#programmer who writes poems

[taesancore]

—HEY ANGEL

kim donghyun x f!reader

📜 .ᐟ part one of the bnd as one direction songs series!

📜 .ᐟ synopsis: in which you were oh so curious about your sunbae, kim donghyun

wc: 2k, lowercase intended

“seriously, just go talk to him if you find him cute!” hanni replied as you continued to stare at him. kim donghyun. your senior and the main RJ for your school’s daily radio show. it wasn’t just the fact that you found him cute—scratch that, angelic. it was the fact that he was quite literally a walking talking enigma of some sort.

his mind was a one of a kind, you had thought when you first heard his deep voice talk about through the poem you wrote. you had sat up with a start in the middle of the break period as he continued to read out the poem you had submitted out of boredom (mayhaps to also spread your winter blues to everyone else for fun).

“wow, this person must really hate winters, they’ve described the sadness in how all the plants tend to die due to the cold” he had mused. back then you didn’t have an inkling of who he was. but his words, they weren’t even anything wise or profound. his simple take on your depressing poem had you wondering, just how was he so positive?

“i don’t know…on the bright side of it, i think winters can symbolise a time of rebirth and rest don’t you think? the flowers grow back looking much healthier and prettier after winters, in the spring. everything has a bright side to it right? even the most harshest of winters have beauty in them”

you had crept up to the broadcasting room as he was just beginning to conclude the show for that day. your curiosity had gotten the best of you, dying to know who had read your poem and turned it into a warm ray of hope amid the cruel winter. hearing the shuffling behind the door, you quickly hid behind the wall near the broadcasting room as the door opened and—

oh. oh wow. he was beautiful. was it his large doe eyes? or the slender shape of his nose? or the way his rosy pink lips had a natural quirk to them even when he wasn’t smiling? you weren’t sure what about him was beautiful. but at the same time everything about him was simply angelic, to put it straight. you were lucky he didn’t catch you gawking at him while he was bowing politely to the people who greeted him, as he walked away.

you learnt that he was kim donghyun, the one who was in charge of the break programme along with your senior han dongmin. the two of them hosted it under their RJ names leehan and taesan. their show consisted of them played rock or metal songs that dongmin often enjoyed dissecting musically while donghyun read out different letters, thoughts or writings that students sent.

“it’s not that hanni” you sighed, finally taking your eyes off him as you faced your friend. “…..i want to talk to him” you finished poorly.

“then do it!!” she said exasperatedly.

“how do i explain it to you?! i wanna know him as a person you know? he always somehow makes my poems seem like a ray of sunshine in someone’s cloudy life, and he sees things so positively all the time? i wanna be him and see life though his eyes once”

hanni was left gaping at you after you finished your speech.

“wow you’re in love”

“oh shut up i’m not”

the next day you had prepared another poem for the week, yet another pessimistic one. at this point you weren’t sure why you were writing these sad poems (maybe it was to just hear donghyun read them and state his opinion) but you loved the thrill of being an anonymous listener of gongfourz programme.

tiptoeing near the box where the letters were submitted near the broadcasting office, you barely had time to turn around and walk away after dropping your poem in the box, before you bumped into a sturdy chest.

“careful there” came a familiar voice from above you as you steadied yourself. you held back an embarrassing gasp as kim donghyun’s curious eyes met yours.

fuck, they were probably home to a thousand galaxies weren’t they? you didn’t realise you were staring until he chuckled softly, snapping you out of your reverie.

“i’ll get going then” he smiled, brushing past you into the broadcasting room, leaving you standing there still staring in his direction.

“what if he saw me put my poem in his box?? hanni i’m doomed!” you were currently wailing at your best friend who was calmly sipping her coffee. it was a free period for you as your teacher wasn’t present, giving you enough time to mentally prepare yourself for leehan and taesan’s broadcast. and it also gave you time to cry about your first encounter with him…which wasn’t exactly the best.

“relax y/n, so what if he does?” she questioned.

yeah…so what if he does? you wondered for a minute.

“i don’t know…it’s not like i like him anyways, you’re right” you said to yourself as hanni snorted.

“you don’t like him? sure honey” she snickered as you scowled.

“don’t even try lying to yourself here, you get so excited before his broadcast starts, look at him every time he enters the lunch hall hell you even eat your food at a snail’s pace to leave the hall at the same time as him” she finished befit you could defend yourself, smirking at your dumbfounded reaction to her speech.

“how do i prove it to you?” you mustered weakly.

really though, you didn’t like him…you just liked his brain. god it even sounded stupid in your head but that was the truth! his way with words really did render you speechless at times and dare you say made it flutter too— no. no it didn’t.

“talk to him then” came hanni’s reply. well.

“that you know i can’t!” you whined. “oh the radio’s starting! quick!” you ushered hanni into your regular seats in the classroom as the last remnants of one of taesan’s favourite song faded, the guitar riff still ringing in your ears.

“now let’s see, the first letter! kim donghyun sunbae you’re a greek god— why thank you” he exclaimed politely as taesan burst out laughing.

“you sure you didn’t send that?” hanni elbowed you slyly as you shot her an annoyed look.

“haha very funny.”

“next up, oh my little poetess sent another poem!” my poetess. you loved the little nickname he gave you, it never failed to bring a warm feeling inside you.

“hmm, looks like you’ve had quite the experience with some people on earth, considering how you’ve written that hell is up here itself” his mellow voice floated through the speaker in the classroom as you attentively listened.

“however, maybe hell isn’t the only thing that’s up here? i have a feeling that there are angels in disguise on the earth you know”

“are you referring to yourself?” taesan joked as leehan’s chuckles came from the speaker.

“maybe, but i’m referring to my poetess as well, i’m not gonna lie i’m very curious about you” he replied as hanni let out an excited gasp.

“oh my god?! he wants you so bad” she giggled at you who was still jaw-dropped at his words.

“oh don’t be silly, he doesn’t even know me!”

“are you really flirting with one of our anonymous writers han?” taesan’s amused question made leehan chuckle again.

“if you see it that way then sure. i however do think my poetess is one of the angels in disguise you know…sometimes i wish i could see the world from her view as she makes even the most heartbreaking things seem ethereally beautiful”.

the entire classroom was silent, taking in the senior’s words. you were sure some of your classmates who were his fangirl were glaring daggers at the speaker, probably cussing out ‘his poetess’ in their minds. you? oh you were a blushing mess, you were sure you had no feelings for your senior but now? you suddenly weren’t so sure anymore.

“hanni” you said in a small voice.

“i think i’m gonna talk to donghyun sunbae”.

the next day you had prepared another poem, one that you had penned during the early hours of the morning due to the lack of sleep. you couldn’t help it, you had to do something about the weird feelings you were starting to feel for him, he was a senior for gods sake!! your poem was quite simple this time, talking about how the heart tends to make stupid decisions by catching feelings, ignoring the advice of the head (totally not inspired by your current mood).

upon reaching the broadcasting room before class started, you patted your coat pocket to reach out for the envelope….which you didn’t find.

oh no. oh no no this can’t be.

you frantically pulled out all your pockets, searching the floor beneath you if you accidentally dropped it anywhere until-

“looking for this?” came a low voice from behind you as you whipped your head around.

your worst nightmare had come true for there was kim donghyun, with your envelope in his hand. he smiled at you, a smile that told you that he knew everything already.

“sunbae! good morning!” you bowed down hastily, meeting his eyes with a steady gaze of your own.

be confident. stay calm. stay cool.

“it’s nice to finally meet you my little poetess” he greeted you, walking closer as he handed the envelope to you.

“w-what are you talking about?” you shuffled away from him, stuffing the envelope back in your jacket while still maintaining the eye contact.

“no need to pretend now, i saw you earlier you know?” he said amusedly.

“…fine it’s me” you gave in, looking everywhere but at him now. his smile widened slightly as he tilted his head.

“aren’t you my junior? the one who stares at me during lunch?”

you felt your face burn at his words as you glared at him, yet you couldn’t find a suitable reply because…you did stare at him.

he laughed a soft laugh, and you may have melted inside because hearing it in real life and not through the rusty old speaker in your class felt so heavenly.

“it’s not like that..” you finally managed as he quirked an eyebrow.

his feet moved forward, while yours moved back.

“…i’m curious about you too, sunbae” you finished as you found your back thud against the door of the broadcasting room.

his eyes glimmered with an amused glint, drawing you deeper into their endlessness as you struggled to acknowledge the barely there distance between you two.

“and what do you find curious about me?” he mused, lips tilting upwards into his signature little smirk. or smile. hell you weren’t sure at this point because all you could think about was his warm scent floating around you.

“your…brain” you mumbled, not breaking eye contact this time.

his brain. really. god you sounded like a loser there, so much for confidence.

he laughed, a beautiful sound that bounced off the walls. you stared, ears blushing red as he threw his head back. that smile oh wow.

“you’re quite the funny one” he giggled once he calmed down, still smiling widely.

“no im being for real! you always turn my gloomy poems into something happy! just how do you manage to do that?? and the nickname, my poetess? it keeps replaying in my head everywhere, god you’re everywhere at this point it’s making me crazy!” you burst out, breathing heavily as you felt a weight lift itself off from your chest.

shit. what had you done. your eyes widened as you watched donghyun’s expression go from amused to flabbergasted to something undecipherable…almost soft?

“okay my poetess, how about this? you can satisfy your curiosity by getting to know my brain better hmm?” he said, smiling at you as you furrowed your brows.

“what do you mean—how?”

“meet me after today’s broadcast? it’s a date y/n” he grinned, eyes disappearing into little half moons as he finally stepped away from you.

you were left staring at him for the second time this week as he sauntered away into the broadcasting room, the door shutting behind him with a soft sound, not louder than the booming of your heart though.

hmm. you decided that you liked— no scratch that, really liked the sound of your name when he said it.

a/n: man im pretty sure i used the word broadcast more than 50 times in this LMAO but let’s be fr, don’t we all love leehan’s brain :3

[cosmerelists]

What Autocorrect Does to Cosmere Character Names

@cosmereplay suggested this list about how characters' names autocorrect in my phone--a great idea! However...I write so many lists on my phone that my phone has learned pretty much everyone's name. If I legitimately mistype "Kaladin," the phone will just correct it to "Kaladin." It knows.

So instead...I went into my phone messaging app and looked at what was suggested as I typed the character's name. I also hopped into Microsoft and looked at their suggested spelling corrections. This did produce some...interesting results. 

So here are my phone/computer suggestions for Cosmere names!

1. Kaladin

Phone suggestion: malady

Computer suggestion: paladin

This is so real. Kaladin feels that he himself is a malady while everyone else sees him as a (sometimes literal) knight in shining armor. 

2. Zellion

Phone suggestion: zero

Computer suggestion: zillion 

Ah yes. The age-old question. Is Zellion nothing...or is he everything? Zellion asks himself this question daily.

3. Shallan

Phone suggestion: shall and

Computer suggestion: shall an

If there is one thing both devices know for sure, it's that "Shallan" isn't a word. It's two words. And is there any better representation of Shallan, she who sees herself as multiple people in one? 

4. Leshwi

Phone suggestion: lesbian

Computer suggestion: lechwe

My phone believes Leshwi to be a lesbian. My computer believes her to be the noble antelope, galloping over the plains of Africa (apparently that is what a "lechwe" is). I'm not sure I totally buy either of those headcanons, but I can appreciate them both.

5. Adolin 

Phone suggestion: advil

Computer suggestions: adjoin, adoring, or addling

Yes, yes, I can see it. Adolin truly is a type of pain relief. He brings people together. He adores his wife and his friends. And I guess he...is confusing sometimes? 

6. Dalinar

Phone suggestion: Salina

Computer suggestion: decliner

My phone is trying to find a lovely name for if Dalinar turns out to be trans, while my computer is like "Man he says no to everything." 

7. Navani

Phone suggestion: navigate, java

Computer suggestion: nagana

Once again, my phone takes the positive track: Navani is an explorer! A computer programmer! Maybe the embodiment of coffee! My computer, meanwhile, has identified her as (looks up word)...some sort of parasitic disease that infects animals? Who wrote this? Moash?

8. Renarin

Phone suggestion: Renaissance, remarkable

Computer suggestion: remain

Okay, I'm noticing a definite pattern here. My phone (correctly) sees Renarin as a remarkable Renaissance man! My computer is like, "Well, he sure is there." 

9. Raboniel 

Phone suggestion: rabies

Computer suggestion: baronial

The positivity/negativity polarity has switched! Now my phone thinks Raboniel is a disease with a 100% fatality rate whereas my computer believes her to be "grand, impressive, opulent."

I think Navani would be like, "Both fit."

10. Rlain 

Phone suggestion: flair, email

Computer suggestion: rain

Okay...I think these all sort of work. Rlain definitely has flair. He is the bridger of minds, just like, uh, email? And singers do go into storms to transform, so rain is a fair association too. 

11. Hesina

Phone suggestion: Jedi; hesitate; he's in; he's insane; he's inside

I don't think I even need to go to the computer for this one. It's already a, uh, lovely (?) poem. Well, less lovely and more terrifying...who is the "he" who is terrorizing Hesina?? Luckily, she's a Jedi, so she'll definitely be able to handle it.

12. Vivenna

Phone suggestion: video, vice

Computer suggestion: Vienna

I feel that Vivenna herself would be unhappy with these suggestions. She does not see herself as a person of vice nor is she a big city person. And I feel like original flavor Vivenna wouldn't be a huge fan of videos either. 

13. Zahel

Phone suggestion: Zach

Computer suggestion: hazel

Something about Zahel autocorrecting to Zach cracks me up. "Yup, that's just ol' Zach over there. Zach with his sword. Ardent Zach." 

I'm pretty neutral on "hazel." It has a "z" I guess.

14. Susebron 

Phone suggestion: dude, dude right, dude rocks

Once again, no computer is needed here. The phone has already produced such a lovely poem. And unlike the Hesina one, it's not a horror show! It's like someone is commenting on Susebron himself. "Dude! Dude, right? Dude rocks!"

15. Steris

Phone suggestion: stern, sterile, sterilization

Computer suggestion: steric

I mean...yeah. Steris can be stern. She can seem sterile. She would definitely be a fan of sterilization of, like, equipment after experiments. "Steric" apparently means "relating to the arrangement of atoms" which, uh, sure?

16. Kelsier

Phone suggestion: keep, keeping

Computer suggestion: Kelsie

My phone seems Kelsier as a survivor--someone who keeps on keeping on!

My computer is now the one headcanoning a character as trans.

15. Sadeas

Phone suggestion: safe, safety

Computer suggestion: sides, saddens

I think that, uh, Adolin would have some words to say about my phone's suggestions here. Sadeas as "safe safety"??

But Dalinar might agree with the computer. Sadeas did pick sides. It was indeed sad.

18. Moash 

Phone suggestion: Moana

Computer suggestion: mash, mosh, moat

Yes, yes, the computer is definitely on to something here (he smashes, he's in a pit, he makes himself an island...)

But can we appreciate that my phone just thinks he's a Disney princess? Tumblr's with you, phone.

[scotianostra]

October 29th 1740 James Boswell, the biographer, diarist and travel writer was born in Edinburgh.

James Boswell, ninth laird of Auchinleck, is best remembered for his biography 'The Life of Samuel Johnson' published in 1791. It was only in the latter part of the twentieth century with the recovery of his private papers and publication of his London journal of 1762-1763 that his qualities as a diarist came to light. The honest, frank and sometimes shocking insights into his personal, professional and social life provide an almost tangible description of his time. James Boswell was proud of his social rank and his ancestors. Thomas, first laird of Auchinleck, had been gifted the castle and barony in 1504 by James IV; and he claimed descent from a cousin of Lord Darnley (second husband of Mary Queen of Scots and father of James VI and I) on his mother's side.

Now I have since discovered that Boswell was actually born on October 18th The entry in the Old Parish Register for Edinburgh gives the names of three witnesses to the baptism which took place the same day, as seen in the first of the pics.

Reading more about Boswell, I have garnered a bit of a dislike for the man, having qualified as a lawyer, he travelled to London hoping to rub shoulders with ‘men of genius’, I mean we were in the throes of The Scottish Enlightenment, Edinburgh was a hotbed of intellectuals, another reason he left for London was to try and meet his literary hero, Samuel Johnson. He realised this ambition the following year when he met Johnson in a Covent Garden bookshop. The two men became close friends despite having differing views on topics such as the slave trade. Boswell called Johnson’s views against the slave trade ‘zeal without knowledge’ and published an anti-abolitionist poem No Abolition of Slavery; Or the Universal Empire of Love in 1791. Nevertheless, Boswell is chiefly remembered for another work published in 1791, his acclaimed Life of Samuel Johnson, in which the innovative use of colloquial language, conversation and short sentences helped to bring Johnson’s character to life.

On the 16th May 1791, Boswell published the Life of Johnson, a book which is widely regarded as the first modern biography. Previous to this biographies, such as they were, were idealised portraits of people such as military commanders and king, Boswell is said to have re-invented the biography. One reason Boswell was able to capture such a complete and vivid portrait of Johnson was that the writing of the biography could be said to have started on the day they met. In the journals he put in patches of verbatim dialogue as recorded in his diary.

His writings described sex, depression, drink, rows with his father, the drudgery of law, the great spectacle of life in London and in Edinburgh, but as well as being the first modern biographer and a prolific diarist, Boswell was also the first celebrity interviewer. He went to see the great French philosopher Rousseau, who tried to turn him away saying he was unwell and he could only spare a short time.

Boswell wrote 'I hate that phrase, short time' and he ended up chatting to him for six days.

Dumfries House is host to the Boswell Book Festival every May, inspired by the Ayrshire biographer James Boswell of Auchinleck, at the heart of the Festival is a programme of stories taken from the inspirational lives of people past and present - told through talks, drama, art and music.

[welldonekhushi]

🌸 Tell me about your OC(s) - with pictures if you want !Pick some facts you want to share about them & let us gush about them together! Then send to other creators to do the same ✨

Hey Vivi! I'll talk about my task force, this time!

Task Force Shatrujeet 💀🗡️

Col. Shaurya Kulshrestha

Shaurya found the task force named "Shatrujeet", which in translation means "winning against the enemy". The ideology of making this task force was to collect a group of commandos who have the full potential, ability and capability to deal with complex special operations, and protect the country from foreign threats.

The Colonel was Arjun's guide and mentor throughout his journey, before the responsibility of leading the task force landed on the Captain, making Shaurya confident that now he's independent and knows what to do.

Shaurya is part of the Mavericks, a secret division of the Indian Army, where elite soldiers are interlinked with the intelligence agencies.

The Colonel never actually mentioned if he was married or not. Some say that he never did, and some say he was divorced under some conditions. But, it's never proven, nor confirmed.

The Colonel had an old contact with General Shepherd, that paved the way for Arjun to join the Task Force 141.

Capt. Arjun K. Dhingra

Arjun has a locket of his wife's picture and keeps it safe in his drawer. It motivates him into believing his wife's presence was always there. He also has Lakshya's fountain pen, the pen he used to write poems in his diary, as a memory.

The Captain has taken part in many crucial special operations, for his accurate strategic planning and leadership. The 9 PARA SF has always considered Arjun more reliable for going on missions, something which also irked the interest of General Shepherd that made him become a part of the 141.

Arjun's nature towards his commandos is kind of mixed. He sometimes shows concern, and kindness, but at the same time he's harsh and fierce. The conclusion can be that he wants the best for his commandos, and wants to train them enough so they're capable of handling any sort of tough obstacles.

Arjun has never tried to smile that much, ever since the tragedy. But thanks to Kavya, and the hope of his commandos, he was able to regain that happiness that was lost in his life back.

Arjun knows most regional languages, since the commandos are also trained to learn these languages for covert operations, respectively. He surprised Aditya one time.. by speaking fluent Gujarati.

Lt. Aditya Tripathi

Aditya had shown to be a comforting presence among everybody, something which also enlightens others from their hard times.

Aditya is also a part-medic! He used to pursue medical studies to become a doctor like his mother, but under such circumstances, it made him join the special forces, and used that very knowledge to treat the wounded.

Aditya makes others happy and especially himself. Because in hard times, he suffers a little when he's not able to save a wounded person's life.

Lt. Yuvraj Chaudhary

Yuvraj is respectful and generous to everyone, especially women. In his belief, he considers women as "devi" or goddess in translation, and wishes if more women joined the army.

Yuvraj met Aditya during the NDA, and even graduated in the IMA with him together. They've been very close to each other like brothers.

Yuvraj has a signature mark, rolling his moustache when he feels pride within himself, or if anything went successful. More like, saying "flawless".

Yuvraj is a Rajasthani, and he knows the Marwadi language. At times he mocks Aditya by saying something in his regional language, much to Tripathi's disappointment.

Capt. Venkateshwar Subramanian

(still need to find the faceclaim!)

Venkateshwar graduated from the OTA, as an computer engineer, joining the PARA SF and becoming a part of Task Force Shatrujeet.

Venkatesh has shown a lot of interest in technology since he was a young child, and always excelled in the field of computers, that made him a special programmer in the team.

Venkateshwar has close contact with Alyssa Martinez (@alypink), who is also a programmer in the Mexican Special Forces, and they are known to have worked together in a joint operation.

[denimbex1986]

'Writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah has died aged 65, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour eight weeks ago.

A statement posted on his Instagram account confirmed he died in the early hours of Thursday.

The statement said Zephaniah's wife "was with him throughout and was by his side when he passed".

"We shared him with the world and we know many will be shocked and saddened by this news," it added.

Zephaniah was born and raised in Handsworth, Birmingham, the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse. He was dyslexic and left school aged 13, unable to read or write.

He moved to London aged 22 and published his first book, Pen Rhythm.

His early work used dub poetry, a Jamaican style of work that has evolved into the music genre of the same name, and he would also perform with the group The Benjamin Zephaniah Band.

As Zephaniah's profile grew, he became a familiar face on television and was credited with bringing Dub Poetry into British living rooms.

He also wrote five novels as well as poetry for children, and his first book for younger readers, Talking Turkeys, was a huge success upon its publication in 1994.

On top of his writing work, Zephaniah was an actor and appeared in the BBC drama series Peaky Blinders between 2013 and 2022.

He played Jeremiah "Jimmy" Jesus, appearing in 14 episodes across the six series.

Zephaniah famously rejected an OBE in 2003 due to the association of such an honour with the British Empire and its history of slavery.

"I've been fighting against empire all my life, fighting against slavery and colonialism all my life," he told The Big Narstie Show in 2020.

"I've been writing to connect with people, not to impress governments and monarchy. So I could I then accept an honour that puts the word Empire on to my name? That would be hypocritical.

He often spoke out about issues such as racial abuse and education.

When he was younger, Zephaniah served a prison sentence for burglary and received a criminal record.

In 1982, Zephaniah released an album called Rasta, which featured the Wailers' first recording since the death of Bob Marley.

It also included a tribute to the then-political prisoner Nelson Mandela, who would later become South African president.

In an interview in 2005, Zephaniah said growing up in a violent household led to him assuming that was the norm.

He recalled: "I once asked a friend of mine, 'What do you do when your dad beats your mum?' And he went: 'He doesn't.'

"I said, 'Ah, you come from one of those, like, feminist houses. So, what do you do when your mum beats your dad?'"

In 2012, he was chosen to guest edit an edition of BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Zephaniah was nominated for autobiography of the year at the National Book Awards for his work, The Life And Rhymes Of Benjamin Zephaniah, which was also shortlisted for the Costa Book Award in 2018.

During a Covid-19 lockdown, Zephaniah recited one of his poems in a video for the Hay Festival.

"Benjamin was a true pioneer and innovator. He gave the world so much," the statement announcing his death said.

"Through an amazing career including a huge body of poems, literature, music, television and radio, Benjamin leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy."

A statement from the Black Writers' guild, which Zephaniah helped establish, said: "Our family of writers is in mourning at the loss of a deeply valued friend and a titan of British literature. Benjamin was a man of integrity and an example of how to live your values."

Others paying tribute included author Michael Rosen, who said: "I'm devastated. I admired him, respected him, learnt from him, loved him. Love and condolences to the family and to all who loved him too."

Actress Adjoa Andoh posted: "We have lost a Titan today. Benjamin Zephaniah. Beautiful Poet, Professor, Advocate for love and humanity in all things. Heartbroken. Rest In Your Power - our brother."

Peaky Blinders actor Cillian Murphy said in a statement: "Benjamin was a truly gifted and beautiful human being.

"A generational poet, writer, musician and activist. A proud Brummie and a Peaky Blinder. I'm so saddened by this news."

Broadcaster Trevor Nelson said: "So sad to hear about the passing of Benjamin Zephaniah. Too young, too soon, he had a lot more to give. He was a unique talent."

Singer-songwriter and musician Billy Bragg added: "Very sorry to hear this news. Benjamin Zephaniah was our radical poet laureate. Rest in power, my friend."

Comedian, actor and writer Lenny Henry said: "I was saddened to learn of the passing of my friend Benjamin Zephaniah. His passion for poetry, his advocacy for education for all was tireless."

Writer Nels Abbey said: "To call this crushing news is a massive understatement. He was far too young, far too brilliant and still had so much to offer. A loss we'll never recover from."

The X/Twitter account for Premier League football club Aston Villa, whom Zephaniah supported said everyone at the club was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"Named as one of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008, Benjamin was a lifelong Aston Villa fan and had served as an ambassador for the AVFCFoundation. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."'

[elektrischemaidchen]

Oh, guys, I miss Lisztober. I really do. There's so much going on here at the moment and it's much more stressful than writing a song every day. I don't know if anyone here can relate to this, but when you've lived in a bubble for a month... I think I'm simply lacking Franz. I am currently researching Adéle de Laprundarede on Gallica, in case you're wondering how bad it is...

But it's also nice:

-If anyone remembers Lisztober #3: One of my former colleagues, who works at the Beethovenhaus and is very involved in the Beethovenfest, was very happy afterwards. I also apologised to her for the Bonn song ;) But she loves Liszt and can forgive us. Next time I see her, I'll beg her to tell Nike Wagner (former director of the Beethovenfest and greatgreatgrandaughter of Franz) about it when she sees her again. ;) (You see, @franzliszt-official, you may have thought up the topics in one evening, but it's a damn small world. ;))

-Yesterday Lacelove let me know that we have to reshoot a few scenes for Lisztomanie on Friday. Especially the scene with the quill. I look at my arm and swear a little. Unfortunately, our camera has blurred some of the takes, so we have to some takes it again. But without cognac this time, please. (I hate cognac. Sorry, Franz. I only drink red wine. And the occasional Ardbeg ;))) Lacelove is in Berlin beforehand, then joins me in the evening and we have to put in a night shift. That's not to sound arrogant, but we're a bit lost. Actually, other people usually make music videos for us that are far more professional. So, expect more of a home video…but we had fun. We also like to touch each other, as you can see... ;) Even if Lacelove thinks that I've fabricated the ‘Lisztomanie crap and have to keep my face in the camera for it.’

-On Saturday, we're re-shooting the first scenes for Wagner. I cut the first scenes from Bayreuth today. Coppelia won't be available again until January, but we can understand that. We're getting external reinforcements for that ;)

-On 17 November, you can listen to an exclusive track from our new album on the Radio Hazzard of Darkness programme ‘Electronic Dreams’. We don't know which one it will be and that's quite exciting: Roberto always picks his favourite. The last few times we were very surprised.

-Our first remix will be released on 20 November, more on that on Friday when the press release and the DJ line-up have been finalised

-On 23rd November I am off to the deserted North Sea with my main band. Another video, singing in, mastering…and some more Maidchen stuff that I'll post here.

-I recorded the last take of the German version of ‘Annabelle Lee’ today. Oh, it's a beautiful poem. And I really don't care if guys find me a turn-off because of it (see my post about our song ‘Hör auf im Bett über Marc Aurel zu reden"). If I get goosebumps when I'm recording, that's always a good sign.

…By the way, I still think that ‘Der blinde Sänger’ from Lisztober #9 is one of our best songs ;)

[fuzzydetectivetaco]

AI is highlighting the fundamental problems in our society

(There's a tl;dr at the bottom for those who don't want to go through the entire thing)

Have you heard of the subreddit r/orphancrushingmachine? The idea with this subreddit is that you post news or stories that are heartwarming or positive but make you go, "hey, why was this a problem again?" The example they give on the subreddit is news that the Orphan Crushing Machine was shut down. This is amazing and heartwarming news. No more orphans would be crushed. Until you realize, "hey, wait, why was there an orphan crushing machine in the first place?" I think AI actually highlights a similar issue in the modern society.

Let's take a look at what the biggest use of AI is. Possibly the most famous use of AI is to make content. Blog posts, for example. Novels. Poems. A video script. An article where every single word should begin with a B. Someone even used AI for legal documents (which is a horrible idea, by the way - not in the least because AI tends to hallucinate).

I used it for the first time because it was fun and whacky. Hey, it wrote me a song that just has words start with the letter B. That's cool. Someone asked it to write down three countries beginning with O (Oman, Oman and Oman). I once asked it to explain how structs work in rust (I'm a programmer, don't worry about it). These are use cases where you didn't need AI - there are much better places to check three countries beginning with O (spoiler: there's only one), or how structs in rust work. ChatGPT's writing content is always fun to work with. The reason i asked it to write a poem with B's is because I wanted to see how it would turn out (it was horrible, by the way). Could I have done it? Yeah. But it wouldn't have been fun to research words beginning with B and I'm not that much of a songwriter anyway.

But the time it caused my eyebrows to raise was when it was used for articles. Blog posts. Novels. And the fundamental question when you learn about this is - why? Why would you need AI to write stuff? Why use AI to write novels?

When you answer these question, you suddenly start to see that AI is not the solution to problems that were supposed to exist. It is, for all intents and purposes, creating a machine that can create new Orphans to make sure that the Orphan Crushing Machine doesn't make Orphans extinct (Ok, actually, I'm liking this example less and less).

But let's actually think about it. The first use of AI - blog posts and articles. And it's inverse - summaries. These two are linked in an inexplicable way. Someone has some points they want to present to other people. They give this point to ChatGPT and tell it to make a blog post. That post then goes online.

Someone else sees this blog post. They copy the entire post, and give it to ChatGPT and tell it to summarize the blog post and present it in bullet points.

Isn't that extremely stupid? It's just wasting computer cycles, electricity, and money. It's taking useful points, and then converting them into another format for distribution. Then someone takes this new format, and converts in back to the format it was written in. Why does the intermediary format even exist?

It exists because if the author were to simply present them points, they wouldn't like it. The author was being lazy. It's not professional. Presenting points in the useable format is stupid, you have to encase them in bits and bits of fluff and words to make it seem important and professional.

Isn't that stupid?

You may call me hypocritical for writing this blog post, but there's a fundamental difference here. I'm enjoying writing this blog post. Inspiration hit me while I was in the shower, so I picked up this laptop when I was done and started writing. I've already presented my important points in the tl;dr section above. The only people reading this are those that want to enjoy the blog post. No one is going to copy this and give it to ChatGPT to summarize, because I've already summarized it better above.

That is lost on an AI-generated blog, because an AI-generated blog isn't usually fun to read. It's written in a monotonous tone, whereas this one is fun and vibrant (right?), because it's written by a human.

So that's the first problem in our society: We give so much importance to fluff, to inconsequential things, to appearances. Our society is one where we do indeed judge a book by it's cover.

Let's look at the second use I highlighted above: writing novels. There are novels written with AI in form of experimentation and being funny (check out Harry Potter and What Looked Like a Large Pile of Ash, which was written by an early implementation of AI). That's not what I'm concerned with.

What I'm concerned with is the idea of writing actual, serious novels with AI. The trend of AI-written novels (and for anyone concerned for their jobs - they're terrible. And I will also address this below, so stay tuned). The trend of writing stories with the help of AI.

I'm a fan of TTRPGs (You uncultured folks may know it as D&D). For the purpose of this blog post, all you have to understand is that one person is called the GM, or Game Master, and is responsible for playing as the environment, world, NPCs, etc. If you've ever played Video Games, you can kind of think of GMs as the Video Game itself.

Long story short, there are products online through which you can play with AI GMs. Someone even posted on a forum frequented by TTRPG players and GMs, asking if anyone wanted to play with AI GMs (Unsurprisingly, no one responded).

Here's the question - why would anyone want to play with an AI GM? First off, we live in the age of the internet. It is not difficult to find a GM or Player who wants to play TTRPGs, regardless of what timezone you are in. And in the event that you don't find a GM, you can play TTRPGs without a GM. And if you're alone, you can also play solo TTRPGs.

Actually, I cannot answer that question. I genuinely believe that these AI GMs are a gimmick that died the moment they launched (which also brings us to a point I will address later). But the situation is similar to when me and my friend were talking about something, and my friend said, "let's ask ChatGPT".

Let's. Ask. ChatGPT. These are words that are so very concerning. Because you wouldn't rely on your in-built, God-given creativity, but rather rely on a machine that cannot imagine and is just vomiting words to give you ideas.

You'd rather write a Novel via ChatGPT rather than write one yourself (there's another side to this that I will discuss later). You'd rather write a fanfiction using ChatGPT over writing one yourself.

I'll let you in to a secret. A secret so dark I cannot bear thinking about it. A secret that you might not have realized.

We aren't really creative anymore.

I'm not joking. And this is not from someone who's a common pleb. I write fanfictions. I planned out an entire novel (which I hated immediately and threw away). I'm writing this very blog post.

But it's difficult for me to be creative.

Because creativity is like a muscle. I haven't used that muscle in a long time. Hopefully, I will come to a point where I get struck by inspiration all the time. Hopefully one day I'll come to a point where stories flow out of me all the time (which isn't to say they don't - this blog post is just flowing out - but it doesn't happen all the time. I'm better than I was before, though).

Using my creativity right now feels like a chore. I have to manually sit myself down to write something. I do really want to write the story. I do feel better afterawrds. But the moment I sit down in front of my computer, the moment I have to actually flex my brain and stretch my creativity muscles and get something substantial. It's hard. It feels like work.

It's like excersize. And we hate excersizes.

Another reason why we're not creative anymore, at least according to Sir Ken Robinson, is because creativity requires making mistakes. Mistakes aren't an if. They're a when. You will write that novel plan that you'll throw out because of how bad it is. You will write that story that you look at the next day and cringe. You will write only a 100 words when you were supposed to write 1000.

Yet we have grown as a society to hate mistakes. That one misstep in that gathering and now suddenly your entire family is talking about you. That one question you missed that stopped you getting a 100%. That one paper you didn't study for that made you lose your scholarship.

This doesn't only apply to novels and stories. Mistakes are a part of life. I'm learning french, and I know that I will embarrass myself in front of a french person. One of my teachers told me that every moderately successful businessman has had at least three failed startups.

Bre Pettis once wrote the Cult of Done manifesto. The Cult of Done was, to the best of my understanding, something that didn't actually exist before he wrote the Manifesto.

I love this Manifesto so much that I'm just going to quote it verbatim.

The Cult of Done Manifesto

There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.

Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done.

There is no editing stage.

Pretending you know what you’re doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t and do it.

Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.

The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.

Once you’re done you can throw it away.

Laugh at perfection. It’s boring and keeps you from being done.

People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.

Failure counts as done. So do mistakes.

Destruction is a variant of done.

If you have an idea and publish it on the internet, that counts as a ghost of done.

Done is the engine of more.

That's it. It's simple and beautiful. And I think it's a great code to live by. I thought of this blog post while I was in the shower. The moment I came out, I propped out the laptop. I'm writing this blog post now, and it will go live on Tumblr when I'm done. That's it. It's done now.

Oh, you thought this was a blog post about AI? Oh, no, it's so much more.

But before we move on to my next fundamental problem, there's one more thing I want to address: Inspiration.

Let me tell you a story about my life.

When I grew up, we had a strict no-devices policy at home. Then I grew older, and I got to use computers. But still, there was a no-phones policy. There was nothing to do at home, and life was so boring.

Then when I finally got my phone, I was immediately hooked onto social media. It formed an escape from boredom for me. I could spend my time, if not enjoying myself, at least not bored.

Then I realized something when I went to a family gathering.

You see, our city has mobile snatchers everywhere. So, whenever I go out, I take a cellphone with me instead of my mobile phone unless I need it.

So I just sat and stared, bored. And suddenly, my mind came alive.

Reminders of things I was supposed to do. Inspiration for stories. Business ideas. Problems with our society. I thought again about what I wanted to do with life. I thought religion and philosophy.

This wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Before I got my phone, this was my everyday. Sometimes I'd just want a break from my thoughts. Then when I gt my mobile, suddenly those thoughts went away. I found myself having a hard time getting inspiration. I wasn't as motivated as I used to be.

So, sorry for the tangent, but I just wanted to state this point: Be bored more. It's sometimes painful, but it helps you think thoughts. Also, if you meditate, it gets less painful.

That is not to say that boredom is best for you. It's important to keep yourself busy. But you cannot go to the extreme and abandon boredom altogether. It's a balance.

So, to recap, the second fundamental problem with society: We're not creative anymore. And, if you didn't guess already, I want you, the reader, to break that. I want you to be creative. Make mistakes. Write stories. Write songs. Draw. Do what you enjoy. Follow the Cult of Done.

So, actually, let's go back to the old example. Remember when I told you there were multiple parts to AI Novels? Let's address that now.

Most people who write AI Novels don't write AI Novels because they don't feel creative enough to write a Novel. They write AI Novels because they're cheap to create and instantaneous. They have no interest in actually writing a Novel, they just want to make money.

Knowing that just makes me even less motivated to read an AI Novel.

This is a subject I'm very passionate about, so there is another tangent incoming. You have been forewarned.

I had a friend who really wanted to write an AI Novel. At that point in time, I was extremely against it a) because I wanted to be a writer and AI Novels meant that my future job would go away and b) because it's fundamentally a scam. We didn't actually write an AI Novel in the end.

This same friend loves writing poetry. He would never write an AI poem because he genuinely enjoys writing poetry. It's his hobby.

(This section of the blog's actually difficult to write because I'm trying to address two points in one go.)

I used to love crochet. I enjoyed the mindlessness of it, the beautiful patterns that it created. I loved dedicating my time to making something and then giving it to my family members. Then one of my family members told me I'd make some money if I started selling some of my creations.

I decided, yeah, that was a good idea. I bought some high quality yarn, and decided to make a handkerchief to sell. We'd decide the price later.

About a few days in, I realized that this crochet project consumed me. My entire day was spent on this one thing. And even after all that, it took me multiple days to finish it.

During it's creation, I started to count how many rows I added per day. 10. Just ten? There were machines that could make a hundred handkerchiefs in the time it took me to make a single row. There were affordable knitting machines. I was so inefficient! Humans overall are super inefficient! How would I ever sell this? I spent so much effort on this, so of course it had to be more expensive than the machine-made ones. But then no one would buy mine, would they?

This hobby of mine started to cause me stress. I used to dread starting and finishing crochet. I would feel like I was inadequate. I became a bit depressed for a while.

We never sold a single work of crochet after all. I stopped crocheting. This hobby was killed by capitalism. (tbh I'm not really sure what capitalism actually means in this context but it's fun to say.)

Money is going to kill every single hobby ever. Why make art if AI can do art so much faster and quicker than you can? Why write if AI can write faster? Why make music if AI can make music faster and better? Why learn a foreign language if AI can translate so much better?

Because it's fun.

Sometimes we decide to turn our hobby into a side hustle. But the moment money becomes involved, the hobby starts to turn a bit sour. The moment money because the driving factor, that hobby will turn into stress. You will start hating it. You will realize you're inefficient.

One of my teachers once told me, "Everything is measured by how profitable it is." That truly is what society seems to think. But that way of thinking makes one miserable. If I were following that way of thinking, I would never be an Open Source developer just because I enjoy programming. I would never decide to start learning french only because I found it fun. I'd never had read on how legal documents work because I found it intriguing.

So, with all due respect, fuck what society thinks. This blog post started as just something I wanted to put out into the world, but it's become a self-help blog post now.

Do you want to learn French just because? Do you want to make music just because? Learn animation just because? Then just do it. Doesn't matter whether it is profitable or not. If today I decide that I'm not interested in French anymore, I'm not learning French anymore. It's as simple as that. I enjoyed my time learning.

The best reason to do anything is just because you want to do it.

Me and one of my friends are going to do a podcast. We're going to take all the money we get from the podcast to pay the fee it costs to run the podcast. Everything else is going to go to charity, at least in the first year. I want to make sure we're doing the podcast just because, because it's fun. It's going to make sure we enjoy it more, and our listeners enjoy it more.

And I also want to highlight another problem with society that spawns from this. SO MANY people do things because they're profitable. Someone who's a doctor because it makes money, even though they'd rather be a filmmaker. And this goes deeper than that. Companies who try to capitalize on human creativity and make it profitable. Disney's recent movies are all trying to make the most in the least amount of time. They've made money the driving factor for their movies.

And most of them suck.

The problem with society is we often make money the driving factor. We want to make money by creating a book that can be made instantly and with minimal effort. We want to make money by creating movies as fast as possible and sacrificing the story itself. We want to make money by writing blog posts rather than because we actually have a passion for it.

Only one of these examples had AI involved.

Any time capitalism decides to put money in front of creativity, the end result will be sub-optimal, if it doesn't outright suck. And AI is no exception.

So there are two fundamental problems with society I highlighted here:

Society tends to decide how important something is from how profitable it is, which makes everything miserable.

Society tends to put profitability and money in front of passion and creativity, which causes the overall result to be sub-optimal.

Just a side note I wanted to add here was that the modern concept of production lines and manufacturing also puts money in front of creative expression, so not only are products so boring, but the people working there usually hate it too. When reading RIck Riordan's Magnus Chase series I realized how much we want individualistic expression and creativity in every single thing we use. Which is possibly a reason why people love merchandise from content creators so much.

After saying all that, I do want to say that I do not think AI is evil. Despite what others say, it is a tool. I love machines, because they allow us to delegate manual labor to them so that we humans can do what we're truly best at: creative expression. AI is the same. Using Google Lens to transcribe something, using speech-to-text, these things all allow us to ignore the manual process of having to retype something, and allow us to do other, more useful things. Having said that, if you enjoy transcribing, or copying, like I used to enjoy crocheting, then more power to you! Do it!

This is not meant to be a depressing post. This is not a post meant to make you depressed about how horrible society is. This is a warning sign, yes, but even more, it is a message to you, the reader, on how you can break out of these toxic behaviours.

To recap, this is what you should do:

Avoid boilerplate. Get to the point. There's no need to write an entire blog post if you don't want to. Also, if you do write a blog post, try to offer a summarized version as well for those who don't want to read the entire thing.

Be creative. It feels hard, but it's super rewarding. It's what makes you human. It gets easier the more you do it.

Don't be afraid of making mistakes. They are a part of life, and not only does fearing them stop you from doing things you want to do, you can never not make mistakes in the first place, so why bother being scared of them?

Follow the cult of done. (Optional)

Be bored sometimes. It's good for you.

Don't ever judge the worth of anything by how much money it makes. Do stuff you want to do just because, even if it costs you money (if you can, I'm not asking you to pour your life savings into it)

Don't do anything just because it's profitable.

Be individualistic and expressive! It's your birthright!

Don't just read it here. If you liked these points, take them and write them on a piece of paper, and stick it somewhere you'll see it often. It'll actually help you improve (according to Dr. Chantal Hofstee). And if you ever find yourself unable to do these, remember rule 3.

tl;dr the fundamental problems of society are:

We love to use too much boilerplate and focus less on the meaning. We as a society also tend to judge a book by its cover.

We as a society have gotten less creative.

We as a society have decided to measure everything by profitability.

We as a society tend to do things just because they're profitable, even if we don't actually want to do it.

Steps to take to help yourself avoid these problems are detailed above.

[thisisjamaica]

The acclaimed writer and poet died aged 65. Here, leading contemporaries pay tribute.

Michael Rosen (British author and poet): ‘He nudged people into seeing the world through the eyes of the oppressed.’

Benjamin was a hero to millions of people all over the world. His mix of poetry, novels, wisdom, humour and sheer presence grabbed us and delighted us. I first saw him when he was starting out in the poetry clubs, dancing a poem about his mother, voicing his poetry in a voice I hadn’t heard before: Brummie-Caribbean. It was an honour and treat to work with him many times over the years, on videos, radio programmes, and when he MC’d an award ceremony run by the British Council for the best examples of English teaching. Then and often elsewhere, he loved reflecting on his journey from being a semi-literate teenager, getting into trouble, to someone feted at the highest levels for his literary achievements and force of personality.

His poetry is full of power, humanity and belief. He was a Rastafarian in belief and practice and loved talking about what that meant to him. I hope he won’t mind me saying that his love of all things living reminded me of William Blake. People will remember him, I’m sure, appearing on Question Time gently and wittily batting experienced politicians to one side with his comments. I once asked him how he did it, how did he encapsulate “big” stuff in such pithy, seemingly simple ways. He said that he imagined himself talking with his mother: how would they talk about it, he said?

He wrote novels for teenagers. Refugee Boy – as it sounds – takes the point of view of a refugee and the struggle that people in his area have of winning him asylum. One of the great moments in the book is when the boy reflects on what “problems” the local British boys seem to have compared with the problems he is going through.

That’s what Benjamin did over and over again, nudge people into seeing the world through the eyes of the oppressed.

Some of his wonderful performances are up online. Please look at them as your way of paying tribute to him. My own personal favourite is Rong Radio. I once asked him where he wrote his poems. He said, “I don’t write them. I make them up in my head when I go running.”

I am devastated by this news. I admired, respected and loved Benjamin and I learned so much from him.

Colin Grant (British author and historian): ‘He was the people’s poet.’

It was raining heavily at the Hay festival 20 years ago when I first saw and was mesmerised by Benjamin Zephaniah. The marquee was filled to the rafters with hundreds of people who it seemed were attending not a literary or racial sacrament but a spiritual one. Rain outside; eternal sunshine within.

Benjamin was the trailblazing epitome not of the reductive “ethnic writer” but of the global majority writer who refused to be categorised. In any event, though kind of ordinary, his uniqueness – a karate, yoga and dominoes-loving Rastafarian poet and storyteller – made it impossible to box him in.

For young black writers, he was the answer to literary gatekeepers who claimed there were no commercial prospects for writing that spoke to social deprivation, marginalisation and racism with a plain-speaking honesty and humour.

There was also the realisation that here was a brotherman who’d been a rascal in his youth but had reinvented himself and been saved by literature; that writing could transform the self as well as readers and listeners.

Benjamin was a one-love Rasta, not guided by any kind of separatism. Today, as some default to silos of separation, his porous writing showed how you could speak to an unimagined cohort with poetry and prose. He was, in essence, what Jamaicans call a “simple sense man”; he spoke to youngsters and elders with the same intensity.

The seeming guilelessness of his writing made some wince and claim he was not a real, learned poet. But when you stopped to listen, or clean your glasses, or dry your eyes, you’d find yourself in the presence of a fierce and fearless emotional intelligence. Benjamin’s spoken and written voice was the expression of a writer who was extraordinary in his ordinariness. He was the people’s poet; a groundbreaker who broke bread with everyone.

[lohstandfound]

🌵🍄❄️

🌵- share the link to a playlist you love

I know that there are definitely playlists i have saved on spotify but i have not listened to them yet. nor do i listen to most of the playlists i have made. the only playlists that i use is the one i use for the preschool programme at work, and the one that i just add everything to. here's the one i add everything to. there is so many songs its a mess

actually, after looking through the playlists i had saved i found the r&j mother mother jukebox musical playlist someone. i believe they had a powerpoint about it

🍄- share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

i still absolutely stand by jake asking chloe out for the very first time using a cheesy poem he put in her locker and chloe kept it stuck inside her locker ever since. never took it down

❄️- what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

i keep thinking about an if we were villains or bunny au. the iwwv au would probably have significantly less murder since the few posts i've written about it are about messy relationships and a midsummer night's dream (so i suppose it would follow a different structure than a Shakespearean tragedy)

the bunny au i have a pretty fair idea of what it would look like but i just dont think i could do it justice. i might, but it would take so much planning (like the iwwv one) and im still trying to plan out regicide au

i dont know who would write these ideas best. hm...

[agentstovring]

💛Smoshblr December Asks Day 23💙

What are your top 3 favourite books (/comics/manga/poems/etc...) and/or top 3 you would recommend to others?

Oh, here we go, we're in my house now! (Obligatory "I could never choose just three" disclaimer here)

Microserfs by Douglas Coupland - I love the way Coupland writes, and this is my favorite of his fiction novels. It follows a group of programmers who leave their safe jobs at Microsoft to risk at all for their own start-up. It's funny, sweet, and very nerdy. (Other gems by this author: Generation X; JPOD; The Gum Thief)

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - I'm obsessed with the story of Achilles and Patrocles, and this retelling still far exceeded my expectations. It's beautiful, epic, and impossibly tender. It's the first and only book that's ever made me audibly sob.

Nimona by ND Stevenson - Stevenson started Nimona right here on tumblr, when they were an art student! The comic follows Nimona who wishes to become a villain's henchman, and Ballister Blackheart, the "villain" in question. This comic is full of heart, it's hilarious, and I'm forever in love with Stevenson's art style.

And now, I hope you're warmed up, because I'm about to rec you. (I'm sorry, that's very sexual; forget that part.)

I put recommendations under the cut, please check them out!

ALSO, if you like quizzes, I have a uquiz where I recommend you books based on your answers! You can find it here; and my ask is open if you wanna talk about your result :)

Thank you for asking!

I obviously recommend my three favorites listed in this ask, but I also recognize that they're not for everyone, so here are three others:

If you like comic books and feminist history, I recommend "Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World" by Pénélope Bagieu A collection of short comics about iconic women who have left their mark on the world throughout history. Gorgeous art style, factual history, and a lot of humor. (Translated into over a dozen languages, in case English is not your favorite; I read it in Danish myself)

If you like classics, but not the 'fancy ladies talking about marriage while needlepointing' kind of classic, I recommend "The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas You're probably at least somewhat familiar, but just in case: The young d'Artagnan goes to Paris to become a musketeer, joining forces with Athos, Porthos, and Aramis in their efforts to take down the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu. The writing style is surprisingly modern, making it more readable than many classics of the time; and it's dramatic, swashbuckler-y, and fun.

If you think horror and comedy go hand in hand, I recommend "John Dies at the End" by Jason Pargin/David Wong John and Dave are slackers all but sleepwalking through life in their small town; until they do a mysterious drug at a house party and gain the ability to see the supernatural. Turns out their sleepy town is chockful of horrific creatures, and now that John and Dave can see them, they're putting up a fight. It's a genuinely funny read, but it also scares the shit out of me. And it's a series! There are 4 books in total, so far; in my opinion, each one is scarier than the one before.

[blair04]

Chapter 5: Sunset with Them

(2014)

As the kids grew older, each of them began to gravitate toward something unique—something that quietly set them apart and made them irreplaceable within the group.

Yeonjun found his passion in acting. He was always the one to gather everyone at his house for movie nights, only to spend hours afterward dissecting every scene with infectious enthusiasm. Sometimes, he'd pull them into impromptu performances in his room, assigning roles and imagining new lives. For him, slipping into different personas felt like freedom—like unlocking little doors to other worlds.

Soobin was drawn to writing. He often shared his poems with Ivy, soft and sincere lines scribbled in notebooks. He dreamed of writing a story about the six of them—something real, something lasting. Or maybe he’d open a quiet café someday. He didn’t know exactly where life would take him, but he knew he wanted peace.

Beomgyu lived with his headphones around his neck like an extension of himself. Music wasn't just something he listened to—it was something he breathed. He started writing songs, bits of melody and feeling that came to him when the world was quiet.

Taehyun didn’t have one singular passion, but he had a deep love for science and an even deeper love for simply being there. He was the listener, the observer. Always present. He didn’t say much, but when he did, it mattered. His warmth was the kind that lingered.

And then there was Kai, who had every game console the moment it hit the shelves. His room was a sanctuary of glowing screens and shared laughter. He was always inviting the others over to play. One day, he said, he’d make his own games—become a programmer and build entire worlds from scratch.

Ivy, much like Taehyun, simply loved being around the boys. They teased each other constantly, but in their chaos, she never felt alone. By the time she was twelve, the quiet ache of her parents' absence—too consumed by their work to notice the stillness they left behind—had become a familiar kind of pain. She was used to it, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

The boys were older now, and they had started to understand why Ivy always wanted to stay over at one of their houses. They had become her second family, a safe place where she didn’t fell alone. And when she couldn’t stay with them, they came to her instead—just to make sure she wouldn’t be alone.

Taehyun came the most. Their houses were practically neighbors, and it didn’t matter if there was school the next day—he’d come over anyway. He’d sit next to her at the table, helping her through math problems and making the silence feel less heavy.

For her age, Ivy carried something she didn’t yet have a name for—a quiet, shapeless sadness that settled deep in her chest. It was a kind of loneliness that clung to the edges of her days. The only things that truly lit her up were the boys… and word search puzzles. Something about finding little pieces of meaning in a sea of scattered letters brought her comfort.

—

One summer afternoon, they were all gathered in Kai’s backyard. It was August, and the heat hung heavy in the air, making everything feel slow and sticky. Kai, Taehyun, Yeonjun, and Beomgyu were crammed into the tiny inflatable pool, laughing loudly as they tried to dunk each other and played at launching themselves off one another’s shoulders like reckless kids who had no fear of bruises.

“You’re going down!” Yeonjun yelled, climbing onto Kai’s shoulders with little warning.

“Get off! You’re heavy!” Kai shouted, half-laughing, half-panicking as he stumbled backward, crashing into Beomgyu, who had just taken a deep breath and was trying to stay underwater.

“Idiots,” Beomgyu coughed, splashing water into Yeonjun’s face. “I almost drowned because of you.”

“That’s kind of the point!” Taehyun added from the side, giving Beomgyu a nudge with his foot before flipping onto his back to float. His eyes were closed, soaking in the sun, the moment, the noise.

Off to the side, Soobin and Ivy lay stretched out on the sun loungers, seeking refuge in the shade from the unforgiving sun.

“Soobin,” Ivy murmured, her voice lazy and a little hoarse from the heat. “Here.” She handed him a slightly worn dessert recipe book. “I found this at home and figured you’d make better use of it than I ever would.”

“Oh, thank you,” he said, flipping it open with a curious smile. “Omg, cheesecake? I already love it.”

“Yeah, right?” Ivy laughed. “There’s also Black Forest cake. You should learn how to make it... and bake it for my birthday.”

Soobin looked at her over the top of the book with a grin. “Got ya.”

Just then, a loud splash followed by a chorus of chaotic shouts rang from the pool. Ivy turned her head and rolled her eyes with a smile. “Damn, they’re making a lot of noise,” she muttered, the shrill laugh of Kai rising above the others like always.

Ivy eventually stood, brushing the crumbs of imaginary comfort off her lap and stretching her arms overhead. The sun was still relentless, but the sound of the boys' laughter—messy, chaotic, alive—was magnetic. She wandered slowly toward the pool, barefoot on the slightly warm grass, the air thick with the scent of sunscreen and summer.

Taehyun noticed her first. He straightened up just a little, grinning as he wiped water from his face with the back of his hand.

“Well, look who’s finally joining the fun,” he teased, his voice dripping with mock judgment.

“I’m not getting in, relax,” Ivy said, already laughing, holding her hands up in defense. “I’m just—”

Before she could finish, Taehyun cupped both hands together, scooped a generous splash of water from the pool, and sent it flying in her direction.

She didn’t flinch.

Taehyun paused.

He raised an eyebrow and threw another splash, this time lower—up to her chest.

Still, Ivy didn’t move. She sat absolutely still, lips pressed together, eyes squinting just slightly in the sunlight. Her whole body tensed in mock seriousness, as if she were made of stone.

But Taehyun could see the corners of her mouth twitching.

“Ohhh,” he said, grinning wider, “you’re trying not to laugh.”

“I’m not,” she replied flatly, but her voice cracked just slightly.

“Interesting,” he said, stepping closer. “So if I do… this—” Another splash. Bigger this time.

Ivy squealed, finally bursting into laughter. “Tae!”

“There she is!”

“Can’t a girl live in peace?” Ivy groaned dramatically, pressing both palms together like she was praying for mercy.

Taehyun burst out laughing from across the pool.

Yeonjun swam closer and leaned on the edge near her. “Wanna get in?”

She looked down at her soaked clothes and rolled her eyes. “Sure. I’m already drenched thanks to Tae.”

“You’re welcome,” Taehyun grinned, throwing her a wink before splashing water at Kai and swimming away.

Without warning, Yeonjun scooped Ivy up into his arms.

“Yeonjun—!” she shrieked, but he was already stepping back into the pool.

“Too late,” he sang, before gently dropping her into the cool water.

Ivy surfaced with a dramatic gasp, eyes wide and voice high-pitched. “It’s so cold!”

Everyone laughed.

“But it’s good,” she added quickly, paddling to keep herself afloat. “It’s really sunny anyway.”

Yeonjun gave her a playful splash to the face, and she gasped, lunging toward him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a mock chokehold. “You’re going down!”

He laughed and tried to wriggle free as she clung to him like a koala.

“Soobin!” Ivy cried, grabbing onto the edge of the pool with her best damsel-in-distress impression. “Save me from these savages!”

Soobin, sitting comfortably on a lounger under the umbrella, raised a lazy eyebrow and said, “You got yourself into this.”

As Ivy pretended to sob, gripping the pool’s edge dramatically, Kai came up behind her, unnoticed, and grabbed her by the ankles with a mischievous grin.

“Don’t you da—”

Before she could finish, Kai tugged playfully, hard enough to pull her backward—but he didn’t realize how close she was to the wall.

Her chin hit the pool’s edge with a muted thud.

The sound was soft, but the silence afterward was deafening.

Everyone froze.

“Ivy?” Yeonjun said immediately, swimming over. “Hey—are you okay?”

She came up slowly, blinking and wiping water from her eyes. There was a pause, then a soft, audible gasp.

A thin line of blood was trickling from a small cut on her chin, and her eyes shimmered with tears—not from the splash, not from the drama, but from the sharp, real pain of it.

“I’m okay,” she said quickly, voice small, trying to wipe the blood with her palm. “It’s fine.”

But it wasn’t.

“Oh my god,” Kai murmured, his face draining of color. “I didn’t mean— I thought you had space—”

Yeonjun was already next to her, helping her stay afloat. “Let’s get you out of the water.”

Ivy nodded, teeth clenched as she climbed out, her body trembling slightly—not just from the chill, but from the suddenness of it all.

Taehyun got out to grab a towel. He crouched beside her, looking at the cut. “It’s not deep,” he said gently, “but it’s bleeding.”

“I’m sorry,” Kai said again, his voice tight and full of guilt. “I was just messing around—I didn’t think—”

“I know,” Ivy whispered. She wasn’t angry. Her whole body was shaking cause of the shock. "I'm fine, kai. Don't worry." she smiled gently at hit.

(♡♡♡)

The sun had finally dipped behind the rooftops, casting the backyard in soft orange and indigo hues. All of them had gone inside, wandering off to change into dry clothes or to sneak snacks from Kai’s kitchen. The buzz of cicadas filled the quiet, mingling with the low hum of the ceiling fan through the open window.

Ivy stayed outside, watching the sunset with a bag of popcorns she had borrowed from Kai’s kitchen. The sky was painted in soft pinks and oranges, the kind of colors that made everything feel slower, quieter.

After a little while, Kai came out and sat beside her. He rubbed the back of his neck, awkward but sincere.

“I’m really sorry. Again.”

Ivy glanced at him, then smiled gently. “I know you didn’t mean to. Forget about it, okay?”

Kai nodded, grateful, the tension in his shoulders easing.

Soon, the others joined them, drawn by the cool breeze and soft evening light. They all settled into the pool chairs, quiet for once, as if the day had finally run out of energy.

Ivy leaned her head against Beomgyu’s shoulder, humming a soft, dreamy melody she had just made up—something slow and soothing, like the sun going down. There were no words, just sound and breath and stillness. The others listened in silence, not wanting to interrupt.

Beomgyu slowly reached for his phone and hit record, capturing the moment like a secret too fragile to forget.

It was peaceful. Warm. Perfect.

Until Yeonjun, sitting cross-legged at the end of the row, suddenly shifted his weight and let out an unmistakably loud fart.

Everyone froze.

Ivy blinked.

Taehyun turned his head in disbelief.

Kai choked on a laugh.

Soobin covered his face with both hands.

Beomgyu paused the recording and stared at his phone like it had just betrayed him.

Yeonjun looked up with a perfectly straight face. “What? Nature’s music.”

The group burst into laughter—loud, helpless, ridiculous. Ivy laughed so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes.

And just like that, the tenderness of the moment didn’t disappear—it just got louder, funnier, messier. More them.

[snellblogs]

Agatha Christie Literary Festival, Torquay September 24

September 16 24

AGATHA CHRISTIE LITERARY FESTIVAL IN TORQUAY

Blog by Lynne Pearl

I was invited to the Agatha Christie Literary Festival in Torquay, South West, by a friend who had tickets for a range of talks.  We were going to ‘Lost Lingo’ a talk by author, Kate Kingold from Chicago.  I had arrived on the little branch line train from Exeter.  It’s like stepping into a novel arriving in Torquay when you leave the period station which is all curly Victorian metalwork and beautiful ornamental pillars, you can immediately see the sea.  This day it was the deepest of blue and above a pellucid blue sky with one or two puffy white clouds.  The sea was restless in the wind, but the sun was very bright for an autumn day.

I made my way to the location of the Festival at Torre Abbey.  What a place for a literary festival, an abbey that had existed on this spot for four hundred years, looking out to sea.  The first building I approached was the Spanish Barn which had housed prisoners hundreds of years ago.  It is a huge old barn and this was where the programme of talks were being held.

I met my friend and we had lunch in the estimable café, on excellent local fare and watched the sea turning deeper blue beyond the green of the Abbey park.  We waited until a half an hour before the talk began and found excellent seats at the front, browsing books and memorabilia while we waited.  The loudspeakers played a series of songs from Agatha’s period, such as ‘Noel Coward’s ‘Mad Dogs and English Men go out in the Mid- day Sun’ to set the period.

Our speaker arrived, Kate Kingold all the way from the States.  She described how she had collected Christie’s books from childhood and had won her first volume as a Girl Guide.  Kate had noticed the books was that some of the language and references throughout the many books was now dated.  We may no longer understand what was being referenced or why.  So Kate made it her job to remedy this by creating an annotation of Christies work that is called, ‘AGATHA ANNOTATED.’

Kate gave us a flavour of some the references that she had been able to trace so far, from the first ten years of Christie’s writings.  There are references to historical events and personalities such as the entertainer Goerge Robey and the fact that Lord Roberts disliked cats.

There were also literary references such as mention of Han Christian Anderson, ‘The Tinder Box’ and A.A. Milne’s poem ‘Delphiniums Blue’ about the Dormouse who sleeps in the garden dreaming of Geraniums read and Delphiniums blue.  Characters from the ‘Alice’ books also are referred to such as the Red Queen and the Mock Turtle.

There is also mention of travel such as the Union Castle line of steamships and food references such as making medlar jelly which is a kind of ripe plum.  There are dated references of the phrase ‘dash it all’ and rolls of Kodak film. 

One of the issues for Christie’s books is the move to presentism in the present day which is the re writing of books to present day references and standards, however, Kate is happy to continue her work de coding and referencing the antiquated material in Christie’s novels. 

It was a lively afternoon with an entertaining talk on the work of one of Torquay’s world wide famed authors.

[scotianostra]

n July 25th 2002 George Bruce, the Scottish poet, broadcaster and critic, died at the age of 93.

George was eldest son of Henry George Bruce, the owner of a firm of herring curers, and his wife Jeannie Roberta Gray, daughter of a timber merchant. Although he was to spend most of his life away from Fraserburgh, the town and the north-east coast of Aberdeenshire were in his blood, as his poetry attested, and he remained a ‘Brocher’, which is the Doric word for someone from Fraserburgh.

Bruce was one of the poets of the Scottish literary renaissance, initiated by Hugh MacDiarmid in the 1920s, which brought to prominence Sorley Maclean, Norman MacCaig, George Mackay Brown, Hamish Henderson and Iain Crichton Smith. He became well-known as the producer of Counterpoint, Scotland’s first television arts programme.

In 1970 he left the BBC, becoming Glasgow University’s first fellow in creative writing. As well as publishing poetry and anthologies, he was for 12 years a theatre and literary critic for The Sunday Times.

Over a period of 60 years he was to publish eight books of poetry in both English and Scots; he also edited six anthologies of poetry, and seven books on Scottish art and culture.

In August 2022 George Bruce became the latest poet to be honoureed with a slab at Makars Court beside the Writers Museum.

Bruce now rubs stony shoulders with Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Muriel Spark and others at Makars’ Court where his memorial flagstone is inscribed with his name and the line:

The sea trembles - voiceless It is the rare moment when a word is sought. (from Pursuit. Poems 1986-1998. Haiku Envoi).

The ceremony was attended by Bruce’s family, friends, and fellow poets including former Edinburgh Makar Alan Spence, who spoke of his friendship with Bruce and read some of his poetry. George’s son David Bruce also gave a moving tribute to his father.

[unvindiaannouncements]

The National UN Volunteers-India

KARGIL VIJAY DIWAS

26th July, 2024

Commence your programme with the soulful prayer, ‘Lab pe aati hai dua’ , followed by a melodious patriotic song and mesmerising victory dance to bring in the patriotic fervour.

Observe a minute of silence to pay homage to the sons of the soil for their ultimate sacrifice in the Kargil War.

Name those heroes who laid down their lives for the cause.

SOME ACTIVITIES ARE:

▪️Flag Hoisting and National Anthem: Start the day with a flag hoisting ceremony followed by the national anthem.

▪️Guest Speakers: Invite veterans, defense personnel, or relatives of Kargil War heroes to share their experiences and stories.

▪️Documentaries and Films: Screen documentaries or movies related to the Kargil War to educate students about the significance of the day.

▪️Essay and Speech Competitions: Organize essay writing and speech competitions on topics related to patriotism, bravery, and the significance of Kargil Vijay Diwas.

▪️Exhibition: Set up an exhibition displaying photographs, articles, and memorabilia from the Kargil War.

▪️Patriotic Songs and Dance: Arrange cultural programs including patriotic songs, dances, and skits depicting the valor of Indian soldiers.

▪️Quiz Competitions: Conduct quiz competitions focused on Indian military history and the Kargil War to increase awareness among students.

▪️Art and Poster Making: Encourage students to create posters and artwork depicting themes of patriotism and national pride.

▪️Tree Plantation: Plant trees in the memory of soldiers who lost their lives in the Kargil War.

▪️Candlelight March: Organize a candlelight march to honor the martyrs.

▪️Social Media Campaign: Use the institution's social media platforms to share stories, facts, and tribute messages about the Kargil War and its heroes.

▪️Moment of Silence: Observe a moment of silence to pay respects to the fallen soldiers.

▪️Wreath Laying Ceremony: If possible, arrange for a wreath-laying ceremony at a local war memorial.

▪️Interactive War Simulation Games: Create a simulation game or virtual reality experience that allows students to understand the strategies and challenges faced by soldiers during the Kargil War.

▪️Storytelling Sessions: Arrange storytelling sessions where students can narrate stories of bravery and sacrifice from the Kargil War, possibly using props or costumes to bring the stories to life.

▪️Letter Writing to Soldiers: Organize a letter-writing campaign where students write heartfelt letters to soldiers currently serving in the armed forces, expressing their gratitude and support.

▪️Debate Competitions: Host debates on topics related to national security, patriotism, and the role of the military, encouraging critical thinking and awareness among students.

▪️Hero Boards: Create a "Hero Board" where students can pin up notes, drawings, and information about Kargil War heroes, creating a collaborative tribute.

▪️Drama and Reenactments: Have students perform short plays or reenactments of significant events from the Kargil War, highlighting the courage and strategic brilliance of the soldiers.

▪️Creative Writing: Encourage students to write poems, short stories, or diary entries from the perspective of a soldier or a family member of a soldier during the Kargil War.

▪️Patriotic Craft Workshops: Conduct workshops where students can create crafts such as DIY badges, flags, or wristbands to wear and share, promoting patriotism and unity.

▪️Themed Art Installations: Collaborate with the art department to create large-scale installations or murals that commemorate the Kargil War, showcasing students' creativity and respect.

▪️Virtual Guest Sessions: If in-person guests aren't feasible, arrange virtual sessions with military historians, journalists, or veterans who can share insights and experiences about the Kargil War.

▪️Peace and Unity Campaign: Launch a campaign focused on peace and unity, where students create projects or presentations about how to maintain peace and prevent conflicts in the future.

▪️Memorial Walks: Organize guided walks through the campus or nearby areas where students can learn about the Kargil War through strategically placed informational stands or memorials.

▪️Patriotic Flash Mob: Arrange a surprise flash mob where students perform a choreographed dance or sing patriotic songs in a common area, creating an engaging and energetic tribute.

▪️Survival Skills Workshop: Partner with local military or adventure clubs to conduct workshops on basic survival skills, giving students a glimpse into the training and resilience of soldiers.

▪️Digital Storytelling: Use social media platforms or school websites to share digital stories, videos, and student projects about the Kargil War, reaching a wider audience and spreading awareness.

▪️Patriotic Wall of Fame: Create a wall in the school dedicated to Indian soldiers and heroes. Students can contribute by writing about different heroes and posting their pictures.

▪️National Symbols Quiz: Organize a quiz competition focusing on India's national symbols, important historical events, and contributions of the Indian armed forces.

▪️Freedom Fighter Dress-up Day: Have a day where students come dressed as their favorite freedom fighters or military heroes and share a few lines about their contributions.

▪️Patriotic Poetry Slam: Host a poetry slam where students recite original poems or famous patriotic poems, expressing their love for the country and honoring the bravery of soldiers.

▪️Community Service Projects: Engage students in community service projects such as cleaning up local parks, planting trees, or helping veterans, fostering a sense of civic duty and national pride.

▪️School-wide Patriotic Rally: Organize a rally with students holding flags, banners, and posters, marching through the school or neighborhood chanting patriotic slogans and songs.

▪️Letter Exchange Program: Partner with schools in different parts of the country for a letter exchange program where students can share their thoughts on patriotism and learn about diverse regional perspectives.

▪️Kargil War Timeline Display: Set up a detailed timeline display of the Kargil War, highlighting major events, battles, and key figures involved, allowing students to walk through and learn about the war.

▪️Patriotic Storyboard: Have students create storyboards or comic strips that depict heroic tales from Indian history, focusing on the Kargil War and other significant battles.

▪️Patriotic Music Session: Organize a music session where students can sing or play instruments to patriotic songs, fostering a sense of unity and pride through music.

▪️Patriotic Film Making: Encourage students to create short films or documentaries about the Kargil War, highlighting the bravery of soldiers and the importance of national security.

▪️Patriotic Book Club: Start a book club that focuses on books about Indian history, military, and freedom struggles, and hold discussions to deepen students' understanding and appreciation of their heritage.

▪️Indian Flag Art Competition: Hold an art competition where students create various interpretations of the Indian flag, emphasizing its significance and the values it represents.

▪️Patriotic Pledge: Have students take a pledge to uphold the values of the nation, respect its heritage, and contribute positively to its development.

▪️Honor Roll Call: Conduct a roll call of names of soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Kargil War, with students responding "Present" to each name, symbolizing remembrance and respect.

These activities can enhance students' understanding of patriotism, instill a sense of pride, and pay a fitting tribute to the heroes of the Kargil War.

(Share event details with photos or short videos to The National UN Volunteers-India team 9944313953 India for acknowledgements and appreciations.we exhibit it on the UN website for the global views)

[curiousmind-world]

Introduction

In our fast-paced world, time is a precious commodity. Whether you’re a student, professional, or entrepreneur, finding ways to streamline your daily tasks can significantly boost productivity. Enter ChatGPT, an AI language model that can assist you in automating various aspects of your work. In this article, we’ll explore nine ChatGPT prompts that can revolutionize the way you tackle your busy schedule.

1. Calendar Management

ChatGPT prompts: “Schedule a meeting for next Tuesday at 2 PM.”

ChatGPT can interact with your calendar application, whether it’s Google Calendar, Outlook, or any other platform. By providing clear instructions, you can effortlessly set up appointments, reminders, and events. Imagine the time saved when ChatGPT handles your scheduling!

2. Email Drafting

ChatGPT prompts: “Compose an email to my team about the upcoming project deadline.”

ChatGPT can draft professional emails, complete with subject lines, body text, and even attachments. Simply describe the purpose of the email, and let ChatGPT do the rest. It’s like having a virtual assistant dedicated to your inbox.

3. Code Generation

ChatGPT prompts: “Write a Python function that calculates Fibonacci numbers.”

Whether you’re a programmer or a student, ChatGPT can generate code snippets for various programming languages. From simple functions to complex algorithms, ChatGPT can save you hours of coding time.

4. Content Summarisation

ChatGPT prompts: “Summarise this 10-page research paper on climate change.”

Reading lengthy documents can be daunting. ChatGPT can analyse and condense large texts into concise summaries, allowing you to grasp essential information quickly.

5. Social Media Posts

ChatGPT prompts: “Create a tweet announcing our new product launch.”

Crafting engaging social media content is essential for businesses. ChatGPT can generate catchy posts for platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram, ensuring your message reaches your audience effectively.

6. Language Translation

ChatGPT prompts: “Translate this paragraph from English to Spanish.”

Whether you’re communicating with international clients or learning a new language, ChatGPT can provide accurate translations. Say goodbye to language barriers!

7. Data Analysis

ChatGPT prompts: “Analyse this sales dataset and identify trends.”

ChatGPT can process data, create visualisations, and extract insights. Whether it’s sales figures, customer behavior, or market trends, ChatGPT can help you make informed decisions.

8. Creative Writing

ChatGPT prompts: “Write a short story about time travel.”

Beyond practical tasks, ChatGPT can unleash creativity. From poems to fictional narratives, ChatGPT can be your muse when inspiration strikes.

9. Personalised Recommendations

ChatGPT prompts: “Suggest a book based on my interests in science fiction.”

ChatGPT can recommend books, movies, restaurants, or travel destinations tailored to your preferences. It’s like having a knowledgeable friend who knows your tastes.

Conclusion: 

These nine ChatGPT prompts demonstrate its versatility. By integrating ChatGPT into your workflow, you can automate repetitive tasks, enhance communication, and free up valuable time. So, next time you’re swamped with work, turn to ChatGPT—it’s like having a digital assistant that works tirelessly to simplify your life.

In addition to ChatGPT, there are several other powerful AI tools designed to automate various tasks. Let’s explore some of them:

ACCELQ: A codeless AI-powered tool that seamlessly tests software across multiple channels (mobile, desktop, etc.). It offers continuous test automation and minimizes maintenance efforts1. You can find more information on their website.

Katalon: An AI tool for test automation that provides a complete solution for testing mobile applications and websites. It features a robust object repository, multi-language support, and efficient test results1. Check out Katalon’s website for details.

Selenium: An open-source AI tool for automating web and application testing. It’s commonly used for regression testing, functional testing, and performance testing1. You can explore more about Selenium on their official website.

Appium: Specifically designed for mobile app automation, Appium supports both Android and iOS platforms. It’s an excellent choice for mobile testing1.

Cypress: Known for its fast execution and real-time reloading, Cypress is an end-to-end testing framework for web applications. It provides a great developer experience1.

Parasoft: Offers comprehensive testing solutions, including static analysis, unit testing, and API testing. It’s widely used in the industry1.

Cucumber: A behavior-driven development (BDD) tool that allows collaboration between developers, testers, and non-technical stakeholders. It uses plain text specifications for test cases1.

TestNG: A testing framework inspired by JUnit and NUnit, TestNG supports parallel execution, data-driven testing, and test configuration flexibility1.

LambdaTest: A cloud-based cross-browser testing platform that allows you to test your web applications across various browsers and operating systems1.

Robot Framework: An open-source test automation framework that uses a keyword-driven approach. It’s highly extensible and supports both web and mobile testing1.

TestCraft: A codeless automation platform that integrates with popular tools like Selenium and Appium. It’s suitable for both manual and automated testing1.

Watir: A Ruby library for automating web browsers, Watir provides a simple and expressive syntax for testing web applications1.

Remember that each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, so choose the one that best fits your specific needs. Whether it’s testing, content creation, or workflow automation, these AI tools can significantly enhance your productivity and efficiency.

[cppsheffield]

14th of March – 6.30pm: Diamond, University of Sheffield, Lecture Theatre 2.

Centre for Poetry and Poetics, Sheffield, in collaboration with Black Humanities Series, Presents: FRAN LOCK · SAFAA FATHY · J. R. CARPENTER · GHAZAL MOSADEQ & Pamenar Press

Please note this is an in-person event but we will be running a livestream for those unable to attend in person, please log in by no later than 6.30pm: meet.google.com/bht-tzds-guy

Books will be on sale; payment by cash (preferred).

***

Ghazal Mosadeq is a poet, editor and translator. She is the founder of Pamenar Press, an independent publisher of poetry, translation, hybrid and critical writing. Her own work has been published by gammm Press, Tamaas, Litmus Press, Firmament and Blackbox Manifold among others. She is a member of the editorial advisory board for the Journal of British and Irish Innovative Poetry.

J. R. Carpenter is an artist, writer, researcher, and Lecturer at University of Leeds. Her work asks questions about place, displacement, migration, colonialism, and climate across performance, print, and digital media. Her hybrid print-digital project This is a Picture of Wind was listed in The Guardian’s best poetry books of 2020 and featured in the the Digital Storytelling exhibition at the British Library 2023. Her most recent collection Le plaisir de la côte / The Pleasure of the Coast was published by Pamenar Press in 2023. https://luckysoap.com

Fran Lock is the author of numerous chapbooks and thirteen poetry collections, most recently 'a disgusting lie': further adventures through the neoliberal hell-mouth (Pamenar Press, 2023). Fran was the Judith E. Wilson Poetry Fellow at Cambridge University (2022-23), researching feral subjectivity through the lens of the medieval Bestiary. A collection of hybrid essays based on her research, titled Vulgar Errors/ Feral Subjects was published by Out-Spoken Press late last year. Fran is a Commissioning Editor and maid of all work at the radical arts and culture cooperative Culture Matters. She hates the Tories and all who sail in them. She lives in Kent.

Safaa Fathy was born in Egypt. She is a poet, essay writer and filmmaker. She had her PhD form the Sorbonne University and has been director of programme at the Collège International de Philosophie, Paris. Her plays Terror and Ordeal were prefaced by Jacques Derrida, with whom she signed a book, Tourner les mots (partly translated into English by Max Cavitch, University of Pennsylvania). Her book of poetry Revolution Goes Through Walls (SplitLevel Texts) was first published in Egypt, then in France, and in Brazil. Safaa Fathy’s experimental book of poems entitled Al Haschische is published by Pamenar s Press (London, directed by Ghazal Mosadeq2023). Where not to be Born, 2024 is published by Litumus Press NY. Safaa Fathy’s Name to the Sea, a film poem structured within a still frame, is being published along with the text in seven languages (Vanilla planifolia, Mexico City). Safaa Fathy has been writing a novel in English for the past five years.

The reading will be followed by a conversation with Pamenar Press, its editor, Ghazal Mosadeq and its writers run by Agnes Lehoczky.

Please note this is a free event (students, staff and public); all warmly welcome. There will be Pamenar books on sale before, during and after the readings.

Also see on:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../cente-for-poetry-and...

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/centre.../events/pamenar-press