#this is why i don't “utilize the school library”

[shorlinesorrows]

i'm eighteen years old and just got my phone taken away in a school library for reading on it during a free period instead of doing my (nonexistent) homework

*screams in frustration*

[fathercharlesoffdensen]

Kloktober, Day 4: Fav. Headcanon(s):

- Charles has a Gear brand - don't ask to see it if you value your life, however.

- Nathan being on the autism spectrum is pretty much implied in canon (por ejemplo, massive anxiety about going to the dentist is very common amongst those with ASD / he didn't speak until he was 5 / his occasional "potato chip kick[s]" because they're clearly a safe food for him), but I would argue that that more than anything else was the biggest contributor to his not graduating high school. I assume the school system (in Florida, no less) had little to no accommodations for students with special learning needs when he was growing up, and so he gradually slipped through the cracks. Nathan clearly is a brilliant lyricist/poet, which could have been an asset to him in English class and such with the right teacher. We also see him utilizing the library at Mordhaus, recording himself reading Shakespeare, and attempting to figure out Dethklok's finances during Charles' hiatus, and even though his predilection for frog dissection probably meant he enjoyed the process vs. showed scientific aptitude, it is worth mentioning here. TL;DR: Nathan has been conditioned to believe he's 'stupid,' but I firmly believe he could have made it through school with the proper resources. Perhaps he could have even gotten a college football scholarship.

- Toki's parents' treatment of him is directly related to their religious / prophetical interpretation of his archetypical role as a bringer of death, the same way that people accused of being witches often get mistreated by their families / communities.

- Skwisgaar's father actually is a god, hence why none of the DNA tests performed on the (many) men who slept with his mom were a match.

- Pickles says in "Fatherklok" that he doesn't know his own dad's first name - I headcanon that his family has no idea what his 'real' name is either.

- Part of Murderface's fascination with the Civil War is genealogical, aka he has ancestors who fought in it, etc. Bonus: I like to think his grandfather's massive stroke didn't occur until after Murderface made it through adolescence and that they had at least a somewhat congenial relationship.

[acourtofthought]

I like the potential of elucien but they currently have no chemistry. How do you think Sarah will go about their story?

For Elucien it's really as simple as forced proximity. Put them in a situation where they're forced to spend "two weeks alone" together (quote from ACOMAF) and I'm 100% certain that we're going to see exactly why SJM mated them. Heck, give me a day with them alone together, no sisters hovering near by, Elain having no choice but to speak directly to him without the heavy shadow of recent loss hovering over her and we'll see it.

I think some in the fandom are confusing Elain's physical attraction to Az as proof that she has chemistry with him but when physical attraction is used to build romantic chemistry between characters it will always result in a shallow love story. Lucien did find Elain to be the most beautiful female he'd ever seen so I'm not saying attraction can't be there but when you have characters giving into that attraction before something deeper has been established, true chemistry is going to fall flat. Having Az tell us he's avoided Elain for a year while she's still recovering from trauma doesn't call to mind that he's someone she was able to lean on, it doesn't make me believe that he feels anything for her because she could have used his friendship during that time (since she wasn't asking for distance) but he chose to stay away.

It calls to mind desperately crushing on someone in high school, where you watch them from afar, hoping for the day you can be together, and then finally you get your wish but you realize you actually don't know this person at all. You're infatuated with the idea of them rather than the real them.

I'm not saying Elain and Lucien have any sort of wild on page chemistry right now but it was kind of difficult for there to be any while she was mourning the loss of her humanity and Graysen. And though there was a little bit of hope that she was ready to move past that by the end of ACOWAR, she regressed in the novella Likewise there was zero chemistry on page between Nesta and Cassian in ACOFAS, when she chose to push him away after the war.

Characters can't have chemistry when they are ignoring their possible love interest, you actually have to see them talking.

As far as how Sarah will go about their story, I think there are a few options.

Right now we have already had Elain volunteering to help with the Trove, Rhys saying that Elain is capable of more than they've given her credit for, that gardening results in something pretty but involves one getting their hands dirty along the way, and Elain saying she'll do whatever is needed.

The options are limitless because of the above.

The issues they currently face are:

Beron allying with Koschei and setting his sights on Spring.

The NC reminding us that they need Springs army as an ally but that Tamlin is even worse after the announcement of Feyre's pregnancy.

Koschei preparing to call Vassa back.

Koschei trying to get his hands on the Trove to free himself so he might rule their world.

The NC could decide they need to utilize Elain's Seer powers and send her to Day Court to help her train. They don't seem very knowledgeable on Seers so Helion's library's might be the best place for her to learn about them.

The could decide a marriage alliance between themselves and other courts might benefit them and Elain could volunteer to marry Lucien because she's so over the concept of love and men after Graysen and Az's rejection that she's decided she'll simply focus on helping the courts rather than marrying for love (the concept was introduced in SF after all and SJM carried it out an arranged marriage trope in HOFAS).

They could send Elain as an emissary "spy" to the Spring Court. Not in the shadows or anything, just acting as their courtier, where she would gather information on the situation there, to be sure Lucien's reporting has been unbiased.

Elain could end up dreaming of the drums of Calanmai and find herself pulled to Spring on her own.

They could send Elain to the continent to retrieve Mor since Feysands daemati range does not work that far and have Lucien accompany her.

Or something SJM imagines up! I don't think any of us guessed how Nessian would end up being forced together in SF.

[aaronsrpgs]

A Worksheet Manifesto (Rough Draft)

The Worksheet Manifesto is an attempt to explain why I'm moving my game design toward something I can print for free at the public library and give away. It's not a scold or a call to action; I buy full-color zines and hardcover books, and I support people charging for their work. This is a personal manifesto—an exercise in self-exploration.

The first reason I pursue this is ACCESS. I want people to be able to find and play my games. (Accessibility is maybe a better word for this, but I don't want it confused with the process through which something is made easier to use for people with disabilities.)

Some of the main barriers I've seen are financial (someone can't afford my games), technological (lack of computers and/or printers makes it more complicated to read my games), and international (shipping to someone outside the U.S. is prohibitively expensive).

Combining these three elements, I realized I wanted my games to be cheap or free. The common "community copies" solution on itch.io is much touted, and for good reason, but as I tried explaining the process to friends who weren't familiar with the site (or who flat-out aren't tech savvy), many responses were confused or frustrated. So I've set most of my games to pay-what-you-want with a suggested price.

Going from computer tech to printer tech, my most recent games were laid out in black and white, without ink-sucking textures (although some still have large spots of black in the art--something I continue to consider). Many American libraries offer limited free printing, and I always hope people will "utilize" the printers at their jobs or schools. I want people to be able to easily print out my games and share them at the table or pass them to friends.

And more selfishly, I hate dealing with fulfillment and shipping. It's stressful for me, it requires money up front to print things, and I'm bad at it, which means shipments go out slow, or not at all if someone lives outside of the U.S. Creating a file that's easy to print hopefully encourages people to create their own copies.

These cheap print copies also hopefully contribute to a feeling of DISPOSABILITY. I grew up with comic books, magazines, newspapers, and mass market paperbacks, and I think these cheap, short slabs of culture helped them feel like someone could engage with them without having to be fancy or educated or in the know. (A lot of us gatekeep ourselves!)

Prices for RPGs, like so many nerd collectibles, have steadily risen at least since the start of the pandemic. Crowdfunders often capitalize on FOMO, encouraging people to go all in on deluxe hardcovers with fabric bookmarks or whatever. And if my experience working at a used game store is anything to go by, lots of those fancy editions go right onto the bookshelf, unread. Don't want to break the spine or get fingerprints on it!

And I guess I'm just against consumerism? If someone wants a nice thing, I hope they get it, but a culture of games as luxury items and status symbols is not something I'm interested in.

So if someone has a game of mine and they don't want it anymore, I hope they pass it on, put it in a little free library, or recycle it.

And those dirty little printouts of my games? I want people to touch them and write them. I want TACTILITY. This is partially a usability issue: 300-page hardcovers are hard to find information in, and they're heavy if you have to lug them to a friend's house.

So I try to design games where everything a player (including the GM) needs is on, at most, three sheets of paper. I want them to be able to spread a couple pages out and take in the shape of the game they're about to play. I want them to circle things and make notes in the margins. Moving a pencil around does wild things to your brain, the same way that picking at a guitar or molding clay does. It focuses attention in interesting ways.

And in the end, you hopefully have a personalized article of play. And if you spill beer on it, no one's worried about replacing that $50 hardcover.

Speaking of beer, I want my games to be available to and contribute to COMMUNITY. As the pandemic started, I retreated into lots of online spaces, and those were absolutely vital to my survival. But I lost touch with lots of my friends and acquaintances in my city. I want to reconnect with them.

One of my favorite cartoonists, Mark Connery, is known for drawing little zines and just...leaving them all over. Coffee shops, art galleries, bathrooms. And when I think of him, I think of an artist responding directly to the places around him. Is it sad that some of this work is probably "lost" to all readers other than the person that happens across the zine? A little bit. But I think that comes from a bad part of my brain, the part that wants to own things.

I certainly don't want the entirety of my own work collected and widely distributed. Some of those things were specific responses to specific times that I've moved past. Some were bad! But I want to keep responding to my specific times and my specific place. I want to give things to friends (even if they just pass them on or recycle them). I want to give a game to someone at a zine fest and have them recognize my name from a zine they read in a coffee shop bathroom. And maybe they'll give me a zine in return.

My last hangup is MODULARITY. First, similar to tactility, I want to be able to give a player only the rules that matter to them. Character creation and basic rules? Here's a page. And once you're familiar with that and we've entered a downtime phase, here's a page with those options. You want to start a farm? Here's a page. I want it to feel like printing coloring pages for kids or ripping out my favorite magazine articles. These are the parts that matter. And if they stop mattering, you can get rid of them.

But I also want modularity on a system level. I want to add a subsystem to game as I think of it. I want to throw in an adventure pamphlet when it comes to me. I can keep them all in a little box, like a care package from my past self, and when it's time to run a game, I can dig around like a verminous animal and build my nest out of the best bits.

In CONCLUSION, I want to reiterate that this is a personal practice, and I'm not criticizing people who work differently. I used to work differently, and in the future, I'll probably work differently again.

This is simply the way I've identified what's important to me, set that up against the things that cause me to stumble, taken advantage of the privileges I have, and tried my best to bring that all together in a way that keeps me excited about my own work.

[communistkenobi]

Hi, you tend to have well-thought-out political opinions (I don't always agree with you, but your reading liveblog were the kick in the ass to make me read Orientalism, and you have managed to change my mind more than once), maybe might have a better answer here than me.

Is there an ideological reason that American (b/c it typically is, god help me) left-of-center types love electoralism so much online (and offline too, tbh. College continues to deal new and fun kinds of psychic damage), but only in the context of the general national elections? I so often receive various extensive breakdowns of reasons that I MUST vote for Biden in 2024, but less about the benefits of, like, getting really invested in my city council elections or the school board.

We have so many freaking elections for goddamn everything because the US/Canada are fuck-off huge that it's super easy to argue for the importance of participating in electoralism and instead I (especially recently) see so many people picking the worst hill to die on, that I really struggle to. Well. Understand why.

I’ll speak mostly to Canada since that’s where most of my formal knowledge comes from and also because I live here lol. Also a lot of what I’m talking about is coming from books I’ve read - Still Renovating by Greg Suttor for example is a pretty in depth history of social policy (primarily housing) in Canada, it’s very dry but is useful for this conversation. This is off the dome and not meant as a PSA or anything, it’s my own perspective, if people want sources for what I’m discussing I can go dig those up, but I’m just putting this disclaimer at the top in case this post leaves my circle.

To answer your question, my instinct is that it’s because north american democracy is increasingly necrotic and disconnected from the general public (with the usual list of caveats about how much liberal capitalist democracies have ever been “for the people”). Reading up on social policy in Canada directly post-WWII is pretty bleak when comparing it to today - social housing used to be a robust part of the housing market, people were paid far better and had far more economic security, our healthcare was freshly socialised and invigorated, the promises of the Keynesian welfare state were generally being met (for a predominantly white middle class electorate, of course), and so on. Even conservatives were basically on board with these things in the 60s, at least in Canada, although that obviously did not last long. And over the decades we have become entrenched in neoliberal cutbacks, the gutting of public institutions, the sale of public space and utilities, the downloading of responsibility for social welfare onto provincial and then municipal governments who have smaller budgets and more limited institutional power, the massive expansion in public-private partnerships, the militarisation of the police - these things really kicked off in the 80s/90s in Canada and have showed little signs of stopping or even really slowing down since (something that also obviously happened in the US). People make the joke that if libraries were suggested as a policy goal today it would be called a communist plot, but it’s true - all of the shit the government offered us forty years ago is unthinkable to even suggest now. Life in general has gotten more difficult as private wealth and deregulation has taken a progressively stronger hold on domestic affairs. This happened slowly over the course of decades, and as political horizons shrunk in terms of what you could expect/demand of your government, there was a real air of this being inevitable, not a result of conscious political decisions but just some organic outcome that no one had control over (“the invisible hand of the market”). Democratic civic responsibility demands we vote as citizens of our country, but for all the reasons outlined above plus a bunch of others I’m sure I’m forgetting, the liberal conception of democratic participation shrunk to the ballot box alone.

And while we all joke about everyone having the historical memory of a goldfish, I think the pandemic made this a deeply dissonant position to hold onto - we saw the government seemingly awake from a long slumber to exercise its might. It placed eviction bans on landlords, enforced mass quarantines and social distancing measures, provided economic relief to people who lost their jobs, stationed itself inside every building and public space to enforce mask mandates, rolled-out universal vaccination programs that were mandatory if you wanted to keep your job - we saw the government flex its power in labour, in housing, in healthcare, in civic life, and at the border in a way previously unheard of, particularly for people who were not alive to experience the welfare state of the 50s and 60s and even 70s. The state revealed itself as the life-structuring force it always had been before receding again, telling everyone to go back to normal as if nothing had happened, as if millions of people had not died in a global plague, as if it had not just demonstrated to everyone in the country that the state can at the drop of a hat order your landlord to stop evicting you and your boss to give you paid time off. This of course didn’t really happen in the US, or at least not nearly to this degree, which resulted in the deaths of over a million people.

So now when politicians perform this same incapacity to do anything, when they trot out hyper-specific policies that might benefit a couple thousand people at most, when they make stupid non-promises and shrink away from even mild forms of social democracy (eg Sanders-style campaign promises), I don’t know how much people buy it. I’m not particularly optimistic about the pandemic radicalising large amounts of people, but I think even if it doesn’t, we saw what happened! And we’ve all seen a million fucking articles about how people don’t want to go to work anymore, about labour shortages, we’ve seen essentially every sector of labour go on some kind of strike in the past two or three years - there is popular organised political participation happening far away from the ballot box, and is only growing in power by the day. Socialism is now a word that exists in the national consciousness, something that was unthinkable even a decade ago. Currently right now we are seeing an international conversation about (and global popular support for) indigenous sovereignty, we are seeing a full-throated articulation of what a LandBack policy would look like, and this comes on the heels of the national Canadian conversation of residential schools and missing and murdered indigenous women. Decolonisation is now a household term. In the case of the US, we are seeing people make the very obvious point that America can conjure billions of dollars to bomb hospitals and civilians, but any social policy to help its own citizens is too expensive, pie in the sky fantasy nonsense.

And by the same token, there is organised right-wing and fascist violence happening in the streets, massive increases in hate crimes, insane political stunts and demonstrations like the Freedom Convoy and 1 Million March 4 Children (inspired by the Capitol Hill storming in the US), Qanon plots to kidnap and execute elected officials - things that right wing parties are actively encouraging, particularly the PPC and CPC. More and more we see that electoral politics is the domain of the far-right, whose culture war issues have the best chance of being realised through the sacred portal of the ballot box. Democrats can’t even offer people legalised abortion now!

I think this is why liberals are in a state of hysteria. A healthy liberal democracy does not require constant, unrelenting reminders to “vote your ass off.” Liberals are very much aware, even unconsciously, that voting does less and less of what they want every single day - you see this openly admitted to by American liberals, who are now doing Hitler % meter calculations about which fascist to vote for come the next federal election. Voting itself is what matters, even as they openly, frantically admit it will do nothing but slightly delay the inevitable.

So to like directly answer your question: I think it has less to do with federal elections as a specific political strategy and more just an expression of anxiety about the fact that voting does not do what you want it to do, or what it once did - perhaps encouraging larger questions if voting does anything at all. If national federal elections don’t do anything, if you voting for the most powerful position on the planet doesn’t really change very much regardless of who’s in power, what is the point of voting at all? So I don’t think they are articulating an actual political strategy or way of doing politics, because by their own admission it’s not going to do much of anything (while at the same time being an existential crisis). I’m in a similar boat to you, I vote in smaller elections where I feel they will do some measure of good (in part because municipalities are responsible for so much more of civic life than they were a few decades ago), I have engaged with the Ontario NDP for several years (although that has come to an end now because of their position on Palestine). Electoralism is a compromise, it is an avenue for potential good, but not always, or even most of the time.

Thankfully there are other avenues for politics - labour organising, protesting, mutual aid support networks, getting involved with community work, even something like local neighbourhood councils. Those are places of political potential, and a single person’s presence in them can make a legitimate noticeable difference (speaking from several years of heavy involvement in community orgs). I have never really felt like I was making a change while voting, but I have felt that way helping community members not get evicted, or offering them free daycare a few times a week, or running programs from lgbtq kids who don’t want to go home after school. Those things legit save peoples’ lives, a lot of them are low stakes relative to their benefit, and they help stave off the alienation and loneliness I know everyone feels. Obviously you run into the same structural problems you would everywhere else, it’s not a paradise by any stretch of the imagination, but they are so many avenues outside of voting that do actually help people around you.

And I think if liberals admit that these actions are more powerful, more effective than voting, they are admitting to themselves that their core beliefs are wrong, that the communists and anarchists are correct and have been correct long before their dumbass was born. They can no longer point to any institution that gives a fuck about them as a defense against left-wing critiques of liberal electoralism. I think that is part of what animates their hysteria, their temper tantrums, their screaming about the only thing to do is do nothing at all. It is a full-throated defense of self-defeat. They are wailing as everything they believe in dies. I’d be pretty upset too if that were me! Luckily I grew out of that when I was like 19

[nitewrighter]

Hey Nite! Just wanted to say that your various librarian posts you've made over the past year-ish that I've been following you on here inspired me to go take out a book from my local public library for the first time in like 15 years! Honestly forgot how good the ~vibes~ of reading in a library were, and I'll probably make it a semi-regular habit for whenever I need a new book.

As a related question, I saw a post on Twitter this morning about how being a librarian (at least in the US) requires a master's degree? I'll admit my knowledge of the day-to-day work of a librarian is fairly limited, but the fact it needs a masters degree feels like a rather high barrier for the position to me.

Ah the "it doesn't look *that* hard, why do you need a master's degree?" question.

Well the thing is, not all of the staff you see around a public library (at least a larger library like the one I work at) are actually librarians. A lot of them are Aides or library assistants--even those working at the desk! And those jobs don't actually require a degree in library sciences because they're more limited in function--circulation, shelving, assisting patrons with library cards... I was a library assistant for a long time before I made librarian, even with my master's!

Being an actual librarian means having the training to run a library both on administrative and a services level. There's collection development, program development, budgeting, but there's also managing, training aides and assistants, professional development, and general advocacy. In Library school, you also tend to kind of get sorted into different specializations--there isn't just public librarianship, there's academic librarianship, school librarians, special collections, archiving--the information sciences really are their own body of sciences. I chose public librarianship because I felt it basically put me on the ground level--it's a public utility, so as far as I figured, it was a means to help the most people in the most direct way. Also in my time at library school, there were people who did have the job title of "librarian" but they were also in way more rural areas or smaller libraries, so they were basically thrust with the title of "librarian" as a kind of probational thing, I think? I think what I mean to say is, it also varies according to the available resources of the community a library serves.

But, TL;DR: There actually is a lot more to librarianship than what you see at the front desk! And honestly the title of master's sounds intimidating and a high barrier, but it's actually a very straightforward course--you do definitely need a bachelor's just to kind of keep up with the academic requirements, but it's honestly compatible with a bachelor's of virtually any background. I completed mine online as an asynchronous course, so it was very flexible with my schedule.

[desultory-suggestions]

just asking for advice, you're not forced to answer ofc

i struggle a lot with motivation, when i force myself to do things, it just doesn't feel right, and i feel so guilty about it, things like going to school or even brushing my teeth, it's all pointless and physically exhausting

idk if i'm just lazy or smt

anyway, any tips for folks with low motivation?

Hello, love! Thank you for your patience. Motivation is such a common struggle. I use some unconventional study and motivation tactics personally, as someone with ADHD and Dyslexia I have to get through a lot of nonsense to do basic things. First, you are not lazy! The idea today of laziness is very frustrating to me, and I feel is built on capitalist (and white supremacist) ideals. See the NAP Ministry.

According to The (USA) National Library of Medicine, "Executive dysfunction is commonly seen in major depression. The types of executive deficits seen in depression include problems with planning, initiating, and completing goal-directed activities." Anyone struggling with depression, whether an episode or long-term can struggle with these basic tasks. So how can we deal with this?

Some different techniques that may help:

Talk through the tasks you need to do out loud. You can discuss them in linear order or not. Don't focus on making them perfect and detailed, just explain it like you would to a friend.

Explain what you are doing as if someone is watching you/you're teaching someone. This is how I motivate myself when studying/working out/etc. and shows you that you do know what you are doing.

Break tasks down into smaller pieces to help them be more manageable, or simplify the ones that seem too complicated. (For this I need to do x, then y, then z. I don't need to overthink brushing my teeth, it's okay to just go do it.

Ask someone to be your accountability buddy. Body doubling/parallel play can be very useful. I ask my partner to brush his teeth with me so I have someone else there.

Accept that you don't need to do 100% of everything. You can't brush, floss, and use mouthwash? Okay brush for even just thirty seconds, it's better than nothing!

Utilize tools, but don't try to make it fancy. Aesthetics can be helpful and motivating, they can also apply pressure to make everything look good. Google Calendar or a messy notebook is good enough.

Surrounds tasks with cushioning time to relax. Even for little tasks, you can promise yourself rest before and after. Likewise, do enjoyable things during arduous tasks. Watch a silly video, playa. song!

Consider what the biggest obstacle is. Does it feel pointless? Do you want to do it? If not, why not? How can you change what is making you avoidant? If you do want to, what feels like it's stopping you? A specific fear? Or an impenetrable wall? These questions help define the next steps.

Accept you cannot do everything, especially not when you are suffering. You deserve help and it's okay to ask for it. Professional help is important when conquering issues with motivation whether from depression, ADHD, etc. Medications, therapy, and more can improve your mood.

Some tools I use:

Brushout - An app to help you brush your teeth for the right amount of time. Simple, and makes a nice dinging sound. Can be added as a widget to your home screen on iPhones.

Google Calendar - Also simple. Easy to click and add events and get reminders for things creeping up on you.

Mnemosyne Notebook - Ok the brand doesn't matter but the paper in this is so smooth and it makes me want to use it. But yes a notebook to organize thoughts.

Little Treats - I like to keep little snacks and treats around for working on things I have been struggling with. You don't have to wait until after, let yourself fuse joy with your efforts.

You do not need to be ashamed for struggling. No matter the reason or the manner, we all go through difficult things. Reach out, and don't give up. Feel free to ask for more information or advice again.

Best,

Evan

[biblioflyer]

Being a red shirt on the info literacy and empathy front lines.

This is a bit of a meta post and by "going there" I'm really just trying to generate more of the sort of "you are seen" genre for whomever it has meaning. If it has a whiff of "look at me, I'm an ally, I'm helping by yelling into the void" then I don't know really know what to tell you, maybe it is and if it is, feel free to keep on scrolling, I am not consciously demanding your affirmation, just rambling about the role of sci-fi in my life in getting me to this point ethically and professionally.

I am a red state millennial librarian. Don't feel as sorry for me as you might reflexively think I want you to. I'm not a public librarian or a public school librarian, I'm an academic librarian. Moms for Liberty hasn't directed its Eye of Sauron at us (yet.) Thus we're able to keep stocking LGBTQ literature without too much worry of people screaming at us. For now at least.

Why does this matter?

Well through a little loophole we are officially an academic library that provides services to young adults and the public in addition to formal college students without being a public or school library. I'm reluctant to share too many biographical details, but suffice to say you might be surprised at what is part of your nearest academic library collection and it may be easier than you think to access that collection.

Individual institutions are going to have their own policies, however because we are part of a broader consortium that all shares resources, we offer reciprocal services to every member of that consortium and their patrons if those patrons come to us with a valid library card from one of the member counties or a peer institution.

So if your public library has been gutted, take a peak at local colleges. They are more likely than you think to have queer literature, including queer and diverse literature in the YA genre, as well as inclusive children's books even picture books. College libraries know many of their students are either parents or are intending to go into public education (god help them) and thus have some very infrequently utilized special collections that they would love to see circulate so they can justify buying more.

This being a nerd blog, let me just speak briefly of the role of sci-fi and fantasy allegories in my development. I could very easily have been one of the people that I fear may come for my job. The people we have done workshops rehearsing how to respond professionally, empathetically, but also forcefully to formal challenges to what's on our shelves and informal challenges - i.e. people intent on making spectacles.

I don't say that I "fear" these people lightly, our head of DEI initiatives was sacked after the program was expected (and ultimately) was defunded. This person was not offered a job in a different department. I'm not super in touch with what goes on outside my department but I'm told that this person was broadly respected and other than their job title, was never involved in anything controversial or had any interpersonal disputes.

So we who are heteronormative don't get the luxury of putting our heads down and assuming this will blow over. We can't actually know with any certainty how many degrees of separation are between us and the ire of the Christian Nationalist fever that has swept the nation.

Anywho, Handmaid's Tale isn't exactly the sci-fi I meant to talk about (although boy howdy did it scare the bejeezus out of me the first time I listened to it and that was - I think - pre-2016.)

I grew up in a very rural area with minimal diversity. My exposure to diversity and later queer representation was almost entirely through media. Star Trek was a big one, but also Roseanne which ironically makes the comedian's red pilling more heart breaking than JK Rowling - its a xenniel thing, I was in my edgy ironic full of myself no time for childish things teenage years when Harry Potter came out.

I'm sitting here in 2023, and I can see the absurd falseness of the rhetoric of grooming discourse. Riker's fling with an androgynous alien or Jadzia Dax's open pansexuality didn't make me queer. It de-stigmatized being queer and left me open to taking seriously the self expressed experiences of people who I was open to befriending. As an adult, while I've found Discovery to be frustrating in many ways, one of the things that keeps me coming back is Culber and Stamets. Their performances and arcs have been a consistently solid part of an otherwise very messy production.

Much as Culber and Stamets are simply decent human beings just trying to get by and overcome crisis after crisis, so too are the queer people I've befriend. Their sinister agenda is to walk in public with their partner without people walking between them not thinking they're actually together or being harassed. Some of them are parents of developmentally well adjusted children.

I'm not looking for ally virtue signal points by praising these storylines, I'm just recognizing them for what they are: pieces of my development as a person. Which makes me happy to be in a place in my life where if nothing else, for now I get to make available a wide variety of experiences and perspectives for people to be exposed to. Its not my job to force anything on anyone and I order plenty of straight forward murder mysteries, romances, and swashbuckling epics that don't require a lot of critical thinking, but I like knowing that something I placed on the shelf might make someone accept themselves or accept someone else.

[blurrymango]

Hey, I was reading your bio and I’m a little confused: What does “anti first person POV” mean? Is it a joke that’s flown over my head, or something else? Thanks in advance, sorry if it’s a silly question

It means that to put it simply- I highly dislike first person point of view. Now, there is a bit more to it. But that is, basically, it.

My favorite book series, The School For Good and Evil, has a chapter in first person POV. And it is godawful.

Majority of what I read is fanfiction nowadays, and when I say the narration as "I" instead of "he" or "she" or "they" or even my beloved underrated "you" I instantly click out of it.

Now, I don't hate all first person POV shit. Like. The Great Gatsby and American Psycho are both EXTREMELY good. American Psycho being unironically one of my favorite books of all time.

But generally, first person POV is. Well. It's not utilized well. Like in American Psycho, I feel like the first person POV is used very very purposefully there, putting you the reader in the shoes of this unreliable narrator who is. SO very disturbed. But then there's shit like the first person POV section of one of the School For Good and Evil books which is so shitty it makes me question how the writer was dumb enough to keep it in.

I know a lot of first person POV shit is like. Journal entry or diary formatted type books which is. With the exception of a book I picked up from the library in middle school that was like. A really edgy journal entry style book about a high schooler or something dealing with some intense mental health shit or whatever. I remember the cover of it was like. Eyecatching as hell. GOD I WISH I COULD FFUCKING REMEMBER A SINGLE THING ABOUT THAT BOOK.

I just spent far too long trying to find it and holy shit why can't I remember what it's called. I am so. SO ffucking frustrated that I can't find it. So it's like. From the perspective of like a middle schooler or a high schooler who was like. Recommended to take up journaling by a guidance counselor I think. And there was art.

ONE OF THE CHARACTERS WAS LIKE. Visually represented by a smiley face I THINK. Uh. Because the character was like. Fat. Or something.

Oh FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

Uhhh. I think one of the characters in the book got sexually assaulted at one point. Gosh I. I wish my memory worked better.

Sorry anon I'm like. Extremely pissed off that I can't find this ffucking book god I wish someone would help me try to find this ffucking book oh my god.

If I don't find this book I will like. CRY or something.

[wahlpaper]

Cleat Cute Review

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

CW: Internalized Ableism, Vomit, Described Sex, Drinking in Excess, Swearing, Injury Recovery, Money Problems, Sports Violence, Panic Attacks, Medical Transphobia

5/5

Put a red-haired woman on the cover of a queer book and I'm so there. The cover of Meryl Wilsner's Cleat Cute was all I needed to ask my library to get the audiobook. In middle school, I played midfield in soccer. I don't remember much beyond the basics of the sport and haven't picked up much since. I have enjoyed soccer romance stories like Bend it Like Beckham, but it's no longer the special interest it was in middle school. Essentially, I wasn't looking for a romance in it. This novel appeared on some list I saw about upcoming books and it caught my eye. I could tell it would be a romcom that was sweet and light in tone, the kind of story I struggle to put down. 

Phoebe Matthews is a rookie in professional soccer, but she gets drafted to the best team in the country right out of college. She has her sights set on joining the National Team Roster next. It's a World Cup year, and Phoebe's team captain, Grace Henderson, is doing her best to look forward to it. It's hard for her to do when she's lost her excitement for the whole profession. Phoebe is full of energy and passion, but not just for soccer. She feels this way about Grace too. Will the women getting close to each other be enough to change their lives for the better? Or will they find out they aren't being honest with themselves? 

At first, I thought the writing was a bit simple, but I was quickly sucked in by the characters, the plot, and the setting. Some issues were resolved a little too easily, and I felt that the POV broke its unofficial rules sometimes. These issues were minor when looking at the book as a whole. Wilsner is great at world-building, having created a fully-realized version of Women's Soccer that works as a nice alternative to what we have in real life. I don't get visual thoughts, but I understood the physical settings being used in the books. While there are two MCs, Cleat Cute utilizes a full cast of characters. All of them felt fleshed-out, interesting, and distinguishable from each other. I will absolutely be reading more of Wilsner's books if they're anything like this one. 

One thing that surprised me in Cleat Cute was the neurodivergent representation. I didn't find this book on a list of autistic books or ADHD books, so I had no idea it would be a central part of the story. Phoebe has undiagnosed ADHD, which is an important part of her arc. Grace's sister has it, which means that Grace is coming from an understanding and respectful place when she talks about the disorder with Phoebe. As for Grace, it is mostly suggested through traits that she is autistic but undiagnosed. It's only directly referenced in her thoughts once, though. I do wish the narrative had spent as much time on Grace's neurodivergence as it did with Phoebe’s, but I do have other books for that. Either way, I felt autistic joy reading about both Phoebe and Grace living their queer soccer star lives while also getting to be their full selves by the end. 

Being realistic to the sport, Cleat Cute has a lot of queer characters in it. Lesbians, a bi woman, a non-binary goalie, and Phoebe's trans brother are all featured in the story. The author, Wilsner, is non-binary and writes their characters from an experienced and loving place. Being a professional soccer player can come with a bit of time in the spotlight. While this makes Grace uncomfortable, she wonders if she should use it to be there for other lesbians. Cleat Cute does a great job of expressing why it's important for famous people to come out while also reminding everyone that consent is necessary. Every celebrity that comes out makes the world a little safer, but it'll never be worth it for them to do something they aren't comfortable with.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner is a great queer sports book for those who want that in a New Adult novel. It's a light and easy read with great representation. If you're a foodie, into soccer, or a fan of New Orleans, this book will be especially enjoyable for you! Join Phoebe and Grace as they prepare for the soccer season and try to navigate their feelings!

[xi218]

୨୧ goals ୨୧

Physical: working on being sober, ab workout routine, getting into bed earlier, not snacking so much, wearing the clothes you're saving for a "special occasion", trying out new looks and clothes, venturing out new styles, upgrading your basic hygiene routine, drink more water

Mental: journaling daily (or near daily..), decorating pages, keeping track of emotions both negative and positive and what triggers them. Get rid of the negative triggers and bring in more of the positive triggers.

Emotional: getting in touch with a therapist, dedicating a journal to release you emotions instead of bottling them in, interpret dreams, talking to friends when things upset me

Professional: working 1 hour more than usual, dont wake up and finish work before class

Personal: find your old hobbies (crochet), discover new ones (shirt making 👀), trying new food even if im nervous, complimenting people out loud, making an effort to hang out with friends when opportunities present themselves, limit youtube time

Finance: learn how to budget, no impulse spending, watch videos about making money with art and follow through

Important habits to have: waking up and going to bed early, using planner, having a morning and night routine but the freedom to change it/ leniency with myself if i dont stick to it

Important skills to build: how to communicate my own needs, learn what the line is between sharing and dumping (rather than choosing to bottle everything ive ever felt lol)

schedule ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭ ੈ♡‧₊˚

So you've picked your goals. Great. Now take a look at your schedule and figure out what things are taking up most of your time. Is it a long commute? Spending too much time scrolling on your phone? Waking up late? Going to bed late?

୨୧ time blocking / schedule:

☆ Mornings:

5-6am: exercise

6-7am: shower, get ready for class / library

7:30-8am: library for breakfast, get ready for the day

~class~

☆ Evenings:

get back from class, shower immediately, change into pajamas

eat dinner

finish homework

plan the next day, journal, go to bed

Assess how you spend your time and utilize it. Instead of scrolling on your phone during your free time, spend time with your loved ones (pets, kids, partner), instead of staying in one place while you're on a call, walk around to get steps in, there is always a way to implement your goals into your daily life.

Notice how I say fit your goals around your life. You don't want to be taking away important things like errands, jobs, school, being a parent just meet your goals- no. Use your time wisely. That's all. You can fit them.

On the larger goals like taking up a class/large skill, like dancing and painting. On fridays, you'll have dance class and on other days that you have free, you'll be painting a piece or reading your anticipated book, learning a language, trying out a new recipe, planning the next day, taking a spontaneous art class, etc!

Weekends.

Because I work a lot, I like to use weekends to really do deep work. Intensive study sessions. And because I deep work (work with no distractions) I don't need to study all day. I'm getting so much done in little time that I'll be done by the afternoon and I can go out and do errands, get all dressed up and have a nice day out in the city, or just have a relaxing day by doing chores, watching a nice movie and more!

3. Setting up a system so you can actually stick to those goals.

Keep a journal to keep track of what you did today. If you didn't reach a goal that day (and that's okay), ask yourself why? and how does it make you feel? Then take action on what you can do to reach it tomorrow.

i think post its in planner should be effective

Switching. We all know it’s best to not push yourself so hard. For example, don’t do intense exercise everyday. Walking and dancing throughout the day counts as exercise too, so by switching (depending on YOUR goals), you’ll have time for your other goals as well. Here is an example: on a rest day of no exercising, maybe that day is the night I have a ballet class. That is exercise as well. So instead of exercising in the very early hours of my day, I can use that time instead to do more studying OR have more time doing something else.

which means I can do one do the following: spend more time with my pet, read a few pages of my book, make a new recipe, etc.

Ex. 4am-5am - on a no-exercise day, i can study during that time instead. 6am-7am - more time to tackle my other goals.

Create a foundation. If you have an amazing day, felt very productive and accomplished, what's a habit that really helped? if you had an off day, figure out why and maybe your foundation can help.

★ That’s all!

[lucy-sky]

Since I think we are both starting (or trying to start) writing again, I wondered what were some ways you used to write fanfic in your younger days that you don't utilize today. In late middle school and early high school, we were loaned palm pilots ( I'll never understand why ) by our school, and I pretty much exclusively used mine to write fanfiction with the attachable keyboard that I would print out in the school library. Also, when you write today, how do you write? On actual paper at all? Word documents? Google docs? On your phone?

So today I learnt something new because I had to google palm pilot :DDD In my younger year me and my friends simply had a notebook where we used to write stories and then give it to each other. We didn't call it fanfiction, but I guess it sort of was it :D As for the real fanfiction - officially I'm only writing since May 2018. BUT I once wrote a little something for LOST fandom and posted it on a forum online. It was okay, I didn't get any hate or much attention either, but for some reason I didn't continue (the main reason is that I thought everything is already written before and I simply don't have anything new to say). I did write a lot of poetry though, I posted it on my blog on diary.ru.

Today I mostly use Google docs, but sometimes I like to write on the paper. It's a nice first draft, you can also edit it when you type it. I don't like writing on my phone but sometimes I can use it to make some notes when I get an idea.

[thepornguy01]

The Porn Goat: A Gateway to Unlimited Porn

At any point asked why the expense of all that in life increments with time? I did, and I was unable to track down any solution to the inquiry. I even asked a couple of companions until I come to this end result.

Truly request increments with time and the human populace is developing at a quick rate, and the terrible news is great pornography is becoming more earnestly to find.

Yet, here, I'll show you a passage to limitless pornography in the 21st hundred years.

The Pornography Goat: A Passage to Limitless Pornography

Do you review your secondary school days? Those occasions when your financial matters educator barraged you with constant interest and supply standards and regulations?

Assuming you're like me, you've presumably failed to remember everything about the point or school itself.

Be that as it may, all that your educator loves meandering aimlessly about is currently our present-day reality, and both important items and administrations are scant.

The Pornography Goat is here to take care of that issue, and his pornography website, theporngoat, is currently a limitless passage to new and quality pornography destinations on the web.

However, that is not the primary explanation for his production of ThePornGoat, it isn't just about finding pornography destinations,

ThePornGoat is remarkable on the grounds that its essayists place exactness and dependability over It offers pornography audits that don't experience the ill effects of predisposition of interest.

On the pornography goat, you'll find the library-esque pornography destinations sorted in light of each and every pornography specialty, from identity, nationality, and quality pornography fixations.

Premium Pornography Locales: Pornography Made Only For You

Last week, I visited a free pornography since I needed to discover some great and free pornography.

True to form, they have an enormous assortment, and it took me hours to find something that impacts me.

Yet, that is not an issue since it's free and I needed a speedy tapping experience.

The issue is the point at which I tapped on the video, it diverted me to another betting site, a phony betting site.

Need to know what?

It turned out the diverted connection was a phishing site and programmers had utilized it to hack my email account.

In my bid to get back my record, I lost it only briefly worth of tapping experience and lost more than I would have spent on the off chance that I bought into a paid pornography site.

Assuming you pay for pornography on top premium pornography destinations, you'll keep programmers and vindictive locales from getting to your data.

If not, you might lose significant documents, media, and data, which is more costly than the membership paid pornsite on the web.

Free pornsites offer your information to sponsors and you're paying more cash with the expectation of complimentary pornography than for premium pornography.

Be that as it may, the best exceptional pornography locales acquire from memberships, and they generally endeavor to give you your best possible value.

So my recommendation is pay for pornography and appreciate unquestionably the best top notch pornography locales like Brazzers.

Notwithstanding these elements, the most well known paid pornography destinations have a proposition that permits you to stream and download pornography in the pornography corridor of pornography distinction.

All in all, you will download exemplary pornography that is at this point not accessible on free pornsites, and you'll have the option to find and download pornography recordings shot in the mid 90s.

To finish it off, these 90s recordings won't accompany their unique 90s-shot video quality, yet you can watch them in 4k quality pornography.

However, you'll get a markdown on the vast majority of them and a large portion of these top notch pornography destinations are essential for a pornography organization.

So these pornography networks have various extra locales, a large number of pornography models, and many pornography recordings.

That is the reason when you buy into a top premium pornography site, you don't simply gain admittance to what you pay for, you'll likewise get sufficiently close to extra destinations and BTS content and a photograph display

At the end of the day, you will gain admittance to a particular sort of pornography, a pornography made for your interminable delight.

In the event that you find a top notch VR pornography site, you'll find a few custom pornography scenes made for you, and you choose the best pornography recordings for your utilization.

Since you don't simply feel the activity in these recordings, you experience it.

For More Info:- Porn Guy Sites

[solitarelee]

Teachers weren't blocked! We have our filters configured so staff and students (and special needs students) have totally different filters. We've even compromised on the social media blocks so they're only during school hours and I've still had some odd encounters. Mostly with that librarian.

I totally get the issue of censorship though. That actually clarifies a few points for me (and the descriptions you gave even clarify why the librarian is like that, though she still weirds me the fuck out because of the... wording she uses every time she talks to us.) and makes a lot of sense.

At least we can unite over the common enemy of administration and core curriculums. I'd really love to work *with* the teachers to put SOMETHING together (the teachers in my building do work with us on the filters at least) but there's nowhere to really. Put any of that. The only slot I secured I'm using just to teach kids how not to destroy their devices

GOD yeah, I wish so too, mostly because you seem a lot more compentent than the IT at my last school which was, uh, the librarian. Deadass, full middle school and they had hired a singular person to do BOTH IT AND THE LIBRARY WORK. This is not a small rural school, it was one of 4 public middle schools in one town. :') [Citation of competency: actually having a separate block for students vs staff.]

It probably is the general difference in attitudes towards censorship tbh. Especially when they're getting what they can teach curtailed so heavily, it's easy to lash out irritably at any and all censorship (I'm guilty of this also lol). I definitely know teachers who won't use the teacher blocks on laptops or are uncomfortable with monitoring student laptop use in class... which I get, I do, but the practicality of it is undeniable... not to keep them from looking at "bad stuff" but to keep them working on their homework and not playing games or, yeah, looking at porn (I'VE CAUGHT TWO STUDENTS DOING THAT IN CLASS jgksfljgklsdj fortunately we can just close windows from our end and don't have to out the student).

FR tho, like I know a lot of this could be solved by just, idk, bringing back tech classes, ffs, why did we get rid of them, but in lieu of that I do wish schools with competent IT teams could actually like, fully utilize them instead of treating them like glorified repairmen lol.

[missvieee]

COVID 19 REFLECTION PAPER

How has the way you live altered since the institution began offering online classes? For starters, learning becomes ineffective. I no longer need to attend school, including the library, as online education begins, but I including the library, as online education begins, but I must continue to study at home due to the coronavirus. However, there are numerous temptations at home, and I am unable to concentrate on my studies. For instance, because I can engage in gaming on my computer and cellphone at any time, and because I only must view instructions online videos rather than taking classes, I only have time to view videos before I start doing my homework, and I will not watch them carefully, causing me to miss a lot of significant information and ideas. Also, because I can engage in computer games throughout the day and night, I may forget today's date and night, I may forget today's date, and forget assignments due. As a result, I lose a lot of points. Second, I can't always go to the dining hall. Because I needed to stay within my house for the sake of myself, I must cook for myself. I know I can order delivery, but I don't have much money. However, I am not a competent cook, so am not a competent cook, I must prepare culinary textbooks and comply with the instructions. This is great fun for me.

During this period of "social distancing," how had you been engaging with others?” Yes, I've been communicating with my close companions during this period of social isolation, but only through my personal computer and phone. We do, indeed, feel lonely and bored. We would like to go shopping outside, but we know how dangerous it is outside and how important it is to protect ourselves against the coronavirus. As a result, we solely utilize our phones to talk with one another or play games collectively. This is sufficient for me. Also, I believe that connecting online is critical. Sometimes, people feel lonely and bored and need sometimes feels lonely and bored and needs to chat with a particular individual, which is good for their mental health.

What would you want other people to know about your current situation, both now and in the future? Why? First and foremost, I am willing to inform prospective readers that my encounter was not all awful. Actually, due to our superior technology, I think that we'll ultimately control the coronavirus and develop a vaccine. As a result, I don't want them to be scared or worried. Second, I'd like future generations to learn from our errors of judgment. They should not only be astonished, but they should also summarize our faults and take action to prevent this issue from happening again. They will thereby create a healthy and wonderful world. Finally, I hope that future generations recognize the doctors, nurses, and those who gave their lives during this pandemic. They should be acknowledged all the time. They're considered superheroes as they have saved the lives of numerous people. How had the global epidemic affected your neighborhood (in broad terms)? For instance, there has been an increase in bigotry, intolerance, and violence directed at Asian and Asian American groups. Well, I believe that the epidemic has a significant impact on their connection. For instance, my extended family members banded together to fight the epidemic, and they become closer as a result of one another. This is fantastic. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some people are estranged from their pals. Also, when someone coughs in this condition, everybody around him assumes he has a global epidemic and avoids him, yet he is simply unpleasant with his throat.

[tbrickerarts102]

blog #6

So on week 11 (last week) we started the week off with a critique of project 4. I love when we do critiques because I get the chance to see everyone else's work as well as hear feedback about my own work. Following the critique, project 5 was introduced on syntax and semantics. For this project we had to pick an object and different varieties of that object and breakdown the syntax and semantics of each object. This was a short and sweet project fro sure. I liked how we were able to choose anything to do this project on and how we had to breakdown every bit of the furniture for the syntax. It really gives a new perspective on viewing objects. For this project I chose to use accent chairs as my comparison objects. I really take a liking in interior design and love furniture and house decor, which is why I chose accent chairs. I found all of the accent chairs on a home decor website called Crate and Barrel. I just love the aesthetic of each of these chairs. This past Monday we met for class in Thomas Cooper Library. The main purpose for this was to utilize the books that could be helpful to our next project. Our next project is our final project. This project requires us to make a process portfolio book to show our work and processes throughout the semester. I am actually really excited for this because I get to design the book how I like. I also have some experience with this type of stuff because I was design editor for my high school yearbook and was tasked with designing the whole book. While we were at the library, the head librarian spoke to us about a contest they have going on where the winner can win up to $500. I am really intrigued in this offer and have been thinking about doing it, I mean who wouldn't want an easy $500.

On Wednesday we talked more about our final project, specifically a deep dive in indesign to help us create our books. I started designing already by changing my fonts. They are subject to change as the project goes on, but I am happy with them at the moment. I am trying to figure out how I want to incorporate my images, I don't want things to be too plain. I am planning on working on this more and maybe even add a background before adding images, I feel like that could help me creatively.

I really enjoyed the section on making choices in the reading for this weeks blog. I like how this section is advice driven. my particular favorite portion was the portfolio portion. It talked about how a portfolio is important to show student work and how they earned what they are receiving.