#to be clear: I have the utmost respect for journalism as a career and for journalists as writers and investigators

[taleweaver-ramblings]

If I ever get my hands on a time machine, the first thing I am going to do is find whichever individuals are responsible for the misconceptions that you have to be a journalist to be a good writer and that every writer likes journalism. And then I am going to shake those people so hard they each break at least one tooth. And I am not going to apologize for it.

[lifeofkaze]

When Stars Ignite - Chapter 10

HPHM Rockstar AU

A/N:

General Warning: This whole fic has a general warning of being NSFW / 18+. We will give specific warnings for every chapter in itself, but several adult themes will be more or less present in every chapter, may it be explicitly or in mention. These include sexual topics, drug abuse, (ab)use of alcohol, smoking and a whole lot of cursing.

Specific Warning: None, wow 😂

~~~

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here.

~~~

This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist

Taglist: @slytherindisaster @night-rhea @carewyncromwell

I make my livin' off the evenin' news

Just give me somethin', somethin' I can use

People love it when you lose

They love dirty laundry

~ Don Henley - Dirty Laundry ~

Ethan’s plan to raise Equinox’s standing within the record company was very clear. While their nights were spent performing on stage, Ethan had made sure their days were filled with a tight schedule of PR appointments.

Where they’d had plenty of time to relax, socialise and explore on their previous tours, every day was now jam-packed with meet & greets, photoshoots and interviews. Even when they were off duty, Ethan was constantly reminding them to take pictures and film stories to publish on social media.

“People aren’t following you because they like your music,” he never got tired of saying. “They want to see who’s behind their favourite rockstars. Give them a look at your private life and you’ll be everybody’s darlings in no time once again.”

Some of them were more reluctant to put themselves out there than the others. While Lizzie and Skye didn’t mind the odd goofy backstage clip, Lizzie noticed Merula and especially Orion were increasingly drawing back into themselves.

Lizzie and Orion made a point to avoid talking about band business when they were spending their nights together; not that they were talking much at all. But the concerned crease that she could see more often than not on Orion’s forehead these days wasn’t lost on her either.

The worst part of Ethan’s strategy, however, were without a doubt the countless press appointments. All in the spirit of keeping the enemy close, Lizzie had lost track of how many interviews they had given since their U.K. tour had started. The publications they were working with ranged from reputable magazines and newspapers to the trashiest of tabloids. At least, most of the stories those were coming up with were just too hilarious to be actually believable; Lizzie shuddered to think what dirt they could uncover if they’d ever decide to dig for real.

Like on so many days before, Equinox were scheduled for another interview before one of their rare days off. It was for a feature story with a magazine well respected in the industry, all with an accompanying photo shoot and the whole conundrum. It wouldn’t have sounded so bad, had it not been for the journalist who had been chosen to conduct the interview.

Lizzie had met a number of reporters over the course of her career, but none who ground her nerves as Rita Skeeter did.

Beloved by her readers and dreaded by the subjects of her stories, Rita Skeeter was one of the most sharp-tongued critics British journalism had to offer. She had a singular gift - although some called it a curse - to wiggle even the slightest of juicy information out of her unheeding interview partner. Many a career had taken a dive after an unfortunate encounter with her.

If you wanted utmost attention, Rita Skeeter was the right woman for the job; but you had better get your guard up.

The blonde woman was currently watching Andre preparing them for the interview and the shoot afterwards; usually the magazines brought their own stylists, but Ethan liked to keep as many things under control as he could. Having Andre in charge of their looks guaranteed they would give off just the impression Ethan wanted.

Andre was in the process of applying Lizzie’s make up, the tip of his tongue showing between his teeth while he concentrated. She winced as her eyes started tearing up from the wand of the mascara.

“I don’t get why this much makeup is necessary,” she complained, drawing away from Andre to blink her tears away. “I get it with Merula, she’s singing and in focus, but I’m behind the drums, no one’s paying attention to me. Give her the spotlight and leave me in peace,” she added glumly as she saw Andre approach with a curling wand.

Andre tutted as he opened her ponytail and loosened her hair with practised hands. “Stop arguing, you know it’s useless. And besides,” he added with a wink that showed off his glittery eyeliner, “loads of people are paying attention to you; you’re just not looking.”

“I have to agree with Mr. Egwu,” Rita suddenly said. She had been leaning against one of the dressing tables on the set and watched them being dolled up. Andre usually held their wardrobe in dark colours, black and white, so Rita’s bilious green dress stood out like a flare in comparison. She pursed her bright red lips as she looked Lizzie up and down over the rim of her half-glasses.

“You’re a favourite with my readers, Miss Jameson… Lizzie, I may call you Lizzie, right?”

Without waiting for Lizzie’s answer, she continued. “You have a bright personality and some decent looks; you are the little sunshine of this group and everyone likes themselves a good ‘girl next door in the big wide world’ trope.”

She raised her hands at Lizzie’s sceptical look and laughed; it sounded incredibly put on. “I’m not a fan of putting people into drawers either, but it’s what the people want to see.” She tapped her finger against her temple. “It’s how my readers think.”

Skye snorted in the background; she was already done with her styling and sat on one of the tables, legs dangling in the air. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

Rita giggled. “Of course the rebel of the group would say that, I expected nothing else; after all, there’s true rockstar blood running through your veins, Skye Parkin.”

Not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to herself, Skye fell silent.

When everyone was ready, they moved over to where two comfortable looking sofas and an armchair were set up for them. Lizzie sighed inwardly as she took her place between Skye and Everett. Rita Skeeter was known to make her interview questions up on the spot; Lizzie just hoped they wouldn’t be too off the rails.

Rita leaned back into her armchair facing them and placed a dictating machine onto the small wooden table next to her. It was no secret that the infamous reporter liked to keep her own notes, kept apart from the material belonging to her magazine; she usually kept the dictating device running long after the cameras had turned off.

“So,” she began speaking to an invisible audience with a sickly sweet voice, “I’m honoured to be talking to England’s hottest export when it comes to rock ‘n’ roll - and I mean that in more ways than one.”

She turned her attention towards them. “It’s so good to have you here today, how are you all?”

They all muttered some noncommittal phrases before Rita started with her first question. Like always in the beginning, it was more of a general palaver as both parties were taking the other’s measure.

If the questions weren’t directed at anyone in particular, it was usually Everett answering them. He loved the attention he got from Rita and contrary to the rest of them, he almost seemed to feel comfortable around her. The pictures Lizzie had seen of him and Rita in Skye’s tabloid came to her mind again, and she wondered if that might be the reason for Everett’s talkativeness.

As the interview continued, Rita’s questions were gradually becoming more detailed, focused on several aspects that she deemed sell-worthy. She watched every one of them closely as they answered, and they picked their words carefully.

“One thing I noticed about this last part of your tour is your very increased availability,” Rita said. “I don’t remember seeing you do so much fan service and public appearances before. What’s the reason behind this?”

It was Orion who answered her question. “The most important thing to us is to make sure our fans are having a good time. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are now; it’s not a lot, but this is our way of thanking them.”

“Is this the reason for your upcoming special show tomorrow? Reserved for the indigent foster care children?”

Her eyes flicked between Merula and Orion. “It’s no secret you two have a history with the system. One orphaned at such a young age, the other the daughter of convicted criminals, bound to be raised in the shadows of her parents’ deeds. Two unlikely siblings, not bound by blood but by trauma - how does it feel to risk a look into your own past?”

“It’s a show like any other,” Merula replied bluntly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She scowled at the blonde reporter. “No need to make a big deal out of this.”

Orion inclined his head in Merula’s direction. “What Merula wants to say is, we make no difference in what good cause we are supporting, as long as we can put a smile on the faces of those who need it, even if only for a little while. We do have our past in the care system, that is common knowledge, but as Merula pointed out already, this is in the past. If you want to continue on your path, it is no good walking with your gaze turned backwards. We live in the here and now, so it’s what’s in front of us that matters.”

The slight twitch around the corners of Rita’s mouth was almost too quick to catch, but Lizzie had seen it nonetheless. Apparently, Orion had given her the exact bridge to her next question she had hoped for.

“If you want to speak about the here and now, I’ll be too happy to fulfill your wish,” she cooed. “Now that we’re speaking on a more personal level anyway, I just have to ask. You guys are living everyone’s wildest dreams, a life all of us mere mortals can only imagine.” Her eyes sparkled behind her glasses. “It’s only us here, you can trust me; what about the juicy stories? Any tales of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll you want to share with the world?”

Lizzie subconsciously bit the inside of her cheek, hoping Rita hadn’t noticed before she got herself under control again; this woman was a bloodhound when it came to scandals. If she ever found out what was going on between Orion and her, Lizzie might just as well bury herself alive.

Luckily, Orion wasn’t fazed by her question. “The only passion we share is the love for our music,” he smiled noncommittally. “As professional musicians we try to keep our public and private lives separated.”

Rita’s eyes gleamed as she leaned forward. “You try to keep them separated?”

Before Lizzie couldn’t help it, her eyes flickered to Orion again.

“We have been friends for years, of course our lives intervene in places. The friendship between us we show to the world is genuine and not for show.”

“Friendship, huh?” Rita’s nostrils flared as her eyes swept the round. “Come on, we’re all adults here. So many gorgeous young people spending their time together all day, everyday? Don’t tell me you’re all staying up drinking apple juice and playing board games.”

Her attention shifted so suddenly that Lizzie was taken by surprise. “What about you, Lizzie? Any stories to tell?” She looked her up and down critically. “If you ask me, you and Jason would make quite the pair. The golden girl and the bad boy? People live for stories like that.”

Everett sighed wistfully. “Just call me Ev, Rita, everyone does. But yeah, that’s what I’ve been telling her for years now, but so far to no avail. Perhaps she’ll listen to you.”

Lizzie was relieved when he immediately started laughing his words off. “I’m joking of course; Orion is right. The band is our job and our management wants us to keep things professional. There’s other ways to live the rockstar lifestyle,” he finished with a wink.

Rita pursed her lips in a knowing smile. “That I believe in a heartbeat. Fill me in guys, between us, how is it with the ladies? The bad guy with an angel’s voice and the soulful songwriter and his magic hands… you must be spoiled for choice.”

Everett grinned and leaned back against the sofa. “I can’t complain, is all I’m saying.”

“How about you Orion? Dark eyes, messy hair, all those tattoos - your fans must love this,” she winked with a sly smile, “At least I know where I would try to go after a show if I was a little younger.”

Lizzie tried very much not to roll her eyes.

“Even if they do, I wouldn’t know of it,” Orion answered serenely. “While I love all our fans dearly, my relationship with them ends when our show does.”

“So no stories behind your many tattoos? No tales of long lost love?”

“I didn’t say there are no stories,” Orion replied, “only that they have nothing to do with any fans of ours.”

Trying to steer the conversation to a less dangerous topic, he started explaining the stories behind some of the less meaningful tattoos on his wrists and arms. Lizzie knew each and every one of them by heart, the pictures as familiar to her as Orion’s smile when she ran her fingers over his painted skin.

What he didn’t mention was the biggest of his tattoos and her favourite one; the giant dreamcatcher running along the whole length of his back. Thinking about the intricate lines made a little smile appear on her face.

She didn’t even notice Rita asking her way through the rest of her friends until the reporter’s attention turned to her.

“All of your friends seem to be quite the fans of body art; what about you, Lizzie? Do you have any tattoos as well?”

Lizzie flashed Rita the brilliant but noncommittal smile reserved for the people she just couldn’t stand. “I do have one, yes.”

Rita raised an eyebrow when she didn’t continue. “And where might that be?”

Lizzie chuckled in response. “That will stay my little secret.”

Her gaze was fixed on Rita, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Orion fighting hard to suppress a grin. Of course, he knew exactly where it was.

Rita blinked, clearly irritated by her answer, the same empty smile that was on Lizzie’s face never leaving her red lips.

“Very well, keep your secret - for now. I’ll find out eventually.”

Her smile broadened, a dangerous glint shining in her eyes. “All secrets have their way of ending up with me, one way or another.”

Rita stood up from her armchair to get herself something to drink. When she turned her back on them, Lizzie slowly breathed out, relieved to have the blonde’s prying eyes taken off her.

As the others got up to leave the set as well, Orion and Lizzie’s eyes met for a moment. A smile was playing around his lips as they dropped to where her tattoo was hidden from everybody else’s sight.

She felt her lips curve into a smile of her own and she crossed her arms in front of her chest, her hand resting over the small spot on her ribcage where the words that resonated with her so much were inked into her skin. Seeing what she was doing, Orion couldn’t contain his grin any longer. Judging by the twinkle in his eyes, the memory of when he had first seen them was playing just as vividly in his mind as it did in hers.

[onlyonecanbeking]

Farewell.

Well well, odd to see me writing again, isn't it?

I will admit, it almost feels strange to write a post on this account, considering its dormancy for so long. How long has it even been? A year? 

Oh god, does anyone remember me? I'm the person that wrote weird "Figment Darkiplier" posts. Ring any bells? Hehe.

I write this post, as a way to simply ramble out my thoughts and feelings. There is no script, no plot, it's simply me. I apologize if it is nonsensical. 

  So .... everyone, it has been one hell of a year. I believe that we've all experienced something difficult in 2020, whether it be loss, loneliness, self reflection, or any number of challenges.

From the month of February until August, I was one of the multitudes of millions of people who had to quarantine within our homes. Over that period of time, stuck with myself, I had a very long time to think, and to grow. I realized that many things in my life were not unfolding the way that I wanted them to. That the things I had surrounded myself with did not properly encapsulate who I was, and am, as a person.

When I started this account, I was a lonely highschooler desperate for some sort of creative release. I used the character of Darkiplier as an escape, playing a role of power and charisma. It was intended to be my own personal journal, a place to practice writing, as it was my passion. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever anticipate that I would amass a community of this size. Over four thousand of you enjoyed my work enough to stick around, and that was just beyond crazy to me.

I think the rapid climb to "fame", to put it selfishly, was both scary and addictive. Receiving the adoration and compliments from online peers gave me a euphoria I didn't even know I needed. I rode that high for a long time, and I made very many friends from it.

But I also made many mistakes. I will not come before you and tell you that I am a "good" person. I have a selfish personality. I overachieve. I'm an attention hog. I want to excel so badly that sometimes I use the expense of others in order to progress. But I can say with utmost certainty that I poured my heart and soul into this account, into the lore I have created, into the story I have made, into everything that is important to me. I cherish my friends. I accept my losses. I never stop attempting to grow and learn as a human being. 

Through that growth, I have come to realize that I surrounded myself with the wrong people. I gave my trust, and my care to individuals who took my patience as weakness. It is unfortunate that many times, those who I thought cared for me, only cared for the "popularity" I might offer them. What I could do for them, and their image, completely overshadowed me as an individual. As time continued, it became more apparent that even my closest friends were beginning to use my world and my story, to fetishize, clique, discriminate, and bully. There was even a period of time where I joined in that "mean girls" behavior. I laughed behind the backs of people I loved. I criticized people cruelly. I became the very person I had been shoving out of my life for years. It disgusted me. 

During the quarantine, trapped alone with myself, I realized that I had become a monstrosity, and that I needed to change. I did what I could to persuade others to join in my efforts, but I am only one person. I have since removed all bad influences out of my life. Those influences would happily call me two-faced and manipulative, because I stopped giving them exactly what they wanted: my attention.

Still, I am never free of sin. Just within the last few years, I have been childish, or too eager. I have rubbed my nose in places I shouldn't have. But I would hope it is clear to everyone, that I only ever wanted the best outcome for the people I cared about.

I suppose this has become a ramble, but I wish to share all my feelings, all my last messages, because of this: this will be my last post. There are too many faces on this website, and too many memories, that mean too little to me. I have continued to return to the account, doing simple reposts just to... I'm not sure. Continue being relevant? But it feels hollow now. There is no reason for me to continue holding on things here. The things that I hold dear remain elsewhere, and that is where I will focus my attention. 

I met the love of my life, who has offered me nothing but total support, care, compassion, patience, and most importantly, unconditional love during even the most difficult phases of my journey. I am so grateful to them and everything they have done to me. I have achieved what I set out for in college, and have a steady job in a forensics lab. But once I get past my own anxiety and self-doubt, I want to join my partner and co-author books with him, as a true career.

My horizon branches far beyond this tumblr now, as I'm sure is the case for many many many other people. But for some reason, I felt it necessary to just write a goodbye. 

So I suppose, what I will finally say is this.

Thank you. Thank you for the fantastic memories. Thank you for the nights I spent scrolling through fanart, nearly in tears because my work had meaning. Thank you for the companionship, with so much interaction and support. Thank you for the laughter, the jokes and the memes. Thank you for the lessons, for reminding me of my values. Thank you for teaching me  about self respect, standing up for what I believe in, and never taking shit from anyone. 

I will not delete the account, just in case any random post in here sparks joy. But it will be only an archive from now on. I hope that in some way I have had a place in some of your lives, hopefully for the better. Perhaps in the future I will edit this post and add a discord link to the figment manor. We will see.

But, to all of you reading this, thank you for sticking around.

So, for the last time.

Goodbye, Lovelies.

[agoswami23]

Overall reflections on the internship and your studies from starting your degree (i.e. how have your objectives/ambitions changed? Or not?)

From the start of my studies and internship to now, I have seen myself grew in areas that I struggled in and never thought I could improve on. Not only this, but I also enjoyed every bit of my time at Holmesglen studying sports business. The beginning of this degree started in March of 2018 and I am already in my final semester finishing the last bit of my hours in my internship. The degree usually goes for a span of 3 years but I was able to complete it in within 2 years because of the credits I received from my past diploma at Holmesglen and I was given the chance to take a couple of classes one semester earlier. This brought forth a lot of work in itself because I had more classes than most if not all the students during some semesters and I feel like this shaped my work ethic to become stronger.

I was not sure what I was stepping into when starting this degree considering the past diploma at Holmesglen was quite laidback when compared to senior year of high school. Having Mathew who was with me in the diploma made me feel slightly bit more comfortable knowing that I already have a friend that is going to be in my class. All throughout the two years my grades were about average. They did fluctuate sometimes and the recently the pandemic did not help at all. It was actually a blessing in disguise for me because it taught me how to deal with losing motivation and distractions which are areas that I already struggle in. The work was never hard or difficult, in reality it was just the effort to start an assignment. As we are now coming out of lockdown my work ethic and attention to detail have increased and I will continue to work towards enhancing those skills.

Objectives and ambitions of mine have changed considering I did not have a specific career path in mind for me to probe. Now it is clear to me that my aim is to work in is the sport marketing field of an organisation. ‘Although aims, unlike objectives, cannot be pursued and measured directly, their continued discussion is essential’ (Noddings 2008) which is why I am constantly reminding myself of this aim. From start to finish, being an intern at Table Tennis Victoria has been very much enjoyable. This opportunity that Holmesglen has provided me to work in a real-world environment, allowed me to have a jump start to my career and helped me gain much needed experience in the sporting industry before I finish my degree. Everyone at Table Tennis Victoria welcomed me with open arms and anyone that I have had the chance to work with or meet has always shown me the utmost respect and vice versa.

References

Noddings, N 2008, Aims, Goals, and Objectives, Journal of the Theory and History of Education, vol. 8, viewed November 21, 2020, Google Scholar

[jacewilliams1]

The 180-degree turn: a life-saving maneuver for all pilots (even test pilots)

Under certain circumstances, a 180-degree turn is the greatest life-saving maneuver that can be performed in an aircraft. I can personally attest to this fact, as it is highly likely that I’m here writing this thanks to a certain 180-degree turn that I made many years ago. That also applies to my three passengers at the time, hopefully still happy and healthy, wherever they may be.

Among the circumstances when a 180 may come in handy are thunderstorms, icing, lowering ceilings if VFR, and deteriorating conditions at the destination. The one exception is following an engine failure shortly after takeoff in an attempt to return to the airport. Then it will kill you.

As much as pilots are indoctrinated with the life-saving benefits of the 180-degree turn, they are often loath to exercise it. This is because they are focused on arriving at their destination and anything that interferes with that goal is considered an irritation, despite the fact that they may die trying to get there. The accident reports are full of such events.

Scott Crossfield was a legendary test pilot, but even he could not defeat Mother Nature.

Recently, I was reading a biography of aviation legend Scott Crossfield. He started his career as a Navy instructor pilot in WWII. He was eventually assigned to an operational squadron, but the war ended before he saw combat. After the war, he continued in the Naval Reserve, flying Corsair fighters. He joined NACA (forerunner of NASA) in 1950 and became a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, where he flew many different types of experimental aircraft in the 1950s and 60s. He was the first pilot to fly at twice the speed of sound. Perhaps most notable were his flights in the legendary X-15, a hypersonic, rocket-propelled aircraft that eventually achieved speeds in excess of 4500 mph and altitudes in excess of 50 miles. As a young aviator, I was an avid follower of Scott Crossfield. He was one of my aviation heroes.

In July 2005, I went to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. While attending a presentation with a crowd of people, I stood almost shoulder to shoulder with Crossfield. There were so many people there it was impossible to greet him or and shake his hand, which would have been a thrill for me, but I did manage to get a picture.

On April 19, 2006, Scott Crossfield was tragically killed while on a cross country flight in his Cessna 210, en route from Prattville, Alabama, to Manassas, Virginia. He had penetrated an area of extreme thunderstorm activity and the airplane experienced an in-flight breakup. He was 84 years old and the sole occupant of the aircraft.

In the NTSB final report several factors were discussed. Although he was well aware of the possibility of severe weather during his flight planning, it is not clear how much information he may have had about the thunderstorm that killed him. One thing that is made clear in the report is the air traffic controller was faulted for his failure to warn him of extreme thunderstorm activity along his route of flight, even though the controller was well aware of it. Scott’s last transmission after he had penetrated the thunderstorm without any warning from the controller was to ask for a course deviation to the south. By then it was too late and contact with him was lost shortly thereafter. When this accident happened, just about everyone I know in the aviation community was touched by it and felt his loss. For pilots, it was the day the music died.

Scott Crossfield was shaped by his early flying career as a naval aviator, then as a test pilot for NACA, and later North American Aviation. One paragraph he wrote in his biography resonated with me (reproduced below). The last sentence was startling in its revelation, especially with respect to the accident that took his life. It described an event which occurred when he was a naval aviator on a flight from Seattle to Denver. He and his wingman had become separated from a larger group of aircraft and were trying to find Denver. This is back in the days before GPS, when air navigation was considerably more challenging. The following is the excerpt from the book describing this event.

Helsell and I were doing our damnedest—almost. Used to conserving fuel, another of our private competitions, we were still in the air looking for Denver. Every time we saw a house we zoomed down to see if it held a clue. Convinced that Denver lay to the northeast, I made one more attempt to find it. We flew northeast and came up over a ridge right into the face of another black line of thunderheads. I began to lose heart. It was almost dark, we had only a half-hour’s fuel, the radios yielded only static. To plunge into that thunderstorm flying blind, in the Rocky Mountains, with the distance to Denver unknown, could be idiotic.

“What do you think?” I radioed Helsell.

“Do you think we should turn back?” he answered.

“Yes,” I said.

“So do I.”

And turn back we did, searching for the nearest airfield. At the point of turning we were exactly twenty-three miles southwest of Denver, or about six minutes by Corsair. The thunderstorm line was thin and lying on the last ridge before the mid-western plains. Denver was clear as a bell. If we had pressed on for six more minutes, we would have landed, salvaging part of the day, heroes, pride of the Navy. Instead we were bums. We landed on a mountainside field — elevation 9700 feet — in a small town called Fairplay, Colorado, and joined the skipper and three other pilots who had followed the same course.

When I found how close we had come, I was mortified. The next day when we got to Denver, after the Navy sent a gasoline truck to refuel us, I was even more mortified. Captain Greber flew down from Seattle to chew us out.

“I can understand the torpedo planes grounded in Helena, out of commission,” Greber said. “I can understand one plane, or maybe two planes, getting lost. By really stretching my imagination I can conceive of maybe six planes getting lost together. But fifteen airplanes, in largely clear weather on a four-hundred-mile flight! An hour-and-a-half hop. It’s beyond belief.”

He was right. It was the most incompetent, unprofessional, ridiculous performance I had ever seen in the air, one that I could have tempered if I had held to my convictions and not quit. Worse was the fact that my decision also made Helsell look like a chump.

This brilliant maneuver did little to boost recruiting in Denver, but it brought VF-74 fame of a different sort in Navy circles. For me it was a great personal lesson. Not once since then, either on land or in the air, have I ever turned back from any course that I set upon, no matter how dark the clouds that lay ahead. (underline added)

[Excerpt from Always Another Dawn: The Story of a Rocket Test Pilot, by Albert Scott Crossfield (Pontoon Books)]

In order to perform as a test pilot, Crossfield had to constantly push the limit. He did this with skill, courage and determination. He had to cross the line many times to penetrate the unknown. This was the very essence of his role as a test pilot and what made him so good at it. But it is possible that on April 19, 2006, this admirable quality may have conspired to end his life, along with other factors, such as the lack of information from an incompetent controller. I have the utmost respect for Scott Crossfield. He is still among my all-time aviation heroes, and I lament the fact that he was lost in an accident that seemed so avoidable.

The post The 180-degree turn: a life-saving maneuver for all pilots (even test pilots) appeared first on Air Facts Journal.

from Engineering Blog https://airfactsjournal.com/2020/06/the-180-degree-turn-a-life-saving-maneuver-for-all-pilots-even-test-pilots/

[juniperpublisherspbworld]

Juniper Publishers| Self-Concept among Muslim Undergraduate Students towards Higher Education: A Study of Darbhanga, India

Journal of Psychology-JuniperPublishers

Introduction

India is undergoing the rapid changing environment especially social environment where each and every individual irrespective of sex, caste, creed and religion have come to know about the importance of education and its relevance to fight the evils of society. Indian youth's especially undergraduate student is faced with the challenge of choosing careers more wisely, particularly because decisions involve early planning for specialization and training. Undergraduate students particularly Muslim students are plagued by the process of career exploration, lack of confidence uncertainty about an occupation, self assessment and lack of knowledge of work. In India, these days, the ratio of Muslim girls and boys in different schools, colleges and universities (private and government) are being observed near about 15% of the total populations of Muslims youngsters. The observed data shows that still Muslim world are not in the position to compete in the world of work yet. Sachar committee of India reported in 2006 that the condition of Muslims in India is very poor even in comparison to SC/ST. We can understand the positions of Muslim students in India so, Muslim social scientists and other social reformers are duty bound to look in to the matter concerned. Thus, the present study was aimed at studying the self-concept among undergraduate students towards higher education of Darbhanga district of India. Self - concept is one of the important dimensions of personality which gives direction to one's whole life. Self concept refers to the experience of one's own being. It includes what people come to know about themselves through experience, reflection, and feedback from others. Basically, self-concept is an organized cognitive structure comprising a set of attitudes and beliefs that cut across all facets of experience and action, organizing and tying together the variety of specific habits, abilities, outlooks, ideas, and feelings that a person displays. In our opinion self- concept is a central theme around which a large number of the major aspects of personality are organized. On the other hand self-esteem is the effective or emotional aspect of self and generally refers to how we feel about or how we value ourselves (one's self-worth) and self-efficacy is the individual's confidence in their ability to control their thoughts, feelings and actions, although, self-concept can refer to the general idea we have of ourselves and self-esteem can refer to particular measures about components of self-concept. Franken [1] suggested that self-concept is related to selfesteem in that, "People who have good self -esteem have clear differentiated self-concept when people know themselves they can maximize outcomes because they know what they can and cannot do". Krol et al. [2] conceded that, as an element of the self-concept, self-esteem - usually described as self-acceptance or overall affective evaluation of one’s worth - has been found to be associated with both physical and psychological health. Brigham [3] found and showed in his study that academic self-concept was more effective than was academic achievement in differentiating between low-track and high-track students, whereas, Hamachek [4] also asserted that self-concept and school achievement are related. Similarly, various researches have been carried out but none is available on the problem as formulated i.e. the self-concept among Muslim undergraduate students towards higher education with particular reference Darbhanga district, India. Hence we can say that the present study on the phenomenon in relation to higher education is of utmost value and it will fill the void of knowledge in the area concerned. Additionally, it is to point out here that in the growth of human being, the phase of 'adolescence' is a very critical and important. Most of the physiological, psychological, and social changes occur during this period of life. The period can be seen as the time of struggle to find some identity and meaning in lives. More pressure at this stage leads to poor well-being among adolescents in general and students in particular. In this fast hi-tech scenario, there is need to enhance the level of comfort, happiness and well-being among by the means of education especially higher education. There is a long history of interest in how different psychological, physical and social factors affect psychological well-being [5-9]. In recent years, psychological researchers have shown increasing interests in the psychological well-being of school students and have carried out many valuable discussions on this issue. The significance of such researches lies in that they are conducive to acquiring a thorough knowledge of school and college going students’ psychological feature, which in turn helps to educate them according to their talents, to prevent them from unhealthy behaviors, and to bring out their physical and intellectual potentials as well as affective performance. It is not only beneficial to students' development, but also provides a new educational form and approach for the schools and college to turn out excellent talents and better performances. It is important to mention here that, one’s self-concept plays very significant role in the determination of psychological well-being. Self-concept, the students' view of him/herself towards higher education especially in Darbhanga, India may be a particularly important behavior either healthy or unhealthy, because it entails the ways in which the students perceives her/his own actions [10]. Self-concept is especially relevant during the period of school and college when student often self-criticism and turmoil in terms of self-concept [11,12]. Therefore, this problem is undertaken in deliberation to study the self-concept among Muslim undergraduate students towards higher education with particular reference Darbhanga district, India.

Objective of the Study

The main objective of the study was to assess whether girls and boys will differ in their self-concept and if they did who have a higher self-concept towards higher education. It is because of the fact that in all societies of the world girls and boys are treated differently. They receive different kind of social feedback thus, there may be different expectations and these expectations are supposed to shape the self-concept among boys and girls towards higher education as [13] referred to self-concept as the "key stone personality". Thus, self-concept appears to be a comprehensive and exhaustive area which can represent the personality as whole towards higher education at large. Recognizing its broader coverage than any other trait of personality self-concept has been chosen as one of the possible dimensions which give direction to the whole life. Selfconcept importance stems from its influence over the quality of a person’s behavior and his method of adjustment to life and situation. Therefore, in the light of this objective the following hypothesis was formulated: I. There will be no significance of difference between boys and girls in their self concept as a whole and its dimensions towards higher education.

Methodology

Sample

The present study was conducted on two hundred undergraduate students (N=200) comprising Girls (n=100) and boys (n=100), randomly collected from the different departments of Millat College, Darbhanga - a well-known city of Bihar, India.

Tools used

Self-Concept Scale: In order to assess self-concept of college students, a scale developed by [14] has been used. This questionnaire consisted of 80 items. In this scale there were 6-dimensions: Behavior, Intellectual and school status, physical appearance and attributes, anxiety, popularity, happiness and satisfaction. Each item was measured on Zero-point scale viz., 'Yes' ( ) 'No' ( ). In the scale there are 14 lie items to detect whether the children and adolescents have filled it accurately or not. The scale items are scored in a positive or negative direction to reflect the evaluation dimension. A high score on the scale is presumed to indicate a favorable self-concept. This self-concept scale is quite reliable as the test-retest and split half reliability coefficients are .88 and .79 respectively.

Biographical Information Blank (BIB): Biographical blank was also prepared for interpreting the results. It includes: sex, qualification, religion, area of locality, family income, father's qualification, mother’s qualification, family structure, etc.

Procedure

Before giving the above schedules, respondents were deliberated about the importance of higher education then thereafter measures were given to each student to complete in all respect. They were also assured that the information provided by them would be kept strictly confidential and will be used research purposes only. Having collected the data, the data were tabulated for giving statistical treatment. Finally, the obtained results presented in table and discussed in detail.

Results and Discussion

In quest of obtaining the results, descriptive analysis was done by computing mean, SD, and t-test to see if there was any significant difference in obtained scores of the two groups. From the

table-1

, it is apparently clear that in the present sample there is a highly significant difference in the mean values of total selfconcept as boys had higher self-concept mean score with an SD (64.25 and 13.23) than girls (57.98 and 10.09). Hence, the difference between boys and girls has been found statistically as t - value is significant at .05 level of confidence. Thus, the null hypothesis that there will be no significance of difference between boys and girls in their self-concept stands rejected. The results seem to be logical that boys and girls do differ in their self-concept towards higher education, although, boys have higher self-concept than girls. It is important to be mentioned here that one of the possible reasons for the present study is likely to be (

Table 1

) "Gender Bias". It is because of the fact that in our traditional society especially in Muslim community boys are still given greater exposure and more positive feedback in the socialization process. In addition to the above result, it is also important to point out the area-wise analysis which shows that out of six dimensions of self-concept, only in four areas there are significant differences between boys and girls. In the dimensions of self-concept, 'Behavior', 'Physical Appearance and Attributes', 'Anxiety' and 'Happiness and Satisfaction’ boys have higher self-concept score so that in these areas of self-concept significance of difference have been found (

Table 1

), although, in all dimensions boys' selfconcept scores have also been found higher than girls. However, in the area of 'Intellectual and College Status, and 'Popularity' no significance difference is found between boys and girls perceived reactions on their self-concept towards higher education. The trend of the results shows greater societal pressure on boys to perform well in their career and to be a provider for their family and it seems that this is not essentially associated with the girls.

In fact being less ambitious is considered to be feminine in Indian society especially in Muslim world. Hence it can be said that in spite of expansion of education among girls, societal expectations from have not changed much. They are still projected primarily as mothers and caregivers and this reflects in girls' self-perception too. The reasons are that socialization and education reinforce each other. The aspirations of young girls are unrelated to their actual intellectual and cognitive abilities as [

1

] stated that there is a great deal of research which shows that the self concept is, perhaps, the basis for all motivated behavior, it is the self-concept that gives rise to possible selves that create motivation for behavior. In the dimension of selfconcept, 'physical appearance and attributes’ boys' self-concept score is higher than the girls. It depicts the clear cut picture that boys are more confident regarding their looks and qualities whereas girls are more conscious and critical in their physical appearance because there is societal pressure that a girl must look beautiful. Hence it seems that girls are getting more education in numbers only for their survival in their life endeavor, although both boys and girls have also been found significant on the sub-dimension of self-concept i.e. 'happiness and satisfaction’. It is undoubtedly fact that in this transformational society of the world of work girls need more positive social feedback in order to enhance their self-concept, and to develop a self-image which is more important for healthy environment in different areas of education especially in higher education.

Conclusion and Suggestion

In the light of the results and discussion the following conclusions are drawn:

Significance of difference has been found between the group of boys and girls in their self-concept.

Out of six dimensions of self-concept, four dimensions, namely, ‘Behavior’, Physical Appearance and Attributes’, 'Anxiety’, and 'Happiness and Satisfaction’ have been found significant between boys and girls.

Boys have shown higher degree of self-concept in comparison to girls, although both the group has shown positive inclination towards higher education.

On the basis of observation, it is important to be mentioned here that the present era is considered as the era of modernization based on hi-info-tech so that girls must be given priority in different areas of education to be empowered because they need positive social feedback in order to enhance their selfconcept, and to develop a self-image which is the need of hour for maintaining quality of dignity in their life endeavor by the means of higher education which is more important for making healthy environment for nation's building. Finally, it is suggested that a larger and varied cross-cultural sample is needed for further research on the direction opted by the present investigator which will help in making strategies for the promotion of society in general and Muslim world in particular.

To read more articles in Journal of Psychology and Behavior Please Click on https://juniperpublishers.com/pbsij/index.php For More Open Access Journals in Juniper Publishers Click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/journals.php

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What is Labor Day? And Why do we Celebrate it?

“We must elevate the craft, protect its interests, advance wages, reduce the hours of labor, spread correct economic doctrines and cultivate a spirit of fraternity among the working people regardless of creed, color, nationality or politics. These principles are the foundation principles of our organization.” - Peter McGuire, the first Secretary of the AFL

Many people recognize Labor Day as the “unofficial end of summer” and not much more. It’s the last day where you can wear white pants and/or shoes, it’s one last day for a barbecue, a day off from work and school for Americans to throw a big end-of-summer bash. But have you ever wondered what Labor Day is, or why we celebrate it in the first place?

As Labor Day approached this year, I found myself not only struggling to remember the name of the holiday (I often used to switch it up with Memorial Day and Veterans Day, not having paid much specific attention to any of the three), but wondering what it was supposedly created to celebrate. Labor, obviously, but what does that mean? I’ve never been big on holidays, so I decided to ask around to see if this was mirrored in my friends and family, and of the ~50 people I asked, only 2 could come up with a more specific answer than I did. Apparently, the problem is fairly wide-spread.

It’s a real shame, too, because in this era of massive wealth inequality and stagnant wages, it’s massively important that we know and understand this holiday. Labor Day was created for two main reasons; first, to honor the hard-working men and women who built this country and economy with their sweat and blood, and second, to honor the unions and workers who fought (and sometimes died) to secure rights for their children and grandchildren that they didn’t have for themselves – things like child labor protections, a minimum wage, an 8-hour work day, a mandatory 30 minute lunch break, a 5-day work week, and so much more.

Labor Day has a fairly simple history; first celebrated in 1882 by the Central Labor Union in New York, it drew national attention as a celebration of the workers upon whose backs the country was built. Other cities soon followed suit, with Oregon being the first state to make Labor Day an official state holiday in 1887. By the time the federal government made it a national holiday in 1894, some 30 states already observed it.

Those who live outside the US might notice that, while around 80 countries worldwide celebrate Labor Day on May 1st, (or May Day), the US celebrates this holiday on the first Monday in September each year. The 19th century saw somewhere in the neighborhood of 37,000 strikes in the US, and between 1870 and 1914, up to 800 American workers were killed during strikes . When Congress voted unanimously during the Pullman Strike of 1894 to make Labor Day a national holiday, following the deaths of 30 workers, President Grover Cleveland supported the current placement for the holiday, fearing that placing it on May 1st would both encourage Haymarket Affair type protests (during which a peaceful strike turned into a riot after an unknown person threw a lit stick of dynamite at police), and strengthen socialist movements in the US.

I would argue that in this day and age, it is imperative that we remember and recognize those who led us to where we are today, fighting fiercely not just for worker protections, but for the very right to organize at all – people like Cesar Chavez, Mother Jones, Peter McGuire, and A. Phillip Randolph – only one of whom I had ever even heard of before researching this article.

Cesar Chavez, a migrant farm worker and US military veteran, helped found the National Farm Workers Association (now the United Farm Workers of America) and stood together with both home-grown and migrant farm workers to alleviate conditions that he once described as “just like being nailed to a cross.” As one of the founders of the NFWA, he helped organize several strikes and boycotts against California winemakers, struggling specifically against the Giumarra family from 1967-1969, eventually forcing not just Giumarra Vineyards to the table, but the other 28 major grape growers in California as well. By the time the three-day-long negotiation had ended, the growers had agreed to recognize the union, raise the grape pickers' pay, create a hiring hall, set up a joint labor-management committee to regulate pesticide use and contribute to the farm workers' health and welfare plan. Over the next decade, however, Chavez’s organization struggled to enforce the terms of the contracts, and eventually, he successfully convinced the California State Legislature and Governor Jerry Brown (yes, THAT Jerry Brown) to enact the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act in 1975.

Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, once labeled “the most dangerous woman in America” by a U.S. District Attorney, was a champion of mining unions and child labor laws, rising to prominence in the first two decades of the 20th century. She was a fiery orator, spurring men, women, and children alike to action. Perhaps one of her most notable techniques was staging parades with children holding signs that read “We Want to Go to School and Not to the Mines.” Over the course of her activist career, she was banished from more towns and held incommunicado in more jails than any other union leader of the time. She was especially concerned about child workers, and during the 1903 Philadelphia silk strike, she led a parade of 100 children all the way from Philadelphia to President Theodore Roosevelt’s Long Island home.

Peter J. McGuire was one of the most influential union organizers of the mid-1800s. When he was 11, he was forced into working to support his family when his father went off to fight for the Union army. He attended classes at his local union, becoming quite active and, by the age of 21, was elected to the Cooper Union Committee of Public Safety, where he became their best-known public spokesperson and chief negotiator. Though he soon lost faith in the effectiveness of unions’ reformist measures, moving into political circles to form the Democratic Socialist party (later the Socialist Labor party), he again returned to union leadership at the age of 25, when he helped organize St. Louis’s carpenters union. Within two years, he had led the union so effectively and achieved so many gains that he attracted national attention, at which point he called for a national meeting of carpenters unions and was elected the head of the newly formed United Brotherhood of Carpenters. Later that year, he sent out a call for all labor unions to unite, which spurred the creation of the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, the precursor to the AFL-CIO, the greatest sponsor of unions around today. He also played a critical role in starting Labor Day itself, being one of those credited with suggesting the idea in 1882, and even organizing the original parade through New York City, as well as founding May Day, the international Labor Day.

A. Phillip Randolph was not only a hero of labor, but also one of the fathers of the 1950s and 60s civil rights movement. He graduated from the Cookman Institute as valedictorian in 1907, having excelled in drama, public speaking, and literature. He was also an exemplary singer. He spent several years trying to make it as an actor in New York City, taking odd jobs and becoming involved in the Socialist Party, having been inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk that the fight for social equality was of the utmost importance. In 1917, he and Chandler Owen were asked to take over a newspaper called the Hotel Messenger, which they renamed the Messenger. It quickly became known as "one of the most brilliantly edited magazines in the history of American Negro journalism." In 1925, he was asked to head the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, which he did for over a decade. In 1940, when President FDR was refusing to sign an executive order banning racial discrimination in the defense industry, Randolph issued a call for 10,000 “loyal Negro American citizens” to march on Washington DC, which, thanks to Randolph’s reputation, quickly grew to a call for 100,000 men instead. Pressure was so great that FDR signed the executive order guaranteeing racial protection in the defense industry, one of the first major strides forward in the fight for racial labor justice. Six years later, he issued a call to President Truman that the military itself be integrated. Pressure was so great that within months, Truman called for the integration of the military “as quickly as possible.” Randolph was so well-known and respected in the civil rights movement that he was named chair of the 1963 March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. He was elected vice president of the AFL-CIO in 1955, and helped found the Negro American Labor Council and served as its president from 1960-1966, during which time he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Lyndon Johnson.

I would like to be clear – before researching this article, I only knew the name of one of these amazing people, and I had no real idea why he was famous. I label this an utter failure of the US education system. These people are American heroes, and should be celebrated as such. This Labor Day, I invite you to join me in honoring them, all their allies through history, and all those who carry on their legacy today, in groups like the AFL-CIO and Fight for Fifteen. In this age of horrible wealth inequality, new strides in labor protections and rights are critical, and those who pursue those ends should be held up as the modern-day heroes they are.

Sources:

https://aflcio.org/about/history/labor-history-people

https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history

http://www.newsweek.com/labor-day-2017-labor-day-weekend-labor-day-sale-659114

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Mastery Journal for Reputation Management Strategies

Clearly when I wrote my original post regarding this class, I was not clear as to what this class entitled.  One of the things I wanted to do in most of my classes was to seek mentors in the subject I was studying.  Finally this time it happened!  I am currently doing an internship at Barry University with the Miami Music Festival.  The company that gave me this opportunity is here every summer, and I have had the opportunity to learn so many things while working with them.  It is truly exciting to put into practice what I have been learning in class this month.  The PR firm that works with this company has allowed me to have so many of the questions that I have in the subjects we have been studying right now.

One thing that I learned is that managing a reputation is pivotal to making sure your business is solid and creates a positive expectation for your intended audience.  The PR firm I am working with is very small, but their reputation precedes them in such a way that anywhere I have been while doing this internship, everyone treats us with the utmost respect.  If I can in the future manage my reputation as well as they have, I will surely be successful.  Due to hurricane season starting in South Florida, we even had a small meeting regarding crisis management.  It was not as in depth as the material we are learning in the class, but it was a live demonstration of what crisis management is all about.

One thing I had no idea about when I first wrote my post for this class was anything to do with dark websites.  I am very interested in learning much more about it than I know now.  I think that they could be very useful for many other things besides crisis management.  I am very grateful that we learned about this in this course. Without a doubt, the material that I have learned in this class will be useful for my future career.  I am glad to have been exposed to the material that was covered in the class, and I am saving the extra reading material offered because I know I will find stuff there that I will be able to use in my professional life.