employers have eroded their wages and working conditions.

A new study in American Economic Review: Insights puts some quantitative spine in this tale, tracking the relationship between hospital mergers and skyrocketed health-care prices:

https://harris.uchicago.edu/news-events/news/consolidation-hospital-sector-leading-higher-health-care-costs-study-finds?itid=lk_inline_enhanced-template

The researchers investigated 1,164 acute-care hospital mergers, finding that while the FTC only challenged 1% of these, they could – and should – have challenged 20% of them, based on the agency's own criteria for merger scrutiny. The researchers blame the rising costs of hospital care directly on these mergers, and point out that Congress has historically starved the FTC of the budget it needed to investigate these mergers. The annual additional costs to the American people from these mergers exceed the entire annual budget of the FTC.

It's not just hospitals: the entire investor class is hell-bent on spending their way to monopoly. Nowhere is that more true than in AI, where hundreds of billions are being poured into bids to attain permanent dominance through scale. Writing for their excellent AI Snake Oil newsletter, Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor inject some realism into the AI scale hype:

https://www.aisnakeoil.com/p/ai-scaling-myths

Narayanan and Kapoor challenge the idea that throwing more data at large language models will make the better: "With LLMs, we may have a couple of orders of magnitude of scaling left, or we may already be done." They are skeptical that this can be fixed with synthetic data (whose use is limited to "fixing specific gaps and making domain-specific improvements"). They also point out that if returns from data slow, then returns from adding more compute or making bigger models might also be throttled.

They reserve their most skeptical take for "AGI" – the idea that LLMs are going to achieve consciousness. This is a fundamentally unserious idea, one that they unpack in detail in their forthcoming book:

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691249131/ai-snake-oil

One thing I'm hoping for from the book is some analysis of the material usefulness of AI hype – what purpose does the hype serve? I mean, obviously, hype is useful if you're looking to suck up investor capital, or flip an investment to a greater fool. But there's a specific character to AI hype: namely, the claim that AI will displace labor, which is really a claim that a bet on AI is a bet on the increasing wealth of capital at labor's expense.

In other words, AI is a bet on oligarchy. In America, that's a pretty safe bet, and the odds just got even better, thanks to a string of brutal Supreme Court decisions that legalized bribery, banned most regulatory enforcement, and made being alive and unhoused into a crime (Poor Laws 2.0):

https://prospect.org/justice/2024-06-29-whos-gonna-check-supreme-court-chevron-separation-powers/

But amidst all those gimmes to the rich and powerful, there was one notable exception: the SCOTUS ruling on the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy. Purdue was the family business of the Sacklers, a multigenerational dope-peddling dynasty that went from super-rich to stratospherically rich by kickstarting the opioid epidemic with their blockbuster drug Oxycontin.

The Sacklers sold mountains of Oxy the old fashioned way: by lying. The lied about its efficacy and they lied about its safety, and they helped kill hundreds of thousands of Americans. Eventually, this caught up with them, and Purdue lost a bunch of court cases and was forced into bankruptcy.

That's where things get gnarly: the Sacklers took the already-sleazy world of elite bankruptcy to a whole new level, with a set of breathtakingly sleazy maneuvers that ensured that their case would be heard by the one judge in America who would let them off the hook:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/11/justice-delayed/#justice-redeemed

That judge was Robert Drain and the Sacklers were the blow-off to a long and shameful career in public "service." The Sacklers incorporated a subsidiary in White Plains, NY (in Drain's turf) precisely 181 days before filing for bankruptcy, then claimed that this empty small-town office had been the company HQ for more than six months. Then they hid machine-readable metadata in their filing that tricked the court's database into assigning the case to Drain:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/07/hr-4193/#shoppers-choice

The reason the Sacklers were so horny for Drain? He was a notoriously generous source of "nonconsensual third-party releases." These would allow the Sacklers to permanently end every lawsuit against them without having to declare bankruptcy. Instead, they could take their (ruined, hollow) company through bankruptcy, throw a small fraction of their personal fortunes into the pot, representing fractional pennies on the dollar of what they owed to their victims, and walk away with tens of billions and eternal protection from any future suits.

In other words, they could stiff their creditors and keep the loot. Which is exactly what Robert Drain gave them – before retiring from the bench to get a two-orders-of-magnitude pay raise at a white-shoe firm that specializes in representing corporate mass-murderers like the Sacklers.

That's where it would have ended, but for a surprising ruling from the Supreme Court, which threw out the nonconsensual third-party release deal and put the Sacklers back on the hook to pay the victims of their many, many crimes.

As ever, the best source of analysis and explanation for elite bankruptcy shenanigans is Adam Levitin of the Credit Slips blog:

https://www.creditslips.org/creditslips/2024/06/purdue-pharma-decision-a-big-win-for-mass-tort-victims.html

Levitin has a prediction for what's going to happen next. He rejects the predictions of Sackler apologists, who say that this is going to add years or decades to the already too-long wait for compensation that the Sacklers' victims have endured. Instead, Levitin says that the Sacklers will almost certainly transfer billions more from their personal fortunes to the settlement pot and beg for consensual releases from their victims. In other words, they'll go from dictating terms to asking for them.

So the settlement will stand, but it will be larger, and victims who don't want to take it won't have to – they'll be able to sue. In other words, this ruling "does not prevent deals in bankruptcy. It just changes the terms of what those deals."

This has implications for other mass-murderers and corporate criminals, like Johnson and Johnson (who tricked women into dusting their vulvas with asbestos):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/01/j-and-j-jk/#risible-gambit

And the Boy Scouts of America, who let pedophiles abuse children for decades:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/05/third-party-nonconsensual-releases/#au-recherche-du-pedos-perdue

Both J&J and BSA carved out nonconsensual third-party releases in the mold of the Sacklers' deal, and both briefed the Supreme Court, warning that if the Sacklers were forced to pay what they owed, J&J and BSA's victims would also be entitled to far larger sums. Go ahead and threaten us with a good time, why doncha?

The Sackler decision is a real bright spot at a dark time for corporate impunity. It's always nice to see big corporate bullies getting a bit of a comeuppance. Another one of those comeuppances was just delivered thanks to a classic fatfinger error.

A Microsoft engineer accidentally released the sourcecode to Playready, the company's flagship DRM product:

https://borncity.com/win/2024/06/26/microsoft-employee-accidentally-publishes-playready-code/

Microsoft's DRM doesn't do anything to protect the interests of creative workers or even the companies that employ them. As a Microsoft rep admitted on stage at a presentation in 2006, the purpose of Microsoft DRM is to prevent small startups from entering the market, ensuring that Microsoft and its "rivals" can safely divide up the world without worrying about disruptive competitors:

https://memex.craphound.com/2006/01/30/msft-our-drm-licensing-is-there-to-eliminate-hobbyists-and-little-guys/

I was there that day and reported on the remarks, prompting both Microsoft and its rep to furiously deny that they'd ever said this, despite multiple witnesses who heard it. This was just a couple years after I gave a viral talk at Microsoft about why the company shouldn't use DRM:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/18/greetings-fellow-pirates/#arrrrrrrrrr

By 2006, it was clear that the company was all in on DRM, and today, DRM is the centerpiece of Microsoft's anticompetitive strategy, and Playready is the centerpiece of Microsoft's DRM. The source-code leak is doubtless going to give rise to lots of grey-market tools for stripping DRM from all kinds of media:

https://security-explorations.com/microsoft-playready.html

You love to see it! Now I'm doubly looking forward to this summer's security conferences, including Defcon, where, for the first time, I'll be emceeing the charity poker tournament to benefit EFF:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/06/betting-your-digital-rights-eff-benefit-poker-tournament-def-con-32

This should be very fun – and funny – especially given how little I know about poker (I have been specifically selected on that basis, for the comedy value). Every player gets a custom EFF poker-deck, and the winner gets a treasure chest filled by EFF board member Tarah Wheeler, including "emeralds, black pearls, amethysts, diamonds, and more."

I like to close these linkdumps with something fun and uplifting, and I'd planned to end things with the poker-tournament, but then my pal Raph Koster announced that his game studio Playable Worlds had dropped its first announcement of Stars Reach, an open-world MMO like no other:

https://www.raphkoster.com/2024/06/28/announcing-stars-reach/

Raph is a legend in MMO design circles, whose credits include Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies. He wrote the definitive text on how games work, A Theory of Fun, that's does for games what Understanding Comics did for comics:

https://www.theoryoffun.com/

Stars Reach is stupidly ambitious. It consists of truly open worlds, modeled to an absurd degree of fidelity:

We know the temperature, the humidity, the materials, for every cubic meter of every planet. Our water actually flows downhill and puddles. It freezes overnight or during the winter. It evaporates and turns to steam when heated up. And not just our water — everything does this. Catch a tree on fire with a stray blaster bolt. Melt your way through a glacier to find a hidden alien laboratory embedded in the ice. Stomp too hard on a rock bridge, and watch out, it might collapse under your feet. Dam up a river to irrigate your farm. Or float in space above an asteroid, and mine crystals from its depths.

The game is fundamentally a climate story, whose lore has humanity seeded around the galaxy by a powerful alien race called the Old Ones, only to have humans bust through the planetary limits of every world they were given. Now the Old Ones are giving humans another chance to try smarter ways of sustaining ourselves on new worlds, with the aid of powerful robots call "Servitors."

Because this is a Raph Koster game, it's got a bunch of extremely satisfying play dynamics:

A classless skill tree advancement system, where peaceful play matters just as much as combat

An intricate player-driven economy where players can craft their way to fame and fortune

An accessible yet deep combat system, where you can choose whether to play using action aiming or more forgiving homing shots or lock-on targeting

In-world player housing that lets you build and customize your home and form towns… and enough room for everyone to have a house

A single shardless galaxy, with both space and ground gameplay… in fact, you can build that house on an asteroid, if you want

The ability for a group to govern a planet, and define its laws, whether you want a peaceful home or a PvP free for all

Stars Reach is not playable yet, but the company's looking for gamers to give them feedback and steer the development:

https://starsreach.com/

OK, that wraps up the week's links. I'm gonna get one more edition out on Monday, god willin' and the crick don't rise, and then I'll be off for a couple weeks. Enjoy your summer!

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/29/pasticcio/#professor-at-large

Image: James St John https://flickr.com/photos/47445767@N05/40894047123

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en