#from informal sources or with such specificity

[starfieldcanvas]

@postapocalypticcottagecore The US system (and systems like it, such as the Canadian one) has been specifically contrasted with other systems for how much emphasis it puts on original thought and learning how to draw your own conclusions. I'm no expert, but from what reading I've done on the subject and from talking to friends who moved countries halfway through their school years, East Asian countries like China and South Korea put far more emphasis on rote memorization and being able to perfectly repeat textbook answers.

A college friend born in Korea whose family moved to the US around age...13, I think, described the culture shock of having exponentially less pressure to drill on facts during all available hours of the day, but instead being constantly asked what he thought, how he came to his conclusions, how he would express a textbook concept in his own words.

The idea that the US system is specifically worse at teaching kids to figure things out on their own is incorrect. To the extent that people here are shockingly incurious about other countries, it's because they've absorbed American exceptionalism and American cultural hegemony, in which other countries only exist as places in which we fight wars and from which we receive immigrants. This doesn't have one single source—it's in our national and local politics, our news media, our movies, shows, books, our curriculums, our churches, handed down in our families—but at no point are we actually being gatekept from basic information like "Mexico has metropolitan areas." We're simply marinating in a culture of "other countries don't really matter."

But we're also marinating in a culture of "non-white races don't really matter" and "queer people don't really matter" and so on. It annoys the fuck out of me when tumblr users who are loudly social justicey in other ways suddenly decide they're helpless babies at the mercy of their evil American Public School System programming when it comes to this one issue.

im american and i knew that like in kindergarten so i think some of you are just stupid sorry

[mycroftrh]

People do always love to be like “oh Anakin was so stupid, keeping secrets for no reason, he should’ve just told the Jedi about Padme and everything would’ve been fine, doesn't he know Ki-Adi-Mundi was given an exception for survival of the species to have wives in Legends”

And when rewatching RotS I was forcibly reminded: he wanted to. He wasn’t actually the problem there. It was Padme.

Padme: Wait, not here. Anakin: Yes, here. I’m tired of all this deception. I don’t care if they know we’re married. Padme: Anakin, don’t say things like that.

A few scenes later, it’s Padme, again, not Anakin, who says:

Padme: If the Council discovers you’re the father, you’ll be expelled.

And Anakin who’s like “don’t freak out about that now, just enjoy that we’re about to have a baby”.

Back in Attack of the Clones, it was technically Anakin who offered the idea of a secret relationship first, but it was in response to Padme being insistent that he would be expelled from the Order:

Padme: You listen. We live in the real world. You come back to it. You’re a Jedi Knight…. Jedi aren’t allowed to marry. You swore an oath, remember? You’d be expelled from the Order. I will not let you give up your responsibilities, your future, for me. … Anakin: It wouldn’t have to be that way. We could keep it a secret. Padme: …Could you live like that? Anakin: No.

And then it was Padme who first introduced the idea of lying to Obi-Wan:

Padme: Ani, I told you I wouldn’t let you give up your future for me… Anakin: What about Master Obi-Wan? Padme: I guess we won’t tell him, will we?

And also Anakin, rather importantly, as you may have noted in the conversation a bit above, actually believed that a secret relationship was a bad idea in the first place, to the point that he stopped making advances on Padme because of it, until suddenly she started making advances on him:

Anakin: You love me?! I thought we decided not to fall in love. That we would be forced to live a lie.

And the thing is. Like. Anakin’s number one source of stress in Revenge of the Sith is that he does not want to be keeping secrets, and everyone around him is trying to force him to. From Obi-Wan to Palpatine to Mace and Yoda to, yes, very much Padme, as we saw in the very first quote above.

The Jedi are trying to make him keep secrets from Palpatine, which he very openly hates; Palpatine’s trying to make him keep secrets from the Jedi, which he also expresses extensive upset about and eventually refuses to do any longer; Padme’s making him keep their relationship secret when he explicitly doesn’t want to.

And he actually takes every possible opportunity to tell someone the truth about something, for the first three quarters of the movie!

He’s considering keeping the dreams secret from Padme for about three seconds before she’s like “Be honest with me” and he immediately tells her, honestly, without minimization or deflection. And then the very next scene, probably less than five minutes of screentime after the vision itself, is him telling Yoda, in as much detail as Padme’s rules will let him.

He doesn’t tell Palpatine about the Jedi Council’s plans because he’s trying so hard to be good and obedient towards everyone at the same time, but he’s so visibly upset about it that Palpatine deduces. (I firmly believe Palpatine had him put on the Council specifically so they would tell him to spy on Palpatine and thus break his trust in them, but that’s a side point.) Anakin dutifully ferries all information he’s given back to the Jedi Council without, as far as I can see, filtering it at all.

And the big one, of course - he learns Palpatine’s the Sith and immediately runs to tell Mace Windu.

(And Mace proceeds to only half-believe him, which, frankly, doesn’t make sense? He says “If what you told me is true, you will have gained my trust” but like. Mace’s primary concern about Anakin’s loyalties seems to be that he thinks Anakin’s loyal to Palpatine over the Jedi, in which case… what kind of next-level Machiavellian reverse-psychology triple-agent plan did he think Anakin had, that involved lying to Mace about Palpatine being MORE of a threat than they had believed and suggesting Mace go arrest and/or execute him, advising maximum force? It turns out Anakin is, in some ways, playing into Palpatine’s plans by doing this, but like… that’s because Anakin is telling the truth, and the truth is the problem here, and if he had been lying, things would’ve been fine for the Jedi. But that’s somewhat beside the point.)

Like. It’s been established since Phantom Menace that Mace and Yoda both tend to not be… friendly, let alone understanding, towards Anakin, and that continues to be the case in Revenge of the Sith, and yet still his first response is to run to them with any big truth he has, because they’re the Proper Authorities, and he hates secrecy, and he’s reaching out for any life-raft he can find.

Anakin is, in the end, the one who killed the younglings, yeah. But the secrecy? That was never his problem.

In conclusion - behold, Anakin’s synthesis:

[smallmariofindings]

On the N64 Toad's Turnpike track in Mario Kart 8/Deluxe, a sign that is high up and can as such only be seen clearly from a specific distance (as getting closer would make it disappear off the top of the screen due to the fixed camera angle) reads "64 MHz", presumably for a highway information radio station.

This is a reference to the fact that the course originated in Mario Kart 64.

Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Small Findings | Source: MK8DX (Switch)

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Types of Journalism

Journalism - the activity of collecting, compiling, and delivering fact-based news and other related information to the general public in an unbiased manner.

Types of Journalism

Here are the most common journalism career paths:

Broadcast journalism: Broadcast journalism is an umbrella term that refers to any reporting that is broadcast on television, radio, or the internet. Common types of broadcast journalism include day-to-day breaking news stories, entertainment, investigative, opinion, and sports journalism.

Business journalism: Business journalism aims to keep readers and viewers up-to-date on the trends and changes in the business world. It can cover many different topics, including stock trading, economic policy, business mergers, and technological advances.

Entertainment journalism: Entertainment journalism covers various topics, including celebrities, film, music, festivals, and awards ceremonies. This form of journalism also includes profiling celebrities, actors, and musicians.

Investigative journalism: Investigative reporters’ goal is to shine a light on a particular topic or injustice. The biggest investigative stories stir public debate, inform politics, and shape history—like investigative journalist Bob Woodward’s reporting on the Watergate scandal.

Opinion journalism: Opinion journalism is a field that showcases the writer’s opinion rather than solely reporting new data or events. Most opinion journalism pieces center on a particular subject, which the journalist discusses either briefly or at length before providing their opinion on the matter. Advice columns, op-eds, reviews, and letters from the editor all fall under the umbrella of opinion journalism.

Photojournalism: Rather than using words to tell a story, photojournalism is the art of taking pictures to tell news stories—whether it’s a shot of a burning building, a melting glacier, or a group of people in a warzone. Photojournalism shoots can either be candid, heat-of-the-moment reporting, or can occur under calmer circumstances, where the journalist documents action like daily life or environmental changes.

Political journalism: Political journalism keeps the readership informed of the political happenings in a particular area—whether local government, national government, or international policy.

Sports journalism: Sports journalism covers sports-related topics, including coverage of games and discussion of players and strategy, and profiles that spotlight specific players, coaches, or teams.

Watchdog journalism: Watchdog journalism aims to protect society from illegal activities or corruption, especially within their governments or economic structures. Watchdog journalists monitor the actions of particular organizations—from governments to political campaigns to large corporations—to ensure that illegal activities are not occurring. If they discover corruption, watchdog journalists will report the findings immediately to hold the organization responsible.

The term “journalism” also describes the occupation—more commonly known as a journalist. This occupation is responsible for gathering news from various sources (like media, tipsters, inside sources, and eyewitnesses) then presenting it to the public through a media outlet, either in print, online, on television, or radio. There are many different journalistic fields, including investigative reporting, photojournalism, sports coverage, entertainment reporting, and watchdog journalism.

Soft News & Hard News

From online journalism to print media, journalism is divided into 2 categories:

Hard news includes politics and business. Hard news journalism refers to breaking news and up-to-the-minute news about serious, timely, or hard-hitting topics that are timely and urgent, usually based on facts and rigorous research. Political journalism, business journalism, and watchdog journalism are forms of hard news.

Soft news primarily focuses on entertainment. Soft news journalism focuses on lifestyle and entertainment and typically revolves around culture, art, and human interest events. Soft news includes sports journalism, entertainment journalism, and celebrity coverage.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[lu-is-not-ok]

On topic of one of your reblongs The Wild Hunt/Necromancy ARE NOT extension of Heathcliffs EGO I believe. Sadly I do not have the most in depth argumentation at this moment because I am pulling all of this from my memory, but regardless.

1. - Through Canto 6 we get a few inklings that the line between life and death at Wurthering heights is blurred, most specifically through Josephine who seemingly is able to hear her already dead mistress. If I recall correctly, there's even a direct mention of an underground river flowing underneath WH, which leads me to

1,5. - We are shown several times that Rivers (Simmilar to stars), are places supernatural powers can originate from. River of Oblivion (Lethe), The river from which we pulled abnormalities. Thus, I believe that the river underneath is either Acheron (The river through which the dead are transported) or Cocytus (The river by which the dead wander, unable to go into proper afterlife.) Point is, I believe that the necromancy, and Wild Hunt are tied NOT to the individual of Heathcliff and his EGO, but to powers of the river which flows close to the surface of his home. That is NOT to say that the coffin or Dullahan themselves aren't EGO, rather, I think those two sources of supernatural reinforce each other. 2. There's also the fact that even at the end of Lobotomy Corporation we learned existance of Wild Hunt, and Faust presented it as a phenomenon rather than something applicable only to this. Before White Nights and Darkest Days, the only person who manifested EGO we know of was Kali, so that also implies to me that this phenomenon exists from different means than EGO.

You seem to be missing important bits of information that point towards necromancy being something Heathcliff himself might just have the potential of developing. Whether it's E.G.O or some other kind of ability we have yet to be introduced to is unclear, but it was made clear this is something tied to him.

Wild Hunt Heathcliff's Uptie Story has his narration state the following: "Though its origin is a mystery still, I came to learn how to command loyalty of the dead. Yet I had no teacher. I suppose my transformation was inevitable, as it was for my countless other selves in the infinite worlds."

This ability is reflected in gameplay through him being able to raise his allies from the dead. Because of this, we know that it's not something tied to the Manor, as he can use this ability on any stage of the game.

We also have a potential moment that might be hinting towards our Heathcliff developing similar abilities in Nocturnal Sweeping. He's able to get up and continue fighting despite being wounded in a way that should be fatal. He then comically falls dead once made aware of it. Knowing PM, the fact that it's framed as a joke means there might be foreshadowing hiding here.

Additionally you bring up Faust presenting The Wild Hunt as a phenomenon, but you miss the way she describes it. "They appear to be imperfect Identities, summoned from worlds chosen at random. It is the fate that awaits all those who become thralls to that Heathcliff. A phenomenon in which a Mirror World entity wreaks havoc across the dimensions in pursuit of every Heathcliff… In other words, the 'Wild Hunt'." She explicitly calls out that it's tied to Heathcliff.

[dark-lord-of-awesomeness]

*gets out clipboard* okay so the runes in PS I assume work like single word sigils correct? (A lot of sigils are phrases like the one burned into Stan’s back!) Symbols that stand for more complex ideas. IRL sigils can be made many ways, when you decide what runes look like for the fic do you follow your intuition for what shape you feel fits best? Do you draw inspiration from Norse runes or Ogham? Also! When Stan’s spells get more complicated is he still going to use circles like wizards? Or will his runs combining look more like putting the runes together (like mashing them into one symbol)? A lot of the circle with symbols around it magic falls into ceremonial magic which makes sense give the structure wizards have that you laid out.

So when Stan’s spells get more complicated is the way that he combines runes going to be completely different from the circle? (If this is a spoiler you don’t have to answer)

Correct, they tend to encompass the entirety of whatever they represent. So the wind rune manages everything that you can think of that has to do with air/wind, such as breezes, tornados, smells, and even sounds. There are runes that only stand for one specific thing, such as only meaning breeze, but those are mostly used by other casters that need to convey what they want through sentences and don't use their imagination like how a sorcerer would.

I have a mental idea of what ever rune looks like, some inspired by actual runes (such as the growth one looking similar to the norse rune algiz) others are purely vibe based, such as break and wind being a broken mountain and an angular swirl. I only have a handful figured out right now, which are the ones Stan's going to be learning in the next few chapters.

Stan's spells aren't going to get any more complex then they already are here. A sorcerer's advantage is that they can pour their own personal magic reserve into whatever they cast and are only limited by their imagination for how they use their runes, but the disadvantage is they can't string them together. Stan can pack a punch, but loses the versatility that a wizard or witch might have. He can 'upgrade' his runes into a higher tier, such as going from 'wind' to 'move' or 'water' to 'liquid' that will let him do more, but he can't combine them. All his spells are limited into what he can imagine them doing and how well they fit the rune itself. So he could use the 'break' rune to cut a rock in half, but he couldn't use it to make a statue unless he imagined that being the 'broken' form of a rock, if that makes sense. It can't be used for creating things (but there is a creation rune, and the look incredibly similar).

Stan wouldnt use a circle really, as it kind of defeats the purpose of being a sorcerer (since he can already convey his meaning through feelings to what he want magic to do) and involves a lot more rune knowledge then he would know instinctively. Its formal vs informal, in that he's in a chill loose relationship with magic, and using circles is the formal stiff way to talk to it. The only reason he'd use one is if Ford drew it out first and he was being used as a power source, which would be witchcraft and not wizardry.

The way Stan gets more powerful here is by learning more and more runes. The more he knows, the more he can do, vs Ford learning all the runes from books and stringing them into sentences, learning more complex sentence structure to get more complex spells.

[whoreiorcats]

Ok so I went to the real life Cold Harbor!

It’s a famous battlefield of the American Civil War where about 18,000 soldiers died in a bloody two week battle. That broke down to 5,000 Confederate soldiers and 13,000 Union. It was not the bloodiest battle of the war, I think it wasn’t even the bloodiest of this specific campaign, but it was notable for being just completely horrific and demoralizing.

This reminds me of “the founder’s war on suffering” (I think that’s how Drummond put it) and how the file/Gemma innie Cold Harbor is meant to be a proof of concept that pain/suffering can be eradicated.

Also, the trench warfare thing is interesting. It’s most strongly associated with WWI (Mark’s historical area of focus) but it’s super present here. One thing that this site boasted was excellently preserved trenches from both sides. You can even walk through a Union trench on the extended loop hike (I really wanted to but was woefully under equipped this day, I stumbled on this park basically by accident).

One last notable fact about the battle (please do your own research, I’m never going to be the best source on this, I’m just relaying what I found at the site itself) is that this battle was the decisive end of the Overland Campaign and after this the final phase of the Civil War in Virginia began. This site is less than 10 miles away from Richmond, the Confederate capital, so if the Union had won, it could have seriously changed the course of the war.

Now I want to talk about how it felt at the site. It was a very weird energy. Of course tens of thousands of people died here, but it’s more than that. There are a lot of private residences surrounding the park, one is flying a confederate battle flag. This was on offer in the visitor center gift shop:

It’s rural Virginia, I’m not really expecting anything else. If anything this was sort of more even handed than I expected. Still, it feels very off as a POC sort of wandering around here.

There were other people walking around, some smiled and waved politely, some chatted animatedly between each other, some scowled and ignored me. The park ranger himself was very welcoming and enthusiastic to talk about the site with me. Right before I left there was a couple asking about an ancestor who they believed died at this site for the Union.

The short trail loop itself was a pleasant walk, gruesome signage and history aside.

I can only add so many pictures to this post, but this sort of communicates what you’ll see here.

There was a surprising amount of wildlife, I encountered a snake just feet past the wood line, it was very docile. There were lots of birds fluttering away as I walked, lots of squirrels too, a few frogs in a creek called “Bloody Run”, and I think at least one lizard I caught out of the corner of my eye.

There were a lot of wildflowers as well, literally millions of buttercups dotted the battlefield turned meadow, there was a scraggly honeysuckle bush along the trail, by the driving trail there was even a wild azalea bush in bloom.

The woods themselves were not very dense. Before the battle the area was a field that had been left unploughed for years, necessitating the trench digging for any semblance of cover. I believe the forest must be mostly new growth then, least since the late 1800s.

If you’re in the area, I guess I suggest checking this out. It’s certainly an interesting place and a nice easy hike. You can even do a driving tour if hiking/walking is not your thing. It’s also kind of weird, though! The information shared is entirely related to the warfare and strategy of the war. The only place slavery was mentioned on the grounds (as far as I saw) was on an informational placard explaining the population density of the area.

If people have any questions or want to see more, please let me know. I took pictures of almost all the information plaques I came across and some videos just of me walking if you want to hear the birdsong and stuff. Thanks for reading!

[sadmailman-02]

Is privacy important to you?

So recently, I've seen an uptick of people interested in privacy regarding electronics (phones, pc, what have you). When I say people, I'm referring to non-techy people, like myself. I know my way around my computer and can do some basic troubleshooting for hardware/software, but beyond that, I'm sort of helpless. I don't know anything about hacking or cybersecurity and the only coding I can do is some html. I'm below a novice haha. So, if you're that sort of person, then maybe this could be of interest to you. What I am about to discuss involves no coding or really any in depth knowledge regarding technology. You don't have to be Elliot Alderson for this.

>Why does privacy even matter?

The answer to this question will vary from person to person. I, for one, do not like the idea of any corporation hoarding my data to sell or store or do fuck all with. If this does not bother you, I'd consider asking yourself if you're comfortable with, let's say, something like Google knowing everything about you. And I mean everything. Suppose that doesn't bother you, then okay. Maybe think about how it would feel if your classmates or coworkers knew what Google knows about you. Corporations also extend to governments because they're jerking each other off, so something to keep in mind. And individuals, people like you and I, work for these entities. And these people can abuse your data. For any reason.

Your data is a tool for them to control you. You might not realize it until it's too late. I'm being a little vague here because this point alone could be an entire wall of posts.

Additionally, something to consider is the level of privacy that you may require. If you are someone who attends public protests or is part of some sort of organization that criticizes your government, you are at risk of potential scrutiny or harassment. Obviously, but I mean specifically from a lack of privacy practices. Maybe from your government or somebody who opposes your views, etc. And depending on how you've been communicating about these gatherings or communities, you're potentially putting others at risk as well. If you're one of the people who's in charge of organizing or playing a large role, some of the methods I will be going over will likely not be enough to protect you. Activists and journalists need a different level of privacy that I can't begin to match.

Listed below are some videos that I watched that really helped me to understand why this is important.

“I Have Nothing to Hide” – The Dangerous Myth About Privacy

Is it impossible to be private online? (Eric's channel has been very helpful for me personally because his explanations do not alienate the tech illiterate)

>So...Where do I start?

Luckily, there are small steps you can take to prevent some information about you from being hoarded. And I say some, not all. Unfortunately, the only way to completely avoid all of this is to live out in a cabin in the middle of nowhere and never use the internet ever. Which I can assume you don't want because you're reading this on a website right now! You will have to make some compromises for some of these options, and if you can't replace all of these and only some, that's fine. Most of these can be adjusted in just a few minutes, if that.

General

Oh my god, stop using chrome. I'm serious, please stop. If you are using chrome to read this, close out of this and download firefox. or brave or chromium or whatever. I use firefox, and the second you download firefox, download ublock origin. Ads on the internet are completely out of control. Firefox is not foolproof either, other add-ons can provide not just a more private experience, but also a much smoother one. ClearURLs removes tracking elements from urls. And it's open source. There are a few others, but I don't know everything lol. There are VPNs you can use, but I only ever use one if I'm away from home and using the Wi-Fi at work or something.

Stop using google search engine. In firefox, you can set something else by default. I just use duckduckgo, but there are alternatives. You can also turn off the ai bullshit. Find one that works best for you and your needs.

Email. So this is one I have not moved yet. I still have gmail for my youtube account. I also have to use gmail for my university. I do have a protonmail, though, that I've been slowly moving over to. This could be an easy fix for some people, while impossible for others. This is something that I am willing to compromise on. Again, you can't have it all with how things are set up. I'm sure there are some ways to circumvent this, but I am not aware of it. For things like drive and docs there are also some alternatives, but I don't use drive all that much, so finding an alternative isn't that pressing for me. There's proton drive, which functions similarly, and several paid options, but I'm trying to keep this process free for people just starting to be privacy-conscious.

Signal is a good messenger especially if you're moving from something like facebook messenger, instagram, whatsapp, whatever. It's end to end encrypted and pretty modern (so stuff like emojis, reactions, voice messages) You do need a phone number though, but again, better than just whatsapp. More people are moving to it now, so you might have an easier time introducing friends to it.

Cellphone

Alright, so this is going to depend on a few factors, mainly whether you have Android or iOS. I had an iPhone for a long time, up until last year. I was never an Apple fanboy, it's just what I had, but I wasn't deep in the ecosystem by any means. I've always used a Windows computer, so I didn't have a Mac or apple watch or whatever. I had an ipad but sold it to a friend last year because I transitioned to using my Wacom full time on my PC. I only say that because if you like your apple products just keep in mind that while you are secure (apple does have great security), you may not be private. iOS is closed source, so it's more difficult for third parties or hackers to get your data, but apple has it. And apple can do whatever. Also, you are limited to the ways you can customize your phone.

I will link a video on someone who discusses privacy on iphone but aside from the few things I listed above I can't really help you much further than a few other points. Sorry.

A brief guide to privacy for iPhone

If you have an Android based phone you are in luck. Most Android phones allow you to put a different os on your cellphone since you can access the bootloader (unlike iphones) BUT your phone in most cases has to be OEM unlockable. Phones from carriers like Verizon aren't able to be unlocked because Verizon is weird and kinda treats their consumers like shit lol. I own a Google pixel 9 and I will admit I splurged on this phone by buying it brand new. It was on sale, I got a bonus at work and hey what can I say... Also my iphone 12mini was shitting itself so it was time for a new phone. The money must have been burning a damn hole in my pocket. In retrospect though, the smarter thing would have been to buy used or an older model. Which I will be doing in the future. Back on track though.

You're probably scratching your head here: if he was just complaining about google why the hell does he have a Google phone?

I'm glad you asked, hypothetical voice in my head.

Grapheneos is a os that is only available on Google pixels (I believe from 6 onward). What it does is basically degoogles your phone. So removes google services. And the thing is, you can redownload these services but refuse network permissions and limit what they can and cannot do or have access to. Or tweak settings that you would not otherwise have access to. You have control over your device and it actually somewhat feels like your device. It's easy to install...like, modding a ds takes longer than installing graphene on your phone. Here is a video that I watched that goes over specifics and installation.

Here is the grapheneos website

For non google phones there's calyxOS but I have no personal experience with it. But both of these OS give you back some ownership on your device by letting the user control how their cellphone functions and not a company. Also, it can help your phone feel a little smoother because it removes a lot of proprietary apps that companies like Samsung add to android. If your phone can't be unlocked, then start by switching to alternative apps and delete as many proprietary apps as possible. Watch this video on fdroid.

Remove face ID if you're able and remove fingerprints as well. It might be a bit inconvenient but it's much safer. I understand that these may be great accessibility tools for some so just do what you can. Turn off location when you're not using it. With graphene, you can give map applications your approximate location, not your exact location. There are also map options that can be disconnected from network, and you can save routes, but I use public transportation and really need to see when my bus is going to arrive. My cities bus app is so shit sometimes. Again, another example of compromising that is going make you ask what's important to you, and if you're willing to risk your privacy for it.

If you watch most of these videos, you'll hear a lot of these points are going to overlap.

I was considering discussing what you can do for your PC, but I'm a complete noob. I've been using Linux mint for a little bit now, and I avoid the terminal most of the time because I'm a little baby. Even still, I recommend getting away from windows if you're able. Especially if you have a windows 10 computer since Microsoft is dropping support this fall iirc. Linux mint is super beginner friendly and much lighter on your computer, so even better if your PC is older.

Some videos that might help you decide if Linux could be a good alternative for you.

Switching to Linux: A Beginner’s Guide

Why Linux is Better Than Windows 11

Linux Mint 22: Excellent Distro for Windows Users

Linux Mint for Gaming (2025) | Linux Gaming Setup (for Beginners) Pt. 1

This privacy stuff can go so deep and you'll feel kinda crazy lol. Once you learn about what people can do with this data, and read about how people's lives have been ruined by it getting into the wrong hands, it'll never leave your head. But it's important to start small. And start sooner rather than later.

Social media was something I considered discussing but I think it could be added to a later post since this is kinda long already. I hope this is somewhat helpful, I tend to ramble a lot of the time. If you're someone who is a bit more savvy than I, then please reply with any info that you think could be important. But remember that this post is for basic beginners who are just now learning about this stuff so keep it simple. Thanks for reading!

[beingpeople]

Well… the question that I would ask, were I a member of or consultant for the Italian Ministry of Interior- which handles immigration and asylum cases- would be,

if we (meaning the Italian Ministry of Interior) were provided with information from a reliable source on the conditions of my political asylum, specific to what is being claimed to have been the false accounting that I would have believed would legitimate a claim for asylum and international protection;

How is it that this person would have come by such information, be it predictive analysis, or straight ahead knowledge of the activities which occurred, or otherwise;

Would we be forgiven the official need-to-know on otherwise NOFORN classified information;

If no, why would we not be;

Can the asylum applicant provision the documents him, her, or themselves;

Would the provision of that information immediately result in a violation of the legal system that would render the asylum applicant subject to immediate prosecution upon forced reentry into his, her, or their country upon possible rejection of applicant?

How’s about my friend was approached by someone in a position to contribute to the financing and distribution of a project, who was referring to me by a given name that was the name of another friend, and friend A knew exactly who the fuck the guy was talking about and felt no need nor concern with the nominal valorization because he also knew of the attitude surrounding me held by the man approaching him?

[caspercryptid]

Hello everyone I am so unbelievably pissed about the NaNoWriMo situation that i'm going to take my massive stack of writing and craft books and my English degree and channel all my rage into making an email newsletter to send craft-oriented writing prompts and tips during the month of November. Say No to NaNoWriMo, but yes to WriMo. You get it.

I'm not going to make this have the same goals as Nanowrimo-- I'm not reskinning it but less ableist, I just really think having a whole month where people focused on their work is pretty cool and I want to keep up that spirit. This is going to be informal and run by Just Me, though I'll make a discord server if it's clear there's interest. Direct questions to @nowrimomo , which I literally just made and so will look like a skeleton currently.

I'm going to include prompts from various professional sources with options for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Fanfic, so everybody can get in on this. It doesn't matter what you write, but we should all Write More.

[maeamian]

Actually research skills are hard to learn especially unsupervised so maybe telling people to just "Go figure it out" especially if you already know they've been failed academically in other ways, might actually be a great way to just send them to a PragerU video on the topic.

[wonder-worker]

Cratesipolis in the Ancient Sources

314 BCE: "Polyperchon's son Alexander, as he was setting out from Sicyon with his army, was killed by Alexion of Sicyon and certain others who pretended to be friends. His wife, Cratesipolis,​ however, succeeded to his power and held his army together, since she was most highly esteemed by the soldiers for her acts of kindness; for it was her habit to aid those who were in misfortune and to assist many of those who were without resources. She possessed, too, skill in practical matters and more daring than one would expect in a woman. Indeed, when the people of Sicyon scorned her because of her husband's death and assembled under arms in an effort to gain their freedom, she drew up her forces against them and defeated them with great slaughter, but arrested and crucified about thirty. When she had a firm hold on the city, she governed the Sicyonians, maintaining many soldiers, who were ready for any emergency."

— Diodorus Siculus (Book XIX)

308 BCE: "At this time, while Ptolemy was sailing from Myndus with a strong fleet through the islands, he liberated Andros as he passed by and drove out the garrison. Moving on to the Isthmus, he took Sicyon and Corinth from Cratesipolis."

— Diodorus Siculus (Book XX)

308 BCE: "Cratesipolis, who had long fought in vain for an opportunity of betraying Acrocorinth to Ptolemy, having been repeatedly assured by the mercenaries, who composed the guard, that the place could be defended, applauded their fidelity and bravery; however, said she, it may be wise to send for reinforcements from Sicyon. For this purpose, she openly sent a letter of request to the Sicyonians; and privately an invitation to Ptolemy. Ptolemy's troops were dispatched in the night, admitted as the Sicyonian allies, and put in possession of Acrocorinth without the agreement or knowledge of the guards."

— Polyaenus: Stratagems

307 BCE: "But on learning that Cratesipolis, who had been the wife of Polyperchon's​ son Alexander, was tarrying at Patrae, and would be very glad to make him a visit (and she was a famous beauty), [Demetrius the Besieger] left his forces in the territory of Megara and set forth, taking a few light-armed attendants with him. And turning aside from these also, he pitched his tent apart, that the woman might pay her visit to him unobserved. Some of his enemies learned of this, and made a sudden descent upon him. Then, in a fright, he donned a shabby cloak and ran for his life and got away, narrowly escaping a most shameful capture in consequence of his rash ardour. His tent, together with his belongings, was carried off by his enemies."

— Plutarch (Life of Demetrius, 1.9.3)

[thisisindeedausername]

i feel like theres probably a Gravity Falls to analog horror pipeline

[pathetic-gamer]

my toxic trait is going overboard on research for stuff that doesn't matter and then expecting everyone else to do the same.

i tracked down a crunchy pdf of a dense history book from the 60s about magical weapons in irish mythology for the sake of a one-shot fanfic that like maybe a hundred people will read, which is my prerogative, but that is SUCH an unrealistic and unreasonable standard to hold anyone else to

an artist I like asked where to find references to design a character with some degree of historical accuracy and i fuckin. i fuckin gave them the name of a historian. i could have said "oh here's a website with pictures" "look at this cool collection of replicas" but no. no of course not. read this 600 page dissertation and this encyclopedia from 1923 but also read this critique of that encyclopedia from the 70s. this is normal.

[teamhawkeye]

i really do worry for the state of media literacy these days

you go into any tag and see people with their whole ass chest saying wrong and untrue shit, and they wholeheartedly believe they’re correct despite the canon source they’re pulling from saying otherwise

[tempestclerics]

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