#i consider this piece a hilarious example of journalism

[marciaillust]

Asterism book cameeeeeee <3

Since Orion is a journalist in this AU there are a few instances where his newspaper articles and blog posts are shown, and my friend and I loving formatted all the sections to imitate websites and whatnot down to sharing buttons and comment sections. Def one of the most hilarious parts of the book imo, I love them sm. Thank you best friend [Name Redacted] for writing this book for me, I love it sooooo much! You *get* Orion like noone else ;w;

[aceadmiral]

Many moons ago, in the days of LJ, I was a fairly prolific fan-translator in this one community. There was an anon meme started for people to talk about other people (wow), and eventually my name came up. The first person was like, “the translations are basically unreadable!” and then a defender came up and was like “hey, the translations are beautiful and hilarious and sometimes make me laugh until I cry!” And the thing is, dear reader, they were both right. You see, at the time I was cranking through about an interview a day just for my own practice; it was essentially me posting my (self-assigned homework). But I ALSO did partial (and occasionally full) translations for TV shows. These were intended to convey the material in a natural way (esp. when they were being used for subtitles) and were carefully revised and edited, unlike my sight-reading article posts. I eventually had to put a translations policy in bold at the top of every post to preempt people’s expectations.

Anyway, I guess it’s time to make the post about how I write posts.

Aside from the fact that I have some formatting cues that I use to try and communicate expectations (title? probably has at least an idea/argument. title AND cut? this is an actual thing I put work into), I also structure basically every post in the same way.

Give a personal anecdote or specific example for context and to set the mood

Introduce the main question of the piece

Explore & develop arguments, moving steadily closer to my thesis

Conclusion (in both senses)

Like, if you’re in a rush and want to know what I’m talking about, just scroll down and read the last paragraph? This is partially the way I think (I once saw a reblog with that lung cancer bad parking note with just “INTP“ as a comment and I have never felt so much fuckor), but it is also partially that--and this is key--my posts are more like (terrible) poetry than anything else.

What does that mean? It means you gotta read every word is what it means. My posts are already dense by virtue of my writing style, and then I often go through and cut them down more. I only say things once, and I’m very careful in my vocab choice. If you miss a sentence, or try to take just a bit out to respond to, there is a very good chance your experience of the post is ruined beyond repair.

Is this terrible? Yes! For everyone! Especially because it kills me when people write responses that are not at all what I was talking about--usually in response to the mood-setting anecdote. But when I don’t give a specific example, the outcome is apparently even more confusion, so that’s. Not a solution.

I’ve actually considered recording myself reading them and posting them as audio instead except guess what! If writing can’t support my level of idea density, spoken word SURE can’t.

Okay so then why do I do it? Because it is essential to the conversation I’m trying to effect.

On the most basic level, I think structuring things so you start with me at the start and then walk with me and end at the end is essential to creating a thoughtful, creative, fertile discourse. This isn’t an academic journal or a courtroom--I’m not (generally) trying to persuade or report. To me, the ideal post is a wild, writhing hydra--get two more for every idea you dissect.

But ultimately, as much as I have a goal going in, I want people to get out of it what is most relevant to them, and so in that way, I say, genuinely: please keep missing the point. Please keep Interrogating the Text from the Wrong Perspective. Please keep finding the ideas that are most Meaningful to you in my terrible, terrible prose-poetry.

I’m fairly certain that nothing I’ll ever write--ever could write--will be something to be lauded as Brilliant or Groundbreaking, but I don’t really want to be in the business of Telling People Things; not only am I bad at it but I am also often wrong. I’m much, much happier stirring things up and forming a springboard for whatever idea was already cooking in the reader’s mind and just needed some schmutz to crystallize.

...but do realize for those reasons I’m loathe accept any thrown-down gauntlets, either. You can love or hate my creations, but as far as we’re all are concerned, the Author is Dead. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pine for the fjords.

[patriotsnet]

What Does The Bible Say About Republicans

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-republicans/

What Does The Bible Say About Republicans

What Does God Say About Democrats

What Does the Bible Say About 2016 Election – Hidden Secrets Revealed – Republican vs Democrat

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Saving America

Steven Andrew is leading the nation to reaffirm covenant that the USA follows Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches covenant is the most important action to save lives, restore safety, strengthen the church, and raise godly generations.

testimonials

Michael

I know of no one doing everything they can to help our nation to turn away from wickedness and sin, and turn back to God, like Steven Andrew.;

Craig

Giving to USA Christian Church is the most powerful way to support God’s will for the nation and defend Christianity.

The USA is in a national emergency. Our only hope is to surrender our lives and the nation to God and agree to obey the Lord. We have hope. It is not too late to find Gods mercy. Steven Andrew

People are very concerned. The news shows the USA is in a freedon verses tyranny national emergency. It could even be a life verses death crisis if the nation goes into captivity as happened to Israel and Judhae for their sins. If we want to honor God and have God bless our lives and nation, it is important we know: What does the Bible teach about Democrats?

I am Steven Andrew, the pastor who believes like the founding fathers. I am on a mission from God

Pray

Is the Bible your final authority or do you go by your feelings and own ways?This is Gods opinion, not mine.

For protection and national security, the nation needs to see Democrats hearts the way God does.my This is Gods opinion not my opinion.

Grist Is The Only Nonprofit Newsroom Focused On Exploring Solutions At The Intersection Of Climate And Justice

Our team of journalists remains dedicated to telling stories of climate, justice, and solutions. We aim to inspire more people to talk about climate change and to believe that meaningful change is not only possible but happening right now.;Our in-depth approach to solutions-based journalism takes time and proactive planning, which is why Grist depends on reader support.

This September, become a monthly donor, and your entire yearly amount will be matched. Grist hopes to welcome 200 new monthly members by September 30, and were closing in on our goal! Help us further advance our reporting by giving us the stable, reliable funding we need. Consider becoming a Grist member today to ensure this important work continues and thrives.

Bible Verses Violated By The Republican Party

Please note this article is not another case of a Democrat insulting the Republican party and their religious members.; I dont like either political party and Ive lost hope in the current political system until major changes are made.

While Ive lost most; interest in national politics,; some things still catch my eye. But what bothers me the most, and always gets my attention, is when a politician campaigns on a the premise that their allegiance to their God makes them a better person than the other candidate. Fast forward a few months after their election and there they are obstructing ethical legislation; for their constituents only to make their donors happy.

If a politicians; adherence to the Bible is what makes them a good person and good elected official, what do they become when they no longer adhere to the Bible?

You can understand why I feel my arguments made here are sound: The voting and campaign records of Congress are widely-available public records, and since 7 out of the 10 Bible verses I used are from either Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, meaning that 70% of this is literally the Gospel truth

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James : 19 Niv: Everyone Should Be Quick To Listen Slow To Speak And Slow To Become Angry

Well THAT’S a big red flag if I ever saw one. Any of the above points show that Donald Trump does not have a reasonable filter. Whatever comes to mind comes straight out of his mouth, especially when he gets angry. If our president acts out in anger, we are going to have a lot of issues on our hands. Can you imagine how he would converse with other world leaders? What would he do if they insulted our government, or heaven forbid, Trump’s hand size? How would he react to negative criticism from countries we very much need to remain on good terms with? Not only is this dangerous, it also gives more reason for people not to respect America. It would say a lot about us if our leader had the same temperament as a two-year old in a time out. A true God following leader would participate in rational discussion, in which all sides are heard and acknowledged.

I’m not trying to tell anybody that Hilary is the Christian candidate we’re looking for. In fact, I don’t even believe we need a Christian candidate at all. This is America, where anybody of any race or religion can do the job. What I am trying to say, is that if you think Donald Trump is your closest bet to having a Christian in office, you’re making the wrong choice.

Your choice matters. Choose wisely.

Abortion Is An Integral Part Of The Vaccine Industry

For you created my inmost being;;you knit me together;in my mothers womb.;Psalm 139:13

The Bible makes clear that life begins at conception. It says that every child is a gift from God . If Jesus were here today, I am not sure if He would be carrying a sign, but we can agree He would be pro-life.

Many are surprised to find that in fact, vaccines do contain;aborted fetal tissue,;including lung and kidney tissue.

This is because scientists grow live vaccines in living tissue. You can find aborted fetal tissue in 23 total vaccines, including:

MMR

Read Also: We Are All Republicansâwe Are All Federalists

Gop Lawmaker: The Bible Says If A Man Will Not Work He Shall Not Eat

This storys headline;has been corrected. A quote from Rep. Jodey Arringtons remarks at a congressional hearing has also been added.

One lawmaker is citing a godly reference to; justify changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Rep. Jodey Arrington recently quoted the New Testament to question the strength of current work requirements.

The biblical passage, 2 Thessalonians 3-10, was a rebuttal to one of the hearings expert witnesses, a representative of the Jewish anti-hunger group MAZON. It is also a familiar refrain to anyone who has watched past debates about SNAP.

House Republicans have historically cited the verse if a man will not work, he shall not eat as justification for cutting some adults SNAP benefits. Arrington referenced the verse in a discussion;about increasing the work requirements for unemployed adults on the food stamp program. But critics say that;advances;a pernicious myth about the unemployed who receive SNAP.

The verse in question applies specifically to people who can work or otherwise contribute to society but choose not to, said theologians from several denominations who spoke to The Post. There is a perception, among some voters and lawmakers, that many adult SNAP recipients are exactly this sort of freeloader.

More from Wonkblog:

James : 26 Esv: If Anyone Thinks He Is Religious And Does Not Bridle His Tongue But Deceives His Heart This Person’s Religion Is Worthless

Wow. That was blunt. I commonly hear people say that they like Donald Trump because, “He speaks his mind.” There is a monumental difference between speaking your mind, and throwing words about without caution. The things that Donald Trump has used his platform to say should not only shock you; they should offend you. His words are rash, prejudiced, and hurtful. You don’t believe me? Here are some examples:

“You know, it really doesn’t matter what the media write as long as you’ve got a young, and beautiful, piece of a**.”

“My fingers are long and beautiful, as, it has well been documented, are various other parts of my body.”

Now I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t sound like the kind of man who has proper control over his tongue to me. Words are some of the greatest indicators of who we are. The president of our country should be able to possess certain qualities, such as engaging in foreign affairs without flying off the handle. Not only is this concerning to our national security, it is also a warning sign of poor character.

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Looking For Some More Related Articles

Take a look at these other similar type articles:

Robert

Great article Jack,Sure a lot of good points you brought up. A lot to ponder as an election grows near.

It seems like the people who get elected reflect the sentiment of the nation. If we are concerned with the economy, we vote for the people we think will fix it. If we are concerned with moral issues, we vote for those we think care about what we care about.

This may also be a way in which God judges, or blesses, a nation. As the individuals of a nation move further from God, they elect representatives that are also further from God. These representatives are then naturally going to be motivated by something other than God and His love. Therefore, the nation suffers.

On the other hand, as the individuals of a nation move closer to God and elect godly representatives, these representatives seek Gods will for themselves and the country. The nation is blessed.

Thanks again for a wonderful, thought-provoking article.

Yours in Christ,

Friendship Is The Goal Of The Gospel

What does the Bible say about voting in 2020?

Christians rightly think about salvation as forgiveness of sins and eternal life. But it is more than this. Jesus gives all who trust him the privilege of being his friends . And what is eternal life, after all? According to Jesus, this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent . He rescued us to forge an intimate relationship with the triune God . God forgives us that we might share in his triune fellowship of love forever.;

In the new creation we will enjoy true friendship with all other believers. Our future is a world of friendship.

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Matthew : 28 Esv: But I Say To You That Everyone Who Looks At A Woman With Lustful Intent Has Already Committed Adultery With Her In His Heart

Now, I’m not trying to single out Donald Trump for having completely natural biological urges. All of humankind has fallen prey to the allure of lust. However, to battle with that in one’s heart and to voice it out loud to others are two completely different things.

The LORD calls men to honor and protect women. Women are handcrafted by God, and they are to be respected. Donald Trump has been quoted saying things that go directly against this God-given duty:

“Grab them by the the p*ssy.”

If that wasn’t vulgar enough for you, here’s a list of adjectives he has publicly used to describe women: Fat. Dog. Pig. Slob. Disgusting animal.

I don’t know what it’s going to take for this country to start valuing women properly, but having this guy in charge isn’t going to do it. As a woman, you should be concerned that a candidate for president is getting away with talking about your demographic like that. As a man, you should be standing up for the women in your life by saying that this is NOT okay! Young girls in this world should not grow up thinking that those words are okay because the President of the United States says them. If we elect this man, that will be the standard our girls will have for the men in their lives.

Exercising Our Civic Responsibility: What The Bible Says About Voting

Before we look at what the Bible says about voting, let us look at how our individual votes count.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Foxes sometimes, in search of food, would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.

Listed below are some of the little foxes that generally keep us from our civic responsibilities, in the area of voting. The devil uses these lies and others so that he can keep godly men and women away from the polls and get the candidates of his choice elected. If we do nothing, it makes it easy for the enemy to help those who could become the wrong leadership for our nation.

My one vote doesnt count anyway.

Im disillusioned by the whole political process.

Im already too busy to take the time to cast an informed vote, so I just dont vote at all.

Politics are corrupt anyway and as a Christian I dont want to be involved.

What the Bible Says About Voting

_______________________________________________________________

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Achieving Racial Justice And Equity

The Bible is very clear that God does not show favoritism, and neither should his followers. So, there is no place for racism in the church or in America. The Democratic Party is absolutely just in standing strong against racism in America.;

Now, personally I think that some of the Democrats policies for eliminating racism are not biblical at all. But the fact still remains: The basic policy position is biblically just.

As the election approaches, remember: As Christians we are called to lead people to Christ, not to an elephant or a donkey. Dont allow your politics to sabotage your witness to unbelievers or your fellowship with believers.;

Our loyalty must be to Christ. So, do some research, and vote in line with the heart of Christ. Lets do our best to vote for right and just leaders, and to pray for righteousness and justice in the hearts of those who are elected.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join Impacts live outdoor worship service at 9 a.m. Sunday at 17746 George Boulevard in Victorville, or tune in online at 10 a.m. on the Impact Christian Church YouTube channel or Facebook page.

Christianity For Votes: How Republicans Are Using A Religious Facade To Gain Political Power

On full display: Rep. Ted Yoho, in his non-apology to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, remarkably argued, I cannot apologize for my passion or for loving my God, my family, and my country.

Talk of God has been brought into and out of national politics throughout American history, with various partisan and non-partisan causes, but rarely in our history has any political group weaponized faith for political goals as comprehensively as todays Republican Party. Although the name of God has been used as a rallying cry for Republicans for decades, the party that claims to support Christian values has developed a twisted ideology where the mere mention of God has become a license for injustice. Consequently, his name is being thrown out in vain by Republicans who seek to avoid being held responsible for their actions, even when those actions go directly against the Scripture.

The contradictory nature of devotional statements made by GOP;members;was put on full display in a recent scandal in Congress,;when Rep.;Ted;Yoho, R-Florida,;was forced to resign from a Christian organizations;board after publicly exhibiting a behavior profoundly opposite to the values he claimed to stand for.

Yohos non-apology

A powerful political tool

If we want to resemble a hope for uniting and healing;within our;nation, we must rebuke lies, hate and division. We must rejoice in the truth.

WANT TO ADD YOUR VOICE?

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Christians Cannot Serve Both God And The Gop

The Christian right is the backbone of the Republican Party. Christians of all stripes from Catholics to Protestants and evangelicals consistently vote Republican. The core tenets of the modern Republican Party, however, are at stark odds with biblical scripture.

Over the last four decades, few priorities have consumed the Republican Party more than economic policies that benefit the ultra-wealthy. The Ronald Reagan presidency, in particular, ushered in an era where corporate bottom lines took precedence over fair wages for American workers. The rise of the Reagan-Republican ethos, which preaches the elevation of over virtually all other considerations, directly influenced of American jobs to countries with vast pools of cheap labor. Ditto for union-busting and the adoption of job-killing automation in pursuit of maximum profit.

These factors, unsurprisingly, the American middle class. Moreover, Presidents Reagan, George W. Bush and Donald Trump all pursued radical tax policies that overwhelmingly; if not solely; benefitted a small group of exceptionally wealthy Americans at the expense of the working and middle classes.

Republican policies favoring the ultra-affluent, however, stand in stark contrast with biblical scripture. The Bibles condemnations of the wealthy and the accumulation of riches leave zero room for ambiguity.

In short, followers of Christ must choose between God and money.

Property was sold and the proceeds distributed to anyone who had need.

[charlottecovey]

Thirteen things to do (or not to do!) when submitting to literary journals

Hi! In the past few months, peers have been asking me questions about submitting to literary journals. This is something that I have been doing quite often (and that is putting it lightly) for the last several years. I finally managed to compile a nice little list of things I think are important to know about submitting. Feel free to message / email me with additional questions; I’m sure there’s something I’ve forgotten to cover!

1. READ ALL THE GUIDELINES. This is so important! I just had to make it first on the list. It’s especially important to pay attention to because, while a lot of journals have very similar guidelines, a lot of them have a few weird specific things that set them apart from the rest of the literary journals. For example, Barely South Review requires that you submit each poem separately. Western Humanities asks that the subject line of your submission (generally where the title of the piece goes) be your last name, first name, and then the genre of your work. Some journals only read blind, and ask that you not put any identifying information in the document you send them. Some journals will only read your submission if you have your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address listed at the top of every page. Basically, don’t give editors any reason to reject you as soon as they open your file; pay attention to the little things. 

2. Get to know the market. This takes time. It’s taken me over three years to get fairly good at this. Read a sample of the journal if you can. A tip for cheapskates like me: if it’s a print journal that doesn’t feature any work online, find the table of contents of their most recent issue. Google a couple of the writers in that issue. Somewhere, they have all probably published SOMETHING online. Read some of their stuff. It’s not the best way to do things, but it should give you SOME idea of the aesthetic of a particular journal. Also, remember that most journals will take at least three months to get back you. Some only take a month or two, but others, like Painted Bride Quarterly, can take over a year. Keep that in mind as you send work out. Know what to expect. Remember to be patient. 

3. Do not sell yourself short. Ask around. Talk to writers you know and respect. Don’t send your stuff to low-tier journals with obscenely high acceptance rates; you’re better than that! You’ll feel much more accomplished if a journal you respect takes your work than if a journal that takes almost everything does. Generally, I only submit to journals that have an acceptance rate of 5% or less. Duotrope is an excellent resource for this kind of information. It’s fifty dollars a year for a membership, but you get access to a lot of valuable information like acceptance rates, response times, and a really cool (and useful) submission tracker feature. However, if you can’t afford it, there is a poorman’s way of getting an idea of what tier a journal falls in. If you Google: “Duotrope Journal Title” (for example, “Duotrope Fifth Wednesday”), then you can see some of the information on a journal’s Duotrope page (the really good stuff is hidden unless you pay for an account). However, look at the left corner, by the title of the journal. See the little star with a number next to it? That’s how many users are tracking that particular journal’s listing. For context, at my last check, The Kenyon Review had 1,037 stars. Rat’s Ass Review had 36. My (rough) rule of thumb is that the higher number of stars correlates to a more successful, popular journal. This is not always the case, due to acceptance rates. Eunoia Review has 226 stars, but the acceptance rate is 25% (aka, too damn high). It’s not a perfect system, and I really do recommend getting a Duotrope account, but do your best. Ask around. Do some research. Poets & Writers is a good source, too. They have a literary magazines database that lists circulation numbers, aka, how many people are reading / subscribing. Very useful. 

4. There are exceptions to the rule! Help your friends out. We are all trying to make it in the writing / publishing world. If your pals start a journal, and they ask you to send them something, do it! If you get a solicitation, that’s awesome! Do it! However, DON’T expect to get accepted to a journal just because you were solicited. And maybe don’t send your friend’s journal the poem that you’re sure is good enough for Tin House (unless, of course, your friend works at Tin House).

5. Always submit as much work as you can! This mostly pertains to poetry. If a journal asks for 3-5 poems, always send five! Your chances grow! This whole thing is just a numbers game, after all! 

6. Keep careful records. Make an Excel sheet. Right now. Put in every piece you submit, and every journal each piece goes out to. I like to color code mine. Just make sure that YOU understand your chart. It is SO important to keep good records. Once you get an acceptance somewhere (and you will!), you need to be able to withdraw the piece from every other journal it is out at, and you’ll need to be able to do it in a timely manner. If you don’t, and ANOTHER journal ends up wanting to take the same piece, they’re going to feel super sour when you have to decline them, and you’re going to feel super salty, since this makes you look disorganized and unprofessional. Everybody makes mistakes, but try to avoid this one. You may think that you’ll never need to withdraw right away, since the idea of a piece getting accepted to TWO places is so foreign to you, but trust me, it does happen from time to time. Just keep good records and avoid the hassle. 

7. Keep your cover letter simple. Please. If you’re trying to be funny in your cover letter, chances are you’re not funny. I have a cover letter that I copy and paste in every submission: 

Dear Editors, The attached poems are for your consideration. They are unpublished. This is a simultaneous submission. Thank you for your time and effort. Charlotte Covey

See how simple! I also have a biographical statement that I paste below my cover letter, like so:

Dear Editors, The attached poems are for your consideration. They are unpublished. This is a simultaneous submission. Thank you for your time and effort. Charlotte Covey Biographical Note: Charlotte is from St. Mary's County, Maryland. Currently, she is an MFA candidate in Poetry at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. She has poetry published or forthcoming in journals such as The Normal School, Salamander Review, CALYX Journal, the minnesota review, and The Monarch Review, among others. In 2017, she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is co-editor-in-chief of Milk Journal and an assistant editor for Natural Bridge.

Nothing fancy! Don’t make either your cover letter or your biographical note too long. Keep it short and simple! Only list your five best publications, and that’s my personal maximum. I know some people like to list their entire bibliography, but there is a point when your note just looks a little braggy. If you don’t have any publications, that’s okay! Say if you’re in school! Mention if you’re involved with a journal or your local writing scene! Even though I do genuinely believe that mentioning previous publications makes a difference to some editors (just my own, personal theory), journals also like fresh talent! If a journal accepts your piece, and it’s your first publication, that’s awesome! Everyone starts somewhere. 

8. Don’t give up! Rejections happen. Writing is subjective. I probably received over fifty rejections before I got my first acceptance. That’s normal! Acting, singing, writing-- any creative field comes with a lot of rejection, so self-confidence is extremely important. When you get rejected (yes, when, not if) make sure to add that information to your records (VERY important, or you might accidentally send a journal a piece they’ve already rejected; I’ve done this once or twice-- OOPS!), and then delete the rejection off your Submittable page. We don’t need that kind of negativity in our lives!

9. Remember, submitting work is essentially a numbers game.  Not everybody is as crazy as I am (at last count, I am out at one hundred eleven journals. Woof!), but don’t expect a success story if you’re only out at four or five journals at a time. My mentor and favorite professor, John A. Nieves, always told me that a good rule of thumb is to always have each of your polished pieces out at five journals. Really, I don’t think it matters too much how many journals each piece is out at, as long as you can keep track of it all. I’m a bit of a wild one, and I’ve been known to have one poem out at over twenty places at once. This is perfectly fine, AS LONG AS you keep meticulous records and don’t mind withdrawing the piece from twenty individual journals if it gets accepted (I have this down to a science now. Just give me a laptop and twenty minutes).

10. Stop obsessing. That’s hilarious, coming from me, but listen: you are never going to think a piece is perfect. If it is clear and proofread and polished, send it out. You can always keep revising it and have the final form in your first book :) Just don’t let obsessing over a piece not being “perfect” keep you from sending it out. You’d be surprised how many first drafts of mine ended up finding homes in respectable journals. And even then, I keep revising them! But if your piece gets rejected constantly, it may be a sign that you should consider tweaking some things. Again, writing is subjective. There’s a market for your work somewhere out there.

11. DO NOT post your unpublished work on Facebook. Don’t post it on your Tumblr or on Hello Poetry. This essentially makes the piece useless, publication-wise. Almost every journal wants First North American Serial Rights. Basically, this means they want credit for being the first people to publish your piece. Unfortunately, posting your work ANYWHERE online essentially means it is “published,” since the public now has access to it. A journal isn’t going to want a piece that everyone has already seen! Which leads me to my next point: 

12. DO NOT SELF-PUBLISH!!!! Self-publishing is the kiss of death. You miss out on TONS of first book contests and awards, and journals and presses WILL judge you. Basically, self-publishing makes people think that no one would publish your work, so you decided to do it yourself. I am begging you not to self-publish. It is THE KISS OF DEATH. If you keep getting rejected, revise. Workshop. But DO NOT SELF-PUBLISH. It’s expensive, and generally, no one will end up buying your book anyway, since there isn’t a press to advertise / promote you. If you want your friends and family to see your work, just show them the next time you hang out. But please don’t self-publish. It is an overall bad idea. Please. Just be patient. Keep working. You’ll get there.

13. Get involved! Networking is so important for writers. Go to readings when you can. Read your own work when you can. Go to AWP, if you can afford it. Learn about the publishing world. Immerse yourself in it. Understand that as much as we like to think it is, writing is definitely not a solitary endeavor :)

Happy submitting! <3

Love, Charlotte

[theeternalpegasister-blog]

My little pony season 7 episode 14 (Fame and misfortune) review

Wow, now here is an episode that subverted my expectations. I very much expected this to be a very forgettable episode, given the emotionally powerful experience we had last episode, in addition to the long stream of good, even excellent episodes we’ve been having this season it only seems natural to have one episode that just didn’t live up to the expectations set by the other episodes. Especially upon reading the plot synopses I didn’t expect anything specially. “Oh, they publish the friendship journal from season four and the pony public argue over which lesson is better. What are we just goanna have another moral about how every contribution is worthwhile? I’m sorry but Made in Manehatten already did that moral practically perfectly, there’s no point in re-treading it. Or what? Are they going to have a moral about how arguing is bad? What a terrible moral! Arguing can be very healthy in a friendship! God this is Where the Applejack lies levels of incompetency and simplicity! This episode is goanna suck!”  I foolishly thought, and as I can be a self righteous, close minded twat at times, I failed to see any other potential in the set up. But, low and behold, this episode actually ended up being a constantly hilarious, charming, intelligently written and adorable tale with a unique yet important moral that I never could have seen coming. Wow wasn’t this an eye opener, sorry M.A Larson, I’ll never doubt your writing abilities again, sure you’ve had a few bad episodes, like, in my opinion It’s about time, but for every bad episode you’ve made you have many excellent ones such as The cutie mark chronicles, Magic duel and especially Amending fences.  It may have done me some good to research the fact that you were writing this before I saw the episode; that may have caused me to not as harshly judge it before even seeing it. Any hooves, enough with the filler, lets actually get started with the review

So the story begins with Twilight taking a casual stroll through Ponyville, where she discovers two Fillies having a petty argument as children are prone to do, though she uses the moral of friendship being something difficult but ultimately being worth it, that she learnt all the way back in The return of Harmony, to calm the two down; however this causes her to remember the friendship journal and she rushes back to her castle to find it. Now what I really like about this opening as it shows how Twilight operates as the princess of friendship on a smaller scale, sure we’ve seen her deal with massive, cutie map related friendship problems, act as a mediator between her friends and even take on a student in the form of ex-sociopath Starlight Glimmer. But here we see her acting on her feet and using morals that she learnt a long time ago to help the friendships of others, this shows how Twilight as a character has grown both from the socially isolated introvert we saw in season one to the competent yet still quirky leader we see today, as well as how she has gone from student to teacher, delivering the basic friendship lessons that she once learned to others; it’s a small moment but I still think its note worthy. Moving on. So Twilight goes back to casa-de saw thumb, where she finds the friendship journal… Looking like it’s just survived being in the middle of a “best ship” war. Thus she has Starlight create multiple copies of the journal using her magic for each of the other mane six and Starlight herself. Side note, I have no idea why Starlight isn’t considered part of the mane group yet, I mean she lives with Twilight, has proven herself to have moved past her old self, leading the pony suicide squad to save Equestria, she’s even been called upon by the cutie map! Come on DHX; give her a throne at the round table. Regardless, Twilight then proposes to the group that they should have the journal published so that the lessons inside can enhance the lives and friendships of all the ponies of Equestria. The group unanimously agree and we see copies of the journal being delivered all around Equestria… Ok we only see it being delivered in Ponyville and Manehatten but come on, use your imagination here. And so the journal becomes a huge hit with many Equestrian ponies loving it.

We see the initial positive effect of the journal with young foals in Ponyville being guided by it, however we quickly see the mane six’s initial positive intent has allowed for a variety of negative outcomes such as the CMC using it as a marketing tool and a group of ponies from Philidelphia only having it as a collector’s item. We also see many Ponies taking objections with them messages within the journal, as well as begin to see the mane six differently. Now here is where we see the episode’s now infamous Meta humour and commentary come into play, as we see Twilight roaming Ponyville, viewing how the response to the journal is impacting each of the other members of the mane six individually, we see the surrounding ponies imitating common complaints and mindsets that the brony fandom have toward the show. For instance some stuck-up ponies at a café complain about how Rarity isn’t really learning anything, practically all the townsfolk who have known Pinkie for years begin to claim that she “is even funnier in person”, neglecting to see her as a four dimensional, complex character who experiences very real emotion as she is “the funny one”. We see Flutershy being pestered by a group of ponies who want to know why she keeps learning the same moral over and over again, and we see both Applejack and Rainbow Dash being constantly harassed by raving fans that deny they have any faults and believe they didn’t to learn anything to begin with. This is incredibly intelligent writing on behalf of M.A. Larson as it shows that both he and the writing staff in general, are aware of the issues that many people have with the show, however it also counters them by giving reasons for why things are the way they are, for instance Flutershy is able to stand up for herself and ask her critics if they were ever able to completely change themselves after only one experience. As stated previously, this is a very eye opening experience and this is an example of why, as Flutershy is correct, people can’t completely change themselves after learning something one time, thus counteracting the common complaint that Flutershy is just learning to be assertive all the time as, through doing so, she is going through a natural progression of coming out of her shell and thus a better and more active friend. Through this, Larson has shown that, just how the ponies missed the true meaning of the journal by nitpicking small details, bronies can sometimes miss the true meaning of an episode by nitpicking similar small details. I don’t think he meant any malicious intent with this as some people generally enjoy prowling for small details and finding small things that go past the eyes of other viewers, there is no incorrect way to enjoy something, he was just showing that he, nor any of the other writers are perfect and they will occasionally let small things past by them, thus there is no point in looking down on an episode for such small details as imperfections are something to be expected and specifically looking for these imperfections with the sole intent of looking down on the episode and taking away its credibility  goes against the nature of the show and shows that you were never really  a fan of the show in the first place. I repeat myself, looking for small details for the fun of it, CinemaSins style, is fine, but trying to present these ultimately insignificant complaints as actual criticism is not.

The thing that really ties this all together and proves it however, in my opinion is the ending and the moral. So at the end of the episode, the mane six, without Twilight make their way past a barrage of critic ponies and reach Twilight’s castle. They all seem in very emotionally fragile states, especially Rarity (#Stresscouture), due to the strain that has been added onto their lives due to the publishing of the friendship journal, Twilight is has also become emotionally fragile throughout the course of the episode, to the point of window staring! All seems lost until Starlight gets an idea and teleports away, creating a genuinely good suspense for how she will fix the situation. Though Twilight also decides that something needs to be done to calm the raging bronies… I mean ponies that await them outside. Now this leads to what is easily one of my, if not my absolute, favourite part of the episode, after some admittedly very funny satire of bronies as the critic ponies very blatantly spell out common complaints with the show from the fandom, one journalist even straight up tells Twilight that her “character would have been much more interesting if she had stayed in Canterlot”. Following this however is the song “Flawless”, which was, in my opinion, one of the best songs of the entire series. On the surface this song focuses on how the mane six are in fact not flawless, nor is anypony, and that it is are flaws that make us who we are, “we’ve got dents and we’ve got quirks but it’s are flaws that make us work”, and any good friend will look past your flaws and love you regardless of them; as Twilight says right after the song “without our flaws, there probably wouldn’t be any friendships at all” showing how it’s are flaws that bring us together and what test us to stay together; if we were perfect, we would have no drive to interact and would have no way of experiencing true joy. However looking deeper into the Meta commentary of this episode adds even more depth to this already fantastic piece. See, this entire time, the critic ponies have represented the brony fandom and the journal has represented the show, which naturally means that the mane six, who wrote the friendship journal represent, not just the writing staff but the entire Friendship is magic production crew. Hus when the mane six are literally singing “we’re not flawless”, it symbolises how the production team themselves don’t view themselves as perfect and that the very fact is something to be celebrated. The nostalgia critic says in his “Can a film be so good it’s bad?” video on YouTube that if a film is too good it can create a disconnect between its audience and the film maker, making the film less enjoyable over all, the film needs to show some cracks in its armour to show that the film was still made by humans, making it more identifiable; the same thing goes for friendship is magic. If every single episode was perfect, no animation errors, no cringe worthy writing, no out of character moments, there would be nothing to critique, nothing to praise or dismiss, but there would also be no hype as there would never be the possibility that an episode may not live up to it, we would get used to everything be perfect all the time and it would become boring very quickly. So it’s the flaws of the show, and its makers, that allow us to have fun critiquing what is done wrong but also enjoy and praise what is done spectacularly. Simply put: if there weren’t any flaws in MLP, there would be no brony fandom, no community where so many have found a sense of belonging. And besides, without any flaws in animation at least, there would be no Derpy Hooves, and I don’t want to live in a world without Derpy Hooves.

Astonishingly however, taking pride in and dealing with our flaws is not the only moral this episode presents! This is shown once the critic ponies fail to comprehend Twilight’s message and begin to argue amongst themselves, forcing the Mane six back into the castle. Here, Starlight reappears with the two Fillies that Twilight confronted at the beginning of the episode, who have now had their friendship restored thanks to the positive influence they received from the friendship journal. The two then thank the mane six for this, which causes them to calm down and respect that even though so many ponies misinterpreted their good intention, turning it into something negative, the very fact that it has had a positive impact on somepony else makes all the difference. This relates very much too real life as people can often get distorted when they have a good intention when releasing something they put a lot of hard work into out into the public and it gets rejected, however if that project has a positive impact on even  just one person the hard work is still worth it. However it also relates to the Meta commentary as it shows that the production staff are above being petty about the aggressive cries of the loud minority of a fandom that on the whole has nothing but respect for them, as if even just one person learns something about friendship or if just one person praises them for what they’ve produced, they know their hard work was worth it. I also love Flutershy’s line about how “we can’t change the way other ponies think about us, but we can change how we let it affect us”, showing just how mature the production team are, but also giving a little moral about how we just encourage more aggressive behaviour if we give those supplying it the reaction they want.

Overall, Fame and misfortune is not only one of the best episodes of season seven, but in my opinion, one of the best episodes of the entire series thus far! On the surface it provides a an excellent episode for those un aware of the brony fandom, giving lots of excellent humour in the form of superb facial expressions, stress rarity in particular, showing how far the show’s animation has progressed since its opening, as well as a superb and unique moral about taking pride in your flaws and how friendships ultimately rely on them. For those who are aware of or even a part of the brony fandom however, this episode provides excellent commentary and satire on how the production team view the common complaints that bronies have with the show, as well as showing how they know they’re not perfect and take pride in that fact. Moreover, I think it’s important to note that M.A. Larson had no ill intent towards the brony fandom with this episode, shown by how Twilight didn’t “deal” with the critic ponies at the end of the episode, letting them instead just use the journal as they will and that the fact that the journal had a positive impact on other ponies is what is really important, suggesting that Larson, and the others in the production staff, have the maturity to let others enjoy the show how they will because it’s the fact that others are taking away something positive that is really important. Besides, the moral of this episode is to celebrate are flaws and what would we be if we didn’t embrace ours to, just like it’s the flaws of two people that draw them together as friends, it’s the flaws of the brony and pegisister fandom and friendship is magic that pull us together. In conclusion, I really have nothing majorly negative to say about this episode, wow for an episode about flaws it surely didn’t have a lot of them, the only bad things could say about it would be petty nitpicks such as where was Spike during all of this? So over all this is one of the best episodes of Friendship of magic I have ever seen, and whilst I do still believe that The perfect pare is still the best episode of the season, as it is still my absolute favourite episode of the series, but this is a very close second for me personally. So what more can I say? If you haven’t already, give this perfectly imperfect episode a watch.

 10/10!

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[fapangel]

Since I first issued my dire predictions of civil violence in the not-so-distant future, I’ve been looking, exhaustively, for evidence I’m wrong. III Have you considered this angle: The traditional media's hyping that up? I mean, we know in the early/mid 60's the newspapers and cameras focused on the small number of violent protestors during anti-war protests and made them out to be the majority. If the media has no shred of integrity left, why are you looking at them for evidence of integrity?

That’s just the thing - I’m not. I’m looking at people. at the “man on the street” and in both my personal life (as in actual meatspace, not online) and in actual journalism (some people still do it, outside and inside the mainstream establishment,) I’m seeing a decidedly worrisome tone. 

We all remember “literally shaking” on Twitter the night of the election, but there were other words going around quite a bit - sick, disgusted, afraid, scared, etc. Twitter - as it’s used by the majority - gives a quick insight into the personal emotions of the people using it. (This is why PR uses that bank on the presumed intimacy - like Trump’s twitter - tend to be more successful, and more careful, sterile treatments, like the Clinton campaign that took 12 staffers and 10 drafts to compose a single tweet, typically lack traction.) Sure, us seal-clubbin neocons and tree-hugging liberals had a good giggle at the triggered snowflakes breathlessly predicting the Right Wing Gestapo emerging from the woodwork to bash the gays - but then a friend of mine told me it’d actually happened, post-election, to a friend of his, and that’s when my laughter stopped. 

As was explained to me, the LGBTQ folks feared that Trump’s election would be seen as “permission” by all the knuckledraggers, and it seems it was. So it’s time to ask yourself the question - how did the knuckledraggers get that impression to begin with? Maybe - just maybe - it had something to do with the media screaming, 24/7, for months, that Trump was literally Hitler and that he was going to oppress all the gays and Jews and Muslims and fluffy bunnies. “Of course he’s Our Guy,” the Illinois Nazis said with glee, “the entire news media keeps screaming about it!” 

Also consider that the media’s reinforcing the left wing’s narrative, which makes people on the left wing much more likely to believe it since it’s validating their own beliefs. Vox.com has an excellent article on the Russian conspiracy blitz and why it’s playing so well with Democrats, and the author is neither a Trump fan or apologist (as is abundantly clear from the article itself.) It’s worth reading entire, but this quote stands out: 

“Misinformation is much more likely to stick when it conforms with people’s preexisting beliefs, especially those connected to social groups that they’re a part of,” says Arceneaux. “In politics, that plays out (usually) through partisanship: Republicans are much more likely to believe false information that confirms their worldview, and Democrats are likely to do the opposite.”

The article accurately compares the current phenomena to the entire “birther” movement on the right - it’s the exact same psychological phenomena, so unsurprisingly you see it manifesting with human beings on both sides of the spectrum. A lot of politics falls into that category, and it’s where most of that “political common ground” I keep talking about can be found. The difference is that the Left controls the lion’s share of the communication media and in turn, our culture. Hollywood - a cultural engine if there ever was one - is extremely left wing and has been since before McCarthy’s day. The modern telecommunications and internet media, which lives and breathes in Sillicon Valley, is likewise invested in the left wing; Erich Schmidt, chairman of Alphabet (Google’s parent company,) founded a PAC to give Hillary’s campaign IT support during the election, and we all remember how the CEO of Mozilla was hurled out of office because he dared to cast a private, anti-revolutionary vote. The next time you hear leftists talking about how “de-platforming” is legitimate, remember that the leftists literally own the fucking platforms. Nobody’s gonna find your conservative site if Google de-lists it. This is the problem - both sides have their lunatics willing to swallow any shit they’re being shoveled, but only one side has a massive megaphone that’s actively colluding - complete with sticky-handed twitter high-fives - to push the same narrative across the board, and cross-validate it. 

Hilariously, the Vox author (Kevin Drum) doesn’t see it, making the article a self-demonstrating one: 

Luckily for the Democratic Party, there isn’t really a pre-built media ecosystem for amplifying this like there was for Republicans. In the absence of left-wing Limbaughs and Breitbarts, media outlets totally unconcerned with factual rigor, it’s much harder for this stuff to become mainstream.

… except he does see it, because he goes on to name some examples (and some tweets) of people chugging the kool-aid… but all of them Democratic politicians or DNC staffers who should know better, not the media itself. He’s clearly intelligent and well-balanced, he’s standing in the middle of a bullshit cyclone he knows is bullshit, but he’s only just now starting to smell the rot and he hasn’t even noticed objective journalism’s decaying corpse yet, despite standing in its ribcage. If someone like him can be so stymied, how do you think That Guy - you know, [the bitter old man |the aging hippie creep] who always [ sits on his porch yelling at birds | shuffles around Trader Joe’s in grungy sandals comparing kale prices] and blames everything on [ dat gal-dern Mooslim Obongo | the military-industrial-jew-lizardman-complex] is going to react?

Some people do actually believe this shit and they are mostly Democrats - hell, here’s a Gallup poll with the numbers if you doubt my analysis. And to re-iterate, they’re inflaming extremists on both sides of the spectrum, because the more violence antifa commits, the more the Illinois Nazis will croon “see, we were right all along!” 

The traditional mass media engaging in this shit is much, much worse than the right-wing “alternative news ecosystem,” the blogs, the talk radio hosts, infogiggles, etc. They’re all personality-based and those personalities differ and disagree (if they didn’t, how would they offer content distinct from what the others offer?) This is natural, because conservatives argue. They argue a lot. It might surprise some of you given how often the media portrays the NRA as triple Satan, but there’s gun rights groups that exist specifically because some conservatives think the NRA is too wussy. You’ve got social conservatives, business/free market conservatives, REEE TAXES conservatives, etc., and they rarely see eye to eye. Ann Coulter - the Screeching Enchantress herself - once wrote that “Republicans can’t put together a two-car funeral without writing six books denouncing each other.” 

You don’t see this on the left - not in the media, at any rate. There’s more to this than just the obvious mainstream media collusion; the back-slapping and twitterwank, although their deliberate and conscious effort plays a huge part. There’s also how the left wing thinks. 

If you’re old enough to remember the Bush years, you’ll remember how often the left would attack Rush Limbaugh - even though an entire ecosystem of conservative, national talk-radio had sprung up by then, so he was no longer The One And Only Conservative Voice In Mass Media. Liberals treated - and attacked - him as the de facto leader of the right wing, and this puzzled conservatives no end, because a pundit, however clever, is not a goddamn politician or leader. 

The left wing, however, thinks differently. Unlike classical liberalism, which is mostly concerned with balancing the inherent rights of individuals with the rights of every other individual in a social contract, the leftists (communism/socialism/etc.) focus on the  collective as the central, essential point, and move from there. This is why “virtue signalling” exists; leftists care very much about what others think of them. Emmet Rensin’s essay on smugness in liberalism, which I’ve mentioned many times, showcases it well; while describing his subject, he also illustrated the mechanisms by which it manifests - left-wing culture. Everything he described - the virtue-signalling to others that you know the correct facts, the knowing, even the “Eye roll, crying emoji, forward to John Oliver for sick burns,“ exemplifies it. This Mother Jones writer’s reaction to his piece has a telling line: 

“I’ve long since gotten tired of the endless reposting of John Oliver’s "amazing,” “perfect,” “mic drop” destruction of whatever topic he takes on this week.”

They key here is John Oliver. When leftists look at Rush Limbaugh, they see a conservative John Oliver - in short, a demagogue. Demagogues and cults of personality have always been of prime importance with the left wing - remember how Obama was lionized by the left during his first campaign? To say nothing of the Kennedy’s being immortalized as “Camelot.” Yes, conservatives liked Reagan a whole lot, but we don’t vote in entire fucking royal dynasties, which is why Low-Energy Jeb is cooling his heels right now. And these demagogues, you’ll note, are all on the same page when it comes to ripping into conservatives… and their epic, wicked put-downs then become The Big Joke that the left wing retweets and reblogs and parrots to each other ad nauseum. Remember Tina Fey’s mockery of the only working mother leftists have ever despised? I’ve seen people on facebook quote “I can see Russia from my house” fully believing that Sarah Palin herself said it - the Tina Fey skit is the reality, for them. Truth is lost around the twentieth re-tweet, or so. 

And these “comedians” - in truth, pundits and opinion columnists - base their jokes on whatever quote-unquote “revelations” aired in the mainstream media’s news broadcasts that morning. 

If you’ve ever noticed how quickly a new catchphrase or word gets onto every leftist’s lips - like “fake news” - this is how it’s done. It’s not just the mass media moving in lockstep co-ordination to get the message out; it’s how the phrases become the newest “in-thing” with the entire leftist culture, that then get bandied about in the social sphere, on and off-line. After the cruise missile strike on Syria, I watched, on /pol/ alone, about thirty different varying interpretations, everything from “Assad and Putin are unironically heroes shove omfg I love facism Trump why u blow them up” to “I HOPE HE DROPS A MOAB ON RUSSIA NEXT FUCK THE REDS NUCLEAR WAR NOW” to a bunch of “he’s really playing 64 dimensional chess check this shit just you wait” that covered everything in-between. And that’s just on /pol/, which is so full of bullshit and jokes they literally made a fucking containment board for the containment board - called /bantz/. You don’t see this in the leftist blogosphere - the opinions all align the same way and vary only in magnitude of gibbering lunacy. And the John Oliver quotes don’t just define the conversation, they define the fucking language - for instance, “Drumpf.” 

Do not, for one second, think that the media doesn’t know how all this shit works. They may be delusional, but they don’t control and run vast media empires because they’re stupid. And a lot of them have been at this for a long, long time. 

[harmoniachan]

Happenings

Hello All!

It seems that a series of completely unprecedented events, from me falling down half a flight of stairs to another segment of existential angst, has left me not posting a journal entry for more than 4 godforsaken months, huh? But just because I’ve had a spring tide’s worth of IRL distractions doesn't mean that I haven't been working on Wayward Skies in the meantime. As a matter of fact, I’ve been changing little bits and pieces of the story in order for certain points to work better. Here’s a list of things I’ve changed:

1. For the first few chapters, Renee has almost no speaking lines, with most of her insights being her thoughts. I did this because a. Renee can only speak Atlian, a weird Romantic-esque gibberish (think Portuguese, French, and a sprinkle of Russian-sounding words) and... b. Lines get a chance to be more “to the heart”. Ren speaks her first words in English while scolding Milton. It’ll be hilarious when it happens. 2. Emily, Honors kids, and the group of older teens are going to play less of a part than what I had initially planned for them. Emily is now more or less a prop for Renee’s growing paranoia right before The Atlian Invasion. 3. I'm going to put a lot more focus on the political climate of Atlas Flats and the events that cause the entire city to break down. Atlian officials consider Ciophase as an example of the philosopher king (or in this case, queen) idea once prophesied by 🅱️lato, a mystical figure believed to have lived in Atlas Flats for a while. 4. Although Milton is his own character with his own story to go along with, I want him to be somewhat relatable to the type of kid whose on the cusp of becoming a /pol/ack. Not to say that he is going to be radicalized, but he would more likely than not say things that might fall out of line with his peers (Not MAGA, but not 14 words either). Lord forbid the day when I accidentally make him fit into the mold of that godawful “doomer” meme.

That’s pretty much what I have for now. I’ll try to get back into the swing of things once I finish a very special poem for a very special person, which I’ll have done in around a week or two.

[sciwriteblog-blog]

                                     CHRISTMAS 2016 LETTER

I just read over last year’s Christmas missive, the letter at least one of you didn’t receive in the mail until March.  When I first got word that some of you hadn’t gotten your letter, I walked to the Berkeley Post Office, one of the few U.S. Postal Service offices with a permanent street-person encampment reminiscent of the Occupy Wall Street camp ins of 2011.  The so encamped were protesting the planned closure of the Central Berkeley Post Office even though most of the protesters have no permanent address so don’t the don’t get mail and can’t afford a post office box either.  

Once I got past the encampment and into the lobby, I talked to a certified U.S. Postal Service clerk, who said he and his fellow staff have one billion mail pieces to deliver before Christmas and can’t be expected to get all of them right.  I considered switching my voter registration to Republican, but held off.

Think of it, there are 324 million souls in the U.S.  That’s only three pieces of mail for every man, woman, and child in the country. Surely, the Postal Service can do better than that; with 617,254 employees in 2015 according to Wikipedia, that’s 1,620 pieces of mail per employee.  Seems like a lot, but machines do some of the work, is the post office forbidden from using labor-saving devices?

So this letter is something of a crap shoot.  Might get there might not.

In 2015, after wasting most of a year writing a proposal for which the data in hand would not support the envisioned analyses, I decided to try my hand at writing.  I had already written about drought in the West, and 40,000 words of a memoir mostly about my epic medical problems.  Publishers limit a first memoir to 80,000-90,000 words, and I was going to exceed that.  But I didn’t really like what I had written and didn’t like writing it.  Maybe some day, but not now, and done much differently. I was looking over the courses UC Berkeley Extension offered in Spring last year and ran across Science Writing, mostly by accident.  I signed up. Like most UC extension courses, it was a lot of work, but worth it.  Jennifer Huber, a physics Ph.D, taught the course.  She had worked at UCSF in imaging; probably living in the soft money world of grant-to-grant funding where I worked for 18 years.  She has been writing for 10 or more years now and has it all up on a web site.  She was a tough grader and superb editor.  I had to shed my technical writing style for something more compelling to the educated lay reader.

 She liked my final project, “Climate Change, Climate Cycles and the Syrian Civil War,” and suggesting “pitching” it to a publisher.  That was in the first week of June.  I thought I needed to establish that climate is in fact related to civil war before writing about a single example of climate actually causing civil strife.  That was a big mistake.  Six months later, I’m still polishing the article, having stumbled into an academic controversy that got into the press.  Does climate cause civil war?  Not climate change, though the topic has obvious relevance for that inevitability, but just normal variation, which can at times be extreme; think of the 1930s Dust Bowl.  A group of UC, Berkeley economists says, “yes;” a group of European political scientists says, “no.” I’m still undecided despite plowing through many journal articles.

I’ve spent more time on this than on any writing task since my dissertation, often going far astray into topics like Bayesian statistics.  Lesson: Keep it simple.  It’s already complicated enough and the average intelligent reader isn’t interested in esoterica.  Most science articles for the non-specialist are about one journal article; I’ve read scores plus additional textbook material for this article, enough to write a book, though I never intended to do that.  I have one set of notes that’s 76 single-spaced pages long, mostly copy and paste material from various articles, but also my “ideas.”  I never looked at it again after building the thing up.  There are other sets of notes not so epically long.  Didn’t look at those either.  Regardless of the notes, at some point, I’ll try to market what I have. Selling is not my strong suit.  Tune in again next year.

A little more substantively, let’s see if I can discuss this earth-shattering election without stepping on toes.  

Almost every pollster, forecaster, and pundit got it wrong.  Probably no one was more surprised by this than Donald Trump.  Maureen Dowd in the Times had it right:  Trump never really wanted to be president.  At one point Trump seemed more interested in a media enterprise involving himself, Steve Bannon of Breitbart News, and Roger Ailes, late of Fox News until scandalized from his lofty perch there.  Hilary was a professional politician: first lady, senator, 2008 presidential candidate, Secretary of State, no media ambitions.  

I often thought last summer, this lady can’t give us one good reason why she wants to be president other than to just have the job.  In the California primary, I voted for Sanders to register a protest.  If Joe Biden didn’t have a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease, and wasn’t 76 years old, I think he would have won because he had blue collar appeal.  How good at handling the presidency, I don’t know.

Maureen Dowd, a Times columnist, had the following to say about Hilary and her flaws as a candidate:

“Hillary’s campaign message boiled down to “’It’s my turn, dammit.’”

“Hillary should have spent less time collecting money on Wall Street and more time collecting votes in Wisconsin.”

“As she cuddled up to Wall Street, Hillary forgot about the forgotten man — and woman.”

FDR coined the phrase the “forgotten man” in the 30s, championed their cause, and made them loyal Democrats.  Nixon stole them from the Democrats, largely over race and campus protest, and called them the “Silent Majority.”  Under Reagan, the media called them “Reagan Democrats.”  In elections going back to Reagan, the forgotten man voted against their own working class interests by supporting Republicans who then enacted policies favoring the upper classes every time despite their base of solid blue-collar support; think “trickle down,” that is, tax cuts for those who need the money least, the rich.

The Democrats either forgot about the forgotten man or ignored him.  Bill Clinton told his wife to campaign for working class white voters, but she wasn’t interested in “The Deplorables.”  Hilary blames her loss on Putin’s meddling and FBI Director Comey’s pseudo-revelations about her private server two weeks before election day.  This is small ball and misses the larger point of the Brexit vote and Trump’s win: Many people have been hurt by globalization, they are just out of sight to the rich and powerful beneficiaries of the global economy.  These are mostly big city dwellers on either coast, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, etc., and includes the Wall Street bankers Dowd notes above and whom Hilary charged a quarter million per speech to hear about the glowing future the global economy has in store for them.  The forgotten man was forgotten until November 8th.

But it should be kept in mind amidst all the talk of white backlash, populism, the Alt-Right, etc., that only once since WW II have voters stayed with one party for three terms. That was the first Bush (G. H. W. Bush) who served Reagan’s third term; Bill Clinton turned him out after a single term.  People want a change after eight years of one party rule, and if you’ve lost your high-wage manufacturing job under the Democrats, you’re going to vote Republican even if the corporation that off-shored your job to China or Mexico is run by Republicans.  

Given that automation took most of those jobs, or as Thomas Friedman put it, “You didn’t lose your job to a Mexican, but to a micro-chip,” Trump can’t deliver on his promise to bring back manufacturing jobs, the Carrier deal notwithstanding.  But he might deliver on infrastructure, and this would be a good thing if done right. The country’s roads, bridges, ports and grid are in bad shape.

The nation needs to spend at least $3.6 trillion according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.  Rebuilding America would bring back jobs to some, but not all.  Tax cuts of any kind will be more fiscal stimulus; no wonder the stock market has reversed its view on Trump and set off the recent upward spike. With the stimulus will come inflation, higher interest rates, and eventually some sort of crash or cool down. But it might get Trump re-elected if he doesn’t blow up the world in a Twitter-feed temper tantrum.  

Stay tuned.  It promises to be a wild ride.

Happy New Year,

Fred

 One thing you must know: There will be a total eclipse of the sun on August 21.  Here is a website with many maps for all to consider:

 http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/maps.htm

 For those of you in Washington and Oregon, the arc of totality will cross I-5 just south of Salem, Oregon. For those in Idaho, Idaho Falls is near the center of the band of totality, which then clips the southern bulge of Grand Teton National Park.   If I lived nearer, I wouldn’t miss it, but my present state doesn’t permit getting much closer than downtown Berkeley.

[emarkly-blog]

The 21 Greatest Marketing Articles to Read for 2017

Oscar Wilde was a guy that is humorous.

Poet, the prolific writer, and satirist penned some genuinely insightful works of drama and comedy that survive to this day. Titles like The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Grey are true classics. Wilde is remembered as a brassy and hilarious individual with mind.

My favourite thing that he ever wrote was this: "Fashion is the only kind of ugliness so intolerable we have to change it every six months."

As a marketer, I sometimes believe we ride a wave of trends, fashions to speak, then pass away and that flare up. And like styles, being on the wrong side of a fashion is being out of the loop. As marketers, we can't ignore trends, however passing they might be.

We have to pay attention. Why? Trends can evolve and shape our advertising culture before we know it.

That said, here is the 21 best advertising articles to read for 2017. I have pulled these blog posts from my personal marketing library to ensure that you don't end up on the ugly (unknowing) facet of advertising trends in the coming year.

By appearing into the future, I will start us off. This lengthy SmartInsights post have an in-depth look in the big-time digital marketing and advertising trends of 2017. Expect heaps of data and predictions. That is a meaty, approach that is valuable to begin planning.

#2 -- 7 Big Brand Social Media Strategies for Smaller Businesses

Dara Fontein from Hootsuite utilizes seven consecutive examples to show readers precisely how to excel in the modern social media landscape. Covering all the platforms, this read is a great resource for certain tactics and strategies for your business -- of any shape or size.

#3 -- The 23 Things to Consider When Creating Video Content Into video we turn for storytelling in 2017. For participation and pull, nothing surpasses a image, but video is not without challenges. Author Jodi Harris looks at the best practices around the movie boom and how to make the most of your campaign ROI.

#4 -- The Way to Dominate Content Marketing with Machine Learning Tools

Amanda Chiu from JeffBullas.com divides readers into one of their greatest marketing tendencies of 2017 -- machine learning. New technologies are introduced by the author and how to use these within a content marketing strategy. This is a good place to start, if you have not considered the ramifications of robots doing some of your work for you.

Why not learn from the finest, asks Courtney Seiter of Buffer. This listicle is a swipe file of advertising tactics that are aspiration, from media to you need authentic live-video plays to trends in content promotion. This piece will provide you a lot of ideas, people to follow along, and inspiration to your own campaigns.

#6 -- 10 Free Online Advertising Tools Every Small Business Owner Needs If you're looking to enhance your SEO at 2017 -- for the purchase price of in your house -- look no further. Other search engine optimization handiness, content analysis, crawl tools, topic ideas, along with Keyword research are available in this particular post. At the cost of a hand-out, this really is amazing for small businesses.

Employing a fun Star Wars event during, Gianluca Fiorelli from MOZ supplies a significant exposé on the current state of the search engine optimization galaxy. Proving a dose of background with a heap of useful analysis, the writer takes the padawan SEO learner and even SEO Jedi Knights through an exhaustive and informative tour de force of this search engine optimization skillset. Do not overlook this uncommonly easily-enjoyed and valuable read on a topic.

#8 -- 50 Best Content Advertising Influencers to Follow Marketing won't be going anywhere in 2017. That is, it will not going anywhere but up. This TopRankBlog post gives a healthy serving of industry leaders to follow in the future of content marketing. Content marketing is predicted to secure more visual in the year -- but that should not stop you from reading this article and being read in the coming year.

#9 -- 9 Social Media Marketing Trends That Could Make or Break Your Business in 2017

Lee Odden starts by reminding us, "The most significant thing about social media marketing isn't always the tech. It is the people." He then proceeds to delve into the way that customer usage will evolve and join in the coming year with tech trends. Covering ideas such as social chat bots to dark societal, Odden paints a vibrant picture through how users, brands, and societal platforms will interact best in 2017.

#10 -- Creating the Right Marketing Mix (Source)

Moz mastermind Rand Fishkin wades through funnel challenges with readers (and audiences) during this Whiteboard Friday post. Fishkin presents questions regarding sources allocation and ROI, answering that info is frequently the answer. Read this article and audit your promotion budget for 2017.

#11 -- The 7 Essential Google Analytics Reports Every Marketer Must Know Marketing is all about error, demo, and knowing whether your efforts are translating into outcomes. And we're all eager to talk about how important information is, yet how many of us know our ways? Writer Khalid Saleh makes marketers aren't being information dilatantes with this revealing and significant overview of aspects of a hard interface, even for the most seasoned marketers. He covers articles efficiencies, mobile reports, traffic reports, and much more in this exact digestible walk-through of Google Anayltics.

#12 -- 12 Bad Habits Which Are Making You Less Productive (Source)

I had to take a while about to discuss, well, you. Yes my dear reader, this post is not all about strategies and strategy for business. Referral SaaSquatch would like you to live a full, rewarding life that is free of stress and wasted time. So dip your feet into this Hubspot article on how to be your very best self -- and operate for this.

#13 -- Everything the Tech World Says About Marketing Is Wrong (Source)

The scathing Dan Lyons bit on startup civilization is outlined by TC"s Samuel Scott within an incisive piece that fires a shot across the bow of the modern marketer. Keen debunk the phoniness that some entrepreneurs seem to thrive on and to call the buzzword fanaticism out. In a lucid, interesting manner the author rails against the thoughts of inbound, content, and direct advertising as fresh and improving notions we can scale and manipulate. His thoughts? Back to basics, a 2017 advertising trend to be certain.

#14 -- How Facebook's News Feed Works, As Explained By Facebook Ever wonder what's going on beneath that hood ornament that is electronic? Well, if you are a true digital advertising mechanic you will appreciate knowing what's driving the definitive social media engine of our era. Gather ye' insights and profit!

#15 -- 20 Social Media Tools & Tips From the Pros Lisa Jenkins out of Social Media Examiner gathered a package of goodness for people excited to maximize all things social this season. Best practices for Facebook movie, expanding your reach with Pinterest audience targeting to boost quality for podcast -- that is merely a flavor of some fine-point advice for your digital advertising and marketing efforts .

#16 -- Mobile Internet vs Mobile Apps: Where Should You Invest Your Marketing Mobile is a hot subject in the realm of digital marketing 2017. The way to best impact a mobile strategy gets a going-over from Rand Fishkin of Moz as he covers the place where to shell out for mobile optimization and reach. He comes back with some insights and weighs customer retention and engagement from ROI.

#17 -- 4 Uncommon Ways to Nurture Leads with Personalization Personalization will be relevant for marketers in 2017. Rohan Ayyar breaks down how your manufacturer can take the initiative to provide consumer with a more enjoyable UX and repeatable manufacturer encounter.

#18 -- The Way to Construct Amazing Personalized Influencer Marketing Campaigns Can you and all the forces of personalization combine the powers of influencers? Well, start by reading this Search Engine Journal article. She looks at the way your brand can effectively utilize customer-centric messaging to really amplify your influencer marketing approaches. Do not miss this!

#19 -- A Video Advertising Guide to Developing Epic Content on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and much more (Source)

Video marketing is rockin' in the networking world that is social. Digital advertising in 2017 will watch streaming video burst even more than a year ago, soBuffer takes a big picture look at the way your brand can succeed in driving traffic, netting engagement, and fostering revenues through video this season.

#20 -- 51 Referral Program Cases of 2016 It is helpful to follow the leaders, when diving into referral advertising. This informative article showcases how brands exemplify the benefits of referral programs, providing readers with the insights necessary to drive referral earnings. Read here today for heaps of proven approaches and winning strategies you may take home today.

#21 -- The Way Google Analytics Ruined Marketing Samuel Scott was on fire this year! The TechCrunch author brings another marketing believe piece that begs the question: where could we be with our numbers to us -- and would it be better? Part indictment at a creative manner, part history lesson this bit is of civilization.

The Last Chapter Whether or not you prefer literature or follow trend, overlooking marketing tendencies could prove catastrophic. Fortunately, everything you will need to do is always to optimize your brand for conversions, engagement, and customer retention.

These 21 articles might have been somewhat too timely for Oscar Wilde, but they will serve us just fine. As we marketers look to the coming year, we anticipate to emphasize personalization, visual marketing, AI, along with other recent trends while adding new chapters to the classic strategies.

Question is: Can you use this info to make a brand worth reading to this season?

[vileart]

Sara Juli’s Tense Dramaturgy: an actual diagnosis @ Edfringe 2017

Sara Juli’s Tense Vagina: an actual diagnosis

Underbelly Cowgate (Iron Belly), 66 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1JX Thursday 3rd – Sunday 27th August 2017 (not 9th, 14th, 21st), 16:10

Sara Juli’s Tense Vagina: an actual diagnosis is about motherhood - its beauty, challenges, isolation, comedy and influence on the human experience.

Using humour, movement, sounds, songs, text and the audience, this show seeks to reveal ‘all that is awesome and all that sucks’ when it comes to being a mother.

Tense Vagina focuses on the seldom-discussed and taboo aspects of motherhood, such as loss of bladder control, libido, tears, monotony, loneliness and dildos.

The narrative is anchored in sharing the physical therapy Sara received at The Pelvic Floor Rehab Center of New England for her treatment of post-childbirth urinary incontinence.

What was the inspiration for this performance?

My work has always been about sharing personal stories with the public. These stories run concurrently with my life.  They are my outlet for how I deal with problems that keep me up at night, but that simultaneously connect me to the rest of the planet.  

Anything that is plaguing me is bothering millions of others at any given time.  For example, in my twenties, I created and performed a solo called, How to Forgive Yourself in Bed about reconciling my promiscuous behaviour. Years later I made a piece titled, The Money Conversation about my fears around money as I began to combine my finances with my new husband. These topics, promiscuity and money issues, to name two, are universal.  Tense Vagina: an actual diagnosis simply addresses the next chapter in my life: being a mother to two young kids: the sacrifice, the adoration, and the fact that your body and mind take a real toll. The piece pretty much wrote itself, in my small NY City apartment, when I was attached to a hospital-grade breast pump and couldn’t move.

Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas? 

Absolutely. I’m a firm believer in the power of live performance, mainly because I have been so fortunate to experience its power to transform lives.  I use humour in all of my works, and while I love making people laugh, it’s about something more. It’s about using humour as a portal to discuss taboo topics.  

It’s about peeling back a layer and exposing what’s underneath. It’s about having an audience member sit with you, in a sacred space for a period of time, and experience something, outside of themselves that allows them the opportunity to leave their day to day brains and think about something personal - something they are struggling with, perhaps related to the performance topic, or not. 

Either way, the opportunity for personal reflection is there (which to me, IS a form of public discussion since everyone is accessing those thoughts at the same time, in the same space). Ultimately, it’s absolute magic, a scenario that rarely presents itself outside the realm of bringing people together publicly to share art in a meaningful way.

How did you become interested in making performance?

I have always loved having eyes on me. When I was little, I used to knock on the door of every house in my neighbourhood, with my boom box in-hand, and ask each person if I could dance for them in their front yard. 

My parents signed me up for a creative movement dance class and I’ve never looked back.  I like to tell people that I have danced every day since I was three years old. Fast forward to my senior year of college when I took an intensive performance workshop with the Judson-era choreographer and performer, Deborah Hay. She taught me about the magic of performance and, in doing so, opened-up my use of voice, text, sound, and song in a way that totally expanded my dancing. It was explosive.

Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?

I usually wait until a topic finds me.  Since my performances run concurrently with my life, there are always present struggles, which become the material from which to source ideas. However, I usually wait until a particular topic has become so distracting or overwhelming that the only way to move past it is to create a piece around it. I can often track how hot the topic is based on how I often I’m speaking about it to my therapist. I suppose if I ever felt like I didn’t need to see my therapist anymore - what would my works be about? 

Once I nail down the topic, I then journal about it until I can’t see straight. After that, I’m ready to go to the studio and create.

For Tense Vagina: an actual diagnosis, I pretty much made the entire piece in my head, while being attached to a breast pump or sitting on my toilet in my small NYC bathroom. I couldn’t find any time or space to go to the rehearsal studio since I was working and raising two kids, so I would periodically write down hilarious phrases my kids said, experiences that happened, feelings that surfaced. And then there were the tears - so many tears (on my part) so I wrote that down too. 

When I finally moved out of NYC (after 15 years) and found a place (and actual time) to rehearse, the piece poured out of me in several hours. And then while making the piece, I found the courage (and time) to seek treatment for the post-childbirth urinary incontinence I was quietly experiencing.  At my first appointment at the Pelvic Floor Rehab Center of New England, my new physical therapist put her hand in my vagina and diagnosed me with a “tense vagina”. That was it. Piece done! 

Does the show fit with your usual productions?

Yes, it does, however this is the first time I’m using so many damn props! I used to pride myself on being a “low-maintenance” performer in that I could just show up and do my thing. That’s certainly not the case with this show - although I do believe that all of the components of this piece act to deepen the audience experience.

What do you hope that the audience will experience?

I want the audience to reflect upon at least one of several topics: 1) their own vagina, 2) someone else’s vagina (although I’m noting that thinking about your mom’s vagina is way too weird, I’m more referring to your partner’s vagina, if appropriate) 3) post-partum depression 4) depression that is not post-partum, but that can just happen 5) laughter - I want them to laugh so hard they pee in their pants 6) after they pee in their pants, I want them to know they have options to seek treatment for having just peed in their pants 7) bravery - you can be brave when it comes to getting the help you need for your own body 8) access - I would like them to use the time and the laughter during and/or after the performance to reflect upon any of these personal ideas, and relate it to themselves.

What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?

Strategies? Hmm. I do always want the audience to have a great time at my shows while highlighting something deeper underneath. I always have some sort of audience interaction, as I want the audience to be involved. I don’t like the idea of people sitting and solely watching, but rather watching and engaging somehow. I leave the lights on during the show so that I can see everyone - I like holding us all accountable for being in a shared space. 

No fourth wall. One time, there was a person eating a sandwich while I was performing. I do some stand-up monologues in the show, so of course I did a riff on this person eating this huge sandwich. Oh - speaking of which - I also give the audiences snacks during the show.  Snacks are a must, but a sandwich - now that’s hilarious.

 Sara Juli comments: I have discovered that Tense Vagina: an actual diagnosis resonates with universal audiences, both men and women alike. Older women love to share their personal vagina stories with me after the show. Men think about their mother's differently. Others have thanked me for providing them with the courage and the humour to pursue their own care. Younger woman have commented that my show was the best birth control ever!

This is a poignant and hilarious feminist work, empowering women to think about their lady parts while highlighting the underbelly of motherhood. This show is perfect for anyone who has a mother. Arrive prepared to pee in your pants from laughter.

from the vileblog http://ift.tt/2rhynEQ

[chandlermovestomichigan]

Spring 2017- The Semester So Far

I started writing this post back in February. And then I lost it because I couldn't remember what app I wrote it in. So yea, this is a pretty late time in the semester for a "mid-semester review," and may end up being more of a final overview. I'm okay with that.

In some ways, it feels like I'm still getting into the swing of things, so it can be hard to believe that I've been here for a month already (at least, I had in February). In other ways, it's like I never left.

Classes Overview: Renaissance - Dr. Gaetano It's a good thing that Dr. Gaetano warned us about all the reading we would have for this class, because yea, it's a lot of reading. But it's all good stuff. We started the course talking mostly about understandings of the Middle Ages, and now we've been focusing on writings on education. I guess the question of what makes up a good education has been on my mind a lot lately, so it's good for me to think about it in the scholastic/humanistic contexts. And, of course, I love history, and I like studying how people thought.

Intro to Journalism II - Mrs. Servold This is just like Intro to Journalism I but better. The focus is on feature and opinion writing. I like both of these better than news reporting, because even though interviews and research can be fun, I'm getting tired of the strict formulaic writing that comes with it. Features and op-eds are much more fun, and we've read some pretty great examples so far. This was the only midterm I've ever gotten higher than 100% on, which is just another reason I like this class.

Intro to Psychology - Dr. McArthur I signed up for this class last semester and dropped it after about a week because it was so much reading. Which it is. Most of it is pretty easy to understand, though. We recently (in February) finished the Biology section, which I'm glad about because I have a really hard time remembering that stuff. Much of my time on this class has been dedicated to a group project. We were supposed to present last week, but hadn't actually done our experiment yet. That's mostly due to my professor's inability to respond to emails in a timely manner, so luckily she doesn't mind us presenting late. The plan now is to do the experiments this week and present on Thursday, so I'll have to let you know how that goes. It's frustrating that it's taking so long, so it will be good to have it over. UPDATE: we finally did the experiment and it was super fun. We went to the preschool to test children's understanding of conservation. So for instance, I had two identical glasses with equal amounts of water, but once I poured one into a beaker, the kids thought the beaker suddenly had more water. Silly children. They don't understand that just because something changes shape doesn't mean it changes mass. Adorable.

US & the World Since WWII - Dr. Moreno It's hard to say exactly what I think of this class. We're covering a lot of material without going very in-depth, which you pretty much have to do to cover so many events in one semester. So I think I'm learning, but I feel like I could be learning better. Part of that is from putting off reading in order to focus on an upcoming paper (and other homework), so I'll be able to get on that next week. UPDATE: I've now had two papers in this class and I felt good about both of them. The first was on Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care, and the second was LBJ's Howard Commencement Address. We don't choose our own topics, which is unusual, but it's worked out.

January highlights:

My dorm, Mauck, was redecorated over the summer/fall! And it's lovely. My room is big and blue and adorable. It's nice to have such a fancy dorm with air conditioning and all kinds of important things.

The improv group "Broadway's Next Hit Musical" came to Hillsdale and performed songs based on audience suggestions, one of which turned into a full musical. It was hilarious. They really did their research, too, and made some very Hillsdale-specific jokes (i.e. "Hillsdating), which added to the charm.

I started taking voice lessons (in addition to guitar still) for the first time since second semester freshman year. I'm really enjoying it! I have the same teacher, Kristi Matson, who I had before, and I like her a lot. I had this "irrational" fear beforehand that she'd try to convince me I'm actually a soprano instead of an alto like I've always sung, which turned out to be a perfectly rational fear. But I'm liking those high notes much more than I thought I would.

A friend approached me over Christmas break about helping him edit/upload online-only pieces for the Collegian website, so I started doing that. The section is called Study Break, and we cover a range of topics, from op-eds to fun listicles or other features. I really like editing! And it's good to know the ropes of the website.

February highlights:

I started a radio show! Well, my friend Sarah Schutte asked me if I was interested in co-hosting a show with her about the history of Hillsdale College, and obviously heck yes I was. Now, we record two three-and-a-half minute clips a week with fun facts and anecdotes. You can hear episodes of "Wait, What Happened?" on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM (also SoundCloud).

I met a Hillsdale alumna named Joy Pullmann, who is both an editor at The Federalist and a homeschool mom, so basically who I plan to grow up to be. Which I told her, and then she asked if I wanted to write for her. Which obviously heck yes I did. Here is a piece I sent her!

Somehow, I wrote in my planner that I had a midterm on February 9. Felt very unprepared. Realized 30 min before that it was on March 9. Relief.

Every year, the ladies of SAI call people and perform "Singing Valentines" around Feb. 14. It's always a good time. Sometimes people request really weird songs, which adds to the bizarreness of the whole situation. I called my mom and we sang "My Heart Will Go On," which apparently my dad wasn't thrilled with because she kept singing it all day.

I got an email from George Angell of the theatre department asking if I was planning to audition for the upcoming play he was directing. I wasn't, but he said he had me in mind for the female lead. All year, I’ve had this idea that if someone specifically asked me to audition for a play, and wanted me for a challenging role, then I'd do it. So that's what happened! Now I'm playing Doctor Mathilde von Zahnd in Durrenmatt's The Physicists. It's quite a show. I'll have to write a whole post about it later, for fear of spoilers. We open on Wednesday!

I went to Jilly Beans- this cute little coffee shop in town- with friends to celebrate my 22nd birthday! It was a lovely time.

My friend Sarah and I decided to pick up a little (as in, little sister) together in SAI. Unfortunately, the girl we chose ended up deciding not to join after all, which was a bummer. But, there's still next semester.

March highlights:

Mom and dad came for Parent's Weekend! Normally, they come in the fall, but my mom wasn't able to take work off. They got to see the new Mauck, meet our professors, and hang out with us. Mom ended up sticking around a few extra days and visiting classical schools, then she and I flew home together for spring break.

We all saw the musical "Kiss Me, Kate" that the theatre department performed. It was very cute and super well done.

We also saw paintings by Winston Churchill on display in Sage.

Hillsdale went on lockdown after a former student called in a threat. It was a little scary, but no one ended up being in danger. The student was caught that same afternoon. Certainly a strange experience.

We had SAI formal in the Mauck Solarium. I took my friend Noah. It was really fun! We mostly played card games and Bananagrams. And experienced a modern day photobooth- a selfie stick and props.

April highlights:

I attended Opera Workshop. The show consisted of different songs from various operas all centering around madness and death. It was really good, though pretty long.

I wrote an op-ed on why Hillsdale students should read up on the history of the college.

The SAI concert! It was fantastic! At least, I think so. Here’s a full video. and here is where I am: Blue Skies Fairest Lord Jesus Depreston (solo) thank you Dani and Giannina! Touch the Sky Another day of Sun (solo)

I went to Chicago with some students and professors from the History department. I'd never been before, and it was really cool! I mostly stayed with my friends Mary and Patience from SAI, and we wandered the Field Museum, the Navy Pier, and other cool historic spots.

The theatre honorary (APO) had an initiation, which was theatrical as always. I now have an APO little- my friend Jonathan Henreckson. His girlfriend is my APO big, Elena Creed, and together they consider themselves Regan's parents. So we have a bizarre little family situation going on.

I stayed on campus this Easter, which I somehow didn't realize was an option until this year. It ended up being a great call. I got some work done, got to relax, and went to my home church here (Countryside) with Regan and Matthew.

I'm sitting in a brand-new coffee shop called Rough Draft. It's charming and the coffee is very good. I plan to spend lots more time here.

Looking forward:

It's hard to believe the semester is almost over. Finals week will be here before I know it.

Right in the middle of finals week is the performance of Shakespeare in the Arb's Taming of the Shrew. I joined the crew last semester as the graphic designer, and somehow found myself with two small roles as well. I think it will be a good show. We've certainly put a lot of work into it.

In my penultimate semester, I will be taking:

Constitutional Convention – Rahe

Ancient Rome – Calvert

Biology (Human) – Johnson

Philosophy of Education – Beier

Voice – Matson

And of course, more writing for the Collegian.

I don't actually believe that I only have two more semesters. Maybe it will hit me soon.

[kvorn001-blog]

Remember When Popularity Was Cool? Now It’s Just Work.

This article is about the trends of popularity in social media and people who participate in it. The journalist uses a very sarcastic and jaded tone, which is actually pretty hilarious. She talks about how in the good old days, popularity was something that was only discussed behind closed doors, not paraded around and used as a social power tool. She believes that Social Media has made popularity boring. On Facebook, there are algorithms that calculate what exactly is popular, and thus trends. She states that, “For a while, “popular on social media” was an oxymoron — anyone who cared enough to build a “following” online was, by definition, a loser in real life. “. She now argues that the two have merged together. Populars and populars online. Creating one, super, Popular. At parties, adults are engaging in the most outlandish behavior just to get in a group photo. Back in the day, it was cool to just have your picture taken, not beg to in one. There is also a problem when it comes to restaurants and businesses getting social media attention. For example, a Sushi restaurant with only 2 stars that has been reviewed only a few times, won’t get much business because of its rating, but could actually be a good restaurant. It just came encountered a few jerks who didn't even like sushi in the first place. But the person looking up good sushi restaurants, will right this one off because of its lonely two star rating. 

The author hit the nail right on the head with this piece. If I remember one thing about high school, it was the absolute jerk faces who used social media and popularity to their evil advantage. If you didn’t get as many likes as them online, they would act like you simply did not exist. These guys were real a**holes. They created their own vsco account (photo sharing account that you can also write journals on.) Anyways, this group of guys, whom they deemed themselves as the “Juevos” (Juevos means eggs in Spanish, nicknamed after they egged my house during Junior year), wrote short stories about different girls in our grade, and they just trashed them. Not only this, but they also have private twitter accounts where they would talk more trash about everyone. They were true bullies at my high school, but the dean of students refused to do anything about it, because they were on the lacrosse team. Im digressing, but I would consider these guys anything BUT cool. It was crazy how just because they got a certain amount of likes online, they were considered godly and above everyone else. They were invited to your parties without even asking, but you were forbidden to go to their parties. It was that kind of dynamic, and it still goes on today. 

http://nymag.com/thecut/2017/04/social-media-made-popularity-boring.html

[lb492mediaknowledgepower]

Journal 10 - Everything you need to know...

Journal 10 - Emma Talbot

The main goal of this article seems to be to help the reader and any interested parties in identifying and understanding sponsored content. At the end of the article, Pollitt is quoted saying “consider this post to be your definitive guide to sponsored content. What I found most interesting is where Pollitt gives examples of a previous study examining the human eye response to banner articles on a web page. The study was conducted by Nielsen Norman Groups in 2007 and tracked the eyes of people as they read through web pages. The results were very interesting. They showed that as people read the articles, their eyes followed the page and they spent the most time focusing on the text and little to no time spent was looking at the banner articles. Based on the results of this study, it is clear that the banner method of advertising simply wasn’t working. Brands needed to come up with a better way to get their products out there and make themselves more visible.

Another piece of this study that I found incredibly interesting and also quite helpful in interpreting the article is the John Oliver piece that the author has embedded. Oliver uses tools such as satire and comedic relief to make his point about native advertising which I found hilarious and helpful! My favorite example that he uses is the orange is the new black piece. It is a New York Times advertisement for the Netflix television series “Orange is the New Black.” The advertisement is included in such a way as to make it appear that it is just another news article when in reality it is Netflix advertising their television show. It is so brilliantly embedded with the title “Women Inmates: Why the Male Model Doesn’t Work,” that of course the unsuspecting browser would unknowingly click on it and be taken to a new site.  Oliver is absolutely right when he says that it is frequently impossible to tell the difference between native advertisements and actual authentic website content.

In light of this particular reading I will now be much more on the lookout for native advertising. I learned that advertising on the internet simply has no rules. The online advertising industry is simply a free for all desperately seeking after their viewers’ attention. I will now be much more aware of advertising ploys and I will likely feel slightly betrayed when I notice these advertising methods on some of my favorite websites.

1.      I wasn’t sure what he meant by “sponsored article pricing.” Did he mean how much to charge companies for sponsoring and article?

2.      So what are the next steps and how can we as consumers help disable native advertisements from consuming the internet?