#rc editorials

[radiantcircle-if]

The Radiant Circle

The Radiant Circle is a work-in-progress contemporary fantasy interactive novel with elemental magic, a heavy hand of romance, and a salt-sprinkle of mystery. The story is rated 18+ and may contain triggering content for some.

↪ introduction (updated 7/22/24) ⟢ demo (upcoming fall/winter)

You were born without any magic into a long lineage of sorcerers who serve the Night Circle—a division of the Radiant Circle, the central governing body that maintains order among sorcerers. Even now when you live outside of the magical community, you’re still required to report to the local leadership about the magic you still don’t have.

Of course, only after having accepted a life without magic, you awaken a latent magical power too great to be yours. Myths speak of such a sorcerer, a Resonant Soul capable of mastering all four elements, reincarnated throughout history to bring balance to the magic community. So little is truly known, but that can’t be you.

But what if it is?

Thankfully, as an investigative journalist, what you do best is hunt for the truth. To unravel the secrets of your soul, you’re forced back into the world of sorcery to navigate ancient rivalries and contend with those who may fear your newfound power and seek to bury it for good. 

Because while most didn't believe the myths to be true, others have been preparing for your return. Most of all? You four souls bonded to yours for eternity.

Play as the main character ⟢

Choose your name, appearance, gender, and sexuality.

Develop your personality as a harmonizer or disruptor—will you bring unity or will you bring destruction?

Gain mastery over elemental magic as the Resonant Soul—how much mastery in each element is up to you.

Travel the world while earning or losing influence through your decisions—will your reputation precede you or will you remain unknown?

Five romance options ⟢

Two pansexual men, one lesbian, and two gender-selectable romance options... and a hidden sixth romance option... with the potential for more to unlock later.

Four soulmates who will be revealed over the course of the story—your bonds, whether platonic or romantic, are yours to develop.

And if you don’t like romance, you can improve your friendships instead.

Or if you’re a misanthrope, deteriorate all your relationships to your liking.

Good endings? Check. Bad endings? Also check.

You ✦ 26-year-old journalist from Seattle, USA (ℹ) Rejected by the magical community because your magic never awakened, you once sought to understand why before later turning to a career of journalism to attempt to uncover truths that don’t have to do with magic. Your dissertation was titled “Unveiling the Hidden: A Comparative Study of Secret Societies and Their Influence on Modern Media." After landing your dream job as an investigative journalist, you're returning home to Seattle for your assignment.

⟡ tropes include main character (surprise! you're the main character), insider/outsider, the most wanted (because you are a…), person of mass destruction, (possible) living legend, (possible) lust object, (seemingly) cosmic plaything…

Arseau Nassiet ⟡ High Justicar 31-year-old water sorcerer (he/him) from Seattle, USA (ℹ) A talented water sorcerer, your older brother Arseau is well loved within the Night Circle's upper echelons, but he'd never brag about it. He has been away from home for over a decade, raising ranks within the circle alongside his best friend. He coordinates his visit home with yours during the holidays so he can see his favorite younger sibling (never mind that he has only one sibling—you).

⟡ tropes include protective older brother, brainless beauty (yeah, he's a himbo), the caregiver/caretaker, the confidant (if you want), the informant, nice guy (someone has to keep the peace between the Pico brothers), the reliable one...

César Pico (RO) ⟡ Archumbricar 31-year-old earth sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ) One of the highest ranking earth sorcerers in the world, César is seen as the unofficial heir of the current Night Luminary—and he takes the role seriously. As your brother's best friend, he has been a permanent fixture in your life as far as you remember—another persistent reminder of the magic that has remained inaccessible to you and the community that left you behind. He's at least an attractive reminder, even if it's unfortunate that his rare smirk proves that he knows it.

⟡ tropes include the hero, the cold & brooding heir, older brother's best friend/forbidden love, age gap, opposites attract, danger deadpan, glory hound, tall dark & handsome (obviously) ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), borderline enemies to lovers, (possible first love), forced proximity, maybe the slowest burn

Rafa Pico (RO) ⟡ High Justicar 27-year-old fire sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ) The younger brother of César....and also his left hand man even though he doesn't take his position within the Night Circle very seriously. He doesn't take anything very seriously except his freedom. Especially his freedom to flirt his way into anyone's good graces.

⟡ tropes include the explorer, the charming playboy, childhood/long time friend, (his) unrequited crush (on you), the (horny) bard, speed demon, hell seeker, elegant classical musician... ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), friends to lovers but he never really saw you as a friend, forced proximity, slow burn

Gazi Gharib (RO) ⟡ Photojournalist 28-year-old (she/her or he/him) from New York City, USA (ℹ) Your roommate and best friend ever since you moved to NYC, they're always ready to help you investigate something new and dangerous.

⟡ tropes include the innocent, the best friend, the encouraging charmer, the serial romeo, the casanova, agent mulder (the believer), empathetic communicator, spirited competitor, the klutz ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Deniz, besties to lovers (and you can start at the lover bit if you'd like cause this one is a...), faaaaaast burn

Deniz Yılmaz (RO) ⟡ Private Investigator 26-year-old (he/him or she/her) from Istanbul, TR (ℹ) Your next-door-neighbor and childhood best friend. You haven't kept in close contact, but they're the first person you think of seeing when you visit home.

⟡ tropes include the jester, agent scully (the skeptic), street-smart investigator, hardboiled detective, erudite stoner, literal-minded/snark knight combo, childhood friends, loyal supporter, gadgeteer genius ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Gazi, childhood friends (or was it more?) to lovers, (possible second chance romance...), somewhere between slow and fast burn

Dr. Noel Sung (RO) ⟡ Journalist 41-year-old (she/her) from London, UK (ℹ) Your graduate school mentor who you credit for preparing you to land a job at The New York Times as prestigious as it is. She's now your direct supervisor, and she has quite the assignment for you.

⟡ tropes include the magician, high-powered career woman, absent-minded professor(/former forbidden love?), age gap, charismatic intellectual, intuitive leader, pragmatic idealist, deadpan snarker, determinator, shrinking violet, (your possible unrequited crush on her goes here)… ⟡ solo-route, workplace romance (technically; she's your boss now), slow burn

An ancient, hidden society of sorcerers ⟢

The Radiant Circle is the central governing body that maintains harmony and order among sorcerers, as well as keep their community secret. It was originally formed and led by the Resonant Soul (called the High Guardian—this is you) and the most powerful elemental sorcerers of the time (called the Founding Guardians—these are the four souls bonded to you) as an alliance of sorcerers from across the New Kingdom of Egypt.

After its formation, the magical community grew, and eventually, the Radiant Circle was divided into four smaller regional circles called the Ephemeral Circles: the Night Circle (you know the most about this one), the Dawn Circle, the Day Circle, and the Dusk Circle. These four circles, also called luminariates, are the main governing bodies of the current world of sorcery. Every known family of sorcerers lives under the eye of the Radiant Circle and one of the four Ephemeral Circles.

Only the Resonant Soul can be the High Guardian of the Radiant Circle. Only the four souls bonded with Resonant Soul can be the Founding Guardians. During periods where the Resonant Soul or the Guardians aren’t alive, these positions are left vacant and the Ephemeral Circles meet as the Radiant Council annually instead. Unfortunately, it's been so long since there has been a Resonant Soul that there aren't many people left who remember who sits at the top of the hierarchy.

You live as a Threshold—an uninitiated sorcerer, typically a child who can't use magic yet—within the luminariate called the Night Circle. You sit at the bottom of the hierarchy, but every other sorcerer you know? César is an Archumbricar, the right hand of the Night Luminary and leader of the Night Circle. Arseau and Rafa are César's High Justicars, his right and left hands. Your dads even play a role, advising the Luminary from their position in the Night Weave.

A single soul that can control all four elements, reincarnated once again—you ⟢

Before you became the Resonant Soul, you were a child born without magic to two prominent sorcerers sometime before recorded human history begins. Back then, it was common to put the child of every sorcerer through a resonance ritual, even children of sorcerers born without magic who always died in the process. But where there's a will, there's a way, and someone really wanted you to live and created circumstances that bound your souls together—one into endless reincarnation and the other into endless immortality.

You meet the four original Guardians over the course of hundreds of years. Your bonds are unique and have chained the fate of their souls with yours so that they are reincarnated in an endless cycle by your side. Even so, you've lived more lives without them than with them, lived more lives without magic than with it. Almost as if you're fighting a losing battle against knowing your true soul.

Only the Resonant Soul can resonate with all four types of elemental magic, but your magic remains locked away until you regain your memories (how're you supposed to regain memories you don't remember you need to regain? then again, how safe would it be to give you all that power and no recollection of all the mistakes you've made?). The Guardians are known for their extraordinary abilities in one element; their magic isn't sealed away, only their memories (which still isn't convenient—how are you supposed to know who they are if they don't know who they are?).

⟢ retweets & asks are welcome! there is no better writing motivation ♡

〉 Sections: Profiles, Editorials, Articles, Ask Me, Answers, Quotes

[autumnlake]

life update: this week was extremely tiresome and mentally exhausting. my mum and brother got sick so been in and out of hospitals lately + its periods season. i studied whenever i could in bits and pieces but mostly nothing really productive. regardless i was meditating throughout and was active on here to stay motivated. Im gonna resume my 100 days challenge tomorrow.

my to-do list for tomorrow-

5 compendium topics

maths

legal studies

rc and editorials

flashcards

🎧Dreams-The Cranberries

[cuetcoaching]

How to Improve Verbal Ability Skills for the IPM Exam?

The Verbal Ability (VA) section of the IPM exam plays a crucial role in determining your overall score. It tests your proficiency in English, including grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension. To ace this section, it’s essential to have a well-rounded preparation strategy. Enrolling in the best IPM coaching in Delhi can significantly boost your chances of success by providing expert guidance and practice resources. Here are some effective ways to enhance your verbal ability skills for the IPM exam.

1. Build a Strong Vocabulary 

A robust vocabulary is vital for performing well in the Verbal Ability section. Start by learning at least 10-15 new words daily. Use them in sentences to understand their contextual meaning. Reading English newspapers, novels, and magazines can help you come across new words and phrases. Make flashcards or use vocabulary apps to revise regularly. At reputed IPM coaching in Delhi, you can expect dedicated vocabulary sessions that simplify the learning process. 

2. Master Grammar Rules 

Grammar forms the backbone of verbal ability. Questions related to sentence correction, error spotting, and phrase replacement are common in the IPM exam. Brush up on basic grammar concepts like subject-verb agreement, tenses, prepositions, conjunctions, and punctuation. Books like “Wren & Martin” can be quite helpful. Coaching institutes in Delhi often conduct grammar workshops to ensure you grasp fundamental concepts with ease. 

Also Read: IPMAT Online Coaching

3. Practice Reading Comprehension 

Reading Comprehension (RC) passages can be lengthy and complex. To tackle them effectively, practice reading different genres like fiction, non-fiction, editorials, and informative articles. Enhance your reading speed while maintaining accuracy. Learn to skim and scan through passages, identifying key ideas and arguments. At IPM coaching in Delhi, regular practice of RCs with expert feedback helps improve both speed and accuracy. 

4. Focus on Verbal Reasoning 

Verbal reasoning questions test your logical interpretation and critical thinking skills. Practice questions based on analogies, odd one out, para jumbles, and statement assumptions. The more you practice, the more familiar you become with patterns and logic. Join a reliable coaching center in Delhi that offers a systematic approach to verbal reasoning, along with mock tests to track your progress. 

5. Take Mock Tests and Analyze 

Taking regular mock tests is essential to assess your verbal ability skills. Choose mocks that mirror the actual IPM exam pattern. Analyze your mistakes thoroughly and work on areas where you are lagging. Coaching institutes in Delhi provide personalized feedback and solutions to help improve your performance consistently. 

Conclusion 

Improving verbal ability skills for the IPM exam requires consistent effort, practice, and guidance. By enrolling in the best IPM coaching in Delhi, you can receive the right mentorship to master the verbal section. Follow these strategies diligently, and you’ll find yourself well-prepared to crack the IPM exam with confidence.

[vikalpeducation]

Last 30 Days IPMAT Preparation Plan for Maximum Results

The Integrated Program in Management Aptitude Test (IPMAT) is a highly competitive exam for students aspiring to join the five-year integrated management program at prestigious institutions like IIM Indore, IIM Rohtak, and other top B-schools. With just 30 days left for the exam, it’s time to shift gears and focus on a strategic, result-oriented preparation plan. At Vikalp Education, we understand the importance of these final weeks and have designed a comprehensive 30-day plan to help you maximize your results. Here’s how you can make the most of the last month before IPMAT.

Understanding the IPMAT Exam Pattern

Before diving into the preparation plan, let’s quickly recap the IPMAT exam pattern:

Quantitative Ability (QA): 40 questions (Multiple Choice Questions - MCQs)

Verbal Ability (VA): 40 questions (MCQs)

Quantitative Aptitude (Short Answer - SA): 20 questions (Non-MCQs)

Each correct answer in the MCQs awards 4 marks, while 1 mark is deducted for incorrect answers. For the Short Answer section, there is no negative marking. The total duration of the exam is 2 hours.

Week 1: Strengthen Your Foundation

Day 1-3: Quantitative Ability (QA)

Focus on high-weightage topics like Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Number Systems.

Revise important formulas, concepts, and shortcuts.

Solve 20-30 practice questions daily from each topic to build speed and accuracy.

Day 4-6: Verbal Ability (VA)

Work on Reading Comprehension (RC) passages, grammar, and vocabulary.

Practice para-jumbles, sentence correction, and fill-in-the-blanks questions.

Read editorials from The Hindu or Indian Express to improve comprehension and vocabulary.

Day 7: Mock Test and Analysis

Take a full-length mock test to assess your current level.

Analyze your performance, identify weak areas, and plan improvements for the next week.

Week 2: Focus on Weak Areas and Practice

Day 8-10: Quantitative Aptitude (Short Answer - SA)

Practice non-MCQ questions from topics like Probability, Permutations & Combinations, and Logarithms.

Focus on accuracy, as there is no negative marking in this section.

Solve previous year IPMAT papers to understand the question pattern.

Day 11-13: Verbal Ability (VA)

Dedicate time to improving your RC skills by solving 3-4 passages daily.

Revise grammar rules and practice error-spotting questions.

Learn new words daily and use them in sentences to enhance vocabulary.

Day 14: Mock Test and Analysis

Take another full-length mock test to track your progress.

Compare your performance with the previous test and identify areas of improvement.

Week 3: Intensive Practice and Revision

Day 15-17: Quantitative Ability (QA)

Solve 50-60 practice questions daily from mixed topics.

Focus on time management and accuracy.

Revise formulas and shortcuts regularly.

Day 18-20: Verbal Ability (VA)

Practice 4-5 RC passages daily to improve speed and comprehension.

Solve grammar-based questions and para-jumbles.

Revise vocabulary and practice synonyms, antonyms, and word usage.

Day 21: Mock Test and Analysis

Take a full-length mock test under timed conditions.

Analyze your performance and focus on improving weak areas in the final week.

Week 4: Final Revision and Strategy Building

Day 22-24: Quantitative Aptitude (Short Answer - SA)

Solve 20-30 short-answer questions daily.

Focus on accuracy and avoid guesswork, as there is no negative marking.

Revise important concepts and formulas.

Day 25-27: Verbal Ability (VA)

Practice 5-6 RC passages daily to build speed and accuracy.

Revise grammar rules and practice error-spotting questions.

Solve previous year IPMAT papers to familiarize yourself with the exam pattern.

Day 28: Mock Test and Analysis

Take a final full-length mock test to simulate the actual exam environment.

Analyze your performance and make note of last-minute improvements.

Day 29-30: Final Revision and Relaxation

Revise all important formulas, concepts, and grammar rules.

Go through your notes and practice a few questions from each section.

Stay calm and confident. Avoid overburdening yourself with new topics.

General Tips for Last 30 Days Preparation

1. Follow a Strict Study Schedule

Allocate specific time slots for each section and stick to your schedule.

Balance your time between QA, VA, and SA sections based on your strengths and weaknesses.

2. Solve Previous Year Papers

Previous year papers are a goldmine for understanding the exam pattern and difficulty level.

Solve at least 5-6 previous year papers during the last 30 days.

3. Focus on Time Management

Practice solving questions within the allotted time to improve speed and accuracy.

Use a timer while solving mock tests and practice papers.

4. Stay Updated with Current Affairs

While IPMAT primarily focuses on QA and VA, staying updated with current affairs can help in the interview round.

Read newspapers or follow reliable news websites daily.

5. Take Care of Your Health

A healthy mind and body are essential for effective preparation.

Get adequate sleep, eat nutritious food, and take short breaks to avoid burnout.

Why Choose Vikalp Education?

At Vikalp Education, we provide comprehensive resources and expert guidance to help you crack IPMAT with confidence. Our 30-day crash course includes:

Expert faculty with years of experience in IPMAT coaching.

Personalized study plans and regular performance analysis.

Updated study materials, mock tests, and previous year papers.

Doubt-solving sessions and one-on-one mentorship.

With a proven track record of success, Vikalp Education is your trusted partner in your IPMAT journey.

Final Thoughts

The last 30 days before IPMAT are crucial, and with the right strategy, you can maximize your results. Follow this plan diligently, stay focused, and believe in yourself. Remember, consistency and perseverance are the keys to success.

Start your final preparation today with Vikalp Education and take the first step toward a rewarding career in management. For more information, visit our website at https://vikalpeducation.in/ or contact us at info@vikalpeducation.com.

[colitco]

🚀 Caprice Resources: Advancing Gold & Niobium Exploration in WA! 🏆✨

Caprice Resources Ltd (ASX: CRS) is making bold strides in Western Australia's Murchison Goldfields and West Arunta region, focusing on gold, copper, and niobium. With a revised strategy prioritising gold exploration and a strong financial position, Caprice is gearing up for a promising 2025! 💎📈

🔥 Key Highlights:

✅ Gold-Focused Strategy: Caprice prioritises gold exploration in the Murchison Goldfields while advancing copper & niobium projects in West Arunta. 🏅🔍 ✅ Island Gold Project (IGP): A 5,000m RC drilling program has begun! Previous drilling delivered high-grade gold hits, including: 📌 24m @ 6.8g/t Au from 24m (inc. 4m @ 19.0g/t) 📌 10m @ 16.1g/t Au from 104m (inc. 6m @ 26.1g/t) 📌 5m @ 18.0g/t Au from 78m (inc. 1m @ 85.1g/t) ✅ Cuddingwarra Gold Project: Visible gold found in quartz reefs along a 10km mineralised corridor—a significant breakthrough! 🏆✨ ✅ West Arunta Expansion: Caprice acquired 430km² from Rio Tinto, signed a Land Access Agreement, and is conducting geophysical surveys to uncover hidden mineral deposits. 🌎🔬 ✅ $2.5M Capital Raise: Strong investor support ensures continued exploration & drilling progress! 💰📊

💡 Investor’s Outlook:

With an aggressive exploration strategy, high-grade gold finds, and a growing footprint in key mining regions, Caprice Resources presents an exciting opportunity. The gold market is bullish, and Caprice’s focus on scalable, high-value assets positions it well for future growth! The share price of the Company stood at $0.020 with a market capitalisation of $8.86 million as of February 1st, 2025.

📌 Read the Editorial Here: https://colitco.com/caprice-resources-december-2024-quarterly-update/

⚠️ Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Do your own research before making investment decisions.

[cattutorialsblogs]

Last Minute Tips for CAT 2023 Exam

The CAT 2023 Exam is very close and will take location quickly. Many CAT aspirants tend to get nerve-racking approximately the D-day examination. You can start your CAT Exam preparation by Best Online CAT Coaching. The following article gives you an in depth idea approximately numerous tricks, tips and techniques to conquer exam tension on the very last lap. We will discuss a few tips to help you increase your scores and preserve your momentum for the reason that exam isn't always so far.

Revision is the Key

Revision is one of the vital components college students should don't forget of their very last instruction segment. Specific techniques, hints and strategies are mentioned for every phase, so as to equip and stop you from lacking any essential updates. So, aspirants are suggested to observe all the suggestions to ensure they get all of the important information.

Quant

Keep revising the formulae e book.

Keep practising the questions which you have struggled with in your preceding mocks.

Try solving with processes apart from the traditional ones.

Refrain from trying to examine new principles; they may be counterintuitive and lead to confusion.

Also, maintain a each day ritual of revising tables and reciprocals and appearing intellectual maths as they assist solve faster.

Only spend a bit little bit of time on any query. Keep your ego from coming in even as fixing a question. This takes place usually for questions out of your preferred subjects. So, be aware of such situations.

DILR

Keep solving exceptional puzzles. Try fixing the Sudoku that looks in diverse newspapers. Also, keep solving easier puzzles that appear in Bank exams, RRB tests, and many others.

Learn to quit. It is crucial to stop trying a puzzle after a sure length, as within the examination, selecting a set is the key.

Also, maintain fixing the traditional types that appear frequently every year. Puzzles in Arrangements, Venn diagrams, Games and tournaments, Charts and Tables maintain appearing yearly.

VARC

Keep analyzing for at the least 30 minutes every day to stay in touch with the dependancy of studying.

Keep studying unique articles from specific genres. Keep reading articles of more burdensome complexity to live calm on D-day.

Also, maintain fixing  RCs, at the least within the final days of the exam. 

Fixate a approach and keep giving sections to fixate an approach.

Also, maintain studying editorials from the Hindu and The Mint, as they may assist you ace the interview.

If you get exhausted, transfer to extra available alternatives inclusive of testimonies and novels. It is k to be now not so serious occasionally; changing greater available alternatives helps you preserve the momentum.

Let's start your CAT Exam Preparation with CAT Online Coaching Classes.

Check CAT 2024 Syllabus

To ensure you do seize all chapters in Quant, DILR check the syllabus of CAT 2023. This takes place in Quant, which is specifically for working experts, as they begin their coaching very early and with the time they forget about.

As revision infrequently takes 2 to a few topics for smaller subjects like the Number system, aspirants must make certain to attend such quantities. Also, it's far critical to revise topics like those because the ideas also are wanted for solving DILR puzzles.

Learn from the Mistakes

Keep revisiting the issues that you struggled with at some stage in your previous mocks.

Make a observe of ideas which you regularly want to don't forget. Revisit them to keep away from any problems inside the exam.

Analysis ought to be the priority. Introspection is the important thing. Going throughout the evaluation will assist you benefit insights about yourself.

Taking mocks with analysis will prevent time and effort. The insights from the mock are greater valuable, and analysis is essential earlier than taking the next mock.

Also, getting ready and discussing with your friends will help you benefit distinct perspectives.

Clarify any concepts that you revel in trouble in knowledge. Discuss with your pals or mentors to ensure that to procure your self clarified.

Strengths and Weakness

Focus on your strengths and keep away from that specialize in weaknesses inside the remaining lap near D-day practise.

Try to maximise your scores via your strengths in the very last education lap.

Learn to keep away from hard questions. Fixate your strategies for extraordinary scenarios and situations. This may be finished by only attempting mocks and making informed choices.

 D-Day Strategies

The exam duration is for 2 hours. The examination might be held in three slots—one within the morning, one inside the afternoon and one within the evening.

Don’t panic. Even if a phase seems harsh, don't forget there'll continually be smooth ones. Stay calm and attempt to pick out easy ones. This is specifically authentic for DILR, as some units may turn out to be tough, but shifting on and trying others will assist you to solve 1 set, as a minimum one set. Also, 1 set ought to fetch an awesome percentile, thinking about ultimate year’s state of affairs.

Fix your strategies, and don’t experiment on days close to D-day.

Take a depart from work before the CAT exam within the last 1-2 days before the CAT examination, in particular for working specialists.

Don’t maintain on taking mocks at the preceding 3 days. Taking mock once two days in the ultimate month is ideal, but abstain from taking mocks on the previous three days before CAT 2023.

CAT Exam 2023 Guidelines on D-Day

Documents to Carry

Carry your original ID, ideally an Aadhar card.

A difficult reproduction of your admit card and two pictures.

Things to Avoid

Pen, paper and other things for the examination are furnished inside the examination corridor and have to be carried via a person aside from the character.

Follow the dress code as mentioned. Avoid sporting shoes with thick soles. Also, jewelry and metallic objects ought to no longer be worn.

Female applicants have to refrain from making use of henna or any designs on the fingers during D-day.

Electronic devices and gadgets are not allowed in the CAT 2023 examination corridor. They consist of watches, calculators, cellular phones, smart watches, and so on. 

Also Read :

Why MBA from Top B-School?

The Best Time to Start CAT Preparation 2024

[zhoras-bitch]

Overall, you are on point. Obviously, interactive fiction requires a lot of planning and revision. Even classic fiction writers regularly come back and rewrite earlier chapters of their stories for continuity reasons. And an interactive story with branching, meaningful choices, different mechanics etc.? It's no surprise that RC writers struggle to pull off a series finale.

I think one of the most shining examples of how detrimental RC model can be to the quality of the story right now is SOTCN. If you read the 2-3 chapters once every 2 months, it seems fine, but if you binge read the story now, the plot holes are incredibly obvious. For example, there is a scene in the beginning of season 1 with Amen talking to one of the hunters which seems to clearly suggest they don't know Remmao and his students are dark mages... Until the last update where we find out that no, apparently they knew Remmao was a mage all along. It’s so clear the author only had a very rough outline of the characters, plot points and ideas when the series began. This is why authors come back and rewrite things as the story develops. But RC model doesn't allow for such revisions, resulting in the issues we see.

Some additional thoughts.

Firstly, RC authors are expected to do a lot of work. There are the normal things that you'd expect, like researching the topic, creating the outline of the story and actually writing the chapters for every update, but they also manage the visual aspect of the story (finding references, interacting with the art team, making decisions as to how to allocate resources like the number of cut scenes etc.) AND they do the work of a game designer (figuring out the mechanics, the branching, doing the math). Game designer is actually it's own job with a skillset very different from a traditional writer! Of course, RC mechanics are way more simple, but it's still a lot of work that requires a diverse set of skills.

RC model does allow for a lot of creative freedom, but that too is a double-edged sword. RC writers have very strong voices and distinct styles. However, when the author is weaker in some areas, they don't have anyone to make up for it. You can see each of the author's strengths and weaknesses very clearly. For example, Jester (MB, LOTW & Psi), who is one of my favourite writers, has interesting worlbuilding, captivating plots, great romance... but his stories are very linear, more like a traditional book than an interactive game. Outside of the LI you choose, there is not much branching in the story up until the very end. Then you have Alexander Tepish (SIF, LFOS, LSE), also one of my favourites, who is a great game designer. His stories is where you have to think about the stats, which will affect the story, and there is a lot of different dialogue you can get depending on what you choose, which is super fun! But his characters are overall pretty one-dimensional, and his writing style is dry and plain.

Furthermore, you are not wrong, at least a few RC authors don't have a background in writing, nor in game development, as we know from their interviews. It's not necessarily crucial... but combined with the magnitude and diversity of their responsibilities, lack of editorial oversight, inability to come back and change something once you figure out the ropes... I'm sure you get why the quality of the stories can vary so much.

On an unrelated note, I wanted to add my two cents and say that visual novels are a recent genre, but not that recent. Like, compared to traditional fiction, they sure are, but RC is far from the first interactive story game. For example, my gateway to RC was through otome games (Japanese interactive fiction games targeted towards women), and those were around since the 1990s. Some of them have very linear plots similar to traditional novels, but others actually incorporate surprisingly complex mechanics more similar to quest games, not even close to anything RC has ever attempted. Level of branching and number of endings varies too. That being sad, the existence of these games won't help you much if you've never played them and have no background in game development, which, as we established, a lot of RC writers don't.

Why I Think RC Has Trouble Sticking Their Landings

(Or, a pantser talks about structure and DLS for like 8 paragraphs)

My short answer: Because these stories are first drafts

Longer answer: ⬇️

1) (Lack of) Developmental editing

RC's model has its authors write long stories 2-4 chapters at a time. As much as the authors might perfect these chapters, they have no way to change something later on if they realize a scene no longer matches the big picture. An author may revise and make a batch of 4 flawless chapters, but it still doesn't mean they will fit the story seamlessly.

Developmental editing, according to this article, "involves feedback on the big picture of a […] writing piece. A developmental editor will critique structural elements like the plot, characters, theme, and organization of ideas." They also say that this kind of editing is recommended after the first or second draft.

So this type of revision would help an author make sure every character has its place (too many LIs and uneven LI screentime could be fixed), that characterization is consistent, that the plot is clear and moving at a good pacing, etc.

In DLS, for example, things that might be revised after a developmental editing: Leo's introduction scenes not matching his characterization later on, the Leo/Vlad rivalry that seems a bit strange in hindsight, more prominent role and scenes for Sandra, a more consistent progression in Noe/Laia and Ezel/Laia routes, fairer distribution of LI scenes (🫠), Laia's character motivations, the plot mysteries might be revealed to the reader a bit earlier, etc.

But these stories are arguably first drafts that will never be revised holistically (like Choices stories are/used to be, as far as I'm aware), so problems that only become clear once you're further along might not be fixed satisfactorily (or at all).

What sort of problems? Well...

2) Structure, part I

So the visual novel medium is fairly recent, right? Choose Your Own Adventure stories have existed for a while, but, I'm pretty sure, not in the scale of RC stories. 3 seasons demand a lot of story. And the thing is, I'm not sure there is a lot of guidance out there regarding story structure for interactive stories? Not that I've found, at least.

This is a problem, I think, because even if these authors follow the existing material on story structure (Save the Cat, Hero's Journey, Classic 3 Act, Seven-Point Structure, etc.), they will have to do the work of adapting it for a visual novel that A) has 3 seasons as a default, and B) 3 seasons of more or less equal length.

Look, it absolutely can be done! But my point is, I think it's generally uncharted territory and requires a lot of problem-solving. It's not just figuring what must happen in this story for it to be satisfying, it's also deciding when each thing must happen in a way that fits the requirements of three seasons and their finales, which must all fit together, but also be individually exciting and balance setup and payoff. And there is no way to go back and fix it if you realize you messed up the pacing somewhere! Not to mention…

3) Structure, part II: Routes

Not only do they have to figure out plot and structure (without being able to revise the finished story as a whole), but they also need to figure out and balance at least 4 different dynamics. As in, when it gets established, how to keep those dynamics fresh even after they get together, and how to synchronize MC's development with that relationship and its milestones. And again, it's not like there is a manual or a right answer. You have to write and fix afterwards — except they can't 😀. So if an author realizes later on that x couple needed a scene earlier on, or that they rushed things, or any other problem, there is nothing to be done except maybe add more scenes that might stand out from whatever they're trying to correct.

A tiny example of this problem in DLS would be Leo and Laia telling Derya that they're dating, which is clearly a correction of the scene in 4x02 where Laia called him "a friend" because "[she] thought it went against local customs to make a show of pre-marital relationships". In 2019 Istanbul. It would just make more sense if she had just called him her boyfriend in the first place.

4) Authors

I'll admit I'm least informed about this one, but based on a few interviews I've read with the authors, it seems some of them have never written fiction or visual novels before…? I could be wrong! But! Imagine being new to this medium and having to figure all of that ⬆️ out, with the limitations that RC's model brings. I'm not sure how much training and/or assistance they get in this entire process. It just seems a lot for one person.

And I have no answers for any of this, by the way! I don't work there, I don't know how the company works or how it doesn't. This is just my tentative opinion based on my limited experience with writing. It's extremely hard, and I genuinely cannot imagine trying to do any of that ⬆️ in the first place, but especially if I had to get it right on the first try.

Every writing advice on Earth recommends multiple drafts on longform writing because it's impossible to make your story the best it can be on the first attempt. So I think the RC endings often being unsatisfying might be, mainly, a consequence of that.

[sseeeeedd]

The weirdest advertisement that took social media by storm last 2020

The weirdest advertisement that took social media by storm last 2020—RC Cola’s Nyahahakbkxjbcjhishdishlsab@!!!!  Basta RC Cola!  This commercial was released last November 26, 2020 by RC Cola, a soft drinks manufacturing brand.  Through its bizarre theme, the advertisement penetrated Philippine pop culture, gaining many reactions from netizens.  The story is about a son who has just returned home from school after being bullied and confronts his mother about whether he was adopted.  Similar to typical dramatic Filipino teleseryes or television soap operas, the exchange of dialogue becomes emotional.  That is, until the son lifted his shirt, showing off the four glasses that were affixed to his back.  “Matagal na naming itinago ito sa’yo anak (we hid this from you for a long time, son),” classic emotional line; however, instead of crying, you will be surprised as the mother then shows off what seems to be her severed body with an RC Cola bottle protruding from the neck.  She then continues by pouring the RC Cola into the glasses randomly.

In an interview by Contagious with Jake Yrastorza, Managing Partner of Gigil—the ad's creator, he stated that the ad aimed to differentiate RC Cola from other brands in the minds of younger generations, specifically Gen Z's.  Since Gen Z's tend to 'live in the moment,' they do not need reasons to act on something.  With this, the creators of this commercial adopted that mentality and made the brand embody it, making RC Cola a reflection of their consumers (Contagious, 2021).  The audience may not benefit from the product being advertised to them since excessive drinking of soft drinks can be harmful, particularly to older people, and may increase one's risk of having Type 2 diabetes (WebMD Editorial Contributors, 2020).  However, analyzing the actual message the advertisement wanted to convey, we can notice parallels to our everyday life, including self-doubt, unwavering acceptance, love, truth, family, and spending time with the ones we cherish.

RC Cola's advertisement emphasizes a good marketing strategy rather than a way to manipulate the media.  The manufacturing brand is aware that their market is continuously evolving; therefore, they have to keep up and think of a way to convey its message creatively and effectively, and they did not disappoint!  With its absurd title and theme, the company was able to take the internet by storm and receive a mix of emotions from netizens on different social media platforms.  This can be observed in the ad's performance six hours after its launch, earning approximately 1.6 million views, and within 24 hours, it had 130,000 shares and 203 reactions, becoming a top-trending topic on Twitter.  Today, it has more than 10 million views (Diaz, 2020).  Since this kind of commercial has blown up, several local brands have been incorporating weird themes.  An example is a commercial from Julie's Bakeshop entitled "Harina is Shaking sa Newest Film for Julie's 40th Year Anniversary!" which featured a dough of bread having eyes and being able to speak.

References

Diaz, A.-C. (2020, December 11). This is the Weirdest Ad we’ve Seen All Year. Ad Age. https://adage.com/creativity/work/rc-cola-basta-rc-cola/2300386

Nyahahakbkxjbcjhishdishlsab@!!!! Basta RC Cola! (2020). [YouTube Advertisement]. In YouTube. RC Cola. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXWj5BK7evM

The Strategy Behind RC Cola’s Basta Campaign in the Philippines. (2021, July 20). Contagious. https://www.contagious.com/news-and-views/insight-and-strategy-behind-rc-cola-Filipino-advertising-campaign

WebMD Editorial Contributors. (2020, October 22). Drinking Cola: Is it Good for You? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/drinking-cola-good-for-you#:~:text=Even%20one%20or%20two%20colas

[usafphantom2]

Lockheed Martin releases new conceptual images of NGAD

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 10/27/22 - 18:07 in Military

The sixth-generation stealth game development program "NGAD - Next Generation Air Dominance" under development by the US has come to light once again, after the publication of new conceptual arts from the Lockheed Martin company, in which this time the proposal for a next generation LMXT strategic refueling aircraft also appears.

In the new images, an aircraft, which has several similarities with the previous preliminary NGAD projects, is shown being refueled by an LMXT tanker aircraft, with Lockheed Martin showing how it predicts future USAF operations and how new generation fighters and air refuelling aircraft will be developed with a high degree of interoperability.

As reported by the analysts of "The Drive", what "highs" in the construction and appearance of the aircraft is that the nozzles are diamond-shaped and the exhaust of its double engines is located at the top of the fuselage, a specific tactical project aimed at reducing the thermal trace and radar signature of the fighter, to serve its stealthy properties.

In fact, to reduce the radar section (RCS - Radar Cross Section), that is, as it calculates how detectable an object or a platform by radars is and is a key element for the characterization of an aircraft as "stealth", the aircraft in Locheed Martin's design concept have a new, bright and possibly reflective painting, which was recently seen in test flights

At this point, we must emphasize that it is not yet clear whether these preliminary projects are the final choice for the construction and development of the NGAD fighter, as several companies are working to present competing proposals. However, Lockheed Martin's decision to disclose these images may indicate his philosophy and vision for sixth generation aircraft, at a time when the secret Collaborative Combat Aircraft - NGAD CCA subprogram has also become known, which concerns the deployment of a sufficient number of UAVs to operate alongside the sixth-generation manned fighter.

Previous conceptual art of the NGAD released by Lockheed Martin shows similarity to the new arts.

It is recalled that a year ago, Will Roper, a senior civil officer of the USAF, revealed that the U.S. Air Force secretly designed, built and flew a prototype of the new and enigmatic next-generation fighter.

Tags: Military AviationLockheed MartinNGADUSAF - United States Air Force / US Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. It has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[vergess]

what is the holy trinity thing abt

Let's find out together, anon. Because I literally don't remember it. It's in my Kingdom Hearts (KH) wip folder.

Oh! I guess I planned a sequel to Resonating Current (RC) and then never followed through lol

It's also in rough notes (outline? Does this constitute an outline).

I'm not sure I will ever bother writing this, as I stopped writing KH a great many years ago, with the exception of RC. You can, I will say this, see a direct throughline between me thinking too much about names in Dracula and me thinking too much about names in KH.

It was going to be a, basically, Isa reacts to Xion's keyblade thing.

Ugh, RC is in that horrible deadzone of reading exactly badly enough to make me gag. I should re-write it maybe. At least give it an editorial pass. Yikes a roni.

[WiP game]

[buzzdixonwriter]

The Four Gospels Of Sci-Fi

The “canon” of science fiction is in the news again in the wake of the recent Hugo awards, and since I’m nothing if not opinionated and I also want to load up my posting queue before diving into my next big project, this struck me as an apt topic to write on.

So settle back; we’re going to touch on the history of sci-fi, the influence of its old guard, how it pertains to religious literature, and perhaps even delve a little bit on Christianity itself at the end.

First off, a quick recap of Christian scripture for those who aren’t read up on the subject.  Vacation Bible School veterans can skip this part.

. . .

The foundational works in the Christian New Testament are the four gospels:  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The first three are referred to as the synoptic gospels because they tell basically the same story in the same beats, differing in style and detail, but essentially the same.

Mark is considered the oldest of the three and the primary source for Matthew and Luke (boy howdy! Am I ever streamlining a lot of Biblical scholarship here but bear with me; I’m doing this to make a point about sci-fi, not religion).

The common Christian reading of the three synoptic gospels are that Mark is the basic story, Matthew (because of its focus on Old Testament prophecies) was written with a Jewish audience in mind, Luke was written for gentiles.*

John is the gospel that sticks out.

To grossly oversimplify, the biggest difference is that the synoptic gospels mainly record what Jesus said and did, John focuses more on the who and why.

And that’s all we need to know at this moment…

. . .

The four gospels of sci-fi are Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, and Bradbury.

(Before we go further, let us stipulate this applies only to those who came to the genre prior to Star Wars -- indeed, an argument can be made it only applies to those who were fans before Star Trek.)

Sci-fi’s synoptic gospels are the oeuvre of Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke; Ray Bradbury is the oddball.

I say they are the synoptic gospels because truth be told, you can only tell them apart by style, not content, certainly not by point of view.

If all three exchanged story ideas and plot outlines, the end results would be different only in tone and vocabulary, not theme or character.

Heinlein, Asimov, and Clarke were all technically trained and worked professionally as engineers or chemists when not writing; Bradbury was a gosh-wow! fanboy.**

If Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, and Bradbury are the gospels of sci-fi, their John the Baptist was another John:  John W. Campbell

Campbell is a problematic figure in sci-fi, so let’s just get him out of the way ASAP.

He was a good but not outstanding writer, but when you write “Who Goes There?” (basis of the various film versions of The Thing From Another World) you’ve earned your place at the table.

He was a visionary editor and under his helm Astounding / Analog set the gold standard for sci-fi for decades to come.

He was a white supremacist of the paternalistic bent, and while on the one hand that’s better than being an outright hate monger, on the other it’s more insidious since it presupposes a correct worldview without challenging that assumption.

He was a male chauvinist of the same stripe, not particularly open to female writers but willing to publish the occasional story with a female protagonist…written by a male.

He was a crank who believed a bunch of goofball ideas, from psionics (ESP, telekinisis, etc.) to dowsing to the Dean Drive to the Hieronymus Machine (a device so wonderous that even a schematic drawing of it would work!).***

Campbell by all accounts was not a bad individual and the field is still replete with those who knew and loved him, but like the cranky patriarch**** who refuses to divulge the contents of their will, forcing everyone in the family to kowtow to them, Campbell’s position atop the highest paying / most prestigious market in science fiction shaped much of the genre around him.  (Full disclosure:  One of the greatest highlights in my writing career was finally placing a story in Analog after fifty years of trying!)

Writers would typically aim at Astounding / Analog first, and failing to sell there, the Campbell rejects would start a long, laborious trudge down the stairs to the cheaper markets.

This held true even in the 1950s when sci-fi magazines of a more literary bent (Fantasy & Science Fiction and Galaxy in the US, New Worlds in the UK) started attracting stories written for them, not Campbell hand-me-downs.

As Jeannette Ng observed in her acceptance speech for the 2019 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer*****:  “Through his editorial control of Astounding Science Fiction, [Campbell] is responsible for setting a tone of science fiction that still haunts the genre to this day.  Sterile.  Male.  White.  Exalting in the ambitions of imperialists and colonisers, settlers and industrialists.”

Campbell’s absolute faith in science and technology to solve all our problems (including the ones created by science and technology) while ignoring the very real problems that plague humanity since time immemorial (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride) coupled with his prime market position led to a genre that unquestionably accepted those settings as the only viable ones.

Campbell certainly held more direct sway over the writings of Heinlein and Asimov than he did Clarke, but Clarke’s earliest sci-fi sales were to Astounding and nothing he wrote in his first decade as a writing professional fell outside the big cushy box Campbell crafter for the genre.

And even though Heinlein and Asimov broke off for cushier writing gigs elsewhere (Heinlein in novels, Asimov mostly as a popular science promoter), they remained steadfastly loyal and respectful -- as did Clarke -- to the ends of their lives.

And on a personal, individual level, that’s a good thing -- we all need friends who will stick by us.

But Bradbury never got invited to the party.

Which is not to say he didn’t try to crack Astounding -- he did, on four occasions, two of them humorous short-shorts for the magazine’s “Probability Zero” feature, one run of the mill magic-shop-disguised-as-super-science-store tale sold in the middle of WWII when Campbell’s best writers were on active duty, and the last in 1950 when he was no longer Ray Bradbury, fanboy, but Ray Bradbury, Important American Writer!!! and Campbell published an excerpt from The Martian Chronicles.******

. . .

We’re going to take a sidebar here to discuss one of Al Ries’ immutable laws of branding.

Ries long observed there are only two models for any brand category:

A single dominant top brand with a distant second place competitor then a host of niche brands (Microsoft then Apple then everybody else)

Two big rivals fighting for first place with a competitor placing a distant third then a host of niche brands (Coke vs Pepsi with RC Cola trailing third then everybody else)

The way to break through in branding is not to waste time and effort trying to knock out a dominant brand but to create a new category to dominate!

That’s what Bradbury did in the late 1940s and early 1950s:  He stopped aping the default Campbell / Astounding style and began writing more lyrical / less techno-focused sci-fi.

Heinlein, Asimov, and Clarke were no dummies and soon they too branched out more consciously to mainstream audiences.

But as successful as they were, none of them ever fully shook the influence Campbell weighed down upon them.

That is why telling people today they must read the old masters results in eyerolls.

Too often the old masters trafficked in cleverness, not as Faulkner observed “the human heart in conflict with itself.”

Heinlein managed to transcend the genre a few times, but finding the gems in his work requires a lot of effort.  

Clarke remains dry and antiseptic:  it speaks volumes that his best known character is HAL 9000.

And Asimov just isn’t that goof in either concept or execution.  His Three Laws of Robotics demonstrates a failure of nerve and imagination:  Humans won’t build robots programmed not to harm humans because the first thing humans will make robots do it kill other human beings!

So there’s our canon: Mostly irrelevant, often impenetrable. 

The last author standing is the least technology oriented of the lot and Bradbury’s stories continue to work and delight because he doesn’t lecture on weights and measures but allows the reader to imagine along with him.

. . .

Okay, short Christian content now; if you came just for the sci-fi you can either stop reading or skip ahead to the footnotes.

Any field of human endeavor that does not constantly re-examine itself and challenge previous assumptions is doomed to irrelevance.

This does not mean established works need to be rejected out of hand, but we do need to ask what those works mean to us right now.

Truth is indeed timeless, but the package has a sell-by date and the contents do no one any good if they aren’t periodically taken down from the shelf and examined.

Modern Christianity -- in particular mainstream American protestantism -- has failed to closely examine the contents for quite some time.

While the field of sci-fi brims over with exciting new voices, we’re still straining to listen to the cracked / garbled / low fidelity wax cylinders of theologians long dead.

We need fewer Christians.   We desperately need better Christians.

Instead of demanding those outside or struggling with the faith must read things the way we were taught to read them, understand them the way we were taught to understand them, follow along the way we were taught to follow along, perhaps we should show faith in the material and let those who will read and re-imagine the text in the light of their own experience a fair hearing.

The old canon in sci-fi fails today because it is too dated, too rooted in the mindset of a bygone era.  The exception -- Bradbury (he himself a Christian and it shows in his stories) -- stays vibrant and alive and appealing because he doesn’t tell us what to think, he walks with us as we discover things for ourselves.

  © Buzz Dixon

  *  Acts Of The Apostles is a sequel to Luke and while Jesus appears briefly in the beginning in almost a flashback fashion, that book focuses on what his disciples did afterwards.

** An interesting trait Bradbury shared with Harlan Ellison was that despite their fanboy origins, both were one helluva lot more savvy to the business of writing and publishing than anyone else in the genre, and both skillfully created public personas that served them well (Bradbury’s better than Ellison’s, granted) while they guided their careers through the treacherous shoals of gatekeepers and public fancies.  Bradbury has written of his fanboy epiphany when he asked himself if he was satisfied being a fan / autograph hound or if he really wanted to be a creator, and immediately began directing his career in a fashion that could only be described as ruthless were it not attached to such a charming gentleman.  Wannabees are urged to study his career and how he did it if they want to be truly remembered.

***  All well and good as fodder for sci-fi stories, not so good in reality.  As the movie They Might Be Giants states:  “[Don Quixote] carried it a bit too far.  He thought that every windmill was a giant.  That's insane.  But, thinking that they might be... well… all the best minds used to think the world was flat. — But, what if it isn't? — It might be round — and bread mold might be medicine.  If we never looked at things and thought of what they might be, why, we'd all still be out there in the tall grass with the apes.”

**** To stretch our Biblical analog to the breaking point, if Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, and Bradbury are the New Testament gospels and John W. Campbell is John the Baptist, then sci-fi’s Old Testament has patriarchs such as Swift, Verne, and Wells plus the matriarch Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, a major prophet in Hugo Gernsback, and a host of minor prophets in various pre-WWII niche media including comics.

*****  An acceptance speech which in turn won a 2020 Hugo for Best Related Work -- how cool is that? ******  Basically, Bradbury was perceptive enough to recognized he turned a creative corner in 1944 with “The Lake” and broadened his submission range to include far more prestigious slick magazines such as The American Mercury and Mademoiselle and Collier’s and The New Yorker and when tipped off that Warner Bros. planned to plagiarize “The Foghorn” as the basis for The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms he didn’t waste time or money suing but sweetly judo leverage this to get his name prominently displayed on the movie posters as “Ray Bradbury…Saturday Evening Post” writer and then holy %#@& he was a Major American Writer!  I loved Ray, but his gosh-wow sweet exterior camouflaged one of the most brilliant strategists I’ve ever met.

[weneverlearn]

If you’ve ever skimmed my lil’ blog here, it’s probably not a surprise that my formative musical-creating years were during the rise of the so-dubbed Generation X era. And while I was first weened in the waning days of Brit synth-pop and hardcore’s initial thrust, my own band drove the van through the days of “alternative rock.” 

That term of course was laughable, as most of what was called that was simply, you know, rock. Guitars, bass, drums, vocals. And lame rock, at that. And by the time people like my mom would have some concept of what that term meant, “alternative rock” -- like, say, Gin Blossoms or Deep Blue Something -- were cleaner and more approachable than even Poison from just a few years earlier. Nothing alternative about it. No more edgy than Bread or Ambrosia from the AM Gold days.

But I know a genre topper when I hear it. 

Howlin’ Maggie leader, Happy Chichester, started out as the excellent and funny bassist for Royal Crescent Mob, Columbus’ early entry into the post-Red Hot Chili Peppers white-boy funk rock sweeps of the latter ‘80s. The gateway drug local band for many an Ohio State Student, they were a few notches above that quickly cheesed-out genre. They put on a great show, landed on some good labels, garnered a good regional following, and basically were all super nice dudes. I remember Craig Regala -- major domo of Columbus early entry into the ‘90s underground garage punk 7″ label sweeps, Datapanik Records -- told me very early on that I was the best frontman Columbus had produced, after Royal Crescent Mob’s David Ellison. Today, one would wonder how either band existed in the same scene, but that was what was so great about that fleeting, still mostly undocumented era, when sputtering hardcore flailed around looking for and spewing out ideas of what the hell is next...

Once RC Mob (as we called them) flamed out, Chichester eventually started his own band, Howlin’ Maggie. They took a soft right onto RC Mob’s popiest roads, while retaining enough funk to turn them into a successful regional act. The campus, hacky sack-playing, funk rock thing really paid the bills circa 1993-98. And while it goes without saying that shit is most definitely NOT my thing, Howlin’ Maggie leaned more pop and put on a fun show.

They landed on Columbia Records in 1996 for their solid debut album, Honeysuckle Strange; played on Letterman, got on some big festivals, and the ever-nice Chichester utilized his considerable talents and connections to land some great opening slots, while becoming a go-to session player. The guy can make his way around just about any instrument and hit loads of notes with his malleable vox. 

Which also explains why Holwin’ Maggie didn’t release another album until the indie release, Hyde (PopFlu Music) in 2002, where “Love Is All Around Us” comes from. Chichester was busy as heck playing on others’ albums and tours (not the least of which as a jack-of-all instruments for Afghan Whigs), while fitting in working tours with Howlin’ Maggie -- who remained popular in Columbus. I’m guessing he was holding out hope too, that the increasingly dwindling dollars of the alt-rock heydays would offer a few crumbs for another major label advance. That green door slammed shut around 1998. 

So by the time the Hyde CD slid across the editorial desk at Columbus Alive for me to review that year, it could not help but feel late to the party. Fact is, the album is a solid slice of alternative rock that, on day of release, was an instant shouldabeen, or really couldabeen had it been 1996 instead of 2002. In songwriting, performance, and production, it’s more satisfying than all the Semisonics and Third Eye Blinds in the SPIN orbit. And yes, I realize that might sound like very, very faint praise. But when the earmarks of “alternative rock” were hit energetically well -- think mid-period R.E.M., Sugar, hell, even that one New Radicals album -- candy-coated and earnestly scrubbed grunge-pop was an appealing pop moment.

And “Love Is All Around Us” might’ve been an apex. It’s all there: the gleaming jangle riff, loud/quiet dynamics, the hopeful lyrics, and an instantly singalong-able chorus (with handclaps even!). But as it builds, it’s the song’s second half that does a few octave jumps, and adds incrementally louder and busier smiling and screaming backup vocals that draw from the Husker Du well of Midwest desperation-turned-defiance. Then a repeated ringing one-chord that carries the song far up into a 1990s sun, full of a charming President, AIDS activism, Top 10 bands dropping ‘70s punk acts in interviews, hip hop in it’s creative flowering, the record industry tossing advances to small bands, and Claire Danes as a sex symbol. As Chichester sings in here, “Anything is possible.” Or was. With this very 1996 song coming out after 9/11, well, all the joy that Happy Chichester could convey with his miles-wide smile couldn’t beat that.

I’m guessing the album sold okay, and gave another slab for Howlin’ Maggie to sell on the road, as they started up a bit again around that time. Chichester has since continued on as a solo act, some Howlin’ Maggie action, and in-demand musician, all while battling Bell’s Palsy since 2012.

Whenever it strikes me to dial this song up on YouTube, it has a way of transporting me to High Street in 1996 -- the same thought when I first heard it in 2002 -- that carries a nostalgia and a twinge of missed chances, but good times nonetheless, that all great pop can quell. 

I’ve returned to such songs of late (below) for personal reasons, songs that ring with a life-affirming uplift, but can’t and probably shouldn’t, completely hide the sad center that fuels great pop songs, always reaching for another sunrise. 

[vikalpeducation]

Mastering CAT Exam 2025 – A Complete Guide to Crack the MBA Entrance Test

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is the gateway to top MBA colleges in India, including the prestigious IIMs. Every year, lakhs of aspirants appear for this highly competitive exam, making it essential to have a solid CAT preparation strategy. Whether you’re a first-time aspirant or a repeater, staying updated with CAT 2025 preparation tips and following the right approach can significantly boost your score.  

 Understanding the CAT Exam Pattern  

Before diving into CAT preparation, it’s important to understand the exam pattern and the types of questions asked.  

- Total Sections: 3 (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude)  

- Time Duration: 120 minutes (40 minutes per section)  

- Total Questions: Around 66  

- Marking Scheme: +3 for correct answers, -1 for incorrect answers (MCQs)  

 How to Prepare for CAT 2025?  

1. Build Strong Fundamentals  

   The key to cracking the CAT exam is mastering the basic concepts of quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, and verbal ability. Instead of jumping directly into shortcuts, spend time understanding the fundamentals of each topic.  

2. Develop a Study Plan  

   A structured CAT preparation plan can help cover the syllabus efficiently. Set realistic goals for daily, weekly, and monthly study sessions.  

3. Focus on Mock Tests and Analysis  

   - Attempt full-length mock tests every week to get comfortable with the CAT exam environment.  

   - Analyze mistakes after each test to understand weak areas and improve accordingly.  

4. Time Management and Strategy Building  

   - Learn to manage time effectively within the sectional limits.  

   - Prioritize questions that are less time-consuming and leave difficult ones for later.  

5. Enhance Reading and Comprehension Skills  

   - Read newspapers, editorials, and novels to improve reading comprehension speed.  

   - Practice RC passages regularly to develop accuracy.  

6. Strengthen Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (LRDI)  

   - Solve a variety of puzzles, graphs, and caselets to improve logical thinking.  

   - Focus on interpreting data accurately and making quick calculations.  

7. Join an Online CAT Coaching Program  

   If self-study seems overwhelming, opt for a structured CAT coaching course that provides personalized guidance, study materials, and mentorship.  

 Final Thoughts  

With the right CAT exam preparation strategy, dedication, and practice, anyone can achieve a 99+ percentile in CAT. Stay consistent, follow the best study resources, and never hesitate to clear doubts.

[cattutorialsblogs]

Last Minute Tips for CAT 2023 Exam

The CAT 2023 Exam is very near and could take region quickly. Many CAT aspirants have a tendency to get nerve-racking approximately the D-day examination. The following article gives you an in depth concept about diverse tricks, recommendations and strategies to triumph over exam tension at the final lap. Apart from all that, you can take help of Best Online Coaching for CAT. We will discuss a few hints to help you increase your rankings and hold your momentum since the examination isn't to date. 

Revision is the Key

Revision is one of the essential elements students ought to consider of their final coaching section. Specific techniques, guidelines and techniques are stated for every phase, with a view to equip and prevent you from lacking any important updates. So, aspirants are counseled to observe all of the guidelines to make sure they get all of the crucial facts.

Quant

Keep revising the formulae e book.

Keep training the questions that you have struggled with in your previous mocks.

Try solving with procedures aside from the conventional ones.

Refrain from looking to learn new principles; they're counterintuitive and cause confusion.

Also, maintain a every day ritual of revising tables and reciprocals and appearing intellectual maths as they assist solve faster.

Only spend a little little bit of time on any query. Keep your ego from coming in while fixing a query. This happens commonly for questions from your preferred subjects. So, be aware of such situations.

DILR

Keep fixing exceptional puzzles. Try fixing the Sudoku that looks in diverse newspapers. Also, preserve fixing easier puzzles that appear in Bank assessments, RRB checks, and many others.

Learn to give up. It is essential to forestall trying a puzzle after a certain duration, as within the examination, selecting a set is the important thing.

Also, maintain fixing the conventional kinds that appear regularly every yr. Puzzles in Arrangements, Venn diagrams, Games and tournaments, Charts and Tables hold appearing every year.

 want to Get a 99%itle in CAT Exam, enroll now in Best Online CAT Coaching.

VARC

Keep studying for at least half-hour daily to live in contact with the addiction of studying.

Keep studying exceptional articles from exclusive genres. Keep analyzing articles of extra burdensome complexity to live calm on D-day.

Also, preserve solving two RCs, as a minimum in the final days of the examination. 

Fixate a method and maintain giving sections to fixate an approach.

Also, preserve analyzing editorials from the Hindu and The Mint, as they may help you ace the interview.

If you get exhausted, transfer to greater available alternatives including tales and novels. It is ok to be not so severe from time to time; changing greater accessible alternatives enables you maintain the momentum.

Learn from the Mistakes

Keep revisiting the issues that you struggled with all through your previous mocks.

Make a be aware of standards that you frequently want to don't forget. Revisit them to keep away from any troubles within the examination.

Analysis have to be the concern. Introspection is the key. Going across the analysis will help you gain insights approximately yourself.

Taking mocks with analysis will prevent effort and time. The insights from the mock are more treasured, and evaluation is crucial earlier than taking the subsequent mock.

Also, making ready and discussing together with your friends will assist you advantage one of a kind views.

Clarify any principles which you enjoy trouble in knowledge. Discuss with your buddies or mentors to ensure that to procure your self clarified.

Strengths and Weakness

Focus to your strengths and keep away from specializing in weaknesses within the final lap close to D-day education.

Try to maximize your rankings via your strengths in the very last instruction lap.

Learn to keep away from hard questions. Fixate your strategies for distinctive scenarios and conditions. This may be achieved by using handiest trying mocks and making knowledgeable selections.

 D-Day Strategies

The exam length is for 2 hours. The exam might be held in 3 slots—one inside the morning, one within the afternoon and one in the evening.

Don’t panic. Even if a section seems harsh, recall there will constantly be smooth ones. Stay calm and attempt to pick out easy ones. This is mainly authentic for DILR, as some units may end up hard, but moving on and attempting others will will let you solve 1 set, at least one set. Also, 1 set may want to fetch an amazing percentile, considering ultimate 12 months’s state of affairs.

Fix your strategies, and don’t experiment on days close to D-day.

Take a go away from paintings earlier than the CAT examination within the ultimate 1-2 days before the CAT exam, specially for running professionals.

Don’t maintain on taking mocks on the previous three days. Taking mock once two days in the last month is good, but abstain from taking mocks on the previous three days earlier than CAT 2023.

Also Read :

CAT Quantitative Aptitude: Preparation Tips, Practice, Strategy!

[migleefulmoments]

Love how they prove they stalk this blog by adopting the terminology you use to try to insult us. Is anything this posse of morons do or say their own independent thinking? What isn’t parroted verbatim repeats of what ajw says are usually hilarious vapid attempts at insults.

I have noticed a few of my words tossed into their rotation, LOL. 

I don’t see a lot of independent thinking. In the fandom itself, I see a lot of parroted phrasing using the talking points created by the Board of Directors and specifically ajw. They like to get stuck on a pointless trope and they just can’t let it go. Right now they won’t stop talking about Darren’s mom going to an awards show. We will hear about that until the wedding throws them into a tizzy and changes the talking points. 

As for the insults....oh lord. They are something else. This new thing where they all gang up to viscously attack anons is interesting. I find it so 4th-grade clique-or like bees protecting their hive-they all run over and attack the person who is making their friend SAD. They can’t make a valid argument, so they just viciously attack without any actual critical evaluation or intelligent comeback-just like those 4th graders. They resort to calling anons homophobes, criticize reading skills or typos -which is literally the most disingenuous attack ever as their leader is the queen of the typo. They rant and rave about how blind we are to the PR narrative and claim they themselves are so clever they see right through it. They belittle us for “wasting our time” posting comments when they themselves spend all day doing the same thing. It’s a distraction technique. Calling anons “Mia Stans” seems to be their idea of a “fuck you”. The thing is, nobody is trying to be a Mia Stan. I know there are a few, I see their comments on Twitter and Instagram, but I have yet to see an ask on a CC blog from someone who is blindly obsessed over MIa’s greatness. People are supporting Darren and his chosen love.

Mostly, the CCers’ insults serve to distract from reality but more and more they  dole out silly insults which project their own fears and failings. This gem from yesterday is a perfect specimen to examine: 

“M looked absolutely stunning last night. Just like she did for the Emmys and Golden Globes!! Hate her for no reason but you can’t deny the truth.”

Here we have an anon who is engaging them. in a tiny bit of trolling. Anon isn’t  rude, isn’t aggressive, and isn’t lying- Mia always looks amazing. 

cassie1022 answered:

Nonnie, you’re entitled to your opinion. I’m entitled to mine. She was an absolute train wreck last night. If my opinion offends you, STAY THE FUCK OFF MY BLOG.

So we start off with an insult to Mia and a rude AGGRESSIVE response 

chrisdarebashfulsmiles”Check your sight anon. She looked better in some occasions in the past. And I can agree about the gg, the dress was OK but she seemed high. And believe me we have plenty of reasons to despise her and in them there’s no jealousy. 

Do you wanna Stan her? Do whatever you want but don’t come here reading if you don’t wanna see something that upset you.

Here we have several of their favorite comebacks; insult anon; denigrate Mia by calling her high. Then we come to our projection: we have plenty of reasons to despise her and in them there’s no jealousy. Nope, no jealousy here, nope, never. Next the “Stan” accusation and she ends by claiming the anon is upset when in fact it is Cassie and herself who are very clearly upset. 

ajw720

Oh Nonnie, I have tried to be good and not comment too much on her style, and I agree, she was fine at the Emmy’s and GG.  But she managed to top her previous worst RC look (ACS premiere) with that $15,000 mess on the CCs.  It looked like cheap lingerie with a skirt attached.

ajw always has to join in the fun-i’ve joked in the past that she is contractually obligated to comment on every anon/ask response in the CC fandom. She starts out with “nonnie” which is just a passive aggressive “sweetie”. She then goes right in- after “trying to be good”- and lets loose with the insults about Mia’s style, the dress, and the expense. Nobody is jealous here.  

And while I don’t love the original dress, it is far superior to that thing she wore.

You can continue to love her, keep deluding yourself that what they have is healthy and she is a good person, the truth, someday, will be revealed and you will feel foolish. I just hope that day is sooner because D deserves his freedom.  

She continues by calling her a Stan without using the word. Then we come to the second projection:  the truth, someday, will be revealed and you will feel foolish.  

flowersintheattic254

Interesting that the shirt under it makes it classier and no surprise she removed. Although if I’m honest to me it looks like corset with some bedsheets and pillow cases attached.

She stuck with pure misogynistic attacks on Mia’s style and dress. She insinuated she is classless, maybe even slutty with her word choice. 

stillgoingstrongforeternity

@flowersintheattic254 to be completely honest, the shirt under was added for the picture (not sure if it’s a promotional one for the designer or if it’s an editorial one, maybe @ajw720 can tell us where she found that), she didn’t remove it. Tbh I like this editorial better than the original. But the original dress is exactly how she wore it at the event :)

Stillgoingstrong kept it to mostly to facts.  

ajw720

Well if it was just added for the picture they should have kept it. Either way it’s pretty hideous. Mommy beard should have done better to represent her label.

@souly did send me the link to the dress for sale without the top part.

Truly you’d think if you had TWO purposes, enable your lazy princess in her drive to be famous and promote the brand for which you are president, you’d do much better than this.

And to think they posted m’s latest fashion train wreck the VW website.

Imagine spending that much money for this absolute mess.

ajw comes back and attacks Mia, Mia’s mom and the price of the dress again. Nope no jealousy here. It seems obvious but I need to say it: Clearly someone who designed the dress liked it and the person who approves the designs liked it and the person who published it in the magazine (with the shirt underneath) liked it and Mia liked it. Everyone is entitled to like or not like fashion but going on an outright rant about the failings of Mia, her mom and Vera Wang as well as the price is uncalled for and says way more about author of the comment than the designer of the dress. Also, because I’m being petty, I need to remind ajw that she momsplained that Darren’s parents participated in a “stunt” after the Emmy’s because a parent’s love for their child is endless. Same would be true of MIa’s mom, no?  

Anonymous asked:Knowing what M posts on her SM I don’t know how mama Criss puts up with her. If she’s anything like my mother.

Mama C/riss deals with her because D is one of the most important people in the world to her and she will do anything for her son, just like most moms.  And that sadly involved M.  

Anonymous asked:

If Darren’s parents know mia is fake gf they wouldn’t want to be near her. They have no reason to. There’s no way that contract includes them. Then why are they hanging out with her?

ajw720 answered:

Really anon?  Really?  These are his PARENTS, the two people who support him more than anyone aside from C.  Of course they are going to do ANYTHING to protect him. and right now apparently she needs to be integrated into every aspect of his life.  One (of many) things that has lacked is a close bond with his parents, so they are trying to rehabilitate this just like with so many other things.

Never underestimate the love a parent has for a child.  

cassie1022

Oh, please, keep these ridiculous messages coming. They are honestly giving me life right now. Anon, did you SEE the expression on his mother’s face in those pap pics? That’s not the look of someone happy with the situation. Love that M had to play nice and act the part of a somewhat decent human being since his parents were there. No kicks of love with steel toed combat boots that day.

chrisdarebashfulsmiles

I’m starting to make popcorn anon: your s*** is entertaining. What I find amazing is that maybe you also waste time in thinking all of this

As an actual parent, I can promise you that making nice with my son’s abuser would not be ONE of the things I did out of love. That is an asinine statement. 

[usafphantom2]

Top Aces certified for military flights with its F-16 Advanced Aggressor fighters

Certification is an essential prerequisite for flight training with the United States Air Force.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 08/16/2022 - 4:00 PM in Military

Top Aces receives military flight release from the USAF for its F-16 Advanced Aggressor fighters. (Photo: James DeBoer)

Top Aces Corp., a leading provider of advanced adversary training and the only company in the world to own and commercially operate the F-16, today announced the receipt of the Military Flight Release (MFR) from the United States Air Force (USAF) for its F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighter (AAF) aircraft.

The MFR allows the F-16 AAFs of Top Aces, the most sophisticated opposing air platform on the market today, to immediately start supporting USAF flight training programs.

Equipped with the Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS) owned by Top Aces, the F-16 AAF replicates almost even opposing fighter planes. Since AAMS is based on open system architecture, it facilitates the rapid integration of sensors and functions to respond to evolving opposing threats.

Today, the F-16 AAF is in the field with active electronic scanning matrix (AESA) air-to-air radar, Scorpion helmet-mounted signaling system (HMCS), tactical communications datalink, infrared search and tracking (IRST) systems, advanced electronic attack pod, passive radio frequency (RF) detection capabilities and can also simulate high-fidelity weapons, accurately replicating opposing weapons and tactics.

"To provide effective training to pilots who fly fifth-generation fighters - such as the F-22 or F-35 - we must match the capabilities of nearby opposing fighters," says Russ Quinn, president of Top Aces Corp., a 26-year veteran of the USAF and former Aggressor pilot. "By combining the power and avionics of the F-16 with the AAMS, we can replicate contemporary opposing threats accurately and economically. And now with MFR, Top Aces is free to offer the most advanced training solution available for the USAF."

With more than 100,000 hours of accident-free flight, Top Aces Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Blue Air Training, provide advanced adversarial air control (ADAIR) technology and joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) and training for the world's leading air forces.

The company has the largest fleet of commercially operated fighters in active service and is the only owner/commercial operator of the F-16 in the world. Top Aces mission-critical training improves the operational readiness of combat forces, providing real-world experience, while creating significant cost efficiencies and extending the life cycle of military aircraft fleets.

Tags: AggressorMilitary AviationF-16 Fighting FalconTop AcesUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

Previous news

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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