#the ideal is a person who can be both a thinker and a doer

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

imagine a world where designers and engineers worked in the same building?

that was the way of the world before free trade.

the golden age of industrial invention didn’t come from mbas or software bros. it came from machinists, tinkerers, and craftsmen. eli whitney, brunel, tesla, edison, even early ford—these were men of the shop floor, deeply embedded in the constraints of materials and machines. they could feel what worked and what didn’t. tolerances weren’t theoretical; they were felt in the fingertips. and design wasn't about corporate compliance or some shit, it was about function emerging from constraint. invention was iterative, experimental, physical.

now? "innovation" is a pitch deck written by someone who’s never stripped a thread. now? you’ve got a guy in cambridge designing a gearbox that gets fabbed in shenzhen and fails in indiana. and no one in that chain knows why, bc the guy with the answer got laid off in 1997 when the plant closed. nobody owns the whole loop. nobody feels the system. you can't debug what you don't touch.

the loss isn’t just economic. it’s cultural. tacit knowledge is culture. and we burned it for quarterly gains.

when engineers and designers are siloed away from the physical realities of manufacturing—material behaviors, machine limitations, assembly ergonomics—they lose access to tacit knowledge, the stuff that can’t be written down but lives in muscle memory, visual intuition, and workshop lore. you can’t learn “what makes a good joint” from a cad model. you learn it from a guy with 40 years on the lathe who winces when you show him your drawing.

knowledge doesn’t just live in documents; it lives in people and in practices too. when you offshore your factory, you're not just saving on labor -- you’re severing a multigenerational lineage of hands-on wisdom. and when the last guy who knows how to regrind a tool dies, that knowledge doesn’t "retire," it vanishes.

the economic dogma of "comparative advantage" ignores the cultural and epistemic costs of breaking production apart. when everything is globally distributed, nothing is locally known. you lose the tacit fluency that comes from proximity. a place that once knew how to make things becomes a place that only knows how to write emails. and once you lose that fluency, you can't even articulate what you lost.

if we want resilient, high-functioning systems—whether it's industrial, ecological, or political—we need to reforge the feedback loop between thinking and doing. that means engineers in the factory. designers on the floor. makers as leaders. it's not just nostalgia. it's survival. because a civilization that can't build what it dreams of is a civilization in decline.

[bouncykhotchillipeppers]

Welcome back to another special edition of my astrological chart readings… Today we have Seonghwa.

✦ Disclaimer I do not know him personally, no harm intended, others may interpret differently. I’ve been studying astrology for six years, and I take this seriously and try my best. Feel free to ask any questions you have! This is not a full chart reading, just a couple of interesting things for his birthday.

✦ Sun, Mercury Rx, Mars, Saturn conjunction, Sun conjunct Midheaven in Aries (Tenth House) Quick rundown, when I found out that if you swap the characters in his given name (성화 seong-hwa to become 화성 hwa-seong) and it means Mars, well… Aries is ruled by Mars. They’re inherently connected in astrology as they have the same energy. And he has four planets and his Midheaven all in Aries, which is crazy! Things that seem fated.

Back to the actual analysis. Stelliums, or three or more planets in one sign, are common occurrences. He has two stelliums, one in Aries (Sun, Mercury, Mars, Saturn) and one in Aquarius (Venus, Uranus, Neptune).

There is an overall need to be noticed—he wants to be recognized for whatever he achieves, and he will achieve things because he’s determined enough to and has the iron-clad will to get him through any trials he will come across. Despite this need to be noticed, the Aries Sun thriving in the spotlight, he has a penchant for being sensitive to how others perceive him, thanks to Saturn being here as well. What others say about him matters. He wants to conform, yet he wants to rebel. It will take a while for him to come out of his shell, but when he does, it’s wonderful.

That Mars-Saturn conjunction is the most interesting because it’s the most powerful, the domicile Mars overpowering the exiled Saturn. Someone who is simultaneously afraid of conflict yet constantly testing his will in extreme situations. Impulse vs steadfastness. There are many ways this can be interpreted, though for brevity I will say that part of him will always need to let his individuality out, his need for independence, and there’s a battle against authority going on inside of him at all times.

Mars-Saturn sesquiquadrate Pluto, the patience and depth is astounding… Endurance, survival, in it for the long run. When he devotes himself, he devotes everything he has. He’s all in. He doesn’t know how to do things halfway.

Mercury-Mars conjunction, a quick thinker, though with Mercury in retrograde, it may come out unplanned or not as it should be taken. A little witty, a little silly… Bored easily.

Sun sextile Uranus makes him open to being a little quirky and odd, more willing to associate himself with people who don’t fit in, and that Venus placement emphasizes this, too.

✦ Moon in Cancer (Twelfth House) This is his chart ruler, an overpowering presence in his chart. Moon rules over what is secure, emotions and the presence in the home. Whatever is in 12H bleeds into the collective consciousness—your feelings are his feelings, and he isn’t sure where yours end and his begin. Extremely sensitive to whatever and whoever is around him. There needs to be a…refined aspect to this though. He doesn’t like to deal with anything too unpleasant if he doesn’t have to. It’s good that he has the Aries and Aquarius to offset this, the doers of the zodiac, otherwise he could get too stuck in his own head and avoid confrontation altogether in order to keep the peace. I suppose one could also associate this placement with someone who lives in a chaotic home, many unplanned things happening all at once, though it could also mean someone who wants to maintain a perfect home, perhaps in spite of the chaos. Since Moon and Cancer both are associated with the mother, this could also mean an idealization (12H) of all motherly or homely things.

✦ Venus in Aquarius (Eighth House) I sort of covered this when I did Hongjoong’s chart reading a month ago, but it’s likely that Seonghwa runs very hot and cold with people, very either/or. Venus doesn’t naturally like to be here. He has a lot of walls… Once you’re in his circle, you’re in it permanently—unless you betray him somehow, which would be the ultimate offense. Very protective over others. Uranus in 7H emphasizes the hot-cold of his personality, though he has 7H of one-on-one relationships in Capricorn and 11H of friendships in Taurus, so whatever friendships and relationships he does have are long term. He probably likes to give gifts of some kind to others, an exchange of sorts. “I do this for you, you do this for me.”

✦ Final thoughts Seonghwa is a very passionate and devoted person. He simultaneously wears his heart on his sleeve but keeps his cards close to his chest… Everything must surface eventually though.

I don’t talk about parents because I do not wish to speculate, but I do feel like he’s very similar to his mother in a lot of ways due to all of the planets in tenth house and his Ascendant being in Cancer.

Thank you for reading! You can check out my other chart readings on my blog or on Twitter.

[blogbyrajesh]

Building Tomorrow, Today: The Power of Hackathons at Hack4Purpose

In a world filled with challenges—climate change, inequality, digital divides—how do we turn awareness into action? The answer is innovation. And innovation thrives at the intersection of passion, technology, and community. That’s exactly where Hack4Purpose lives.

This unique platform doesn't just host hackathons—it ignites purpose-driven revolutions. With its expanding community and focus on sustainable impact, Hack4Purpose is reshaping how we think about tech and problem-solving.

👉 Start your journey here: Hack4Purpose

The Vision Behind Hack4Purpose

Hack4Purpose isn’t your typical coding competition. It’s a mission-driven initiative where participants don't just build apps—they build legacies. Each hackathon challenges individuals and teams to find tech solutions for real-world problems, from reducing carbon footprints to improving education access in underserved regions.

Through these challenges, Hack4Purpose becomes a launchpad for scalable solutions that address global issues while fostering local innovation.

The Blog That Builds Bridges: Learn, Share, Grow

If Hack4Purpose is the engine, then the Hackathon Blog is its fuel. This well-curated resource serves three essential functions:

Learn: Beginners can find starter guides, coding tips, and advice on how to form effective hackathon teams.

Share: Community members contribute posts, share their hackathon journeys, and highlight behind-the-scenes stories from past events.

Grow: From interviews with mentors to coverage of finalist projects, the blog showcases how participants evolve into changemakers.

One standout article features a team of college students who developed an AI-powered chatbot for mental health awareness—born at Hack4Purpose and now piloted at universities across India.

Hackathon 2025: The Future Is Calling

All eyes are now on Hackathon 2025, the flagship event that promises to be a turning point in the innovation space.

Key features of this year’s hackathon:

Theme: “Innovation for Inclusion”—projects that ensure technology works for everyone.

Tracks: HealthTech, EduTech, GreenTech, and FinTech for Social Good.

Hybrid Format: Both online and physical hubs in partner universities.

Awards & Support: Winners get seed funding, startup mentorship, and potential incubation.

Whether you're a solo coder or a 5-person dream team, Hackathon 2025 welcomes you to join a movement that goes beyond the code.

Why You Should Link to Hack4Purpose

If you run a tech blog, educational site, nonprofit resource hub, or even a career platform, linking to Hack4Purpose can bring real value to your readers.

Here’s why:

Authority Content: Regularly updated with expert insights, tutorials, and research-backed innovation.

Diverse Appeal: Bridges the gap between coding, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

Engaging Events: Hackathons are newsworthy, interactive, and community-driven—ideal for sharing on social media or featuring in newsletters.

Want to inspire your readers and boost your domain's authority? Link to:

Hack4Purpose homepage

Hackathon Blog

Hackathon 2025 page

Conclusion: Join the Purpose-Driven Revolution

Hack4Purpose is where innovation meets intention. It’s a community for thinkers, builders, and doers who want to create solutions that truly matter. Through immersive hackathons, thought-provoking blogs, and life-changing opportunities, it invites you to be part of something bigger.

So whether you’re here to learn, build, or backlink—Hack4Purpose is your gateway to tech for good. Don't just write code. Write change.

[wishingon-astar]

Bronte’s introduction.

ORIGINS & FAMILY

Full Name: Bronte Elizabeth Logan

Reason for name: Her dad’s fave author

Nickname(s) and how they got them: Bron and because it’s her name shortened

Date of Birth: January 4th

Age: 37

Gender: Cis woman

Place of birth: San Antonio, TX

Places lived since: Only there but now lakeview

Social Class: Middle

Siblings: Unknown sister

Relationship with family (close? estranged?): Mostly close, they have their moments.

Children of his/her own?: A two year old called Trixie

If so, relationship with child's mother/father?: Father is out of the picture, one night stand.

Age he/she became a parent: 35

PHYSICAL

Height: 5′4

Race: White

Nationality: American

Face Shape: Heart

Distinguishing Facial Features: DIMPLES

Hair Color: Brown

Usual Hair Style: Straight and down or up in a ponytail

Eye Color: Green

Complexion: Perfection

Disabilities (physical or mental, including mental illnesses): None

Health (usually sick? or very resilient? allergies?): She is very resilient 

What do they consider their best feature?: Her smile

Worst they’ve ever been injured (what, how did it happen)?: Tore giving birth

Ticklish: Yes, but don’t tickle her she’ll flip her shit

APPEARANCE

Style of dress/typical outfit(s): Very smart most of the time

Typical style of shoes: Loves a heel

Glasses? Contacts?: Sometimes

Personal Hygiene: The very best

Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: Ears pierced but that is all

What does their voice sound like?: Raspy

Style of speech (loud, mumbler, articulate, etc.): She is incredibly articulate and well spoken

Accent?: A bit of a texas twang

Unique mannerisms/physical habits: She talks with her hands

Left handed or right?: Left

What does their writing look like?: Neat and concise 

Do they work out/exercise?: Yes, sometimes

BELIEFS & INTELLECT

Level of self esteem: Relatively high

Known Languages: English and french

Zodiac: Capricorn

Happiest memory: Hearing her daughter say mama for the first time

Life philosophy: Live like you’ll die tomorrow

Religious stance: Atheist

Political stance: Democrat

Pet peeves: So many, too many

Sense of humor: None, she has no sense of humour whatsoever

How do they deal with stress? She smokes

What do they do when upset? Smokes and cries with a good book

What about angry? Gets stompy and slams doors

Level of comfort with technology: So-so

Believe in the supernatural: Nope

Believe in an afterlife: No

Believe in happy endings: Maybe

How do they want to be remembered?: For being a good person

How do they feel about asking for help? She isn’t keen

Optimist or pessimist: Optimist

Extrovert or introvert: Extrovert

Leader or follower: Leader

Makes decisions based mostly on emotions, or on logic?: Logic

Cautious or daring: A bit of both

Spontaneous or planner: Planner

Thinker or doer? Doer

Organized or messy: Organised

Worrier or carefree: A bit in between

Artistic?: No

Mathematical?: Yes

SEX & INTIMACY

Current marital/relationship/sexual status: Single and divorced

Sexual orientation: Questioning

What is their “type” in regards to looks in a partner? Someone nice and someone who is a good role model for her daughter

Views on sex (one night stands, promiscuity, etc): She is all for it

Level of sexual experience: Not bad

Do they have any unfulfilled sexual fantasies?: Yes

Love or Lust: Love

Ever been in love?: Yes

Do they fall in love easily?: No

Do they take relationships seriously?: Yes

Believe in true love or soul mates? Not really

Thoughts on public displays of affection?: No thank you

How do they flirt: She doesn’t

VOCATION

Level of education: Higher

Profession: School pricipal

Describe their work space: Neat but chaotic

Past occupations: Math teacher

Passions: Teaching, maths

Attitude towards current job: Meh

Attitude towards current coworkers, bosses, employees: She hasn’t met them properly yet

Which is more important – money or doing something they love?: Doing something she loves

SECRETS

Phobias: Death, spiders, snakes, heights

Life goals: Have another kid or two

Biggest regret: Not finding out about her sister sooner

Police/Criminal/Legal record (Crimes committed? If so, were they caught? charged?): None

What he/she most wants to change about his/her current life?: She wishes she had a solid family unit for Trixie

What he/she most wants to change about his/her physical appearance?: Nothing

LIKES & DISLIKES

Favorite color: Yellow

Coffee or tea?: Coffee

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?: Smooth

Do they like music? What kind?: A bit of everything really

Favorite type of weather: She likes it when its a little overcast but still warm

Favorite form of entertainment: Reading

How do they feel about traveling?: She isn’t keen

What sort of gifts do they like? Books

DRUGS & ALCOHOL

Thoughts on drugs and alcohol: She is a strictly zero tolerance on drugs but alcohol is okay

Do they smoke? If so, do they want to quit?: She smokes when she is stressed, she would like to quit

Age of first cigarette: Sixteen

Age when they first got drunk: Twenty one

Do they drink on regular basis: None

What type of alcohol do they prefer: Wine or Gin

DETAILS

Most important/defining event in life to date: Having Trixie

Sleeping habits: She’s a very light sleeper and doesn’t get a lot of it

Typical Saturday night: Movies with Trixie

Most used word or phrase?: Damn

What is home like (messy, neat, sparse): Very neat if you ignore all the moving boxes

Pets?: If not, do they want any?: No thank you

One word to best describe them: Strict

What makes them laugh?: Not a lot

Any special holiday traditions?: Her and Trixie always have matching jammies

Can they hold their breath for a long time?: Nope

Do they know how to swim? Yes

Can they cook (if so, how well and do they enjoy it)?: She cooks all of her meals from scratch and she enjoys it

Ideal vacation: Paris or somewhere in Italy

[burnhamsavage5-blog]

Begin Your Own Business

There are many reasons for wishing to begin your personal organisation, and a lot of us reach this factor. Which one of the adhering to puts on you? Liberty from daily regimen. Doing just what I desire when I want. Enhance my living requirement. I desire innovative freedom. I want to totally use my abilities, expertise and education and learning. I have a product/idea/service that people need. I'll have more time with the household. I won't have a gown code. There ready tax breaks for entrepreneur. I'm a Kind B individual and job best alone. I want to be my own employer. I wish to decide. Now provided, each of the above is an excellent factor for desiring your personal organisation. The rub is, that not many individuals believe the process via-- step by step. There are 7 phases to service planning. They are: 1. Investigation Stage 2. Preparation Stage 3.Start-up Phase 4. Operating/Monitoring Stage 5. Problem/Challenge resolution Phases 6. Renewal/Expansion Stage 7. Selling, Moving, Retirement Phase We'll cover every one of the above in my following couple of columns as a "Organisation Essentials" refresher course, however, for today let's take number one. In the Examination Stage you take a look at yourself and also your service alternatives. There are occupations that are fit to personality types, so the first point you must recognize is "Which character kind am I?" Task Fulfillers This is an introverted character that is severe, peaceful, thorough, orderly, practical, logical, practical, and also dependable. They take duty, are well organized, understand what must be accomplished and also function gradually toward it overlooking interruptions. They take care calculators, as well as 20% of this team become accountants. The Mechanics These are additionally autists and are cool sightseers. They are quiet, scheduled, observing, as well as analyzing life with a detached inquisitiveness as well as have unforeseen flashes of original humor. They're normally curious about domino effect, how and also why mechanical points function, and in organizing truths using rational principles. They usually are craftsmen, mechanics, or handymen with around 10% ending up being farmers. The Doers These individuals are extraverts who excel at on-the-spot problem addressing, don't stress, take pleasure in whatever comes along, are adaptable, forgiving, and normally traditional in worths. They have the tendency to such as mechanical things as well as sports, and also disapproval lengthy descriptions. They are best with "real" things that can be worked, handled, uncoupled, or put together. About 10% of this type enter into marketing or come to be Impresarios. The Execs These are an additional extravert group and also are hearty, frank, decisive, leaders in tasks as well as normally excellent in anything that needs thinking as well as smart talk, such as public speaking. They're usually well notified as well as take pleasure in contributing to their fund of understanding. They might sometimes appear even more favorable and also positive than their experience in an area warrants. They're in some cases called "judgers" and also "thinkers" and 21% of this team ended up being legal managers. To enter into each personality kind would be far as well complicated, but to offer you a concept of the functions that individuality types can fall into take a look at the complying with listing. Close to see more covered in depth below are some simply damaged down into Autist or Extravert Character. Autists choose occupations that please being: Nurturers Guardians Artists Scientists Protectors Optimists Extraverts are normally: Entertainers Dreamers The Inspirers Givers Caretakers The 2nd component of the Examining Stage is taking a look at your organisation options. When picking business you wish to start take into consideration the following: Do you like to deal with your hands or brain, or both? Does functioning inside or outdoors matter? Are you good at math, composing, puzzles, blueprints, setting up things or fixing points? What rate of interests you? What are your pastimes? Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a group? Do you prefer to intend things, or go to occasions? Do you like equipments, computers? Do you prefer to drive or operate tools? Do you prefer to travel, collect/display points, give/attend shows, or take pictures? Are you tiny, huge, strong? Make a checklist of your likes and dislikes. Keep a journal of points you do that relate to business as well as price each entrance from 1 to 5 based on your rate of interest. Then prepare a checklist of your strengths, weak points, chances and also problems. After doing all that, you need to have a checklist of candidate businesses that are ideal for you. After that you can make a list of the "candidate companies" and price them from 1 to 5 based on your very own chosen standards. Some standards could be is it practical, reduced in expense to develop, meets my objectives, will certainly earn money, there is a "specific niche" market of existing consumers, or it will generate recurring revenue to call simply a few. By the time you've completed all that, you need to seriously think about seeing the regional chapter of S.C.O.R.E. or your own coach to use as a seeming board for your plan. Next week, if I have not discouraged you thus far, we'll cover the Preparation Stage.

[verityharper-blog1]

❣ VERITY GWYNETH HARPER❣

Bio | Pinterest | Muse Tag

“First things first, I’ma say all the words inside my head. I’m fired up and tired of the way that things have been. The way that things have been. Second things second, don’t you tell me what you think that I can be. I’m the one at the sail, I’m the master of me sea. The master of my sea. || My life, my love, my drive, it came from PAIN.” 

Verity was born on the 13th of June. Her mother was Julianna Harper, a Muggleborn Hufflepuff, and her father ... well, she’s never known his name. Her mother only ever spoke of him to curse him, but Verity knows that he was a Pureblood and a Slytherin, and that he left her mother to marry another woman before she was born. 

Julianna was a bitter and broken woman, full of rage and a sense of betrayal and abandonment from the world at large. She was not a good mother. She was impatient and sharp and demanding. She enjoyed motherhood only when she was in control, only when Verity was young enough to blindly love and trust and obey her mother no matter what she did. She took her anger out on her child, with words, and then with violence. Every similarity Verity shared with her father only made Julianna more angry and disappointed with her, and there was never anything Verity could do to please her mother. 

Verity was a frightened and miserable child. She stumbled quietly over her words, muttered constant apologies, terrified of angering anyone. She flinched at sudden movements, and raised voices brought tears to her eyes. Few children wanted to play with her, finding her odd and quiet, and her mother terrifying. She spent much of her time reading, or entertaining herself.

Hogwarts was a huge turning point for Verity. Away from her mother, and everyone who knew them, Verity realized she had a second chance. She could make a new image for herself - be a new her. Make friends, have fun, be happy. And so thought, “Fake it til you make it!” And that’s essentially what she did. She buried her insecurities and fears and she aggressively pretended to be confident and cheerful and bold and everything she wanted to be. It was a struggle, for awhile, but as time passed, it got easier. She made friends, and she had fun, and eventually she wasn’t faking being happy anymore. She really was. 

“You’ve got it all, you lost your mind in the sound. There’s so much more, you can reclaim your crown. You’re in control, rid of the monsters inside your head. Put all your faults to bed. You can be King again. There’s method in my madness, there’s no logic in your sadness. You don’t gain a single thing from misery - take it from me. || You’ve got that youngblood, set it FREE.” 

Verity is determined, ambitious, stubborn, dedicated - she just doesn’t give up on anything once she sets her mind on it. It doesn’t matter if it’s impossible, she’s still going to keep trying. She believes you can do anything you set your mind too, if you’re determined enough. She also gets a power boost from spite so like don’t ever tell her she’s not capable of doing something because she’ll prove you wrong even if it takes her like fifty years to do it. 

Verity’s a mix of spontaneous and cautious - both a thinker and a doer. She’s impulsive on a day to day basis, making reckless decisions and having fun. But she’s a big picture person, too. Her future is important to her, and she has plans. She puts genuine effort into her school work and her internship and she doesn’t slack off when given a job or task. She plans out the important stuff, and leaves the rest to fate. 

Verity doesn’t genuinely open up and share her real fears and securities with many people. She doesn’t want to be hurt, and she doesn’t want to be looked down on, and she doesn’t want to think about negative things. She needs to really trust you (or perhaps be really drunk) before she’d ever consider crying in front of you. 

“Get ready, here I come. Until the job is done, no time to rest, there’s nothing stopping me. Oh, but you don’t hear me, though. So now it’s time to show, and prove I’m gonna be the best I can be. So from my head to toe, my mind, body, and soul, I’m taking full control this time. So watch me shine. || Better watch out, goin for the knockout, and I won’t stop until I’m on TOP.” 

Verity absolutely adores creatures, whether magical or mundane. Her cat is a black Peterbald with huge ears named Batsy, and she’s always befriending the other animals around the castle. She likes to go on little expeditions and jot down notes on different creatures she meets in a journal.

Verity is afraid of having her heart broken and becoming her mother ... and also, elevators. They’re scary, okay? She’s also a little wigged out by the moving staircases. 

Verity’s best class is Care Of Magical Creatures, obviously. Her best Core class would probably be either Herbology or Muggle Studies. Her worst is easily Potions, which she just does not have the knack for. At all. Astronomy is also definitely not one of her top classes. 

Her wand is made of apple wood - a wand best suited to an owner of high aims and ideals. It mixes poorly with Dark Magic, and several apple wood wand owners have been known to have a talent for communicating with magical creatures in their native tongues. Dylan Marwood, author of Merpeople: A Comprehensive Guide To Their Language and Customs, was an apple wood wand owner. 

Her patronus is a black bear. Bears are stable people with grounded personalities and an impressive reserve of inner strength. It’s not unusual for a bear to share this trait to help others grow and heal in difficult times. Though balanced, bears also have a tinge of the spontaneous about them, and they frequently surprise people with things that may be difficult to predict. Black bears in particular tend to be quite clever and resourceful, and often enjoy a healthy challenge getting what they’re after.

“My mind blinks, like a traffic light. It’s green and red and stop and go, changing all the time. And it makes me scared, that I haven’t left - that I’m still right here, more or less. Jump out in traffic, yeah, I gotta go my own way. My heart is slipping, too intense, I need an escape. I’m seeing stars and there is nothing more that I hate. || Becoming manic, the magic, it’s so romantic, I PANIC.”

[gravitascivics]

AN OVERALL AMERICAN CONSTRUCT, PART III

The last posting gives the reader a ranging view of how Americans have developed in terms of their philosophical ideas.  Just stating that, it sounds pompous to American ears.  And the fact that it does brings one back to Allen C. Guelzo’s[1] claim as to the pragmatic bias this nation has exhibited for being doers not thinkers.  And yet the academic history of the nation stretches back almost to its very beginning.

         And for this, one can cite the founding of Harvard just six years after the settlement of Boston in 1630.  One can further credit the religious enterprise, in this case that of the Puritans, to seek answers to the more metaphysical questions of life.  While this tradition is noted today for its very strict, moralistic theology, it attempted to discover reality that is not readily observable in the material world.

Now all of this development was a complex mix of views and biases; for example, thrown into this was the common-sense philosophy of Scottish thought in the eighteenth century (more on this below).  But central in the beginning there was Puritanism that along with its fire-and-brimstone sermons was a strong commitment to congregational arrangements and their covenantal origins.

         Puritanism represents the stoic side of American thinking and one name that emerges as one studies these various influences is that of Jonathan Edwards who was a leader of the Great Awakening, a reemergence of Puritanical allegiance that was reestablished in the mid to late 1700s.  That movement was a sincere effort to bolster Puritanical morals after some slippage due to initial successes in the colonial settlements.

This is not to claim this historical figure was some great thinker, but a thinker he was and was later designated as president of Princeton (he died as he was about to assume that office in 1758).  But even in the midst of the Great Awakening, the practical side of American thought did not go away.

         On the other side of this dual personality, the next contributor, one that overlaps in time with Edwards and his ilk, is Benjamin Franklin who published his Poor Richards Almanac in 1732 and his Autobiography in 1791 (he died in 1790).  Here one finds the practical tradition of Americans being extolled.  Uplifted were qualities of business acumen and common sense.  And in addition, as alluded to above, was the Scottish philosophic bent of Thomas Reid (1710-1796) and others who if not affecting Franklin, did have an effect on Thomas Jefferson.

Reid wrote the following:

Man was destined for society.  His morality, therefore, was to be formed to this object.  He was endowed with a sense of right and wrong, merely relative to this. This sense is as much a part of his nature as the sense of hearing, seeing, feeling; it is the true foundation of morality, and not the kalon, truth, etc., as fanciful writers have imagined. The moral sense, or conscience, is as much a part of man as his leg or arm.  It is given to all human beings in a stronger or weaker degree, as force of members is given them in a greater or less degree.  It may be strengthened by exercise, as may any particular limb of the body.  This sense is submitted, indeed, in some degree, to the guidance of reason; but it is a small stock which is required for this; even a less one than what we call common sense.  State a moral case to a ploughman and a professor.  The former will decide it as well and often better than the latter because he has not been led astray by artificial rules.[2]

This statement gives more philosophical language to the very down-to-earth perspective that was common among Americans not only of those days but throughout the nation’s history.  

And this sort of leaning can readily be seen as feeding another movement that would turn out to have a profound influence that this blog highlighted in its last posting.  That is the movement known as Transcendentalism.  And these lesser religious notions or themes are picked up through the 1800s and one can cite the fictional works of Herman Melville (Moby Dick) and Nathanial Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter).  Their novels directly attack the Puritanical thinking that was judged in these works to be too inhuman in its expectations.

         One can than trace this other tradition to the development, years later, of Pragmaticism and the works of William James and John Dewey.  And that brings a student of this tradition into the twentieth century – Dewey died in 1952.  But how philosophical was this tradition and, for that matter, the Puritanical tradition? Admittedly, not very.  Even the more well thought out tradition of Pragmaticism could boast of only a relatively few top-notch thinkers such as Dewey and James.[3]  But then again, its emphasis, even as a philosophy, was on doing, not thinking.

         And perhaps this lack of theorizing helped those who opposed these voices influenced by the Enlightenment.  Inspired by the Great Awakening in an around about way, and the work of Edwards, was the influence exerted by the Romantics.  While this Romanticism, as expressed in Transcendentalism, was mostly anti-religious, it was pro sentiment and emotion and reactive against pure reason and objectivism – and as such was a mixture of anti-religious dogma, but pro-religious fervor.

Antagonistic to the ideas emanating from science, from Descartes to Newton, these religiously inspired ideas and emotions became part of the American story.  In more current days, the remnants of the Romantics can be found in Born Again messaging that one can find among Evangelicals of today.  Heavily reliant on the Bible, its literal interpretation of that book provides much of what its adherents consider truthful accounts of the physical world.  

And why are these views taken as truth?  Because it feels true.  Passion, not reason, for Romantics is the essential guide.  And here, even Transcendentalism can be viewed not as a movement toward reason, but toward emotionalism, at least as it is represented by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  All this will be described and explained in later postings.  Links to such characters as John C. Calhoun and his representation of southern agrarianism will be pointed out.  Here, the aim is to give the reader the warning that all of this, while it can be analyzed and of which sense can be made, is not an account of a single-minded people.

One can detect the two traditions, Puritanism and the Enlightenment. How both affect Transcendentalism and its effects, given Santayana’s overview (see previous posting), all of these combined and co-existed under an organizational and political arrangement defined by federalist principles.  

Organizational principles are not handed down from above.  They instead have to stand free with enough supportive ideals and ideas which have to be thought of, implemented, and defended to survive various challenges such as those facing the Civil War generation, and many think, the present generation.

They are the product of the human mind and are implemented through complex mixtures as those found in this nation’s past.  More will be shared in upcoming postings including a more detailed accounts of what this and the last two postings introduce and describe to the reader.  

[1] Allen C. Guelzo, The American Mind, Part I – a transcript book – (Chantilly, VA:  The Teaching Company/The Great Courses, 2005). Unless otherwise indicated, factual information found in this posting is derived from this source.

[2] As quoted in Gary Wills, Inventing America:  Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence (New York, NY:  Vintage Books, 1978/2018), 202-203.  This quotation was utilized in a previous posting.

[3] This claim is belied by Louis Menand’s account of Pragmaticism.  See Louis Menand, The Metaphysical Club (New York, NY:  Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2001).

[rhodesasha]

L.A. TASK: Sasha’s character study. 📝

ORIGINS & FAMILY

Full Name: Sasha Maya Rhodes

Reason for name: Her grandmother gave her the middle Maya after her favorite writer Maya Angelou.

Nickname(s) and how they got them: Sash.

Date of Birth: 3/10/96

Age: 21

Gender: Female

Place of birth: Los Angeles, CA

Places lived since: She’s remained in LA her whole life.

Social Class: Middle.

Parents’ names, backgrounds, occupations: Mother: Louise Garcia - Dominican - occupation is unknown. Father: Dwight Rhodes - Black - Jamaican descent - occupation: business owner.

Siblings: A brother, Dinero Byrne (@durtydinero​).

Relationship with family (close? estranged?): She’s estranged from her mother and her side of the family and close with her father and his side of her family.

Children of his/her own?: No.

If so, relationship with child’s mother/father?: N/A.

Age he/she became a parent: N/A.

PHYSICAL

Height: 5′5.

Weight: 115lbs.

Build: Slim build.

Race: Dominican/Jamaican descent.

Nationality: American.

Face Shape: Round.

Distinguishing Facial Features: None in particular.

Hair Color: Black.

Usual Hair Style: Sasha usually leaves her hair out in it’s natural, curly state.

Eye Color: Brown.

Complexion (freckles, acne, skin tone, birth marks, scars): Pale, clear, lightskinned complexion.

Disabilities (physical or mental, including mental illnesses): N/A.

Health (usually sick? or very resilient? allergies?): Quite resilient.

What do they consider their best feature?: Her eyes.

Worst they’ve ever been injured (what, how did it happen)?: Cracked the back of her head open doing hyperactive shit as a kid.

Ticklish: Yes, lol.

APPEARANCE

Style of dress/typical outfit(s): Typically quite relaxed. T-shirt, jeans or leggings. Dresses (sometimes).

Typical style of shoes: Slides, sneakers, heels (if she wants to be fancy, lol).

How does he/she dress up?: Dress down?: She dresses up usually in a nice dress and heels. Dresses down in t-shirts, leggings, jeans or sweats.

Favorite outfit: She doesn’t have one in particular.

Glasses? Contacts?: Contacts, or glasses when her eyes are irritated from contacts.

Personal Hygiene: Sasha holds a high standard of personal hygiene, like most people (I’d like to think). She’s deep into self care, face masks, bubble baths. Allat. That’s what her and Marcel bond over lmao.

Grooming (makeup? shower daily? wear only clean clothes? pluck eyebrows?): She wears make-up everyday, showers everyday, twice. Who the hell wears dirty clothes? Lol, she gets her eyebrows waxed.

Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: She always wears her name chain necklace, a ring @moneymarce​ gave her as a birthday gift, her watch, earrings. No tattoos but she has her ears and belly button pierced.

What does their voice sound like?: Softly spoken.

Style of speech (loud, mumbler, articulate, etc.): Articulate.

Accent?: She has a classic LA/California accent, I guess?

Unique mannerisms/physical habits (bites nails, talks with hands, taps feet when restless): She taps her false nails against every hard surface when bored or out of habit. She literally can’t help it, lol.

Left handed or right?: Right handed.

What does their writing look like?: Neat, cursive.

Do they work out/exercise?: No, unless she’s waiting tables at work or.. asdghdkdg you know.

BELIEFS & INTELLECT

Level of self esteem: Not all the way high but definitely not low.

Known Languages: English.

Zodiac (sign and if they lend any credence to it): Libra + somewhat. She doesn’t think she has all the Libra traits.

Gifts/talents: N/A, lmao. She’s good at stuff but nothing she’d consider a talent per se.

Shortcomings: Sasha likes to act like she doesn’t care when she deep down she probably cares the most. Can’t ever swallow her pride.

Most sensitive about/vulnerable to: Her relationship with her mother.

Happiest memory: Spending summers with her dad when she was a kid.

Life philosophy: Just to never let anything hold her back, because shit happens for a reason and just let shit play out the way it’s supposed to.

Religious stance: She doesn’t really have a firm religious stance but she does believe/pray to God.

Political stance: Again, no firm political stance but the current president.. lol, trash smh.

Pet peeves: She hates when people butt in her conversations with other people, liars - especially people who lie about SMALL things.

Vices: None.

Bad habits: None that come to mind.

Neuroses: She’s suffer(s/ed) with anxiety previously. But as of lately she’s been good.

Disgusts: Rude people, liars, people with bad hygiene.

Superstitious: Yes.

Sense of humor: Yes? Lol.

How do they deal with stress?: She tends to deal with stress on her own or if necessary, she talks to her best friend (@ayorome​).

What do they do to get pumped up?: She needs a playlist on to do almost anything.

What do they do when upset?: She goes quiet and wants to be alone so she can go cry to herself, lol.

What about angry?: It’s hard for Sasha to get angry but when she is, depending on the situation she gets so mad that she cries or raises her voice. No in between lol.

How do they react to frustrations (get worked up, calm down and think through it logically, give up, etc)?: Vent all her frustrations to Roman more than likely.

How do they accept failure (both from themselves and others)?: Life goes on, she’ll leave it alone if it fails.

Level of comfort with technology: Eh, lol.

Believe in the supernatural: Yes.

Believe in an afterlife: Yes.

Believe in happy endings: Somewhat.

How do they want to be remembered?: Someone who’s loving, kind-hearted, thoughtful.

Good with their hands (if so, practical/crafting or fine arts)?: I guess so.

How fast do they learn new things? Better with book knowledge or hands on approach?: She’s a quick learner. It depends on what she’s learning so.. both.

How do they feel about asking for help?: Sasha HATES asking for help, even when she doesn’t know what she’s doing. Lol. Too much pride smh.

“Left brain” or “right brain” thinker?: Right brain.

Optimist or pessimist: A slight mixture of both, depending on the situation.

Extrovert or introvert: An introvert with extrovert tendencies, like it says in her bio lol.

Leader or follower: Follower.

Makes decisions based mostly on emotions, or on logic?: Emotions.

Cautious or daring: Cautious.

Spontaneous or planner: Planner.

Thinker or doer? Thinker.

Organized or messy: Organized.

Worrier or carefree: Worrier.

Artistic?: No.

Mathematical?: Yes.

SEX & INTIMACY

Current marital/relationship/sexual status: In a relationship with Marcel, (@moneymarce​).

Sexual orientation (is it something they question or a secret): Heterosexual.

Past relationships and sexual partners (if applicable): None that anyone would know of.

What is their “type” in regards to looks in a partner?: Doesn’t really matter as long as he’s clean cut.

Ideal mate/qualities they look for in mate: Patience, thoughtfulness, intelligence, someone who’s caring, loving.. you know the rest.

Primary reason for being broken up with: Her pride, and how nonchalant she can be pisses people off at times.

Primary reasons for breaking up with people: If the other person is overwhelming or does too much for her liking she can’t handle it.

Views on sex (one night stands, promiscuity, etc): Sex is considered to be something special/sacred to Sasha so she ain’t out here just throwing her pussy everywhere with just anyone, aghsghds.

Age and story of first kiss (if any—if not, how does he/she want it to happen?): 14, she kissed some lil boy she liked from school.

Age and story of loss of virginity (if any—if not, how does he/she want it to happen, if at all?): 17, had sex with her high school sweetheart.

Level of sexual experience: Idk how to answer this, um she’s had sex enough to know what to do??? Lmao.

Do they have any unfulfilled sexual fantasies?: No.

Wildest/strangest sexual experience? Would they do it again?: None that come to mind.

Do they have any fetishes or kinks?: No.

Have they lied about their previous sexual partners to current/potential partners?: Lmao, nah that’s wack.

Love or Lust: Love.

Ever been in love?: No.

Do they fall in love easily?: Not really.

Do they take relationships seriously?: Yes.

Worst thing they’ve done to someone they loved?: Nothing that comes to mind.

Do they desire marriage and/or children in their future?: Of course.

Believe in true love or soul mates?: Yes, especially soul mates.

Thoughts on public displays of affection?: Sasha is really weird with PDA lmao, especially if it’s around a lot of people. She’s shy smh.

How do they flirt?: She can’t really flirt unless the other person starts the flirting, or she really likes them.

How do they show affection/love to their partner?: Physical - kisses, hugs, cuddling. Loves to boost her partner's head UP lol, tells them how good they look or make her feel.

Thoughts on cheating/cheaters? Have they ever cheated?: You’re trash if you cheat. She’s never cheated.

Idea of perfect date: Anything that includes chilling and/or eating. She’s lazy she doesn’t like active shit.

RELATIONSHIPS

Social Habits (popular, loner, some close friends, makes friends and then quickly drops them): The only person she considers friends are her best friend Roman, her brother Dinero or her boyfriend Marcel. Just people she holds close to her heart, other than that everyone else she talks to are acquaintances.

How do they treat others (politely, rudely, keep at distance, etc)?: Polite but she can be a lil passive aggressive sometimes with certain people though lmao.

Do they trust people easily or tend to be wary?: Wary.

How often do they see friends and family?: Sasha and her brother live SO close together but they only see each other every so often smh. She tries to visit her dad every so often, otherwise they FaceTime each other.

Are they good at keeping in touch? If not, does this bother loved ones?: Somewhat, it depends on how busy she is, but they understand.

What is relationship with parents/family?: Her relationship with her mother is next to non-existent. But very close to her dad.

Any roommates or close neighbors: She has roommates, but when she moves out she’s gonna be living with @ayorome.

Person most dependent on: Her dad.

Most comfortable around (person): @moneymarce​.

Oldest friend: N/A.

Closest friend: @ayorome​.

Worst enemy: N/A.

Rival (at what and why): N/A.

Most important person in their life?: Her dad.

Who do they most respect and why?: Her dad, again simply because when she left home (her mother’s) he took on the role of being both mom and dad to her.

Who would they turn to if they needed help and why?: Her dad or her brother.

How does he/she think others perceive him/her?: Idk? Lol.

How do others actually perceive him/her?: ..Idk.

Argue or avoid conflict?: Avoids conflict, but will argue if she’s real mad. Which is rare.

Thoughts on large groups of people?: She doesn’t mind if it’s just family and friends but it can get overwhelming for her.

Main quality they look for in people: Kind-heartedness.

Have they ever lost anyone close to them? How did they handle it?: Cry and attempt to handle it alone.

How do they show affection?: Answered.

Do they act differently around strangers than friends? If so, how differently?: She’s introverted around strangers, but she’s open around her friends.

Would they ever consider adopting a child? Why or why not?: Of course. Children should have a family or someone to feed, clothe and love them.

VOCATION

Level of education: Working towards finishing her college education.

Profession: Waitress/Server @ BOA Steakhouse

Describe their work space: A restaurant.

If no job, where do finances come from?: N/A

Past occupations: Other waiting jobs, retail.

Dream occupation: PR/Marketing Manager.

Passions: If she had to pick one, fashion. That’s the sector she wants to go in with her (future) job.

Attitude towards current job: Blah. It’s a job that pays.

Attitude towards current coworkers, bosses, employees: She gets along with most co-workers. Her manager doesn’t like her since she always asks for days off lol.

Salary: $21,900.

Spender or Saver? Why?: Saver, but she does like to spend sometimes.

Which is more important – money or doing something they love?: Money. She’ll work anywhere within reason if she has the skills and it pays well.

SECRETS

Phobias: Insects, snakes.. shit like that.

Life goals: Graduate and get her dream job, travel and see the world. Babies, marriage, the white picket fence. Lol.

Dreams: See above.

Greatest fears: Never re-building a relationship with her mother.

Most embarrassing thing ever to happen to him/her: Her dad catching her out past her curfew, he cussed her out and dragged her ass back to his car in front of all her high school friends and took her home. 😭

Something they’ve never told anyone: Lol, can’t think of none.

Biggest regret: *shows her “No Ragrets” chest tatt* Lmao, but nah. Everything happens for a reason so no regrets.

Compulsions: Hm, none.

Obsessions: Her man. 🌝

Secret hobbies: None.

Secret skills: None in particular.

Past sexual transgressions: No.

Police/Criminal/Legal record (Crimes committed? If so, were they caught? charged?): Never been arrested although she’s done some scammer shit over the internet in the past, never caught though.

What he/she most wants to change about his/her current life?: She wants to move out of her current apartment so bad.

What he/she most wants to change about his/her physical appearance?: None.

LIKES & DISLIKES

Hobbies: Reading, studying, anything surrounding self care (face masks, relaxing etc.) She’s really lazy as shit.

Indoors or Outdoors?: Indoors.

Favorite color: Baby pink.

Favorite smell: Rose water.

Favorite and least favorite food: Pizza is her fave, least fave is grits/porridge/anything with a weird texture.

Favorite and least favorite book: And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. Doesn’t really have a least fave.. she doesn’t like reading novels though?

Favorite and least favorite movie: Belly is her fave. Doesn’t have a least fave but hates horror movies.

Favorite and least favorite song: I Miss You - Aaliyah is everythinggg to her lol. She doesn’t have a least favorite song.

Favorite and least favorite holiday (and why): Favorite holiday is Christmas.

Coffee or tea?: (Iced) tea.

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?: Smooth. Only crackheads and serial murderers eat crunchy.

Do they watch TV? If so, what?: Insecure, Atlanta, LHH, Black Ink Crew + any black shows from 90′s/2000′s.

Favorite place to hang out: Her man’s house.

Do they like music? What kind?: RnB/Hip-hop. Throwback shit in particular, but she likes some new artists too.

Favorite type of weather: Summer weather.

Favorite form of entertainment: Listening to music.

How do they feel about traveling?: She hasn’t traveled a lot but she loves it and wants to do it more often.

What sort of gifts do they like?: Meaningful, heart-felt gifts.

MORALITY

Ever been in an argument (with who, about what, what happened): Who hasn’t been in an argument? But if she does argue it’s usually with her mom about their relationship or small triggers that come out in conversation. She argues with her dad sometimes, but nothing major.

Ever been in a physical altercation (with who, about what, what happened): Yes, in high school with another girl about petty high school shit, lol.

What trait do they find most admirable and why?: Intelligence, she likes when people can teach or put her on to other things/views etc.

Thoughts on violence: Doesn’t like it but if it’s necessary then.. yeah.

One act most ashamed of: She dissects her food before she eats it, asjdsj so damn weird.

Most proud of: Herself.

Evil – born or bred: Bred.

Is redemption possible (if so, are there limitations): Sure.

Does the end justify the means?: Hm, depends.

Good of the one or the many?: What. Lol.

Can they be manipulative?: Hm, sometimes. Mostly with her dad.

Do they think it’s okay to cry (if not, why)?: Of course. Sasha is a crier.

When did they last cry and why?: She last cried to Roman while venting.

Would they be able to kill (if so, under what circumstances)?: Not gon lie.. probably not lmao.

Who or what would they die for (or go to extremes for)?: Immediate family.

Anything they refuse to do under any circumstances (and why)?: Just generally doing people wrong. There’s no need.

Biases/prejudices?: None, she doesn’t discriminate.

What, if anything, shocks or offends them?: People who try and insult her intelligence.

What is their reputation?: ? Idk.

Cusser?: Yeah.

How do they react to unwanted sexual advances?: Never really experienced that so she wouldn’t know.

How would they react to stranger being bullied/abused?: What about an animal?: Stand up for them. She doesn’t like to witness shit like that. Not gon do shit for an animal tbh, unless it’s her pet.

How susceptible are they to peer pressure?: She can be easily encouraged by her friends. So.. yeah smh.

How do they react to conflict, both verbally and physically?: It depends on the person, sometimes she’ll raise her voice back, sometimes she shuts her ass up lol.

Easily forgive or hold grudges?: Hold grudges unless it’s someone she holds close.

Forgive self or live with regret/guilt?: Forgive herself.

Would they ever cheat someone? Under what circumstances?: Never gon cheat. EVER.

Have they ever been betrayed? By who? How did it affect them/their relationship?: Betrayed by her mom, her dad has done some shit to her too such as not telling her she had a brother for how many years. She forgave her dad, her mom.. eh lol.

Would they ever betray a friend/loved one? If so, under what circumstances? Never.

Do they respect the belief of others, even if it’s at odds with their own?: Yes.

Stand up for own beliefs or hide/avoid discussing them with people who have opposing views?: Stands up for her own beliefs.

DRUGS & ALCOHOL

Thoughts on drugs and alcohol: She smokes weed so. She wouldn’t do anything else. She doesn’t drink often.

Do they smoke? If so, do they want to quit?: She doesn’t wanna quit weed.

Age of first cigarette: Tried one at 16, and never again smh.

Age when they first got drunk (what happened, consequences): 19, she was peer pressured into drinking smh. She got in trouble with her dad and she was slumped over the toilet with a hangover.

Do they drink on regular basis: Nope.

What type of alcohol do they prefer: Cocktails. Drinks that taste good.

Have they ever tried other drugs (which, what happened, consequences): No.

Do they have any addictions?: No.

DETAILS

Most important/defining event in life to date: Meeting her brother for the first time.

Daily routine: Wake up, shower, get dressed, class, come home, go see Marcel, fall asleep (whatever comes first lmao) or if it’s a weekend she goes to work.

Sleeping habits (Night owl or early bird? Light or heavy sleeper? Fall asleep anywhere or need specific conditions?): Heavy sleeper, she can sleep anywhere lol.

Typical Saturday night: Chilling with Marcel.

Most used word or phrase?: Idk lol.

What is home like (messy, neat, sparse): Neat.

Type of car he/she drives (or wishes he/she drove): A white or black g-wagon is her dream car.

Pets?: If not, do they want any?: No, but she wants a puppy lol.

Most prized possession: The initial ring Marcel gave her for her birthday.

One word to best describe them: Um.. lazy lmao.

What are you likely to find in their pockets? Purse/bag/backpack/wallet?: Her phone, wallet, pencil case, laptop, notebook, a hair brush, lip gloss, blotting papers.

What about their fridge? Medicine cabinet? Glove compartment? Nightstand?: She shares her fridge and people be eating her shit smh so not much lmao. Left overs, hot sauce, orange juice, water. Medicine cabinet, she has anxiety medicine, cough syrup, heat strips, tylenol etc. As for the glove compartment, the shit that comes with the car, insurance papers and shit like that. Baby wipes, lotion and more lip gloss tbh lol. She keeps her bonnet and silk scarf in her nightstand, a little brush for her hair, other important letters and shit.

What makes them laugh?: Anything, she finds shit funny that’s not even funny.

Any special holiday traditions?: No.

Can they hold their breath for a long time?: Uh.. no.

Do they know how to swim? Yeah.

Can they cook (if so, how well and do they enjoy it)?: Yes, she enjoys it but.. she’s lazy so she doesn’t cook all the time.

Is there anything they always carry with them? If so, why?: Just the normal stuff. Phone, keys, wallet.

Ideal vacation: Hm. Bali, Indonesia with Marcel. Relaxing in a spa by the beach.

If they wanted to hide something, where would they hide it?: Her room, down the side of her bed more than likely.

Do they keep a journal?: No.

Are there any places that hold special meaning to them?: Her dads place.

SITUATIONAL

24 hours to live – name 3 things they would do: Spend time with her loved ones. Cry lmao. Try and do one thing she’s always wanted to do.

If they could choose, how would they want to die: In her sleep.

What would they do if they received large sum of money?: Not gon lie, she would splurge. She’d save some too.

What would they wish for if they found a genie?: More wishes lol.

If they could have one super power, what would it be and why?: Invisibility, it’d give her a chance to be nosey shjdjf.

How do they deal with insects?: Scream. Get someone to come and kill it.

How would they react to death of loved one?: Cry. Grieve, alone.

If they were outnumbered in a fight, would they stand ground or run away?: If it’s more than two people.. run for her life tbh. 😭

Granted opportunity to change one thing in their past – would they do it? If so what would they change?: Her relationship with her mom.

If they could rescue one thing from a burning building, what would it be?: Nothing that important to go rescue something inanimate.

Would they be comfortable sharing a bed with a person they didn’t know well?: No.

CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE

First memory: How her mom would act towards her as a kid.

Favorite toy (when did they stop playing with it, do they still have it currently): A Sasha Bratz doll, she stopped playing with it at 9. She doesn’t have it anymore.

Favorite game: Monopoly.

Best friend as child: A girl she knew in preschool, Miracle.

Fondest childhood memory: Summers with her dad.

Worst childhood memory: Verbal abuse from her mother.

Childhood trauma: Trauma? Nothing sticks out.

How were they disciplined? Did that change as they got older?: Yeah she used to get her ass beat but nah, not now.

What did they want to be when they grew up?: She wanted to be nurse until she realized she can’t stand the sight of blood.

Any non-family adults stick out in their mind? (Who were they, how did he/she know them? Why do they stick out)?: Nope.

Age of first date: 16

View of authority? What affected that view?: Not fond. Her parents, political views, the media etc.

What clique in high school were they associated with?: She wasn’t really associated any clique.

High school goals: She graduated.

Did they enjoy high school: Hm, yeah.

Any extracurricular activities: Sasha was a nerd lowkey, in the book club and on the debate team. Lmao bless.

How well did they do in school?: Very well. Got good grades.

[moneymarce]

||Bout this nigga named Marcel||

ORIGINS & FAMILY

Full Name: Marcel Alejandro Anderson

Reason for name: Marcel means little warrior. Alejandro means defender.

Nickname(s) and how they got them: Dro

Date of Birth: May 5, 1989

Age: 28

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Places lived since: Long Beach, CA

Social Class: Middle Class

Parents’ names, backgrounds, occupations: Tanya Anderson, Mexican and African-American, unemployed

Siblings: Marisol Anderson, 13

Relationship with family (close? estranged?): Close with majority of his family.

Children of his/her own?: Yes, Elijah.

If so, relationship with child’s mother/father?: Working on co-parenting.

Age he/she became a parent: 24

PHYSICAL

Height: 5′8

Weight: 150

Build: Plush lmao not chubby, but not muscular.

Race: Mexican & African-American

Nationality: Mexican-American

Face Shape: Oval

Distinguishing Facial Features: None

Hair Color: Black

Usual Hair Style: Either buzzed cut or curly

Eye Color: Dark brown

Complexion (freckles, acne, skin tone, birth marks, scars): Light bright with clear skin.

Disabilities (physical or mental, including mental illnesses): N/A

Health (usually sick? or very resilient? allergies?): Resilient, but is somewhat lactose intolerant.

What do they consider their best feature?: Lips or smile

Worst they’ve ever been injured (what, how did it happen)?: Broke a leg running the streets doing hoodrat stuff with his friends.

Ticklish: Nope

APPEARANCE

Style of dress/typical outfit(s): Laid-back Cali type of style. He’s either wearing his postal service uniform or a proclub tee and some khakis.

Typical style of shoes: Nike Cortez, loafers or Converses.

How does he/she dress up?: Dress down?: He’s always dressed down. He cleans up with a suit or blazer.

Favorite outfit: A proclub, khakis and Cortez’s. That simple.

Glasses? Contacts?: Glasses only when he drives at night.

Personal Hygiene: Is this a question? Lol he’s WAY into personal hygiene and self care. Probably the most cared for nigga around.

Grooming (makeup? shower daily? wear only clean clothes? pluck eyebrows?): Who doesn’t shower daily? Dirty asses lol. 

Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: He is always wearing at least one gold chain and bracelet. He has a few tattoos, but nothing major. His ears and tongue is pierced. 

What does their voice sound like?: Its deep, kind of raspy.

Style of speech (loud, mumbler, articulate, etc.): He’s very articulate and well spoken.

Accent?: He sounds like a Cali dude. That type of vernacular and slang.

Unique mannerisms/physical habits (bites nails, talks with hands, taps feet when restless): He bites the inside of his cheek out of habit. He runs his hand over his head or the back of his neck when hes nervous.

Left handed or right?: Right

What does their writing look like?: Pretty neat for a guy. He writes small.

Do they work out/exercise?: The only work out he gets is fucking @rhodesasha and at work lmaoooo.

BELIEFS & INTELLECT

Level of self esteem: He fakes the funk at times, but he tries to have the highest self esteem.

Known Languages: Gwuapanese. Lmao. Nah, English and Spanish

Zodiac (sign and if they lend any credence to it): Taurus, somewhat.

Gifts/talents: He’s a poet- a natural talker, thinker. He knows how to express his feelings and put them into words.

Shortcomings: He tends to try to help everyone. Somewhat of a Captain Save A Hoe.

Most sensitive about/vulnerable to: Hes sensitive about everything honestly lol

Happiest memory: Marisol’s 1st Christmas sticks out to him. A time when his family was altogether and there were no worries.

Life philosophy: To just live and take everything for what it is.

Religious stance: Not completely religious, but does believe in God.

Political stance: FDT! He’s very much into politics, but not so into the parties and having to stick and choose with one certain individual just because they’re a certain party.

Pet peeves: People that touch his things and doesn’t put them back in their place. People that say they’re going to do something and don’t do it. 

Vices: Nah.

Bad habits: Trusting and loving these hoes. Lmao.

Neuroses: Nope.

Disgusts: Women that don’t take care of themselves.

Superstitious: Somewhat.

Sense of humor: Whats the question here? Lol who doesn’t have a sense of humor?

How do they deal with stress? Smoke a blunt, light some candles, take a bubble bath, talk through it with his girl, a friend or his cousin.

What do they do to get pumped up? Listen to music.

What do they do when upset? The same things as when hes stressed.

What about angry? The same.

How do they react to frustrations (get worked up, calm down and think through it logically, give up, etc)?: Some of all of the above. It depends on the situation surrounding his frustration.

How do they accept failure (both from themselves and others)?: Depends on the situation, but he just deals with it.

Level of comfort with technology: He thinks its great for certain things like being able to have the knowledge of anything in the palm of your hands, but it also takes away from relationships, communication, etc.

Believe in the supernatural: Yes.

Believe in an afterlife: Yes.

Believe in happy endings: Yeah.

How do they want to be remembered?: As a kind individual that did his best to reach and help people.

Good with their hands (if so, practical/crafting or fine arts)?: Yes in more ways than one *wink wink* lmao. He can build and put things together well.

How fast do they learn new things? Better with book knowledge or hands on approach?: He’s a quick learner. Does best with watching first and then trying.

How do they feel about asking for help? Depends on what the situation is, but his pride isn’t that big that he won’t ask for help.

“Left brain” or “right brain” thinker?: Right for sure.

Optimist or pessimist: Optimist.

Extrovert or introvert: A mixture of both depending on who he is around.

Leader or follower: Leader.

Makes decisions based mostly on emotions, or on logic?: Emotions for sure. Logic kicks in after the fact.

Cautious or daring: Depends on what it is.

Spontaneous or planner: Planner.

Thinker or doer? Both.

Organized or messy: Depends.

Worrier or carefree: Worrier.

Artistic?: Yes.

Mathematical?: Not really.

SEX & INTIMACY

Current marital/relationship/sexual status: In a relationship with Sasha

Sexual orientation (is it something they question or a secret): Heterosexual

Past relationships and sexual partners (if applicable): Only known person here would be Imani.

What is their “type” in regards to looks in a partner? He doesn’t discriminate.

Ideal mate/qualities they look for in mate: Someone caring, that’ll listen to him when its time to listen and react when its time to. Someone loving that cares about their family and friends. Someone with goals and that is actively working towards those goals.

Primary reason for being broken up with: Wanting the other to open up when it wasn’t in their personality to. Personalities just not meshing well together.

Primary reasons for breaking up with people: Same as above.

Views on sex (one night stands, promiscuity, etc): Sex is a deeper connection with someone and theres a swapping of energy there. Can’t go swapping that energy with every and anyone.

Age and story of first kiss (if any—if not, how does he/she want it to happen?): 5, it just happened.

Age and story of loss of virginity (if any—if not, how does he/she want it to happen, if at all?): 13, fucked a shorty that lived down the street from him. No story to it he just wanted to see what it was about.

Level of sexual experience: Errrr. Lmao. I didn’t realize it was levels to this lmao.

Do they have any unfulfilled sexual fantasies?: Not really.

Wildest/strangest sexual experience? Would they do it again? The wildest would be fucking a milf he delivered mail to when he first started working for USPS. 

Do they have any fetishes or kinks? Nah.

Have they lied about their previous sexual partners to current/potential partners? Nope.

Love or Lust: Love.

Ever been in love?: Yes.

Do they fall in love easily?: Yeah lol

Do they take relationships seriously?: Very much so.

Worst thing they’ve done to someone they loved? N/A People always doing shit to him D: Lmao

Do they desire marriage and/or children in their future? Yes he does.

Believe in true love or soul mates? Yes. Soul mates for sure.

Thoughts on public displays of affection?: Depends. He can either be really shy about it or not care.

How do they flirt: He flirts without realizing he’s flirting. It happens casually through conversation.

How do they show affection/love to their partner?: Physically, through his words and through gifts.

Thoughts on cheating/cheaters? Have they ever cheated? Cheating is the worst thing someone could do in a relationship. They’ve never cheated, but they’ve been cheated on.

Idea of perfect date: Something simple. He’s all about the simple things in life. A picnic, a 90s movie night, face masks and chill.

RELATIONSHIPS

Social Habits (popular, loner, some close friends, makes friends and then quickly drops them): He has a couple close friends, but most of the time he makes friends with people and then they get into an argument and the other blocks him.

How do they treat others (politely, rudely, keep at distance, etc)?: He tries to be the kindest person, but if given a reason to he will keep people at a distance.

Do they trust people easily or tend to be wary?: Trusts easily.

How often do they see friends and family? Whenever time allows him to.

Are they good at keeping in touch? If not, does this bother loved ones?: He’s good at keeping in touch with people as long as they give the same effort.

What is relationship with parents/family?: He has a close relationship with the people in his family. He talks to them about any and everything.

Any roommates or close neighbors: @livinin-sin

Person most dependent on: Himself or his cousin.

Most comfortable around (person): @rhodesasha

Oldest friend: His cousin.

Closest friend: Liucena :( But since shes no longer around, Riley.

Worst enemy: Doesn’t have any.

Rival (at what and why): Doesn’t have any.

Most important person in their life?: His abuela.

Who do they most respect and why?: His mother. Through the life she lives she continues to keep her positive outlook.

Who would they turn to if they needed help and why?: Depends on what type of help, but Sincere first.

How does he/she think others perceive him/her?: Depends on the person and their relationship, but he thinks that people tend to like him.

How do others actually perceive him/her?: ??? Question for them lol.

Argue or avoid conflict?: Depends on the situation and his energy level.

Thoughts on large groups of people?: Depends if its random people or if its family. If its random people he is pretty introverted. Unless it has to do with poetry, then he is open.

Main quality they look for in people: A kind spirit.

Have they ever lost anyone close to them? How did they handle it? Liucena left him :( He misses her, but hes handling.

How do they show affection?: Didn’t y’all already ask this? Lol.

Do they act differently around strangers than friends? If so, how differently?: Yeah, he could be openly himself and goofy around friends. Around strangers he’s more reserved.

Would they ever consider adopting a child? Why or why not?: He would. Everyone deserves love and to have a family.

VOCATION

Level of education: High school diploma

Profession: USPS Mailman

Describe their work space: A mess of sorting mail or on the truck to deliver

If no job, where do finances come from? N/A

Past occupations: Pushing that weight when he was in high school.

Dream occupation: An author, poet.

Passions: Art, poetry, activism

Attitude towards current job: It’s cool, he likes it. It pays the bills.

Attitude towards current coworkers, bosses, employees: He’s cool with everyone that works there.

Salary: $51,390 a year

Spender or Saver? Why?: Both. He likes to spend money and splurge from time to time.

Which is more important – money or doing something they love?: Doing something they love.

SECRETS

Phobias: None.

Life goals: To get books published while still working for and retire with USPS. Get married, have kids and travel. In no particular order.

Dreams: His goals are his dreams.

Greatest fears: Death, but its inevitable so.

Most embarrassing thing ever to happen to him/her: A girl told him off in front of everyone in the lunchroom.

Something they’ve never told anyone: He secretly wants to suck Sasha’s toes. Lmaaaooo.

Biggest regret: He lives life with no regrets.

Compulsions: Besides buying things he doesn’t need? None.

Obsessions: None.

Secret hobbies: None.

Secret skills: None.

Past sexual transgressions: No.

Police/Criminal/Legal record (Crimes committed? If so, were they caught? charged?): Petty crimes that didn’t lead to any real jail time. Spent some time in juvie though.

What he/she most wants to change about his/her current life?: Nothing. He is content with life.

What he/she most wants to change about his/her physical appearance?: Nothing.

LIKES & DISLIKES

Hobbies: Writing, reading, smoking, spending time with his girl

Indoors or Outdoors?: Indoors, unless its the beach then outdoors

Favorite color: Red

Favorite smell: Egyptian Musk

Favorite and least favorite food: Steak and lobster ; pork anything.

Favorite and least favorite book: Ballad of a Ghetto poet. Doesn’t have a least favorite book.

Favorite and least favorite movie: Friday. If he doesn’t care for a movie he just doesn’t care for it.

Favorite and least favorite song: Tupac-Changes

Favorite and least favorite holiday (and why): Christmas ; Columbus Day because obvious reasons.

Coffee or tea?: Tea

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?: Smooth. Block him for me if you like crunchy peanut butter.

Do they watch TV? If so, what?: Yes, whatever is on.

Favorite place to hang out: His room

Do they like music? What kind?: Of course, old school and 90s hip-hop and r&b.

Favorite type of weather: Sunny, warm.

Favorite form of entertainment: Live entertainment. The strip club lmao

How do they feel about traveling?: He loves to travel.

What sort of gifts do they like? Whatever anyone puts thought into getting him.

MORALITY

Ever been in an argument (with who, about what, what happened): He argues with any and everyone about the smallest of things.

Ever been in a physical altercation (with who, about what, what happened): Of course with a lot of people growing up.

What trait do they find most admirable and why?: Honesty, lying is pointless.

Thoughts on violence: It is what it is, but senseless violence is ..senseless.

One act most ashamed of: I don’t know lol.

Most proud of: Himself, his career, his life.

Evil – born or bred: Bred.

Is redemption possible (if so, are there limitations): Yeah.

Does the end justify the means?: Depends on the situation.

Good of the one or the many?: What are these questions? Lmao

Can they be manipulative?: Yeah.

Do they think it’s okay to cry (if not, why)?: Yes.

When did they last cry and why?: When he found out the results of the paternity test.

Would they be able to kill (if so, under what circumstances)?: Yeah if someone is threatening his life.

Who or what would they die for (or go to extremes for)?: His family.

Anything they refuse to do under any circumstances (and why)?: Put his hands on a woman.

Biases/prejudices?: None.

What, if anything, shocks or offends them?: Nothing shocks him. He expects the unexpected these days.

What is their reputation? I don’t know.. thats what others think of him.

Cusser?: Yeah lol

How do they react to unwanted sexual advances?: This doesn’t happen to him.

How would they react to stranger being bullied/abused?: What about an animal?: Try to stick up for the person being bullied or abused. Not really going out of his way for an animal.

How susceptible are they to peer pressure?: Not at all.

How do they react to conflict, both verbally and physically?: His jaw will clench, his hands will probably ball into fists, but thats about it. His voice will rise too.

Easily forgive or hold grudges?: Easily forgives.

Forgive self or live with regret/guilt?: Forgive himself. Hes working on it.

Would they ever cheat someone? Under what circumstances? Nope.

Have they ever been betrayed? By who? How did it affect them/their relationship?: Yeah. Some of the homies betrayed him. He’s done with someone after they cross him.

Would they ever betray a friend/loved one? If so, under what circumstances? Nope.

Do they respect the belief of others, even if it’s at odds with their own?: Yeah.

Stand up for own beliefs or hide/avoid discussing them with people who have opposing views?: Stand up for his own beliefs.

DRUGS & ALCOHOL

Thoughts on drugs and alcohol: He’s cool with smoking weed and getting his drink on every so often or even a glass of wine to cool down with.

Do they smoke? If so, do they want to quit?: Yes weed and no he doesn’t care to quit.

Age of first cigarette: 13, but he only smokes one if he must.

Age when they first got drunk (what happened, consequences):

Do they drink on regular basis: Nope.

What type of alcohol do they prefer: That OE lol, but whatever he can get his hands on.

Have they ever tried other drugs (which, what happened, consequences): Nah.

Do they have any addictions?: Nope.

DETAILS

Most important/defining event in life to date: Finding out he has a son.

Daily routine: Wake up, get ready for work, go to work, come home, do some type of self care, go to sleep and do it all over again.

Sleeping habits (Night owl or early bird? Light or heavy sleeper? Fall asleep anywhere or need specific conditions?): Night owl. A heavy sleeper. Depends on the level of tired.

Typical Saturday night: Chilling at home with Sash, watching a movie or something.

Most used word or phrase?: I don’t know lol

What is home like (messy, neat, sparse): Depends, but most of the time its neat. Everything has its place.

Type of car he/she drives (or wishes he/she drove): Toyota Camry.

Pets?: If not, do they want any?: None, doesn’t want one.

Most prized possession: His journal.

One word to best describe them: Multifaceted.

What are you likely to find in their pockets? Purse/bag/backpack/wallet?: His wallet, keys and phone would be in his pocket. In his wallet is his ID, money, debit card, credit cards and pictures.

What about their fridge? Medicine cabinet? Glove compartment? Nightstand?: The fridge is likely to have water, juice, fruit and leftovers. The medicine cabinet has aspirins, Pepto Bismol, Benadryl and thats about it. Theres a gun in the glove compartment. Jk lmao. Some air freshener and the car manual is in the glove compartment. His nightstand has a bible, his journal and the Ninja Turtle tin lunchbox that contains his weed and accessories.

What makes them laugh?: A lot does lol.

Any special holiday traditions?: Nothing out of the ordinary.

Can they hold their breath for a long time?: Not really.

Do they know how to swim? Yes.

Can they cook (if so, how well and do they enjoy it)?: He can cook certain dishes, but he is too lazy and doesn’t enjoy to.

Is there anything they always carry with them? If so, why?: A switchblade..never know when you have to fuck someone up lmao. Sike. Besides his phone and wallet. No.

Ideal vacation: Somewhere on a remote island with his girl.

If they wanted to hide something, where would they hide it?: In his room or closet.

Do they keep a journal?: Yes, but no so much as a diary journal. More a poetry journal.

Are there any places that hold special meaning to them?: His aunt’s house.

SITUATIONAL

24 hours to live – name 3 things they would do: Smoke a fat blunt, spend time with his son and Sasha, and eat really well.

If they could choose, how would they want to die: Quick and painless.

What would they do if they received large sum of money?: Not tell a soul or change anything about his lifestyle. Just travel.

What would they wish for if they found a genie?: Unlimited wishes lol

If they could have one super power, what would it be and why?: To read people’s minds. To know what people think would be interesting enough.

How do they deal with insects?: Pick em up and bring them outside. Sike. He kills em. Lmao

How would they react to death of loved one? Like anyone else would. Be sad about it.

If they were outnumbered in a fight, would they stand ground or run away?: Stand his ground.

Granted opportunity to change one thing in their past – would they do it? If so what would they change?: Nope. Everything got him to where he is now for a reason.

If they could rescue one thing from a burning building, what would it be?: A person inside?

Would they be comfortable sharing a bed with a person they didn’t know well?: Yeah. Just might sleep with one eye open lol.

CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE

First memory: Him comforting his mom at 4 years old before she went and took him to the movies.

Favorite toy (when did they stop playing with it, do they still have it currently): A Buzz Lightyear action figure. He stopped playing with it at 8 years old. Its at his aunt’s house with the rest of his old things.

Favorite game: Operation.

Best friend as child: Sincere.

Fondest childhood memory: Marisol’s 1st Christmas

Worst childhood memory: Getting jumped into the set. 

Childhood trauma: None out of the ordinary for a black child.

How were they disciplined? Did that change as they got older?: Got his ass beat. Nope. He could still catch an ass whooping lol

What did they want to be when they grew up?: It always changed, but he stuck for the most part with veterinarian for a long time.

Any non-family adults stick out in their mind? (Who were they, how did he/she know them? Why do they stick out)?: His senior year English teacher. She made the class enjoyable, she believed in him and helped him out whenever she could in other subjects.

Age of first date: 16.

View of authority? What affected that view? Fuck the police. What wouldn’t affect that view? He’s had enough run ins with cops to know for himself that a lot of them aren’t for him.

What clique in high school were they associated with? He didn’t fit into any of the regular cliques. He hung with the homies from the set.

High school goals: To make it through, which he did.

Did they enjoy high school: He did.

Any extracurricular activities: Doing hoodrat shit with his friends.

How well did they do in school?: He did alright in school, outstanding in English classes.

[photowizard17]

I like when someone wants someone else to ask him/her so, would you like to answer these questions? I don't like the 'short answers' so you can say anything you want, the questions are: 2/4/9/13/16/21/22/24 especially( 27). :-)

HI! Ok so I knowthese asks were sent like a week ago and I apologies for the late response, butI wanted the answers to be accurate and in depth because you guys took the timeto ask! All of them are in the same post because a lot were duplicates.

So, thanks for asking... here we go!

Thank you again @lightning1999, @argentis and @glowing-coils-of-the-universe

1.    if someone wanted to reallyunderstand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to? So if someone really wanted to understandme and my strange little brain they should probably read my fanfiction. Myfanfics show them my writing style, parts of my personality and my interests.They would of course have to watch the Thunderbirds because I swear it is all Italk about, well that and funny animal videos! I got my dad watching them lol.As to that they would have to listen to… probably everything. Like peopletalking around them, the sounds of birds, cars, electronics. I am a veryobservant person so when I am out in public I pay attention to everything. Itend to notice things others don’t.

2.    have you ever found a writer whothinks just like you? if so, who? I did a while back, sadly I don’t remember theirhandle, the plot was well thought out and detailed, which I enjoy. And I havemet people who think like I do. They see things differently. It is veryinteresting.

3.     list your fandoms and one character from each that you identify with. Well fandoms, guess what’s first!Thunderbirds: Virgil. I feel like I identify with Virgil because he is verycaring and artistic. Which I would like to think I am. He would give anythingfor anyone, he is also very detailed oriented which I am as well. And I love him.

Anotherfandom would be The Flash, and I probably identify with Caitlyn most. She hastwo sides of herself, one side no one really knows, and the other dominant sidewhich everyone is familiar with.

A third fandom is Pacific Rim and I think Iidentify with Mako the most because she is underestimated and sets up tochallenges presented to her. She is very loyal and very a very independent thinker.

My fourth fandom would be MARVEL and I mean thereare so many characters how do I chose? Well if I had to I would choose either CaptainAmerica or Lady Sif. Both underestimated and want to do the right thing. Evenif they are not sure what the right thing is anymore.

4.    do you like your name?  isthere another name you think would fit you better? I do like my name. I find it veryfitting. Although I have always liked the name Mel, not Melody or Melony, justMel. She was a character in Digata Defenders and I loved her when I wasyounger.

5.    do you think of yourself as ahuman being or a human doing? do you identify yourself by the things you do? Kind of confusing but I will tryto answer… I believe for now I am a human being, just because I am young I havenot come to realize how I change and become a doer. I do stand by the things I do,if someone is being rude, I fight back, someone needs help, I help. I don’tbelieve in hiding who you are because you won’t have the full life experience youwant if you always have to hide a part of yourself.

7.    do you care about your ethnicity?I don’treally care, but I do care. I know what background I am, but I don’t know muchabout the history of my people (French and Scottish). I know more about my Scottishside because I Highland Dance, and I know a bit about my French side because I usedto live in Ontario, but to me it is not the ethnicity that makes my familyimportant, it is the people in the family. I actually rarely think about myhistorical background, and I only mention it when it is privy to aconversation.

9.    are you an artist? I would like to think so… Idabble in computer generated art and I try to draw, but mostly I do little claysculpture and tiny meticulous things like robotics. And if writing counts as anart than I am an avid writer and take great pride in my work!

11.  describe your ideal day. An ideal day to the lazy teenager inside me would beto get up and do nothing… but I guess I would wake up late morning, have a hotchocolate, scroll through my feed, email, messages, etc, then I would probably havesome lunch and spend the afternoon doing something with my family. In the eveningI would then do Sculpey (clay) or write or attempt to draw.

13.  inside or outdoors? I do enjoy both. I grew up where in the summer you would go swimming andhiking and in the winter you would ski and snowmobile and go snowshoeing. So Ido enjoy being outside doing things, doesn’t matter what. Although I do likethe idea of sitting inside wrapped in a blanket with a hot drink and a show orfanfic.

15.  five most influential books over your lifetime. Sadly I don’t read that much…but I would have to say Meg Cabot’s School for Teenage Spies series was veryinfluential. It taught me how a young woman could accomplish great things withthe proper training.

Other than that Goodnight Moon, the kids book,still influences me today. When I lived in Ontario my grandmother lived inAlberta, and every night she would phone me and read me this book. Then whenshe was in hospital I read it to her, and she read it to me when I was in thehospital. Even today, because my grandma grew up in a household that didn’treally say ‘I love you’, we say Goodnight Moon whenever we hang up or I leaveher place.

16.  if you’d grown up in a different environment, do you think you’d haveturned out the same? If thisquestion means like nature environment, I think personality wise I would be thesame, but I don’t know if I would enjoy the same things. Like the freshlyfallen snow in the morning or those cold frosted trees, or the heavy rain thatmade you realize how weird and wonderful the world is.

17.  would you say your tumblr is a fair representation of the “real you”? Yes, I can honestly say it doesbecause everyone knows that on Tumblr there are no boundaries. You get toexpress who you are with no shame. Although to be fair I don’t hide who I am onany of my social media sites. You can see by these answers :P

19.  which Harry Potter house would you be in? or are you a muggle? I don’t know Harry Potter but Ihave been called a Hufflepuff? And I just like that name.

21.  do you love easily? I do… I am a very naive person and I am very caring so I tend to investeverything I have into relationships, hoping to keep them alive, only to find outmost of the time the other person doesn’t feel the same way. Relationshipsbeing friend or potential love interest seeing as I have never had a bf. But there are those few who care just as much as I do <3

22.  list the top five things you spend the most time doing, in order.

1.Daydreaming, by far the thing I spend the most time on.

2. Probablythinking about or doing something pertaining to the Thunderbirds, kind of fitsin with the daydreaming thing.

3. Creating, either writing or sculpting ordrawing.

4. Watchingvideos… I have a lot of spare time on my hands

5. Mostlikely doing something else on my phone.

23.  how often would you want to see your family every year? With my immediate family (mom,dad, grandma) I am very close, so I would want to see them as often aspossible. I see my grandma about once ever week or so but I talk to her a lotmore than that and I would like that to continue if  I ever decide to moveout. :P

25.  could you live as a hermit? If that means alone… probably not for long. I enjoycertain human interaction, so as long as I am with the right people. Other peopleannoy me, most people annoy me… anyway...

27.  do you feel like your outside appearance is a fair representation of the“real you”? Yesbecause I don’t wear certain cloths to fit in, I don’t wear makeup to look overlyattractive and I don’t pretend around people. I dress for practicality and eventsand I don’t change who I am to feed the needs of the people around me. To quotePeggy Carter from Agent Carter, “I know my worth, anyone else’s  opinion doesn’t really matter.”

28.  three songs that you connect with right now. I don’t really feel like Iconnect to music, I just like music. If that makes sense. I don’t feel and emotionalattachment with music other than the odd motivational songs or just reallyupbeat songs. So I guess those songs would be Warriors by Imagine Dragons, WhoDo You Love by Marianas Trench and Waka Waka by Shakira.

[typologycentral]

[Type 1] Stackemup Enneagram Description for Enneatype I

Type One Ones resist reality by taking strong moral stances. They see reality as messy and corrupt so they invest all their energy in the ideal. They are idealists who strive to be consistent with their principles and to do the right thing. They seek to transcend their humanly concerns, interests and emotions by realizing a higher purpose in life through hard work, integrity, and achievement. They are doers with a sense of mission and single-mindedness that leaves little room for play. When they fall short of the ideal, they criticize themselves. Ones are sincere people. They say what they mean and mean what they say. The same standards that ones may try to impose on others they also impose on themselves and they also feel resentment towards others for not holding themselves to a higher ideal. They expect every person, including themselves, to abide by the rules, so long as the rules are just, and to take responsibility for their choices. Ones assume that reason, order and justice exist in the world, so that, inevitably, what is right will always prevail and what is wrong will always be punished. They can give others a difficult time about not covering their own bases and will point out others’ shortcomings when they feel that this unspoken agreement is violated. The majority of lectures or advice that Ones give to others will all revolve around this implicit expectation of rationality, choices, and responsibility. Ones are very focused on order. Order stimulates their sense that things are moving closer to the way that things should be. Order is something that Ones believe others, along with themselves, ought to subordinate themselves to, as well. When others don’t, that only fuels the One’s sense of anger. The way it should be in the One’s mind of course is not always the reality but they have a strong sense of how things ought to be in contrast to how things are and direct their attention to areas where people or things have fallen short of how things should be. The one’s cognitive style habitually makes judgments by comparison between how reality falls short of an ideal conception of reality. Ones are perfectionists in the most global sense of the word. They want perfection in all areas of their life and can be demanding taskmasters in the pursuit of such, as they perceive all the many 'wrecks.' They have high standards for both themselves and others and let themselves down when they feel partially responsible for something that falls short of their own standards. Ones are very literal-minded. They often reject intuition and unconscious associations as nonsense and believe that making decisions on faith or hunch is absolutely the wrong way to go about doing it. The right way, for a One, is to gather facts and accumulate data prior to making a decision, believing that the more data you have on hand to make a decision, the more perfect that decision will be, sometimes arriving them at conclusions that seem to narrow and wooden in scope or pushing them into ‘data paralysis’. Ones are doers. They place their self-esteem and sense of worth on action. They are motivated by guilt to actively do things, but, more importantly, to do those things right. ‘Perfect action’ is the basis of their self-esteem. But by trying to do everything perfect they inevitably fall short of their ideal and do things imperfect. That result only causes them more guilt. Needless to say, they are often strong-willed and one of the types that gets a lot of things done. The willfulness is essentially a form of ‘abstinence’ from their instinctual drives in the name of a more rational and structured approach towards action. Such “abstinence” manifests as both a physical and psychological discipline in their approach towards life that can produce a more rigid and colorless gestalt. When they do fall short, Ones will not only berate themselves for it but also they expect criticism from others about their imperfections. As Ones often sense that others are judging them for their own imperfections, they direct their own judgment inward at themselves to preempt a sense of condemnation by others. Thus, ones form a pattern of having to detach from their anger in order to justify, to themselves, on rational grounds, their actions, in the anticipation that others may judge and condemn them for it. The passion of Ones is wrath. Wrath has to do with the world falling short of the one's ideal and letting the self or world know about it in a choleric and critical fashion. When Ones are governed by this passion, everything in the world, no matter how small, falls short of the ideal, thus becoming an object of the Ones’ resentment and in need of correction, sometimes punishment. They are obsessed with righting wrongs. What’s often missed about wrath is that the anger can be directed not just at other people’s actions, but also at other people’s thinking and use of reason. However the wrath manifests, its nature is corrective. This anger can also be intensely directed at groups. Even though One’s have been trying to stay detached and rise above the ‘ugliness’ with civility, there is a cruel and violent urge that has been festering underneath, that the one has felt a need to control and keep buried, sublimating into their various activities, directing inwardly at themselves, while imploding privately. This urge can come to the surface as an intense and self-righteous anger to purge the environment of its corruptive elements. In its purest form, wrath is an anger towards all the imperfections of the world that they would love to destroy. When a One is in the grip of wrath, they have decided to direct all their inner criticism outwards at something or someone or some group in the environment to dominate, blame and punish for the world’s imperfect state. They turn into extreme misanthropes, wrapped in sadistic urges. If the one has power and charisma, they may seek to use their charisma to purge anything that doesn’t align with what they believe is an accurate representation of perfection. But this only replaces one imperfection with another imperfection. No matter how much Ones’ destroy they will never bring about their ideal state or, in the extreme case of low health, an ideal race of people, as it is only a matter of time before the imperfections become apparent. And this in turn causes the One to sink into a more severe and dramatic depression, possibly even into suicide. Healthy Ones are wise and discerning, though. They loosen up and get more comfortable with imperfection. They can enjoy what they do and not impose such high standards on themselves or others. They derive a sense of worth independently of what they do and realize they are virtuous or right in their imperfections, just as they are. They also learn to forgive others for their imperfections and, in doing so, they let go of their anger. 1w9s are independent thinkers. They are not influenced by preexisting dogmas or what others have to say and can even be heretics in the realm of thought or action. They have a tendency to preach and teach in colder fashion. They will not and do not want to subordinate themselves to anything on earth and they tend to think on a larger scale in the form of universal truths. They want to acquire a higher virtue in their life that they believe can only be achieved through a purer form of reasoning. 1w9s are cold fish. They like to feel out of reach from the imperfections of the world. Regal, in a sense. They want their actions to flow in harmony with their conclusions. It’s as if they were trying to cocoon their lives inside of a higher form that will eventually transform them into an ideal. They take unflinchingly cold, categorical positions with family members and are often frugal. 1w9s are human pressure-cookers. They most prefer to do tasks alone so they won't have to deal with imperfections from others often demanding more of themselves to pick up the slack. Much closer in fit to a classic type A personality and more prone to be exemplary in areas where they apply themselves. They are stoic about success and treat relationships as getting in the way of principle. 1w2s are practical. They have more common sense. They are direct and honest when it comes to getting things done. 1w2s are volunteeristic. They often feel like they don’t have any inherent freedom and are trapped by emotional obligations, rules and expectations that plays into this stronger streak of volunteerism. 1w2s are family oriented. They are quicker to sacrifice their own personal ambitions to take care of family out of their strong sense of obligation and have more difficulty holding hard lines with people. 1w2s are empathetic. They ground their idealism in empathetic connections. They will try and relate with people but are more demanding of them, tailoring their lectures more to other people’s positive/negative self-images, rather than trying to keep everything in the realm of logic. They aren’t as heady or philosophical about what they do. They are less constricted by reason and more intuitive and expressive, but still tend towards being colorless. Distinctions: Ones are more focused on principle. Twos focus more on people. Threes stand by their goals through thick and thin. Ones stand by their convictions through thick and thin. Fours focus more on their own emotions. Ones focus more on their convictions. Fives are dispassionate. Ones are passionate. One vigilantism is driven by a contempt for human corruption, that which falls short of the ideal. Six vigilantism is a defensive response to mistreatment and/or the anticipation of being mistreated in the future. Sevens find beauty in chaos. Ones find beauty in order. Ones are often domineering. For that reason they may be confused with eights. But for ones, dominance is a means of "righting" perceived wrongs. For eights, dominance is an end in itself, not a means to some other goal. Contrast Adolph Hitler who was a 1 with Joe Stalin who was an 8. Many Ones are dictators. Being a dictator or even a mass-murdering dictator does not make the person an 8. Nines are more relaxed than Ones and don’t assert their opinions as easily as Ones do. Nines also tend to see more points of view than Ones do. http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/enneagram-type-profiles/88499-stackemup-enneagram-description-enneatype-new-post.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[hcsmca]

TEDMED 2020 | BOSTON | March 2-4

TEDMED is excited to announce that the next convening of our diverse, multi-disciplinary community will take place March 2-4, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts at The Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel. That’s right, TEDMED 2020 will be at a brand new location and a brand new time of year!

We feel that Boston is the ideal home for TEDMED 2020. Boston is a city and community with deep roots in pioneering new ideas and pushing innovation forward—much like TEDMED. Boston boasts renowned industry-leading companies,  world-class academic institutions and scientific R&D, some of the nation’s top-ranked hospitals, the country’s highest number of arts and cultural organizations per capita, and an impressive entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports a cutting-edge health tech start-up culture.

As a city with innovation at its core, we were interested to learn that Boston also lays claim to many technological and social “firsts,” including the world’s first telephone, and the United States’ first public park, first public library, and first public secondary school. Also, America’s very first inoculations happened in Boston, way back in 1721. To this day, the city remains a hotbed for health and medical innovation.

We have hosted TEDMED in Palm Springs, CA for the last 4 years, but TEDMED has regularly migrated to fresh venues every few years for most of the past decade, enabling people from many regions to join the community and participate in person at our annual gathering.

“TEDMED has a proud history of adopting a diverse range of venues, literally from coast to coast,” says TEDMED COO and Executive Producer Shirley Bergin, adding, “We are excited for everything that Boston has to offer and can’t wait to host TEDMED 2020 in this amazing city.”

So, what can you expect to experience at TEDMED 2020?

First and foremost, we are always striving to bridge the gap between science and the public by finding and sharing stories that inform, inspire, engage, and provoke action across a broad, passionate community both inside and outside of health and medicine. At TEDMED 2020, you’ll be moved by Talks from individuals working to improve humanity’s health. As one TEDMED Delegate said:

“When you come out of a session of Talks, and you’ve changed as a person—in outlook, in perspective, in opinion—that’s the mark of a conference worth attending. And that happened several times at TEDMED.” – Giles N.

At TEDMED 2020, you will also become a part of a truly unique community of public health leaders, clinicians, researchers, scientists, influencers, and innovators from across the landscape of health, medicine, and scientific innovation. Over the 2.5 days of TEDMED 2020, you’re bound to make unexpected connections that will last well beyond the event. Again, our Delegates explain it best:

“It was such a humbling experience to be able to connect with such inspiring and passionate people who I would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.” – Kittaya T.

By attending TEDMED 2020, you can expect to engage in interactive conversations hosted by TEDMED’s Partners—a dynamic group of global industry leaders, health systems, associations, research and academic institutions, foundations, and more. Our Partners not only help to make TEDMED possible, but they also enhance the program with their cutting-edge innovations, advancements in health policy, and large-scale global public health initiatives. Whether it’s a curated conversation with Partners and TEDMED Speakers about an unexpected theme that connects their work or a lively workshopping session over breakfast, there are plenty of ways to connect with other leading thinkers and doers at TEDMED.

In addition to the inspiring Talks, engaging community, and mind-expanding conversations, TEDMED 2020 offers you the chance to fully immerse yourself in various health experiences. For instance, you can choose to start your day with a mindfulness class or a heart-pumping workout. And from morning until night, we’ll provide you with nutritious meals and snacks to fuel your body and mind. Attending TEDMED 2020 offers you the space to unplug from your day-to-day routine and the opportunity to absorb new ways of thinking about the challenges we face in health and medicine today.

We hope you’ll join us in Boston for TEDMED 2020. Registration for TEDMED Alumni is open now, and early-bird registration opens soon. Stay up to date on the latest information about TEDMED 2020 by signing up for our newsletter and following us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

For all media inquiries, please contact Rose Mary Romano at rromano@TEDMED.com.  If you are interested in partnering with TEDMED for the 2020 convening, please contact Lucy Crawford at Lucy@TEDMED.com. And, for all other inquiries, please email contact@TEDMED.com.

TEDMED is the independent health and medicine edition of the world-famous TED conference, dedicated to “ideas worth spreading.” TEDMED Talks have been viewed online over 150 million times around the world. TEDMED is a non-profit that is wholly owned by The TEDMED Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Public Charity.

  The post TEDMED 2020 | BOSTON | March 2-4 appeared first on TEDMED Blog.

Read more from TEDMED https://blog.tedmed.com/tedmed-2020-boston-march-2-4/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

[casandratheselfinserts]

Dissection/Building Pt. 1

ORIGINS & FAMILY:

Full Name: Kexi (Do... Do Galra have last names???) Reason for name: It was the name of a nearby star Nickname(s) and how they got them: Crazy Kexi (Due to how nothing can stop her once she’s wronged) Date of Birth: 10,000 years ago Age: 27 (Stasis) Gender: Female  Place of birth: A central planet in the Galra-Altea Alliance Places lived since: 15 Social Class: Middle before the war, unknown now Parents’ names, backgrounds, occupations: Zankun (A low ranking soldier from a middle-class family not of note in the Galra) and Nohi (An Altean artist from a relatively nice Altean family, but estranged from them). Siblings: One, named Namman, who has gone his own way. Relationship with family (close? estranged?): She was close with her family, immediate and on the Galra side, until her father Nohi put Kexi and Namman into stasis--When they awoke, the universe was vastly different. Namman went his own way once they awoke, claiming Kexi would see him again “When Altea is restored.” Children of his/her own?: None If so, relationship with child’s mother/father?: None Age he/she became a parent: None

PHYSICAL

Height: 5′1 (Puny for a member of either race. Pathetic.) Weight: 150 (Fat & Muscle) Build: Hourglass figure, broad shoulders, thick thighs compared to calves & arms. Race: Galran & Light-skinned Altean Nationality: None Face Shape: Heart Distinguishing Facial Features: Altean marks when not hiding them, her large strange nose Hair Color: Teal Usual Hair Style: Down, or a low side-ponytail Eye Color: Brown Complexion (freckles, acne, skin tone, birth marks, scars): Lavender, with a scar in her left eyebrow, rosy cheeks, scars on her back and arms Disabilities (physical or mental, including mental illnesses): Nerve damage from the stasis, causing oversensitivity and chronic fatigue. Her suit helps combat some of this by supporting her muscles and protecting her from the elements. Health (usually sick? or very resilient? allergies?): Resilient to disease, but weak to injury. Allergic to some types of crystals, and metals, but luckily has been fine. What do they consider their best feature?: Her hair. No matter how much she uses her Altean abilities to alter her size & color, she treasures her bright and soft hair. Worst they’ve ever been injured (what, how did it happen)?: Not long after waking up, she got into a fight with some Galra drones, and received several scars from the battle. The worst injury in that fight was from them throwing her backwards against her own pod, the impact to her weakened back nearly breaking it, definitely breaking her skin, and leaving her unable to move from the pain for days. Ticklish: Yes, in certain spots.

APPEARANCE

Style of dress/typical outfit(s): Usually wearing her space-suit, but fond of the chance to dress in formal attire from either heritage Typical style of shoes: Flat-soled, no preference otherwise How does he/she dress up?: Dress down?: To dress up, she likes to do extravagant hairstyles with long flowing parts and equally long flowing dresses. Favorite outfit: Her space-suit Glasses? Contacts?: Rectangular glasses, or vision-correcting visor in the helmet for her suit Personal Hygiene: Very good Grooming (makeup? shower daily? wear only clean clothes? pluck eyebrows?): Showers whenever possible (daily would be preferred but... Stuff happens in space), when low on energy she puts on makeup to hide her Altean marks. Naturally perfect eyebrows (because every self-insert needs one thing too perfect) What does your OC choose to do about the, er, hair down there?: Keeps herself as smooth-shaven as possible, everywhere possible really. Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: Four piercings up her left ear, one on her right, but she rarely wears jewelry on them due to the metal and gemstone allergies making jewelry-finding difficult What does their voice sound like?: She has a high, loud, smooth voice. Like, a little annoyingly high, but the smoothness helps keep it from being shrill or painful, and it doesn’t sound forced. Style of speech (loud, mumbler, articulate, etc.): Loud & articulate. Until she gets mad, when she stops being articulate and is instead just loud. Accent?: Galran (Pretty standard “TV” American accent) Unique mannerisms/physical habits (bites nails, talks with hands, taps feet when restless): She picks at her skin, digs her nails into her skin when nervous, talks with her hands, sings when stressed, and when focusing on something she doesn’t have to look at, her eyes go a bit blank--She stops trying to see so she can focus. More oversensitive when worn out. Left handed or right?: So right handed that it makes piloting hard for her because it requires both hands. What does their writing look like?: Artsy but sloppy. Do they work out/exercise?: Yes. That’s even where some of the scars come from.

BELIEFS & INTELLECT

IQ: 115 Level of self esteem: Mid-low Known Languages: Galran, Altean, “Standard” Gifts/talents: Gifted singer. Which means absolutely nothing in this war-torn universe, but she’s proud of it anyway. Shortcomings: Short-tempered, tires easily, low confidence, does not work well with leadership, fairly weak for a Galra. Most sensitive about/vulnerable to: Sensitive about racial issues, the Empire, and people trying to “parent” (read: be in charge of at all) her, and vulnerable to loud sounds, loud noises, and kindness. Happiest memory: Her first time seeing Voltron, when she was a kid still living with her parents, and her dad asked if she wanted a painting of it. Her mom looked more relieved than anything at the sight of Voltron--Looking back, Kexi guesses it was probably because, as a soldier, her mom was relieved at the idea of Voltron meaning less conflict. Namman was too young to know anything that was going on. Life philosophy: Misplaced trust caused the war. She won’t let herself make the same mistake. Pet peeves: Loud people (yes, she knows she is loud), people telling her what to do before they’ve earned her trust. Vices: “Immoral or wicked behavior” Starting fights too easily due to her short temper despite knowing she’ll probably lose counts as a vice, right? Bad habits: Skin-picking, digging her nails into her skin when she’s upset Disgusts: Loud mouth noises, slimy foods, bad smells Superstitious: Paranoia that letting anyone ever lead her again (after trusting her parents and the King led to the war and being put in stasis) will have the same bad results is a superstition right? Sense of humor: Pretty much just puns/wordplay How do they deal with stress?: Getting away from everything else living, and singing her lungs out. What do they do to get pumped up?: She DOES NOT need to be pumped up further. She’s ready. Come at her. (Except don’t) What do they do when upset?: She digs her nails into her skin when she’s upset, and to feel better she has to either go sing, or punch whatever’s upsetting her in the face. What about angry?: She’s an angry-laugher, tough-talker, and absolutely will fight everything. Which is bad for her. She needs to stop. How do they react to frustrations (get worked up, calm down and think through it logically, give up, etc)?: Get worked up, but then try to think through it logically because she’s trying to fight less. How do they accept failure (both from themselves and others)?: For herself, she punishes herself until she gets better. From others, she trusts them a bit less as she has trouble believing anyone who disappoints her actually tried their best. Level of comfort with technology: She USED to know a LOT, thank YOU, but then stasis happened, and she’s still trying to catch up. Believe in the supernatural: She has to, if she’s to believe what she saw the Alteans do in their prime. Believe in an afterlife: No. Believe in happy endings: No. How do they want to be remembered?: Fought and won for something worthwhile. Good with their hands (if so, practical/crafting or fine arts)?: She’s a bit of a tinkerer, but otherwise she’s not the best with her hands. How fast do they learn new things? Better with book knowledge or hands on approach?: She is a very fast learner... For the whole two hours a day she can handle learning. She learns best with a combination of the two--If there’s no words to the actions, her hands will forget, if there’s no actions to the words, her mind will forget. How do they feel about asking for help?: She does not do it unless it’s the only way to prevent unnecessary deaths. Anything less than death? She can handle it. Optimist or pessimist: She’s definitely a pessimist, but there is a teeny tiny bit of hope left in her for a better universe. Extrovert or introvert: Introvert, but can appear extroverted if she has to for her own gain. Leader or follower: Leader. Makes decisions based mostly on emotions, or on logic?: Tries to use logic, but her emotions frequently get the best of her. Cautious or daring: Daring. Too daring. Kexi STOP-- Spontaneous or planner: Trying to be a planner, but often spontaneous. Thinker or doer?: Doer. Even if she has to think about it first, she’s gonna do. Organized or messy: Organized. Worrier or carefree: Worrier. Artistic?: A little, but hasn’t picked up a brush since waking up. Mathematical?: Not really.

SEX & INTIMACY

Current marital/relationship/sexual status: Single Sexual orientation (is it something they question or a secret): Pansexual & polyamorous. Past relationships and sexual partners (if applicable): Only two. Despite being an adult when put into stasis, she had been perfectly content to gaze at the stars alone for the most part and put little effort or love into these relationships. Now, she longs for someone to be close to again--Yet, doesn’t let herself be vulnerable enough. What is their “type” in regards to looks in a partner?: Tall (not hard), long hair, fit, generally Altean/Galran-like (so, like... No dogs or kaltonekers) Ideal mate/qualities they look for in mate: Strong, leaderlike, assertive, charming.  Primary reason for being broken up with: Not present enough Primary reasons for breaking up with people: They weren’t strong or trustworthy enough. Views on sex (one night stands, promiscuity, etc): It’s great, and people have a right to be as promiscuous as they want so long as they aren’t deceiving or harming anyone nonconsensually in doing so. She wishes she’d had more sex back during times of peace. Age and story of first kiss (if any—if not, how does he/she want it to happen?): 17, at an Altean ball. Much like an Earth masquerade, they would all go in disguise (made more fun by Altean’s powers). Part of the game in the Altean version, though, was to try and seduce someone, and by the end of the night, see what they actually look like. She doesn’t remember the name of the girl, but she was... Breathtaking when her disguise was gone. Ashamed that she’d touched someone so beautiful, she ran away before the other girl could see her with her defenses down. All they managed to do was kiss before Kexi ran. Age and story of loss of virginity (if any—if not, how does he/she want it to happen, if at all?): 18, she had been with her girlfriend for a few months, and they’d played around a few times. The night of her first time being “penetrated” was just that playing around going further and further until it happened. Nothing special. Level of sexual experience: Average/slightly-below average. Do they have any unfulfilled sexual fantasies?: Bondage. She has yet to find the right partner for it, but she longs to be totally helpless to someone--And know she’s totally safe, and only in danger of being used until she passes out. Wildest/strangest sexual experience? Would they do it again?: Once, her first boyfriend asked to be pegged specifically with a Galran-dick-replica strapon, while she insulted and degraded him. This experience is when she vowed she would only ever date men who were strong, confident, and definitely not bottoms. Also, she thinks that whole relationship may have been a weird race fetish maybe? Do they have any fetishes or kinks?: Mostly just submitting and being tied up. Otherwise, pretty boring. At least, as far as she knows right now. Have they lied about their previous sexual partners to current/potential partners?: No. Love or Lust: Whichever fulfills the needs of all parties involved the best. Ever been in love?: Unless that girl at the ball counts... She doesn’t think so. Do they fall in love easily?: Yes, she just hasn’t cared to. Do they take relationships seriously?: Now she does. Thinking about all your previous relationships being dead now kinda wakes you up to the need to value people while you have them. Worst thing they’ve done to someone they loved?: Not romantic love, but letting herself get in that fight, which convinced her younger brother he had to go single-handedly try to fix the universe. She misses him. Do they desire marriage and/or children in their future?: Absolutely, if she can find the right partner(s) Believe in true love or soul mates?: Love is a combination of emotions, commitment, and the choice to do what is necessary to keep both of those positive. “True love” as an idea detaches love from reality. Thoughts on public displays of affection?: Lovely, as long as they don’t go too far. Genitals should stay tucked away in public, for instance. How do they flirt: Pretending to be confident for once. If you can one-up her, and also reflect back her praise as being facts (”I’m pretty” “You’re gorgeous, darling, haven’t you noticed?”) you win, she’s all yours. Probably not for long, though, unless you want to deal with her baggage.  How do they show affection/love to their partner?: Gifts, and being very cuddly and smoochy. She’s a very puppy-love kind of gal, once she knows she can be. Thoughts on cheating/cheaters? Have they ever cheated?: Cheating is a crime punishable by death DON’T @ HER. Idea of perfect date: Snuggling up together, reading or watching something together, just laughing and enjoying each other’s bodies and minds.

[dawnajaynes32]

5 Ways to Get Your Design CV Graduation­-Ready

Design students—enter your student work in the HOW Promotion & Marketing Design Awards by April 10! All winners will see their work in print this Fall, and the Best of Show winner scores a free registration to HOW Design Live 2018, plus a gorgeous award to be presented at the conference. 

The following article is contributed by online trade printing company QuinnsThePrinters.

The design industry job market is a tough place for those fresh out of education or training. The competition for starter roles can be fierce.

One of the best ways for any student to stand out is experience—but how can someone who hasn’t even completed their studies get enough real experience in graphic design?

Fear not—there are ways around this challenge. After years of replying to requests for advice from young designers, online trade printing company QuinnsThePrinters has created this guide to getting the right experience to make your CV and portfolio stand out in the crowd.

5 Ways to Get Your Design CV and Portfolio Graduation­-Ready

Blog Your Way to Thought Leadership

A static portfolio of work is an essential sales tool in your design career. It showcases your creativity and your final products. But to really stand out, you will benefit from publishing your own blog online. It acts as a website portal to your online portfolio. More than that though, it gives you the space to really showcase the breadth of your talents and knowledge.

Blog posts don’t have to center around what you’re studying or the small projects you find to gain experience through. You can also highlight your inspirations in the design world. You can write opinion pieces on issues affecting the industry, or chart your personal story and how creativity has shaped your hobbies, your travel, your home.

The scope really is broad, and a blog is the ideal outlet for it. You’re archiving your thoughts and work for employers, but you’re also gradually making yourself searchable online, attracting people to you rather than you chasing them. It also improves your experience of design and aesthetics for online audiences.

This effort to become a thought leader in your field shows a potential employer that you have passion and ambition, and also that you’re an industry thinker as well as a doer. Someone who will bring well-rounded knowledge and opinions to their team

TIP: Blogging need not cost more than your time. WordPress templates, basic storage and standard domain names are all available for free and are widely used by big businesses too.

Get with the Local Businesses

If you feel you don’t have enough real business-world experience in your design CV, then stepping away from the laptop and taking a walk outside your house may provide the answer.

A stroll through your community will reveal to you a plethora of small businesses that might not have the budgets to hire design agencies. Whether it’s the coffee shop, the small vegetable grocer or the corner pub, these businesses require design—whether it’s branding, posters, flyers or for social media.

Related: Branding, posters, flyers—this is exactly the kind of work accepted in the HOW Promotion & Marketing Design Awards, whether it’s created for yourself, for a class project or for a paying client. Learn more here.

(Work pictured here is by design student Michaela Yarbrough. See more of her work and that of other students here.)

You’ll find introductions to the decision­-makers easy at this local-business level, especially when you are a local customer yourself. They may even have a small budget to pay you for your time. But what you’ll learn in terms of experience managing clients and content for your portfolio or blog is really priceless at this stage of your design career.

TIP: Approach local businesses in the way you would in the real world: Ask for a meeting and then come prepared with ideas that show where they could benefit from a new/revamped design and how this fits with the local market/what their competitors are doing. This doubles as pitching experience.

Help Out at the Business Hubs

With the digital business economy making it more achievable for people to work for themselves, startups, entrepreneurs and co­working spaces for freelancers are popping up in towns and villages everywhere.

Hubs and co­working spaces can provide you with opportunities for guest speaking and training. They’ll often run sessions for members on everything from branding to digital marketing and social media. Of course, you can’t teach them all to be designers, but offering to show people the basic principals of design when they’re using popular free tools (e.g., Canva) could be really beneficial both to them, and to your CV.

And of course, entrepreneurs need to brand and market just like a bigger company would—and they often suffer the same budget constraints that local small businesses do. So there’s opportunity for gaining experience in that way as well.

TIP: If you don’t feel you have the confidence to present at a group level, consider first going into the hubs yourself, perhaps renting a desk for the day. This way you get to know people and help them one-on-one, which is still valuable real­-world experience.

Design for Good

Not everyone wants to share their talent and hard work with businesses for little or no pay. If that’s you, then a good cause may be the right place to channel your efforts. Charities and community groups rarely have the financial resources to invest in design—and yet they can benefit so much from it.

Approaching a cause that’s close to your heart or an event or venue that interests you will ensure you have a personal investment and passion for the voluntary donation of your time. It also shows potential employers that you’re a well­-rounded individual, committed to the community in which you work. (Corporate social responsibility is a high priority for many business owners).

And if you want to regularly give your time to a voluntary organization, it’s likely you’ll be given more free rein to take responsibility for a higher-level piece of work—which will work wonders for your CV and portfolio.

TIP: If you can’t immediately think of a cause or group, research with a local council or government department that’s responsible for funding charitable projects. You can also contact umbrella bodies for volunteering or the charity commissions, which will be able to give you a list of local organizations.

Make Your Portfolio Sing

When it comes to communicating the work examples that you do have, make sure that you’re showcasing them to maximum effect. Yes, this is a creative industry, and so a visual portfolio is essential to show your skill set. But don’t forget about the process. Remember that a lot of research, strategy and thought goes into the projects that a full agency or in­-house team will create. So be sure to explain the brief you were given, or the problem you tried to solve.

Then show how you researched the market, how you perhaps tested ideas, the feedback you had from the recipient (your “client”). Be sure to mention anyone else you had to work with as part of a virtual or real team, such as web developers or trade printing companies.

Learning how to articulate the design process adds to a more well-rounded experience. This will show potential employers that you possess all the qualities a designer needs in order to work for them. It also ensures that even if they don’t personally like any final designs in your portfolio, they’ve been given insight into your process, your research and your drafts, which will show your potential to grow and improve.

TIP: If you really want to show personality and attract attention to your CV, then think of visual and creative ways to showcase your projects­.

Big news: The Regional Design Awards is now open to both pros and students.

Students, enter for a chance to have your work published, win a pass to HOW Design Live, and much more.

2017 Judges: Aaron Draplin / Jessica Hische / Pum Lefebure / Ellen Lupton / Eddie Opara / Paula Scher.

Student work judges: PRINT editorial & creative director Debbie Millman and PRINT editor-in-chief Zachary Petit.

Enter the 2017 PRINT RDA by the Deadline, April 3!

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