#nano week 2015

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Fewer Canadians than at almost any point since the party was elected with Justin Trudeau as leader are considering voting for the federal Liberals, according to the latest tracking by Nanos Research.

The polling firm has tracked "accessible voters," that is, how many Canadians would consider voting Liberal, each week since before the party was elected with Trudeau as leader in 2015.

While between 50 and 60 per cent of respondents said they would consider voting for the Liberals when surveyed in the months leading up to the 2015 federal election — when former prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservative party was still in power — only 36.2 per cent would consider casting their ballot for Trudeau's Liberals right now. [...]

In other words, Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives would capture 43 per cent of the vote if an election were held today, while the Liberals would get 23 per cent, the NDP 21 per cent, the Bloc six per cent and the Green Party about four per cent. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[i-can-even-burn-salad]

📜"how did you get started on your WIPs?"

-verkja

Thank you for the ask! From this ask game.

Let's see.

Twisted Thorns

I wrote it as GW fanfic in 2015 or so, then I won an art raffle in 2021, and I looked up what I had written to see how to describe Caldyn, and while I read it I saw that I had tried to rewrite it in English, and thought... why not try again. And uh yeah. Here we are.

As mentioned before, at the start of the fanfic stood the Sylvari necro chargen with the mask that makes the eyes white and the green bark look scarred, where I instantly went to "what if this poor guy was in the hands of the nightmare court?" :)

Thorns and Jasmine

While looking for writing memes, I found a post that lead me to whumblr. And after a week or two of sitting in a corner, world shattered, I started to write more of what happened during Caldyn's captivity. Too much torture for a normal looking book, yknow? And I always wanted the novel to be only his pov, but the recovery is Breannan's pov, which was fun.

Undeserved

Glass Shards already existed, and I took one look at a prompt list and wrapped it around Damien's backstory in my mind, and I went... what if I wrote that 👀

Glass Shards

This was my one and only "nano" win in 2016 (quotation marks because while I did it in a month, it was Oct 😅) and I toyed with the thought of translating, and as Undeserved came to an end, I realized I had to, or people were going to kill me.

In 2016, I came out of a year-long identity crisis after learning of asexuality, and I chucked all that anger into making those two suffer. At the core, it was supposed to be, and is, a story about them being ace.

Fancy Boots

Pretty sure the idea started with a prompt that made me think "what if someone recognizes him" and Riordan volunteered. No regrets.

Heal my Wounds

This was the first of the gw fanfics I wrote. It was. Not nearly as good as it is today. Close to questionable adaptions of the organizations and personal story lines, but

Nuisance

Damien had his backstory, and I really wanted hers as well. One piece was written for a prompt fill, and the rest just. Happened.

Till Death

At the beginning of the year, I started to daydream about a few tropes I wanted, which didn't fit any of the existing stories. When it became clear that Glass Shards was coming to an end, planning got more real, and then it kinda... took over my life. For 4-5 months 😶

[radiowrites]

2022 Writer Year-In-Review

Hi, I’m RaisedonRadio & FortressofmyPast on AO3 and FF.net. This is an on-going tradition since 2015. Feel free to check out my past year-end posts: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015.

In the past, I have always called this my Fic-in-Review. But, well, I didn’t post any fanfics this year. But I DID write.

Tagging a few, and if you see this post and want to do it, consider yourself tagged! @writercorianarose @radio-chatter @shesailsships @talesofsorrowandofruin @goneahead @alonelyturtle

Total Number Of Completed Works: 0 (well, 1 for my nano project, though it definitely is FAR from completed.) Total Number of WIPS worked on this year: 5 WIPS Neglected This Year: 13

Total Word Count: 65,299 (53,873 from Nanowrimo)

Fandoms I’ve Written In: In addition to my original work, I actively worked on fics for Tale of the Nine Tailed (Korean Drama), and Sell Your Haunted House (Korean Drama)

Looking Back, Did You Write More Than You Thought You Would This Year, Less, Or About What You’d Expected?

I wrote way more than expected.

Did You Take Any Writing Risks This Year?

I decided to join National Writing Month about two weeks before November. And I completed it!

Do You Have Any Writing Goals For The New Year?

To start the second draft of my Nano project. And to finish and post at least a couple of fanfics!

Biggest Disappointment:

I really wish I had shared a few fanfics with the world this year! I’m too tight lipped with my original work to create any interaction, ha! I often post a least one fic in the last week of December, but I started playing Don't Starve again...character died on December 30, and now I have no fics to show for it. XD

Biggest Surprise:

Finishing Nanowrimo! Gosh what a ride that was! Will I do it next year? Absolutely not Who knows!

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to next year!

Since I didn’t post any fics this year, these questions I normally answer didn’t really apply. But if you use this format for your year-in-review and want to use these questions, I thought I’d include them below, and I hope to fill them out next year!

Most Popular Story Of The Year? What’s Your Own Favorite Story Of The Year? Story Of Mine Most Under-Appreciated By The Universe, In My Opinion: Most Fun Story To Write: Most Unintentionally Telling Story: Biggest Disappointment: Biggest Surprise: My Favorite Part Of Fandom This Year:

[technicallyhappyarcade]

Shoes: A Guide to Choosing the Right Shoes for You

Shoes: We receive free products and receive commissions through our links. See the disclosures page.

When I started CrossFit in 2015, it only took about a week for me to develop an unhealthy obsession with shopping for the best CrossFit shoes. Even though the NOBULL brand launched that same year, I didn’t buy my first pair of trainers until 2019. Since putting them through hundreds of workouts, I can deliver this NOBULL shoes review.

Based on comments I used to hear at the box where I started my CrossFit journey and from the feedback I’ve collected from other Breaking Muscle staff members, one thing is clear: NOBULL trainers can be pretty controversial. Below, I’ll explore why this is and discuss the shoes’ benefits, drawbacks, key features, and who they’re best suited for.

Key Takeaways

The NOBULL trainers retail for around $129 to $149, depending on which colorway you choose.

The SuperFabric technology used for the upper is durable, but breathability may be an issue — something to consider if you live and train in a hot climate.

NOBULL trainers fit true to size, though the toe box runs narrow.

NOBULL Trainers

3.8

Heel-to-toe drop: Four millimeters

Weight: 11 ounces (Men’s 9 / Women’s 10.5)

Material: SuperFabric®

Width: Wide

NOBULL Shoes Pros

NOBULL shoes come in lots of colors and prints. If you want to stand out in the gym or like wearing color-coordinated gym attire, you should be able to find a colorway that suits your style.

They are durable. I still have the first pair of NOBULL trainers I bought in 2019, and they don’t look much different now than when I first took them out of the box.

The lug-patterned outsole provides much traction whether you’re training indoors or outdoors.

NOBULL Shoe Cons

The trainers aren’t good for running or jumping due to the lack of cushioning, poor arch support, and minimal forefoot flexibility.

While their price point of around $129 to $149 is on par with other CrossFit shoes, other brands regularly offer sales and discounts. NOBULL shoes are rarely on sale, which can be a drawback for budget-conscious CrossFitters.

The SuperFabric® material used for the upper can be stiff, and the trainers may take a few weeks to break in.

NOBULL Shoes Rating

At Breaking Muscle, we’ve tested dozens of training shoes, including the latest CrossFit-specific shoes, like the Nike Metcons and Reebok Nanos. I have also bought and trained in at least 20 different CrossFit shoes throughout the years. Here’s how the NOBULL trainers scored after we put them through our proprietary factor methodology system.

Factor Rating (out of 5)

Appearance 4.5

Materials 3.5

Outsole 4.3

Midsole 3

Heel-to-toe drop 4.2

Versatility 3

Price 4

Durability 4

NOBULL Shoes Overview

NOBULL shoes are a somewhat minimalist, back-to-basics type of training shoe. They’re designed to withstand rope climbs, burpees, handstand push-ups, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, and anything else your workout of the day (WOD) has in store.

However, they can be pretty polarizing. Some CrossFitters claim NOBULL trainers are the most comfortable shoes they’ve ever worn. Others claim the shoes lack design ingenuity and don’t perform as well as other well-known shoes, like the Nike Metcons.

While NOBULL has released new shoe models over the years — for instance, the Rec Trainers and the NOBULL runners — the original trainers haven’t changed much. The NOBULL Trainer+ came out in 2022 with some improvements over the original trainer, which I’ll discuss later in the comparison section. But in general, NOBULL hasn’t strayed too far from the design of their original trainers.

Who Are NOBULL Shoes Good For?

The overall stability of the shoe and the rigidity of the flat sole can make NOBULL trainers suitable for athletes who focus primarily on strength training.

In our experience, NOBULL trainers don’t have a super wide toe box, so they are ideal for athletes with narrow feet.

Who Are NOBULL Shoes Not Good For?

Because of the hard bottom, lack of arch support, and minimal cushioning, the NOBULL trainers may not be suitable for anyone who wants a comfortable sneaker they can wear all day.

Athletes who prefer to wear heeled weightlifting shoes for squats will likely not enjoy the four-millimeter heel-to-toe drop on the NOBULL trainers. (Note, however, that NOBULL sells weightlifting shoes with 17.5- and 18.5-millimeter heel-to-toe drops.)

NOBULL Shoes In-Depth Review

Appearance

The design of the NOBULL trainers is one thing that makes them so controversial. Some people love the minimalist aesthetic, while others consider it essential and uninspired. I’m part of the latter camp — I don’t necessarily think that NOBULL has accomplished anything groundbreaking or unique with its trainer.

However, NOBULL makes up for this by offering its shoes in unique colors and prints. For example, as of this writing, the women’s shoes are available in fun colorways, such as neon blue, bright pink camo, multiple floral patterns, and highlighter yellow. If you prefer more understated footwear, you can opt for solid colors, like black, gray, or navy.

I don’t like my gym shoes too flashy, but I don’t want them to be too dull. When I bought my first pair of NOBULL trainers, I chose a gray upper with a blue, pink, and purple patterned sole and matching laces. I like that this colorway has a small pop of color that keeps them from being too drab without being so bright that you can spot me from a mile away when I wear them.

The NOBULL trainers also have one of the largest selections of prints and colors I’ve seen in any gym sneaker, let alone a CrossFit shoe. You can get them in high tops like the Converse Chuck Taylors. They get a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars for aesthetics from this CrossFit shoe junkie.

RELATED: Is CrossFit Bad for You?

Materials

NOBULL shoes are made with SuperFabric® technology. NOBULL takes regular mesh fabric and applies tiny guard plates, resulting in a material that is highly resistant to abrasions. I’m not always gentle with how I treat my shoes, but my NOBULL trainers hardly have any scuff marks or imperfections.

However, the SuperFabric® material is not very breathable. I appreciate this in the winter when I’m training in my cold garage because it helps keep my feet warm. But I don’t particularly enjoy the lack of breathability in the summer because it makes my feet hot and sweaty. The suede tongue has holes for ventilation, but I don’t think they do much.

The material is also stiff. I still have to loosen the shoelaces nearly all the way to get the shoes on, and I’ve had the trainers for four years. Because of the material’s stiffness and minimal breathability, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Outsole

NOBULL trainers have a flat, stable carbon rubber outsole with a grippy lug pattern and a reinforced sidewall. The shoes don’t slide around easily when I’m lifting on the rubber gym flooring in my garage, and on the rare occasions that I have worn them for outdoor runs, I haven’t felt like I was going to slip.

The bottoms have less traction now than when I first got the shoes, but the outsoles haven’t worn down as quickly as many of my other cross-training shoes. I gave the outsole 4.3 out of 5 stars for this reason.

Midsole

The midsole features a lightweight foam material that doesn’t compress. This is a great feature when you’re lifting heavy weights, as you want your shoes to help you feel balanced and stable. However, it’s a drawback for sprints, jumping, and other high-impact activities because the midsole isn’t very shock-absorbing or responsive (meaning it doesn’t offer much energy transfer when your feet hit the ground). I only scored the midsole 3 out of 5 stars because, as discussed below, the shoe’s minimal midsole limits its versatility.

Heel-to-Toe Drop

NOBULL trainers have a four-millimeter heel-to-doe drop. The low heel-to-toe drop makes it ideal for heavy lifts because it keeps you more balanced and stable. The NOBULL trainers are my go-to shoes for days of only doing strength training.

However, I give them 4.2 stars for the heel-to-toe drop because I prefer a heeled lifting shoe for heavy squats. I’m 5’8 and have long legs, and a higher heel-to-toe drop makes it easier for me to squat below parallel.

They’re good shoes for lifters who prefer squatting in flatter shoes. They don’t work for me for most barbell squat variations.

[anjumstar]

I know that y'all have no clue what I'm talking about, but before bnha, I wrote Pokemon fanfic for ~8 years, and I had one wip left from that fandom that I've been writing since 2015 but hit bump in the road after bump in the road with.

I finally finished it 😩 It was my NaNo project this year (and I'm still 2k away from 50k, but I'll find a way to squeeze it in!) and I finally finished it. I know I'm posting a bkdk fic rn, so y'all can't tell that I haven't written anything for them in weeks, but I MISS them, and I'll finally be able to WRITE for them again. Whenever I get a salient fic idea...

It's been a miracle of willpower, to write a fic that I don't like for a pairing that I'm now apathetic to (which is unbelievable too, tell that to my 12yo self). But I'm so proud and I've learned so much about myself as a writer, even just in this last month. I can't recommend anyone go through this kind of 8-year experiment, but hey, if you do, you'll learn a lot!

I'm already thinking about what I should write for bkdk, but idk yet. I have 2 ideas swimming around, but now doesn't seem like the time for either, so we'll see...

[melodiiesxfmadness]

estelle despoina desrosiers

tracked tag: desrosiersx

nicknames: stell, stella, des, poina, madre / mama ( montgomery ).

entomology:

estelle - From an Old French name meaning “star”, ultimately derived from Latin stella. It was rare in the English-speaking world in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due to the character Estella Havisham in Charles D*ckens’ novel Great Expectations (1860).

despoina - Means “mistress, lady” in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon. She was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at Eleusis near Athens.

desrosiers - Means “from the rose bushes”, from French rosier “rose bush”. It probably referred to a person who lived close to, or cared for a rose garden.

date of birth: 11.22.1973

zodiac sign: sagittarius

place of birth: rochester, ny

residence: washingtown, d.c.

gender: female

species: mortal

occupation: fbi special agent, Major Crimes Unit ( 2003 - present )

previous occupation:

lvmpd || las vegas metro police department ( 6 years, last 4 as a member of S.W.A.T. ) | 1997 - 2002

2016 - 2018 ; temporarily reassigned to the norfolk field office as part of a special task force

orientation: heterosexual

parents: both deceased.

sibling (s):

Iris Clara Desrosiers | younger sister, 33

Alexander Josue Desrosiers | older brother, 52

pets:

Agamemnon ; Belgian Malinois ; retired service dog ; 03.02.2020

Alfalfa ; American Akita ; fully trained guard dog

children:

1, montgomery “monty” jacob booth ( son || date of birth; april 25th, 2008 | father is seeley booth )

height & weight: 5'4", 175 lbs.

hair & eyes: dyed blonde ( naturally a brunette ), green.

piercings: two holes in each ear.

tattoos:

[ 001; claddagh ring ] – located along the curve of her spine, estelle got this tattoo at the five month mark of her pregnancy with her son ( montgomery ), although there is a noticeable crack in the heart.

[ 002 ] ; “The only way to a woman’s heart is along the path of torment.” - Marquis de Sade / located on the ribcage, left side. // this tattoo was acquired in 2015.

education:

James Monroe High School ( 1988 - 1992 )

St. John’s University ( bachelor’s in criminal justice || 1992 - 1996 ).

extra curricular activities: ice skating, girls hockey, lacrosse and field hockey.

NYPD Police Academy Training ( 6 months. || 1997. )

FBI Academy Training ( 20 weeks || 2003. )

religion: catholic.

additional spoken languages: english ( native ), french, arabic, pashto, farsi, russian, mandarin, german, portuguese, czech, & dutch.

nationality: french-american ( 4th generation )

heritage: american • greek • french

ethnicity: European / Greek

instagramaccount: ( not real. ) blondieinthenatcap ( short for blondie in the nation’s capital )

additional training in muy thai & krav maga

served for six years in the las vegas metro pd, four of those six years were on the LVMPD swat team // left the lvmpd at the rank of Sergeant

went to college for her bachelor’s in criminal justice

almost became a federal marshall instead of an fbi agent.

was actually recruited twice by the fbi while in the LVPD, the last time was when she took the offer.

estelle & montgomery live EXACTLY three floors above seeley in the same building. ( pre-booth/brennan. * updated version is she moved into a condo mid 2010. )

backup guns: Beretta Nano ( 9mm ), Beretta Pico ( .380 )

main on duty gun: Glock 22

favorite things: hazelnut mochaccino with coconut milk, chouquettes, raspberry creme filled crossiants, greek yogurt with sliced bananas and peanut butter, Macaróns, Madeleines, & Mille-Feuille.

ps4 gamer; all three bioshock games, until dawn, homefront: the revolution, we happy few, sims 4, the evil within, the evil within 2, red dead redemption, fallout 4, call of duty: modern warfare, call of duty: ghosts, call of duty: ww ii, far cry 5, assassin’s creed IV: black flag, assassin’s creed: origins, tomb raider.

personal preference: reign total body fuel is far superior ( especially in taste ) over bang energy, which she took TWO SIPS OF AND FOUND IT WAY MORE SUGARY THAN NECESSARY. ( will drink it as a substitute for coffee during the warmer months especially. )

cleaned floors and did laundry for extra cash throughout college.

wears reading glasses for tiny text in printed items ( books, magazines, newspapers, etc ) & on screens ( phone, tablets, laptops ). // been wearing them since she was 39.

can & still does play - the oboe, the piccolo, & alto saxophone.

[college-girl199328]

China’s attempts to meddle in Canadian elections are dragging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals down in the court of public opinion of support does not stop trouble for the government in the next election, say pollsters.

“The interference issue has long legs, and there’s some twist and turn in the narrative,” said Nik Nanos, a chief data scientist for Nanos Research, in an interview with The Hill Times. “The Liberals should be quite concerned because worry that the current Conservative advantage consolidates longer that the numbers stay here, it becomes the new normal, and it will require more effort to dislodge the trend line.”

According to last week’s rolling poll by Nanos Research, the Conservatives were leading the pack with the support of 35.7 percent of Canadians, followed by the Liberals with 28.3 percent. The New Democratic Party was a percent, the Greens at 5.1 percent, and the People’s Party of Canada at 4.1 percent.

Nanos said that “structural trends” like an economic downturn, inflation and cost of living were already working against the Liberals before the alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections started to make news. The extensive coverage of this issue has further deteriorated the political environment for the Liberals. Nanos pointed out that the Conservatives won minority governments in the 2006 and 2008 federal elections with almost the same numbers in popular support that showing. Stephen Harper’s Conservatives won the 2006 election with 36.3 percent of the popular the 2008 election with 37.6 percent of the votes. In 2006, they formed a minority government with 124 of the 308 seats, and in 2008 with 143 of the 308 seats. The Liberals won 103 seats with 30.2 percent of the votes in 77 seats with 26.3 percent of the votes in 2008.

According to Nanos Research polling, the Liberals’ support also plunged in January when they were seven points behind the Conservatives after they signed a healthcare deal with the provinces. A Jan. 13 poll by Nanos Research suggested that the Conservatives were at 35.5 percent, the Liberals at 28.3 percent, the NDP at 20.6 percent, the Greens at 5.8 percent and the People’s Party of Canada at two percent.

“I think they’re in trouble. When you look at the fact that they’ve been in power since 2015, that lot of economic uncertainty and worry about a possible downturn in 2023,” said Nanos. “When there’s the number of Canadians that pay for the rent, the mortgage and the groceries, and for the incumbent government to be six points behind, they should be worried about this back.”

The Liberals were the recent federal budget and first official visit to Canada last month would give them some cushion and help them regain the lost political capital has not worked, Nanos said.

From a strategic point, he said, it appears the Liberals are hoping for three things to reverse the trend against them: They weather the storm, the economic uncertainty ends this year, and the Conservatives make some mistake that will put them on the defensive will change the channel from the Liberals.

“Perhaps the Liberals can hope that [Conservative Leader] Pierre Poilievre slips on a political banana peel or makes a mistake because the need to change the numbers is for the Conservatives to do something that would change the trend line,” said Nanos.

Nanos, however, pointed out that this government has survived several controversies in the past, inducing the SNC-Lavalin affair, the WE Charity scandal, and the blackface/brownface controversy, among others. So, he added that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) may as well and that the Liberals should not be discounted.

“Even a cat has nine lives,” said Nanos. “So how many political lives does this government have? We don’t know that yet. But they’re using them up, that’s for sure.”

The alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections has been dogging the Liberals for months. The most damaging allegation in this saga is that the Liberals knew of the meddling but did not do anything about it because it benefited them. According to these stories, the Chinese Communist government wanted the Liberals to win minority governments and so helped out through financial donations and providing volunteers. As a consequence, MP Han Dong (Don Valley North, Ont.) stepped down from the Liberal caucus last month after a Global TV story alleged that he counselled Han Tao, a top Chinese diplomat in Canada in February 2021, that the Communist government should delay freeing Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig who were detained in China at the time as otherwise, it would help the Conservative Party. Spavor and Kovrig were detained in retaliation for the 2018 arrest of Chinese Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada following an extradition request from the United States. Dong now sits as an Independent MP.

The Two Michaels was released on Sept. 24, 2021, after 1,019 days in detention. Dong has denied the accusation and filed a libel lawsuit against Global TV. Before this, Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP Vincent Ke stepped down from the provincial government caucus after a Global News story alleged that he was the “financial intermediary” in the alleged Chinese interference scheme. Ke, who now sits as an Independent MPP at Queen’s Park, has also denied the allegation.

Greg Lyle, president of Innovative Research, said that the Liberals are quite vulnerable because they support the party’s handling of this controversy.

According to a recent poll by Innovative Research, 56 percent of Liberals believe that Chinese interference had some impact on the last election; 21 percent disapprove of Trudeau’s handling of this; and 27 percent believe the issue is a sign of deeper problems in the government. The survey suggested that 30 percent of Liberals agree that Trudeau knew about this interference for some time but did not do anything as it was helpful for his party. The poll also suggested that 64 percent of Canadians are angry that the Chinese government interfered in Canadian elections, and 58 percent think it had some impact on the outcome of the last elections.

Lyle said the issue is potentially politically explosive, so the government should do something immediately before it “catches fire.”

He argued that the best way for Trudeau to handle these Canadians was what he knew when he knew what he did about it. Along the way, he said, if Trudeau or his staffers made a mistake on the issue, they should apologize and move on. He argued that even though former governor general David Johnston started his work to determine whether there should be an independent inquiry should come up with a mea culpa and undertake immediate concrete actions to ensure it does not happen again.

“Odds are that, at a minimum, he didn’t move as quickly or as firmly as he could have, but hindsight is 20/20, and he was in the middle of COVID. So he has a few alibis,” said Lyle.

“There’s a concept called sunk cost, and basically, when you’re clearly on a path that’s going to take you in a downward spiral, you need to take an exit ramp as soon as.”

Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Research, said that Canadians are angry about the Chinese and are ambivalent about the extent of what it meant for the outcome of the last two elections. He said that the Liberals have not to handle the controversy, as the giving appears to be deceptive and creates a perception that they have something to hide. Last week’s Ipsos poll suggested that Canadians were split between those who thought Johnston’s ongoing probe to determine whether China meddled in the Canadian elections or a cover-up.

“They [Liberals] just kind of repeat talking points as though this is a bother that they have to put up with, rather than actually engaging with people who are asking them questions,” said Bricker. “And it’s not a great look for the government. In tactical political terms, maybe at the moment, it seems like the right thing to do, but they have this [perception] developed around them is just a sense of insincerity.”

Late last week, CBC reported that the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, tasked by Trudeau to investigate Chinese interference, are having trouble accessing secret cabinet documents related to the issue. Both of these agencies do not have an automatic right to access these documents and need cooperation from the Privy Council Office, the bureaucratic arm of the Prime Minister’s Office.

“This government has already struggled with transparency issues,” Stephanie Carvin, an intelligence expert and professor at Carleton University’s Norman Patterson School of International Affairs, told CBC. “I don’t think this is helping its case. If the government that to have a transparent investigation into foreign interference and then immediately clamps down on cabinet confidence, it runs the risk of undermining its own argument.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with The Hill Times last week, some Liberal MPs said that since Dong’s story has come out, they will be cautious now going to cultural community events foreign diplomats also show up. During those interactions, MPs and diplomats give speeches, talk, and sometimes have a meal at the same table and discuss politics. After Dong’s experience, they worried about what if someone from intelligence comments were misconstrued and used against them. Most Liberal MPs and Liberal insiders interviewed by The Hill Times in the last few weeks believe that Dong is the victim of some misunderstanding or translation error and that even if it turned out in the coming months that Dong has not done anything wrong, the whole experience has been too traumatic for the Toronto MP and his family don’t want to go through the same thing themselves. The libel lawsuit and ongoing investigations by the government may not be completed by the next election. This means Dong will not be able to run as a Liberal candidate in the next election political career is over. They said that even if Dong is exonerated, it’s to price that he had paid for someone else’s mistake.

So, MPs going to events will try to find out in advance who will be attending and will do their due diligence. “People [MPs] will have a heightened sense of awareness and higher obligation of due diligence now,” said one MP, who spoke on a not-for-attribution basis to offer their candid opinions. “Our ability to do due diligence is quite limited because we’re talking about information that’s not publicly available.”

[druidx]

A Year of Writing - 2022 Writing Wrap-up

I quite liked doing the "Your Writing Year in Review" thing last year, so decided to do it again.

➼ Quick Stats

Total Written - 92,157 words Average Words/Work: 4,388 Started in 2022 - 33 works Finished in 2022 (started anytime) - 21 works Published in 2022 (started anytime) - 36 works Number of Works still in Progress (started anytime): 79 Mostly wrote in: August, October & Dec (4 works each) Longest work completed or added to in 2022: The Ruby Falls (181,884) Shortest work completed or added to in 2022: wip - elo the 'beggar' (96) Top Genres: Fantasy Top WIP(s): The Ruby Falls Top OC(s): Aderyn, Mio, Rowan, Caseswing

Below the cut: 2022's Plans, Work I'm proud of, Work that shows I'm still learning, Breakdown of 2022, Plans for 2023, ICYMI

➼ What were my writing plans for 2022?

❌ Finish The Ruby Falls by April, published by October

HAHAHAHAHAHA! 💀❌💀

✅ Finish some of the then-68 WIPs from 2021 and prior

I managed 7 - 5 Oblivion fanfics, and 2 Starbound fanfics. 7 is better than 0, so I'm counting this objective as completed.

➼ Work I'm most proud of

It's a tossup between Abecean Blue and Tales of the Starbound: The Barkeep's Tale. I'm fond of the descriptions and flashbacks in Abecean Blue, but The Barkeep's Tale shows just how much I've grown and learned as a writer.

The Barkeep's Tale was started in 2015, and while admittedly it was part of a NaNo and I knew then it wasn't perfect, I thought it was reasonably well crafted. But when I rewrote it - nearly from scratch - and read it back, I realised just how much I've improved - mostly in the last 2 years.

➼ Work that shows I'm still learning

The Need for What We Can't Have, Long Past Dawn, and Strawberry Fizz. I can't write men. I can't write gay men. I can't write romance between men! Why are men so hard? (puns not intended)

All of those pieces feel tremendously flat to me. The descriptions are fine, but when it comes to men emoting, the dialogue... I just don't feel there's the same pizzazz as if you asked me to write a feral she-goblin.

➼ Breakdown of 2022

There have been a lot of IRL things going on this year, and I just haven't felt as creative as I have the past few years. The trip to Iceland was inspiring, yet that and the trip to Denmark took huge chunks out of my year (both were nearly 2 weeks each).

That being said, when I look at my stats for complete fics over the years, I can see that 2022 was nearly on par with 2020, with 21 vs 27. And even though I finished more works in 2021, my word count was much lower. I feel like I'm now at a happy balance between word count and finished works.

I also feel like I'm finishing a lot more things recently, even if they are fanfic, where historically I was writing novels and then running out of steam on them. I'm not sure if I can apply that to the past novels I've never finished/ edited enough to publish. Honestly, I don't know what I want to do with them at all...

➼ What are my writing plans for 2023?

Post The Ruby Falls.

Finish stuff. Post more 'For Posterity' items. Study Romance? Read more.

IDK, everything beyond The Ruby Falls is flexible currently.

➼ In Case You Missed It

Here's the list of all my work posted in 2022 (including some older works), separated by universe.

Original Series - Astyria's Star

Summer Prose Challenge 1 ~ 450. At the abandoned council chambers at Gont Point, Astyria considers the perils the people of Ilma face due to the rising acid seas. Read on Tumblr

Summer Prose Challenge 2 ~ 680. A grandmother recites a folk tale to her grandchildren. Read on Tumblr

Summer Prose Challenge 3 ~ 490. Astyria’s nephew has to complete a school assignment. Read on Tumblr

Summer Prose Challenge 4 ~ 920. We join Astryia at a council meeting to hear the options for dealing with Ilma’s climate issues. Read on Tumblr

Summer Prose Challenge 5 ~ 1,120. A talk show host discusses the current climate issues on Ilma. Read on Tumblr 

Original Work - 'For Posterity' Items

The Web ~ 176. How the spider invited its web. Read on Tumblr 

Lost on the Moor ~ 206. A girl with paranormal powers is on Dartmoor. Read on Tumblr 

The Frustrated Writer ~ 853. A girl complains to the reader that she has writers' block. Read on Tumblr 

The Fox ~ 437. A girl meets a fox. Read on Tumblr 

When I am old... ~ 273. A description of a woman's old aunt. Read on Tumblr 

Hungry... ~ 546. A woman's sick husband bites her, and she becomes very hungry. Read on Tumblr 

England Expects ~ 247. An old man reminisces about people taking responsibility for their community. Read on Tumblr 

GM Mutated Cheese ~ 282. A young boy experiments with cheese. Read on Tumblr 

Closure for a Silver Shilling ~ 328. A gravedigger is having trouble digging a grave. Read on Tumblr 

Other Original Works

The Need for What we Can't Have ~ 341. A mining clerk considers his religious colleague. Read on Tumblr

Uncertainty in the Weather ~322. A farmer's daughter reminisces. Read on Tumblr

Starbound

While the Sun Shines ~ 850. Mio enjoys a picnic with some of her residents. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

A Place No Good Man Should Go ~ 420. Oganesson introduces Yasahama to the Black Market. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

Tales of the Starbound: The Barkeep’s Tale ~ 3,240. Just a regular night in the Desert Rose; good times with good hooch and better company. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

Tales of the Starbound: The Miner’s Tale ~ 3,380. The logs of mine guard Devon Parker, detailing a year and a half of adventure. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

The Temple of the Fading Light ~ 592. Mio investigates an ancient temple and learns the dark secrets behind it. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

The ‘Shroom Witch ~ 785. Mio visits an agaran witch for help destroying the Ruin. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

TESIV: Oblivion - Modern AU

Strawberry Fizz ~ 219. Martin and Baurus take a summer holiday. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

Long Past Dawn ~ 646. Martin isn't fond of parties or unwanted female attention. Baurus has a solution... Read on AO3 or Tumblr

Self Indulgent AU ~ 8,274. The Hero of Kvatch is Martin’s Biological Child. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

Spiritus Alco Custodiat ~ 451. A jest from Jena turns swiftly sour. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

TESIV: Oblivion - Vanilla

The Foundling ~ 700. Comic Script. Rhiannon's origin story. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

Abecean Blue ~ 514. Martin extols the virtues of the Abecean Sea; After his death, Rhiannon goes for a dip. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

Rowan Hunts ~ 1,803. Jauffre has gone missing; Rowan hunts him down and brings him back Read on AO3 or Tumblr

A Restless Pillow (Begets No Rest) ~ 1,650. Rowan is an insomniac due to too many people pestering xir in sleep. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

Bring the Fire; Brave the Cold ~680. On a snowy day at Cloud Ruler, Rowan discusses the theory of magical fire. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

No Knight in Shining Armour, Xe ~ 4,780. What happens to Rowan between the end of the MQ and Accepting an Invitation. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

Per Necessitatem ~ 1,940. A description of Rowan performing the Dark Brotherhood's Purification Quest. Read on AO3 or Tumblr

[nerice]

yall are not rdy for who i will become after my thesis

[leonardcohenofficial]

morning wings wednesday friends!! going wings adjacent this week with one of my fave paul tracks of all time; i used to listen to this on repeat on my ipod nano all the time when i was ten and according to my itunes stats loved it enough to listened to it 53 times in one day 😂

@calicogirlfriendsamba 🥂 @frogeye-pierce 🥂 @calicoskiesacoustic 🥂 @fieryphrazes 🥂 @sorry-i-spaced 🥂 @plaid-nightmares 🥂

[finnlongman]

If you don't mind me asking, as a writer, is there anything you do to motivate yourself/stay focused on one particular idea/project? Like, keeping yourself from having another idea mid-work and having an "ooo shiny" moment, and leaving the old work to be an Emer to the new idea's Fand (to make a clumsy Ulstsr Cycle joke)? I've been trying to get a bit more serious about writing recently and this is an issue I've been running into. Thank you in advance if you do answer this ask.

I always have multiple projects in my brain, but I generally have a one-track mind when I'm actually working on things. It's why I'll obsessively edit a novel in three weeks and then go back to doing academic work -- my brain won't let me do both at once, so I have to give them all my focus for a short period of time and then switch.

I'm trying to get better at juggling multiple things, but it's still my weak point. This summer, I had to split focus between two novels, a thesis, and an article, all in the space of about 2.5 months. The result? I completely abandoned my thesis, and indeed, any academic work, for the whole of August, in order to focus on fiction, because the deadline was more urgent. Sometimes you have to prioritise, and knowing you have to switch tasks at a certain time and that this one has to be finished first does wonders for making you focus.

However, if you don't have deadlines and if nobody is expecting you to hand anything in, it can be a lot harder to do the finishing part, and it's easy to go off chasing new ideas. I think we've all done it. For the first 10 years of writing fiction, I didn't have any deadlines either except those I gave myself, and I definitely abandoned projects and hopped around. Even since I signed with my agent, there's been at least one project I had to put aside unfinished and I don't know when or if I'll come back to it, though that was less a case of being distracted by something else and more a case of being too depressed to write. If it had been under contract, though, that would have been more difficult! So I'm glad that it wasn't.

Part of the way I avoid it is by writing fast. This is unhelpful advice, because either you write fast or you don't, and if you're not a speedy writer, it's probably not very useful as a tactic. But if I write fast enough, not only do I not give myself time to get bored, I also have the drive of knowing the sooner I finish something, the sooner I can move on to something else. If it's only another 3 weeks of work, there's less a sense of the new idea being impossibly distant. I always leave first drafts to stew for at least a few months before I edit them, so once they're done, hopping between projects is a good thing -- as long as I got to the end first. But not getting to the end can be a killer.

I also try not to take breaks while writing first drafts. Again, doesn't work for everyone, hasn't always worked for me. But the books where I take days/weeks off while drafting are the ones that are hardest to finish, and every time I've stopped long-term and said I'll come back to it later to finish it ... I never have. If I ever do, I'll have to rewrite the whole first half before I can continue. This is partly because I'm not an outliner, so first drafts are precariously balanced in my head and setting them down can mean losing sight of something crucial. If I had a set outline to follow, it might be easier to dip in and out.

Having said that, I do have some books that have been written far more intermittently with lots of days off... but they were definitely harder. The continuity and speed is a fairly crucial part of maintaining my train of thought. Like I said -- one-track mind. That's why it's so hard for me to balance multiple projects.

Over time, I've learned that ideas are really the easiest part of writing, but they often don't go anywhere. I keep note of them, often in my phone, but an idea is not a plot, and it takes time for them to turn into a book. I like to let them mature on their own for a while. I knew I wanted to write TRWTH from about 2015, but I didn't draft it until late 2018; I knew I wanted to write a Bisclavret retelling since about 2016, but didn't draft it until late 2019. I gave them time to figure out what shape they wanted to be in before I started actually working with those premises directly. So that can help me resist the temptation to jump on something new -- it's not necessarily ready yet. Writing it down feels like scratching the itch ("I'm not ignoring it, I'm just setting it aside") and means you won't forget it, but also means by the time you come to look at it again, you have a better sense of whether it's worth writing.

Having said that, I'm easily distracted by the temptation to *edit* something other than the book I'm currently working on; I'll reread an older project and see how to fix it and since editing doesn't require the same single-minded focus (for me) as first drafts, I can be lured away quite easily. Deadlines are usually the main thing that helps there.

If I'm honest... deadlines in general are the only things that keep me on track. Otherwise I'm always hopping between things and never focusing on anything long enough to get it "finished". It's where things like NaNoWriMo can help: setting yourself a goal of writing a certain amount of a book within a window of time can often keep you on target long enough to pass the point of no return (i.e. the point at which you're more invested in finishing the book than in starting a different one). I never finished anything until I did NaNo for the first time; it turned out what I needed was a deadline and an excuse to write quickly.

Two final things. One is that I try to only write things I really care about. If I'm ready to abandon a project and never come back, I probably wasn't invested in it in the first place. Two, if an idea is constantly popping up while writing something else, it might be related. It might explore the same themes, or develop on one of the ideas. It can be worth poking at it for a minute to check if that's the case, and if it is... it's not a new story. It's a new part of the story you were already writing, and can be woven in.

It's possible absolutely none of this is applicable to those with a different writing style to me, and it's also incredibly rambly, but quick summary:

deadlines help. knowing someone is expecting something from you helps.

writing fast enough not to get bored gives you less time to get distracted.

ideas need time. write them down and let them stew instead of rashly chasing them; they may not be able to carry a whole story on their own

they may not BE a whole story; consider whether they're part of what you're already writing

Did this make any sense at all? I have no idea. I've actually been switching between three projects (two fiction, one academic) this week, so my brain is utterly melted because, as I said, I suck at doing that.

[atlanticcanada]

Everything you need to know about the 2021 federal election

It's on. On Sunday, Justin Trudeau called a federal election, kicking off just over five weeks of campaigning before Canadians vote on Sept. 20.

Who will you be voting for, and when, and where? When will the leaders vying to be prime minister debate each other? How will the pandemic change the race? And what is CTV News offering to keep you on top of the national election campaign?

All of those answers and more are below. Be sure to bookmark our election page for all the latest news, and video of the daily campaign events.

And, subscribe to our daily election newsletter for quick campaign rundowns each evening.

  Where can I read what each party is proposing?

On CTVNews.ca we are keeping track of and analyzing each party's major promises, and will soon be rolling out a special tracker to keep your informed. 

  How do I stay on top of the polling numbers?

There's a few ways you can do that. We will have daily updates from pollster Nik Nanos. These will show the latest standings of every party in public opinion, on our main election page.

As well, Nanos and CTVNews.ca’s Michael Stittle will be diving deeper into the polling data three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) on CTV News’ podcast, Trend Line. Subscribe now to not miss any of the quick but insightful check-ins on the public mood of Canadians during the campaign. 

  What about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and precautions parties are taking?

All parties have said they will be following all of the COVID-19 public health protocols that apply in the province or region they are visiting. While a handful of provinces have held elections since the pandemic was declared, this will be the first national tour seeing leaders and a contingent of staff and reporters travelling with them. Already, candidates from all sides have been out door knocking and holding smaller in-person and outdoor events. 

As the pandemic situation evolves we’ll be keeping a close eye on how the campaign strategies shift.

  When is voting day?

The official election day Sept. 20 across Canada. Polling places will be open for 12 hours, with the time varying, depending on what province you are in.

  Who can vote?

Canadian citizens who are 18 years of age or older can vote, so long as you're able to prove your identity and address. 

If you do not have ID, an elector registered to the same polling station can vouch for you, so long as you declare your ID and address and that person has not vouched for anyone else. There is an exception in the case of long-term care facilities, where there is an ability for someone to vouch for more than one person.

You can use your voter information card as proof of address, but you'll also need additional ID, whether a utility bill, or a student ID card, or bank statement, for example.

If you have a driver's licence or other government ID that has your photo, your name and current address, then you only need that one piece, but still bring your voter information card with you.

You can check to see if you are registered to vote, here.

  Can I vote in advance?

Yes. While there had been some consideration to an extended weekend voting period, there will be just one election day. But, you can also cast your ballot in-person in at polling places across the country on:

Friday, Sept. 10

Saturday, Sept. 11

Sunday, Sept. 12

Monday, Sept. 13

Click here to find your polling place. 

You can also vote early by submitting a “special ballot,” which you have to apply online for, but can be mailed in or delivered to your local Elections Canada offices. Expecting an uptick in mail-in ballots, Elections Canada will also have special drop boxes inside polling places where the special ballot can be submitted up until the time polls close on election day. 

  How do I know what riding I am in?

You can find out what riding you are in, by entering your postal code, here. There has not been a riding redistribution since the 2015 election, so if you haven't moved, it'll be the same riding as the last time you voted for your Member of Parliament.

  How do I found out who the candidates in my riding are?

Click here and you can see everyone that has registered with Elections Canada to be on the ballot in your riding.

As well, CTVNews.ca is compiling a series of riding profiles, looking at the hotly contested ridings, tight races, and places where interesting candidates are fighting for a seat. Stay tuned for our ridings to watch feature.

  Why do I vote for local representation and not the prime minister?

In Canada, we have a parliamentary democracy. There are currently 338 seats in the House of Commons, one for a representative from each of the 338 ridings. The 105 members in the Senate are appointed, and not elected.

The electoral system we follow is called first past the post (FPTP), meaning that the candidate with the most votes in each riding is elected to that seat. Generally speaking, the party who has the most elected representatives forms government, and the leader of that party becomes the prime minister. The party with the second-most elected representatives becomes the Official Opposition.

In order to form a majority government, the party with the most seats needs to have more than half of the seats in the House of Commons, so in the current context: 170 seats. If no one party elects 170 MPs, then it will be a minority Parliament, with the party with the highest number of seats looking to form government. Minorities are generally more volatile as their stability relies on cross-party agreements or support to be able to advance policy.

  What happens to Parliament and government during a campaign?

As soon as the election was called, the current Parliament was dissolved, meaning all business before the House and Senate gets wiped away, and the House essentially ceases to exist, meaning there won’t be a sitting, and no documents can be tabled. 

In this case, the 43rd Parliament has come to an end, and after the election the 44th will begin. Any bills or motions that a returning member wants to advance, have to be re-introduced.

The government, and the bureaucracy in each federal department and agency enter into what's called "caretaker" mode, where the general approach is to keep the lights on and the machinery of government humming.

During this period, government decisions and announcements are restricted to routine, non-controversial, emergency or urgent matters in the public interest, easily reversible by a new government, or agreed to by the opposition parties.

  When are the official debates?

The Debate Broadcast Group will be holding two official leaders’ debates, both taking place at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. 

The French-language debate will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 8, and the English debate will be held on Thursday, Sept. 9.  

For the first time, a Debates Commissioner led the efforts to organize two national leaders' debates during the election, one in French and one in English.

Both debates are happening at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. and each will be moderated by five journalists.

We will have live coverage of the debates across CTV News platforms, including real-time fact checking of what the leaders are saying.

  What concerns are there about disinformation in this election?

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of disinformation, one that has fuelled the growth of online communities devoted to using conspiracy theories and deceptive information to bolster political movements.

In the lead up to the campaign, Canadian security agencies cautioned that this so-called "infodemic" has created new narratives for online groups to amplify falsehoods and decrease confidence in elections or weaken trust in democratic institutions with the help of social media.

And although social media companies have taken steps to combat the spread of misinformation, experts say Canadians should be more on-guard than ever for divisive online campaigns that aim to sway opinion.

CTVNews.ca is publishing regular "Truth Tracker" features where we fact check information being spread online. See a story or post circulating on social media that you think may be disinformation or in need of fact-checking? Let us know by sharing with us the link to the post or the source of the information. You can email us by clicking here or visit our Newsbreaker page.

CTV National News will also be regularly digging in to disinformation and the promises the leaders make.

  How do I get the latest election news?

Easy! Sign up to receive special election push alerts from CTVNews.ca. You will receive: 

breaking news alerts

daily polling numbers

links to the Truth Tracker

leaders' debate updates

exclusive content, and more.

  Where can I watch designated election coverage?

A few places. On our special election webpage, and nightly on CTV News Channel and CTV National News, Canada's #1 national newscast.

Specific shows to set your PVR for:

Power Play, the daily marquee political program, which during the campaign will air on CTV News Channel weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. ET;

Question Period, the national political landmark and must-see for political junkies, which airs Sundays at 11 a.m. ETon CTV.

Of course, you can also watch these shows live or on-demand on CTV News Channel, CTVNews.ca, the CTV News App and on our digital streaming platforms.

  How to stay on top of the conversation on social media?

You can follow these hashtags:

#ctvelxn

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Or better yet, make sure you are following CTV News on:

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from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/3iKTlcK

[prosopopeya]

New Year’s Meme

this survey has been a tradition among my friend group for YEARS, but i haven’t filled it out since 2015 apparently. i’m not entirely sure why except 2016 was the year a lot of stuff changed for me, namely in that i finally got out of school in some form and started a new job, but i also had a few health problems that kept plaguing me (thyroid medicine being off, vitamin d) and my anxiety was all over the place. so here we go i’m doing it again and feel free to do it too if you want!!

1. What did you do in 2020 that you’d never done before? tried on wedding dresses. taught virtually. dealt (poorly) with drunk teenagers. performed in a pep rally. wore face masks all the time. i’m going to lump in living with someone. jon moved in october 2019, but i don’t think i did this quiz last year so. taught ap.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year? i don’t really like resolutions. they put too much pressure on me and i am a fragile person when it comes to setting expectations and living up to them. i did want to try to read more this year, and i maintained that until the pandemic, and then just kind of gave up requiring myself to do anything but live.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? i don’t think so. a coworker did.

4. Did anyone close to you die? jon’s cousin committed suicide in march or april. the circumstances were pretty upsetting. um. andy died in february, very suddenly. andy was my high school boyfriend for four years with whom i had a very... he scarred me in a lot of ways when it comes to sex and consent. it’s taken me a long time to unpack all of that. and i struggle with how much any of that was his fault or just bc he was a stupid kid too. our mutual friends had nothing but nice things to say about him on fb. anyway. he would guilt me into saying he’d kill himself if we broke up, and jon’s cousin killed himself over his girlfriend. so that was a complex part of the year.

5. What countries did you visit? none. literally the week before the quarantine, we went to asheville to visit jon’s cousin.

6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020? maybe a different job? or at least some peace at doing mine.

7. What date from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? march 13 we cancelled classes and had a technology training day; the 15th we had another one, and then we were virtual the rest of the term. it was such a sudden shift and while i so loved working from home tbh, it was such a relief after a supremely shitty january/february work-wise, i still had a lot of keyed-up, stressful days centered around transitioning to being the senior upper school spanish teacher. i hate it!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? writing 50k in the month of november. i have literally never done that before and actively reject nano as being typically unhealthy for how my mind works, so it was nice to do it entirely by accident.

9. What was your biggest failure? mishandling the drunken teenagers on that field trip in january.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? i sit crosslegged in my virtual teaching chair and i did it so much that my ankle hurt for the entire summer.

11. What was the best thing you bought? we put a deposit on our elopement in ireland. jon’s wedding ring. (i didn’t buy my wedding dress.)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? my best friend at work who keeps me sane and is represented by benny in my au, which other than the fact that he is not my sidepiece, is perfect he is crucial to my survival at work and i love him so much. (also he is gay and the french teacher so the benny parallels just keep coming). everyone who tore down a statue in virginia (and other places, but especially monument avenue). everyone putting their lives on the line during this pandemic.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? guess! but aside from all the obvious, i found out a friend of mine at work voted for trump. my work bff and i had been trying for years to sway his politics, but that had us both deciding to give up on him.

14. Where did most of your money go?  food, ALCOHOL. god., our savings account. i did a pretty excellent job saving this year, though a good deal of that is because jon moved in and makes more money than me, and also we split all the bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? my wedding dress but strangely only when i went to try it on after it came in bc after the purchase i was so sure i’d made every mistake possible. my wedding band. wellbutrin changing my whole life. and, last but certainly not least, the gay angel and the bi(lingual) hunter. i wouldn’t have survived nov-dec in school without that distraction. the election.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2020? the entirety of taylor swift’s oeuvre this year, maybe specifically “this is me trying”

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:  i. Happier or sadder? happier, i suppose, perhaps contrary to what should be the case, but wellbutrin is a hell of a drug. ii. Older or wiser? wiser. ii. Richer or poorer? richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? reading. cleaning. exercising.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? stressing. chaperoning.

20. How will you be spending Christmas? so, an update; last year was the first year i didn’t go to my mom’s for christmas. i was supposed to see her for thanksgiving last year, but she basically told us not to come bc she wasn’t feeling up to it (cool!), and we went to jon’s for christmas and my mom’s for new year’s. 

this year, obviously we couldn’t go to my mom’s. instead, we rented a little cabin by the lake. it was perfect; it was really really nice inside, the beds were SO SOFT, the pillows were the best things i have ever laid my head on, like i took off the pillowcases to try to find the brand. we had a little tiny christmas tree with tiny ornaments from walmart that we decorated. the 23rd, we went and picked up our wedding bands. we slept two nights in the (cold) back bedroom so i could wake up and look out at the lake. it snowed for christmas. :)

we opened presents on christmas eve, per jon’s family’s tradition. on christmas eve, we also went to his family farm and sat outside and hung out a little. every year his family does like a secret santa sort of thing and i got my first present in that exchange, which is notable bc jon and i are not yet officially married. i got a remote control car -- jon’s idea bc i couldn’t think of anything, and he was so delighted to hear that i loved playing with rc cars when we went to the beach as a kid.

christmas morning we facetimed my parents and opened some presents together. then jon and i marathoned mandalorian (after spending the previous few days watching several die hard movies), and then we watched wonder woman 1984 which was a bad movie.

21. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve? ok LAST year for new year’s, we were in a hotel room, so that was nice, bc it meant minimal stress with my parents. i had always wanted to go to this restaurant near us that has a special new year’s menu, so we did that. the night before or after i think we went to cheesecake factory, which was also amazing.

this year currently i’m tumbling and he’s playing pokemon, and in a bit we’ll try to time it so we finish schitt’s creek in time for the new year.

22. Did you fall in love in 2020? i re-fell in love with supernatural so that was nice.

23. How many one-night stands? 0. i submit we should randomly change question 23 each year to something more relevant to any of our life experiences.

24. What was your favorite TV program? what did i even watch this year. schitt’s creek. mandalorian. i mean obviously we know supernatural. the circle. are you the one (the queer season). pose. unsolved mysteries. we’re here! perry mason. watchmen. oh maybe that mcdonald’s monopoly fraud documentary. avenue 5. i’ll be gone in the dark. of those i think my favorite maybe is... pose or we’re here.

OKAY UM. on my 2014 version of this there were a bunch of questions about tv shows that i’m putting back in if only for the memories:

25. Which TV shows did you start watching in 2020? the haunting of bly manor, which we still need to finish. derry girls.

26. Which TV shows did you let go of in 2020? HERE’S WHY I WANTED TO RESURRECT THESE. here was my answer in 2015: “supernatural. goodbye, my sweet prince.” CAN YOU EVEN FUCKING BELIEVE

27. Which TV shows did you mean to get into but didn’t in 2020? Why? so far, queen’s gambit and that one on hulu with catherine the great. EVENTUALLY. 28. Which TV shows do you intend on checking out in 2020? fleabag. queen’s gambit. 29. Which TV show do you think you might let go of in 2020 unless things significantly improve? idk i drop things pretty regularly if they don’t entertain me 30. Which TV show impressed you least in 2020? GUYS HERE’S MY ORIGINAL 2015 ANSWER: “supernatural. :(”

anyway back to the rest of the quiz:

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? every person who refuses to listen to facts and information.

26. What was the best book you read? killers of the flower moon: the osage murders and the birth of the fbi, or the his dark materials series.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? well i knew about tswift so i’m not going to count her albums. i will count this song that jon played for me once in the car that got stuck in my head for two weeks straight and led me down into a great related-songs spotify playlist: through the roof ‘n underground.

28. What did you want and get? a wedding dress and a very specific kind of wedding band. a gay angel. a christmas getaway. animal crossing.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? idk i don’t know how many films i saw this year. maybe mucho mucho amor: the legend of walter mercado

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? i was 32. we went to an escape room with a BUNCH of people -- work bff, my old work bff and his wife (old bc he quit and we’ve fallen out of touch :(), the cool new physics teacher and his fiancee, and the aforementioned trump voter and his wife, before we knew... we went out for brunch/lunch after. it was pretty great!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? not having to chaperone that school trip in january. dean being bi in english as well as spanish. cas just ilke, appearing in 15x20. not having to physically go back to work this fall.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020? no! real! pants!

34. What kept you sane? jon. supernatural (in a way?). animal crossing for a while. wellbutrin! i haven’t really been able to detail this yet, but finally i did something about tumblr and my therapist making me think about adhd. my doctor gave me wellbutrin (bc i lack any official diagnosis and was on anxiety meds anyway, and he was like let’s try this!) and it’s fucking. it’s a fucking godsend. surprisingly enough, my students. trying to provide them a safe space has been a calming thing for me.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? jensen ackles’ silence. misha collins again, i guess.

36. What political issue stirred you the most? the summer was so fucking intense. i guess though it was me trying to exert my influence in a responsible way with my students without trying to try to make them feel uncomfortable but then one kid was a vocally upset trump supporter after the election and i had to try to defuse that situation.

37. Who did you miss? my old work bff. several old friends that i’ve fallen out of touch with bc i have no object permanence.

38. Who was the best new person you met? people i met through the spn resurgence!

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2020: if you manifest it in an au, it will come. no really though. maybe that expectations are only as important as i make them out to be.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: usually i have a hard time coming up with anything for this and i default to looking at my most played songs of the year. my most played song of the year received each and every one of its plays within the month of november and you can guess why. anyway see if this works

I had all and then most of you Some and now none of you Take me back to the night we met I don't know what I'm supposed to do Haunted by the ghost of you Take me back to the night we met - the night we met, lord huron

[greenandhazy]

god, all the schedule jerking around on NBC’s part really plays havok with Community’s setting and is making it VERY DIFFICULT to write time-specific fanfiction. I’m just going to write it out to help myself.

This is the timeline of when the show aired:

S1 - September 2009 to May 2010 (consistent with internal timeline) S2 - September 2010 to May 2011 (consistent with internal timeline) S3 - September 2011 to May 2012 (consistent with internal timeline) S4 - February 2013 to May 2013 (things go off the rails) S5 - January 2014 to April 2014 (things may be on the rails again?) S6 - March 2015 to June 2015 (things straddle the rails)

So, if Jeff graduated a semester early, season 4 SHOULD have ended in December of 2012 (although if Troy and Britta were celebrating their one-year anniversary, it should have ended in the spring of 2013). Then in watching the season 5 premiere I had thought it was supposed to be set at the beginning of the fall 2013 semester, but the wiki says it was actually supposed to be a year after Jeff’s graduation, which would make it the spring 2014 semester (and that also matches when Britta gets the iPod nano), so that’s less of a mess than I thought when I sat down to make this post. Season 6 is only half a season but it mentions summer at the beginning and the end, so it should be set fall 2014 to spring 2015.

OKAY IT ACTUALLY MAKES MORE SENSE THAN I THOUGHT. so this is the actual timeline of how the events in the show should play out in-universe:

September 2009-May 2010 - Study group’s first year at Greendale September 2010-May 2011 - group’s second year September 2011-May 2012 - group’s third year Summer 2012 - Troy is at the A/C repair school and the rest of the group takes biology in summer school September 2012 - group starts their fourth year. I rewatched the first part of History 101 (don’t make me rewatch the whole thing) and couldn’t find specific references to time, but it should be no more than a few weeks after the Season 3 finale December 2012 - Jeff graduates (just gonna pretend the anniversary makes sense somehow) January-May 2013 - the rest of the study group’s last semester, they graduate May 2013-December 2013 - everybody’s lives fall apart January 2014 - Jeff starts teaching, group re-enrolls at Greendale ~February 2014 - Pierce dies, Troy leaves September 2014-May 2015 - last year at Greendale

[lyquynhnhu]

I have Peter Pan syndrome

Don’t read it because is full of nonsense. You’ll get bored and it has a lot of grammar mistake.

Anime season Summer 2021 is ending. I just watched episode 11 of Tensura 2 Part 2 and realise last week will be last episode. I hope for an announcement for season 3, but have to wait few years to watch it. Tensura season 1 aired in 2018. 3 years already between the two season.

Tensura and Hamefura are my favourite anime of this summer. Both are isekai and ironically, isekai is not my favourite genre. I started watch Tensura season 1 and season 2 Part 1 just before Tensura Nikki aired. I didn’t expected to like this so much. So I was looking forward for summer.

Initially, I was excited for summer because of Hamefura. The first season aired only last year in Spring. Time really pass fast because this week will air the last episode of season 2.

I started Hamefura because I thought it to be an adaptation of an otome game, but I was wrong and I discovered a very hilarious anime.

I’m always sad when a season is near to end. Especially because Fall season has no anime that interested me.

Recently, I’m really nostalgic. Generally, because I don’t celebrate my birthday, I don’t feel that I’m getting older. But when I think about anime and read the date of the first broadcast, I get surprised when thinking about how time flies.

For example, Re Zero season 2 ended in Winter 2021 and the first season aired during 2016. I was in high school when I watched season 1, and now I finished university! I thought it only passed 2 years between the two season.

When I talk with my parents about this, they say that I have a childish hobby and to stop. But I don’t want to. My heart is that of a child, at least until the day Detective Conan and One Piece will end.

Both of them are older than me and as long as they are ongoing, I’m living my childhood. To be honest, I only started watching One Piece this year. I stopped at the time-skip, and the post time-skip is a lot, so I just catch up. Spending more or less 2 month for a single series is different from watching it week by week.

I became so invested in anime and manga during middle school and even more in high school. I watched a lot of anime in this period and when I read the original date I really feel nostalgic because I can remember my past routine.

During middle and high school I could relax during Sundays. Once in university, I spend more time on train than at school and I had to do a lot of homework during weekends.

In 2015 I was obsessed with Arslan Senki. It aired on Sunday at noon (according to mine time zone). I used to watch it after lunch. By the way, I really want a season 3. Season 2 had too few episodes and it ended in a cliffhanger.

Before Arslan Senki, my Sunday anime was Phi Brain, even though I started watching it from the second half of season 3. In 2014, I didn’t even heard of this title, I discovered it by chance.

These days I’m doing a rewatch because I play BangDream. Morfonica covers Nevereverland by Nano. I like this song, so I listen to it on YouTube and I found the song Now or Never. I had the feeling I heard that song somewhere before. So I remember it was the opening of season 2 of Phi Brain. Rewatching an old anime aired between 2011 and 2014 is really nostalgic.

I really have a good memory related to anime, while I struggle when I have to study for exams. I don’t like that time flies so fast, I want to continue being a child a little longer.

[morporkian-cryptid]

Writer’s year in review

I was tagged by @vampirenaomi to do this (thank you!!!), so here we go!

Total word count of published stuff: 47 234 words - almost a full NaNo!

Total words of unpublished stuff:  approximately 87k words - almost two NaNo’s

(NaNo stats have become my go-to unit of measurement for writing)

So yeah, there’s more unpublished stuff than published, but that’s because more than half of it is currently being beta’d, and the rest is roleplay so it’s not meant to be published.

Fun fact: writing is the very first thing I did this year! I mean, literally, on January 1st at midnight. I had a sudden inspiration for a scene about my OCs, some unexpected motivation, and nothing better to do as I was agonizing from exhaustion on my godmother’s couch,waiting for my parents to finish eating their five-hour long dinner.

Then I didn’t write anything publishable until June.

The good thing is, I found a new fandom (as literally everyone has noticed from the sudden change of content on my blog), so I’ve had a rush of inspiration and headcanons for my new ships, and I’ve gotten back into writing regularly.

I’ve also found an amazing new beta, @whosayscrimedoesntpay, who is honestly the most invested and serious beta-reader I’ve worked with so far and is always excited about my stories, which is a huge motivation as an author. Thank you so much for your help, man!

I’ve done NaNo again this year, won it again too, met some new peeps to write with, and wouldn’t you know, being part of a small writing group somehow boosted my motivation write about my OCs - incredible, I know! They usually never get the limelight, but since the creation of my most recent OCs, I’ve written four pieces about them, two of which in the last week. That has literally never happened before, and I hope it lasts.

On the flip side, I’m starting to experience imposter syndrome for the first time... but I’m not gonna delve into that.

Oh and I got a new review on my very first long fic (also my first NaNo, and my first OC-centric story) that I wrote in 2015 with no structure whatsoever, saying that it was a great fic. Soooo... that’s a thing that happened, I guess?

So yeah, this has been a pretty un-even year, writing-wise, but the last few months since July have been full with inspiration and motivation, and I couldn’t be happier about it! I hope I carry that energy into 2021 ^^

If you’re a writer, consider yourself tagged by me!