#the registrations reopen in like... a week or so

[prettyboykatsuki]

TEXTBOOK CITATIONS ON IMMORAL SEX | S. GETOU ft. F. TOJI

✮ tags ; porn no plot, afab + fem!reader (good girl, little girl once sarcastically by toji, pretty), mild degradation (dirty girl, a bitch in heat), professor!getou + security guard!toji, dubcon, imbalanced power dynamics, age gaps(10+ years), mild coercion / blackmail, spit play, wet ‘n messy sex, face-fucking, oral (f +m!recieving), spanking, restraints, dirty talk, creampie / unprotected sex, 18+

✮ wc ; 10.6k

✮ synopsis ; You’re willing to do anything to pass your intro course. Whatever it takes. No cost is too high.

✮ a /n ; a comm for the beloved @fushironi !!! thank you for commissioning me and letting me post your work. if anyone is interested in a commission i will be reopening them at some point this month hopefully

A SIDE NOTE: THIS IS VERY CONSENSUAL!! but the relationship is inherently unethical so the dubcon tag is there. and this is. just smut. no plot no brain. just porn.

You're failing ethics. 

You're failing ethics and failing it badly. 

You refuse to take all of the blame for your failures. Some of it is your fault, but most of it is the fault of your good-for-nothing academic advisor. You're not sure what they get paid for, since it seems like there's an elaborate prank going on between staff and you're the only one not in on the joke. In what universe is it possible, plausible - that an individual could get paid for doing everything but their job? 

Apparently this one. But whatever. 

In your last semester of university, on the edge of graduating and totally on the right track - you're informed that you're not going to be able to graduate in the expected time frame because you are missing a single course. You learn this information about two days before registrations close, which means all the meaningful classes contributing to your major are booked and busy. Everything is full, and everything that isn't doesn't contribute to your degree. As in, even if you took it - it wouldn't give you what you need to graduate. 

After a full-blown mental break, a long night crying yourself to sleep in your dorm, and an egregious amount of begging - you managed to snag yourself a class. It wasn't ideal by any stretch of the imagination, and it did put quite the strain on your schedule. Straight out of your 8am lab - you had to speed walk to the other end of campus and make sure you made it to lecture. The lecture time itself was an hour and twenty minutes, attendance mandatory, twice a week - which meant you had to delay lunch again till afterwards and learn on empty fumes till 1 pm. 

Still, better than not graduating at all. 

You'd hoped (expected?) that the course itself would be about average in coursework. For one, it's an intro class. Intro to Ethics or PHIL-2467, with Professor Getou Suguru. Secondly, the actual listed coursework seems simple enough. Discussion boards, reading analysis, and a few papers made up for most of the grade. The expectations were outlined as clearly as they could be. 

You didn't really know anything about Professor Getou at the time, only that his ratemyprofessor described him as somewhat strict but mostly good. 

In any case, you'd consider yourself lucky. And in an effort not to freak out about your circumstances, you'd practically chanted to yourself each night the same mantra. Everything was going to be fine. You've taken nearly 120 hours of coursework, and a little extra time won't kill you. At the start of the semester, you fully believed it too. Bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and utterly naive.

How could a single course torment you like this? You hadn't the faintest clue. At first, it struck you as odd that the course felt as difficult to grasp as it did. The readings were complex and extremely long but always said a lot of nothing. Much of your grade was dependent not only on assigned work but participation and discussion. The paper criteria was only simple on the surface, but proved to be too lengthy to comprehend and too difficult to fulfill. 

Long story short, the class was kicking your ass. And the ass-kicking slowly progressed into a failure so bad it was laughable. You're in your final year, and that means taking a lot of difficult and specified courses in relation to your major. You were at the point where your classmates were starting to thin out, and you were seeing the same group of people you had as a freshman. As far as prioritizing goes, a 3-credit hour course that isn't technically meaningful to you falls to the very bottom of your priorities. You're more concerned with things like job-hunting and finishing your capstone and all the stuff related to your actual career. 

So you've been half-assing all the papers and exams, falling asleep in class, and lowkey straight up ignoring the weekly discussion boards. 

However, above everything else, the worst part of your class is your professor. Professor Getou Suguru. PhD in Comparative Ethics with a Masters in Cognitive Science. 

You didn't really have a chance to speak with any of your friends about Professor Getou, despite it being in your best interest - because you only knew you had the class two days before it started. You'd come to learn only two things about him after attending. First, he's a complete hardass when it comes to grading any assignments, and second most of his merit comes from the fact he is ridiculously good-looking. 

He can't be any older than his late thirties or early forties, which means he's young. Young enough to be attractive but old enough for most of your peers to thirst for him in unhealthy ways. He's at least a decade and a half older than you, and by god does he make it clear. 

What they don't tell you about college is that there's nothing that can make or break a class more than your professor. Everyone is always too worried about everything else, about getting their schedule right - that they often overlook this basic tenet of college life even though it's so crucial. The worst part is that while various websites rating your professors are helpful, you won't truthfully know how you feel about a professor until you've met them in a classroom. You've had professors with lower ratings be absolute angels, and professors with higher ones being some of the most useless in your entire academic career. 

You were hoping that Professor Suguru would be what you expected. That his astounding 4.5/5 would be a meaningful assessment of his character, that he would be tolerable and polite and understanding and that your semester would be smooth sailing because of it. 

But of course, of course - that couldn't be further from the truth.

You don't know at what point exactly your relationship to Professor Suguru became as sour as it is right now. There's no real pivotal movement where mild intolerance became full-blown and outright distaste. But part of it, you know, stems from the fact your beloved professor is a snake. 

You have no idea how no one else notices it. It genuinely feels like you're the only one who catches the subtleties of his behavior. There's just something about him that's a little…off. The irony isn't lost on you. He's an ethics professor, but something about him makes alarm bells go off in your head. A walking red flag, though a handsome one. He's off in a subtle way, but more than that - he's very openly smug to every single one of his students. It's just that no one else seems to really care. The air of pretension that surrounds him in his every movement is suffocating. Maybe that's part of the charm, if the way girls flock to him after class is anything to go by. 

Even so, you just know there's something deliberate about his casual cruelties. He always seems to pick out the quiet kids, and from the beginning of your semester to now - he always, always manages to single you out of the crowd of students. In every class, in every discussion, in every chance he has to make you out to be a troublemaker he will. 

Yes, you don't really have any idea how it started. But you've been keeping a long record of every single act of personal terror that damned man has been inflicting on you since the start of the course, and you're not unconvinced that your shit grade is in part because he wants to see you grovel in front of him. 

The first time it happened - you figure it was a coincidence. He had called you out in class after you missed a discussion board. You hadn't done the reading, and it wasn't obviously humiliating but it singled you out all the same. When you fumbled coming up with an answer, he gave you a smug smile that so quickly morphed into a fake sincere one, you wondered if you were imagining things. 

The second time was when you came in late after a walk of shame, and Professor Suguru greeted you by the door by asking if those were the same clothes you wore yesterday. After being completely mortified by it, the once dark gaze immediately rescinded to his usual fake-calm self. It was suspicious, but not the concrete evidence you needed. 

And the third time was after your first project of the semester. Your grade was lower than you deserved, and you knew it - so you went to his office hours to bitch and moan to get it bumped up. But he wouldn't budge, saying that he thought his assessment was accurate. Made a smug face as he told you he just didn't think you thought your points out through. Unfair critiques shielded by flowery words and polite gestures. It was that moment that cemented the dislike, though it wasn't the start.

The beginning of the end, so to speak.

Ever since then, you've harbored nothing but dislike for him. You can see past his pretty face and you don't see anything good. You've had unpleasant professors before, but none have ever targeted you so specifically. None of your previous professors, even at the worst, seemed to hold such an unbelievable personal grudge. 

You're all alone, fighting an invisible battle. 

The worst of it though, is that you simply couldn't be bothered to give a shit about it for most of the semester. You had way too much going on, so you just had to put up with the inexplicable dread of attending that class until you had to deal with it again eventually. 

And after months and months of avoiding the issue head-on, you're at a point where you can no longer do so. Your grade is officially below a C after bombing your last quiz, and there's only 5 weeks left until your semester is over and you're barred from graduation. 

And you have no fucking idea what you should do about the situation. 

__

There's a subtle pit of dread in your stomach as you enter your first philosophy lecture of the week. 

For the first time since the start of the semester, Professor Getou doesn't antagonize you as soon as you enter the door. In a strange way, this makes you kind of uncomfortable. He gives you his usual fake smile, but the fact he's gone out of his way to leave you alone makes you feel like he's planning something. 

You brush your paranoia aside as you take a seat in the back of your class. You don't have any friends in this lecture, at least not ones you do more than greet. You sit closer to the back of the lecture hall, tucked into a corner and up a few steps.

The charms on the end of your book bag zippers click together as you take your seat. You open your laptop - pulling up the lecture slides to pretend to study while opening 2048 to play while Professor Getou goes on about his business. You're hoping he's going to go easy on you today, and that his lack of interference is a sign of mercy. 

More people start to trickle in and the classroom is the usual amount of packed it is by this point in the semester. The last day to drop passed last week, so the number of students has decreased despite it being spring semester. 

Your professor starts his lecture as soon as the clock hits 11:30am. You look up from your computer, watching him as he sets up his slide deck and waits for all the conversation to settle before he begins talking.

He catches your eyes briefly before he continues, but he holds it for long enough that you know it's intentional. You frown at him, and it almost looks like he laughs - but you can't be sure your mind isn't tricking you into thinking that. 

"Good morning everybody," His voice is smooth and pleasant - hair tied up neatly. He's wearing his usual attire. Black slacks, and a loose-fitting white shirt with some kind of canvas shoe. "How's everybody hanging in there? Good? Bad?" 

He takes a look around the room, gauging peoples replies before chuckling. 

"Not in good shape huh? Stick it out, a few more weeks and you'll be out of here. Today, we're going to continue on into section five of our coursework - the shortest of all of our other sections," He grabs something that clicks the slide into the next one, a few images next to a wall of text "We have a lot to cover in the last few weeks, but I want to start with a refresh of what concepts we've been learning for the last few weeks." 

The swiftness in the way his eyes land on you is comical in its predictability. You give him an uncomfortable half-smile as he calls your name and brings the class's attention your way. A few looks of pity don't go unnoticed. You stiffen, straighten your back as he says your name slowly before asking. 

"Do you think you can tell me, what are the four core structures that define modern Japanese philosophical thinking?" 

There's real, uncomfortable weight to his gaze that makes you choke. You pull back slightly. 

"Uhm, well - there's Shintoism, Confucianism, Buddhism and western ideology. Primarily German idealism."

He gives you a smug look, the same one you always see before it fades off to an uncannily brilliant smile. Not a sincere one, because when is it ever - but there all the same. 

"Someone's been studying hard huh? But you are correct. We've spent the majority of this class going over the first three. How Shinto tradition, Confucianism, and Buddhism were experienced in Japan - isolated from Anglo-Saxon influence for the first few centuries of its establishment. We've also studied the vague historical timeline of these influences, mostly focusing on modern philosophy. We've covered Edo period philosophy as a precursor for what we know and understand now." 

You can say a lot about Professor Getou, but more than anything - he has a certain way of commanding the room's attention that never lets you get completely comfortable. He has an air of charisma you've never seen in your life and being in close proximity to it makes you feel like you're being swept in by waves larger than life. 

You fidget almost anxiously as you wait for him to continue his lesson.

"Our last few weeks are going to cover the culmination of your previous lessons, and what dictates both national morality and the hierarchy of modern Japanese social mores - Bushido. The way of the Samurai." 

Professor Getou continues with this slide deck as he outlines Bushido conceptually. From its existence as a moral code in late 12th century Japan, to the many misconceptions about the strictness in which it was adhered. He starts the lessons like he starts many others, explaining misconception and myth before touching the surface of the subject at hand. 

It's in his nature to advocate for the whole truth. From the start of your classes to now, Professor Getou always places the same emphasis. If only that truth is unable to be understood without opposition. It's like his whole being is constructed by it, opposition that is always radical and jaw-dropping. You've known this about him since he voiced his open critique for certain ideas about social welfare and about the emphasis of national morality. 

You can't be certain what he really believes - only that he'll voice his views as critically as possible, if only to stir the room. 

"Bushido is the heart and soul of modern and postmodern Japanese ethics, but it remains critically undefined despite its usage and citation functionally. Other philosophical schools of thought have strict definitions - Bushido is evolutionary in nature. Inazo Nitobe is primarily credited with the modern and popular interpretation of Bushido, but has received criticism for its obvious influence from Western ideas, and its comparison to chivalry."

Professor Getou sits back on the edge of his desk with a look on his face. 

"The tendency of Japanese philosophy to lean into metaphysics does not align with the many values of infrastructure and military present in the culture now, but I'm not going to critique the philosophy for you," He skips to the next slide, your last project of the semester on the wall "For the sake of brevity, I'm going to have you write a paper on one of the eight outlined ideals in Nitobe's work, and I want you to reflect on that ideal in your paper." 

A collective whispering erupts in the class as people stress about the assignment of their final few weeks. Not unexpected given the circumstances. Professor Getou doesn't flinch as he waits for the room to settle down.

"This will be your final project in this classroom, and will count as your final grade. On one hand, doing a good job on it means you have nothing to worry about for the last few weeks. On the other it's make or break," He locks eyes with you again as he says this, startling you as his smile grows coy and inauspicious "So if you're in need of a good grade to pass you, I'd recommend coming to see me during office hours or during one-on-one time so I can get you the grade you need. We'll discuss more at the end of class, but we've gotta get through more lectures so you can get an idea of what you can pick."

He gives you one another look, another pointed and obviously direct look, before he proceeds on with his lecture. It gives you a bad feeling in your stomach, and maybe you're being too self-centered thinking he's focusing too much on you.

But you can't help it, swallowing down your uncertainty as you continue on with the lesson. 

You need to pass this class. 

___ 

You meet up with Nobara after the fact. 

She's a good sounding board for your problems as usual. Where you're always looking for the most civil solutions, she's good at giving it to you straight on what you should do. She's no bullshit and you like that about her. Whenever you need a kick in the ass or an ounce of courage, she's the person for the job.

 So after meeting up for lunch, ranting again about Professor Getou (for the hundredth—no, thousandth time), and whining about his weird behavior, you're expecting some semi-sound, if not mean advice on what you should do. 

"Have you thought about just fucking him?" She says instead, her voice full of sincere boredom. It comes out so casually, like she's relaying the news cycle to you - and you can't help but be utterly shocked listening to it. "Not that it was my first suggestion, but I mean…it's getting ridiculous." 

"Hello? Where the hell did that come from? What do you mean just fucking him?" 

She gives you a sideways glance of disdain as if you were the one saying something unreasonable. She leans forward into her hand mirror, gluing on her eyelashes for her afternoon date with Maki. She scoffs when she realizes your shock is genuine. 

"Are you serious? Does this not read as an elaborate scheme for this total jackass to fuck you?" 

You're flabbergasted. Surely she's not being serious with you. 

"Nobara." 

"Haah? Tch. Don't make that face. It's a gross abuse of his power but well, he's not ugly. If he were any younger of a professor, would you like… not assume that was the end game?" 

"Nobara, he's a professor of ethics. His whole career is ethics." 

"Yeah. Like. The perfect cover for wanting to screw his wide-eyed, desperate students. He's a hot, young professor. Not my type but you get me. Don't you think it's a little naive to assume his personal vendetta against you is shit, I don't know… totally lacking that motive? Think with your brain, not your tender little heart for a minute, okay?" 

"It's not that!" 

"Really? Just like your relationship with Mr. Fushiguro is totally platonic?" 

"I said it was one-sided, not platonic." 

"You're my whole heart and soul, you know that right? I didn't freak on you when you said you had a crush on Megumi's deadbeat dad. You're my salvation from the idiots we call guy friends. So I'm saying this with love, and not as the complete bitch you know me as - you're being dumb." 

"Nobara, are you seriously saying you think this whole thing is about him wanting to," You can barely even get the words out. You're not that much of a prude but god. "Wanting to have… sex with me?" 

"Yeah. What else would it even be? I think an awful man is interested in screwing you - a hot, capable twenty-something. Are you stupid? Is that like, sooo impossible for you to consider?"

"Well it's not the first place I would think to go, that's for sure." 

"And that's your whole problem. Don't get me wrong, again, totally gross. Is it like.. a total abuse of his authority? Yeah. But that doesn't have anything to do with you personally. If I'm right, and you fuck him - you get a good lay and to graduate. And you need both."

"Nobara!"

"Don't be mad, I love you, okay? But I'm thinking about your future and your prospects. There's nothing wrong with it on a technical level."

"That is so untrue and you know it—"

"Look. I don't like it. I think it's a weak move and kind of corny and gross. But you've been planning your big graduation for years. And it's not a bad opportunity, and you're not a complete idiot. You said before that he's never inappropriate with the other girls right? You might even be the only one. As far as I'm concerned, there's no reason for you to not get laid and pass." 

"Oh, so the student-teacher thing isn't reason enough?" 

"Not if you wanna graduate it's not." 

The two of you remain at a stand-still as his words trap you into a corner. How the hell do you even deal with this information? And how on Earth is she so sure of herself anyways? You think you're pretty good with signs, at least about things like this.

But it doesn't feel like flirting. He's never flirted with any of the students in class, despite how much they seem to fawn over him. Could this weird, psychological dance you've been doing for the last twelve weeks be some sort of unspoken foreplay ritual? 

The more you think about it, the less it seems implausible to you. There's a wave after that, some cross between impending doom and shameful arousal blooming up inside of you as everything hits you all at the same time. 

When you return to reality after being trapped in your thoughts, Nobara gives you a mindful (almost pitiful) smile and shakes her head. You frown at her in reply, squeezing the bridge of your nose. 

"If it were like literally anyone else, I'd totally tell them it's a bad idea. But it's not like you're going on to date him, and you're what - 24? because of your gap year so you're not a preteen like some of the freshmen in your class. I just don't see any reason not to go for it." 

You tamp down the small voice in the back of your head, encouraging you to do - and instead ask her a follow-up question. 

"...Do you think I should attend his office hours tomorrow, yes or no? I have to email him by tonight to get the one on one." 

"Yeah. Yes. And shave before you go." 

__

You decide, for the sake of your sanity and everyone else's - to ignore Nobara's odd implications about what Professor Getou wants from you and to attend his office hours.

(That's a partial lie, you figure - given the fact you did shave, and shower before attending. You're wearing something kind of nice underneath. But you still don't think he wants to fuck you. It's more of a safety precaution than anything else.)

 You made the game plan last night that you would go, present your idea, and then beg him to be kind to you during the grading process. You even developed a list of things to sob and cry about it to generate something of a sob story if everything went awry. You've forsaken your pride. The only thing that you need to get out of this meeting is a passing grade. 

And that is, of course, by any means necessary. 

Fearing for your life, the state of your mood improves as you approach the building hosting Professor Getou's office. Of all of the people you interact with semi-regularly on campus (all of which you are quite fond of), Nobara wasn't lying about your affection for campus security guard - Toji Fushiguro.

He's an older man. Older than you by double digits, and from what you can tell - older than even your professor. You've been fond of him ever since he brought you back to your dorm after a horrible break-up with your ex as a sophomore. He's got a rough edge, and there's plenty of unverified rumors of his past. You know that he has something of a criminal record too. 

But for all of those rumors, and for all the things you hear about him - he's been one of the highlights of your campus experience. You've had a one-sided school-girl crush on him ever since that night, because you were sober enough to catch his body and how it feels. He was strong. Not in an average way. He made it so effortless when he was carrying you home in his arms - and it's not the first time you've seen him lug around things at least over 300 pounds like they were nothing. 

But attractiveness aside, he is uncharacteristically good at cheering you up. He's funny and witty, all while maintaining a cool facade. He's endearing in his own way too, and you're a little head over heels for him though you'd never push yourself to make the first move. 

Still, when he sees you come towards the building - he greets you with a wide smile. The scar over his busted lip - split open and welcoming as you run up to him for a hug. He's normally patrolling around campus, so it feels lucky to catch him where you least expect. 

He wraps you up with a single arm, your feet temporarily lifting from the ground before you get put back down again. 

"Mr. Fushiguro, what are you doing here?"

"I got moved over here since there's been some rumor about someone stealing from the labs upstairs. So I'm on lock up duty for this building 'till it gets fixed up and solved," He says, voice as smooth as ice "What about you sweetheart? It's gonna get dark out soon." 

"Ah, I have office hours with Professor Getou today. I need to consult with him about a paper." 

"That right? Just gonna be you in there, then?" 

"Yep. I'm gonna go in there and beg him for a good grade on our next assignment. So for the sake of my sanity, please wish me luck?" 

Mr. Fushiguro tilts his head to one side, grinning. 

"Wouldn't that mean you graduate sooner instead of later? Can't wish ya luck on that." He says, making you flush and letting the feeling linger before continuing "Just kiddin'. A pretty face like yours should do you just fine. Knock 'em dead." 

"I feel a lot better about it with your encouragement." You say honestly. Mr. Fushiguro gives you a laugh.

"Treat me to something if my luck makes any difference. And hurry in. Last thing you'd wanna do is be late." 

You nod, wide-eyed and dazed by how charismatic he is before you rush into the building. It's silent, given how late in the school day it is. Most people have already gone home, with the exception of the other poor souls likely chasing down their professors for the same reasons as you. 

You feel an overwhelming sensation of dread as you encroach upon Professors Getou's office. There's no one else in the close vicinity, only a few closed classrooms and students who are passing by the small corner where his door resides - most of which are making their way to leave. 

You decide to take a deep breath, calming your shaken nerves before knocking politely once on his door and entering the room. 

Professor Getou's office looks like how you'd expect it to look. It's clean, and sleek - and lacking almost completely of items of personal effect with the exception of his desk. It's the first time you've ever been inside of the room before, but it smells distinctly of him. He has that same scent surrounding him, like flicks of nicotine and a hint of bergamot. Sweet with the taste of metallic bitterness, like blood and sugar.

You feel the back of your throat bob as you see your Professor sitting at his desk. It's lacking his usual gracefulness. His shirt is unbuttoned down by three entire buttons, and his slacks seem looser. Most notable is his hair - classically long, now in a loose bun with pieces falling all on his shoulders and rolling down his neck. 

You think of what Nobara said to you earlier in the day alone, a strange and overwhelming sensation of lust and embarrassment making it difficult for you to open your voice and talk.

It's Professor Getou who greets you first. He looks up from whatever he was reading and looks at you from where you stand awkwardly at his door. His smile widens, though it's just by a little. 

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd be here. Looks like you're right on time." He says first, sitting up in his chair but not bothering to gather himself in any way otherwise "Come on in and sit. I assume you're here to talk about your grade."

 You sit across from him hesitantly, hands folded in your lap as you put your bag down on the floor. 

He studies you quietly. There's a long stretch of silence, where neither of you do anything but sit in each other's company.

He breaks the silence first.

"So, while I have a guess," He says, elbows on his desk "Do you want to talk to me about what you're here for?" 

You've practiced the dialogue in your head so many times now. What to do and how to say what you need too, but the words seem to fizzle out completely when it's time to really say them. Leaving nothing but uncertainty, you open your mouth only to close it once again. 

"Uhm," Your voice strains trying to make the words out into a coherent sentence. "I came to talk about my paper. And my grade, like you mentioned in class."

"So you decided to heed my advice? Good girl, that was a smart choice," You try not to be taken aback by the pet name - unsure if it's as inappropriate as you think it is "Do you know what virtue you want to cover?" 

"I thought I would pick uhm, righteousness - and then pull from some of the Western ethics we learned about. Making uh, connections between deontological ethics and duty and how it relates to the defined idea of righteousness," You explain nervously, an uncomfortable laugh bubbling out of your throat "How practicing duty and righteousness relate to each other."

 "Hmm. Sounds like you've had time to think about it a little, then."

"I uhm, haven't finished the reading but I did take a look over my section to see if I could make it work." 

"I think you have something to work with. You'll need to straighten out the thesis of your paper into something more tangible. I know that's an ironic ask. But I think it's a good idea," He gives you a brief glance, studies you with eyes. Snake-like. Something coils inside of you, tickles and brushes against your skin and makes the hairs on the back of your neck raise "It seems like you have something more to tell me, though." 

Do you? Is there anything more there? The answer lies indifferently on a scale from obviously to no. nothing at all and it haunts you that he's able to pick it out. 

"It's just well. Uhm. You know, I don't have the best grade in this class so I was more prepared to go down with my grade. You approved quicker than I thought you would." 

"Your grade is pretty abysmal. Did you come in here planning to beg?" 

You refrain from an instant yes, even though it's what you feel. Something about the way he says it makes your stomach clench. Your heart quickens. Your tongue feels too heavy in your mouth as you laugh uncomfortably. 

"Something like that? Uhm, or at least try to hash things out between us. I know our relationship over the c-course of the semester has been kind of sour so I…"

He cuts you off.

"Has it?" 

Your brain stutters to halt.

"Uhm. Yes?"

It's unpredictable, utterly and completely - the way he reflects on your words like you've said something incomprehensible. You aren't sure if that's sincere. You can't be sure if any of the words out of his mouth are. But he doesn't seem like he's lying. Your mind flashes to Nobara, and you find yourself speaking before you can stop it. It comes out like a flood.

 "I j-just always assumed you singled me out in class because you didn't like me? I don't mean to be accusatory, though."

"I'm afraid you've got the wrong idea," He says, shaking his head "I don't harbor any negative feelings for you at all."

"Oh," You say, eyes falling down to your lap again "Right, then." 

"You must be desperate for that passing grade, hm? If you're meeting with a professor you think hates you." 

You glance at him. 

"Well, yes. I want—need to pass this class. I've already planned my graduation for this semester." 

"And you'd be willing to do anything for that, is what you're implying?" 

"Yes," You say, with a sudden rush of unwavering confidence "Anything." 

"Let me ask you another question, then." He lets his elbows rest on the edge of his table, a familiar coy smile "Do you think there's any other reason for why I've been paying special attention to you, aside from me disliking you? You're a smart girl, so I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out." 

The weight of his words don't go unnoticed. The air feels heavy as it hangs between you. He couldn't be implying it so directly could he? Your mind drifts back to Nobara's warning to you, and your breath hitches. Your eyes widen as you glance up for the first time and give him a look of mild distress. 

And he smiles. His grin widens as soon as it dawns on you.

"Seems like you've reached an important conclusion," He says, casually - as he sits up in his chair and leans back. Stretched like nothing could get in his way "Why don't you share with the class?" 

"You," Your voice is a nervous tremor. You must be crazy. You must be completely out of your mind "...To sleep with me?" 

"See? I told you, you're a smart girl." 

The question is a burning one. One you've been wanting to ask since you started thinking about it last night. 

"B-but…why? And why me? A-and," 

"You have a tendency for being combative. You know that? An air of defiance. I can tell you're a little older than your peers. A little wiser, and a little more knowing of when to ask for help," Getou outlines, staring you down "And seeing you with that sense of desperation was exciting for me. I'm a man of simple tastes. At my age, I know what I want." 

"And I like when tough, combative, clever women turn into babbling, desperate, needy girls. I'm quite fond of it, actually." 

He's detrimentally serious. Your stomach flips. 

"Do you want to pass this class?" He asks you, an air of confidence surrounding him. You close your eyes, unsure if you can call it coercion when you're feeling so terribly willing about it. 

"Yes. I need to pass." 

"Then come up here," He gestures, widens his legs and leans back in his chair "And sit." 

Your body is burning. You don't know if you're even really in the situation, or if you've daydreamed it into something impossible. Something phantom moves you. Stands you to your feet shakily before walking in short strides. Professor Getou looks at you from where you stand over him. 

His hand brushes your outer thigh, patting it. 

"Sit." 

So you sit. You spread yourself and straddle your professor - and the reality dawns on you the minute you touch what you're doing. You haven't gotten laid in a bit, and he's nothing like anyone you've ever slept with. You feel out of your element. You get the impression he's a man, a grown one. There's a confidence in him that looms and looms and looms, overshadowing any of your doubt.

He's sexier up close. There's the faintest trace of smile lines on his expression as you look down at him. He guides your arms to loop around your neck, and holds your hips with his hands. 

Then you feel it, almost instantly - something hard and bulging pressing against the seam of your pants and against your crotch. He's already half-hard and he hasn't even kissed you. He grins at you lazily, like a cat with cream. 

"I'll pass you as soon as I put it in," His hands are so big - long, slender fingers gripping your ass "And give you extra credit when you cum for me. How's that sound?" 

You feel dirty. It's all happening so fast. Almost vulgar, but it's impossible to feel cheap. To believe in the wrongness of it when Professor Getou is so undeniably sexy. Wrong, on so many levels, to do this for the sake of your grade. Or just in general. Yet you want it, yearn for it, find the culmination of all your annoyances melting as he graces you himself. 

"I wanna pass," You say, uncharacteristically nervous about everything. You add the next part a little quieter "...I want it." 

"What do you want, exactly?" 

"Want you to fuck me." You admit, against your better judgment "Please?" 

"Gonna make a real pretty mess out of you," He says, voice smooth and serene. You look down at him. His knuckles brush against your jaw, on your cheek before his thumb holds on your lower mouth. His fingers push past the edge of your lips, sliding against your tongue and gently running along your teeth. He gags you on it, so slightly - enough to startle you but not enough to hurt. You feel spit pour from your lips. 

Thick messy strings of drool drip down the sides of your mouth. You want to back away in shame. But there's an air of intention behind the gesture. It's deliberate, the action - the mess and how it runs down your neck. Before you know it, he's kissing you in that same state. 

Professor Getou kisses like he's done it before.

His hands grip on your ass as he kisses hot and heavy. Self-assured, he sucks and bites at your mouth - sticking his tongue in and mixing his saliva with yours in a way that feels downright dirty. Yet it makes you throb, white-hot flames licking at the back of your thighs. The sparks of arousal crawl up your skin. 

Your nerves tighten as Professor Getou cups your face with one palm, kissing you with fervor. You melt into him, arms wrapped tightly around his neck. 

"Been thinking about what you would look like bent over my desk all semester," He says as he pulls away, looking on with admiration at your messy complexion "You wanna go on ahead and show me?"

Another wave of embarrassment washes over you, but you find yourself standing to your feet. Sliding your sweats off down your legs - your lower half is left bare with the exception of your feet. You lay or stomach on his desk, the cold wood sending chills up your whole body and your stomach and tits lay flat and squishy against the hard material. You stand, shoulder width apart, and present yourself in front of him. 

"That's what I like to see," His voice is rich and deep as he speaks. You can feel him inch towards you, pulling you apart with his palms before his hand comes down on your ass in one hard motion. The noise echoes against the walls of the room "See, I knew you could listen well when you had to." 

You don't say anything in reply, pressing your cheek against the desk. 

"W-what do I call you?" You ask, your voice trembling. You feel his fingers against the seam of your panties. He snaps the cotton waistband against your skin before humming thoughtfully, a light tap to your ass. 

"Getou is fine. Suguru is too. Sir if that makes you more comfortable."

 Getou makes a show of fondling you, though you can't see it - you can feel the way his eyes nearly swallow your naked lower half. How his fingers touch and prod all of your sensitive places, with some kind of keen observation. Everything Getou says is like that, keen and particular.

"Such a pretty pussy on you. Would've been such a waste if you didn't come to me."

You don't bother to ask what he means by that. Behind you, there's a noise. Of a chair rolling back, and the dull thud of knees hitting the ground. Before you know what's happening, there's a face dangerously close to your clothed pussy. The minute you try to squirm, there's a tight grip keeping you in place. He takes a deep breath. Without any real hesitance, you feel his tongue lick across the clothed material. 

In one fell swoop, he pulls your panties to one side and kisses your clit without any more real introduction. You're gripping the edge of the table you're bent over as you feel his tongue slide against the wet folds of your pussy, making your voice cry out involuntarily. Normally people would urge you to be quiet, but you got the feeling he didn't care if anyone heard you crying out for him. You get a second wave of intuition telling you he might even like it. 

A sensation of bliss washes over you as he sucks hungrily at your cunt. It feels good enough to be holy. There's such immense expertise in it that you can't help but succumb to it completely. The warm, heavy muscle gliding over sticky folds.

You're so lost in the pleasure, your mind completely blocks out the intrusion. The sense that would detect another person in the room disappears completely. You only know because of Getou, the way he stops and scoffs. It forces you to blink your eyes open. He speaks before you get the chance. 

"What are you doing here?" 

You recognize the voice instantly, and your heart drops through your stomach. 

"Thought I heard a ghost howling," Mr. Fushiguro says, his voice is rougher and deeper and older "Turn out it was just a little girl wanderin' into the woods." 

"If you can see I'm busy, why're you still here?"

You can't help but feel the second wave of overwhelming shock as you sit there, naked and unafraid. Still, they stand like nothing is wrong. Chat like they know each other somehow, but you have no idea in which way. All you can focus on is the bubbling, nauseating shame. 

"Oh god." You voice, but both others ignore. Mr.Fushiguro speaks first.

"This one is off-limits, Suguru. What kinda professor goes around fuckin' their innocent little students?"

"Just the one, Mr. Fushiguro. And I'd like to get back to business."

"Ah, no way I'm letting you off the hook. I could report this y'know? Make headlines. Ethics professor coerces student into sexual activity. It'd be big. 

Your heart drops. 

"Fuck off, would you? Does she look coerced?" 

A beat of silence. "Nah. Not with the way she's twitchin'. But it's not fun if I just let you go. How about you tap me in and I'll keep your little secret hm? She's gotta cute crush on me already."

Your heart flounces around in your chest, a muffled noise of shock escaping your lips as you squirm to move but are held, still, so firmly in place. Your expression and feelings all go through 5 stages of grief before settling at dumbfounded. They don't especially ask for your input, but you hear Professor Getou behind you.

"Fine, if it'll get you to shut up. And I'm fucking her first."

Strange. Nothing about today makes any sense. You don't miss the almost childish sense of competition in Getou's voice that changes your view of him in an instant. Humanizes him in the strangest and most unrecognizable ways. It lacks his usual virtue.

Mr. Fushiguro walks up in front of you, imposing. He's grinning, a well-worn smile on his face that you know. He helps you up, and you keep yourself upright on your arms as he grabs your chin with his palms. You look up at him wide-eyed, unsure of what to do.

"Dirty fucking girl aren't ya?" He says, though he almost sounds like he's impressed with himself 

"You into older men or is it a coincidence you're screwing 'im for your grade?"

You're speechless, and you moan a little pathetically as Getou doesn't stop eating you out. This only seems to make Mr. Fushiguro even more excited. You look up at him through wet lashes, unsure of what to do.

"Don't mind either way, just curious. Guess I'm a little sad 'cause I thought your little heart eyes around me made me special," He tells you this looking down at you, eyes locked. You can tell he's just teasing you, and it makes you twitch "But I guess that's not true, is it?"

"You're different. I uhm. Well it's true at least."

"Yeah? You're just letting both of us fuck you 'cause you're like a bitch 'n heat?"

You flush. He gives you a smile and a well-meaning laugh that makes your body feel warm with heat.

"Mind if we're a little rough on you, sweetheart?"

You shake your head.

"Good. Stick your tongue out and open your mouth for me then."

You listen, oblige the instructions almost obediently. Your face is still covered with spit from before. You watch idly, intently - as Mr. Fushiguro pulls his cock out from his black pants. The loose material covers him well, but as soon as they're down past his thighs - the outline of his cock borders on intrusive. Your eyes widen, fluttering and unfocused because it's hard to think about anything while feeling such intense pleasure.

But Mr. Fushiguro is captivating as he pulls himself out for you. His cock is thick and heavy, protruding but too much that it can't stand up on its own. Weighed down by gravity, you stare at it wide-eyed. It's the size of your forearm, so thick you can't possibly imagine what it feels like.

Your heart stammers. 

"It won't fit in my mouth." You say, gasping for air as if you're already suffocating on it "You're—you're so huge."

He laughs with an edge of snark. You blink at him in complete seriousness, taken aback. He lets the tip of his cock tap the plushness of your cheek before pressing against your lips. You stare at him, almost afraid.

"Of course it'll fit," He says in confidence "Just gotta make sure you're relaxed. So relax, sweetheart, and open your mouth for me." 

Hesitantly, you open your mouth wide. You feel the corners of your lips stretch around the intrusive, thick head of Mr. Fushiguro's cock. The taste of sweat and skin is invasive and heavy, violating your senses. Just the tip and it barely fits in your mouth. You try and concentrate, sticking your tongue out and curling it around the underneath of his cock, focusing on sucking just the tip. He groans above you, a hand on the back of your head. He doesn't force you down, but you can tell by the twitch in his fingers that he wants to.

"Look at you," He says, his voice coarse with restraint and desire "You're drooling on my cock while you're professors busy eatin' your pussy. Thought you were an innocent girl, but now I don't know what to believe."

He says this as he eases more into your mouth, slowly letting you adjust. He rocks his hips back and forth until you relax. You open yourself up, trying to focus on blowing him.

But a hand comes down on your ass, hard and heavy - making you yelp. The noise is muffled but audible. A short squeal, you can't turn your head to look 

"Don't you think you two are getting too comfortable upfront without me? I'm the one who decides your grades."

"Maybe you're not doing good enough for her to care."

You can feel a strange sense of competition between them, but you're too occupied to ask about it. How do they know each other, and for what reason do they seem so automatically hostile? It bothers you, but you can't think about it too hard.

"That's not true. Her pussy is soaking fucking wet." He punctuates his words with a harsh smack against your cunt, the force rippling through your as you bend forward and choke "Almost as messy as her face."

He's quick, again, to latch himself to your clit. He flicks it with his tongue, licking it mercilessly as your brain starts to fog up with desire. Like he's trying to prove a point, you moan around Mr. Fushiguro's cock as your pleasure starts to thrum up again. The back of your legs tense, trembling as a knot begins to uncoil in your lower stomach. The cock in your mouth moves too, using the distracted moans to ease himself even deeper into the wet, arm cavern of your mouth. 

Your head feels heavy, body weak as the both of them use you to their contents. Your stomach starts to stir as a familiar feeling of euphoria claws at you. 

You cum for the first time like that, your body pressed against a wood desk - restrained and under careful watch of two men. Your whole body explodes - white, hot nerves fraying off and ricocheting off your ribs inside of you. Your insides shake as the wave of an orgasm washes over your entire body. You gasp, clenching down hard and gasping as tremors of orgasm pulse and push through your whole body. Something in you ignites as you grip the edge of the desk for your life, trying to keep yourself upright as Getou pushes you through the orgasm. 

You've barely recovered when Mr. Fushiguros pulls out of your mouth, pressing his spit-soaked cock against your face and cheeks with a smile. You let it slide against your tongue, eyes fluttering open as your face gets covered in precum and saliva. 

"You look so fucking filthy right now, you know that? But it looks good on you. I'm dying to fuck you." 

"Mr. Fushiguro," You groan. He clicks his teeth. 

"Toji's just fine sweetheart." 

You whimper helplessly as you ride out your high. Behind you, your professor pulls away. You peek behind you to see him, flush as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. 

Toji looks down at your frazzled expression with a grin, teeth showing as he cups your jaw a second time and slides his cock back in one go. This time, he pushes his cock in the base - keeping your throat around him with a hand on the back of your head. 

"Just focus on me for now, baby. Focus on sucking me off, yeah? Just like that, easy easy. He's gonna open you up. Stretch you nice and make your pussy all sloppy. That's what you want right?" 

Getou leans over you, the weight of his body looming as you feel slender fingers slide through your sticky folds. His middle and index brush against your abused clit, rubbing a few circles into it before pulling away. He grabs your arms and positions them behind your back, gripping them in one hand to keep you restrained. You squirm against the gesture, unable to get any leeway as he holds you down. Then you feel his fingers move, middle finger catching on your wet hole as it trembles and sticks. He opens you up like this without any warning. 

His middle finger goes first - delicately intrusive as your pussy widens to accommodate him. They're so much bigger than yours. Just one feels like two of your own. You push back out of instinct but Getou doesn't let you move. He buries himself, pushing in and out until he's able to fuck your pussy all the way down to the knuckle. Once there's no longer any resistance, he pulls back and makes room for another. The sensation is duller, lets you clear your head and think even as Toji rubs his cock on your face and fucks your mouth in short ruts. 

Not enough to make you choke, but enough to smear something hot and nasty all over you. 

Professor Getou repeats the process with his pointer, pushing and stretching and opening until you can't fight it anymore. With two fingers, he scissors them trying to make your insides soft enough for him to take you. 

"You're stretching out for me like it's nothing. You must be turned on, hm? Like getting all your holes used like this? Getting your face-fucked by a man old enough to be your father?" 

Toji laughs harshly, smacking your face lightly, enough it doesn't hurt but enough to make you feel it. 

"She loves it. She's clenching down on you tight ain't she?" 

"Sure is. All this for a grade. Maybe I should've bullied you about it a little more first. Since you're so eager." 

"Gonna give her extra credit for this?"

"I should deduct points for the fact you're even near here."

He laughs good-naturedly at this point, and you're still having trouble making sense of their relationship. You manage to speak for the first time in forever, voice barely there as you go to question them. You're not expecting any solid answers. 

"How do you two know each other?" You ask, before Toji starts fucking your mouth again 

"Goes a long way back. And we're still on bad terms, so congrats on bringing us together, sweetheart. Kind of an expected reunion really." 

"He's been working here since Professor Gojo and I were students here and we knew him from before. A long story. Don't worry your pretty little head about it." 

The burning question is quick to fade out of your mind as you feel your professor's clothed bulge rest against your cunt. You moan, a clipped needy sound as you nearly beg him to fuck you. Toji bends over you this time, reaching back to spread your pussy open by grabbing your ass. You can feel the grip of his hands, strong and assured. 

"She's gettin' impatient. Give it to her." 

"Don't need your help with that." Getou spits, irritation sounding in his words. 

"Consider it an apology." 

The air of tension is there temporarily, before Getou pulls his cock from the confines of his boxers. You can't see it, eyes squeezed tight as you work your mouth and tongue Toji's length. You can feel it though. He makes a show of rubbing his cock against your puffy, sore cunt. You get a feel for its shape as he pushes it between your thighs and lets it cling in between your lips. Professor Getou's cock is longer and more narrow, but it curves upright. It's hard, throbbing between your legs. Whining helplessly you wiggle your ass again. You feel increasingly restless about needing something inside of you. You're still bound though, completely and utterly unable to move. Toji's hand comes down heavy on your ass as you do, clicking his teeth in faux irritation. 

"Don't fucking move unless you want my handmark on your ass forever," He says, his voice cool and forgiving "Impatient." 

Getou must feel something inside of him merciful enough to keep you waiting. Even with all the stretching and prep, the minute you feel the head of your cock push through - something inside of you snaps. It's still so big, still too much, still reaches a part of you so deep you didn't know it was there. The position itself - still being on your stomach, makes it reach so much farther than other positions. The raw, skin-to-skin contact leaves your tummy fluttering, skin prickling with heat. Your top is pushed up enough to expose your lower back and your skin is pulsing. You feel like your whole body is on fire, suspended between men so much older than that want nothing more than to fuck you.

Every time you try to wiggle away from the sensations, Toji's hand comes down heavy on your backside. It doesn't matter how minuscule the movement. If he gets the idea that you're going to try and pull away, he spanks you hard enough that the room echoes with the sound. Your skin tingles, phantom sensation left before as you're held open and made to take your professor's cock - obedient and wanting. 

Inch by miserable inch, it takes forever to take him down to the base. Your toes curl, eyes shut and mouth sloppily trying to keep up with the cock in your mouth and just barely succeeding. 

He groans behind you, shuddering 

"That's incredible," He praises, and it feels so good to hear him saying something so overtly kind you don't know if you want to laugh or cry "Your pussy is fucking incredible. Shit."

"You hear that? You gotta. Pussy's twitchin' like crazy. Ass is too, how cute." 

"Feels sho good," You slur, brain clear of any and all rational thought as a string of saliva drips down your chin "Please fuck me, please,"

"You heard her teach."

Toji lets go of you and returns back to where you are. He pulls his cock away from you, instead holding you up and cupping your mouth open. He kisses you, after everything - with all of his pre-spend in your mouth before spitting into it harshly and kissing it again.

"Such a pretty face you're makin' right now." He says, something of a warm and unprecedented affection to it "So excited to get your pussy filled up."

He leans you on him, lets you wrap around his midriff, and squeeze tight while he pets the back of your hair in a strange streak of affection. You don't know what to make of anything. All you can feel is the long cock pounding into you without any mercy. Razor-sharp thrusts, nudging against your swollen g-spot and pounding into your cunt with immeasurable force. A man so much older than you is fucking you, pounding your pretty little pussy, and turning you into a complete mess. He's meant to be a mentor to you, but he has his cock imprinting itself inside of you over and over and over.

Your stomach feels hot again, but some other feeling takes you over as Toji cradles you - watching you just as intently. He talks you through with confidence you can't entirely understand.

"Yeah, that's it. Tighten up for him, just like that. Feels good doesn't it? I know baby, I know."

You whine out in Toji's arms as he talks you through it. Behind you, you feel Getou's grip hold you tight as he pistons you. The sound of his thighs smacking against your ass is noisy, almost as noisy as your pussy. Slick wet, sounding each time he thrusts.

"I'm not gonna last like this, shit." He pumps into you a few more types before his hips stutter to a halt. He cums with his cock buried deep inside of you, filling you all the way to the brim. You feel his white, hot seed fill your belly, cock twitching as he unloads and makes your legs shake.

A sense of emptiness overwhelms you as Getou pulls out, landing a hit on your ass as he shakes. He kisses your spine. 

The two of them switch places without communicating with each other about it. Getou pulls out, and away - coming back in front of you and picking you up in his arms as Toji positions himself behind you. He spreads your cunt out with his fingers, examining the seed left over with a light laugh. 

"Gonna fuck into your sloppy little cunt, give you another load where you need it and make you cum." Toji says, not hesitating at all. You feel your breathing start to quicken as he takes the same positions as before. 

Toji doesn't neglect touching you as his arm curls around your waist, calloused fingertips brushing against your clit before his cock pushes into you. Your pussy takes him much easier, but even so - Toji is just so thick, you can't help but feel him all over again. This time, Getou has you in his arms, holding and guiding you. Your hands are curled around his bicep and lower spine as you're held up. 

Toji's thrusts are slower, but just as rhythmic - focused on bringing you to another orgasm. It's duller this time, the sensation more focused and spread. Toji is so big you feel it in your hips, your entire lower half tingling as he pumps his cock in and out of you. He gives you all of his attention, staving off his own orgasm as Getou encourages you with his own words. 

"Gonna cum again, pretty? Take another man's cum in you right after me? You want to, right? Take it all in, every drop. You've earned it."

You feel your insides tighten again, for a second time - in a miraculous span. Every muscle in your body tenses and contracts as both sensations work in tandem to bring you closer to your edge. 

Your nerves fire off a second time as you push yourself to the limit. Toji fucks you through another orgasm with ease, thrusting with each tremor until you've ridden out your high. His own orgasm and chase come not long after that fact. 

As soon as you've gone totally limp underneath him, he sheaths himself as deep as he can. Bent over you, he cums hard and deep, filling you to the brim a second time.

There's a brief moment of silence as Toji rides out his high, where all three of you sit in silence.

You find yourself limp as you lay there, Toji pulling out and Getou slowly letting you down before you look up with a tired expression. 

"...So, did I pass?"

Your professor laughs harder than you've ever seen him laugh.

"With flying colors."

[avissapiens]

Jockbull Summer Final Week Set B (1/1/24-7/1/24)

Model Used is Oliver Forslin

The bulk of this set was a total wash ngl

1.

Started on a totally new training regiment. A modified Prebuilt PPL from Jeff Nippard (registered Shortstack big titty science bro). So im usually more honed in on that and I want to give myself as good a chance as possible with the new movements. That unfortunately doesn’t mean freeballing it.

2.

Ideally i’d like to work at my own gym once this is all over. Maybe get some of the richer high schoolers with Mommy’s money to hire me out so they stop training like morons. But it came to my attention that they already hired on 2 new trainers out of nowhere that i’d never seen before. So who knows. The alternative course would be applying at my University rec center now that it’s finally reopened. It would mean a massive readjustment of my schedule and soo much stress having to come in on days i don’t even have school. But it would mean a bit of extra security in income since the school would pay out of the Student’s rec center registrations. Plus, there are a fair few studs on campus. Not many since it's a research university in the middle of a city, but there are some. I suppose the final option that might end up blowing up in my face is leveraging the 4 years of hard community building work i've done and going into Online coaching. Combine the hypno spin with an actual plan to help dudes transform. I think that's pretty reasonable.

3.

Got a single one of these in on probably the worst day to get it in on. No sleep. Minor fever. House bullshit and an infinite amount of fucking stress leading on to the rest of the week. And then the next day realizing that 25 mins straight of decently high resistance cycling isn’t great for my fucking knees. Sighhhh. The relationship with cardio is so precarious.

4.

Same justification as number 1. This Nippard programme has Dropsets integrated intp some of the exercises and I want to stick to it fairly closely. It’s not bad, but the stimulus to fatigue feels so weird. I don’t get crazy pumps from it which is a bummer cause i’m FINALLY back on carbs and could swell tf up. But this workout tuckers me out and leaves me sore the next few days. Which doesn’t normally happen unless its for novel movements. Interesting state of things Mr Nippard. I shall keep at it for now but i feel like i got a better stimulus with my own designed workout.

5.

Speaking of being back on carbs. The first couple weeks of shifting from a heavy cut to maintainence again (roughly. I imagine i’m still in a slight deficit), is that your body retains more water again because of the new replenished thirsty carb stores. This means I look fairly soft, fairly round. Especially in my cheeks. SOooooo fewer pics taken because i would like to not take psychic damage.

[n3rmal]

emergency character commissions

hi!! i am reopening my commissions as i am again in a time of need. more info about these commissions and my situation below the cut! boosts appreciated!! have a nice day ty for reading

prices listed in the image above are regardless of complexity! full body commissions are also open but their prices will be a case-by-case basis decided by their complexity, estimated $80 by default.

payment is done only through PayPal or Wave! i do invoices and take full payment upfront now for commissions under $100, and 50% before start and 50% upon completion if over $100.

contact me either here through dms, discord at juppiter#7800, or via email at juppiter-5@proton.me if you’re interested!! the turnaround for these is within a month, likely within 1-2 weeks if a bust or half body.

my site is here if you’d like to see my gallery with more examples of my work or if you’d like to see my commission queue! it is currently empty as of the making of this post.

if you’re curious about my situation, i am desperately in need of grocery money and money to renew my license and car registration. the alternator went out on it back in april, and last month i finally was able to replace it, but now the total price for my license that just expired and the tags for my car is about $300. i would also like to get enough commissions to back some extra money for my cats as next month i’ll need to restock up on their food and litter, so i am taking on as many slots as i can reasonably handle. i am currently completely unemployed and have been for about 6 months now, so my savings have finally dwindled and i didn’t have enough to put aside for my car tags and whatnot since the alternator was the same price so here we are. i’ve kinda just run out of money in general and have been struggling a lot since a recent schizoaffective diagnosis and i think doing art for work is the healthiest way for me to kinda get back on my feet atm. anyways ... if you read through all of this i can’t thank you enough for your time, and hope you have a nice day! if you boost this or shoot me a message i love you forever! okay i will stop typing now goodbye love u

[aventurasdeunatortuga]

Beijing

The past week or so has been spent in Beijing with my best friend from college, Irene. Irene has been living in Beijing since 2019 and teaches English at a high school here. I’ve really enjoyed getting to see her neck of the woods and have been so grateful to have her as a guide because China, especially Beijing, is very overwhelming.

I’ve been to Beijing before, in 2018, but it was just for a day and a half and things have changed a lot since then. Beijing is definitely comparable at least in my experience to Mexico City. It is absolutely enormous and a beast to get around in, but there is so much to see and do and every neighborhood is so interesting and different. After being here a week I’ve barely scratched the surface, but I’ll go through by day.

Day 1, Sunday

We spent most of the day traveling from Macau to Beijing and getting ourselves situated. I was very nervous about flying into Mainland China as they are quite strict at border control and only very recently reopened the border to foreigners. Things only recently opened back up about 3 months ago. I made it through without a problem though and we made our way to the place I’m renting for the week. China does not allow foreigners to stay with residents without going through a long and arduous registration process, so I’m staying in an apartment about 25 minutes away from Irene, which is considered very close by Beijing standards.

Absolutely everything in China is done via apps and QR codes. Everything from riding the bus to ordering food in a restaurant to getting a taxi to paying your water bill; it is all done via apps that are mainly in Chinese. Thank goodness for Irene helping me get all the right apps set up showing me the ropes. After a week here I’ve finally figured out how to do most things by myself. It is certainly very convenient, you don’t need to talk to anyone or even carry around a wallet in most places.

In the evening we did a food tour with Lost Plate tours, it was really cool because they took us around to a lot of off the beaten track restaurants you’d never be able to find on your own and we tried some really amazing dishes.

All of the restaurants were in the Wudaoying Hutong, one of the historic neighborhoods in central Beijing. In total we visited 4 restaurants.

We tried 炸酱面 (zhajiangmian) hand pulled noodles with savory plum sauce and fresh vegetables (my personal favorite), 烤肉(kao rou) old school Mongolian style barbecue cooked with hot briquettes right on your table with a flat grill top. The style originated with soldiers building cook-fires literally inside their helmets, laying their shields on top, and cooking on that. We also had 门钉肉饼 (men ding rou bing) gigantic pork buns, fried on both sides and 春饼 (chun bing) spring pancakes with a variety of fillings. We rode on rickshaws around the hutong to get in between the different restaurants, it was so much fun. By the time we finished at a brewery after the fourth restaurant, we were absolutely stuffed, and made our way back for the night. Beijing is in a heat wave right now, with temperatures ranging from 95-104 degrees every day for the past 2.5 weeks, but in the evening in the hutongs it finally cooled down a bit and it was really lovely to walk around and see the neighborhood.

Day 2, Monday

Today was a lot more laid back. Irene had to work today, that meant that I stayed in my apartment in the air conditioning to rest and recover from the last crazy few days. I ventured out a bit in the afternoon to a nearby mall to find food. Malls in Asia are no joke, they are like small cities with every single kind of store you can think of. In the evening Irene and I walked back to that same mall and ate at a Mexican restaurant, then we walked a bit and explored the Chaoyang area I’m staying in. Even this one small area is enormous, we’ve been averaging about 20,000 steps a day even without doing all that much today. We saw the local river, the Liangma River, and visited another mall. It was very beautiful.

Day 3, Tuesday

Today was another rest day, I did not leave my room until 5pm today. It’s hard feeling like I’m missing out on things when I take rest days; but I’m in China for about 3 more weeks, and know that if I don’t take these rest days I will burn out from exhaustion very quickly. Especially with our trend of walking 8+ miles every day in 90+ degree weather.

In the evening we met up with a former student of Irene’s, Vicki, for Beijing style hot-pot. If you’re not familiar with hot pot it is exactly as it sounds, you’re given a hot pot of broth or hot water and tons of ingredients that you can add in as you choose to cook in the pot and take out as they become ready to eat. Beijing style is a little different because instead of being heated from underneath on a hot plate or stove; a very tall burning hot cylinder is with hot briquettes is placed directly inside the pot, with a little chimney at the top for the smoke to escape. It’s hard to describe, so see the video above to see what it’s like. We ate so much food and were absolutely stuffed.

Later we walked to the Central Business District (known as CBD in Beijing 😆). There were tons of skyscrapers and interesting buildings, its where all the major Chinese corporations have their headquarters. We took photos at a famous building known as the “Pants” building because it looks literally like a pair of pants.

Day 4, Wednesday

Today was my last partial rest day for a while. Irene got off work early today so in the afternoon I met up with her and we went to 798, which is the former industrial area turned trendy artists’ neighborhood. There were a lot of abandoned factories here that have been turned into artists’ residences, studios, and galleries and is near Beijing’s major art colleges. There was a lot of public art that was cool to see. We ate at a giant shaved ice place and ordered way too much food. Who knew ice was so filling 😂

Later I got to visit Irene’s apartment, and then she packed a bag to come stay the night at my place as we had an early start tomorrow. We ordered dim sum delivery and watched dramas which in my book is an excellent evening.

Day 5, Thursday

Today was spent visiting Irene’s school. Back when I was teaching university level English in Mexico City, Irene was able to visit me and spend the day at my school so it was really cool to do it the other way around today.

Irene’s school is absolutely enormous. It is a K-12 private boarding school on the outskirts of Beijing. It reminded me a lot of a US college campus. Most of the students except for the young students and students who come from other provinces live on campus during the week and go home on the weekends. Most of these students plan on attending college abroad at prestigious universities in places like the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia after graduating. They get English instruction from a very young age and are thus very fluent by the time they graduate.

Irene teaches grade 10-12 English, with between 8-20 students per class. I was amazed by how self-sufficient and responsible the majority of the students were (compared to my absolutely feral first graders back home). They were doing a study of the story The Most Dangerous Game and then created characters to role play in a DnD campaign based on the story; which I thought was really cool. Irene’s prep period was right before the lunch break, so we had a full 2.5 hours for lunch. We ate Xinjiang cuisine at a mall nearby the school, Xinjiang is in northwestern China bordering Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan so the cuisine was a unique mix of Middle Eastern and Chinese food; it was really really good. We didn’t realize we were eating there on the Eid holiday though and the restaurant was packed.

Later after teaching 3 classes Irene introduced me to a student of hers that wants to be an elementary school teacher after graduating. I hope I didn’t scare her off too much from the field. It was really cool but weird to talk with someone that age who is considering colleges and careers; I’m 29 and still feel like a kid most of the time, but thinking back to being 16/17 and thinking about how much I’ve learned and grown and experienced since then was very eye opening. Irene and I gave her a lot of advice about college etc. and we remembered being 21 and having all these anxieties about graduating and finding a job and all that and wow it is crazy how time flies and we are able to actually give advice about that stuff, it feels like just yesterday we were stressing about the exact same things she is stressing about.

In the evening we went to one of Irene’s favorite restaurants, The Taco Bar. Way back in 2013 Irene studied abroad in Beijing and was missing the easy access to Mexican cuisine we have in the US (specifically burritos) and went on a legendary search we now refer to as The Burrito Quest where she searched out and tried every single Mexican restaurant in Beijing, which is harder than it sounds. The Taco Bar didn’t have burritos, but it was hands down the winner of best Mexican restaurant in Beijing according to Irene. She has been coming here since 2013 even when their original location closed down, to their new location, and through the pandemic. We had an enormous amount of food and again ended the day extremely stuffed.

We had planned on this being our goodbye dinner, but we had discovered that Irene’s apartment had had a power cut. Rather than spend the night in darkness in 103 degree heat she decided to stay at my place again. But this meant embarking on an odyssey across Beijing to her apartment to get her stuff since she is traveling again this weekend; and then going back to my place for the air conditioning; this journey on Beijing public transport at rush hour during a heat wave was a major feat.

After 19,000 steps and a 2.5 hour trek we finally collapsed back at my place to sleep.

Day 6 Friday

Early in the morning I said goodbye to Irene as she headed off to work, she is traveling this weekend so she was going to the airport straight from work. I’ll really miss traveling with her, although I love solo travel, the best way to travel I think is with a close friend.

Today was my sightseeing day. I’ve been to Beijing before and have seen The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Great Wall before; and given the heat had no desire to confront the crowds there again.

So on Irene’s recommendation today I visited the Summer Palace. It is an enormous complex where the emperor would visit in the summer months in northern Beijing. It is much smaller than the main palace at the Forbidden City in central Beijing, but even so it was enormous. The emperor had it constructed when the capital of China was moved to Beijing in the 1300’s and many elements of the palace were modeled after areas in other places in China that the emperor liked.

There was a shopping street modeled after a town in southern China that I’m visiting later on in this trip. It is famous for being built on the water and it was my favorite area in the palace. There was an enormous manmade lake that was built to be Beijing’s emergency water supply and modeled after a famous lake in Kunming and was used to train naval officers. It was truly enormous. The land excavated from building the lake was used to create a 200ft tall hill upon which the palace itself was constructed. There were also literally thousands of smaller structures built throughout the massive forest grounds. I sat next to an old man on a bench for about 40 minutes while I ate a snack and did some people watching. Everyone else was moving so much and there were so many people but me and that old man were just vibing.

Most of the palace was looted by the British in the late 1800s, but the buildings themselves and natural structures were in amazing condition and it was really cool to see, albeit the heat.

Then I headed over to Nanluoguxiang hutong, another historic neighborhood in central Beijing. This is considered to be rather touristy, most of the original buildings were destroyed in renovations of the city, but were reconstructed to look like traditional neighborhoods in Imperial China, called hutongs. It is a very beautiful area, with streams and lots of people walking about. I visited here in 2018 and it was my favorite area of Beijing to just walk around in. I had some lunch and explored for a while and did some shopping.

My final stop of the day was Baiyunguan, the White Cloud Temple in southern Beijing. It is one of the oldest Taoist temples in China and is nearby a famous Taoist College. By this point in the day I was pretty exhausted from the 103 degree heat and having spent about 6 hours on public transportation and walking in crowded tourist sites. It was incredible to walk into the temple from the loud crowded street and immediately felt how calm and quiet it was. It was literally completely silent except for the wind and the birds.

I walked around the temple for a while. Taoism is one of several traditional Chinese religions, which work in synch with each other. Many Chinese people practice elements of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and animism. Taoism is all about finding balance and peace in the natural world. The temples themselves are actually called 观 (guan) which translates to look at or observe. This comes from the Taoist belief that understanding comes from looking at or observing the natural world, so the temples are places to look and observe. There were lots of very beautiful areas, some statues of deities people offered incense to, and lots of displays of art and calligraphy. It was very peaceful and a nice way to end the day.

I made my way back and collapsed for the rest of the day.

That’s it for Beijing, I’m amazed if you made it all the way through this very long post. It was great to spend time here. I am writing this post on a plane ride to my next stop, Zhangjiajie in Hunan province in south central China. Stay tuned!

[kopivie]

violet is starting to seriously worry about me..

in his defense, i'm stressed. there was a line about three blocks long for some new release at work today, i worked a 9 hour shift with a non-stop line, i had to try and greet family members, impress corporate executives who happened to visit, tend to each request...

...not to mention i'm still trying to scrounge up money to pay for school necessities, get classes when registration reopens next week, get access to my bins so i can pack, figure out transportation and solidify a routine and schedule...

so i guess he has every right to be worried. i do find it cute, however, that he tries to pamper me sometimes. (granted, that pampering sometimes leaves me... exhausted. but it's a good kind of exhausted. a welcome one.)

he's insisting that i cancel my pick-up shift tomorrow so i can rest. ("seriously babes, just call out. you have so much going on, you can't keep going like this," etc.) and i guess he's right. so i'm gonna eat and smoke a new pre-roll that i bought a few days ago. smells pretty strong.

[glimmerbugart]

Art Plans, Ideas and Projects

Now that Spring break is over for school, it’s time to get back into the swing of things and get busy planning more projects, swaps and fun for the members of The Creative Art Village! And I can’t wait! I’ve got so many ideas bubbling over the top of my brain that I can’t seem to work fast enough to write them all down. Just when I think I’ve got everything set, I think of about 10 more fun projects! But I guess this is a good problem to have.

Since the doors are currently closed to new members of our exclusive group, I’ll let you in on a little of what we’ve had going on inside.

One word is “FABULOUS”!

Watching these members create such wonderful pieces is so exciting and energizing. I am amazed by their ideas and creative brains. A few of our members are absolute rock stars when it comes to making journals and books. The details and finishing touches for these projects are simply eye-popping! A couple other members are really rocking it with watercolors and have shared with me their paintings and projects that they’ve been working on. It’s so exciting to me to see how different artists interpret the same project.

This coming week members of the Village will get access to a bonus lesson, some fun printables, a couple of product reviews of new supplies and more. Lots to share and show to our group!

I also just sent out the first batch of Happy Mail to each of the members of our Village. Who doesn’t like to get Happy Mail?! Because they are so wonderful and have taken the plunge with me into creating this group, I put together packages of goodies for each of the Village members to enjoy and create with. This is something I’m planning to do on a regular basis for my members, to remind them how fabulous and appreciated they are! Spread joy and happiness, this is what I say!

Registration for The Creative Art Village is currently closed, but will be reopening in May. I encourage you to come and join us in our joy-filled and supportive art community. I promise it’ll be something you’ll enjoy being a part of! If you’d like to get on the VIP waiting list and be notified when the doors open, click here.

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                          Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                                            Volume 7 Issue 13                                                                                                Week of March 20, 2023                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing

EDITOR:  Wonderful news to report:  Pat’s Cash and Carry will reopen on Tuesday, March 21. They plan to open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-4pm.  I was so excited to get this wonderful news.  Karen’s daughters will resume the duties to continue to serve our community. “Pat’s” has been a community gathering place throughout my whole life.  As a little girl in the 1960s, I remember going down there for crickets to go fishing, an ice cream cone, or a can of kerosene for a heater.  “Pat’s” was a vital part of existence then, and still is now.  “Pat’s” is like going home for a visit.  It was back then, and it surely is now.  Go visit the girls as they carry the torch of their mother, into another generation, for your family, and for theirs.  We miss Karen dearly. But, I know her sweet spirit will be felt and that she is smiling down from her new home in heaven, proud of her girls.  LRMartin  

Town of SALEM: Community Easter Egg Hunt April 8th. Help share the true meaning of Easter.  You can help this mission by dropping of wrapped candy at the Town Hall.         SALEM LIBRARY:  Open Monday 10am-6pm– Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm. Cliffs Resident Outreach: Free monthly books from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) are available.    Any child under the age of 5 is eligible. Registration can be done thru a form at the Salem Library or on line thru the DPIL website.     Books are mailed monthly at NO COST!  864-944-0912 for Library assistance.                                                                  

There was a great turnout for the Rosa Clark Mobile clinic last week.  Thank-you.                                                            

AnMed Mobile Mammography Coach had a great turnout at the Eagles Nest Art Center on March 18, from 8:30am until about 12:30pm when the last mammogram was done.  Remind your sisters and girlfriends:  Lives can be saved when cancer is detected early.                                                                    

Jottings by Jeannie        by Jeannie Barnwell

What an opportunity! Rosa Free Mobile Health Services                                   

A next door neighbor Nellie announced that she was going to have her eyes checked up at Eagles Nest Arts Center.   My response, " Nellie, you are wasting your time!  Those free services are only for homeless people.  Hardworking middle class people like you and me-- we have to make appointments and drive to Seneca or Anderson and pay big bucks!"           "No!" declared Nellie. "Call 882-4664 to learn all about the services soon to be available for us.  In fact, a $400,000 bus is coming soon to offer free mammography, just like you get in the hospital.   VERY IMPORTANT:  Please take advantage of these new services!  If T/S people don't show up, then the visiting Health Services will go elsewhere. Here are some of the services offered: Vision testing, Mammography, Screenings for: blood pressure, cholesterol. diabetes, hemoglobin, and hearing.  Now you know Miz Jeannie refers to herself as "the little Scottish girl." I ain't little, but I am Scottish, and I enjoy saving time and money.   Laddies and Lassies! Let's save time and money by utilizing the advantages provided at Eagles Nest Arts Center.  We will keep you posted when the next clinics come.  Love Ya, Miz Jeannie      

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP 13412 N Hwy 11 Open Wed-Sat 8am-9pm. Sun 2pm-7pm.  Events this week: Thurs:  Old Time Jam 6:30pm Fri– FOOD: Palmetto Spoon ,  Music: Owen Grooms at 6:30pm.  Sat–Music: RJ Grady at 4pm Rachel Van Slyke 6:30pm Food: OPUS Trust Oyster Roast 3pm-7pm It is best to pre-purchase your tickets to ensure you have oysters.  Will sell until they are all gone.  Country Gumbo for the non-oyster patrons.    Sunday: 2pm –7pm                                                              Book Club on Wed, March 22nd at 10:00am at Jocassee Valley Brewing Company.  We will be discussing Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen.  Join us for interesting conversation.                                                                                

Ashton Recalls by Ashton Hester

Here is the second installment of the DAR School memoir:                                  DAR SCHOOL STUDENT FROM 1942-1946 RECALLS EXPERIENCES - (Second Installment). . .Soon after we arrived we were sent to the infirmary to get shots and be tested to see if we had TB. This was done by Dr. Boggs of Greenville and the school nurse who we called Mother Frazier. They were also supposed to draw a vial of blood for other tests, but when they tried to draw my blood they couldn't get any. They tried several times but finally gave up. When Mother Frazier would see me going across the campus she would say, "There goes the girl who hasn't got a drop of blood". . .The first time we went to the dining room to eat, I was about to sit at the first table I came to, but an older girl told me, "You can't sit here, it's reserved." I didn't know what "reserved" meant, and I began to cry. Then this real nice girl told me, "Come here, honey, you can sit at my table." I was so thankful for her. . .That night I became real homesick, and I wrote Mama a letter saying I wanted to return home and asking her to come get me. She wrote back saying I had to stay, because if I left, Mrs. Kirksey would be so disappointed. So I toughed it out and soon got over being homesick. . .All the students called Mr. and Mrs. Cain "Daddy Ralph" and "Mama Lillian." They became our adopted parents. . .Maggie and I were given jobs to do, since the school was allowing us to work instead of having to pay tuition. . .My first job was making uniforms for the students. The uniforms we wore through the week were of medium blue Indian head material, but the Sunday ones were of Navy blue gabardine. We wore them with a white collar. . .I thoroughly enjoyed making uniforms because I had always wanted to sew, but Mama was afraid I would break her sewing machine needle. They were hard to replace during the war. . CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.                                                           

EAGLES NEST ART CENTER , 501c3, 4 Eagle Lane, Salem                              Treasure Shop– The Eagles Nest Treasure Store will open on Saturday April 1, 2023  at 9am-3pm.                                                                                          ENAC Hosts BLESSING OF THE BIKES: Saturday April 1, 2023, 1pm-4pm Sons of the Savior M/M, Redeemed Chapter.  This is on outside event.  There will be music, competitions, a prayer tent, and a youth tent.   Come check it out.   

Seat Naming Opportunity at the ENAC:  Alumni and Teachers have had the exclusive offer of naming a seat in our auditorium.  A single name is 200 and a couple or family  is 250.  This makes a wonderful gift in a special place we all share and will help us continue to support our sacred school grounds.  We have opened the opportunity for the community to purchase a seat.   Please call Darlene at  710-8758 or email eaglesnestartcenter@gmail.com for more information.     

Tamassee DAR offers Spring Break Camp:  April 3-7, 7:30am-pm.  Breakfast and Lunch and afternoon snack included.  Open to all children K-8th grade.  Fee 100-120/ week. Register 864-944-1390 Ext 118.  Have fun enjoying activities and learning.

Happy First Day of Spring! It reminds me of my favorite childhood book by Margaret Wise Brown “Home for a Bunny.”  …….Spring Spring Spring sang the robins, Spring Spring Spring sang the frogs….the leaves burst out, the flowers burst out, and robins burst out of their eggs….it was Spring…… 

Prayer: Thank you Lord, for new beginnings, and your constant love that surrounds us.  Amen

Happy Spring! Stay warm! LRM 

[kayla1993-world]

P.E.I. power outages climb back over 11,000 14 days after Fiona, but all Charlottetown students back in school

More P.E.I. students returned to the classroom Friday morning as all Charlottetown schools reopened, but Maritime Electric is learning there are more individual power outages than previously estimated. As the island's main utility restores power to more communities and neighborhoods, it has been able to check in on individual problems. Those newly revealed problems have driven up reported outages from about 8,300 on Wednesday to more than 11,000 on Friday morning. Maritime Electric is still aiming to have most customers' power restored by Sunday. A list is available on the company's website detailing where power outages remain and when the lights should be back on. Areas like Murray River, Brackley Beach, and Cavendish are expected to have electricity by the end of Friday. Only one school on P.E.I. remains closed in the wake of the storm. Prince Street Elementary, Queen Charlotte Intermediate, St. Jean Elementary, and West Kent have been closed for nearly two weeks but reopened Friday.  Officials told CBC News earlier this week that although the schools had been physically ready to open, unsafe conditions in the areas surrounding the schools made it impossible to do so. But according to a provincial press release issued Thursday, the schools are now ready to welcome back students. "Parents are encouraged to walk children to school or their bus stops until they are assured the route is safe," the release said. École Évangéline in Abram-Village is still closed after facing major damage in the storm and will likely be unusable for several months. Classes are being relocated to L'Exposition Agricole and le Festival Acadien grounds. The class is expected to start on Tuesday. The Canadian Red Cross is continuing to accept registrations for support following Fiona. The organization said more than 14,700 island households have received $250 in financial assistance so far.

[donald-trump-official]

Ok so instead of the usual trump chatter (which includes investigations into members of congress and their potential involvement in the Jan 6th riot... yummy), I’m gonna hit everyone with some good news instead!

As it turns out, a democrat house with a senate willing to actually hear their bills DOES know what their constituents want, because within the past week they’ve passed four BIG pieces of legislation targeted directly at some major liberal/progressive concerns.

First, the house passed a $1.9 trillion relief package last Friday, which includes another round of stimulus checks, additional payments for dependents, $20 billion for vaccine distribution, $170 billion to help schools reopen, $350 billion for state and local government relief, and a $15 minimum wage for federal workers by 2025.

This bill originally included raising the NATIONAL minimum wage to $15 an hour, but the Democrats opted to remove it so they would be able to get it onto Biden’s desk with their slim majority in the senate. Word is they may attempt to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour with a stand-alone bill, but that has yet to be introduced.

Second, the house passed the Equality Act last Thursday, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. This bill is a huge step forwards in the fight for LGBT rights, because there is currently no law at the federal level that bans discrimination based on gender identity, or sexual orientation. It’s something Biden promised he would do in his first 100 days, and something the Democrats have been trying to do for years now.

Third, the Democrats passed the George Floyd Justice and Policing act on Wednesday, which is the first step in the fight against criminal justice reform. It bans the use of chokeholds nationwide and removes qualified immunity, making it easier to hold the police accountable for their actions. On top of this, it restricts no-knock warrants, mandates data collection during police encounters, and prohibits racial and religious profiling.

Lastly, they passed HB1 on Wednesday as well, otherwise known as the “For The People Act”. It is the largest and most comprehensive piece of voting legislation to be passed since the voting rights act of 1965. It tackles a wide range of voter suppression issues, including gerrymandering, citizens United, and putting an end to voter roll purges. It includes automatic voter registration, expands early voting, expands mail-in voting, and even requires presidential candidates to release their tax returns (wink)

Really, all of this is great news! This is exactly why it was so crucial for the Democrats to regain control of congress and the presidency, so bills like this have a chance at becoming law. It’s exciting to see congress return to working on these kinds of issues, especially after 6 years of Mitch McConnell killing anything that didn’t appease his rich buddies. And it’s reassuring to know they’re not just doing nothing anymore, they’re actually trying. They’re actually trying.

And while it’s so important to remember that there are issues with these bills, particularly with the stimulus bill, and that there is so much more to them than what I’ve summarized here, AND that they still need to make it past 50 Republican senators hell bent on killing them as quickly as possible, we still need to take some comfort, just a little bit of joy out of knowing that this is the first step to these bills becoming law. The first step to what could be some major social change for the better. The process to tackling major issues like gay rights and criminal justice reform has begun, and even though it’s still a long, uphill fight ahead before any of these become law, the simple fact that they were introduced, passed, and will now be debated on in the senate is a small victory that deserves to be celebrated.

[frostdeer]

“A tiny island of doom and gloom”

That’s p much our country right now.

If you are wondering why I might seem a bit more “well fuck everything” than usual (I know it’s been my default mindset), well, WE HAVE A SITUATION. I know the entire world has a situation, but in the words of our PM, we truly are “best in covid” these days.

Under the cut, because, boy, I wrote more than I expected to write.

CNN article here covered it kinda nicely: 

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/28/europe/czech-republic-coronavirus-disaster-intl/index.html

I would also like to comment on a few things from the article:

“ It has a democratically elected government. “

- Yes, we do. But the very same government is led by a PM that has been criminally investigated for the past 3 years (I think) due to some not-really-legally-gained EU funds for his private business (hello?!) and there have been demonstrations against him for the past 2+ years. He has been asked to resign many many times, not just by the public, but also by some other politicians.

“Speaking in the Parliament on Friday, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš admitted his government has made "far too many mistakes," but said it was not the time to argue about the past. “

- Yes, he has admitted. But will he resign, as he was asked multiple times before because of these bad decisions of this government? No, of course not. There’s election in autumn, and he needs all the brownie points so his party gets elected again so he can stay in power. Even if he says his actions aren’t politically motivated, but, really? Does anyone believe that? Really? #ohwell

We had 3 ministers of health in the past year. Ahem.

We also had a lot of experts who were advising the government, but at some point there were too many of them. One expert said something, second advisor said another thing, a minister of health said something a little different, then the PM said something compeltely different and then even the president said something even more completely different. And now, how the fuck are we supposed to know what should we do and whose word is the “official” one. Last summer was a mess, people thought “oh yay epidemic ended, we can go run free and go in bars!” 

End of summer was also the time when the PM said his famous line “We’re best in covid” and then it started getting downhill and continues going downhill to this moment.

In my personal opinion, one of the biggest reasons we’re in this mess is also the fact that police doesn’t really fine people who are caught breaking the restrictions. Not having a mask in the public transport? Well put it on, but don’t do it next time, okay? If the police was fining people everytime they caught someone not following the restrictions (like in some other countries), boy, would they have tons of extra funding and people might take the rules a bit more seriously. But no, an agreement is fine, right?   #ohwell_2

A lot of people here are also in the extreme antivax mindset, not just when concerning vaccines in general, but the whole “please wear a mask”. To them it’s a muzzle, preventing their freedom of speech and yadda yadda, I mean, just imagine the Typical American Karen(tm) and that’s p much those people. Not to mention they just go to their fave pubs through the backdoor, drinking, partying, as if nothing was happening. Not to mention politicians and publicly known people do that as well. In fact, our second minister of health had to resign because of the fact he was caught leaving a restaurant (mistake 1 - restaurants were not allowed to be open) after 10pm (mistake 2 - 10pm was a curfew at that time) and without a mask (mistake 3 - well duh). The fact that some of these very publicly known personas are also the ones who openly say that “covid is a hoax” (like our former president, who in a big turn of events actually got covid last week, eh), well, it doesn’t really help the situation either.

The vaccination system is absolutely not going according to plan, the registration system for the vaccines is a goddamn mess, prioritised groups are people over 80 years and medical personnel, and then it was supposed to be a turn for people with chronic diseases that compromise immunity and thus have a bigger chance to have a difficult case of covid if infected (a group into which I belong)... and it has been changed multiple times. Currently the people who are allowed to register are people over 70 years AND teachers. Because there is also a strong push for schools being reopened, I mean... * shrug * Oh, and for some reason people (mostly seniors) are refusing to be vaccinated by Astra Zeneca vaccine, which is just laying unused in the warehouses because of that. At least the teachers reportedly don’t mind, “as long as it is not Sputnik”.

Talking about Sputnik... Earlier, our president (a very pro-russian and pro-chinese person, FYI) said that he personally talked to Putin and that Putin promised to send some Sputnik vaccines to CZ. And that he (president) would demand them to be used. Our PM however opposes that even if we got the Sputnik vaccines, they won’t be used until approved by the EMA. President says, for him the approval of SÚKL (czech agency for medicine control) would be enough. And I just... You know what, I think I better stop now.

If you managed to read all the way down here, I applaud you, because I don’t even know if the entire fucking post makes sense.

To sum it up, I am frustrated by the situation because there is nothing I can do other than I am already doing. I have been following the goddamn restrictions since last year, and seeing half of the country being absolute selfish dicks by shitting on these rules just angers me to the point I am having frequent spikes of anxiety that I haven’t had for YEARS. 

I wish that you guys are doing much better, both on the personal plain and within your respective countries. This is the life now, I guess.

Stay strong, my friends.

Oh well.

[bomberqueen17]

state of the me

well. i’m headed for the farm tomorrow. 

currently the kids are crying over nothing, and i’m sitting in the guest room trying to figure out how to pack up my shit. I’ve been here so long I’ve like, silted in more and more shit on every trip home, and I’ve really been trying to like. Bring things home with me so this wouldn’t happen, but at this point I am not entirely sure I’ll be able to fit everything into my car. Yikes.

Things have been a bit stressful here; DF had a miserable week at work and there may be some kind of workplace upheaval, post-COVID, who knows, but there’s been a discussion floated that their little family may wind up relocating entirely; given his specialty, it’s possible they’d have to go as far as Cleveland or NYC to find a good job for him. It’s highly likely none of that would ever happen, of course, but even the slight chance of it is so upsetting-- of course nothing’s been said to the kids, but it’s upsetting MM and it’s upset me to think about it. I don’t know what I’d do. I don’t visit them as much as I want as it is, and they’re between the two places I commute from. I don’t know what I’d do if they were like, twice-annual Destination distance away. Cry, perhaps.

There’s a very real chance I’ve sat in on my last Witcher 3 session, as well; we’ll see if DF’s up to playing it tonight, but I just don’t know whether I’ll be back here. I might! It depends on what’s opening up. But this is the end of this phase of isolation. 

I’ll be seeing more of them this summer, but summer’s my busiest time of year, and normally I spend most of it at the farm but if the camera store is reopening I assume they’ll want me. I could use some money, but. It’s premature to discuss-- I just don’t know.

And of course, it finally occurred to my folks to tell me that my niblings are coming up from Maryland in a couple of weeks; they’d made the plans with my older sister a week or so ago but then just hadn’t told anyone else. I’ve been running around like a fool trying to nail plans down and there’s little enough information to be had, so it kind of stings not to have access to what little there really is to know! Ugh. I don’t actually know if I’ll be able to see them or not, and I don’t know if we’re still isolating or if we’d be able to hang out, or what!

I have absolutely no idea what’s going on at the farm or how things are or what their plans are. Asking Farmsister hasn’t yielded much; I have to go in person. I don’t know, man, i just don’t.

Nobody knows anything, me least of all. 

But I got my car registration renewed, at least. And I’ve had nothing to contribute to the protests but my anxious scrolling-- not even donations, as I haven’t had any of my unemployment come through, so I’m feeling pretty useless about that-- but none of this is about my feelings, so I’ve at least managed to shut up about that! I’ll figure it out later, and maybe by the time the struggle has been wearing on long enough for the people who leapt in at the beginning to get tired, I’ll have come up with something I can do. Meanwhile I’m going to go and help some food producers produce food, I guess; it’s what I can do.

Yesterday MM and I went out on an Expedition because shops are reopening, and we went to the estate jeweler’s where she has found much of the joy in her life these last couple of years. He was open for masked customers no more than three at a time, so we went in. I had found an old giftcard from work with an expiration date next month, so I used some of it to buy myself an extravagance-- a vintage lapis necklace, to semi-replace the one I lost in the yurt fire last year. I know, I was just talking about how broke I am, so I feel guilty for doing it now, but in the moment it was like, The Only Thing I Had Ever Wanted, and it’s the only money I’ve spent the entire time I’ve been Unemployed Without Compensation, apart from about $20 of food and uh some gas, I dunno. My math on that is like, ridiculously thrown-off by the changing prices. 

I’ll figure it all out. It’ll be fine. 

Oh, the other good thing is that the threat of having to pack all my shit up made me really go through all the sewing shit I brought, and I have managed to convert five dresses from Needs Repair/Alterations to I Can Wear This Now. (One of them had nothing wrong with it at all... but listen, it still counts, it’s been moved to the right category.)

I didn’t make half the progress on any of that that I was hoping, but it was more than nothing and I’ll take it.

Instead of Witchering last night, we did a video chat with my dude, who I miss rather a lot. He had little to report, but his mom went to stay with his sister, so he doesn’t even have the once-a-week dinner with her that he’d been relying on for all of his human contact during all of this. (DF was so tired I doubt he’d’ve wanted to Witcher anyway; he played some glitter robots and then passed out on the couch, occasionally sitting up to contribute something to the video chat, but was mostly incoherent.)

Right, I need to figure out how to strategize all this shit into my car now. Ay yi yi.

[187days]

Day Sixty-Eight

A bunch of my APUSGOV students are interning/volunteering on different presidential campaigns, which is totally awesome, and I’m SO grateful to all the staffers who have encouraged and empowered them. But, sometimes, it leads to some funny moments in class. Like, this morning, I caught a few of the students who work for Pete Buttigieg sneaking campaign lit to their classmates (clearly, it wasn’t actually very sneaky) in an effort to get a few more commits, so I texted the local field organizer to tell him the hustle is real.

I think it’s great, though. 

Meantime, the actual lesson I was teaching was about how bills become laws (or not). I got to make use of the entire Cavern of Learning, too, since Mrs. T doesn’t have a class that block. I gave students a set of questions about the legislative process, and taped the answers all over the room, so they literally had to walk through the process. They also identified all the ways a bill can be “killed.” It’s a good lesson, and it’s a bit different than what they’re used to doing, so it’s fun. I wandered around and fielded questions as they came up (lots about Senate procedure because Senate procedure is awesomely weird). I misspoke at one point, and realized it after class had ended, so I Remind texted a correction to everyone. 

Ahh, modern teaching...

And, all though I used the whole Cavern for APUSGOV, Mrs. T and I actually taught World and English separately today. In World, students had to take a content quiz and then could use the remainder of class to revise their book papers. In English, Mrs. T assigned the next part of this sequence- the research project- and went over how to give an effective project presentation, and then had students choose topics (they can choose anything that was addressed in the books they just read) and start research. On the next set of A-B days, we’ll reopen the wall between our classrooms so we can both be available to help students with their projects. 

What else? MfoL met during flex block and made some final plans for a voter registration drive next week. I spent my prep time Block 5 grading the APUSGOV classwork and the World quizzes. Aaaand then I went to practice, which was good fun!

[i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate]

Rosegarden Week: Celebrate

I committed myself months ago to doing Rosegarden week, and then in the midst of Naluween I forgot that it existed. Tsk, what a fool I am. Well, here’s a bit for the prompt ‘Celebrate’ and there’s more to come. This piece is closely connected to my fanfic “Daydreams to Certainty” about Glynda and James, which you can read HERE. But you don’t have to read it in order to enjoy this little oneshot. :) Happy reading!

The countdown had begun. On the wall above her a clock was furiously ticking, but her eyes never once left the screen in front of her. This is happening. Beacon Registration is open. This is actually happening. The minutes ticked by. Not one registration. Ruby dropped her head to the table, letting out a groan. This couldn’t possibly be how things ended, not after all the work she and Glynda had spent reviving the school. The twenty-year-old glanced up at the clock, and then down at her scroll again, kicking her legs back and forth under her tall chair. Behind her she could hear her friends talking. Yang was home after being gone for so long in Atlas on some sort of job. She was telling another one of her ridiculous stories. Something about an ursa…? Ruby groaned again, dropping her scroll on the table.

           “You might not get instant results.” Oscar. The eighteen-year-old was leaning against the doorframe from the kitchen. Just like Jaune had, Oscar had shot up in height. Now, he was a full head taller than Ruby, with ridiculously broad shoulders, and his dark hair pulled back into a small ponytail. He was wearing a dark green vest over a pale cream dress shirt. Ruby let out a huff.

           “You’d think people would be more excited about Beacon accepting applications.”

           “Don’t students have to take time to fill out the applications?” Oscar smiled. The way the corners of his mouth twitched in a smirk made Ruby furious. He was perfectly right, but it was aggravating.

           “Yeah, but… people should be more prepared,” she tossed her long hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms over her crimson sweater, then glanced at him once more, “Aren’t you glad Beacon’s reopening?”

           “From what I remember of my time at Beacon it was an incredible school,” Oscar whispered, seemingly trying to pull memories to the forefront of his mind. Ruby knew Oscar hid a wealth of knowledge in his head thanks to what Ospin passed on to him, but they were sometimes hard to obtain or separate out from the haze of memories he had inherited. “And it brought forth a lot of incredible huntsmen and huntresses… like you.” Ruby felt a blush come to her cheeks, and she ducked her head. “Plus, Glynda will make a very fine headmistress.”

           “I think so too!” Ruby nodded.

           “And you…” Oscar trailed off, his eyes locked on her face, his expression softened. “I think you will make a wonderful teacher, Ruby.” They were lost in each other, for a brief moment. Then, Ruby’s scroll let out a ping. She glanced down quickly.

           “Ah!!!” She shrieked, “An application is in!!!” She dropped her scroll, not even bothering to look at the name of the new student. She laughed, jumping from her chair. “We did it! We did it!” And then she flung her arms around Oscar, knocking him back against the wall in her exuberance.

           “Woah!” Oscar laughed, clutching her waist with one hand to steady them both. Ruby’s silver eyes locked with his green ones. Her heart was pounding with excitement, she was fueled with a sudden burst of energy, and in her dizzying joy she closed the distance between the two of them completely. Before she could fully process what she was doing, she was on her tiptoes, kissing him. She moved her hand to cup of the back of his neck, brushing through his wild hair, and he was rigid at first, stunned, but she felt him melt against her touch, his free hand pressed against the small of her back, pulling her closer.

           “Ruby?” A shout from the living room broke them apart. Oscar’s face was as red as Ruby’s sweater, his eyes searching for answers to a million questions, but she didn’t have any answers.

           “Yeah?” She called out, one arm still wrapped around Oscar’s shoulder, their bodies still pressed together, his hand still on her waist.

           “Did you just say you got an app in?” Yang. Ruby managed to peel herself away from the young huntsman, and grabbed her scroll, glancing down at the number of submitted applications.

           “There are five now!” She beamed. “That’s a whole team plus one!”

           “And it’s only been what?” Jaune frowned, entering the kitchen, followed by Ruby’s sister.

           “Thirty minutes,” Yang answered, crossing her arms. Ruby grinned.

           “I can already tell. This is the start of what’s going to be an awesome year!”

           “Well, that settles it,” Yang said, “We have to celebrate. I’m calling dad. We’re going out for dinner.”

           “Dinner?” Nora gasped from the living room, as Yang exited the kitchen.

           “Congrats, Ruby,” Jaune said. “Thanks to you and Glynda Beacon is finally back up and running.” He glanced down at his shoes, “Though…”

           “I know,” Ruby sighed, “The tragedy of the Fall will not be forgotten, Jaune.”

           “Thanks,” Jaune smiled. “She’d… she’d be happy for you.” He slipped away, leaving Ruby alone with Oscar once again. What in the world did I just do?! She had kissed him. Why? What did that mean?

           “Hey… um…” Oscar glanced up at the ceiling, his cheeks still cherry red. “Um… so…”

           “I won’t take it back,” Ruby said finally, filled with determination.

           “What do you mean?”

           “I kissed you,” she huffed, “And I meant it. I might have done it when I was acting all crazy and excited, but I won’t take it back.” Oscar stared at her, their eyes locked.

           “But, what… what does it mean? To us?”

           Ruby smiled, putting her hands on her hips. “I guess it means that what used to be a silly crush is starting to become something more?”

           “A… what?” Oscar blinked, “You…”

           “Yeah…” Ruby sighed, “It’s kind of embarrassing, isn’t it? I mean… You were two years younger than me… I mean… you still are, but now you’re like a giant…” She glanced up at him with narrowed eyes. “Why’d you get so tall anyways?”

           “To keep things out of your reach,” Oscar grinned.

           “Hey!” Ruby glared and then she let out another sigh, “But… uh… we were also basically in the middle of a war. And you had Ozpin in your head. B-but… I did think you were cute.” She glanced up at him with a big smile, “And funny. And you always found ways to make me smile or feel better about something. You always have. I guess what I’m trying to say is that… I really care about you, Oscar. I won’t take that kiss back because even though it was spur-of-the-moment and just celebratory, it meant something. And… it led to this. I’m finally… telling you.”

           “I care about you too,” Oscar whispered, reaching out to catch her waist with his hand again.

           “You do?”

           “Yeah,” His cheeks were still flushed, but he pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. “I do.” Ruby felt faint, dizzy, and once again wildly excited. The school is opening. Oscar cares about me. Everything is happening today. Everything is perfect.

[newstfionline]

Friday, September 24, 2021

Travel in Canada is a prize for the vaccinated and vigilant (AP) Americans wanting to experience Canada’s vibrant autumn or its winter landscapes can do so again. But getting here means jumping through hoops before you go. Those hoops? To get into Canada as a tourist you must be fully vaccinated. You must have a PCR-variety COVID test taken no more than 72 hours in advance, with results ready to present at the border if driving or at the airport of departure before you can board. You have to pre-register with the Canadian government and get a code. You must present the basics of a backup quarantine plan in advance, in case you are randomly tested again upon arrival and found to be positive. You can’t be like the man from Atlanta whom border guards were talking about when I crossed. He’d pulled up a few nights earlier, unvaccinated, no test, no pre-registration and no hope of getting into Canada, more than 16 hours from home.

COVID-19 creates dire US shortage of teachers, school staff (AP) One desperate California school district is sending flyers home in students’ lunchboxes, telling parents it’s “now hiring.” Elsewhere, principals are filling in as crossing guards, teachers are being offered signing bonuses and schools are moving back to online learning. Now that schools have welcomed students back to classrooms, they face a new challenge: a shortage of teachers and staff the likes of which some districts say they have never seen. Public schools have struggled for years with teacher shortages, particularly in math, science, special education and languages. But the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the problem. The stress of teaching in the COVID-19 era has triggered a spike in retirements and resignations. Schools also need to hire staffers like tutors and special aides to make up for learning losses and more teachers to run online school for those not ready to return.

Sad perspective (Vanity Fair/NextDraft) In 2020, more than 5,100 kids under 18 were shot ... and more than 1,300 died. And yet, you’ve heard less about all of those deaths combined than the killing of Gabrielle Petito. Petito was a social media star and the pieces of her case are rolling out in real time. It’s understandable why internet users became obsessed. More worrisome is the way that what’s popular on social media drives what makes headlines. Every editor knows the endless and exhaustive coverage of a single murder case, in a country where murder is the national pastime, is beyond absurd. But they just can’t stop themselves.

After fence-mending Biden-Macron call, French envoy to return to U.S. (Reuters) The U.S. and French presidents moved to mend ties on Wednesday, with France agreeing to send its ambassador back to Washington and the White House saying it had erred in cutting a deal for Australia to buy U.S. instead of French submarines without consulting Paris. In a joint statement issued after U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone, the two leaders agreed to launch in-depth consultations to rebuild trust, and to meet in Europe at the end of October. The call, which was requested by Washington, was an attempt to mend fences after France accused the United States of stabbing it in the back when Australia ditched a $40-billion contract for conventional French submarines, and opted for nuclear-powered submarines to be built with U.S. and British technology instead.

Pope jokes he is ‘still alive’ despite some bishops wishing him dead (Washington Post) Pope Francis has a message for his haters: “Still alive. Even though some people wanted me dead.” Hundreds of Italians cheered for him under a Rome hospital balcony this summer. But not everybody was happy that he made it out of colon surgery, the pontiff has quipped. In his eight-year tenure, Francis’s more liberal overtones than the popes before him—from his invitation of LGBT advocates to the Vatican to his calls to welcome refugees—have stirred tensions with conservatives, and drew pushback. The post-op papal joke about bishops wishing him ill marked a frank acknowledgment of the forces within the church who are at odds with him. In answering questions about the challenges the church faces—and the divisions within—one detractor Francis mentioned was “a large Catholic television that constantly gossips” about him. Still, the pontiff said, “I just go forward without entering into their world of ideas and fantasies.”

Ambush in Ukraine (Washington Post) A top Ukrainian presidential aide, Serhiy Shefir, narrowly survived assassination when one or more attackers opened fire on his car with a barrage of at least 18 bullets Wednesday. The attack took place on a forested stretch of road near Lesnyky village, outside Kyiv, the country’s capital. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in New York, announced he would return to Kyiv after addressing the United Nations General Assembly later Wednesday. Police are pursuing three main lines of investigation—that Shefir was attacked because of his state duties, that it was an attempt to put pressure on the country’s top leadership or that it was an effort to destabilize the political situation in the country.

Tensions grow as US, allies deepen Indo-Pacific involvement (AP) With increasingly strong talk in support of Taiwan, a new deal to supply Australia with nuclear submarines, and the launch of a European strategy for greater engagement in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. and its allies are becoming growingly assertive in their approach toward a rising China. China has bristled at the moves, and the growing tensions between Beijing and Washington prompted U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the weekend to implore President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to repair their “completely dysfunctional” relationship, warning they risk dividing the world. As the U.N. General Assembly opened Tuesday, both leaders chose calming language. But the underlying issues have not changed, with China building up its military outposts as it presses its maritime claims over critical sea lanes, and the U.S. and its allies growing louder in their support of Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, and deepening military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

Myanmar junta abducting children of people targeted for arrest, says UN expert (Guardian) Myanmar’s military junta is systematically abducting the relatives of people it is seeking to arrest, including children as young as 20 weeks old, according the UN special rapporteur for the country. Tom Andrews told the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday that conditions in the country had continued to deteriorate. His speech was followed by the release of a report by the UN Human Rights Office on Thursday, which warned of a “human rights catastrophe” and said abuses perpetrated since the coup may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The military and its forces have killed more than 1,100 people, according to the UN report. It details systematic, targeted killings by the junta, including the use of semi-automatic rifles and snipers against pro-democracy protesters. Weapons designed for military confrontation, such as grenade launchers and artillery shells, have also been used against protesters and fired into residential areas, it said.

Mideast in shambles, but the world has moved on for now (AP) There was a time not long ago when uprisings and wars in the Arab world topped the agenda at the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York. With most of those conflicts in a stalemate, the world’s focus has shifted to more daunting global challenges such as the still raging coronavirus pandemic and climate change, as well as new crises in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. But the situation in the Middle East has deteriorated significantly in more countries and in more ways in the last two years. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen are teetering on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe, with skyrocketing poverty and an economic implosion that threatens to throw the region into even deeper turmoil. “The region’s been crowded out by other global crises, but there’s also a sense of Western hopelessness after so many years of crisis,” said Julien Barnes-Dacey, the director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Cinema returns to Somalia after decades of shut-downs and strife (Reuters) Dozens of Somalis posed for selfies and chattered excitedly in rows of red, plush seats as they waited for the start of their country’s first movie screening in three decades. After the overthrow of president Siad Barre in 1991, clan-based warlords blasted each other with anti-aircraft guns and fought over the National Theatre, which they used as a base. The building was hit so many times that the roof collapsed a year into the conflict. Islamist militants who seized control in 2006 took over the building. They banned all forms of public entertainment—from concerts to football matches—that they considered sinful. African Union peacekeeping troops clawed back control of the capital in 2011 and the new Western-backed Somali government reopened the venue the following year. But just three weeks after that, a suicide bomber from the Islamist al Shabaab insurgency struck during a ceremony, killing six people. The building reopened again in 2020. Mogadishu resident Hassan Abdulahi Mohamed remembered spending half a Somali shilling on a movie ticket and one shilling on snacks at the theatre in the 1960s. “Last time I watched films in the cinema, it was 1991,” he said.

Books (Pew Research Center) A new study from Pew Research Center found 23 percent of Americans said they hadn’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, including print, digital and audiobooks. An interesting component is that younger adults—with TikTok and their awful attention spans—were in fact considerably more likely to have read one book than older respondents, with 28 percent of those 50 and up forgoing books compared to just 19 percent of those 18 to 49. Overall, 23 percent didn’t read a book, 5 percent read one, 25 percent read two to five books, 15 percent read six to 10 books, 11 percent read 11 to 20 books and 18 percent of people said they read more than 20 books.

Shifting Sands (Hakai Magazine) Two studies looking at how islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Gilbert Islands have changed amid sea level rise found that among 175 sparsely populated or uninhabited islands, while lots of them have shrunk, lots of them have also expanded since the 1940s. Micronesia increased its land area by approximately 3 percent since the ‘40s and the Gilberts are 2.45 percent larger. It clarifies the simplistic idea that all islands are all just going to be sucked under amid sea level rise, which is true in many cases but misses the reality that the complex relationship between tides and waves and surges makes things more complicated to forecast than “water go up, island sinks down.”

[collegeeducationnewsllcusa]

Unity College to open environmental professions institute at Pineland Farms

After Unity College closed its campus for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is reopening its residential campus and branching out.

The college is opening its main campus in Maine in a few weeks, and this fall the new Technical Institute for Environmental Professions opens at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester – with a mission different and similar to that of the parent college.

Unity College President Dr. Melik Khoury Courtesy Unity College

The institute will offer courses in environmental sciences like the secondary school, but the New Gloucester facility will be more directly geared towards creating skilled workforces for occupations that will be abundant over the next few decades, such as solar technicians and outdoor recreation specialists.

The goal will be to offer courses for those looking for special skills, but not necessarily a four-year bachelor’s degree, said Dr. Melik Khoury, President of Unity.

Unity has been working on the institute idea for about six years, Khoury said, and it’s part of an overall effort to expand the college’s reach beyond its campus in rural Maine. The college has already built a distance learning course that it relied heavily on to help weather the pandemic when campus was closed and students were studying remotely for the past year.

Unity will be welcoming students back to campus next month, but the pre-pandemic distance learning program will continue and Khoury hopes to build on lessons learned during the pandemic. Distance learning is aimed at non-traditional students who cannot or do not want to attend daily classes on campus.

About 700 students attended Unity in 2019, and the college had expected about 1,200 last year, but the pandemic disrupted its expansion.

About a year ago, the college announced that it would be introducing a full-time hybrid model that would allow students to take some courses online and others in person, and also announced layoffs after they decided to leave campus for the Year 2020-21 to close.

Administrators also brought up the idea of ​​selling the college’s Unity campus, though officials say this has fallen by the wayside due to the increase in enrollments for the fall semester.

The college laid off some employees last year, but has hired more than they have laid off since then.

Khoury said the New Gloucester program will focus on students who will not be living on campus, and careful consideration has been given to choosing a location in south Maine for the institute.

Unity wanted a location that was easily accessible to central Maine so that students from Portland, Lewiston / Auburn, and New Hampshire could easily commute, he said. It also aims to attract those for whom a four-year residential college offers too much – or is too costly and time-consuming.

The institute will use “people who may already have a job or a degree, or who may need to complete a (two-year) associate degree, or are looking for a certificate or qualification,” he said.

Unity will work with local businesses to help design the “workforce retention” courses that these employers are looking for, said Khoury.

An exterior representation of the planned Freeport Hall at the Technical Institute for Environmental Professions of Unity College at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester. Image courtesy Sharon Picard

That also means speed, he said, and Unity hopes classes will start about every five weeks, although it can take up to 15 weeks for more complex disciplines.

With an fall kickoff, “this will be very attractive to students and organizations who don’t want to wait until spring or next fall” to get started, he said.

Unity is still working on details of course offerings and will announce some in a few weeks, college officials said.

Khoury said the institute will also offer some basic courses, but they will still be tied to the overall job of creating and maintaining the workforce. For example, writing classes could be offered, but aimed at students who may need to polish up those skills for their jobs, he said.

Unity spends the summer renovating one of the old warehouses on the Pineland Farms site, which was a state mental hospital until 1996 and run by the nonprofit October Corp., a division of the Libra Foundation.

Freeport Hall is one of the larger buildings on the site and should accommodate dozens of class and meeting rooms, Unity officials said.

Khoury said the overall goal of both the distance learning programs and the institute is to expand Unity’s reach beyond what people would expect from a small college in rural Maine.

Dodging the question of whether Unity’s reputation as a college with environmental expertise could carry greater weight under the Biden administration than under President Trump, whose administration challenged the reality of climate change, he criticized alternative sources of energy such as windmills.

Khoury said environmental concerns should go beyond partisan politics.

“Political rhetoric prevents us from addressing the problem at hand,” he said.

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source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/unity-college-to-open-environmental-professions-institute-at-pineland-farms/

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Following my Pre-Planning post…We’re 30-ish days from DragonCon, and this may be your first year going! Never to fret, Dragon is the most nerd-friendly place! Get ready to hang out with 77,000+ of your closest (new) friends!

Labor Day weekend in Atlanta is busy – and HOT. There are several things going on in town that weekend, and with these tricks you’ll do just fine.

1 – Pre-Plan: That’s right, pre-plan. I know I said it before. You should already be doing this. You should also start taking Vitamin C supplements (you’ll read why further down). By now you should have your room situation taken care of and your badge purchased. If not, you still can or you can get them online for $140 (until 8/17, then they’re $160 online). Tickets are $140 on site so do not buy it at the higher price!!! Also if you’re doing celeb photos, you should pre-pay them online from Epic Photo Ops. I believe they do on-site sales as well.

If you’re driving, you should already go ahead and scope out what parking lots are around the con on-line. They can range from $3/day (uncovered) to garages that are $18/day (covered), and even hotel parking which I do NOT recommend, as it’s $30-35/day and that’s just crazy. All of the hotels have a service where you can unload your gear and have it set aside in the lobby while you go find parking.

If you’re flying, check out what route on the MARTA you need to take and if you’re having someone meet you at the airport, schedule your meetups.

Atlanta also currently uses Uber and Lyft, but watch out for Uber surge pricing.

Success!

2 – Pack: Packing is essential. Veterans have become masters of suitcase and car-tetris. With as many costumes as some of us bring, it’s vital. In the past I’ve written a short packing list that you can check out. I recommend packing short sleeves and shorts, jeans, and COMFORTABLE SHOES as your mundane clothes. You don’t have to go outside normally, but there is programming in both the Westin and Sheraton that you have to walk to (as in not via skybridge). It’s only a couple of blocks for either. Same goes for the Vendor Hall and Gaming, which are now located in the AmericasMart across the street from the Hyatt.

3 – Arrival: You made it! Now you need to meet up with your room holder (unless that’s you), and get your stuff up to your room. Take a few minutes, relax, BREATHE. Shenanigans are already happening (and do 24/7 pretty much). Unpack, get a nap in (you’ll need it), get some food.

Now that you’re at DragonCon, you’ll need to be aware of some things….

Realize that you’re going to stand in some lines at some point. That’s okay! Big celebrity panels tend to form huge lines (as do the masquerade and puppet slam). Line up for those as early as DragonCon staff will let you. All panel rooms are cleared after each one, so you can’t just park in a room all day. It’s not fair to others who wait in line.

Bonus: Most big name panels and the masquerade are broadcast on DragonCon TV in the host hotels, so you can avoid it altogether if you just want to watch it in your room.

Bonus 2: You can meet new people in line. People you obviously have at least one common interest with.

Learn your way around. DragonCon is HUGE and it’s easy to get lost. The con is spread out over five hotels, which are:

Hyatt Regency Atlanta – 265 Peachtree Street NE

Marriott Marquis Atlanta – 265 Peachtree Center Avenue

Hilton Atlanta – 255 Courtland Street NE

Sheraton Atlanta Hotel – 165 Courtland Street

Westin Peachtree Plaza – 210 Peachtree Street

The Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt all connect to each other via skybridges. You can also reach the Peachtree Center food court through the Hyatt and Marriott.

Pick up your badge. Badge pickup is located in the Sheraton. DragonCon staff have had their stuff together and for the last few years it’s been pretty speedy. If you have your barcoded postcard, bring it! If you need to purchase a badge, be ready with your ID and money. If you’ve lost your postcard, that’s okay too. Just be ready with a Photo ID. DragonCon has posted an article with the process and the hours of operation here.

Plan a schedule. You can pick up a program at the end of registration. It lists all of the events and panels that are going on. They should also be in the app (you can download in the Play Store or App Store). Just keep in mind you’ll probably change this up a bit.

Find the ConSuite! It’s open 24 hours, and they provide snacks (and SPAM) and beverages to all convention goers!

They are located in the Hyatt in rooms 223 and 226.

Check out the food court. Seriously, you have to eat. Make time for that. The food court provides a LOT of options, including:

Cafe Momo

Chick-fil-A

Metro Cafe Diner (24 hours!!!)

Moe’s Southwest Grill

And so many more! Check out this link to find out what all is available: Peachtree Center Food Court

Personally, I recommend Café Momo for breakfast and dinner as they cost by weight and you can get SO MUCH FOOD for a decent price. They also have gluten free options.

There’s also a 24 hour CVS, and you will make at least two trips there. Just saying.

What events are must-see? DragonCon is enormous and it is impossible to see everything you want to, whether it is your first con or you are an eternal member. However there are many events which should be seen at least once (and preferably your first year, because you may want to participate the next!)

The Parade (10am Saturday). With over 3,000 participants, this one is a must-see for everyone.

DragonCon Night at the Georgia Aquarium (7-11pm Saturday). You have to do this at least once! They close the aquarium early to the public, and then reopen for a night of costumed fun. You get to visit this amazing attraction with FAR LESS crowds than a normal day. It is simply breathtaking, and the photos that come from this are to die for.

The Masquerade (8pm Sunday, Hyatt). Most people will watch in overflow locations, or on DC*TV from their rooms as this event fills up very quickly.

4 – Have fun, but be responsible: It’s hotter than hell in Atlanta (Hello, Satan’s buttcrack!), so hydration is super important! There are water fountains in the hotels so I recommend bringing a refillable water bottle.

Remember the rule of 4, 2, 1…

4+ hours of sleep per night

2+ meals a day

1+ shower per day – with warm water and soap. Axe bodyspray does not count as a shower. Seriously, no one likes con funk. Don’t be nasty.

Pretty much how Con Crud feels…

Don’t accept drinks from strangers. Most people are there to have fun and it’s harmless, but there’s always the risk of someone putting something in a drink. Also, you don’t want to share drinks with people because you’ll end up with Con Crud. That’s right. There’s always someone sick there and it’ll spread like wildfire. No one wants a week long cold right after being on a week-long trip. Just be smart. Also, this is why you should start taking Vitamin C supplements a month ahead if you don’t already.

Know your limits. As adults, we’re all going to have fun and probably partake in adult beverages, but don’t get so wasted that you’re puking everywhere and what not. Be smart.

Be courteous to people in general – costumed or not. Don’t pull on someone’s Proton Pack, prop, or piece of a costume…and don’t be a creeper on someone in costume. Sexual harassment is never okay.

Follow the Law of Wheaton – Don’t be a dick!

Allow disabled people onto the elevators first. They have no other option to get upstairs, you do.

Follow the rules of the con. They’re printed on the back of your badge.

Make memories! That’s why we’re all here – to have a great time!

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    I can’t wait til DragonCon and I hope to see you there!!

Surviving DragonCon – 2018 Edition Following my Pre-Planning post...We’re 30-ish days from DragonCon, and this may be your first year going! Never to fret, Dragon is the most nerd-friendly place!