#language creation conference

[fiatlingua]

We're Back Baby!

So, after nearly two years of radio silence, we're finally back! Sorry about that everyone, we've been having a hard time maintaining our social media presence, and this place felt the brunt of it. But we're now back and with a brand new social media manager, who should make sure we never go this quiet again.

Now, for those who have forgotten who we are, and those who discover us now thanks to this post, a quick introduction:

We're the Language Creation Society, a California-based non-profit organisation with international reach and membership. Our main purpose is the promotion and furthering of the art, craft and science of language creation (conlanging) through conferences, books, journals, outreach activities, or other means (like literally, it's in our articles of incorporation and everything!). Basically, we're an organisation of conlangers, for conlangers, and for conlanging as a whole.

How do we do this? By many means. We've got a Jobs Board for conlangers who want to practice their craft professionally. It's set up so as to ensure people who do conlanging for others are paid fairly for their work (it's a work in progress) and don't end up in disadvantageous contracts. For people who are interested in doing something conlang-related academically, we've got the LCS Presidents' Scholarship, which is a (modest) amount of money we award to people with interesting academical projects that align with our main purpose. For general conlang-related projects, we've got the LCS Grants (currently the most famous project we supported financially is probably the Conlanging, The Art of Crafting Tongues film, the first full-length documentary on conlanging ever made). But our main article is the Language Creation Conference, for many conlangers the only way for them to ever meet other conlangers face to face. So far we've organised 8 face-to-face conferences in North America and Europe (all with live streaming and online participation for those who couldn't join), one online-only conference (thanks COVID), and due to circumstances outside our control our next conference will be online-only as well. But we'll get back to doing face-to-face conferences someday!

Of course, all these activities cost money. Which is why we encourage people to join our organisation as a member, which will give you many benefits, including the power to help decide what we actually do. The more people join us, the more we can do to help conlangers and conlanging as a whole. Not just thanks to a larger budget (we fully depend on membership fees for our income, and everyone working at the LCS does so as an unpaid volunteer), but because you can bring your ideas to the table and help us provide the best support we can to the conlanging community in general and our members in particular.

So this is us. In the next weeks, expect more announcements from us as we pick up steam (I'll also share videos from the latest Language Creation Conference from our Youtube channel). In the meantime, feel free to reblog this post so everyone can be made aware of our return to Tumblr, and our Asks are also open to anyone who has any question concerning us or conlanging in general. We're here to support you, so don't hesitate to get in touch!

And since it's the season, happy Lexember everyone!

[authorfrancesoh]

Doctorate Degree Application 2: Statement of Intent

Doctorate Degree Application 2: Statement of Intent

As anyone who has applied for admission into a college or university can attest, the ordeal is protracted and harrowing. After years of searching for the perfect place to obtain my doctorate degree, I have settled into “the place” or “the one:” My doctorate at Saint Leo University. I did not complete my application to the University of Texas in San Antonio because I would have had to relinquish…

[scoonsalicious]

Unwanted: Chapter 19, Unfriended - Pt. 2

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Summary: When your FWB relationship with your best friend Bucky Barnes turns into something more, you couldn’t be happier. That is, however, until a new Avenger sets her sights on your super soldier and he inadvertently breaks your heart. You take on a mission you might not be prepared for to put some distance between the two of you and open yourself up to past traumas. Too bad the only one who can help you heal is the one person you can no longer trust.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, yelling, mentions of violence against women.

Word Count: 1.9k

Previously On...: You showed Nat and Wanda the texts. They were as bad as you thought.

A/N: You guys sure know how to make me give you whatever you want with all your flattery! I am WEAK. Keep it coming ;) Also, this scene is the very first one that came into my head during the creation of this fic, one of the first I wrote for it. It had to be redone a lot as the story changed, but I like to think I kept the beats and emotions the same as I first intended to be.

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when I update, please enable notifications from my Blog page!

Banner By: The absolutely amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917!

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

Taglist: (Sadly, tag list is closed; Tumblr will not let me add anyone new. If you want to be notified when I update, please Follow me for Notifications!) @jmeelee @cazellen @mrsbuckybarnes1917 @blackhawkfanatic @buckybarnessimpp @hayjat @capswife @itsteambarnes @marygoddessofmischief @sebastians-love @learisa @lethallyprotected @rabbitrabbit12321 @buckybarnesandmarvel @fanfictiongirl77 @calwitch @fantasyfootballchampion @selella @jackiehollanderr @wintercrows @sashaisready @missvelvetsstuff @angelbabyyy99 @keylimebeag @maybefoxysouls @vicmc624 @j23r23 @wintercrows @crist1216 @cjand10 @pattiemac1@les-sel @dottirose @winterslove1917 @harperkenobi @ivet4 @casey1-2007 @mrsevans90 @steeph-aniie @bean-bean2000 @beanbagbitch @peachiestevie @wintrsoldrluvr @shadowzena43

Tumblr will not let me directly tag the following: @marcswife21 @erelierraceala @jupiter-107 @doublejeon @hiqhkey @unaxv @brookeleclerc

Once inside the conference room, your friends made sure to sit you between the two of them, so that Bucky couldn't park himself next to you. Unfortunately, there wasn't much they could do to keep him from taking the seat across from you.

"Hey," he said as he sat down, "I've been trying to call you; thought we could go get some lunch before returning to our previously scheduled activities. Where've you been?" You acted as though you hadn't heard him, pretending you were extremely interested in something on your phone. It didn't escape your notice, however, when Jade entered the room and sat down in the seat next to him, Bucky instinctively shifted his seat away from her slightly. She glanced between the two of you, a smug smile playing across her lips.

"Bucky," she greeted. "How's things?"

"Carthage," he huffed in response. You made the mistake of catching his eye for a brief second, and he offered you a tentative smile before you immediately hardened your expression and turned away.

Nat jotted down a sentence in her notebook and slid the paper over to you. Your puppy looks like you just kicked him in the face and he can't figure out why.

You suppressed a snicker and wrote back I can't reward a mongrel for indiscriminately humping bitches, can I? You quickly worked to scribble over your words as Natasha positively cackled at you, drawing everyone's attention.

"You alright there, Nat?" Tony asked as he entered the room, moving toward the front of the space and getting ready to begin the meeting. Nat coughed and took a sip from her water bottle.

"Just peachy, Tony," she answered, stifling a smile. "Just peachy."

"Okay, good. Let's get this started, then." He opened up his tablet and flicked a projection over the table. It was a series of photographs of about two dozen or so young women, all looking to be in their late teens to early thirties. "These women," Tony began, "have all been reported missing from the vicinity of Atlantic City over the last eighteen months. They've all got a history of either drugs, prostitution, or both, so the local police aren't interested in wasting valuable resources tracking them down. Fortunately for them, my resources are endless." He gave a sad smile, then with another flick of his wrist, brought up a three-dimensional schematic of a squat building. "This is called the Wiggle Room. It's a Russian-owned club where at least half of the missing girls were dancers at some point in the last three years."

"You're thinking trafficking," you spoke up. It wasn't a question. You knew the signs too well, after all. Tony nodded.

"That's horrible," said Jade "but, I mean, we're the Avengers. Isn't trafficking kind of... I dunno, below our paygrade?"

If looks could kill, you and Natasha would have murdered her on the spot. Bucky rolled his eyes before leaning over and murmuring something to Jade that you couldn't quite hear, but you had a pretty good idea what it was when her face turned red and she looked at the two of you and muttered "Oh, sorry-- I didn't know."

Your next murder-by-death stare went to Bucky. How fucking dare he divulge your secrets to her, especially when you told him he was only one of three people on this entire fucking planet who knew them? You told him that in confidence. He had absolutely no right. He just shrugged at you apologetically. Fucking shrugged. You were going to throw up. How many times was he going to betray you?

"As I was saying," Tony continued, as though Jade hadn't interrupted him, and you were grateful for it, "we want to put a couple of people on the inside, work there for a few months, see what they can find out."

"Oooh!" said Jade, bouncing in her seat and raising her hand like she was in grade school. "I volunteer!" She turned to stage whisper to Bucky. "Wouldn't I make an absolutely adorable stripper? It would be so much fun!"

Bucky had the good sense, for once in his life, to roll his eyes at Jade as Tony spoke up: “You’re benched, Carthage,” he said matter of factly. “Which reminds me; we need to have a discussion about how you managed to sneak your ass onto the Russia mission.

You felt a sick sense of satisfaction when you saw the look of chastisement cross Jade’s face, and were overcome with a renewed curiosity over just how she happened to get herself on that Quinjet in the first place. Not that it mattered, not anymore.

"So, do you think you'd be up for it, Pocket?" Tony turned to you. "Willing to dust off those pasties and jump back on the pole one last time?"

You smirked, having suspected that the ask was coming as soon as he mentioned a strip club. "What can I say, Boss? It'll be like riding a bike."

"Good, because maintenance is putting a practice pole in your room as we speak. Don't want you looking rusty undercover."

"As if I could ever!” You pretended to be affronted.

"Hold up," said Steve, and suddenly, you could feel all eyes on you. Oops. You’d forgotten that part of your history was also not common knowledge. You glanced around and everyone was staring; Sam's mouth was even hanging open. "Are you saying Pocket used to be a stripper?" Steve whispered the last word, as though it was naughty and he'd get in trouble for using it.

"Hey," you said nonchalantly, shrugging your shoulders, "MIT ain't cheap."

"I'll have you know, Cap, that exotic dancing is a craft, and our Pocket here is an artist." You beamed at Tony's words, pride flushing through you. Your past as a dancer wasn't something that you necessarily led conversations with, but you weren't ashamed of it. The money had been excellent, and you'd been good at it. Damned good.

"You've seen her?" Sam asked, mouth still hanging open.

"How do you think we met?" Tony asked him, as if it was the stupidest question in the world.

"No," said Bucky, out of nowhere, his voice hard and angry. He stood up, fists planted on the table, glaring at you.

"It was definitely while she was working at a strip club" Tony said, deliberately mistaking Bucky's meaning. "It's not everyday you get a comparative analysis of the weaknesses of your company's firewalls at the same time you get a lap dance; tends to leave a lasting impression."

"No, I mean Pocket's not going undercover. She's just a civilian and it's too dangerous. Send Natasha or Jade in, instead," Bucky bit out through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me?" You stood up, as well, mirroring his stance and matching his glare from across the table. "You do not get to determine what missions are too dangerous for me, James. You're not my father."

"But I'm your boyfriend," he said, and the fact that you had called him 'James,' and not 'Bucky' or 'Barnes' wasn't lost on him. "And I care about whether or not you get hurt."

You laughed, cold and mirthless. "Since when?" you spat, letting every ounce of pain you felt at his betrayal into your voice. He looked back at you, hurt and abject confusion clouding his features.

"If you're so worried about her, then you can go, too," Tony said. "Go as her boyfriend, get a job at the club as a bouncer. We need multiple sets of eyes."

Bucky seemed almost mollified by this suggestion, but you were not going to allow it. "Absolutely not," you said, the conviction ringing in your voice. "Sam'll come with me."

"What?" both Sam and the super soldier asked at the same time.

"Barnes is way too identifiable with that metal arm," you offered by way of explanation. "No way in hell I'll keep my cover if I walk in with the fucking Winter Soldier by my side."

"She's got a point," Steve said, scratching his chin. "But Pocket, language, please." You stole a glance at Bucky, and his eyes were full of pain. You'd called him the Winter Soldier. Out loud. You'd never done that; you knew how hard he worked to differentiate himself from the monster Hydra had turned him into. It was a low blow on your part, but you couldn't find it in you to give a shit.

Tony clapped his hands. "All right, then it's settled. Pocket and Sam will go to Atlantic City. It's strictly an intel-finding mission, only. No heroics, got it you two?" You both nodded in agreement. While you were excited to go out into the field in an undercover capacity, you had no desire to see combat. Sure, you could more than handle your own if it came down to self-defense-- Nat had made sure of that, but there was a reason you were the computer girl and not an actual superhero yourself. "Pocket, get practicing. You've got about a week before we’ll be sending you and Sam out; don’t want you embarrassing me up there. Any questions? No? Good. That's it, then, class adjourned. 

"Oh, and one more thing," he said before everyone could collect themselves, "don't forget, our girl's turning 35 on Saturday. The party starts at eight. Dress to kill, because I'm going all out for this one."

You couldn't help the blush that crept up your face, despite the rollercoaster of anger and agony you’d been feeling. When Tony had approached you about throwing you a birthday party, you'd demurred, telling him you were too old for one, but he had insisted that, since you'd missed out on so many childhood experiences because of what your parents had put you through, you were going to get a party to remember.

You got up and gathered your things, purposefully avoiding Bucky as Nat and Wanda glared at him while they waited to escort you out. You were eager to get up to your new room so you could start researching the missing women and this strip club and, a part of you admitted with a smile, get practicing your old routine and come up with a couple of new ones. It was just the thing you needed to take your mind off of your current troubles.

“Pocket, Sam,” Tony called, catching your attention, “hold back a minute; I want to go over some details with you.”

Nat and Wanda looked at you, but you encouraged them to go on; Steve had made a beeline toward Bucky after the meeting had been adjourned and, despite Bucky lingering, obviously waiting to speak with you, had managed to steer him out of the room to discuss something you couldn’t give a shit about. “It’s fine, guys,” you told your friends. “He’s gone; I should be able to get back up to the room without trouble.

They exchanged a glance, then looked back at you. Nodding, they left.

“Pocket,” Tony said, once the conference room was clear and it was just the two of you and Sam remaining, “care to tell me why FRIDAY says you’ve moved rooms?”

“Not at the current moment, Boss,” you said. You didn’t want to rehash the drama you’d been thrown into against your will, let alone in front of a completely innocent bystander. Instead, you encouraged him to get on with whatever more he needed to tell you and Sam about the parameters of the mission. Hopefully, it would distract you enough to take your mind off of the sheer agony you felt inside.

<- Previous Part / Next Part ->

[adbros]

30 ways to make real; money from home

Making money online from the comfort of your home has become increasingly accessible with the growth of the internet and digital technologies. In 2023, there are numerous realistic ways to earn money online. Here are 30 ideas to get you started:

1. Freelance Writing: Offer your writing skills on platforms like Upwork or Freelancer to create blog posts, articles, or website content.

2. Content Creation: Start a YouTube channel, podcast, or blog to share your expertise or passion and monetize through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing.

3. Online Surveys and Market Research: Participate in online surveys and market research studies with platforms like Swagbucks or Survey Junkie.

4. Remote Customer Service: Work as a remote customer service representative for companies like Amazon or Apple.

5. Online Tutoring: Teach subjects you're knowledgeable in on platforms like VIPKid or Chegg Tutors.

6. E-commerce: Start an online store using platforms like Shopify, Etsy, or eBay to sell products.

7. Affiliate Marketing: Promote products or services on your blog or social media and earn commissions for sales made through your referral links.

8. Online Courses: Create and sell online courses on platforms like Udemy or Teachable.

9. Remote Data Entry: Find remote data entry jobs on websites like Clickworker or Remote.co.

10. Virtual Assistance: Offer administrative support services to businesses as a virtual assistant.

11. Graphic Design: Use your graphic design skills to create logos, graphics, or websites for clients on platforms like Fiverr.

12. Stock Photography: Sell your photos on stock photography websites like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock.

13. App Development: Develop and sell mobile apps or offer app development services.

14. Social Media Management: Manage social media accounts for businesses looking to enhance their online presence.

15. Dropshipping: Start an e-commerce business without holding inventory by dropshipping products.

16. Online Consultations: Offer consulting services in your area of expertise through video calls.

17. Online Surplus Sales: Sell unused items or collectibles on platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.

18. Online Fitness Coaching: Become an online fitness coach and offer workout plans and guidance.

19. Virtual Events: Host webinars, workshops, or conferences on topics you're knowledgeable about.

20. Podcast Production: Offer podcast editing, production, or consulting services.

21. Remote Transcription: Transcribe audio and video files for clients.

22. Online Translation: Offer translation services if you're proficient in multiple languages.

23. Affiliate Blogging: Create a niche blog with affiliate marketing as the primary revenue source.

24. Online Art Sales: Sell your artwork, crafts, or digital art on platforms like Etsy or Redbubble.

25. Remote Bookkeeping: Offer bookkeeping services for small businesses from home.

26. Digital Marketing: Provide digital marketing services like SEO, PPC, or social media management.

27. Online Gaming: Stream your gaming sessions on platforms like Twitch and monetize through ads and donations.

28. Virtual Assistant Coaching: If you have experience as a VA, offer coaching services to aspiring virtual assistants.

29. Online Research: Conduct research for businesses or individuals in need of specific information.

30. Online Real Estate: Invest in virtual real estate, such as domain names or digital properties, and sell them for a profit.

Remember that success in making money online often requires dedication, patience, and the ability to adapt to changing trends. It's essential to research and choose the opportunities that align with your skills, interests, and long-term goals.

[gothhabiba]

There is a hierarchy of languages [in Morocco]: written languages are conferred a higher status than spoken languages, which confirms the earlier discussed diglossic relation between Standard Arabic and Darija. However, in Morocco an atmosphere has emerged in which a plea for Darija is by many people considered a plea against Standard Arabic, and consequently against Islam and the Arab nation (Ziamari and de Ruiter, 2016; see also Gago Gómez in this volume).

[...] Darija is the language that most Moroccans speak when they talk to each other but [...] it does not enjoy the status of national language. Darija allegedly lacks any form of status or prestige. Darija is being undervalued and thus Moroccans not only underestimate the importance of their mother tongue, but of themselves too. In education, Darija could play an important role as a language of instruction, but officially this is not allowed.

The creation of Nichane marked an important phase in the emancipation of Darija, since it represented a breach of the old boundaries in which Standard Arabic was exclusively used for written purposes and the use of Darija was limited to the spoken domain. [...]

Another step forward is Darija being used as a language of cultural creativity, and the emergence of a ‘Darija generation’ (term used by Caubet, 2006), predominantly in Casablanca and other big cities in Morocco where artists express themselves in Darija both orally and in [writing]. [...] Foreign soap series are dubbed in Darija (Ziamari and Barontini, 2013) and many programs are now using a language variety that was considered inappropriate before this development started. In publicity and marketing Darija has become a real competitor for Standard Arabic (Ziamari and de Ruiter, 2016). The factual Moroccan linguistic landscape is now characterized by billboards using written Darija [...] (Hoogland, 2013). Ziamari and de Ruiter (2016:458) conclude with the remark that the linguistic changes in Morocco are coming from the bottom up and that these changes are redefining the linguistic borders between what is official and what is not. The linguistic reality in Morocco is moving in a direction of enforcing vernacular language practices.

— Jan Hoogland, "Darija in the Moroccan Press: the Case of the Magazine Nichane," in Sociolinguistic Studies 12.2 (2018), pp. 275-6. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.35567

[lean-mean-demon-genevieve]

Excuse me while I ramble-vent for a bit…

I know I can’t prove it to y’all, but I am a BIG believer in empowering women (intersectional feminism always, of course). But I feel like this little stunt “summit” that paid Gen to sit on a panel, can’t be it.

I haven’t heard any other details so maybe I’m prematurely disgusted, but there’s gotta be more to empowering women than teaching them the TOWWN model of co-opting language from a worthy cause in order to build a name for yourself and feel good about slutting yourself out to consumerism.

Oh, sorry…my guy Charlie reminds me that’s just called “brand partnerships” these days.

If the panel was talking about current content creator trends, I wonder if Gen spoke about buying followers. 🤔

Because…ain’t no way.

I fully understand, in this current hellscape of American capitalism, women wanting to create their own path and be their own bosses. And maybe it’s the phrase “content creation” that has me ruffled. Because in the attention-based economy that is social media, nobodys like Gen are literally creating narratives that are manufactured in order to manipulate others.

And it WORKS!! And there’s an actual SUMMIT (what a pretentious title lol) who will charge you to come learn their “craft.”

Whatever this league of momfluencers is selling, it definitely can’t be empowerment through authenticity. Can it?? I mean, not when the most lucrative “brand partnerships” literally buy your messaging and have their own hand in creating your content. And if my content is being bought, how empowered am I really?? Am I really an entrepreneur or is this just shiny new packaging on the same old shit? “Girlboss,” indeed. But I suppose calling it a conference for getting rich by scamming your followers doesn’t have quite the same ring as “women supporting women.”

I don’t know, maybe this expensive summit weekend in Nashville (AKA New Austin, if you know you know) had more value than I realize. And it’s just the smarmy inclusion of Gen and Charlie that colors it poorly for me. Because truly, what measure of success got her on yet another panel? (Her wedding ring and subsequent bank account…duh 🤪)

To make myself feel better, here are some candid Gen face pics from the day:

And a YouTube video exposing influencer lies:

I hate it here. That’s it, that’s all.

[hermenoodle]

Christian Resources on Palestine

Since I am seeing a lack of resources for Christians concerning Palestine from a faith based perspective (aside from the usual Christian Zionist fervor), I tracked down some sources, religious and secular, to bridge that gap. Even if you're not Christian yourself and know some Christians who have questions about what's going on, please share this with them.

Christ at the Checkpoint - A ministry and conference from Bethlehem Bible College in Palestine.

Friends of Sabeel North America - A peacemaking, ecumenical Christian voice for Palestine.

Christian Zionism - A resource that critically analyzes the intentions and theology of Christian Zionists from a Christian perspective.

1948: Creation and Catastrophe (YouTube)- A documentary where Israelis & Palestinians who witnessed the Naqba in the late 1940s talk about their experiences as well as detailing the trail of the ordeal.

With God on Our Side (YouTube)- From Vision Video, a Christian video distributor, analyzing Christian Zionism and giving voice to the Palestinian perspective.

Peacemakers: Crossing the Divide - A film that features both Messianic Jewish and Palestinian Christian believers' peacemaking efforts in the Holy Land. You can watch it for free in various languages.

Musahala - Faith based organization focused on reconciliation between Jewish people & Palestinians regardless of ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Theology in the Raw Interviews:

Eli Bonila, Jr. - married to a Palestinian.

Dr. Gary Burge - questions Christian theological support for Israel

Alex Awad - Palestinian Christian

Daniel Banourra - Palestinian Christian

Lisa Loden - Israeli Jewish Christian (Messianic) featured in the Peacemaking: Crossing the Divide film.

Rabbi Hanan Schelsinger - formerly Zionist rabbi

Rev. Munther Isaac - the Lutheran pastor behind the Baby Jesus in the Rubble photograph from Bethlehem (also check out the first episode of OnScript where he's featured).

Hope these will serve as an aid to understanding this a bit more than some streams of theology would want us to think.

[shy-violet-soul]

Heroes Make Me Tired

Summary: I’m just trying to do my job - keep my team safe, keep my bosses out of court…and myself out of the looney bin. One of those is too tall an order.

Characters: a very, very tired HR person (female), and assorted Avengers. Mentions of other fandoms (gold star to those that find them!)

Warning: Avenger shenanigans, and possible bad language words.

Word Count: 2,700-ish

A/N: This piece of ridiculousness is 100% inspired by and written for @thesassywallflower. As someone who’s worked in HR for over 20 years, and has dealt with more than my share of ridiculousness, I can personally attest to the fact that the struggle is REAL. 

++++++

It’s only 7:45am, and I can already feel my blood pressure rising. 

I cricked my neck to keep my phone against my ear as I juggled my laptop bag, security access card, and glasses. Finally swiping the card against the access plate, I jammed my elbow against my floor button and sagged against the wall as my coworker screeched out the latest calamity.

“...and now they want us to pay for a new set of tires. An entire set - four freaking tires - AGAIN!”

“No. Absolutely not. I don’t care what monster did it this time. You go back and tell them that the benefits handbook clearly states that damages to personal items in the course of performing your job duties are only eligible to be reimbursed up to an annual maximum of $1,000.00. Total. Not each incident. TOTAL. They used all of that up with that thing, that monster in Oregon? With the pennies?”

Julia’s sigh groaned through my ear. “A Nachzehrer.”

I closed my eyes, dragging in a deep breath. “Whatever. You know what? I don’t even care. If they would have taken the stupid company car, just like everyone else, they wouldn’t have to stress so much about their precious Impala. Tell ‘em ‘no’.”

“Will do. You on your way upstairs to your 8:00am?”

“Yeah.”

I could feel Julia’s shudder from here. “I’ll be all ears when you get back. The meetings with that crew are always…entertaining.”

The elevator doors opened as I snorted my agreement. I paused to collect myself in the entryway, silencing my phone before tossing it in the bag and pushing my glasses up my nose.

Okay. You’ve got this. Don’t let them rattle you. Stay calm, stick to your talking points. Think positively - maybe they’ll be actually sorry this time.

So buoyed, I strode into the hall and towards the waiting conference room.

Avengers division employee Agent Natasha Romanov stood waiting for me, her face as fathomless as usual. The smile I offered her faltered as she extended a Starbucks drink in my direction. The smell of chai spices wafted upward. If this troublemaker came bearing gifts, that only meant one thing. This meeting was going to suck.

I grasped the venti-sized life saver, took an eye-watering gulp, and silently cursed the complete and utter imbecilic moron who proposed gathering all superhero, crime fighting, general population saving teams under one umbrella, which led to the creation of my department.

Human Resources to the Heroes.

It sounded so rewarding on LinkedIn. I couldn’t believe it when I made it through the first round of interviews. Meeting with the liaisons for the major players was nerve-wracking to say the least. Nick Fury is everything he’s rumored to be. Bruce Wayne is actually a little bit boring. And Mr. Singer is my favorite. Not that I would ever tell him. And truly, the job is rewarding…

But sweet baby Moses in a basket, some of these people have lost their damn minds.

I didn’t blink at the assembly before me as I entered the conference room, smiling professionally as I sat down. Sam Wilson practically radiated frustration where he sat with his forehead in his hand. I love Sam. He knows the way to an HR person’s heart - consistency and documentation. God bless the Army.

And then there were these three: Clint Barton. James B. Barnes. And Steven f-ing Grant Rogers.

Steri-strips ribbed across the bottom right of Barton’s forehead, I fervently hoped holding what’s left of his brains in. Barnes sat with his arms crossed over his chest, looking somewhere between nonchalant and put-upon. Rogers looked like he’d been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

“Good morning, gentlemen.” I dug out my legal pad, two pens, and a file folder.

“Good morning,” Sam and Steve replied. From Barnes, I got a chin lift. Everyone’s gaze turned to Barton. The famed archer sat reclined in his chair, head resting against the high back. 

“Mr. Barton.” Nothing. My blood pressure ticked up a notch. “Mr. Barton,” with a little more volume, and a perfectly natural, not at all fake and threatening smile. Nothing.

Barnes banged on the table in front of the man, his metal fist clanging against the surface. Barton and I both jumped, my pen flipping out of my hand and flying across the table.

“Turn your fucking hearing aids on,” Barnes barked, pointing at his own ear when Clint turned confused eyes towards him. Sam sighed , eyes closing, as Steve slid my pen back to me.

“Sorry about that.”

I nodded my thanks, then folded my hands over my notepad once I had all their attention.

“So. Mr. Barton.” The file folder whispered as I flipped it open. “According to this incident report, it looks like you violated the same policies. Again.”

He scratched his head thoughtfully. “Which ones this time?”

My left eye wanted to twitch so bad. “Accessing secured areas without authorization, Employee right to privacy, and Sleeping while on duty.”

“Firefighters sleep on duty and no one gives them shit,” he groused. Twitch.

“Mr. Barton, we’ve discussed this. Firefighters are on duty overnight. This was at 1:13pm on Tuesday.”

“We do the life saving thing, too, you know!”

“It was your first day back from vacation!” I exclaimed, then sucked in a breath, trying to settle down. “All you were required to do that day was visit the armory and assess your equipment. And I’m not going to engage in a back and forth with you on that. Now - you’ve been counseled on the following occasions about your lack of compliance in these areas.” He glared at the list of dates I slid across the table to him. “With these additional incidents, we are officially placing you on a Performance Improvement Plan-”

“Hey! What about him?” he thumbed in the Sergeant’s direction. “He’s the one who shot me!”

This time, a muscle in my jaw tic’d.

“And I will address that with him in a moment. Right now, I’m going to ask you to review this document. Please sign and date it where indicated, and you can add any comments in the space below.” I chose to ignore the mutterings that followed as I fixed my gaze on Barnes.

“Sergeant.”

“Warden.” Twitch. Tic.

“You have also been counseled on the discharge of firearms on premises not in the course of your job duties.”

He rolled his eyes so hard, I’m sure he saw the inside of his skull.

“I thought it was an intruder!”

Reserve your chaos. Reserve your chaos, I chanted, pulling in another very deep breath. Calmly, I opened the folder again and withdrew a stapled packet.

“Sergeant Barnes. According to this file, your hearing is approximately 27% more acute than an average male of the same age, and your sense of smell is approximately 14% more sensitive-”

“Yeah, like a dog,” Sam murmured under his breath, earning a reproachful look from Steve.

“Is that from my medical file? What about the hippie law?” 

I blinked at the righteous indignation on his face before the dots connected. “That’s HIPAA, not hippie. And as HR, I’m entitled to have access to the personal health information that demonstrates your ability to do your job.”

“Whatever. What’s your point?” 

“My point, Sergeant, is that your physical abilities demonstrate that you did, in fact, know it was Mr. Barton. No intrusion alarms had been activated - I checked!” I cut off his budding interjection. “There’s no other way to interpret the evidence but that you knowingly chose to violate this policy and shoot him.”

“I don’t see what the big deal is. They were rubber bullets.” Barnes flopped back in his seat like a scolded kid, arms crossing sullenly over his chest. While from my seat, shock at the ridiculousness of his response nearly had my eyeballs falling from my skull.

“Seriously. You don’t see the big deal that you shot your coworker, injuring him, causing the ceiling tiles to break and him to fall through said ceiling, causing more injury?” I barely tracked Steve’s wince as my volume increased with each word, too focused on maintaining my slippery grip on sanity.

“Hey! At least they weren’t real bullets. He’s the one who told me to switch to the rubber ones.” With zero hesitation, he threw Steve under the bus. Friends till the end of the line, my ass.

Whatever Steve saw on my face…I literally watched him try to choose between defensiveness, betrayal, groveling, and ‘kill me now’, all at the same time. 

“That might not be entirely accurate,” he stumbled out. Bucky turned on him like a top.

“‘Not entirely accurate’? You bought me the damn box! You even said, and I quote, ‘you don’t want to technically,” he air quoted, “violate the policy again ‘cuz that HR broad will be pissed and get all up my ass’!”

I heard a sound that I was fairly convinced was one of my blood vessels bursting. Or a molar cracking. But no, it was just Barton cackling as he scribbled his signature on his stupid PIP. Sam was trying to clandestinely scoot himself as far away from the potential strike zone as possible. Bucky looked like Steve was single handedly responsible for everything up to and including global warming. And the look on Steve’s face? Apparently he’d finally picked an emotion, settling on ‘whattya gonna do about it’ defensiveness.

My pen clicking sounded like the pin being pulled from a grenade. Fire in the hole, bastard.

“Tell me something, Captain. When the battlefield on which you’re engaging the enemy is rugged terrain, who has your six?” Any other normal person wouldn’t have caught the flick of his gaze towards the Sergeant. Good thing I’m not normal. What HR pro is? “Because you need a trained sniper watching your back. Correct?”

“Affirmative.”

“And when the unfriendlies are aerial, who’s your six then?”

“That would be me,” Sam carefully interjected. I didn’t so much as blink my straining eyelids as I stared down the Captain.

“Because having someone with countless hours of training and operational experience is critical. Isn’t that right? Captain?”

Barnes’ spidey-sense must have finally realized how perilously close to death they all were as he unfolded his arms and straightened in his seat. Rogers, apparently, was dumber than I gave him credit for.

“I think the answer’s pretty obvious. Even for a civilian.”

The sag of Barnes’ shoulders at the unmitigated, galling sass of his bestie had the weariness of decades behind it. The weariness of a bestie who routinely chose death as his destiny. But that’s fine. 

Captain Rogers knew not with whom he fucked.

“And when you’re not on the battlefield, who has your six?”

Captain Sass-pants blinked at me.

“Ma’am?”

Slowly putting my pen down, I got to my feet with blessedly unusual grace. “Suppose that a recruit in the new agent training class alleged that you stole funds from the organization?”

If Barton snorted any harder, his sinuses were going to hit the table. Rogers looked horrified. Saint Sam smirked.

“I would NEVER-” came the barking indignation. 

“I’m sure you wouldn’t. But let’s say she did. Who has your six? Or, let’s say Wilson here says he hasn’t been compensated at the appropriate overtime calculation for the last year? OR,” I cut off the Captain before he could think about interjecting, “what if the Rumlow family sued you, stating that former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Rumlow had been harassed during his tenure, leading to emotional distress that caused his change in philosophy. Who’s got your six, then?”

“What, harassed him into those ugly-ass scars?” Barton chortled out. 

“Shut up, bird brain!” Barnes hissed at him, scooting both of their chairs away from Steve. I would have laughed, but I was too busy realizing that the whole ‘vision going up in a red haze’ thing was real.

“I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Organizational Behavior. I have certifications in benefits administration, training and development, and change management. I’m required to do hundreds of hours of continuing education every year. And I have over fifteen years of experience in Human Resources. Technically speaking, I have more education and operational experience than Torres. A team member you trust your life with.”

Now, Steve was squirming. That’s right, squirm, you star-spangled ass! But I wasn’t done yet.

“Oh, and then there’s the matter of all the agencies. The Department of Labor, OSHA, the Wage & Hour Division, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Office of Workers Compensation Programs, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. And those are just the big ones. Then there’s all the insurance laws, compensation requirements. And, since some of our divisions are tied to the government, we have whole different record keeping requirements. Did you know that, Captain? That the records I keep for you and your team are different from the ones I keep for the supernatural division?”

He didn’t even bother speaking, just mutely shook his head. I plowed on, my blood pressure pounding in my temples as I slipped the leash on my chaos.

“No. You didn’t. Because all you need to worry about is a battle strategy, right? Mr. Star Spangled Man with a Plan?” My volume increased with every word, as did the size of Rogers’ eyes. “All I’m asking, Captain, is that you try, for the love of all that’s holy, TRY to follow the damn policies just once in a while. And trust that this ‘HR broad’ might actually know what she’s doing. And realize I’ve got your fucking six everywhere BUT the battle field. OKAY?” 

My rage-sweating hands slapped against the conference room table as I leaned forward, shouting at the man. Months, months of diplomacy in the face of his and his team’s mulish obstinance went up in a flaming glory. 

They could hear Steve’s gulp of terror out in the hall. He nodded jerkily in the silence that followed.

“Do we all understand each other?” The chorus of instantaneous ‘yes, ma’am’s’ did their mamas proud. I yanked myself to stand straight, knees trembly. Wow, post-battle adrenaline really is a thing.

“Excellent.” Bucky flinched - actually flinched - as I snapped my folder so hard, the paper bent. I snatched the PIP out of Clint’s hands so forcefully, the paper ripped, and I didn’t even care. That’s why God made tape. I stuffed the innocent document and the folder into my bag with a crunch that would have Julia hating me later when she had to scan it for filing. 

“Is…is that all, ma’am?” Captain America just about cowered.

“Yes. No,” I swiveled back towards them, causing the three troublemakers to reel back. Clint actually fell out of his chair when he rolled back with a touch too much fear. “Captain. Pick three federal laws from Section 2 of the employee handbook. One for you, one for the Sergeant, one for Agent Barnes. Each of you will write me an essay on why that federal law is so important to your division. I want it in my email inbox by 8:00am tomorrow. Any questions?”

“Why doesn’t the other birdbrain have to do one?” Bucky asked with tentative sullenness. My left eye twitched in time with the vein bulging in my forehead.

“Because, Sergeant,” I tossed at him as I tugged my bag over my shoulder and snatched up my precious comfort chai, “he knows how to follow policy.”

I didn’t see Agent Romanov’s impressed gaze or the dinner-plate-sized eyes of the other employees hovering in the hall. I didn’t hear the elevator bell that heralded my floor. All I knew was the onslaught of chemicals in my body as I flopped into my chair - fight-fueled cortisol, and victory-induced dopamine. 

There just isn’t enough chai in the world to make up for my need for a vacation.

A tentative tap-tap-tap at my door heralded Julia. “Um - you okay?”

My throat burned as I chugged back some latte, then sighed huge and straightened up to look at my comrade-at-arms. “No.”

“I…I really hate to tell you this, especially now. But the bard from the convergence division called again. He wants to file another harassment complaint on that mage.”

All my stalwart battle-readiness left me, and my spine Slinky-d forward until my brow thunked down on the desk blotter before me.

“What’s our motto, Julia?” I mumbled out with a groan. My colleague and fellow-sufferer sighed.

“Heroes make us tired.” Rubbing my temples, I avoided thinking of the likelihood that Captain Rogers’ potential tattling on me would result in my unemployment.

“So. Fucking. Tired.”

[talonabraxas]

Om Namo Narayanaya is a powerful mantra is heard so often in yogic traditions and is considered to be one of the most sacred Sanskrit salutations within Vedic texts. It is widely considered to be useful for individuals seeking self-realization and oneness, which is the ultimate goal of yoga. Mantras themselves are sounds and vibrations that invoke spiritual healing powers, release divine cosmic energy and elevate the self into a higher state of consciousness. Mantras in Sanskrit are particularly potent because the phonetics and sound patterns of this ancient language encompass mystical energies that directly correspond to the nadis, or subtle nerve channels of a person’s astral body. Om Namo Narayanaya is an eight-syllable Sanskrit Shri Vishnu mantra. It is well known within the yoga community as a mantra of peace. Narayana is God in His infinite form and is another name for Lord Vishnu, the preserver and protector of the universe in Hinduism. Om Namo Narayanaya thus pays tribute to Shri Vishnu. Om Namo Narayanaya: Means I vow to the divine. The mantra of Shri Vishnu is chanted to invoke His all pervading power of mercy and goodness. It is through His grace that righteousness is able to prevail. Repetition of this mantra confers infinite love, prosperity, power, glory, wisdom, and total liberation. It gives the ability to dissolve obstacles resulting from egoism and ignorance. It is a mantra of peace, bringing balance to an off-centered world. Om- The eternal vibration or the sound of all creation that resonates through every atom of the body. It is also known as the sound of the universe. Namo- To selflessly honour, salute or bow to. Narayanaya - As nara can mean either ‘human’ or ‘water,’ and ayana means ‘resting place’ or ‘eventual goal,’ Narayana is often depicted as the supreme being that resides on the ocean. Narayanaya is consequently interpreted as a spiritual resting place for all living beings. Traditionally, mantras are chanted out loud, whispered or recited mentally in cycles of 108 repetitions and coordinated with the breathing. “One who recites this Narayana-mantra is free from fame with a pure heart and attains all: life, offspring, wealth, health and cows.” — The Upanishads

नमो नारायण ।। 'Om Namo Narayanaya' ॐ Vishnu 'Narayanaya' riding the serpent Ananta TA-M/J

[fiatlingua]

10th Language Creation Conference Video Links

Last weekend was the 10th Language Creation Conference, and it was a big success!

If you missed it (or if you want to watch the presentations again), don't worry: everything was recorded, and the recordings (fully captioned!) are available on our YouTube channel. Go over there if you want to (re-)watch:

The Day 1 livestream;

The Day 2 livestream.

The presentations are also all available as separate videos assembled into the LCC10 Playlist.

In the coming weeks we will also feature every presentation video on this tumblr, so keep an eye on us!

Thanks to the presenters, audience, live captioner, and everyone else who was involved in making this conference a success. We'll see everyone again at the 11th Language Creation Conference, this time hopefully face to face!

Fiat Lingua!

[l-1-z-a]

Scripting and Sims2: Coding the Psychology of Little People / Making The Sims the Sims: How we make objects and Sims behaviors in Sims2. - Jake Simpson

A presentation at the 2005 Game Developer Conference by Jake Simpson. He was the lead engineer on simulation and tools for The Sims 2.

The presentation covers the following topics:

Definition of the concept of an "object" in Sims 2.

The process of determining what an object will be.

Tools used in object creation, including the Edith Object/Scripting/Debugging Tool.

Discussion of alternative approaches to script creation.

Demonstration of the object creation process. (not saved)

Acknowledgments to the object engineering team in Sims 2.

Description of the core content of objects in Sims 2.

The process of object creation, including design requirements, technical meetings, scheduling of models, animations, textures, and sounds.

Tools and processes used in object creation.

Exploration of the Simantics language used for object script development.

Pros and cons of Edith/Simantics in the object creation process.

Discussion of scripting approaches.

Specifics of object construction, including hierarchical script construction and exporting/importing settings for external modification.

The importance of profiling and debugging in the object creation process.

Demonstration of object creation using the Sims 2 object pipeline. (not saved)

Additionally, the presentation includes mentions of developers, acknowledgments, and the opportunity for questions.

Slides from the presentation:

Audio recording of Jake Simpson's speech:

Transcription of the audio recording - to read if it is difficult to perceive by ear, and to quickly find information from the speech. Only the answers to the questions turned out to be incomplete:

На русском языке:

[mindutme]

T’owal T’uesday #6

So approximately forever ago I posted that I would be participating in the conlang relay at the 10th Language Creation Conference, and a little later I did a practice translation of a previous relay’s text. I had been a little nervous going into the relay, not knowing what the language I’d have to translate would be like, or if my language would be adequate for translation.

As it turned out, the whole experience was nothing like I’d imagined. The language I followed was UNLWS, a nonlinear written-only language that is about as far from a natural language as you can get. It was intimidating at first, but I absolutely fell in love with the language and continued to learn it after the relay was over. I’ve since written several things in it myself!

This is the document I got to translate. The first page is the text itself, and everything that follows is info on the grammar and lexicon. The text was quite long for a conlang relay! Here’s what I ended up with after translating it into T’owal:

This uses the older T’owal alphabet, which has had multiple revisions since. I thought about rewriting it in the newest version of the alphabet but that would take quite a while, so here’s just the first paragraph instead, both handwritten and with the font that I’m still working on (kerning takes forever … )

That says:

E sonden do fyonte le hú mínol. Bmétho minol hu Lok’a há hyán hontsu pasyo mo.

In a large forest of birch trees there was a kingdom. The monarch, Lok’a, had a knife that was hidden in their crown.

It’s a bit of an odd beginning to a little fantasy story—I’ll post the rest of it soon.

There won’t be another LCC for a while but if any other conlangers have thought about doing a relay and weren’t sure if it was for them, I would highly recommend it. Of course it’ll be different for everyone and highly dependent on the text and who you’re following, but I had a great experience and enjoyed it a lot!

[pseudoquiddity]

There's a cool gaming conference where IPL is going to be talking about the Bachelor's Route's art and likely showing off photos. Unfortunately, no zoom link. It's in Moscow. That being said, maybe they'll post something after the conference happens in 18~ hrs.

"Our art director, Elena Alt, will talk at Scream School this Saturday (September 9) about the creation of the art for Pathologic 2. We will talk about what changes await the art in the 'Bachelor scenario,' how its visual language works and how tasks are set in studios."

[callmeyourala]

How do you manage to do everything?

I think it may be as simple as - I type fast, think faster and am able to multitask.

Answering seriously? Doing many things at once is innate to me. I never had to learn this or practice at it; I think this is my factory setting. Even when I am at my least productive, I am still more productive than everyone in my circles.

My brain needs constant stimulation; I need podcasts or music playing in the background whenever I am doing anything.

You can typically find me multitasking on my laptop, phone and tablet all at once. I will be actively participating during lectures, whilst answering emails from my work and finishing up articles for my reps and no one notices.

One thing I try not to sacrifice is sleep. I work really quickly and I understand how much work I am able to accomplish at once, so I know that I don't need more than 10 hours a day to complete all my work. During the other 14 hours I get in as many naps as possible (my insomnia rarely allows me to sleep for longer than 5 hours at a time).

I also have no responsibilities really. Most of my work is done from the comfort of my university room. I only have to look after myself and my small space, and I never have to commute anywhere that's too far, unless it's for the occasional conference or business meeting. This means most of my time is my own to play with.

I think the key is knowing yourself. I know that I can handle this much work before I even apply for a new opportunity. I follow my calendar meticulously and always manage to stick to deadlines. Once you know yourself well enough, you can start taking on more responsibilities that fit around your lifestyle and that won't overwhelm you.

For example, I love writing so even if I get writer's block occasionally writing an article or paper is a pretty easy task for me. This means that even if I get a bunch of writing jobs at once I won't feel overwhelmed. However, if you asked me to do lab work and work retail at the same time I'd literally pass out.

I also understand what I'm good at but ultimately drains me, so I limit how much I do of it - for me it's social media content creation. I'm great at it but it tires me out and takes too long, so I only occasionally accept jobs related to it.

It also helps that I'm an introvert, so I can be in my own space for prolonged periods of time and not feel lonely or socially depraved.

My hobbies - language learning, sports, wine, electric guitar, fashion - don't feel like work. I regard them as my "mental massages" that help me to unwind from all of my actual work.

In life, my motto is "work smarter, not harder" and I work incredibly smart, which is why something that would take someone five hours I can typically do in two.

tl;dr - my MBTI is INFJ-A.

This is how I've lived up until now and it clearly works for me 😊

- ala 🕊️

[jinruihokankeikaku]

If artistic beauty arises from a given work's clear and faithful transmission of the impetus which, experienced, demanded the work's creation - in a word, communication - then natural beauty arises from the perhaps more subtle process by which this world in which we live demands that we communicate, that we do transmit and receive.

The sense of transcendental awe that characterises the experience of the sublime disrupts rationality, contravenes consensus reality and demands that we look up out of the confines of our internal life & subjectivity to experience the world as we're in it. It burns the maps and forces us to reckon our place amidst it all by "vision" (that is to say, perception) - and then draw new ones. This experience may occur in the natural world - the mountains, sea, night sky, the woods, so on - as is the conventional example, but it may also arise from super-generational facets of the human world.

Our bodies, which we have had for as long as we have existed as a species, and which make of us demands and needs, confer unto us gifts and burdens, irrespective of the era or the station to which any one might have been born; our languages, occasionally meddled in by some group's or individual's design but generally arising and evolving through processes beyond what can be properly called social engineering, or artifice, and yet without which all of our great works of artifice might not exist; our history and the changes wrought by the unguided, endless work of human lifetimes come and gone 'til now; all these (and more) are fonts from which flash out ephemeral and fleeting such flares of feeling inarticulate as to demand articulation, still.

It's a relationship of tension and release - the social world which we maintain to get about in life strains at some other, deeper, part of us - until it breaks, and we must act to bury or embrace what clears the rupture, and build back to routine, waking, working life once more. It's these moments - the daily yearning, swimming on and here and there and on amidst apparent trivialities, wanting for something more - then awe! terror! rupture! shock! - and all that's salient, at once, is that. With such near-perfect clarity we're rudderless, adrift, and therefor, peerlessly resolute as agents: now, there's only one neat thing to do. And when the waters calm you've told someone about it - tried to, or tried not to, and then done - and there's your beauty such as it's turned out; from there, the yearning, and the work, goes on.

[bogkeep]

the dan howell live show was great btw! one, because there's something deeply moving to me about attending a creation by someone who was like, haha funny youtube person :) when i was younger, but who has since then evolved as a creator and embraced his identity and is making what he wants to make. i just think that's really lovely.

two, there's just really something surreally amazing to me to go to any kind of real life gathering of people where the largest demographic is The Weirdos, like, going to pride or a cosplay convention or a live show for some niche media, where the jokes are OUR jokes and the language is OUR language and it's real and it exists and everyone is laughing with us and not at us, y'know? there's something so so strange about having an online experience offline! it's also - so many creators are my age, or maybe a little older or a little younger, like OUR generation is on stage now, making shows and movies and series and stories. like that's a shift we are experiencing right now. silly youtuber man from my screens can do his routine at conference halls in major towns across the world now. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE