#how to improve your problem solving skill

[blackmoonoracle]

What are you known for?

General, work, & social media rep 🫶🏻👻

pile i

Your GENERAL reputation is definitely very spiritual hahaa I was listening to the song I channeled for this pile which is Pyro by Denzel curry and right as I was typing that first sentence he said "i am the oracle i been known what's in store for you" Perhaps y'all make a lot of predictions or estimations that end up coming true. You could be a psychic or a reader of some kind- I sense Virgo and Pisces energy here. Most people do find you to be pretty fair- but others find you to be immature and aggressive or egotistical.

I feel like you're lowkey a bit chaotic- a lot of people see you as a wise feminine energy or a woman who has many secrets or knows many secrets. You could be known for being fairly nonchalant- like you may have dissenting people or opinions or haters and you genuinely are either unaware of them or don't give enough of a fuck to give it time.

You stay in your lane and focus on building yourself up, you could be very detached from distractions. work:

You could be seen as someone with a lot of room to succeed in your career, you could be very informed- very methodical or very logical. You're steady and thorough in your approach and you are very engaged in ensuring that things are managed accurately and properly. People could be eyeing you for a promotion of some kind- I see that you may be known for solving conflict or for calming conflict. Like you're capable of quelling the discordance in other people. You could work customer service, be a team lead, assistant manager, shift leader, etc- Whatever you do you're definitely trailblazing and I love that for you. I'm getting a message that your boss doesn't give out a lot of compliments but he does notice your work. He may compliment you or give you some kind of notice soon regarding the quality of your work. If he seems hard it is because he sees your room for improvement. You may be very proud of your work, and you may also be a bit disorganized- even in spite of that disorganization they do feel that you have a special skill or talent. I keep hearing "quality" I feel like you're being considered for something or by someone. Disregard negativity from others at work, and ignore gossip. People can say and do whatever they want, but it's not your business or problem if they want to be miserable.

social media:

There are like varying reputations that you have online- I assume this is based on the experiences people have had with you ofc. In the center of the spread is the Emperor- so you are definitely seen as either an authority, perhaps you're older or you sit powerfully in your position.

Diet by Denzel curry is playing. I feel like a lot of y'all are very authentic, you stand in your square and you may not really care how people feel about you. Some people could see you as destitute, lacking, immature, and having a large dream- or they could see you as someone who in spite of having a difficult past you've gone on a journey to achieve your dreams. It feels like probably both lol. People could find you moody or erratic online, others also see you as being very secure, happy, thriving, and feel that your judgments are very positive, accurate, or helpful. Some people could see you as fake, or see you as private. Like you don't deal with groups of people, a lot of you may be quick to remove yourself from group scenarios in general. You could be very passionate, intelligent, witty, and loving. You definitely like a good verbal spar, and can sometimes be a bit TOO aggressive.

pile ii

your GENERAL reputation could be tied to a romantic connection or a friendship that you walked away from or broke off- Sooo perhaps this happened recently or it was a massive breaking of connection that has still remained part of your reputation. You're viewed as fairly balanced and understanding, you give people a lot of chances but aren't overly compassionate in your expression. You're probably an air sign LMFAO, I see that you may also be known for your kindness or generosity or for the fact others are highly generous towards you. Someone could be a streamer? I see here that you also are known for your ability to create your desires as you go, like you really just charge after what you want and bring it to yourself fairly quickly lol.

work:

You could be a manager or a boss- or you could have an opinion that matters at work. I feel like you're the person people bring irate customers to, and you do NOT play. You definitely stand up for people no matter if the customer or coworker is in the wrong. You are very honest & truthful even if it's an unpopular opinion, you could also be someone who is known to get to the bottom of issues. You gather Intel easily and you've definitely got a few tricks up your sleeve socially. Some could see you as manipulative or self serving, they could feel like your kind demeanor is fake and only used so that you can gather more information. Which isn't entirely untrue- but it also isn't because you're looking to fuck people over, you're just practical. You like things to be fair, truthful, balanced, and you may like to run a tight ship. Or perhaps your boss runs a tight ship and YOU stand up against your boss when others won't. Other co-workers could see you as reliable because you will speak up with others are scared or when they don't know what to say.

social media:

You could have a friend group you post with a lot? I see people viewing you as paranoid, disinterested, detached, and maybe going through something difficult? People could feel like you don't find love or happiness to be unattainable. "a negative phase" I feel like other people could find that you post about your shortcomings or unhappiness frequently. You could also be very aggressive or defensive, you could be very jittery, and very bored or displeased. You could also be known for being very connected with your family and defensive with your family. Or your family could somehow be known or popular on social media? Even if it isn't fame it could be like Facebook for example haha. You could be very funny, witty, or charming- maybe you are always onto the next thing or next trend.

pile iii

your GENERAL reputation could be that you're REALLY attractive- maybe that you spend a lot of money on your looks? Some people could know you for having plastic surgery, Botox, filler, etc? Some people could speak about you or talk about you editing photos or not looking the same irl? People could also say that you only really focus on your physical appearance online. BTW IM NOT HATING, this is just what people think/how they view you. You're seen as very pretty, and very abundant. You could make spicy content or post nsfw, some people could feel like you will take their significant other from them. People feel that you don't post your struggles online, and that you're very private. You could be prideful, or you could have a very solid image. Even if there are hardships or difficulties you've experienced, you definitely keep it pushing and always succeed. People could see you as very dreamy, relaxed, and maybe low energy. Some of you could have chronic illness or fatigue. Those who know you know that you are very private & very low key.

Work:

In times of trouble or need you will absolutely get shit done, you don't let anxiety or fear keep you from getting to the bag or finding a solution. People feel safe and protected by you at work, like they know you will defend them behind their back or that even if you don't like them you won't leave them hanging. You're a true leader behind the scenes though, this is giving virgo energy. You don't want to be at the forefront, you like to manage the intracacies and details. You do the dirty work a lot of the time. People at work could feel like you prefer to be alone, and that you could even be a bit of an anxious person or an overthinker. You could also be known for crashing out or have a reputation for a particular time you lost your temper. You are not afraid to rain hell when people are doing shit they shouldn't be doing. You like to keep the peace and make sure everyone is well taken care of but you require for them to do their part otherwise you will absolutely NOT go easy on them. You could be a bubble burster, you could also sometimes be unnecessarily petty in some people's eyes at times.

Social Media:

You could be seen as having a darker aesthetic, you may also post taboo things or misleading things. Very trickster energy, like you almost enjoy throwing people off. You have VERY good taste, and you post small crumbs of it. You have a very esoteric or ethereal vibe to people online, idk why I'm channeling mitski haha. You could also be someone who's cutting edge with trends. People could see you as very devoted to your partner or lover, they could also see you as someone who is a hard worker and holds on through difficult times. You may be very witty, timeless, and fiery at times. You definitely have a veryyy unique and likeable vibe. It feels like you're very well liked on social media, and that people look forward to your posts. You're iconic, your socials could be very pristine and well put together. The aesthetic could be very consistent or meshes well with your personality. You could treat your social media like an art piece, very particular with how you curate everything.

[riversenchanted]

Where your mercury is placed is where you have intelligence at in your birth chart

Mercury 1st house/ Aries: Intelligent about knowing how to express themselves/fashion geniuses. These people are typically multi talented and able to be highly skilled at anything they pursue. They are like sponges for information!

Mercury 2nd house/Taurus: Intelligent about money,investing, and material possessions. These people are likely to own their own businesses or be investors of some kind. They may have multiple streams of income. A highly abundant placement to have!

Mercury 3rd house/ Gemini: The jack of all trades! Intelligent speakers, communicators, learners, teachers. People can learn a lot just by being in their presence. Their brains move just a little bit faster than the world around them. Sometimes this placement is prone to adhd.

Mercury 4th house/ Cancer: intelligent about family, emotions, counsel, cooking, home life. These people are commonly psychic/claircognizant. They always know the right thing to say. These are the people you go to when you need advice snd support.

Mercury 5th house/ Leo: intelligent about the arts, romance, children, self expression. These people bring light into the room. They have a creative genius like no other and a magic in the way they think and operate. They have a strong creative intelligence.

Mercury 6th house/ Virgo: intelligent about analysis, health, structure, and logic. These people make excellent doctors, judges, and politicians. They have a strong memory and interest in bettering others lives and keeping things balanced and fair. They analyze things deeply and are always looking for ways to help and improve any situation they face. They’re always calculating and taking in information.

Mercury 7th house/ Libra: Intelligent about relationships, justice, counsel, influence. These people are strong communicators and have the power to influence others and bring people together. They are diplomatic and fair. Always looking for the gray area and middle ground in any situation.

Mercury 8th house/Scorpio: intelligent about solving mysteries, uncovering truth, emotional depth. These people make good investigators. This placement shows a strong desire to uncover truth and have a deeper understanding of why things are the way they are. They tend to see through peoples facades easily. These people can be psychic or empathic.

Mercury 9th house/ Sagittarius: intelligent about philosophy, religion, travel, culture. These people have a wide variety of knowledge. They are the type of people who will have random facts about everything. They will spark conversation with anyone. Always eager to learn and very tactile in the way that they learn as well.

Mercury 10th house/ Capricorn: intelligent in business, work, legacy, and reputation. These people are extremely detail oriented. They have sharp minds and don’t forget anything to easily. These placements are adaptable and flexible. Willing to face challenges head on and grow from them. May have remarkable careers and be well known for their skills in the work field.

Mercury 11th house/ Aquarius: intelligent in networking, community, problem solving, innovation, technology. These people think 10 steps ahead at all times. These are the visionary’s. Their minds always at work and looking to the future. An inventors mind. These people bring others together to solve a common issue and work efficiently with others.

Mercury 12th house/ Pisces: intelligent in creativity, psychology, intuition, spirituality. These people have rich inner worlds but may have difficulty expressing it fully. They spend a lot of time in deep contemplation and are highly observant. They have a talent for compassion and deeply understanding others. They see things from multiple points of view and therefore have the ability to problem solve from multiple angles.

[cepheustarot]

What is the character of your future spouse?

Attention! This reading is for entertainment purposes only. This tarot reading does not give a 100% guarantee that all the described situations will occur or being ultimate truth. You build your own life and destiny and only you know yourself best.

✧ Masterlist ✧ Paid readings

Pick a pile. Choose one or more pictures. Trust your intuition.

Pile 1: At first glance your future spouse looks like a very inaccessible, complex person, whom it is difficult to get close to and generally interest them in communication but the closer you get to know them, the more reveals themself to you as a very kind, caring, gentle person, ready to support you and help you in difficult times. I can say that this person has two sides and they decide which side to show themselves, depending on whether they consider you close, trust you or not (but in your case they will definitely consider you close, a loved one who can be trusted). They are those who rely on their intelligence and rationality, but often act based on their intuition, they have a lot of life experience. They are prudent, they know how to solve problems, how to find a way out of a situation, they often "do not look for easy ways", they can complicate their lives but this is because they want to do something different, bring something new to life, get a new experience. They are quite hardworking, they work very hard, mostly their work is in mental activity, so can quickly get tired of this. They like to reflect, share their deep thoughts, they can also look for hidden meaning where it may not be. If you are interested in esotericism, then a person can support your hobby, discuss topics from this area with you, or treat neutrally and listen to you about it but they will never condemn you about it. Your future spouse will also treat you with great tenderness, love and care, will try to make you happier, you are a very valuable and dear person for them, they will always feel that they are not doing enough for you, although they may even overdo it in some ways, often cause you pleasant embarrassment. They also respect you, respect your opinion, your personal boundaries, your desires and they respect parents, yours and theirs.

Pile 2: Your future spouse is quite sensitive, gentle, romantic, sensitive, sentimental, a person of fine mental organization. They will love you with all their heart, will devote a lot of time and attention to you, most likely their language of love is words and gifts, they can often compliment you, notice details in your appearance or in your behavior, give you gifts. They are very kind people in themselves, they do not like to argue and participate in conflicts, they are quite calm in this regard, it is difficult to anger them but it is not difficult to offend or hurt their feelings. This person can also be private, someone who doesn't like to talk a lot about his sad thoughts and feelings, such as anger, sadness, resentment, etc. such emotions are suppressed and do not like to be exposed to the public. At the same time, your future spouse is a very smart, intelligent person, constantly engaged in self-development, improvement of their skills, promotion at work / study, they are quite active. They are also very fond of children and animals, so if you have any of these, they will treat them with all their love and care. They may also have younger siblings or nephews, whom they also treat well, do a lot for them. They may be creative people, engage in drawing, be interested in art, literature, music, may even work in this field or have a lot of knowledge in this field. They are also very spiritually developed, they can be religious. Your future spouse will support you in everything since you will be like the love of their life for them, they will protect you and treat you very carefully, they sincerely love you, they may even often tell their family, friends, and loved ones with great love about you. They show that they really love you, it is noticeable by their actions and by the way they look at you with love, talk about you, how they address you using affectionate words.

Pile 3: Your future spouse is a person who works very hard, both in terms of career and in terms of self-improvement, they are constantly busy with important things, they may hold a high position at work, they may have several businesses, they themselves may be business partners for someone. Also, your future spouse has a very attractive, beautiful and sexy appearance, good physique, they have an alluring charisma that is difficult to resist. They like to flirt with their lovers very much, they can be overbearing, as they love to feel dominant, they can be a little jealous and possessive. They are also very active, like a mobile lifestyle, like to travel a lot especially in the company of someone, like to be in a circle of people, they are quite sociable and will always find a topic for conversation, they know how to maintain a dialogue. They are very proud, self-confident individuals, and with this vibe they energize people around them, inspire and motivate them. At the same time, they are quite empathic people, they experience the hardships of others as if they themselves had encountered them, in this regard they can be quite sensitive. They also tend to think about their shortcomings, fixate on failures and at such moments it is important to support them, show that they are loved and very successful people.

Thank you for reading! I will be glad of any feedback 🖤

[letters-to-lgbt-kids]

My dear lgbt+ kids, 

„But what if a kid identifies as a cat?“, used as an argument against trans rights, feels like the type of argument you’re not really supposed to think about - because if you do, it falls apart really quickly. 

I think it’s supposed to evoke some horrible mental image of doctors operating on a toddler to turn them into a kitten or kids using the litterbox and eating cat food or something. In some sort of „If we allow a child to choose their own pronouns and name and put on clothes they’re happy in, we will also have to allow that“ way. 

But what exactly are we talking about here? A kid playing pretend that they are a cat? In that case, that’s just ridiculous. There’s zero comparability between that and being transgender. Kids pretending to be cats (or pirates or vampires or horses or trees or horse-trees who are also pirate-vampires.. young kids come up with wonderfully creative in-game universes!) are just tiny humans playing games. That is an important part of childhood that helps them develop valuable skills like empathy, creativity and problem-solving, and doctors are aware of this. They’re not suddenly going to prescribe kitty hormones to kids for going through a very very common developmental phase. 

Plus, I don’t think kids really routinely ask for that either. I’m sure there are individual anecdotes of kids actually trying out the litterbox while playing cats (even if it’s just to provoke a reaction from adults, which is also a normal way kids learn and explore) - but kids who play pretend that they are a cat do not persistently identify as a cat. They do not have an enduring inner feeling that they genuinely are a cat or should be a cat. They do not want to persistently be treated as a cat. As soon as the game is over, they’ll step out of character. That’s more comparable to putting on Halloween costumes than to being trans. 

So, are we talking about kids who genuinely and persistently have the inner feeling of being a cat? Well, in that case.. doctors also wouldn’t operate on the kid. Maybe we could help the kid feel more comfortable by letting them choose a name that feels more cat-appropriate or in other ways changing how we talk about them. We could help the kid find safe ways to express what they feel. But that would be all. There is no approved surgery for that. That just isn’t a thing right now. 

And if it ever becomes a thing, well, I’d guess that’d only be the case if a lot of scientists and doctors agreed that there is 1. ample demand for such a surgery and 2. a greatly improved quality of life for the patients undergoing the surgery and 3. a way to perform such a surgery where the benefits outweigh the risks, and if all that is given, I’d be all in favor of it. It’d be weird to be against a potentially lifesaving treatment, just because it’s for something you may not fully understand. 

But that’s hypothetical, of course. Using a made-up surgery to somehow argue against trans rights is just plain silly. So now we are left with… what exactly? The mental image of a kid realizing something about themselves that we may not relate to? The mental image of a kid asking us to respect the way they feel, even if it may be a rare experience? 

I don’t think that’s such a horrible image at all. Certainly not one to be so scared of that we should punish trans kids for it. 

With all my love, 

Your Tumblr Dad 

[mindfulstudyquest]

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁

you have a choice. you can stay in the room where you are the best, where people rely on you, turn to you to learn, to improve. you can satisfy your ego and bask in the awareness that no one is above you.

or you can step into the room where you are not the best — where, in fact, you might be the worst at what you do. you can finally realize that there will always be someone better than you, humble yourself, cry, and wallow in self-pity.

you can remain in the room where you are praised and admired, or you can surround yourself with people who are better and more experienced than you. you can accept that there’s still a long way to go, that your talent and effort are nowhere near enough, and struggle to keep up with those who are truly better than you. then — and only then — you can unlock your true potential.

it is only by believing you’re far behind others that you’ll improve more than you ever thought possible.

why discomfort breeds growth

studies show that we grow most when we step outside of our comfort zones. according to a study published in the « journal of experimental psychology », being exposed to challenging and unfamiliar tasks increases brain plasticity, the brain's ability to adapt and develop new neural pathways. when you’re the “worst” in the room, your brain is forced to engage, learn, and adapt — activating areas responsible for problem-solving and critical thinking.

the “zone of proximal development”

lev vygotsky, a developmental psychologist, introduced the concept of the "zone of proximal development" (zpd) — the sweet spot where tasks are just beyond your current abilities. learning happens most effectively within this zone, but only if you're willing to confront challenges head-on. surrounding yourself with people who are more skilled or experienced than you puts you directly into this zone.

embracing failure as a learning tool

a 2011 study by ayelet fishbach and lauren eskreis-winkler, published in the journal of experimental social psychology, highlighted that experiencing failure can actually improve motivation and learning. the researchers found that when individuals interpret failure as an opportunity to learn rather than a threat to their ego, they develop greater resilience and determination in achieving their goals. this approach transforms the initial discomfort of not being the best into a powerful driver for personal growth.

how to start stepping into the “hard” rooms

adopt a growth mindset: psychologist carol dweck's research highlights the power of a growth mindset — believing that skills and intelligence can improve with effort. view every setback as an opportunity to learn.

reframe comparisons: instead of feeling inadequate when others outperform you, see them as resources. ask questions, learn from their methods, and let their expertise challenge you.

set stretch goals: aim for targets that feel slightly out of reach. they should scare you just enough to make you uncomfortable — but also excited to try.

stepping into the room where you’re not the best is scary. it might hurt your pride. but science is clear: true growth comes from struggle, humility, and persistence. the next time you feel like you're the worst in the room, remember — you're in the perfect place to unlock your potential.

guys i really hope this makes sense because my english is broken this days. also it's exam season, so i'm taking my exams in spanish. my brain seems settled on my third language and i can't easily switch back to english. this days i can't even speak italian properly ush.

[anim-ttrpgs]

Why You Should Try Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Part 5: It Revolutionizes Investigation and Mystery Solving in TTRPGs

This is part 5 of a multi-part series of posts about the awesome features of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, in no particular order.

Find the earlier parts here:

Part 1 Link: We Worked Hard on It!

Part 2 Link: It's Easy to Learn!

Part 3 Link: It's Easy to GM!

Part 4 Link: It's Easy to GM and Supports Narrative and Roleplay!

Finally, we’re getting to some actual game mechanics here.

It’s called Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy for a reason. The party investigates. They’re not cops, and it’s not a police procedural. They could be private eyes, investigative reporters, meddling kids, you name it. The PCs are normal people like you and me who come together to solve some kind of mystery that involves them or their friends and loved ones, and these mystery investigations can take place just about any time between the late 1800s and the present day.

A lot of Eureka’s main mechanics are about investigating, and they solve the #1 problem that mystery investigation campaigns run up against: Getting stuck.

Dungeons&Dragons 5e is not a game about investigating, it’s a game about combat, and so when you try to run an investigation or mystery in it, you’ll find that PCs have a Skill called “Investigate” and a Skill called “Senses” and the whole rest of their abilities are dedicated to combat. This isn’t a bad thing if you’re running a campaign focused on combat, but for whatever reason (marketing), most people aren’t. So, the party rolls Investigate, and they fail, and they roll Senses, and they fail, and then they have exhausted all of their options for continuing the campaign. So, the GM has to pull a deus ex machina to make the clue fall into their lap. That isn’t satisfying or fun for anyone, what was the point of even rolling the dice?

Call of Cthulhu is has been one of the top contenders in the TTRPG scene for investigative gameplay for nearly fifty years, and it does investigative gameplay much better. (Eureka takes a lot of inspiration from Call of Cthulhu, if you want to evolve and advance, you have to look to the past.) PCs have a whole slew of Skills related to investigation, unfortunately often too many. New players tend to be unsure where to put the skill points, and it’s a frequent occurrence that they simply won’t have a high enough rating in (what they didn’t know would be) an important skill to find an important clue relating to it, so they fail, and then they have exhausted all of their options for continuing the campaign. So, the GM has to pull a deus ex machina to make the clue fall into their lap. That isn’t satisfying or fun for anyone, what was the point of even rolling the dice? Besides, is that really congruent with Lovecraftian horror? The assurance that the universe cares about your success and no matter what, it’ll all work out somehow? Delta Green has this exact same issue.

Gumshoe, a more recent contender, also does investigative gameplay a lot better than D&D, but also kind of has the opposite problem from Call of Cthulhu, not enough mechanical guidance. It’s easily possible for a PC not to have the skill required to get any information out of an important clue, even though they can’t fail the dice roll if they do have it.

Eureka’s design goals are to improve on these, and learn from previous attempts in the design space to make advances in how investigative gameplay in TTRPGs is done. We really think it should not be the GM’s responsibility to bend the universe over backwards to make sure the party succeeds (or at least fails in a satisfying way). The game itself should be doing that.

Eureka PCs have a base set of 21 Skills, each of which is broad enough to encompass many different use cases, and then an assortment of “Write-In” Skills that are optional, and often more specialized.

Like Gumshoe, there isn’t really a roll for finding clues. When PCs walk into a room, they simply see/hear/smell everything that they would be able to from where they’re standing. If the gun is on the floor, they just see the gun on the floor. If the gun is under the couch out of view, but a player says “My character gets down on the floor and looks under the couch.”, then they just see the gun under the couch.

Dice rolls are used in investigation, however, and all Skills are investigation skills. If the PC is trying to determine if the gun is chambered for the same caliber of bullet that killed the victim, that might be a Firearms roll (the same skill that determines their ability to effectively use firearms in combat). (If the investigator doesn’t have the relevant specialized Write-In Skill, they can still make a skill check, they’re just very very likely to Fail it.)

Eureka has three degrees of success for dice rolls: Full Success, Partial Success, and Failure. It depends a lot on the context and the clue itself, so I won’t get into Full Successes and Partial Successes in this post, we’re going to focus on Failures. If they Fail, they usually get no useful information.

Above, I criticized Call of Cthulhu and D&D5e for allowing dice failures to halt the investigation completely, forcing the GM to pull a deus ex machina to keep things going. So, is that a problem in Eureka? No!

When PCs in Eureka make skill checks to investigate things, they always build up Investigation Points.

1 for a Full Success

2 for a Partial Success

And 3 for a Failure

These points represent the PC themselves going over the facts of the case in their mind at the same time you are. For every 15 Investigation Points saved up, the PC gets a Eureka! Point. Eureka! Points can be spent on a wide variety of things depending on the PC’s build, but there’s two universal Eureka! Point abilities that all PCs have, and one of those is to have a “Eureka! Moment.”

This is exactly what it sounds like. Something clicks in their brain, and they finally understand something that they had been trying to piece together this whole time. This reverses one of their previously Failed (or in some cases Partially Succeeded) investigation rolls of your choice, providing the information that roll would have granted with a Full Success.

This serves as an “un-stucker” or “rubber-band” mechanic that keeps the PCs in the mystery without the GM having to pull anything out of their ass, but at the same time doesn’t make Failure meaningless. If they’re stuck, it encourages them to pursue other avenues of investigation and keep racking up those points until things start to click into place.

This also still doesn’t mean that the PCs are guaranteed eventual success. Time pressure and mortal danger also stand in their way, which we will get to in future parts of this series, you and your PC will have to use your brains if you want them to get out alive with the answers they seek.

[evilwizard]

I do want to say, my views on AI “art” have changed somewhat. It was wrong of me to claim that it’s not wrong to use it in shitposts… there definitely is some degree of something problematic there.

Personally I feel like it’s one of those problems that’s best solved via lawmaking—specifically, AI generations shouldn’t be copywrite-able, and AI companies should be fined for art theft and “plagiarism”… even though it’s not directly plagiarism in the current legal sense. We definitely need ethical philosophers and lawmakers to spend some time defining exactly what is going on here.

But for civilians, using AI art is bad in the same nebulous sense that buying clothes from H&M or ordering stuff on Amazon is bad… it’s a very spread out, far away kind of badness, which makes it hard to quantify. And there’s no denying that in certain contexts, when applied in certain ways (with actual editing and artistic skill), AI can be a really interesting tool for artists and writers. Which again runs into the copywrite-ability thing. How much distance must be placed between the artist and the AI-generated inspiration in order to allow the artist to say “this work is fully mine?”

I can’t claim to know the answers to these issues. But I will say two things:

Ignoring AI shit isn’t going to make it go away. Our tumblr philosophy is wildly unpopular in the real world and most other places on the internet, and those who do start using AI are unfortunately gonna have a big leg up on those who don’t, especially as it gets better and better at avoiding human detection.

Treating AI as a fundamental, ontological evil is going to prevent us from having these deep conversations which are necessary for us—as a part of society—to figure out the ways to censure AI that are actually helpful to artists. We need strong unions making permanent deals now, we need laws in place that regulate AI use and the replacement of humans, and we need to get this technology out of the hands of huge megacorporations who want nothing more than to profit off our suffering.

I’ve seen the research. I knew AI was going to big years ago, and right now I know that it’s just going to get bigger. Nearly every job is in danger. We need to interact with this issue—sooner rather than later—or we risk losing all of our futures. And unfortunately, just as with many other things under capitalism, for the time being I think we have to allow some concessions. The issue is not 100% black or white. Certainly a dark, stormy grey of some sort.

But please don’t attack middle-aged cat-owners playing around with AI filters. Start a dialogue about the spectrum of morality present in every use of AI—from the good (recognizing cancer cells years in advance, finding awesome new metamaterials) to the bad (megacorporations replacing workers and stealing from artists) to the kinda ambiguous (shitposts, app filter that makes your dog look like a 16th century British royal for some reason).

And if you disagree with me, please don’t be hateful about it. I fully recognize that my current views might be wrong. I’m not a paragon of moral philosophy or anything. I’m just doing my best to live my life in a way that improves the world instead of detracting from it. That’s all any of us can do, in my opinion.

[just-pug-things]

Tips for artist learning?

Draw. And have fun doing it.

To elaborate.

Many people who ask and answer this kind of question are thinking about tutorials, guides, and courses to improve their artistic skills. You will hear things like, "You need to work on your fundamentals," and be pointed in the direction of guides like DrawABox or Proko or Ethan Becker's Youtube channel or the many, many other resources that exist. Beginners need to build their skills, right?

This is the incorrect starting point. And why is that?

Before I started drawing Just PUG Things, I drew very irregularly. Every time I tried to draw something, I was struck by my own inadequacy, my amateurish lines, scribblings that failed to transform into beautiful, elaborate illustrations. Drawing was an uphill struggle as I tried to draw faces that weren't disproportionate, taking hours to draw something that always looked so, so wrong.

I was discouraged from drawing by people around me. My drawings were scrutinised, labelled as weird (I couldn't draw faces), innapropriate (I was trying to draw people) and immoral (I was trying to express the pain I felt).

Everywhere on social media I was surrounded by the beautiful art made by incredible artists. And instead of admiring them, all I could do was peer down into that endless valley between our skills and despair. I was jealous of their ability, devoid of joy in my own. Why was I struggling so much when someone on the internet could do something better, faster?

Every time I picked up my pen, it was like fist fighting an active anthill; painful pointless punching that results in nothing. It was like this for years, but I couldn't give up making art nevertheless. I felt like I'd shoved myself into an iron maiden and was unable to leave.

Does any of that resonate? Does any of that feel familiar? Does any of that make you think, "That's me!"

Then first and foremost what needs to be repaired is your relationship with art. To rekindle the love for art that will keep the flame of your candle burning bright. To make it a part of your life routine so you make art because that's just what you do. Lynda Barry's book, Making Comics, was my inspiration when things got hard. It will not matter how many guides you read, art courses you complete, Youtube videos and TikToks you watch if you never make any art.

After that? The art learning gets easier.

Get a personal project (like, oh, I dunno, a weekly comic about a game you love) where you encounter art problems and think, "I don't know how to do that," and then start looking online (or in libraries) for what other people did to solve that problem.

Get interested in the craft so the studying and learning isn't merely a chore but something fun and exciting so you're actually motivated to draw hundreds of boxes and cylinders and enjoy it.

Get really obsessed with a character and draw them so many times that their essence gets directly injected into your bloodstream.

Get time to enjoy other forms of art that does not immediately appeal to you and try to understand what is so captivating about it to others who love it.

(Get friends like mine, who encouraged me to to start drawing Just PUG Things, which started as a 'ha ha wouldn't it be funny if I drew the tomfoolery in duty finder idk how to draw any of the stuff but-' 'you should do it' and now here we are. They kept my spirits up during times where I couldn't do it myself.)

But first and foremost: Draw. And have fun doing it.

[moonkissedvisions]

PAC ♡ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆ please read:

Hey! welcome to another reading. This reading includes the following questions, I drew one card for each of them: -How do you see yourself? -How do you think others see you? -How do you project yourself to others? -How can you improve your projection/image? -Who/How are you, really? Use your own intuition and discernment to read my interpretations. Remember that this is a general reading so not everything has to resonate. This reading was only made for guidance and entertainment, it´s not a replacement for professional advice of any kind. I use a Rider-Waite deck and you can ask me about the cards if they aren´t named in the reading. Check out my other readings at the end of this post and consider liking/reblogging/following if you liked this one.

ʚ♡ɞ Now, look for your pile and hope you enjoy it. ʚ♡ɞ

♡ Pile 1

How do you see yourself?

You see yourself as a joyful person who likes to have fun and juggle many things at once. You view yourself as adaptable, dynamic, and fast-paced. You strive to maintain balance in your life. Perhaps you see yourself as someone who is too agitated, trying to keep everything together but struggling with a bit of messiness. You are worried that you can't always solve every problem or you aren't versatile enough. You are practical and you tend to take too much at once, but you know you are good at that.

How do you think others see you?

You believe that others perceive you as a resilient and strong individual who has gone through many challenges in life. You think they see you as a warrior who can endure any obstacle that comes your way. You also believe that you excel at setting boundaries and people recognize your persistence, ability to push forward, durability, and unwavering stance on important matters.

What do you project?

You project that you are struggling emotionally. maybe you suffered from heartbreak recently and that's why others see you struggling. When you experience heartbreak, loss, or betrayal, it can be difficult to hide the impact it has on you. Often, others can sense that you are not feeling your best. This may be due to your facial expressions, gestures, and body language projecting your sorrow, depression, or grief. However, others may also sense that you possess the strength to endure emotional pain and anguish, and that you have the capacity to cope with difficult times and emotions. Despite the challenging circumstances, they can see that you are getting through it.

How can you improve your image?

To build a positive image, focus on developing self-confidence, optimism, and a sense of self-assurance. Recognize your own strengths, resilience, and determination, and celebrate your successes and progress with others. Cultivate a positive self-image by showcasing your talents, achievements, and skills, and don't be afraid to reward yourself for your hard work. By accepting love and attention from others, you can build strong and supportive relationships that will help you achieve your goals and thrive in life. Remember, with dedication and perseverance, you can create a positive image that reflects your true potential and inspires others to do the same.

Who/How are you?

Whether it's in the present, past or an ongoing experience, you may have encountered a sense of loss, betrayal, heartbreak or any other kind of ending that has left you feeling defeated, physically and mentally exhausted, unable to react, powerless, discouraged, and sad. It's a feeling that things have come to an end and a new beginning is approaching. You may feel resigned to this situation, and it may have taken you by surprise. Someone or something may have hurt you deeply, and you may feel like there is nothing you can do about it. But with time, a new beginning will approach, and you'll be able to start your life anew. ♡

♡ Pile 2

How do you see yourself?

You perceive yourself as someone who is often lost in thought, too absorbed in your mind to notice what is happening around you. Perhaps you are moody, bored, or indifferent. You don't seem to experience gratitude or joy for anything in particular. You may overanalyze things and miss out on opportunities as a result. You see yourself as someone who is introspective and contemplative, but you struggle to feel content or fulfilled. You don't have a passion or feel emotionally connected to anything. You may be stuck in a negative/lack mindset and find it difficult to appreciate what you already have.

How do you think others see you?

You believe that others perceive you as a patient, moderate, balanced, and a calm person. You think that people see you as someone who enjoys going on adventures and embracing all kinds of experiences. Additionally, you think that others view you as open-minded, flexible, and capable of accepting diverse opinions and ways of living. You don't consider yourself as a person who thinks in black and white, but rather as someone who avoids extreme points of view. Perhaps you believe that people see you as someone who is not vengeful, holds no grudges, and is diplomatic and stable.

What do you project?

You exude calmness and balance while projecting emotional intelligence and the ability to empathize with people's feelings. You possess the skills to help others with their emotional problems and have the ability to connect with your own emotions and creativity. People feel heard and understood when they talk to you, and you have a reassuring presence that can comfort and uplift them. You healthily express your emotions and are unafraid of being perceived as sensitive or emotional. You have a strong intuition that enables you to read others' emotions accurately and know when someone needs support. You are a loving, artistic, and magnetic individual who is capable of dreaming big and inspiring others with your creativity and passion.

How can you improve your image?

Be ready to unleash your inner child by embracing your childlike wonder and free-spirited personality. Ignite your adventurous side and discover new horizons with an open and curious mind. Don't let a lack of enthusiasm hold you back - break free from routine and indulge your curiosity. Follow what intrigues you. Get out of your head, and look at the bright side. The key to finding your passion is to approach life with a playful attitude and a desire to explore new ideas. Don't take yourself too seriously and don't worry about making sense of everything. You don't need to get attached to something to find it fun. Work on your fears. As you embrace your journey, you'll inspire others to follow your lead and tap into their own sense of wonder. Let humor be your guide and start smiling more as you uncover all the exciting experiences that await you.

Who/How are you?

You possess a reflective, methodical, and calm personality. You are someone who doesn't rush into things and takes their time to contemplate and evaluate the situation before action. You are careful with your work and like to commit yourself fully to it. You are a perfectionist. Your introspective and composed nature allows you to think through things deeply and come up with practical solutions. You value your work and like to reflect on the outcome, which helps you learn from your experiences and grow. You are intellectually practical and don't take any risks without careful planning. You are a patient, dedicated, and meticulous individual who values quality work and likes to appreaciate the fruits of their labor.

♡ Pile 3

How do you see yourself?

You see yourself as someone who possesses a remarkable collaborative personality that enables you to effortlessly blend the energies and abilities of all team members, resulting in outstanding project outcomes. Your ability to work in teams is a testament to your skill and capability. You are focused, dedicated, and driven to succeed, with a good eye for detail and a talent for employing practical skills to achieve your goals. Your meticulous planning and thoughtful consideration of all aspects of a project reflect your reliability and conscientious nature. You are aware of your strong work ethic, combined with your friendly and trustworthy demeanor. You are highly committed to your work, practical, and reliable which inspires confidence in your abilities.

How do you think others see you?

You may feel like others don't fully understand you or perceive you accurately. It's possible that you have an unclear sense of your own identity, or that your identity is constantly changing based on your emotions or what's currently going on in your life. This can make it difficult for others to get a clear picture of who you are, and you may feel misunderstood. You might even feel like you can't be your true self, or that there isn't a true version of you that you can show to people. It's possible that you feel like others see you as fake or delusional, or that they pick up on your insecurities and emotional struggles so their perception of you is clouded by emotional projections. You may worry that you confuse people or that they have false beliefs and wrong ideas about you.

What do you project?

You might unknowingly convey your inner feelings of doubt and unease to those around you. Perhaps you are currently low on energy, and those around you can sense that you are feeling defeated. You might be projecting an absence of assertiveness in your communication and actions, indicating that you are unsure of your ability to win your battles and succeed. It's also possible that you are projecting a lack of confidence in yourself and your boundaries, giving off the impression that you are easily giving up and that you don't stand up for yourself. Maybe others perceive you as someone who starts unnecessary conflicts and behaves recklessly. You may also be projecting a lack of experience and commitment, which could result in you frequently stepping back from challenging situations. Overall, you project insecurity and a lack of motivation.

How can you improve your image?

To improve your image, you must embrace the unknown and uncertainty with boldness, readiness, and vitality. Identify the factors that are holding you back and draining your energy. Instead of wasting your time and focusing on insecurities, learn to be assertive, spontaneous, and willing to take risks. Redirect your focus intelligently. Feel the fear, and do it anyway. Trust in your ability to overcome any challenge that comes your way. Don't hold back your wild side; be authentic and unapologetic. Take care of your health and engage in sports that will help you gain confidence and vigor. Expand yourself and seek ways to grow instead of limiting yourself. Remember, you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to.

Who/How are you?

You may be currently undergoing a process of healing, or are considering such a journey. You are beginning to view your pain, struggle, and grief in a new light, and as a result, you are experiencing a sense of release from emotional pain. You are starting to feel more peaceful and serene, and you are gaining a deeper sense of self-awareness. You are recovering from a past event that has had a profound impact on you, and you are gaining hope and faith in your healing journey. You are engaging in various forms of emotional release, such as journaling, meditation, or talking to someone. You help others to heal by sharing your own journey. You are attuned to your feelings and learning to experience them, rather than trying to control or over-analyze them. You are someone who is overcoming emotional obstacles and developing a sense of self-acceptance and inner peace. Your journey of healing is a testament to your strength and resilience, and serves as an inspiration to others who may be going through similar experiences.

♡ Pile 4

How do you see yourself?

You appear to be someone who possesses a strong sense of willpower. You are confident in your abilities to manifest your desires and you have all the resources at your disposal to achieve your goals. Your skills and creativity are impressive, and you possess the strategic prowess and focus to make things happen. You also possess a sense of empowerment and cunning, which makes you a natural leader with a flair for innovation.

Your persuasive and analytical abilities have made you a force to be reckoned with, and you are well aware of your power and influence. However, you may have noticed that this energy is not always directed in a positive direction. You may have used your persuasive abilities to manipulate, control, or deceive others, rather than using them to inspire and motivate. Perhaps you have struggled to channel your creativity in a way that benefits yourself and others, and as a result, you may have suppressed it altogether. You may also feel that you lack consistency in your endeavors, which can lead to wasted potential or a lack of progress. You may struggle to be honest and coherent with your thoughts and actions, which can lead to a sense of confusion or frustration. Despite these challenges, you deeply understand that you have the potential to overcome them and tap into your full potential.

How do you think others see you?

You believe that others perceive you as a deep and dynamic individual, characterized by a continual process of transformation and evolution in your life. You feel that they recognize your innate ability to undergo significant metamorphoses and serve as a catalyst for change. You sense that others regard you as someone who wields profound influence, capable of instigating transformative shifts within themselves and their surroundings. You believe that people perceive your resilience and profound depth, viewing you as a revolutionary figure who fosters renewal and facilitates healing processes. You think others see you as a radical person.

What do you project?

You appear to be experiencing a sense of detachment from your expertise and proficiency. You project that your level of engagement with your work has diminished compared to previous times. Your attention and organizational skills seem to be faltering, leaving others with a feeling of uncertainty regarding your reliability and dependability. It appears that practicality eludes you, and you are out of harmony with those around you, resulting in a lack of confidence in your abilities both professionally and in your daily pursuits. Your friends or colleagues may detect a noticeable disconnect, sensing that you are not resonating on the same wavelength as before and that your connection with them has weakened. Don't take this as a further discouraging message. Remember that this is also part of your journey so embrace it, and seek to realign at your own pace. You may be projecting this however it doesn't have to be the truth about you.

How can you improve your image?

Enhancing your image begins with embracing both your triumphs and setbacks, as they are integral parts of your journey toward personal and professional growth. By acknowledging and learning from your experiences, you pave the way for self-improvement and evolution. Make time for introspection, allowing yourself to release any burdens and cultivate gratitude for the lessons learned. Reclaim your power by reframing disappointments as opportunities for growth and resilience. Stay proactive in seeking out avenues for advancement and expansion. Re-center yourself by decluttering not only your physical surroundings but also your mental and spiritual spaces. Through this deliberate process of self-care and empowerment, you position yourself to thrive and radiate confidence in all aspects of your life. Remember that you can't grow new flowers until the old ones have decomposed into soil. Focus on growing new flowers, not in the decomposed old ones.

Who/How are you?

You have a vibrant persona thar radiates humor, making interactions with you a delight. You exude a carefree optimism that uplifts those around you. Your approach to life is characterized by a refreshing lack of attachment to material possessions, opting instead to savor experiences with an insatiable curiosity and boundless enthusiasm. You embrace each moment as an opportunity for joy and discovery. Recognizing the analogy of life to a perpetual celebration, you conscientiously cultivate an attitude of a gracious host, ensuring that every encounter is filled with warmth and vitality. Your capacity to maintain a lighthearted perspective, coupled with an unwavering focus on the bright side of life, reflects a remarkable depth of wisdom and resilience. You have an infectious smile and unforgettable laughter, and you embrace your childlike wonder.

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CHECK OUT MY OTHER READINGS

Discover your NATAL BIRTH CARDS

Astro notes

Your beauty and how to enhance it

The Divine Feminine messages

Your natural gifts and talents

[animentality]

not to be such a boomer, but I think chatgpt is fucking this generation over, at least in terms of critical thinking and creative skills.

I get that it's easy to use and I probably would've used it if I was in school when it came out.

but damn.

y'all can't just write a fucking email?

also people using it to write essays ... i mean what is the point then?

are you gaming the educational system in pursuit of survival, or are you just unwilling to engage critically with anyone or anything?

is this why media literacy is so fucking ass right now?

learning how to write is learning how to express yourself and communicate with others.

you might not be great at it, but writing can help you rearrange the ideas in your brain. the more you try to articulate yourself, the more you understand yourself. all skills can be honed with time, and the value is not in the product. it's in the process.

it's in humans expressing their thoughts to others, in an attempt to improve how we do things, by building upon foundations and evolving old ideas into innovation.

scraping together a mush of ideas from a software that pulls specific, generic phrases from data made by actual humans... what is that going to teach you or anyone else?

it's just old ideas being recycled by a new generation.

a generation I am seriously concerned about, because digital tests have made it very easy to cheat, which means people aren't just throwing away their critical thinking and problem solving abilities, but foundational knowledge too.

like what the hell is anyone going to know in the future? you don't want to make art, you don't want to understand how the world works, you don't want to know about the history of us?

is it because we all know it's ending soon anyway, or is it just because it's difficult, and we don't want to bother with difficult?

maybe it's both.

but. you know what? on that note, maybe it's whatever.

fuck it, right, let's just have an AI generate "therefore" "in conclusion" and "in addition" statements followed by simplistic ideas copy pasted from a kid who actually wrote a paper thirty years ago.

if climate change is killing us all anyway, maybe generative ai is a good thing.

maybe it'll be a digital archive of who we used to be, a shambling corpse that remains long after the consequences of our decisions catch up with us.

maybe it'll be smart enough to talk to itself when there's no one left to talk to.

it'll talk to itself in phrases we once valued, it'll make art derived from people who used to be alive and breathing and feeling, it'll regurgitate our best ideas in an earnest but hollow approximation of our species.

and it'll be the best thing we ever made. the last thing too.

I don't really believe in fate or destiny, I think all of this was a spectacular bit of luck, but that's a poetic end for us.

chatgpt does poetry.

[windvexer]

This is in response to an anonymous ask. Anon has been able to sense what we might call Oversoul or Big animals for a while, but since a significant magical awakening Anon has lost the clarity of their Sight.

Anon has advised that after trying connection techniques that used to work, this problem has not resolved.

---

Anon, I disagree with your hypothesis that this may be an active choice by your spirits, either to test you or to encourage you to do something.

When I went through my 'awakening' I encountered an intense shift in the kind of work I had been able to do, and I had to re-learn old skills I was already confident in. It's happened to me more than once. It blows.

This isn't because I was being tested, but rather because my circuitry was being converted from DC to AC and the 12 volt systems weren't compatible with my hardware any more.

I believe it's normal for practitioners to lose and have to re-learn or adapt around old skills. It sucks, but it happens. It would rarely be my first assumption that these things are spirits wanting distance, or putting us through shit tests, or something.

Here are my suggestions:

Tell them you do not like the distance and it's scary. Invite them back and ask them to stay close.

Put old techniques up on the shelf and try something completely new. Like if before you were attempting grounded visualization, this time try water scrying. Or, shapeshifting during astral travel.

Ask them to send clear, direct messages about how to resume old levels of clarity and contact.

Redirect your focus away from spirit working and towards psychism: perform experiments to see if there are any other changes to your Sensing and try to troubleshoot

Engage the help of an ally known to assist with matters of Sensing and clarity, perhaps including gods, plants, or mineral spirits; or smaller spirits (especially the Dead) who can give you information to improve your Sensing and solve this problem.

Redirect focus towards matters of magical hygiene; regular cleansing, unblocking, and ward maintenance can have material effects on Sensing.

Review all ongoing sorcery and ensure no wards, spells, or any projects could be impacting the ability of spirits to easily arrive to you.

Review many recent actions and ensure you have not accidentally caused offense or accidentally did something to send the spirits away; resolve offenses, known or unknown, through general offering rituals asking to bury the hatchet and resume a positive relationship

[kalixora]

Tfp Bumblebee x reader

Summary:

A skilled autobot sniper, frustrated by their lack of hand-to-hand combat abilities and hidden feelings for Bumblebee, trains intensely to prove themselves, while the team offers support, unaware of the sniper's inner conflict.

1/2

Once again, Bumblebee saved you from cons. You grumbled walking back to base, feeling a mix of frustration and gratitude. You weren’t the weakest but definitely not the strongest, not like the wreckers with their brute strength or quick like Arcee with her agility.

You were a sniper, skilled at taking down enemies from a distance. Your strength lay in your ability to blend into the shadows, moving silently and striking precisely.

However, in hand-to-hand combat, you often found yourself at a disadvantage, unlike Bumblebee, who excelled in it.

“You okay, N/N?” Raf asked you with a smile.

“I need to train,” you answered back with a low groan.

“He saved you again, didn’t he?” Raf snickered, closing his laptop.

“I don’t wanna hear it—“

Raf laughed, “N/N! It’s okay! You’re a stealth scout, not a brawler. You play to your strengths.”

You sighed, leaning against the wall. “I know, I just need to be able to handle myself in a fight alone.”

Raf nodded thoughtfully. “You know, maybe you could ask Bulkhead for some training. He’s tough and knows his way around a fight.”

“You rolled your optics. “I’m not asking that jumbo bot for nothing. I’d rather suffer.”

“You’re suffering now,” Raf remarked gently. “Why does it bother you so much that Bumblebee helps you? You guys are on the same team after all.”

You looked away, frustration and embarrassment heating your face plate as you stormed off to the training room. In your hurry, you accidentally bumped into Ratchet, causing him to drop his toolbox with a clatter.

“Y/N! I needed that!” he shouted after you.

“I need to train!” you shouted back, your voice echoing down the corridor as you continued on your way.

“Geez, what’s her damage?” Ratchet muttered to himself, shaking his head in confusion as he picked up his things.

“Bumblebee saved her and asked for a bridge back, and she’s upset,” Raf explained with concern in his voice.

“She’s one of the best weapon specialists in the making. What does Bumblebee have on her?”

“Hand-to-hand combat,” Raf replied softly, recalling the many times you’d voiced your frustration over it. Ratchet raised his optical ridge and let out a gruff chuckle. “Seriously? That’s it?”

Raf sighed, sensing the weight of your struggle. “I’m starting to feel a little bad, Ratchet—“

“There’s no need, Rafael,” Ratchet interrupted. “Y/N’s feelings for Bumblebee are the only reason she feels she needs to be better.”

“Wait—Y/N has feelings for Bee?” Raf repeated, surprised.

“Always, it was plainly obvious,” Ratchet shrugged, moving towards his work station. “She’s too stubborn to admit it, so it’s not my problem to solve.”

Raf hesitated, considering the revelation. “Maybe I can help…”

“Good luck with that. Just leave me out of it,” Ratchet waved Raf off, already engrossed in his work.

Meanwhile, in the training room, you continued to focus on your drills, unaware of the discussion unfolding outside.

As Raf pondered how to approach the situation, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of responsibility towards helping you navigate your feelings. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he was determined to find a way to support you, even if Ratchet preferred to stay out of it.

The ground bridge opened, and the other Autobots came in, all of them seeming cheerful and in good spirits.

“Oh man—and the way I took down that con was awesome! I wish Miko was there; she would’ve loved it,” Bulkhead exclaimed.

“Jack would’ve been screaming his poor lungs out if he saw that,” Arcee chuckled. “But I really gotta hand it to you, Smokescreen. You’ve improved a lot out there. I’m impressed.”

Smokescreen rubbed the back of his helm. “Ah, well, what can I say? I was made a natural talent. Kinda like you, Bee.”

Bumblebee whirled with excitement, exchanging high-fives with the others before heading over to Raf.

“Hey Raf! Where’s Y/N? I gotta show her something I found before she left,” Bumblebee beeped and whirred in his unique language.

Raf nodded and pointed to the corridor. “She’s in the training room, oh and Bee, she’s a little upset right now, so be a little easy on her.”

Bumblebee nodded, concern flashing in his optics. He headed towards the training room at a light jog. Entering the room, he saw you in the middle of your drills. “Y/N,” Bumblebee beeped softly, trying to catch your attention without startling you. “I found something cool I wanted to show you.”

You paused mid-strike, turning to see Bumblebee standing there, his optics shining with genuine excitement. The frustration you felt earlier mingled with a sense of warmth at seeing him.

“What is it, Bee?” you asked, trying to keep your voice steady.

Bumblebee held out a small, intricate piece of Cybertronian tech, something rare and valuable. “I thought you might like this. Optimus said it’s a tool used by the old weapon specialists back on Cybertron. I found it in the wreckage during the mission before you left.”

Your optics widened in surprise and curiosity as you took the item from Bumblebee’s outstretched servo. “I haven’t seen this before, Bee. Thank you.”

Bumblebee smiled, glad to see a spark of happiness in your optics. “Why are you training? Aren’t you tired?”

You looked down at the tool, trying to hide the mix of emotions swirling within you. “I just… I need to get better. For myself.”

Bumblebee tilted his helm, a concerned whir escaping him. “But why?”

You hesitated, your face plate becoming warm, you turned your helm away. “I just have a lot to prove, so you don’t have to keep risking your neck to save me all the time.”

Bumblebee placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I’m always here to help.”

You nodded, feeling a bit lighter. “Thanks, Bee. That means a lot coming from you, but— I need to work harder.”

You nudged Bee’s shoulder away then gave him a meek smile before walking out.

Bee stood in the room slightly lost, “Was it something I said?” He beeped.

. . .

A few days later, the others hardly saw you. The only times they did was when you were going into recharge or going on missions with Optimus after much begging that they obviously didn’t know.

You stood in the middle of a field waiting for Optimus to ground bridge to you so you could continue your training with him.

“What’s taking so long—“

The ground bridge opened out came not Optimus but Bumblebee and the others.

You froze in place as you saw Smokescreen waving at you with a smug expression.

“Scrap,” you muttered as you crossed your arms.

“Sorry to crash your date N/N, Optimus wanted us to tell you that he got stuck doing something with Agent Frowler.”

“Rude, how dare you ruin our alone time,” you rolled your optics with a smirk on your face plate.

“So you gonna tell us why you’ve been with Optimus so much or do we have to guess?” Arcee asked walking up closer to you.

“Nothing really, just extra training and learning how to use this tech Bumblebee gave me,” you answered truthfully, showing Arcee your sniper with the added tech while switching your servo.

“Ooh, Knockout was going crazy for that thing. I’m shocked you managed to grab it, Bee,” Bulkhead chuckled. “Nice! We are freakin’ awesome.”

Smokescreen and Bulkhead high-fived each other while Bumblebee laughed, and Arcee smiled, placing her hand on her hip.

You turned around and walked further into the field, a scowl on your faceplate. The further you went into the field you saw a small rock poking out off to the side. You walked closer to it unsure of what it what, still hearing the laughter and banter behind you didn’t bother to turn around.

Hearing footsteps behind you, you looked over your shoulder pad seeing Bumblebee. He gave you a small friendly wave before beeping, “What’s that?”

[jadeharleyinc]

The "AI Rots Your Brain" Study

"The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking" is a study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft Research Cambridge.

it has been widely reported on as "concluding that AI makes human cognition atrophied and unprepared" (404 media) or as "linking AI usage with a deterioration in critical-thinking skills" (New York Magazine).

is that true? what does the paper actually say, though? it's only 20 pages, so you can check for yourself. otherwise, read on.

the survey's methodology has been... misrepresented, to put it mildly. this paper did not measure actual thinking ability. it surveyed workers who used AI at work, asked questions like "do you usually trust AI outputs? how do you think about them critically? if you can't, what obstacles are stopping you?"

the paper aimed to answer two research questions:

When and how do knowledge workers perceive the enaction of critical thinking when using GenAI? When and why do knowledge workers perceive increased/decreased effort for critical thinking due to GenAI?

pages 14-16 of the study discuss the survey's findings, and what they mean for AI tools, workers, and critical thinking skills. i've summarized these conclusions, point by point, as follows.

confidence and knowledge 1) people who say they trust genAI to be truthful are likely to be the same people who say they exercise less critical thinking about AI outputs. (makes sense.) 2) people who say they have confidence in their work skills are likely to say they are critical of the AI's output, even if they perceive this critical look as requiring extra effort. 3) it's possible that fostering workers' expertise and confidence in their domains will increase their ability to think critically about AI outputs. 4) a worker being confident in their skills at a task is associated with the worker's ability to delegate and guide the task. 5) a worker being unconfident in their skills at a task can rely more on AI, which potentially lowers their critical engagement and independent problem-solving skills. 6) in a nutshell, workers knowledgeable at a task invest more effort in thinking critically while using AI for it; less knowledgeable workers invest less.

the researchers suggest: 7) empowering users to 1. develop their skills, 2. develop a balanced relationship with the AI where it's not either the user or the AI calling all the shots. 8) adding feedback mechanisms to AI tools that help users gauge reliability of AI outputs, so they can know when to trust and when to question. 9) that AI tools let users customize and refine how the output is made, how much AI assistance is provided, depending on confidence and task complexity.

to do this, they see several approaches. potential approach 1: 10) AI tools could underline opportunities for critical thinking, especially for tasks the worker finds unimportant or secondary. 11) for example, AI tools could have systems to proactively interrupt the user and highlight a situation where it may be overlooked that critical thinking is needed. 12) another approach is to allow the user to request critical thinking assistance when they consciously need it.

potential approach 2: 13) increase the motivation to use critical thinking. workers use it less when they think it's not their job, and use it more when aiming to develop their skills. 14) therefore, AI tools could encourage critical thinking thtrough the lens of skill development and professional growth, not arbitrary and sometimes-irrelevant "audits".

potential approach 3: 15) enhance the ability to think critically. workers often refrain from thinking critically when they don't have the skills to fact-check or improve AI's responses. 16) this means learning opportunities: AI providing explanations for its reasoning, suggesting ways the users should refine their knowledge, or offering guided critiques. 17) the AI could help the worker develop specific skills: how to analyze arguments or cross-reference facts against sources. (see: AI as partner in skill development.)

so how is AI impacting critical thinking, specifically? 18) usually critical thinking involves analysis, synthesis and evaluation. using AI tools changes what tasks a worker performs to fulfill these goals. 19) when recalling and understanding, the worker focuses less on gathering information and more verifying it. (less need to find info, more need to verify it.) 20) when applying information, the worker focuses less on solving a problem and more on integrating the AI's solution. ("is this relevant? what parts should i tweak?") 21) when analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating, the worker focuses less on executing the task and more on supervising the task. ("stewardship" more than "collaboration".)

so, to think critically, workers that use AI should be trained: 22) on how to verify information, integrate outputs, and guide the task. 23) on cross-referencing with sources, assessing if AI output is relevant or applicable, and refining their use of AI processes. 24) on maintaining foundational problem-solving and information-gathering skills so they aren't overly reliant on AI.

the researchers point out some limitations of their study: 25) surveyed workers sometimes confuse "the task now takes me less effort" and "i spend less effort on critical thinking". (hey, we don't assess our critical thinking often.) 26) surveyed workers might think less critically when they get an AI output that matches what they expected. that could expect the aforementioned confusion. 27) asking workers to report their confidence at a task produces subjective responses. 28) the survey was conducted solely in english, and aimed only at fluent english speakers. 29) the survey sample biases towards younger, technologically skilled workers who use AI tools at work at least once a week. older and less techy people are underrepresented. 30) this is just a baseline study and long term impact has to be tracked.

i now encourage you to draw your own conclusions.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to write genius level characters? :(

One of the most reliable measures of intelligence today is the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale—currently in its 5th edition, with an upcoming edition in the works.

Using the tool/scale, scores are converted into nominal categories designated by certain cutoff boundaries for quick reference:

Measured IQ Range — Category

145-160: Very gifted or highly advanced

130–144: Gifted or very advanced

120–129: Superior

110–119: High average

90–109: Average

80–89: Low average

70–79: Borderline impaired or delayed

55–69: Mildly impaired or delayed

40–54: Moderately impaired or delayed

To write your "genius" character, you may want them within the Gifted to Very Gifted categories.

Note: With reference to this list, Roid (2003) cautioned that “the important concern is to describe the examinee’s skills and abilities in detail, going beyond the label itself”. The primary value of such labels is as a shorthand reference in some psychological reports.

These are the factors measured by the scale, and you ideally should aim for your "genius" character/s to exhibit high levels of:

Fluid Reasoning: Novel problem solving; understanding of relationships that are not culturally bound

Knowledge: Skills and knowledge acquired by formal and informal education

Quantitative Reasoning: Knowledge of mathematical thinking including number concepts, estimation, problem solving, and measurement

Visual-Spatial Processing: Ability to see patterns and relationships and spatial orientation as well as the gestalt among diverse visual stimuli

Working Memory: Cognitive process of temporarily storing and then transforming or sorting information in memory

Or maybe your character doesn't excel in all of these areas but in a specific one, or just a few of these. Maybe they perform within the average or high average in some, but are highly gifted in other areas.

The following may also guide you in writing your genius character, based on research compiled by Dr. J. Renzulli, which can be found in the Mensa Gifted Youth Handbook:

Characteristics of Giftedness

LEARNING CHARACTERISTICS

Has unusually advanced vocabulary for age or grade level

Has quick mastery and recall of factual information

Wants to know what makes things or people tick

Usually sees more or gets more out of a story, film, etc., than others

Reads a great deal on his or her own; usually prefers adult-level books; does not avoid difficult materials

Reasons things out for him- or herself

MOTIVATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Becomes easily absorbed with and truly involved in certain topics or problems

Is easily bored with routine tasks

Needs little external motivation to follow through in work that initially excited him or her

Strives toward perfection; is self-critical; is not easily satisfied with his or her own speed and products

Prefers to work independently; requires little direction from teachers

Is interested in many "adult" problems such as religion, politics, sex and race

Stubborn in his or her beliefs

Concerned with right and wrong, good and bad

CREATIVITY CHARACTERISTICS

Constantly asking questions about anything and everything

Often offers unusual, unique or clever responses

Is uninhibited in expressions of opinion

Is a high-risk taker; is adventurous and speculative

Is often concerned with adapting, improving and modifying institutions, objects and systems

Displays a keen sense of humor

Shows emotional sensitivity

Is sensitive to beauty

Is nonconforming; accepts disorder; is not interested in details; is individualistic; does not fear being different

Is unwilling to accept authoritarian pronouncements without critical examination

LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS

Carries responsibility well

Is self-confident with children his or her own age as well as adults

Can express him- or herself well

Adapts readily to new situations

Is sociable and prefers not to be alone

Generally directs the activity in which he or she is involved

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ⚜ Writing Notes & References

Hope this helps with your writing. Do tag me, or send me a link. I'd love to read your work!

[astrologydray]

🤩Virgo MC and how you can achieve fame🤩

A Virgo Midheaven (MC) achieves fame through expertise, precision, and service to others. Unlike flashier MCs like Leo or Aries, Virgo MC gains recognition through mastery, credibility, and attention to detail. Ruled by Mercury, your path to success involves communication, analysis, and problem-solving, making you a sought-after figure in your field.

⭐️ Becoming a Master of Your Craft – Virgo MCs achieve recognition by being the best at what they do. Whether in writing, science, health, technology, or the arts, people admire you for your dedication to excellence and skill refinement.

⭐️ Building a Reputation for Reliability – You gain fame by being dependable, intelligent, and highly skilled. People trust your expertise, and your name becomes synonymous with quality, accuracy, and knowledge.

⭐️ Success Through Communication & Information – Since Virgo is ruled by Mercury, careers involving writing, teaching, research, or media can bring fame. You might be recognized for your well-researched insights, critical thinking, or ability to explain complex topics in a practical way.

⭐️ Helping & Serving Others – Your fame often comes from improving people’s lives. Whether through healthcare, wellness, self-improvement, education, or activism, your public image is tied to making a meaningful impact.

⭐️ A Perfectionist Approach to Success – Virgo MCs don’t rush fame; they build it through steady effort and refinement. You might take longer to gain recognition, but once you do, your legacy lasts because of your consistent quality and credibility.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tips for Maximizing Fame:

‼️ Establish yourself as an expert – People respect Virgo MCs for their intelligence and precision.

‼️ Stay disciplined & detail-oriented – Your ability to analyze and refine will set you apart from competitors.

‼️ Use media & writing to share your insights – Blogging, social media, books, or journalism can increase your visibility.

‼️ Build a brand around expertise & self-improvement – Virgo MCs shine when they educate, heal, or guide others toward betterment.

‼️ Embrace a minimalist, refined image – Virgo fame is often subtle yet powerful. A clean, polished aesthetic helps reinforce your credibility.

[glendasguidance]

✰☮︎ pick a card ☮︎✰

What do you need to learn to become a better organizer / activist?

₊˚ʚᗢ₊˚✧ﾟfor entertainment purposes only, and other disclaimers ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡♡˚

Organizing is a marathon, not a sprint. And luckily, we're already skilled, have a lifetime to learn more, and we have many talents to support us. What are the skills you're refining and the lessons you're learning, right now?

spread: Glenda's Guidance // decks: Tarot of the Divine

Pile 1 → Pile 2 → Pile 3

Inhale, exhale 3x, pick

✯✯ patreon ✯ free readings ✯ masterpost ✯✯

Pile 1

What skills and knowledge do you have right now?

Ace of Swords - You are the ideas person! You're excellent at immediately imagining new methods of achieving goals, coming up with new plans, and figuring out ways to solve seemingly impossible problems. Problems and sticky situations feel like a fun puzzle to you, so it's sometimes hard for you to realize this is something that feels difficult for other people. Just because this skill is a given talent of yours doesn't mean you should write it off as "nothing" or "no big deal". This is what makes you an important person to have around.

What do you struggle with, or have questions about?

Justice, reversed - You deeply struggle with the existence of unfairness in the world. Not just on a systemic level, but in personal relationships too. You care greatly about making sure interpersonal dynamics remain fair, or become fair, in your activist / organizing circles. Being misunderstood probably feels extremely painful for you. Luckily, there are a lot of resources on how to handle this, as many people have experienced the same thing. On the larger scale, it feels hard not to let doomerism get the best of you, because the injustice's magnitude is enormous. I recommend you learn about Revolutionary Optimism (how to have faith that good will come, even if you don't live to see it blossom).

How can you improve or learn?

2 of Swords - Learning how to sit with hard things, and difficult choices to make, will help you a lot. You might be used to making quick, sometimes impulsive, decisions based on your analytical skills. Unfortunately, there are times that bashing our way through problems creates more problems. How often do you connect with your feelings or intuition? Do you know what it feels like to do that? Doing exercises to connect with this neglected (intentionally or not) side of you will help you analyze and intellectualize the situation much better. When this skill is strong, hard choices will still be hard, but they'll be manageable with your new found strength.

A song for you (randomly shuffled): click me 🎶

🦢 ♥︎ much love - Glenda ♥︎ 🦢

♣︎★ mutual aid disaster relief - worldwide mask bloc - aid for Palestine, Sudan and Congo ★♠︎

Pile 2

What skills and knowledge do you have right now?

6 of Pentacles, reversed - You have a very sensitive bullshit radar for abuses of power, greed, scams, extortion, manipulation, and when innocent, gullible people are being preyed upon. You might feel sometimes like you see negativity everywhere, and maybe you can be too quick to judge. Nope. It's a very good thing you see what you see. You're a protector. You see when "good deeds" aren't that at all. Sure, monsters aren't everywhere, and a yellow flag might not escalate to a red flag. But keep observing in non-judgement and trust your intuition. Bring up proposals to prevent abuses when you can in your organizing meetings when you sense something is off.

What do you struggle with, or have questions about?

7 of Pentacles - You seem to struggle with patience, sacrifice, and perseverance. When you don't see results quickly enough, you feel an impulse to scrap it all and start fresh. You love the sense of accomplishment you feel like you see results. Well, if you want a big result, you need to put in a big effort. What might help is the fact that small wins are wins, and worth celebrating (even if it's something unconventional to celebrate). As an example, would you give up on your garden because your seeds didn't sprout immediately? Or grow fast enough? Or flower and fruit when you wanted them to? No. You'd keep working in your garden, checking on your plants and watering them. You could keep a little record or tally of what you do, and celebrate your work weekly or monthly. Depending on the sensitivity of your work, how you record it, what you record, and where you record is up to you (I am not giving legal advise - your choices and actions are your responsibility - edit: and please only do what feels safe for you and others). Whether or not you record or track or tally anything, celebrate and encourage yourself regularly. I only recommended tracking progress because it can help it to see evidence of your work when it feels like you’re stuck spinning your tires. Maybe you’ll think of a better method.

How can you improve or learn?

Hanged Man, reversed- Let go of your attachment to "should's". This belief isn't helping you or others. It's 100% okay and valid to be frustrated, but emotions have to move, they can't stay stuck. Whatever is frustrating you or stalling the momentum of your group's actions probably isn't going to change because you believe things shouldn't be this way, people should work differently, and things should be done differently. Surrender to the moment, and exhale. Exhale again. This peace will light the way forward, and you will know what to do. And the other great thing? You'll have the energy to move forward too (because you didn't waste it being so angry at being stuck). Breakthroughs come in stillness.

the Star - While I was shuffling, a card immediately jumped out of the deck. I put it back in case it wanted to come back up in one of these answers. It didn't, so I'm treating it as a bonus guidance message: Peace is coming back to you (if it hasn't already returned). You have a new sense of connection with yourself and who you are. You are loved, you are divine, you are always connected to Goodness, just like we all are (it's up to each of us to recognize it). You are as deserving as everyone else. Your hope and faith is being restored after massive trials and difficulties you've experienced. You'll feel a profound connection with Oneness. With this, you will experience many blessings and realize that things bigger than you can imagine are actually possible - this will give you a humbling gratitude. This is a new side of yourself you might be meeting for the first time, or a re-connection with who you were when you were innocent. It's safe to live in this new way, you know how to protect yourself.

A song for you (randomly shuffled): click me 🎶

🦢 ♥︎ much love - Glenda ♥︎ 🦢

♣︎★ mutual aid disaster relief - worldwide mask bloc - aid for Palestine, Sudan and Congo ★♠︎

Pile 3

What skills and knowledge do you have right now?

the Hermit - You are deeply connected with your intuition and own inner guiding light. You do not let the distractions and fears of the outside world and social media get to you. You focus on your work, your exercises, and your studies of theory, history, and everything else you're curious about. This discipline is a blessing, and other people might find relief and reprieve just being around you because you're calm and focused. You know your values and stand firm in your integrity. You make sure to avoid activities, people, and spaces that you know will tempt you to reject your values, or succumb to peer pressure. I connect with this personally: when I spend too much time with my rich family, I start to see poor people as beneath me, and anyone different from me as "other" - I limit my time with them so I don't change for the worse. Back to you, you find that others come to you to learn, and you might get confused because you feel there's nothing for you to teach them. You can't teach them how to find the answers, values, and guidance that is naturally inside themselves, because it's for them to learn. Well, you showing people that lesson by your example and sharing your practices will blow their minds. This simple way you live has a bigger positive impact you can imagine. Of course, don't let that get to your head ;) If you do, all that wisdom will be gone.

What do you struggle with, or have questions about?

the Emporer, reversed - You struggle with witnessing leaders be horrible and cruel beyond description. What can we do when people like this have so much power? You also struggle with how pervasive patriarchy and colonialism is, and how it warps peoples minds into accepting or doing evil deeds. I'm just one person and definitely don't have all the answers. An answer that helps me is that we can do much more than we realize, and our impacts are greater than we'll ever know. When we focus on empowering ourselves, meeting people where they're at, and helping others get in touch with their own agency, power, and autonomy, "all power to all the people" is that much closer to becoming reality. Just because someone has very little and needs help, doesn't mean they don't have help to give. That's the beauty of mutual aid. Our connection with each other gives us strength mightier than kings.

How can you improve or learn?

King of Wands and the Fool, both reversed - Deep down, you're a passionate person who probably harbors a lot of anger, or tries desperately to avoid it. Learning how to manage your anger means learning how to express it, not keeping it locked in tight. You many have had outbursts in the past, or have a history of being extremely controlling. Seeing how this harmed others probably made you want to never let it out again. Well, sometimes the passion and anger of others is healing, when expressed in a productive way. And it's a simple fact that leaders are needed. Learn what it means to express anger in a healthy way, and how to be a leader who remains open to good outcomes being what you don't expect, and treats everyone as equals. Read about what leadership is in horizontal power structures. Therapy, Stoicism, and Taoism might also be helpful for you. If you're confused about the Stoicism recommendation, I understand, and recommend the Rev Left podcast episode on it to help you know why I recommend it to you.

A song for you (randomly shuffled): click me 🎶

🦢 ♥︎ much love - Glenda ♥︎ 🦢

♣︎★ mutual aid disaster relief - worldwide mask bloc - aid for Palestine, Sudan and Congo ★♠︎

header image: uncredited pinterest pic // pictures: uncredited pinterest pics // dividers: I lost the link, let me know if you made them and I'll credit you // I do not consent to my writing, blog’s likeness, or anything associated with my work, to be used to teach any machine learning software and artificial intelligence for any purpose.