#this post requires some context for its ~full effect~

[roboraindrop]

My f/os notice me shivering and are going to tell me to put on a jacket, but they're very surprised when I reach for it on my own (:

[literaryvein-reblogs]

15 Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

in response to:

1. Develop a reading habit. Reading is the most effective way to build your vocabulary. Read books, magazines, and newspapers that cover a wide range of topics, and pay attention to unfamiliar words. Look up their meanings and try using them in context. Vocabulary building is easiest when you encounter words in context. Seeing words appear in a novel or a newspaper article can be far more helpful than seeing them appear on vocabulary lists. Not only do you gain exposure to unfamiliar words; you also see how they’re used. In fact, 15 minutes is recognized as the ideal time for students to see positive gains in reading achievement; students who read just over a half-hour to an hour per day improve the most.

2. Utilize word lists. They are incredibly flexible tools that can help you organize your learning in a variety of ways. For instance, vocabulary can be grouped into small, easy chunks that can be revisited for maximum learning benefits. Research shows that a word needs to be seen up to 10 times before we really learn it, and researchers believe that staggered repetition is the best way to learn new vocabulary. Word lists help keep vocabulary terms in manageable chunks that a student can come back to as they gain mastery. I have posted some word lists HERE and will continue to add to this in the future.

3. Use the dictionary and thesaurus. Online dictionaries and thesauruses are helpful resources if used properly. They can jog your memory about synonyms that would actually be better words in the context of what you’re writing. A full dictionary definition can also educate you about antonyms, root words, and related words, which is another way to learn vocabulary.

4. Keep a vocabulary journal. Making a vocabulary journal is a great place to collect and interact with words you hear or see in your reading. Each page should be dedicated to a singular new word, including its definitions, synonyms, and antonyms. Review the journal regularly to reinforce your learning. 

5. Choosing appropriate vocabulary. It’s important to use words and expressions that fit the context so your meaning is clear. For example, different audiences for your writing will require different levels of formality: the vocabulary you use in an academic essay may not be effective for a blogpost targeting a popular audience. Consider the following questions to help you choose the most appropriate words for your audience and purpose:

a. What’s the exact meaning of the word? Words may be broadly similar in meaning but differ in important aspects of that meaning. Consider the difference between ‘the fragrance of flowers’  and ‘the odour of rotten eggs.’ Both words refer to the sense of smell, but fragrance has a positive core meaning while odour has a negative one. If you don’t know what a word exactly means, check it in a dictionary. b. Is the word attached to a feeling? Compare the two sentences: ‘The freeway snakes through the town’ and ‘The freeway meanders through the town’. In this example, snake indicates negative feelings about the freeway while meander doesn’t. c. What level of intensity does the word show? Many words with similar meanings describe different degrees of the same quality or action. For example, ‘comical’, ‘hilarious’ and ‘side-splitting’  show different degrees of funniness. Think about the intensity of what you want to convey when choosing words. d. Is the word formal or informal? Go for formal words and expressions in business communication and academic writing. In the following examples, the second expression in each pair is more formal than the first: (1) come up with / create (2) one after another / at regular intervals (3) huge / considerable (4) enough / sufficient e. Is the word polite? Words which describe negative qualities or sensitive issues too directly can be offensive. Good communicators consider the feelings of their audience. For example, when writing about childhood obesity, it’s more appropriate to use ‘children with weight problems’ or ‘children of an unhealthy weight’ than ‘fat children’. f. Is the word specific or general? Use words with specific meanings whenever possible to make your message clearer to your audience. For example, avoid overusing general verbs such as ‘be’, ‘do’, ‘have’ and ‘get’, especially in academic writing, as they don’t accurately convey specific ideas. It’s better to use a more specific verb or verb phrase to strengthen your message. Compare the impact of the verbs in these sentences: ‘To be successful, learners need to have high-level literacy skills.’ ‘To be successful, learners need to develop and demonstrate high-level literacy skills.’ g. What other words does the word often go with? Some words are frequently used together and therefore sound more natural in combination. This is called collocation. For example, we say ‘fast train’ not ‘quick train’, but ‘quick shower’ not ‘fast shower’. Similarly, it’s more natural to say ‘highly critical’ rather than ‘deeply critical.’

6. Play word games. Classic games like Scrabble and Boggle can function as a fun way to expand your English vocabulary. Crossword puzzles can as well. If you really want to be efficient, follow up rounds of these word games with a little note-taking. Keep a list of the different words you learned while playing the game, and then study that list from time to time.

7. Use flashcards. A quick way to build a large vocabulary is to study a number of words via flashcards. In today’s digital age, a wide array of smartphone apps make flashcards convenient and easy to organize. Aiming for one new word a day is reasonable. You can always go for more, but it may not be reasonable to assimilate dozens of English words every single day.

8. Subscribe to “word of the day” feeds. Some web platforms will provide you with a word a day—either on a website, an app, or via email—to help you expand your vocabulary. You can add these words to running word lists.

9. Use mnemonics. A mnemonic device is a form of word association that helps you remember words’ definitions and proper uses. For instance think of the word obsequious which means “attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery.” Break down that word into components: “obse” is the beginning of “obsessed,” “qui” sounds like the French word for “yes” (oui), and “us” is like the word “us.” So you can think of that big word obsequious as “obsessed with saying yes to us”—which is kind of what it means!

10. Practice using new words in conversation. It’s possible to amass a huge vocabulary without actually knowing how to use words. This means you have to take it upon yourself to put your personal dictionary into use. If you come across an interesting word in your reading, make a point of using it in conversation. By experimenting in low-stakes situations, you can practice the art of word choice and, with a little bit of trial and error, hone in on the right word for a particular context. Furthermore, speaking to native – or non-native – speakers of English (or any language you are learning) will guarantee you the chance to learn new words. Anyone who has ever wondered how to develop their vocabulary will know that the most important thing is putting your vocabulary to use and hearing what people say in return. This is how language works, and before long you’ll be finding ways to work those new words into your everyday use of the language.

11. Watch movies and TV shows. This simple activity can expose you to new words and phrases. When watching TV or a movie, pay attention to the dialogue and note any unfamiliar words. When the TV show or movie is done, look up the meanings of the new words and try to use them in context.

12. Build a story. Learning vocabulary words outside of their context is difficult, so why not create context with some creative storytelling? This can be an individual writing activity or you can do this in a group. A sample group activity: Choose a word list and determine an order in which your students or friends will take their turn. Every person gets to choose one word from the word list. You begin by writing the first sentence of a story; each student then uses their chosen word in a sentence to build on the story. This gets learners comfortable using the words in sentences, and putting those individual vocabulary words into a broader context. This is also an activity you can do via text, chat window, or email, which makes it perfect for remote learning.

13. Draw it. Sometimes the best learning activities are ones that don’t feel like a learning activity. This can be an individual activity but can also be used in group settings. Here’s a way to turn vocabulary acquisition into a game: Ask each student to have a piece of paper and a pen or pencil ready, and tell them you are going to be playing a drawing game. Using the private chat feature of your remote learning software, choose one student and give them a word from your vocabulary list along with its definition, and tell them that they have 20 seconds to draw it. While the student is drawing it, make sure that you make their screen the main screen of the software. You can do a countdown to keep up the momentum, or play music while you wait. At the end of the time, the student shows their drawing to the other students: The first student to guess which vocabulary word has been drawn is the next student to draw. This activity is not only fun, but also benefits students who are visual or tactile learners.

14. Be aware of idioms. Idioms are commonly used word combinations or expressions. These have very specific meanings that are not obvious from the words they contain, e.g. ‘a piece of cake’, ‘get the hang of it’, ‘an Indian summer’, and ‘after a fashion’. Many dictionaries list and define idioms if you look up the component words. For example, try looking up ‘Indian’ or ‘summer’ to find ‘Indian summer’. Idioms are generally more appropriate for speaking and non-academic writing.

15. Practice, practice, practice. In many ways, vocabulary is like a muscle – it will get stronger the more you use it. The key to building a strong vocabulary is to use it regularly. Try using new words in your conversations, writing, and everyday life. The more that you use them, the more they will become a part of your everyday vocabulary.

Sources & other related articles: 1 2 3 4 5 6

[jewishcissiekj]

Since Asajj Ventress appeared in recent media and is set to appear in future shows and Star Wars content, I've seen a lot of people starting to read Dark Disciple. but besides that book, there are so many stories featuring Asajj over her 22 years of existence. So if you are looking for some recommendations and entry points to Asajj outside of the TV shows, here are some recommendations to get to know her a bit better, in both the Canon and Legends timelines:

(for anyone looking for a definitive list of everything she's ever been in, I also have that)

for anyone looking for just the list of recommendations without all my babbling, scroll down to the bottom, it'll be there.

Canon

Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) Starting off, this masterpiece. Telling the dual story of Asajj and Dooku, Jedi Lost is genuinely some of the best Star Wars content out there, in my opinion. Taking place early in The Clone Wars, it tells Asajj's journey battling her ghosts and uncovering her Master's history. It requires only the context of the prequels and The Clone Wars, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes the Prequels, Dooku, or Asajj.

Brotherhood - by Mike Chen Continuing with the book that serves as an introduction to Asajj in canon (chronologically), Brotherhood presents an interesting take on her first meetings with Anakin and Obi-Wan. She's far from the main character here, only supporting the book's plot as the villain and the initiator behind some of the troubles Obi-Wan faces on Cato Neimodia. This Asajj is more calculated, working behind the scenes while still facing off face to face against Obi-Wan and Anakin, and it uniquely handles her character. The book is a Clone Wars adventure taking place before and it requires only the movies' and TCW's context, once again. *While technically taking place after Hyperspace Stories #5, it contradicts that issue's events and makes more sense if it takes place before, so I listed it first (for more info on the contradictions you can go here)*

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) Taking place shortly after Anakin's knighting, before The Clone Wars show, this is a short and interesting comic story for Asajj. While tying into an over-arching plot of the series, this issue stands alone well. Simply put, Asajj is sent to retrieve a mysterious item by Count Dooku and encounters Anakin and Obi-Wan in the process. It has fun art, fun dynamics, and it's really good.

Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok This one is not as set on the timeline, but we do know it takes place while Asajj is still working for Dooku. In short, without too many spoilers, Asajj falls into a pit and has to trust on a Clone Trooper's help to get out. The story is a part of an anthology, but it completely stand-alone on its own. If you can read it on its own, I recommend it, but the rest of the book is also very much worth it if you want to buy it for the story. Dawson captures a version of Asajj that rarely gets attention, before the Nightsisters, and manages to show her identity and tell a wonderful story without that tool that's often overly used (in my opinion).

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire Jumping forward in the Timeline, we have another Asajj story by Cavan Scott! It has Bounty Hunting, A baby Sarlacc, pretty art, fun coloring, and Asajj. So what's not to love? Like Hyperspace Stories, Return to Vader's Castle also has an over-arching plot, but that's 4 framing pages of Vaneé being a bitch and has no effect on the rest of it. Solid stuff. (it is also the source of the first picture in this post)

Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez Next, we have a wonderful short story taking place just before The Clone Wars episode "To Catch a Jedi". In just a few pages, Jody Houser brings conflict and personality to Asajj's time on Coruscant. And there's gorgeous art.

Legends

While Legends, and especially the comics, have some of my favorite stories with Asajj, it's hard to recommend individual issues. They can be stand-alone but still connected and ingrained in the ongoing story of the comics. But I tried to hand-pick the best for introduction and knowledge of who Asajj is a character there. So I won't recommend the 12 issues she's in, I set myself the limit of sticking with the same number of recommendations I had for canon.

Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello Although I'm assuming you all have at least a passing familiarity with Asajj's character, introductions are still important. And, yes, Asajj first appeared in a different comic and after a month or so in Clone Wars (2003), but chronologically, in-universe, this is her first appearance. The Face of War is comprised of issues #51 and #52 of the Star Wars: Republic comic series, and although Asajj is only in the last page of #51, it's necessary context. This one isn't a must for me, but it sets the ground for her. And it's good. Giorello's art brings a unique perspective to Asajj's character, and by that I mean it may not be to some people's taste. So take your pick with this one.

Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching If the last one isn't a must, this one is. It is a stand-alone adventure, almost feeling like a (better) TCW episode. Obi-Wan is off to infiltrate a Techno Union base with a team of all-star legendary Jedi that are introduced, and everything goes wrong when they run into the Confederacy's best, Durge and Asajj Ventress. I say it's a must because it establishes the nature of the rivalry between Obi-Wan and Asajj, and gives us such a sense of who those people are. It also lays the foundations to my next comic recommendation.

Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn This one, a 1784-word story, originally published on Wizards.com as a part of The Living Force roleplaying campaign, is definitely not a must, but it's barely 2k words, just read it. In all seriousness though, it captures Asajj's essence and I just. love it. You can read it right now, that's the link in the name, it's up online for free legally. While it is a part of the RPG campaign, I read it individually and had no trouble at all.

The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes (The Japanese cover is prettier and has Asajj, ok?) Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto head to the planet Ord Cestus to try and convince Ord Cestus's government to ally with The Republic. But under the surface, a mysterious scheme had developed and it gets messy. Never ask me to write a publisher's summary. Asajj is the villain of this one, and I don't have much to say about it, but it is good. Fair warning: it hasn't aged the best in my opinion, and not even in a politically correct sense, some of the descriptions and relationships were questionable at best. If you like Kit Fisto and political adventuring and Clone Wars fights and a mascarade ball, if I remember correctly, this one's for you. It's not much of a story for Asajj but it is a fun read.

Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello I have never ever not once said it but this right here is my favorite Asajj story of all time ever. It does require context, though, so here's it: after the battle of Jabiim, Alpha-17 (Legends Arc Trooper, you may have heard of him) and Obi-Wan (a staple in Asajj's stories, he needs to gtfo women's business) are blown up and declared dead. Turns out Asajj Ventress has been holding them in her castle on the planet Rattatak and this is the daring story of their escape. In this issue, Asajj's origin story is revealed, before the Nightsisters had anything to do with her. More than any other Legends issue, it differentiates greatly from anything you know about Asajj in TCW/Canon. She's a warlord, with armies at her beck and call, a military commander, And it's fun. Her origin story is told in this issue, and it's such a great story that shifted my understanding of her a lot. The art, once again, is by Giorello, keep it in mind.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart (Japanese cover, once again) Last but certainly not least, the Legends Clone Wars book I've heard the most positive reviews of, and was not disappointed in the slightest. It is as good as they say. The story doesn't focus on Asajj, and she isn't even the main antagonist, but she gets a meaningful role in it and has her place and her arc in the story. It's also my favorite approach to how Asajj would act when she has to deal with children. Worth the hype and an excellent book to read unrelated to Asajj.

Alright, that's all! I hope you check out at least one of these, they're all great. As said before, I also have a complete list of everything Asajj in chronological order. Feel free to ask me anything about the list and the things in it. I can also give a complete comic reading list for her, since it's a bit more than just the issues she appeared in. For anyone struggling with the accessibility of these recommendations, I have a hopefully comprehensive guide in the complete appearances post. And now just this list because I promised that:

Canon 1) Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) 2) Brotherhood - by Mike Chen 3) Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) 4) Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok 5) Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire 6) Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez

Legends 1) Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc (Star Wars: Republic #51-52) - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 2) Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching 3) Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn 4) The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes 5) Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 6) Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart

tag list: @thechaoticfanartist @charmwasjess @metalatl @redsandspirit @slutshartsstuff @housepartyfortwo @karma-malfoy @thelivingforce

[kerosene-in-a-blender]

Clerics, Their Gods, and the Importance of Context

I mentioned this a bit in my tags on this post, but I feel like it's a complicated enough topic that it deserves its own post. Pelor and Avandra had wildly different responses to both being asked the question, "Are you worth saving?", but they also were asked these questions in wildly different contexts by clerics they have wildly different relationships with, and these differences had a massive effect on how each deity answered the question. Because they gave the same answer, ultimately, Pelor was just far more aggressive about it.

Pelor and Deanna have an at best chilly, at worst openly confrontational relationship at the best of times. She believes in his teachings, and she deeply believes in aiding and nurturing people, but her relationship with the god himself is fraught due in large part to the circumstances she found herself coming into his light in. They're able to coexist fairly well for the most part, but after she found out what went down at the temple in Hearthdell, Deanna's idea of doing what's best for people and Pelor's idea of doing what's best for people clashed, hard. When Deanna asked if followers of the Dawnfather were perpetuating harm in the world, he responded that they were doing what was necessary for the greater good of everyone. Pelor was focused on the good that could be carried out by his followers securing a nexus point; Deanna was focused on the smaller-scale harm that was being done to the people of Hearthdell in the process. And this is where their fraught relationship came to a head. She worships the Dawnfather and serves as his cleric because she believes in helping people, but in that moment, he didn't seem to be helping people, just some abstract concept of the greater good. So she asked him what she wanted to know from him in that moment: "If you refuse to help people, and in fact harm them because you exist, than what is the point of you, Are you worth saving?" And Pelor responded exactly one as would expect someone to respond to being asked that question in that way: he refused to even entertain the conversation. And in doing so answered "Are you worth saving?" with a resounding "Yes", because someone being worth saving does not require that they justify themselves to someone else.

In contrast, FCG and Avandra have a much more openly supportive, and most importantly for this topic, openly dialectic relationship. FCG has approached Avandra for guidance and understanding as they try and figure out how to navigate being a person with a soul who wants to have faith but isn't sure how to approach it. And as such they've asked questions of her such as: "Are you there?" and "Are you watching me?" both of which she's answered affirmatively in a way that reflects their growing faith in her. They've begun developing a relationship that, at least to me, resembles that of someone finding a trusted mentor to help them through a time of crisis in their life. At the same time as FCG's been developing his relationship with the Changebringer, he's also been well aware of Ludinus' plan to unleash Predathos; he knows the gods are in danger. And if there is one thing FCG truly loves doing, it's helping people. So he asks of this person he's building a new relationship with: "Do you need help?". Because if she does than FCG genuinely wants to help her. It's also important to note that FCG is the only member of Bells Hells who is pro-god in the sense of: "I have a full relationship with a specific deity and I don't want the gods killed because of that relationship". (The others are more pro-god in the sense of "Fuck Ludinus" and "The gods are a force of good in the world that would be lost if they were dead".) They had the Bells Hells vote on whether they were "Pro-God", "Anti-God", or "Undecided" (all being undecided except for the pro-gods FCG, and Ashton, who abstained) on the same day as the commune in which they asked Avandra, "Are you worth saving?" In the context of that, and them previously extending an offer of help to her, "Are you worth saving?" becomes less of a question of, "Justify to me why you should continue to exist", and more "Am I doing the right thing?". And because of the relationship they'd previously established and the goodwill FCG had built up with her, Avandra was able to calmly approach him and answer, "Of course." Of course she's worth saving, of course they're doing the right thing in championing for her.

When Deanna asked Pelor, "Are you worth saving?", she did so to challenge him, and with the implication that she had already come up with an answer in her head, and that answer was "No". When FCG asked Avandra, "Are you worth saving?", he did so seeking guidance and reassurance, and with the implication that they desperately wanted to the answer to be "Yes". And that really made all the difference in the tenor of answer that they received.

[comicaurora]

I didn't realize levels of context and such was something I wanted to think/talk on until I read today's page so I decided I might tap you about it if it's alright. Basically, I didn't realize how much I missed everyone Not Being Under Active Pressure until this page. It felt as though something's been made right with the world seeing Erin 0 concealment or hesitation taking notes about Dainix, and what really struck me and got my wheels turning was how this perfectly normal behavior hits so different off the heels of all the weight and pressure and such that Erin and everyone else has been under than it otherwise would hit. Obviously the framing of the page has something to do with the effect I described, but this page feels unique in its requiring context to feel the full scope of the impact.

However, that thought then bounced off a thing that happened where a contextless scene hit me like a truck and demanded I write it despite me having nothing else to apply it to, and I still read it back and need no context to prove to myself that it is a very solid and effective scene in spite of it being like. Five lines and two stage directions. This sort of thing happens with me on occasion where I have isolated moments, single loaded scenes that seem as though they come from context, and yet the context not only doesn't exist but doesn't really need to exist, yet the way it's structured, you think there would surely be grander story context around the scene.

(Sorry I seem to keep giving you walls of contextualizing [ha] before actually getting to the question part) What I wanted to ask you was: What are your thoughts on the relationship between story context and individual scenes/moments in a narrative? The sort of ins and outs of a scene as itself and a scene as part of a story, and a story as a whole and a story as a chain of scenes that give one another context.

This is a fun question, because the need for context to make moments hit was initially something that really frustrated me.

Like many people, my storycrafting started with a big pile of out of context Yo That Would Be So Cool moments - sweet one-liners, fight scenes, big flashy powerups. And I liked the Big Moments from the shows I watched, and wanted to know what made them hit so hard so I could replicate that emotional punch. Was it the kickin' theme music? The determined monologue? The speed lines? The yelling??

And I came to the frustrating conclusion that it was all the slow, often boring setup that had come before the big moment.

The sudden reveal of a superpowered evil side means nothing if we don't know what that character is supposed to act like. A character drawing motivation from a dead loved one tells us nothing if we don't ourselves know and love the person they lost. A jaded, powerful warrior will seem generic if we don't know the fun-loving child they spent two whole seasons being. A character backed into a desperate corner will reveal untapped wells of heroism we can't appreciate if we don't realize how rare this is for them. Powerful moments are in some way carried by what happens in them, but in a much larger way are carried by the contrast between them and the story that preceded them. Stripped of context, all the moments I loved - all the TVTropes "Crowning Moments of Awesome" - were either mindlessly flashy or oddly underwhelming.

In order to make the moment hit, even if the moment was so much more fun and interesting than anything else, the writer had to write all the buildup and pace it out enough that it stuck with the audience, and the audience had to experience that buildup. It just wasn't possible to write a story that was one amazing thing after another without the amazing things losing more and more impact.

We're all on tumblr here, so I'm sure we've all experienced That One Person We Follow getting into some new media property we don't know about. They post mini-essays about why That One Bit With Character A And Character B Was So Powerful, gifsets of two people standing in a dark room captioned with "they were in love here 😍" and extremely well-made fanart of people you don't recognize in vaguely saint-like poses, sometimes captioned with something you think cannot possibly be relevant. This is fine, because you're not the target audience for that fan content. That's for people who already know what the fanart is about - it's essentially referential art that doesn't stand on its own to an outside audience.

But I want people to watch and enjoy the things I watch and enjoy so I have people to talk about those things with. And that means I have spent long hours trying to figure out how to explain to a skeptical audience why a story I liked was so good, and what made the awesome moments work. This is a huge part of the impetus behind Trope Talks, and why the in-depth examples I use always have context as a preamble. Without the context, the moment doesn't work.

If you think a gutpunch is just the moment the fist connects, you're disregarding the windup that actually makes it hit.

[darkpoisonouslove]

1, 2, 5, 7, 12, 19, 26, 33, 39 for yet another writing ask game (I tried to pace myself, believe it or not 🤪)

(Mhm, I can see that! XD)

yet another writing ask

1. Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

Why would you do this to me? Don't I already have enough WiPs on my plate? You know this is only ever going to end one way.

I'd say Prey on the Heart. I do like the descriptions of the setting and the worldbuilding but *pinches bridge of nose* Valtor is SO OOC, I'm in literal pain. I don't know what was going on through my head but oh, boy! Then again, it's been almost three years since then and my understanding of the characters has definitely improved plus my headcanon game has evolved too!... Now I feel the need to add that to the pile of WiPs. I. Am. Mad. at. You! 😤

I'm also definitely touching up the three chapters of Gifts Are Given To Be Taken if I ever get to writing the rest. And same for Have No Name for My Heart. That one is such a downer. 😅 I need to rework the tone completely.

2. Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

In general? Murder mysteries. I LOVE murder mysteries (though I'm somehow way better at identifying the red herring (as such) than the actual culprit)! But they require way too much research and that's literally the bane of my existence. So, uh, yeah... that Scream AU for Winx is probably not going to happen.

In particular I feel that I'm unable to write the Winx rewrite. Like, I want to! I have so many cool ideas that I'm excited about! But I lack the motivation and the sheer size of it scares me. Besides, there are so many rewrites out there that it feels like a waste of time to do that when I can be working on Griffin x Valtor (or a Griffin x Faragonda or Marion... or anyone really) fics, which are... mostly my niche (not to monopolize the ship but *looks at the Griffin x Valtor tag on AO3*).

5. What's a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

I can't think of one? If I don't want something associated with my account, I just don't post it. But I guess, generally speaking, I wouldn't want to tag something if it's spoilers. AO3 luckily has the "creator chose not to use archive warnings" and you can write an additional tag to the same effect if it's a trope you don't want to tag rather than an archive warning.

7. Your favorite ao3 tag.

I was gonna say I didn't have one but I'm afraid that if my answer here isn't angst, you will hunt me for sport. XD You know I love my pain and tragedy.

12. If you write in more than one language, what's the difference?

I write in Bulgarian very rarely anymore. I think the last time was in the beginning of last year and I have only written down a few ideas since then. But the key difference I feel is that I have a much easier time describing things in Bulgarian because the language itself is more descriptive. It's possible that I simply understand it a lot better than English since it's my mother tongue but I have also analyzed some Bulgarian texts and their English translations and while translations can rarely capture the full spirit of the original, I still feel that the Bulgarian language just offers more when it comes to how descriptive words are. Idk if that makes sense.

Another one is that I have a much easier time with varying sentence structure in English. Though, that might be because I've paid special attention to that while I haven't practiced it in Bulgarian... at all.

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

I want you to know that I have to try so hard to restrain myself from saying at least five different things about this:

She slid a hand between her breasts to touch only flesh instead of her monad necklace that was usually nestled there. Its shine was replaced by the gold she’d threaded into the plunging neckline of her nightgown with her own powers, all on Valtor’s insistence it would bring out her eyes. Despite the darkness trying to creep over her form, a smile was curling her lips at how right he’d been.

A draft disturbed the room, the air moving as if with something shuddering.

Griffin whispered his name. Only once. Like it was some cursed, forbidden knowledge. The power it held was immeasurable – greater than any spell.

Her fingers dipped under her neckline to trace a path for him directly to her heart.

As if offended by its thundering, a lightning tore through the blanket of clouds enveloping the castle.

The flash of light revealed in the mirror a pair of glacial blue eyes, pale skin and maroon fabric that would blend together with her nightgown perfectly if not for the gold threads distinguishing where her form ended and his began.

The darkness surged over the room once again a moment later, greedy, great enough to swallow even him, making it look like she was a lonely island surrounded only by empty air and the hazy glow of her magic. Yet, even that omnipotent cover failed to hide him from her.

He was silent, motionless, not even a gasp of breath coming from him to make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. The magic that had clung to her day and night had evaporated, leaving only a hollowness behind, a cold that made her shiver as if she’d been thrown out in the storm.

It didn’t matter.

She was dressed for him, in her favorite nightgown she hadn’t worn for anyone else – a tribute to him. She’d only needed to call his name once and he’d come running. He wasn’t leaving here until she was ready to let him go, until all the cards were on the table, everything revealed. No more distant voyeurism and half-lies, only naked truth.

26. What would you describe as OOC?

A behavior or action that isn't properly supported by the previously established characterization. For fics specifically, a character isn't OOC if the story took the time to take them from their canon self to the person that they are in the fic but there has to be a hint at least of why they are the way they are.

33. Give your writing a compliment.

You know, I'm starting to like my descriptions more and more! I'm learning to focus more on the vibes and that makes it easier to pinpoint which parts I need to describe. I was panicking about this one description I needed to do recently and then I ended up getting it almost perfect right away!

39. Wildest AU scenario you have written?

I answered this here.

[justynakulisa]

On art and literature, and why it's not just "content"

Forgive me in advance for the incoming salt, but this is a rant I've been sitting on for ages. A tweet I saw* only cemented my need for the aforementioned rant, so here we are.

A bit of context first. I worked at a bullshit, huge corporation for almost 6 years; after that, I've moved on to a corporation that's way smaller and involves some actual work rather than bullshitting for 5 days a week, but it's still a corporation. That's a background experience I'll be relying on, mixed with observations of the absolute hellhole that LinkedIn is, with a sprinkle of mainstream media attitude. For the sake of clarity, I usually refer to art and literature as "art", but I'll be using art&lit in the post. With that out of the way, LET'S DIVE IN.

If there's one thing that's aplenty in every corporation, it's the amount of self-affirmative spam you receive every day. Department status updates, newsletters no one reads, trainings and videos to watch, and so on, and so forth. And it is, regardless of the corp and the type of spam, called "content". It's an apt name for it, because it's neither art, nor anything useful. Just a barrage of words some poor soul had to put together. Oh, I'm sorry, not a poor soul. A content creator.

I can say I'm a content creator at my day job. I write software documentation and manuals. It requires some thought and some effort, it's not a bullshit job I could ignore without any negative consequences to me or the company or the world at large. But it's not art I create there. It's content. It's got no artistic value whatsoever except maybe for explaining concepts in an easy-to-understand way. The companies themselves have got no qualms about calling that type of fruit of their employees' work "content". That at least doesn't bother me. "Content" is an adequate term for repetitive, artless form of work that require creating something out of nothing.

But when the same term is applied to art&lit, when artists and writers are called "content creators", I grow spikes like a porcupine.

I understand why it's easy to use those terms. They're easy, umbrellous enough, and carry their meaning well. It encapsulates people who don't do art&lit, but dabble in education, design, what have you. But the results of their work isn't content as it's seen at its core and at its roots.

You churn out content daily and often without effort. Those instagram accounts posting variations of the same photo every day? That's content. A book written for 3 years and edited for the next 2, full of gorgeous prose and magnificent storytelling, or a painting that took weeks to finish? That's not content. That's art. And people who let it into the world by effort of their hands are artists.

That line of thought brings me back to that tweet I linked earlier. "Media consumption" is just as dehumanised, nebulous term for experiencing art&lit as "content creation" is to refer to the act of writing and painting/drawing. It assumes the interaction with content at the speed and rate it's created. Which is: fast. Then faster. And faster and faster, until both you and artists end up in an ever-rushing cycle of more, more, more. (I already ranted about streaming and the effect it's got on media, so I'll stop myself from doing it again ;)). But, FOMO, anyone? I'm sure all of us have experienced it at least once at some point. Corporations and mainstream media have got a way of slithering into our lives and taking terms and things that make us happy for themselves. They also tend to flatten nuances, limit imaginations, and produce countless iterations of the same trope if only they realised it was popular. (Side note: it's very obvious in traditional publishing when agents and editors seek stories centred around a motif for some 5 years after the first book with that motif made a breakthrough. That's something to talk about for another time, though.) And after all traces of what made an idea unique and brilliant, after art&lit have deteriorated into simple content, then both terms truly become equivalent.

I don't think that simplification is something we as a society should condone. 

___

* - as often happens, given tweets' fleeting nature, this on too no longer exists. (should've made a screenshot, that's what). it had something to do with commercialisation of entertainment and the push for new films and shows and stories be published faster and faster as a never-ending stream you cna drown in. or so i think, at least.

[adolshadow]

[Costume Contextualization] Watch me Traveler, you will be Full of my Wisdom (Nahida Trilogy – Costume)

Hello everyone, I am AdolShadow. I am a religious studies scholar currently studying at NYU who loves Genshin and writes content on Genshin's digital historiography.

This is my first time posting on Tumblr. I am hoping to translate some of my work from other platforms here. As a scholar, I am not only into studying Genshin. I also do research on Sekiro: Shadow Dies Twice, Detroit: Become Human, and many other video games. I am hoping to know other game historians and anyone who is into researching games. I want to befriend all of you and talk about games happily! Thank you all very much in advance.

In this article, I will talk about Nahida. Of course, she has a lot of information in Genshin. Therefore, I will break the sections into the costume’s contextualization, Nahida’s context as a Dendro God in the historical writings, and how Nahida fits the historical background of Sumeru.

Whether it's Raiden, Venti, or Zhongli, Hoyoverse has put a lot of effort into designing Archons. Without further ado, let's take a look at what historical background and culture were referenced in the design of Nahida's costume.

If you like the content, please like and leave a comment below. I actually have a lot of similar content on my Hoyolab channel. Please take a look. I will soon translate more content here.

Hoyolab: https://www.hoyolab.com/accountCenter/postList?id=102330380

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Physic of Purity

With pure white clothes and green embellishments, the appearance of Nahida reveals its freshness and purity. In the past 500 years, she has neither experienced the pain of World Tree rot nor witnessed the cruelty of the war in Khaenri'ah. Nahida is undoubtedly happy by her “ignorance” of the world. However, being imprisoned since birth also means that she has never been in contact with the real world and has never used her body to touch or feel it. Therefore, the newly born green and pure white can just reflect Nahida's pure heart and newborn vitality.

Let’s take a look at the picture in detail to find out what is worthy to discuss on Nahida’s costume:

The first thing to notice is the pattern on Nahida's cloth. This dense and characteristic pattern is derived from Persian stained glass. The decoration on Nahida's head comes from the artifacts – Deepwood Memories, but the flower of life part, Labyrinth Wayfarer has a special meaning for Nahida. Additionally, I subjectively think that the material of the Nahida bracelet is brass. The Persian craftsmanship can also be seen in the decorations of the brass on the body and feet. Last but not least, the overall green color comes from the characters of the Persian New Year – Amu Nowruz, [1].

========================= Section Break ========================

Persian Stained Glass

(Stained Glass [2])

Stained glass is the procedure of adding metallic oxides in the glass making, which gives the glass colors. Different oxides will give the glass different colors, making an appealing visual effect. The earliest stained glass can be traced back to the craftsmen in ancient Rome, but what I want to talk about here is the stained glass technology introduced to Persia in the 8th century.

In his book The Book of the Hidden Pearl, Persian craftsman Jābir ibn Ḥayyān explained the processes and materials required for making various colored glass [3]. Through this book, the stained glass of Persia is slowly shown to the public. In Sumeru, we can see its displays in various ways. Under the context of Nahida, stained glass is used to portray the beautiful space of the ult, Illusionary Heart.

In fact, the clothes of another Genshin character also displays Persian stained glass craftsmanship. She is the "young" and “beautiful” scholar, Faruzan.

========================= Section Break ========================

Heart of the Labyrinth

(Labyrinth/ Maze [4])

Labyrinth was mentioned in one of my previous articles LINK (It is in Chinese). In that article, I roughly talked about the etymology of Labyrinth, which is originally built by the early Greek, Daedalus, as a gift to the King Minos of Crete. Labyrinth is designed to constantly change, and the entrance traveler enters does not necessarily become the exit when the traveler wants to come out. Labyrinth, indeed, is an ever-changing object.

I mention the labyrinth in this article because of the artifact, Deepwood Memories. Among them, the name of the flower of life is Labyrinth Wayfarer. Through the story of the flower of life, we understand that it belonged to the first maiden to follow in the footsteps of the King of trees through the forest labyrinth. In order to guard the king's labyrinth, she must hunt and defend it all the time. In this process, she protected many children who got strayed into this labyrinth. She passed down this tale of herself and the hunt to the children when they left the labyrinth. The story of her then reached to people's ears.

Although I don't think the maiden here refers to the Goddess of Flowers, the story of the flower of life plus the maiden who follows the King of the forest do have a little too much connection at here. Well, not to discuss that, what needs to be pointed out here is that in addition to the above-mentioned characteristics of the “maze,” where people get in and get lost, “Labyrinth” beyond the sense of a maze also guides you into its center.

Lauren Artress said, "A maze is designed to make you lose your way, while a labyrinth is designed to help you find your way" [5]. Therefore, in the labyrinth of Kind of forest, visitors who enter even by accident should not be afraid. The Labyrinth designed by the King will lead visitors to the center and increase their knowledge, rather than make things difficult for them. Doesn't this coincide with the theme of the Lord of Wisdom, Nahida?

========================= Section Break ========================

Brass Artifacts

(Persian brass bowl [6])

Persia is not only superb in stained glass craftsmanship, but also in the production of metal utensils, especially silver ones. However, it should be noted here that the historical background of Sumeru is likely to be referred to the Sasanian Empire from the 3rd to the 7th centuries, in which glass craftsmanship talked above is included. However, most of the Persian brass crafts that I can find came from Ilkhanate around the 13th century, which is Persia under Mongolian control. Because the time is not lining up, I don't want to be absolute here. I think the bracelet and anklet on Nahida are brass work, but I'm not sure. (But if it is a silver craft, then it for sure aligns with Sasanian Empire)

In addition to the obvious brass-colored products on Nahida's body in Sumeru, Nilu also has some brass-colored decorations. However, it can be seen from the comparison that Nahida's bracelets obviously have more textures, which shows its exquisite craftsmanship.

Due to the invasion of Islam around the 7th century, the great Sasanian dynasty ended. The use of silverware and goldware in the Arab Empire was particularly regulated, so the Persians had to give up the use of large numbers of silverware as daily necessities. At this time, a method to replace silverware appeared, which is using the base of copperware with silver inlaid [7]. Such silver-inlaid products have many applications in Persian life, such as kettles, clocks, bowls, teapots, and bracelets [8].

========================= Section Break ========================

Nowruz

(Nowruz [9])

Persians’ New Year's day, Nowruz, falls on March 21st every year. This holiday belongs to the vast majority of Middle Eastern countries and cultures [10]. For example, my girlfriend will light candles, set up tributes, and celebrate the New Year at this time of year.

In this festival, there is a special person, his name is Baba Nowruz or Amu Nowruz. He is like Santa Claus, coming into the crowd, bringing gifts to children, and welcoming the New Year with them.

(Grandpa Nowruz [11])

Looking at his green coat, it is similar to Nahida's color pattern. Although this does not mean that there is a direct connection between them, if we bring in the concept of the "Sabzeruz Festival", it will the connection clearer.

Sabzeruz Festival, in fact, is related to the Persian New Year in multiple meanings. Sabzeh Nowruz, sprouted wheat, is one of the seven items that need to be prepared on Nowruz [12]. “Sabze” in its meaning is “green,” and “ruz” refers to “day.” Therefore, Sabzeruz Festival actually means Green Day, not really the birthday of the goddess of flowers. However, considering the birthday of the Nahida and the meaning of green as new life, the birthday of Nahida should actually refer to Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Therefore, the green color pattern of Nahida probably has a good connection with Baba Nowruz.

========================= Section Break ========================

What’s Next

After talking about the costume of Nahida, I should probably give you a teaser about what is coming next. The second part of the trilogy will be the background and textual research of Nahida, this name and its meaning.

Have you ever thought about the etymology of “Kusanali”? In fact, it comes from the Kusanali Jataka of Buddhism. What about the name, Nahida? It is actually derived from the Persian goddess “Anahita.” Hmm, what about “Rukkhadevata”? Well, that one is basically given in English, because in Hinduism, Rukkhadevata means tree spirit. Finally, “Beur,” the archon name, is our dear friend, Lesser Key of Solomon’s 72 Demon God, Beur. Wow, the name Nahida is so complicated and interesting. Don't you want to know more about the secrets inside Nahida? Stay tuned then!

PS : Thanks to my girlfriend Shah for some of the info here. She gave me a lot of inspiration and information on many art designs of Sumeru (the part with Persian culture).

========================= Section Break ========================

Reference :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amu_Nowruz

https://mymodernmet.com/stained-glass-history/

Resources are the same as 2

https://earthandaltarmag.com/posts/qs6pevk77i0lhpqlvv8w0u23f1sbwk

The resource is the same as 4

https://elizabethappraisals.com/brass-bowl-in-style-of-ancient-metalworkers/

https://persianhandicrafts.com/blog-posts/?journal_blog_post_id=19

Resources are the same as 6

https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-nowruz-day

Resources are the same as 9

Resources are the same as 1

http://www.mypersiankitchen.com/sofreh-haft-seen-the-7-s-of-norouz-spread/

Extra : Sabze ruz Festival, Genshin Wiki, https://genshin-impact.fandom.com/wiki/Sabzeruz_Festival

[mindskriptsservices]

Master Salesforce: Top Training Options in Mumbai for Sales Excellence

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, staying ahead of the competition requires a deep understanding of customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Salesforce has emerged as a market leader in the CRM space, empowering businesses to streamline their sales processes and enhance customer relationships. For professionals in Mumbai looking to master Salesforce and elevate their sales game, the city offers a plethora of training options. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the top training programs in Mumbai that can help you achieve sales excellence with Salesforce.

Salesforce Training Institute Mumbai: Located in the heart of the city, the Salesforce Training Institute in Mumbai is renowned for its comprehensive courses tailored for beginners and experienced professionals alike. The institute covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including navigating the platform, creating dashboards, and managing leads and opportunities. With hands-on training and real-world scenarios, participants gain practical insights into applying Salesforce in sales scenarios.

Corporate Training Solutions: For organizations looking to upskill their sales teams, several corporate training solutions in Mumbai specialize in Salesforce. These programs are customizable to suit the specific needs of the company, ensuring that employees receive training that aligns with their day-to-day responsibilities. From basic Salesforce navigation to advanced features like workflow automation and analytics, these programs are designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of sales teams.

Online Training Platforms: In the era of digital learning, online platforms have become invaluable resources for professionals seeking flexibility in their training schedules. Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and Trailhead offer a range of Salesforce courses. These online options allow participants to learn at their own pace, making it an ideal choice for those with busy schedules or remote workers. The flexibility of online training enables professionals to balance their work commitments while acquiring Salesforce skills.

Salesforce Certification Bootcamps: Salesforce certifications are widely recognized in the industry, serving as a testament to a professional's proficiency in the platform. Several bootcamps in Mumbai are specifically designed to prepare individuals for Salesforce certification exams. These intensive programs cover all aspects of Salesforce, ensuring participants are well-prepared to pass the exams and apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.

In-House Corporate Training by Salesforce Consultants: Some Salesforce consulting firms in Mumbai offer in-house training services. These programs leverage the expertise of seasoned Salesforce consultants who share practical insights and industry best practices. The advantage of in-house training is the direct application of Salesforce concepts within the context of the organization's unique sales processes.

In conclusion, mastering Salesforce is a strategic move for sales professionals aiming for excellence in their roles. Mumbai's diverse training landscape caters to individuals at various skill levels, offering flexibility in terms of learning formats. Whether you prefer in-person classes, online courses, or customized corporate training, the options in Mumbai are abundant. Investing in Salesforce training Mumbai not only enhances your individual skill set but also contributes to the overall success of your organization by unlocking the full potential of Salesforce for sales excellence.

[peregrineggsandham]

But that’s wrong? Someone can say “Its raining”, but that doesn’t mean the other person hears or even understands them, even if they speak the same language. It means nothing.

I mean, we can just talk about the sequence of sounds that we can write out phonetically as /ɪts ˈreɪnɪŋ/. And yes, those are inherently meaningless. It's just a bunch of noises! As I said, nothing iconic, or even remotely evocative of rain.

But meaning is formed around that sequence of sounds by those who create and hear it - speaker and listener alike. And that meaning is predicated on a wonderful mix of speaker intention, listener bias, historical context, shared cultural knowledge, and a host of unspoken conversational maxims and patterns.

I was definitely focusing on the meaning as interpreted by the listener in that last post, so I'm sorry if that confused things. And I was sort of assuming that the listener and speaker were in an ongoing conversation and understanding each other. But even if they weren't, even if the listener couldn't understand the speaker, that doesn't mean the utterance itself "means nothing". If said with the intent to communicate, then it definitely means something at the very least to the speaker! Like you said - someone can say it! And there lies a full half of the meaning.

Conversation is inherently a collaborative act, but it starts with the speaker's intent behind an utterance. They're taking a complex idea - the concrete "rain", the more abstract "-ing" and "'s", the somewhat idiomatic "it" - and turning that combination of ideas into the movement of a stream of air, following a strict set of patterns and rules that developed organically over thousands of years. That's neat!

If the listener doesn't speak the language, or mishears, then they may not pick up on that meaning. It could just be sounds, to them. Or they may even misunderstand, and pick up an unintended meaning. If they lack some of the required context (e.g. by not knowing a word), or if the speaker is flouting one of those unspoken maxims (e.g. by being sarcastic) and the listener doesn't realize it, the meaning may be warped.

The utterance of the sounds /ɪts ˈreɪnɪŋ/, the writing of the phrase "It's raining", you're right that these aren't inherently meaningful. If the sequence "itsraining" happened to appear in a randomly-generated string of letters, I wouldn't personally assume any meaning to it. And since this train of thought did start on the topic of magic, I'll say I find nothing particularly magical about a string of random sounds or letters either.

(Now, if you did see meaning in that random string, I think you'd effectively be practicing some kind of divination, by believing that there was intent behind the randomness. That the universe or whoever or whatever produced the string was actively trying to communicate with you. That's a pretty common idea when we talk about certain kinds of "magic". I think it's interesting that words, symbols, and communication from some unseen "speaker" are so integral to our understanding of it, and I think there's something to be said there for seeing language itself as an inherently "magical" thing regardless of whether your interlocutor is just your next-door neighbor or... whatever you personally believe is at the other end of an alectryomancy session. But dammit Jim I'm a phonetician, not an occultist.)

Point is, in conversation, in the context of a person speaking to another (regardless of whether it's understood), an utterance (or any sequence of symbols) is meaningful because of the intent behind it. Not the sounds themselves, but the very act of turning ideas into symbols - and back again.

...

I apologize if I'm repeating myself a bit - it's quite late and the question of "what does it mean for a utterance to have meaning" is actually a really interesting and complicated one, anon!

I'm admittedly being more flowery and less technical about it here because in the end my other main point is just "Isn't language really astoundingly neat?", but this is the stuff from which journal articles are written. (Usually involving a surprising amount of predicate logic.) It's an important line of inquiry because it can help explain a lot of where communication goes right and wrong, how misunderstandings happen, and how to effectively convey ideas to others.

That said, to be fair this isn't my specific area of expertise - I'm in the phon/phon corner where we ask people to make noises and stare at spectrograms all day, this is more the sem/prag corner where they put lambda calculus and philosophy in a blender.

@cryptotheism Ach, look what you made me do, I'm rambling about sounds.

[neon-angels-system]

you know what. fuck it. here's The System Talk as a tumblr post.

so. sometimes you feel like you're not in control of your body. maybe there's voices in your head. you're starting to think it's not normal. what now?

disclaimer: plurality is Fucking Weird & I am simply someone who has fuckers in my brain - I am not a mental health professional, everything is always being argued about, and this isn't going to cover everything about being a system.

What is a system anyway?

The term 'system' in this context refers to one body with multiple personalities, alters, or consciousnesses. This term is not used by all people who experience some form of plurality - 'plural' may be preferred.

...Okay, so what does that mean?

A personality, alter, or consciousness is a consistent [thing] that has its own thoughts and/or has some level of influence over your body. Normally, a person has one (1) personality/consciousness. Alter is the most rigid of these definitions, requiring for an alter to be part of a system and to be noticeably distinct from at least one other alter.

The fun part about this is that a singlet (someone who is not plural) may still experience thoughts that they feel are not their own - intrusive thoughts & trauma & simply brains being weird are all things that can have similar effects. Some people, for example, have full control over what their internal voice sounds like, while others do not.

Notably, alters/personalities/consciousness are not required to feel entirely separate from the "main" alter/personality/consciousness. They may refer to themselves as a part of a whole, or as an altered state of consciousness, or they may prefer to be treated as an entirely separate person/

So how do I tell the difference between normal brain voices and abnormal brain voices?

This is where the disordered and non-disordered views of plurality start to come into conflict.

The traditional view of disordered plurality refers to the theory of structural dissociation. The theory of structural dissociation states that alters are formed by trauma, and can be sorted into two categories - Apparently Normal Parts (ANPs) and Emotional Parts (EPs). EPs are present, but less distinct, in disorders such as BPD and PTSD. Alters are defined by the dissociation that accompanies them. Dissociation will be covered in more detail later, but in short, it refers to a feeling of light-headedness, depersonalisation (disconnect from the body) and/or derealisation (disconnect from reality), as well as emotional or "blackout" amnesia (emotional - 'that wasn't me that did that', blackout - 'I do not remember anything from that time period'). DID and OSDD-1 are defined by the distinct nature of EPs that significantly interfere with normal functioning - basically, the voices in your head are very much Not You, and they keep doing things which you wouldn't do, and when you finally get control back, it's really inconvenient.

The nondisordered view of plurality instead suggests an even more varying view - that most people have the potential to be plural, and that it is a natural phenomena. Therefore, personalities/alters/consciousnesses (sometimes referred to as 'headmates') are defined by their wish to be seen as, in some way, separate from each other. If there is a voice in your head saying it is not you, you should believe it. Or, alternatively, if you have repeated experiences of acting out of character - for example, identifying with a set of names and pronouns while having one set of interests some of the time, all of which are different from your usual self - then even if you do not have distinct voices in your head, you may still identify as plural. The nondisordered view of plurality is very varied, though - some believe you can create headmates through various methods, some believe you are born with your headmates, while others still believe that headmates are visitors from other dimensions who use your body for short periods of time. There is no one set of qualifiers for nondisordered plurality that all plurals agree with, but generally speaking, anyone who identifies as plural is accepted as such.

I'm still not sure if what I'm experiencing is normal or not...

That's okay! It can take a long time to figure out, and you shouldn't stress over it - being wrong is not a crime, and you're allowed to play around with labels or ignore them entirely until you find one that fits.

The goal of any label, including diagnostic ones, is to put a name to a set of experiences and give some advice on what to do next. Whatever is most useful for you at this moment in time will work fine.

So what next?

The first thing that you need to know, and that I will scream from the rooftops, is that it's okay to be wrong. People are wrong about things all of the time. You are not doing any damage by being just completely fucking way off. Don't stress about whether you are secretly faking or not - if you were actively, intentionally faking symptoms, you would know about it! If you're not, then the only danger of getting it wrong is mild embarrassment and wasting your time, while probably being representative of either a different issue (e.g. symptoms of one disorder mistake for another), or having an overactive imagination while being influenced by those around you (plurality isn't the only thing this happens with!).

The second thing you need to know is that despite everything I just said, you're still going to question everything every five minutes. Write down some form of log, journal, or anything else to keep a list of your symptoms / observations. This can be especially helpful if you are unable to hear or otherwise communicate with your [insert preferred term here] within the headspace ("inner word") or front (state of consciousness where you are aware of the outside world); you may be able to communicate via physical means instead, and having it written the hell down allows for your [preferred term here] to know what you are trying to achieve.

Third thing is to do some research as needed, both about plurality in general, and about your own system / you&. Read the diagnostic criteria of DID & OSDD-1. Watch some youtube videos of systems talking about their experiences. Learn the relevant terms, and either learn the names of your [preferred term here] or collaborate on creating new ones. Plurality is really fucking varied, and I cannot possibly cover everything there is to know here, nor would you need to know all of it.

Flash Round

Q: To be a system/plural, do I need to have (number) of alters/headmates? A: No. 2, 4, 25, 136, 859... There's no set number in any type of criteria for plurality.

Q: Do I need trauma to be a system? A: The diagnostic model for DID and OSDD-1 is based off the trauma-requiring theory of structural dissociation, but even then, they acknowledge that there may be forms of plurality that are nondisordered. If you experience dissociation, there is a high chance that your system may originate from trauma, but if you are following the nondisordered model, then it is definitely not a requirement. (note: most resources online are based on the disordered model, and for good reason - the diagnostic criteria is based on disruption of day-to-day life, meaning that DID & OSDD systems are often more noticeable, while nondisordered systems may function fine without ever figuring out their plurality)

Q: I have an unusual number of [alter/headmate role]. Is this evidence I'm faking? A: No.

Q: Can [preferred term here] have a different [sexuality/gender/worldview] than me? Is the fact that we all have the same [sexuality/gender/worldview] proof that I'm making everything up? A: The differences between (preferred term here) is referred to as 'elaboration'. High elaboration may result in every member/part of [a system / plural person] being very distinctly different in all aspects, while low elaboration may result in [preferred term here] all being the same base "person" in different states (this is part of the diagnostic criteria for OSDD-1a!)

Q: I have a stupid question not covered here... A: Ask away!! Better you get it sorted now then ruminate over it for way too long.

A quick, more detailed, overview of dissociation

Dissociation is a symptom of many disorders. Dissociative Identity Disorder is the obvious one, but things like depression, anxiety, ADHD, and any trauma or stress related disorder may also result in dissociation. The presence of dissociation is NOT a guarantee that you are a system.

Dissociation is normal to experience in light amounts infrequently (e.g. zoning out during a long car ride), but becomes disordered when it occurs frequently and impacts daily functioning. Dissociation is essentially a coping mechanism designed by the brain to separate itself from the trauma/stress that it experiences.

Dissociation is mainly defined by two factors: Amnesia & Derealisation/depersonalisation. As discussed earlier, amnesia may be emotional ("it wasn't me that did that - what was I thinking?") or true amnesia (colloquially referred to as 'blackout' amnesia; 'what happened? how did I get here?') Depersonalisation refers to a form of dissociation where you feel disconnected from your body. Classically, you may not recognize yourself in the mirror, or feel as if you are watching yourself in the third person. Less dramatic cases may be that you feel as if somebody else is controlling your movements, or that your body does not belong to you and you are just visiting / possessing it.

Derealisation refers to a form of dissociation where you feel disconnected from reality. Classically, you may feel as if you are watching through a pane of glass, or as if everything around you is not real, or that you yourself are not real. Derealisation is distinguished from hallucinations by the knowledge that what you are feeling is not true. You may also experience visual distortions, such as everything becoming grey, or everything becoming too bright. Less extreme cases may be a general feeling that you are separate from this reality, or that you cannot prove that everything around you is real.

Note that depersonalisation and derealisation are not exclusive; you can experience both at the same time.

More general symptoms include lightheadness, headaches, identity shifts (acting 'out of character'), identity confusion due to disconnect from self ('what do I actually like?'), as well as general memory issues.

Other stuff

Pluralkit, a Discord bot for allowing discord messages from one account appear as if they were from separate people (with BOT next to their name); referred to as a 'proxy bot'

Simply Plural, an app by a system for systems. Has a website version, but it's a little buggy. Features things such as profiles for each [preferred term here], a fronting tracker, polls for [preferred term here] to vote on, and various methods to leave notes!

Sources?

This is a tumblr post I wrote on the fly. Don't trust me for shit. I will link to some things, but none of them are reliable primary sources for hopefully obvious reasons.

[abyssembraced]

In a previous post where I talked about Rouxls' House Rules ability, I mentioned having some thoughts on what he would be like as a secret boss. Here are those thoughts now! I was originally gonna include it in the original headcanon post, but decided to turn it into its own one since the other post was already very long.

Once again, I'm putting everything under a cut:

In a theoretical secret boss-type boss battle with Rouxls where he unleashes the full extent of his abilities (and assuming they're in a place where Rouxls doesn't have to worry about turning to stone), I imagine the fight would start out extremely difficult and chaotic. Rouxls is adding and removing House Rules left and right, constantly changing what you can and can't do. And I imagine the game mechanics would change somewhat, and allow you to target anyone with anything, in order to adapt to his new rules. For example, Rouxls creates a House Rule dictating that healing and harming effects are reversed, so you become able to target your party with the FIGHT button in order to heal them. But watch out! If you don't pay enough attention to when the House Rules are removed, you might end up wiping out your entire party with your own attacks. I could see another House Rule reversing the effects of the Graze mechanic, so your TP goes down if you graze an attack. And it wouldn't feel like you're making much progress in the fight at all: his Spare Gauge won't increase no matter what ACTing you do, and if you choose to damage him, Rouxls just heals himself back to full health once he reaches a certain threshold.

Eventually, though, after surviving for long enough, things start to change. Rouxls starts getting more reckless with his House Rules, creating ones that directly impact Kris and the others, perhaps culminating in one that prevents the SOUL from moving at all. Susie, who's been getting more and more frustrated by the increasingly unfair additions to the rules, shouts that she's sick of having to play by them.

* Miraculously, once Susie said that, you regained feeling in your SOUL.

* Suddenly, you have an idea…

You've finally discovered Rouxls' weakness, and now the tides of battle are shifting in your favour. You gain the ACT option to X-Reject (requires all three party members), and with it, you break down all of Rouxls' House Rules one by one.

You continue shutting the House Rules down until Rouxls creates one last one: a protective rule that sets his defence to max (or, in the context of a Snowgrave run, he's had a rule that gives him an immunity to ice magic active for the entire battle). He is really insistent on keeping this House Rule, since. Y'know. It's keeping you from being able to hurt him. You can try to use X-Reject, but this time it doesn't actually seem to do anything. In this final phase (which is actually pretty easy), you've got a couple different ways to go about things.

If you use the other ACT options, Rouxls' Spare Gauge will actually start to increase now! So you can let him keep the defence House Rule up and just convince him that you don't want to fight, eventually being able to Spare him like that.

If you continue to use X-Reject enough times in a row, your will will eventually manage to overpower Rouxls' own, breaking down the final House Rule. Rouxls is now defenceless and exhausted, and you're able to end the fight however you wish: you can defeat him violently in one hit, or you can Pacify him with Ralsei, or you can Spare him (possibly getting different dialogue compared to if you spared him without breaking the last House Rule).

Like I said in my last post though, Rouxls doesn't have any offensive magic of his own, so he'd need a battle partner or a weapon for this theoretical fight. Honestly, my ideal would be a scenario where Rouxls and Queen show up in a Dark World together to Cause Problems On Purpose and fight the Fun Gang just because they think it'd be funny to mess with them. And then they just decide to end the battle on their own terms because they've started turning to stone dgshshd. So basically. Team Rocket but it's Queen and Rouxls. Lancer is Meowth. Please. But that would be for a fun miniboss fight, not a secret boss Rouxls fight like I've been talking about for this post.

For the secret boss battle, I think giving Rouxls a weapon would work better than giving him a fighting partner. That way he's the only actual person you're fighting and would be the only one talking n stuff, and thus the spotlight is fully on him. Though I guess it'd depend on the context behind the fight, which I haven't actually figured out dgshshf. But yeah! Maybe he could have an upgraded version of the Thrash Machine that combines all of its possible parts and attacks (so you're still getting a tough fight even if you made a duck). Or he could get a new weapon related to whatever Chapter this fight takes place in. Pull a Spamton and steal some sort of powerful magical artifact dgsfshf. But whatever it is he has, it's gonna get buffed a ton by his House Rules during the fight.

[n7punk]

total newbie to mass effect, where would you recommend I start? I think there are multiple games - is there one which is best to play or would you recommend all of them?

if it looks interesting to you, then i say go for it! its a fun series. The games are simply Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 (I'll talk about ME:A at the end, its very different from the Mass Effect trilogy, which is what I've been posting about, and usually what people are talking about when they talk about mass effect).

my recommendation is to buy the legendary edition (all three games and all their dlc in one) and play through them from the start to get the full story, or do the same thing but start with mass effect 2 so you play just 2 & 3. if you have the legendary edition, you can also give the first game a try and jump ship after an hour or 10 if you aren't feeling it and give me2 a try instead.

you will be missing some context, but me2 does start with a graphic novel/comic that summarizes the events of mass effect 1, and of the games, me1 is the only "skippable" one. it also has a very different vibe - gameplay, story-wise, and just visually - from the other 2, so i don't think it's very indicative of the series. its from an era of gaming that is far from where we are now. each game in the trilogy is a little different, but me2 and me3 are way closer to each other than either of them are to me1.

me2's story is cool (super character-focused, mostly with new characters, so you're not missing much context for them), but my main criticism is that parts of it feel tedious and its combat leaves something to be desired. i think me3 is more well-rounded, but i really cant recommend, for both story and default world condition reasons, just playing me3 (for a little extra context, ive played through the entire witcher franchise and totally recommend ignoring the first 2 games and just playing witcher 3. game order/importance varies by series). i really like the story of me2, just to reiterate. idk, it's just juicy to me

i HIGHLY recommend the legendary edition regardless of what games you want to play, because it has the extra dlc content, is remastered, has bug fixes, and most importantly, all three games talk to each other easily for importing saves and custom shepard appearances between them, which is highly important in the franchise. if you havent played a bioware game before, your choices in mass effect 1 and 2 directly inform the world state (like which characters are even alive) in mass effect 2 & 3, and while you can import your saves from regular separate copies of 2 and 3, legendary edition builds all that in for you with a central launcher.

now in regards to the fourth mass effect game: Mass Effect: Andromeda is set in an entirely different galaxy than the original trilogy and came later. it has no reliance on the trilogy's story and is stand alone, though clearly intended to be the start of another series, even if that hasn't come to fruition. i think its fine, its fun, but it doesn't have the same story impact that the original trilogy had - then again, the first game of the trilogy doesn't have that impact either, so it's very possible it could grow into something great if they ever continue it (i think its been like 6 years tho, so dont hold your breath).

i would recommend mass effect 3 over andromeda, which means i recommend me2 and me3 over me:a since 2 is required for 3, but if you prefer games like DA:I, HZD, and Assassin's Creed (Origins through Valhalla), then maybe give ME:A a shot and if it peeks your interest, circle back around to the trilogy.

[tetranymous]

Tagged by @predawnrex04

Rules: Make a new post and copy the text from this post and fill out the questions with your answers. Then tag five or more people you want to get to know better. Have fun!!!

1. Favorite colour(s):

Big fan of amber (especially the amber in the default ms paint colour palette), aqua and neon purple and medium blue are also excellent colours :)

2. Currently reading:

My uni mech textbook, I don't really read much outside of uni anymore (free time? Nonexistent.)

3. Last song you listened to:

I listen to music more than I don't nowadays, RIGHT NOW I'm listening to stick figures from animusic 1 (please watch animusic if you are a fan of robots that are just funny guys)

4. Last thing you watched:

5. In school?

Yep, studying mechatronic engineering at uni (robots and junk (literal (affectionate)))

6. Thing you’re looking forward to:

SUMMER BREAK. I need that sweet, sweet free time to fix my gottdang phone. *currently battling against the terrible screen and CPU of the $79 woolworths phone as we speak* (how this thing is worse than a phone from 2015 AND less responsive than my other phone from 2009 is a complete and utter mystery)

7. Thing you’re working on right now:

HOKAY SO. my mechatronics class has a free form practical where you get to make whatever you want right? So when my phone broke the first time (battery became a spicy pillow) I got REALLY fed up with how nothing is user serviceable anymore (my phone isn't that bad but the fact that I had to order speciality parts for it sucked) so I took it upon myself to fix it one project at a time

So I started small, (might try and tackle serviceable phone for my thesis, phones are INCREDIBLY complex) and made the Comically Large Arduino Watch. It tells the date! It tells the time! It has backlight control! It has a battery that lasts ONE (1) full day of constant operation! (Full list of features)

Here it is btw

This is an older photo of it, I've replaced the Arduino Uno with an Arduino Nano (to get more space in there, despite its size there is NOT a lot of room) and am currently adding automatic backlight control, some blinkenlights, and am fixing the whole battery situation (this required a COMPLETE code overhaul btw) tempted to add a dancing amogus in the 1 free character block I have left on the display too depending on how much I get done before it has to get marked

8. Can you cook or bake?

I can cook, unfortunately I have disease where whenever I look in the pantry all I see is condiments. Plus I hate cooking meat because I'm afraid I'll give myself food poisoning :( (not to mention the accursed Oils™ , I DON'T LIKE TOUCHING THEM)

9. Piece of media you’d recommend to anyone:

Tron legacy. It's got old computers! It's got highly experimental lasers! It's got practical effects! It's got Daft Punk! It's got genders! It's got ethical dilemmas! It's got cool cyber jets! Just everything I love it so much (I am so normal about this movie *has a Tron blog they've been running since 2016*) watch Tron (1982) first though you need the context (I ALSO LOVE THIS ONE TOO. Go look up how it was made its insane. Tldr: computer animation did not exist, but single frame rendering did. SO THEY HAD TO CALCULATE THE POSITION OF EVERYTHING WITH MATH BY HAND. And that's just the surface of the iceberg baybee!!!)

Not tagging anyone because I'm too shy (weem weem himper), but if you want to you can do it :)

[jclbehavioralhealth]

Is Paranoia a Symptom of Bipolar Disorder? Understanding the Connection

When discussing mental health disorders, it is essential to understand the full spectrum of symptoms and their implications for daily life. One question that often arises is, "Is paranoia a symptom of bipolar disorder?" This inquiry sheds light on the complex nature of bipolar disorder and how it manifests in various individuals. In this blog post, we will explore the relationship between paranoia and bipolar disorder, including how paranoia can influence one's experience of the condition, such as through bipolar isolation and its effect on individuals.

Understanding Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings, including emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). These mood swings can significantly impact a person’s behavior, energy levels, and overall functioning. The condition is typically classified into two main types: Bipolar I Disorder, which involves severe manic episodes often accompanied by depressive episodes, and Bipolar II Disorder, which includes hypomanic episodes and more severe depressive episodes.

Is Paranoia a Symptom of Bipolar Disorder?

Paranoia Highs can indeed be a component of bipolar disorder, particularly during manic or hypomanic episodes. During these periods, individuals may experience heightened paranoia, which manifests as intense and irrational fears that others are plotting against them or monitoring their actions. This kind of paranoia can be quite distressing and may significantly impact an individual's perception of reality.

Bipolar Isolation and Paranoia

One of the challenging aspects of bipolar disorder is how it can lead to bipolar isolation. As mood swings fluctuate, individuals may withdraw from social interactions due to feelings of mistrust or fear. This isolation can exacerbate feelings of paranoia, creating a cycle where the individual feels increasingly disconnected from others, which in turn intensifies their paranoid thoughts.

For some, this isolation is not merely a result of mood swings but also stems from Paranoid Face, a term describing the expression and demeanor of someone who is experiencing intense paranoia. This can affect how others perceive and interact with them, potentially leading to further social withdrawal.

Female Paranoia and Bipolar Disorder

When considering female paranoia, it’s important to acknowledge that gender can influence the manifestation of bipolar disorder. Research indicates that women may experience bipolar disorder differently than men, including variations in how paranoia manifests. For women, paranoia may be influenced by hormonal changes, societal pressures, and other gender-specific factors. Understanding these nuances is crucial for providing tailored support and treatment.

Coping with Paranoia in Bipolar Disorder

Managing paranoia within the context of bipolar disorder requires a multifaceted approach:

Medication: Treatment often involves mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications to help manage symptoms and reduce paranoia.

Therapy: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other therapeutic modalities can assist individuals in addressing and reframing paranoid thoughts.

Support Networks: Building a strong support system can help mitigate feelings of isolation and provide a sense of connection.

Education: Understanding the relationship between paranoia and bipolar disorder can empower individuals and their loved ones to recognize symptoms and seek appropriate help.

Conclusion

In summary, paranoia can indeed be a symptom of bipolar disorder, particularly during manic or hypomanic phases. This paranoia can lead to significant challenges, such as bipolar isolation and changes in how individuals present themselves (Paranoid Face). For women, female paranoia may present with unique characteristics influenced by gender-specific factors. Addressing these symptoms through a combination of medication, therapy, and support is crucial for managing bipolar disorder effectively.

If you or someone you know is struggling with bipolar disorder and associated paranoia, it’s essential to seek professional help. At JCV Health Care, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive support for those affected by mental health conditions. Feel free to reach out to us for more information and assistance.

[jcmarchi]

The Future of Teamwork: How AI-Driven Tools Are Reshaping Collaboration

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/the-future-of-teamwork-how-ai-driven-tools-are-reshaping-collaboration/

The Future of Teamwork: How AI-Driven Tools Are Reshaping Collaboration

When the film Her came out in 2013, the idea that a human could form a relationship with an AI-powered assistant was hard to imagine, not to mention, a bit dystopian. 11 years later, AI tools aren’t replacing romantic partners (yet), but they are playing increasingly important roles in the workplace. In fact, researchers are shifting their perception of AI, from a tool to a collaborative team member. Research has found, however, that adding an AI teammate can reduce coordination, communication, and trust. Despite these challenges, many organizations are finding ways to incorporate AI into their operations without hurting team collaboration. Training and delineating how to use AI are key. 

At Jotform, we’ve integrated AI into processes throughout every business function. It has transformed our team dynamics, improving communication and boosting productivity on tasks that matter. Here’s a closer look at how. 

Project Management With No Need for Patience

Some say patience is a virtue, but in the context of team project management, patience is overrated. Bottlenecks destroy momentum and sap up motivation. There’s nothing worse than feeling inspired and energized, only to anxiously await a team member’s reply. Not to mention: precious time is wasted. 

AI-powered task management tools can transform typical team project dynamics by eliminating many of the dependencies that tend to stall progress. For example, if you’re a manager, using an AI-driven project management tool can give you insight into an employee’s workflow without having to ask. AI tools can find ways to save time and boost collective productivity. 

Consider a work management platform like Asana: its AI features can suggest the next steps in a project, flag potential bottlenecks, and generate insight into a team’s workload and productivity. It’s like having an extra team member dedicated to analyzing and improving the logistics, so the human team members can focus on more meaningful tasks. 

Streamlining Research and Information Sharing

An attorney friend once told me about the legal research course she completed during law school. In those days, legal research leaned heavily on specialized search engines, and unsurprisingly, it took nearly an entire semester to master the art of utilizing them effectively. 

Today, AI-powered tools like ChatGPT are transforming the way we do online research. Given its capacity to streamline research and information sharing, it makes sense that ChatGPT is replacing common search engines for fast-paced teams.

With ChatGPT, you can use natural language to refine your research questions and access the results you need faster. ChatGPT can near-instantly summarize lengthy research articles, reports, and data sets. Sometimes, these documents will require your full attention. But when you just need the key points, you can delegate the comprehension task to ChatGPT and distribute the insight to your teammates. 

Let’s say you’re looking for a solution and don’t know where to start. ChatGPT can be a helpful tool in the brainstorming process, generating ideas and alternative approaches for you and your team members. No more staring at a blank page waiting for inspiration to strike. For example, one of our teams was creating content about Gen Z in the workplace and needed a quick overview of the leading trends. ChatGPT helped get the ball rolling, leaving our team members with more energy to dedicate to choosing and developing the best content strategy. 

When you use AI tools to generate and research ideas, you make more time for creative thinking and considering other team members’ diverse perspectives. In the era of AI, this is the work that defines successful employees and organizations.

Making Meetings Count

Meetings can be a time suck. In a recent survey of 5,000 knowledge workers across four continents, 78% of the respondents said they’re expected to attend so many meetings that it’s hard to get their work done. Meetings can also be exhausting. In the same survey, 76% said they felt drained on days when they had a lot of meetings. 

I’m a proponent of keeping meetings to a minimum and slashing unnecessary status updates. I want employees to have large swaths of time to dedicate to work that energizes them. They need ample time to enter the “flow” mode. But when it comes to essential meetings, I want everyone to be able to give their full attention. That’s where AI-powered automation tools come into play, to listen and transcribe meeting notes and ensure that nothing gets lost in the shuffle. Our teams integrate an AI speech recognition app directly into our video conferencing platform. Meeting notes are automatically saved as text in a Google document. If later, one of the attendants needs to recall something discussed in the meeting, it’s just a quick Google Drive search away. 

This simple AI tool enables us to focus our attention on the actual content of the meeting, rather than the tedious task of notetaking. When we’re fully present, we have richer conversations, better ideas, and find better solutions—an example of how AI fosters collaboration and innovation. 

Coordinating schedules

One of the beauties of AI is its ability to automate your communication—and your peace of mind. Scheduling is another realm where time and energy tend to be needlessly lost. With AI scheduling tools, you can skip the tedious back and forth trying to coordinate multiple calendars, aka low-value communication, and never worry about forgetting to pencil an event in your calendar. The short-term memory stores an average of seven pieces of information at any given time. Why waste that precious space on a meeting time and date when an AI tool can handle that for you? 

AI-powered tools like Clara use natural language processing to set up meetings and negotiate times with meeting participants. You can integrate it into your email and calendar, and set up notifications and follow-ups. Clara can offer insights into your email conversations to manage your schedule more effectively.

With Clara and similar AI scheduling tools, everyone in your organization, from new hires to C-suite, can have a personal assistant, freeing them to focus on more important work. In that sense, it’s hard not to fall for AI. You might say that Her isn’t so far-fetched after all.