#which is to say i think its less ‘certain skills are underdeveloped’ and more ‘certain knowledge has never been acquired’

[dargonpoop]

agree very much w your main point op! i do slightly disagree with one take tho—i think part of why some social media have become more ‘tactile’ is because we now have the video technology to portray things in a manner closer to real life, which would be advantageous to the advertisement of certain products. in this particular case, i think it could be asserted that its less a symptom of detachment from nature; it is simply video format attempting to replicate real-life experience so the viewer can connect with it in more ways than one and/or be enticed by a product. it is a more 3-dimensional format in a 2-dimensional world.

that said, i absolutely agree that the modern indoors world is too under-stimulating—but i also think its over-stimulating in certain ways, speaking as someone who is also autistic and seeks some forms of sensory deprivation. sounds tire me out, and my head feels much clearer at night when i dont hear vehicles and television and metal scraping (specifically at work lol) and footsteps and people talking. the latter two i think is because the more artificial sounds permeate daily life so much that everything else on top of that becomes Too Much

i love nightfall because there arent as many cars on the road, and i can hear the bugs and geese outside. i love the sound of heavy rain because it masks the sound of modern human activity. i also sometimes function much better and beat my executive dysfunction when i turn my light off—the dark helps me regain focus and center myself.

in short, the technology and environments of our modern lives has definitely left many people with a subconscious desire to reconnect with nature, so we end up turning instead to things reminiscent of nature. but modern society has also created constant background stimuli that is more than our brains are meant to process. put those two together and add technology that is both stimulating and distracting, and you have a stim-seeking human brain that struggles to maintain concentration.

My random unsubstantiated hypothesis of the day: the popularity of "stim" videos, fidget toys, and other things like that is a warning sign that something's Deeply Wrong with our world.

Don't freak out. I am autistic. These things are not bad. However, can we just...take a second to notice how weird it is that there are entire social media accounts full of 10-second videos of things making crunching noises, people squishing slime in their hands, and objects clacking together, and that enjoying them is mainstream and normal?

It seems that nowadays, almost everyone exhibits sensory-seeking behavior, when just a decade ago, the idea of anyone having "sensory needs" was mostly obscure. It is a mainstream Thing to "crave" certain textures or repetitive sounds.

What's even weirder, is that it's not just that "stim" content is mainstream; the way everything on the internet is filmed seems to look more like "stim" content. TikToks frequently have a sensory-detail-oriented style that is highly unusual in older online content, honing in on the tactile, visual and auditory characteristics of whatever it's showing, whether that's an eye shadow palette or a cabin in a forest.

When an "influencer" markets their makeup brand, they film videos that almost...highlight that it's a physical substance that can be smudged and smeared around. Online models don't just wear clothes they're advertising, they run their hands over them and make the fabric swish and ripple.

I think this can be seen as a symptom of something wrong with the physical world we live in. I think that almost everyone is chronically understimulated.

Spending time alone in the forest has convinced me of this. The sensory world of a forest is not only much richer than any indoor environment, it is abundant with the sorts of sensations that people seem to "crave" chronically, and the more I've noticed and specifically focused on this, the more I've noticed that the "modern" human's surroundings are incredibly flat in what they offer to the senses.

First of all, forests are constantly permeated with a very soft wash of background noise that is now often absent in the indoor world. The sound of wind through trees has a physiological effect you can FEEL. It's always been a Thing that people are relaxed by white noise, which leads to us being put at ease by the ambient hum of air conditioning units, refrigerators and fans. But now, technology has become much more silent, and it's not at all out of place to hypothesize that environments without "ambient" white noise are detrimental to us.

Furthermore, a forest's ambience is full of rhythmic and melodic elements, whereas "indoor" sounds are often harsh, flat and irregular.

Secondly: the crunch. This is actually one of the most notably missing aspects of the indoor sensory world. Humans, when given access to crunchable things, will crunch them. And in a forest, crunchy things are everywhere. Bark, twigs and dry leaves have crisp and brittle qualities that only a few man-made objects have, and they are different with every type of plant and tree.

Most humans aren't in a lot of contact with things that are "destroyable" either, things you can toy with and tear to little bits in your hands. I think virtually everyone has restlessly torn up a scrap of paper or split a blade of grass with their thumbnail; it's a cliche. And since fidget toys in classrooms are becoming a subject of debate, I think it pays to remember that the vast majority of your ancestors learned everything they knew with a thousand "fidget toys" within arm's reach.

And there is of course mud, and clay, and dirt, and wet sand. I'm 100% serious, squishing mud and clay is vital to the human brain. Why do you think Play-Doh is such a staple elementary school toy. Why do you think mud is the universal cliche thing kids play in for fun. It's such a common "stim" category for a reason.

I could go on and on. It's insane how unstimulating most environments humans spend time in are. And this definitely contributes to ecological illiteracy, because people aren't prepared to comprehend how detailed the natural world is. There are dozens of species of fireflies in the United States, and thousands of species of moths. If you don't put herbicides on your lawn, there are likely at least 20 species of plant in a single square meter of it. I've counted at least 15 species of grass alone in my yard.

Would it be overreach to suggest that some vital perceptive abilities are just not fully developing in today's human? Like. I had to TEACH myself to be able, literally able, to perceive details of living things that were below a certain size, even though my eyes could detect those details, because I just wasn't accustomed to paying attention to things that small. I think something...happens when almost all the objects you interact with daily are human-made.

The people that think ADHD is caused by kids' brains being exposed to "too much stuff" by Electronic Devices...do not go outside, because spending a few minutes in a natural environment has more stimuli in it than a few hours of That Damn Phone.

A patch of tree bark the size of my phone's screen has more going on than my phone can display. When you start photographing lots of living organisms, you run into the strange and brain-shifting reality that your electronic device literally cannot create and store images big enough to show everything you, in real life, may notice about that organism.

[michibikionmain]

This isn’t THE tommyinnit villain essay but it sure is one of them

Ok ok so 4 those of u who aren't on discord with me: i have two main essays that have been in the works for MONTHS, these being my Complete Dream character analysis essay going in-depth for nearly all of his canon interactions and finding his character traits and motivations through the story, and my Tommyinnit (and Wilbur Soot) were Always The Villains on the server essay talking about how the only reason so many people view them as the good guys or heroes is because we see the story from their perspective mainly. This essay? Is not either of those. BUT, it does go through a lot of my thoughts on Tommy and Dream’s characters so I figured I’d post it. maybe itll help me organize my thoughts 4 my Mega Projects lol

@ranboocore bc u helped me pop off on this so hard LMAO

Warning, it’s VERY Tommy Critical, what a suprise. I do not like Tommy as a character lol. idk what triggers yall might need me to tag but if u need one in particular pls lmn!

My biggest issue with tommy's character is that he SAYS hes learned but he never does he is exactly the same person he was at the start of the server just More Sad and with Trauma, when out of all the characters he's had the most push to change. c!Tommy is a very tell-don't-show character which can make it hard for some people to connect to him, especially those who don’t directly share his trauma or see themselves in his character. Of course, there is still a MASSIVE amount of people who relate to his struggles and thus love him regardless of his writing, but those who can't relate to him will always feel some kind of barrier until the things they've talked about are actually shown to the viewer instead of being spoon-fed to them.

It is a very beginner writing thing, and I'm hoping that Tommy is figuring out how to fix this, maybe with support from the many other writers on the server. There's the 3 you mentioned, plus fundy, niki, and maybe tubbo who also play dnd, plus Dream who said he would've been an English major and does a lot of personal writing for fun.  I think the biggest issue in the writing lies in the individual ccs being inexperienced in the medium, particularly with planning out their own character growth. 

Another glaring issue I have with c!Tommy is how he's framed to be sympathetic and he goes through all these horrible things without acknowledging his role in any of them. The things that have happened to him are a direct result of his actions, but the thing is HE won't acknowledge and so it falls flat. This isn’t to say that being abused is his fault, because it’s NEVER the vicitm’s fault, but being exiled? His multiple fights with c!Dream? His friendships falling apart? Losing the disks in the first place? They’re the direct consequences of HIS OWN actions, but he never acknowledges this and constantly just... brushes off any accountability by either saying that it’s Dream fault or simply SAYING he feels bad without properly showing it through redemption and GROWTH.

Denial is useful in storytelling sometimes, but Tommy's character has been in denial since the very beginning of the server and at this point it's just exhausting. He only ever switches between denial and depression, not really going through all 5 stages of grief properly. His violent/upset reactions would be more powerful if they were any different from how tommy usually acts, but this is always how he is. When he “lashes out” because he’s reached the end of his patience, it doesn’t SEEM like the snap it is because that’s just... it’s seriously just his standard reaction to everything. It hold no WEIGHT to see c!Tommy yell at someone violently or threaten to fight them because he does that anyways!

Static characters can be a good thing, and can be interesting if done correctly, but not every character SHOULD or CAN be static in a story.

Static characters need to have their position or behavior challenged and question, where they look into if the way they see and interact with the world is really the 'correct' one or just evaluated to see if they truly believe in them. This questioning period is CRUCIAL! and NEEDS to be well done in a way that ACTIVELY SHOWS the conflict between the two ideals. If they decide to hold onto their beliefs/continue their behavior then, it feels deserved, because rather than just being a flat "they do thing its who they are" they have defined WHY. WHY is a very important question to think of when telling the difference between dynamic and static characters. The why of a character is ESSENTIAL to developing them as a relatable, sympathetic person rather than a flat story telling device. It makes them a human rather than a puppet. When a character's motives aren't well defined or discussed, they're doomed to fall flat in everything else, because the WHY is the foundation of what makes them who they are.

c!Tommy has an underdeveloped "why", his motivations are weak, rarely properly discussed and when they are it doesn't particularly stick with him. His motivations change without showing us the internal struggle that should come from literally shifting your driving principles. There are some good MOMENTS of him reevaluating the importance of certain things, but they're so spread out and contradictory and immediately spat one that they're hard to piece together. He TELLS us what his motivations are as well, which is another big flaw when it comes to all that but we don't have time to unpack all THAT Anyways, the key to static story telling is reaffirmation. The character goes through a complete journey and ends with the same beliefs because they've looked into why they have them and determined that they still matter to them. A great example of static writing in my eyes is c!Techno, who since the beginning has believed that governments are bad. c!Techno enters the server to destroy a government, and still ends up doing that because he sees and we see him experience that the reasons he didn't like government before still hold true and he has no reason to support them any more than before, and so his anarchist beliefs are REAFFIRMED, proving to him that they way he handles things is the right one for him.

c!Tommy’s attachments are all just... they're all so weird.  like he LITERALLY SACRIFICES HIS LIFE MULTIPLE TIMES for L'manburg. By action of sacrifice it seems like it should be the most important thing to him, but then he throws it away for some disks that mattered less to him just a minute ago.  But then it's all about how c!Tubbo is worth more than Anything and maybe he's found something more important! but then he shoves THAT out the window for the discs again ig!!! but then it's about l’manburg again? Make it make sense.... pls....

Here's smth that really irks me about Tommy's character, and is kind of weird but give me a second to explain: Tommy has never actually permanently lost much of anything on the server. Every punishment he's ever received he's tried to find some way around. And like... I'm not expecting him to be HAPPY to face the consequences of his actions but seeing him constantly have his cake and eat it too is very irritating, especially when there are characters who DO have to deal with actual permanent sacrifices. The whole thing with the disks. where he WILLINGLY OFFERED THEM UP AND GAVE THEM AWAY THEN SPENT FOREVER TRYING TO STEAL THEM BACK WHILE CLAIMING DREAM STOLE THEM FROM HIM, is the biggest example of this, but it's generally his characters way of dealing with things. He's very backhanded and conniving, constantly calling himself "big man" except for when he wants things from people and he plays up the "iM a MiNoR" card to try and get them to give him things or feel bad. He's not just some sweet innocent kid like people paint him, he knows damn well he's messed up and while he SAYS he feels bad about it, he has never once really shown, with his ACTIONS, regret for what he's done except for the stuff with c!Sapnap, which could it could be argued he did because he thought it would help get c!Sapnap on his side to fight Dream and he knew c!Sapnap was a skilled warrior and could possibly be persuaded to fight with dream.

c!Tommy is in NO way some sweet innocent child, he knows what he's doing. He KNEW l'manburg was a drug empire, and wanted to turn his hotel into the same He was FULLY prepared to just murder c!Schlatt for legally winning an election that he KNEW was rigged AND INTENDED TO HELP RIG HE LITERALLY TEAMED UP WITH c!TECHNOBLADE KNOWING THAT HE INTENDED TO BLOW UP L'MANBURG AND ONLY LEFT WHEN HE REALIZED IT WASN'T GOING TO ACTUALLY HELP HIM--

The line of c!Wilbur saying "Tommy, are we the bad guys?" wasn't him mentally going batshit it was him realizing that the entire time they've been doing terrible things. c!Wilbur was literally ALWAYS Vilbur but the time people CALL Vilbur is when c!Will himself realized he was a villain.

[henlp]

Most anime is bad.

It's fair to say anime's success in the West, starting in the 80s-90s but gaining mass recognition and appeal in the 2000s, mostly comes from a wide range of premises for stories told, and how emotional payoffs are (for the most part) earned by the writing, be it hype moments, shocking scenes, or the often-expected bittersweet finale.

However, in spite of these positives, it's very frequent that the story for an anime/manga/novel/game/etc. ends up being bad; and for the longest time, I couldn't figure out exactly why. Even a decade ago, when I was far more lenient and forgiving to the content I consumed (because I had yet to achieve the jaded, joyless state I find myself in <current year>), I could tell something was amiss.

Think I first took notice of this when the era of the Big Three was coming to an end, with One Piece carrying on as Fairy Tail instead took the shovel to the head. Alongside Bleach and Naruto, these three manga series all suffered major issues in their final arcs, so blatant that it became too difficult to accept. Something stank in Denmark Japan, and it made no sense why these (supposedly) good series where floundering as they neared the finish line.

A few years later, with more media under my belt, out came Black Clover. Both my weeb cousin and a good friend had spoken highly of the series, alongside many of the places I used to check for animus, so I watched the OVA... and hated it. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with the pilot for the story, mind you, at that point it was only the screeching from the protagonist that bothered me. When the series proper began, I made the conscious effort to try and power through in spite of the awful first impression, to see what the hype had been about... and I still wasn't seeing it. In fact, the story's erratic and hyperactive pacing, alongside its cheap animation, made it almost impossible for me to watch. Only by virtue of the previously aforementioned hype moments on occasion and the catchy OPs did I stick around long enough for the story to get interesting and for me to have any investment in the characters. It didn't get good, but it had at least become tolerable. Lucky for me AND it, I was still at a point where I wouldn't drop shows as easily.

It wasn't looking good for my outlook in regards to japanese entertainment. Even if I would end up consuming more anime than any western shows (at least animes don't fucking despise their audiences), my eye kept getting more critical, and I kept getting less adventurous, due to several shows disappointing. But I still couldn't figure out why this was. If anime and manga were appealing to me still, why was I less inclined to give 'em a pass, why was I more and more dissatisfied. And then I got my answer in 2021, thanks to two shows: Jujutsu Kaisen and the second anime adaptation of Shaman King.

A story's quality can generally be quantified based on three things: characters, world, and plot. Each informs the other two, and a good story never has one of these working against the others. But it can also happen that all three work in their own right, but not in tandem. A fourth, rarely-considered factor for evaluating story is EXECUTION. So when it comes to anime, manga, novels, games, etc, the problem usually is in execution. You could argue that there are different cultural sensibilities for storytelling in Japan, or corporate factors interjecting themselves in the process; but that would be an explanation, not an excuse. And nowadays, enough japanese creators quote some of their influences as not just being other japanese creators, but also creators from around the globe (past and present). There's not this magical bubble keeping the Land of the Rising Sun ignorant of other types of storytelling and development processes.

So how did I arrive at this conclusion thanks to Jujutsu Kaisen and Shaman King 2021? Both shows suffer terribly when it comes to execution of their stories, although in different ways:

-With Jujutsu Kaisen (at least the anime, I've not read the whole manga), there were several instances where I found myself asking "Did I miss an episode or something?", because you frequently had characters reacting and conducting themselves with one another as if there was a deluge of development between them off-screen. No better example than EmoBangs McGee, who becomes BFFs with the protagonist in less than 5min, later having a fight that was probably meant to be very heart-wrenching, except there was no development for their relation (and powers), so it made no sense for them to act in that fashion (if this is different in the manga, by all means let me know);

-With Shaman King 2021, meanwhile, I was well-familiarized with the characters, the world, and the plot. I knew the main elements of the story, I had in fact rewatched the show in the past decade, and in spite of filler content and Black Sabbath cameos, still remembered it strongly. But as I am watching the new show, the word that comes to mind is "cheap": cheap animation and rushed pacing. Maybe this is due to certain events, or the studio trying to rush past the initial stages of the story, but still. All it had to do was clear the filler, give each scene and character the love and care they needed to make their moments the best they could, and let it go from there. It's been twelve years since FMA Brotherhood, if you're going to be a greedy bitch and redo an anime adaptation, there's no excuse for it to be of such low quality.

As you can see, both failed in execution, with the latter in its new adaptation and the former (possibly) in its original format. When I realized this, suddenly the fog dissipated, and I could see why all those stories had failed: Bleach failed because its power creep and character conflicts were executed horribly; Naruto's atrocious pacing (in both manga and anime) was done solely to extend the story needlessly; Fairy Tail's final arcs (although not only that) dropped the ball because Hiro Mashima was actively trying to ensure there were no sad elements to the story or the end of his characters' arcs; Black Clover‘s poor execution came in how its first few arcs play out, trying to speed up through the world-building, which left most characters too anemic and underdeveloped until far later into the story.

But of course, this is an issue that exists in far more IPs than just the ones I’ve mentioned so far and others of the same caliber. It happens with the cream of the crop as well: Boku no Hero Academia's more recent decisions have been executed very poorly, when they were just a single step away from being done very well; post-timeskip One Piece has relied too heavily on characters having skills and forms that we aren't familiarized with, and fights that don't resolve in a smart fashion, but due to nakama power fueling Luffy; season fucking 2 of One-Punch Man is the poster child for terrible execution of anime adaptations, considering the original webcomic, the manga, and season 1. This issue is (almost) everywhere, and yeah, I get it: anime and manga are produced through such a hellish process, that a lot of times the authors or production staff don't have the time to go through their stories to make sure everything's on the up-and-up. Yusuke Murata is not exactly a common example, of someone that's allowed to go back to both redraw and rewrite entire chapters; and I am somewhat glad that, at least when it comes to JUMP, they seem to be getting slightly more lenient with the talent and their teams if it means better results in the long run.

However, the issue persists. I neither know nor think that anything can be resolved even if the extremely demanding workload of manga/anime production were to be alleviated (we've had plenty of examples in the West, of media that has all the time and money in the world, still imploding and salting the earth around it), but at the very least, it can be something that creators who are not under those retraints to take into account, so as not to make those same mistakes.

Do not try to subvert conversations that SHOULD be happening, just because in anime there's a stereotype of scenes where everything stops in its tracks just so characters can have a conversation, be it executed well or poorly (an aspect I'd wager stems from when the source material is manga or a novel). Don't think that because a character's power level let's them blow up the moon from orbit, that immersion can't be broken if you don't justify how they might struggle against another on the same tier. Be wary of the very common issue with 'Wanime' (Western animation using the anime style), where creators completely put aside depth for spectacle, to the point that it becomes indistinguishable from a parody show such as Megas XLR.

Always remember, execution is the be-all and end-all to every character development, emotional payoff, hype moment, world building, and plot progression. Think about every scene, and if it actually informs the audience of what should be happening. If it doesn't, then you'll have to try and fix it before, not after. And if you can't do it (which is fine, most of us are fucking dumbasses), now you understand why even a lot of shonen action series have a bunch of slice-of-life, semi-filler scenes interjected in-between big events, so that you can have context and weight to what will transpire.

[littlebabycrybtch]

bro..... im sooo tired of ppl being whiny freaks about ppl liking fictional shit ‘~too much~’. like bitches are literally fully convinced if you prefer acting out certain ideas in fiction but not irl, thats not your normal preferential boundaries but rather your brain is a mental illness BOMB and you need to be fucking hospitalized for being imaginative and having autonomy. like yall if its not taboo or smth shut uuuuhp man you’re not ‘concerned for their health’ or w/e you’re fully just tryna get away with being a nihilistic asshole who lacks sympathetic reasoning skills. listen to me. fiction is valuable. the thoughts we have on it are important. the personal lack of value you happen to put on a media is next to worthless. its not a fuckin waste of time dude, creators are people, who live in the real world, they experience it and have ideas through it and about it, they form and tweak their ideas while still definitely existing in the real world, and then put that back into the world with a new angle and new perspective, to share with other people definitely encountering it in , you guessed it , the real world. thats not disconnected. its not nothing. these things do not magically appear from fairytale land, they are created. stories mean smth, people tell them for a reason, its ok to feel smth for any story, why would we even tell them if not with the intention to impact others emotionally somehow i mean??? fiction does not Just affect reality, it is valuable to real life society, it is a functioning thriving part OF reality. 

humans have told stories since the dawn of our existence. it is literally all but an inherent species trait for us to imagine things, its tied to each and every one of us, and to reject ‘fantasy’ as smth worthless to human life is frankly just fuckin wrong and weird of you. bitch we are Supposed to get outside the box, the fandom ppl you cringe your pants over arent thinking abt fake shit too much, you guys very often just arent exercising abstract thought and imagination enough, which actually hurts your ability to engage with it critically in all the ways its meant to be. if you dont see the value in fiction its because you put in no effort to form the analysis skills. in other words, you idiots dont get the hype bc you’re too stupid to get how you're supposed to compare a book to the real world it came from. ‘uu but cmon not everythings valuable what about [tumblr designated cringe media]-’ 1. ok! somehow you havent come to this conclusion yourself yet but thats not real, whatever ppl get to enjoy is not all abt you, your bias means less than dirt to others outside of hivemind social medias, you can keep it to yourself, ppl shouldnt care about it bc it means nothing outside of ur own space, its literally funny to me that you’re so elitist you want me to cater my interests to you, Your Standard Of Quality Isnt Universal, 2. ranking the values of fiction is the waste of time here, if you compare mlp to pride and prejudice ill dissect your teeth, different emotional impacts from tragic to funny to Just A Vibe are all able to be assessed as ‘valuable to somebody else so leave well enough alone’ if you dont have 2010+ funnyman brainrot disease that makes you incapable of reflecting on anything you can find a way to joke abt first.

i mean seriously like. whenever randos start engaging with medias you ppl dont like or in ways you dont get, the strawmans yall make up to get to be cringe culture vultures abt such benign shit, and almost Always at the expense of neurodivergent people with a deeply rooted undertone of extreme ableism might i add..... its just so selfish. u have a brain ok, you’re manipulative but we both know you dont Actually think ppl automatically default to being a waifu obsessed incel rotting away at their basement computer, stagnating their social skills and straying further and further from reality with each passing day, a poor disturbed wretch that you just HAVE to save from themselves, all bc they say they. prefer fictional porn or w/e to having sex irl. buddy thats not a big deal, theyre normal, just different from you. theyre fine, you’re just uncomfortable. as a functioning adult you’re gonna have to try and recognize that sometimes that feelings gonna be 100% on you, and you cant always just lie abt the validity of it to make ppl feel obligated into agreeing with you. this is gonna be one fragment of their personhood and your self obsessed brain imploding over how unrelatable that is doesnt fucking matter, grow up bitch like. how detached do you have to be to think thats so unstable or morally wrong.... its just a completely inconsequential preferential decision that only affects them and isnt a wrong choice at all cuz nobody has to get their dick wet if they dont wanna for any reason ever and thats gotta be that tbh.... and it kills me cuz they still inherently experience the real world and are capable of thinking abt it critically,,, even tho they... masturbate to drawings or w/e the fuck ppl think is unhealthy ???? like? imagination is just fun we dont need to moderate it anymore than we moderate other fun activities i mean lol ksdjfsd this is the DEFINITION of ‘just vibing’ no one FUCKING cares and it deosnt fucking matter the way you desperately try to make ppl think it does just so u get to be loud abt ur shortcomings as a decent understanding person. 

‘uuuuuu im sorry but thats unhealthy :///’ you sound like a goddamn maniac dude stories are not unhealthy having feelings abt them is not unhealthy thinking some anime bitch that was DRAWN TO BE HOT , IS HOT, is not UNHEALTHY and you clowns arent convincing anybody you ‘care’ abt that concept anyways !! im losign my mind here skdlsdfsd medias are literally DESIGNED TO DO THIS TO PEOPLE... WE’RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL THINGS FOR IT.... IT IS WHAT MAKES THE ART WE’VE TAKEN PART IN FOR CENTURIES, “ART”.... ITS JUST... HAVING IDEAS AND EXPERIENCING IMAGINATION..... whats wildly unhealthy actually is yalls toxic obsession with ‘harsh truth’ and validating your stupid ass cwinge feewings to the point where everything that gives your underdeveloped selfish ass hives has to be a matter of health and morals and whats ‘best’ for everyone. u dont know that shit!!!! ur a petty brat and im not ur mommy ok i wont baby you so u dont feel like the shitty whiny person you are, you need to grow and do better and think outside urself already, dont put the responsibility of making u feel right for judging somebodies benign hobbies on me. i wont bc its wrong and unnecessary. you’re not a savior no ones falling for that lmao you’re just a bitch girl xoxo get over it shit truly does not matter. let them write nsfw self insert fics instead of banging !! 

to make it real do yall really not Get that basic consent kinda doesnt just mean ‘no when im not in the mood at the time’ but it means ‘no if i just dont fuckin feel like having sex ever for literally any reason at all bc i choose what i do’ and pressuring them, even with what your warped brain translates as the best of intentions, is inherently disgusting? especially with the ‘i know how to help you’ attitude like......... ohhh die soonly ew lmao! lay off this nasty shit already please it doesnt matter! stop trying to make it matter!! its not hurting you or them you stupid tumblr phd ass!! and like again yeah some media shits just truly gross but tbr now its like even That kind of shit, the Real social issues caused by Actually problematic media that ppl should discuss Genuinely without ulterior motives, is being used more and more rampantly as just a stepping stone to get to the needless mockery of other harmless things in the media they want an excuse to bag on.......... like a bitch cant just be grown and talk about problems at face value without getting a bully jab in. smhhhhh you all fuckin suck please just stop talking already. so anyways yeah being attracted to fictional characters instead of real people or w/e IS funny, funny how many boyfriends they have when u have none xoxo theyre having fun and you can die sad abt it they get to die 5 times in an angsty fantasy fic and be brought back with mouth to mouth by fuckin kakashi every time and then they go get lunch irl while ur updating tinder bitch ... different fucking strokes ig !

[drearytweddiafawnx]

A letter to myself from 2030.

Hey Rim ! Wanna hug ?

It's me ......actually it's you from 2030.l know you've been dreaming of me . So i thought i should write you a letter. I was reading through all my old letters and braindump journals .It made me rethink about my past thoughts and write to you about them

The time you are in and the time I'm writing to you are both important moments of our life .

The year 2030 is the time when we are leading the world and 2020 is the time when we just started our journey. After the covid crisis days were not so good as you've already imagined. But your 'silly "plans helped the people who needed help . Heres a note from one of your writings.

10.06.20

To all the teens who'll be leading the world in upcoming days .look at our future main concerns 

*stoping global warming 

*giving freedom toall (everyone who has a life ,freedom of speech, lifestyle and everything )

*completing the necessary needs 

*fighting future disasters sensebly 

*solving problems unitedly .

*empowering huminity and human knowledge 

*being a good global citizen .

We have to be the hero of the next 

generation. 

Our ideas are the root of our life . Trying to understand the future problems and living in your future is

not bad . You like to do things keeping their future in mind . You wanted to build an education system where you create open minded people . 

I would love to talk about your ideas 

during the covid crisis like street farming ,street education and practical learning . I hope you remember this journal pages ....

16.04.20 

Practical learning - giving assignments and research topics during the covid crisis and after the crisis showing the research and assessments .Exams will be taken through activities and practicaly while kids learn something new while giving exams .

And this will be area based .

Like to a remote village maybe clean water is a big issue .

Childrens from that village will work on it .

8.05.20

Street education - using street billboards and ad boards to teach street children and passerby .

Using fun animation and video we can teach them general knowledge and make people aware of certain topics like childmarriege and dowry .

11.06.20

Street farming - using the footover bridges and street dividers to produce free and safe food for the poor ,begger and street people .

So that they can freely eat and cook .

It will also be beneficial for all the natives living there .

Most of your ideas were based on underdeveloped coutries . And I'm really looking forward to your both websites that you are working on . learning and asking questions about anything in their mother tongue gives kids an opportunity to write and ask with freedom and you wanted to make begging a respectful profession .giving a home and shelter . While volunteers will help them and take care of them.

People will be able to donate to their personal account using your website .

Some can get employed too. Nice ideas Rim .

I know its the first pride month you are celebrating and currently you are saving money for building an free open school for poor ,street children and everyone who is curious to learn 

But the best thing you learned these days was respecting everyone and trying to keep your feet on their shoes to understand their pain and sufferings . 

But the thing you were thinking about on those days was global warming . All of my life I wanted freedom and you wanted to free all animals giving all plants a chance to grow freely even if they were not helpful . Humans are soo selfish that they only spare those lives which benefit them somehow .

To you the new normal was not mask, gloves and social distancing ,you wanted the new normal to let everyone live ,everyone who has a life , give mother nature a chance to heal herself . 

One day you wrote that "The covid crisis has taught all of us equally at a time that how we all are connected even if we are separated and how we depend on each other and we should 

admire everyone and everything.

If nature is infected nature will cure herself too. Everything is important and being here to teach us something . Even the poisons from the earth has a healing power to save lifes .

Mother nature is teaching us to be humble , respectful to every element of the earth and give equal importance as we have over here .

Just give them the chance to be , to live , breath freely , to learn and seek and teach us . I don't think humans has the right to make laws and specialy making their own " natures law ".

So many wonders got lost before finding them and will never return only because of our foolishness .

Only because they are not helpful they should die , who are we to set this cruel rule ? 

Even humans are cruel to other humans . We are treating like enemies more than mother natures childrens . because we are unaware and selfish. Peoples are different because their mindsets and that's the beauty of our nature .There is no one like us and everyone is unique and connecting different perspectives can bring us a change . Physical boundries will be nothing in front of our inner connection . We should build huminity towards humans and all living matters and let everyone bloom in their own light , energy and power to prove everyones inner beauty is in their heart .Knowledge is our power the future is in our hand and we will surely make a change !"

Well dear Rim ,

In your imaginary world you knew that one day the earth will be healed and mother earth didnt let you go. Our c mkther earth is niow healed and healing herself everyday .

On 2030 some fun things happened like reuseable straws and paper clothes became trend people were buying them . We don't cut trees to make furnitures . We are doing upcycling and using alternative options .All animals are freed now only reliable universities has the right to research on animals without keeping them caged.There are some animals getting internet famouse everyday . We have equality and balance in our education any one can learn from anywhere anytime. Education is costfree now and age is just a number . All cuntries are united. There is no fight or war .No one breaks the rule ordoes crime intentionally.

Everyone is respected here no matter what their gender ,age or status is .We are building sustainable houses for everyone using alternative ways and on this process nature is not pollouted. Everyone is earning and

no one is staying unemployed. All professions are equally admired .Self employed people are increasing day by day . Over here we don't have bad people and they are being actually educated . Teaching us life skills while making our minds open and creative . Education is costfree and we are learning to get mastery on them.

In some countries overpopulation was a massive problem but now its not and we also controling our population by supporting one child . What ever that child might be , a life is always special. We have wonderful botanical gardens and reserved seed banks which has so many rare seeds . Internet is now the most safe place and resourcefull place 

All the waste is recycled and used as energy .

Spacewaste and e waste are sorted too. 

Big countries are helping small countries and now we all are equal and same no big or small.

Mills and factories use green energy to produce theur work and they dont throw waste in the water or soil .

All professions are equally admired and learning and education is free 

Now we have a no meat day in every month of the year and it is celebrated the whole world wide.

People now do their chores by themselves and donate their belongings which they no longer need ,no one extra stuff to clutter their home .

Everyone has a place to live a sweet home and a shelter and we dont need fill rivers or cut mountains or clean 

forests to build home . Refugees are loved and cared too ,many countries are helping them to survive .

We all truely have a home to live.

There is no cage no zoo but we have virtual zoo and world tour .

Many aninals got mentally sick staying in cage for a long time ,now they allare under good treatment .

keeping pets in cage is also agnist law .You will see " No entry" billboaard in front of many forests and importaant places. Government is helping people when they need . The quantity of doing crime is very less now 

There is no injustice . laws are very strict and mandatory. We have reliable snd trustworthy judiciary. I should say there is very less pending cases .

Everyone is working hard to spread positivity .

Government is really concerned about the happinesss of their citizens . People give mental health a big priority. Government encourages to take selftime and selfcare .

We can get safe and healthy food in a very cheap price .

We understand others feelings and respect them .

We use green energies now .

Other energy sources which we used before is now where they belong ,

to the nature . We are researching very hard on various topics nowdays to seek in the beauty and mystery of mother nature .

Our biodiversity is now very increased .

Our homes can now deal with earthquakes and other disasters .

We've build durable dams to stop getting fload and bush fires are also controlled.

We no more make cigarettes or tobacco products. 

No one smokes not even vehicles ,mills and factories. No human trafficking and less fishing .

Our youth is so positive nowdays . Youth exchange programmes are increased too . We understand how important staying globally connected is .

Each of the countries has a special bugdet and plan to deal with future diseases and disasters .

We are now shareing our love .working hand in hand .

There us no negetivity and no hatred agnist anyone .

Everyone gets to drink clean water and eat fresh safe food.

We don't 

have sewage problems nowdays .

Everything is by design and mother natures order . We dont want to harm our nature and so do our mother nature . 

Earth has now chaged a lot we have wonderful seasons and climate .

Whereever I look I see greenery and beauty ,love and peace .

Everyone is working hard to make our world a better place .

We only have one earth and we love her so much , we don't want to leave her or make her unhappy or sick .

We are working thinking about our future and having a sustainable world 

You would not believe ! my eyes are now filled with soothing greenery 

! 

Pond with ducks ,plants, butterflies bees ,dragonflies , grasshoppers everywhere with farmers and villegers .

And there is no pollution , no dirt 

literally zero waste . Everything is recycled reuse reduced and upcycled .

We have mighty leaders reliable law and trustworthy government .

At this time the world is so beautiful , everyones heart is so beautiful .its the happiest world ever .

I know its still like a dream to you .

But if i say its true you would ask me who did it ? And my answers is us , all of us everyone unitedly . One by one from various countries bright minds and leaders came up and worked for the change .

You everything you wanted to be. I'm nothing different from you .

I am you and you are still in me. 

On this world of 2030 .

Im compltetinng all the dreams that a teenager saw on her 16's. Teacher and connecting with hearts through internet .helping the poor and helpless ,working with the UN , studying in Japan and doing a research .

While your reading even if 

you believe in my words the law of attraction will make it true because youve already started working on it .

I wrote this letter for a competition but never end up giving it to someone or somewhere because it became special.

[kbrown78]

Monthly Wrap Up: June

Okay, so I'm actually a bit surprised that the month turned out the way it did. After the past couple of months, I accepted that wasn't likely to read a total of more than 5 books. This month I was able to read a whopping total of 15 books. 15! I haven't read that many books since January. Granted 2 of those books were DNF, one was a short classic, and another was only 7 pages, but still it's an impressive amount for the month. As for ratings it was all over the place. I had everything from a 1 star DNF to even a 5 star book, but the majority of books fell in the middle with 3 stars. This was also a surprise because toward the middle of this month, I was just reading 1 and 2 star books back to back. I lost my enthusiasm for reading, resigned myself to the possibility that this would be a horrible reading month, and even went a few days where I didn't read anything. After soon detox time, I pushed through and even managed to end the month on a relatively good note. Also got back on track with the reading challenges. I read a total of 6 books for the PopSugar Reading Challenge and finished at least 1 of the books I set out for the Reading Frenzy's Pride Month Buzzword Challenge. Biggest achievement was completing my Goodreads Goal of reading 50 books within the year. By the end of this month I completed 60 books, and now I want to see if I can make it to 100. Probably won't but, it will be an amazing accomplishment. So despite a significant low point, June was actually a good month.

Armistice by Lara Elena Donnelly: The previous book Amberlough had been a thorough disappointment, and I was nervous this one would be the last straw for this series. In fact it came close to being the biggest disappointment of the month. If this book wasn't impressing me by the halfway point than I was just going to give up the series. That did not happen, in fact I really ended up enjoying this book. Continuing some time after the previous book (I honestly couldn't tell you how much time, probably no more than 5 years), we follow a few characters from the previous book in their new circumstances, as well as a new character with connections to all the old characters. As I said in my Monthly Wrap Up for May, characters were the driving force for this series, which is part of why the first book struggled, because the character weren't done well. In this book however, the characters are much better because they now have some sense of identity. Aristide and Cordelia were tolerable, if not a little likeable at times. Cordelia's clearly been through some tough times but keeps grinding through to achieve her goal of destroying the Ospies, and her skills are good enough to convince other to help her cause. Aristide seems to want out of the criminal life, enjoying a new life of luxury in film, but the past won't let go of him. The new character, Lillian, was fantastic, like without a doubt the best part of the book. I like how she's connected to the other characters, both with her profession and the fact that she's Cyril's sister. Her work with the press puts in several politically delicate situations, but she demonstrates the smarts and the drive to accomplish her goal of saving her son. Through her you also finally get some behind the scenes political machinations, something this entire series needs yet usually fails to deliver on. Onto one of the stronger aspects of this series, and that suprisingly is the romance. The series stretching relationship is Aristide and Cyril, and with Cyril being absent, you see how much Aristide is effected by Cyril's absence. While having the main relationship be a gay romance, my favorite relationship was between Lillian and Jinadh, a minor royalty from the lush, tropical country where half the books takes place (I think the name is Liso, but I honestly don't know). They have a history, which resulted in their son, but can't be together due to her profession and social taboo's in his country. Yet when they meet again they still feel the chemistry, they want a relationship. They have their differences but are willing to put it aside in order to get their son to safety. I also thought some things that the previous book struggled with where partially remedied in this book. There were actual examples of Ospie atrocities, actual political intrigue (but I still struggle to fully grasp what's going on), and complex motivations that make sense. The setting was lush and tropical, and again had that 1920s feel with the film industry and airplanes, but I still struggle with knowing anything about the world (I don't even know where half the book takes place). So while this book does greatly improve from the first one but it doesn't take things to the extent that it needs to and I'm more than a little worried about how the last book is going to go. Armistice received 4 out 5 stars.

City of Lies by Sam Hawkin: I wanted this to be a 5 star book. All of the reviews I read made it seem like it had the potential to be 5 stars, but it wasn't. Part of issue might have been how long to took to get through this book. First I kept putting off reading it because I was worried that I wouldn't love it and the beginning chapters were very involved and were also fairly long. Than in the middle of reading it I had to put this book on hold so that I could get through other books that I needed to finish in May. This constant delaying of the book contributed to the feeling of the plot dragging, but looking back at the plot itself, there really wasn't much action after the second half of this book except for in the last chapter. The whole story revolves around a murder mystery that begins shortly before the city is under siege. As our protagonists try to find the killer and stop the siege they must figure out who is loyal and delve into the dark secrets of their city. This was a book that had so much potential, it really could have been a 5 star book. Even as I was going over my tag notes for about the first quarter of the book I saw a tone of potential for the world and characters and really saw how nuanced the story and themes could have been. Then the story starts to drag on and on and really starts to show it's true colors as a debut novel. This all culminates in an extremely lackluster, completely out of left field climax with one saving grace scene. Everything in the first quarter of this book was great: the writing was detailed and intriguing but not overwhelming, the POV characters had some depth, with their own sets of assets and flaws, and were immediately put to the test with a change in circumstance, the world was rich and unlike so much grimdark fantasy that I've been reading by portraying that while there were relevant grievances against those in charge it wasn't all bad, and the whole emphasis on poisons was cool. The mystery for the majority of this book was actually done well, which I haven't really seen well done mysteries in SFF books. I was as lost as the protagonists were, it made sense why they couldn't figure out who was behind the conflict of the books, and everyone made for an equally believable. Then things shifted and for some reason the story starts to drag on and on, with the same points being reiterated over and over and no real progress is made, and really starts to show it's true colors as a debut novel. Characters lose their depth (and prominence), the conflict becomes more black and white in morality, new things are just thrown in with little development, and the mystery loses its suspense. This all culminates in an extremely lackluster, completely out of left field climax with one saving grace scene. I really wanted this to be a 5 star novel but it just wasn't. City of Lies received 3.5 out 5 stars and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “debut novel.”

Gone by Michael Grant: Much like City of Lies, Gone was a book that had a 5 star start. You are immediately thrown into a tense and strange situation with all the other kids, who are now trapped within a confined area and everyone over the age of 15 has disappeared. Aside from trying to survive without adults, new threats emerge in the form of bullies, mutants, and a mysterious creature known only as The Darkness. I loved this series as teen, completely wrapped up in the action and the characters, and was really hoping it would live up to those expectations. It did, at first. The beginning really grabs you and doesn't let go. I didn't want to put the book down, I needed to read how everything played out, and I loved that. Things went downhill when they POV started shifting to less interesting characters and the story really started to lose its tension. Also as weeks have passed between me finishing the book, I find myself forgetting most of what happened and just not being attached to the characters. There were a few that were compelling but they were put aside for Sam and Caine's rivalry which was both clique and not well done. Once the series started slowing down, it never really recovered and even during a high stakes climax, which the entire book has been building up to, I wasn't as invested in the story as I was at the beginning. Above all else, this very much felt like a YA book, with the simple writing, archetypal characters, and underdeveloped plot. Gone received 3 out 5 stars and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “about someone with a superpower.”

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman: Here it comes, the inevitable 1 star DNF of the month. Though I will say this book wasn't bad, it just really wasn't for me. While I like warm books, I don't usually prefer light hearted books (another reason why I don't reach for contemporary). I will, however, still read these books if they fit the following conditions: they contain certain things within the narrative that I like, I'm aware that it's a light hearted story, and I'm in the mood for a light hearted story. I was not in the mood for that kind of story nor did I know the book would turn out to be one of those kind of stories. I went in there for the library bits because I am a book lover, and I think that is why many people are initially interested in reading this book. Unfortunately, the Library itself was hardly seen or utilized from what I read, so that things could focus on a book retrieval mission, which I found to be both absurd in its execution and boring. It felt like a bait and switch, intentionally drawing in readers with the promise of this really cool library that the story and characters revolved around only for it to actually be about a wacky retrieval mission and murder mystery in a weird alternate world. Which is a shame because what we see of the Library (lots of training with numerous people, vast sectors of different books from different worlds, the various classifications of different worlds based on magic/ chaos and technology, ancient meets modern) was really cool yet is completely underutilized and underdeveloped. Like, why is it so hard to write a good library setting? Seriously, the only good one I've ever seen was the Clayr Library in Lirael, and even that was underutilized. It's not just the bait and switch nature of the narrative that upset me, but literally everything else in the book was disappointing. The writing was so zaney, almost trying to emulate an episode of Doctor Who, and it was so absurd and over the top that it just grated on my nerves. Like for awhile Cogman seemed to be deliberately putting Liechtenstein in every other paragraph to sound clever and funny, but it became very irritating, very quickly. The world that the characters spend most of their time in could have been interesting, an alternate Steampunk London (still don't fully grasp why Victorian London is such a popular setting) with faries in it, but it was so focused on being as weird and over the top as possible that I couldn't enjoy the world, and we never really get much of a sense of what any of the other worlds are like. The character were at best lack luster and at worst irritating. I wanted to love Irene because she's a book lover, relies on her smarts, and I love those kind of characters, but she failed not just as a book lover but as a character in general. We are told Irene a book lover but never shown it, and other than her reading a few books, nothing is really known about her. I don't know really anything about her personality, her likes, her dislikes, her history, what she's like on missions. I don't even know what books she prefers to read or her opinions on various books. She was a very flat character that felt like a prop in the story. This emptiness is further extended  with her relationships. Her parents are always absent but she's not mournful or glad of this fact. She has no attachment to them, in fact she doesn't really show attachment to anyone. Like seriously, this woman seems to have no close friends despite the fact that she works in a large multi dimensional library with other book lovers. This again serves to make her come off as more of a cardboard cut out rather than a fully fleshed out character. The only other “relationship” we see is this petty rivalry she has with literally the only other on screen female. It was so annoying witnessing the only 2 female characters being catty toward each other. This may improve because the rival seems to stick around up to the latest book, but I couldn't stomach it with the rest of the book's contents. Despite how disappointing Irene was, Kai, her new partner, somehow managed to be worse. He was this smoldering guy, wearing a leather jacket and being incredibly gorgeous. He could have been interesting because apparently he's a dragon, or part dragon, but he's so forgettable outside of his looks that you have to be constantly reminded in the story that he is a dragon. The best thing I can say about him is that he wasn't a snarky jerk, but he was just devoid of personality. As far as I got there wasn't any romance going between Kai and Irene but I wouldn't be surprised if that's where it goes. This is a book where characterization, setting, and even plot are sacrificed in favor of writing in a particular style, and this felt a little insulting to me as a reader, but mostly the style just did not mesh well with me. Gave The Invisible Library 1 out 5 stars, since it's a DNF, and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “favorite prompt from past reading challenge,” which asked for a book that features a library. One day I'll read a book with a good library!

Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly: While this wasn't a bad finale, it was disappointing. In fact this whole series was disappointing. I thought based on the covers, and the premise, and other people's review, the series would sweep me away with it's dazzling characters and plot. What should have been a firework, was a sad a little party popper. This book takes another time skip and takes place after the Ospie regime is put out, and follows various characters as the deal with the aftermath of the previous 2 books. All the issues that have plagued the previous books in the series were repeated in this one, and I was honestly over it. Focusing on how tragic mediocre characters are doesn't work if I don't care about them. Even after completing 2 books I didn't really know these characters, I didn't have a grasp of what made them tick, and I felt no attachment to them. While I was disappointed with the characters, the worst thing about this book, and really this entire series, was how the plot and themes were handled. If this book had focused on the election and all the political turmoil, or even the effect these events were actually having on citizens, it would have been a much stronger series. Unfortunately, readers are only given scraps of that narrative, while the author prioritizes the melodrama between characters. This is most telling with the climax, were the results of the current election aren't divulged, it's just left hanging in the void, but several chapters are dedicated to detailing the journey of 2 characters leaving the country. There were some interesting themes that had a lot of potential but aside from giving a few nods to it, there isn't anything done with them. Lillian was once again the only source of anything good in this book. It's through her that we get the election subplot, and I felt for her going managing sticky political situations while having to deal with her brother Cyril who's been labeled a war criminal. Honestly without Lillian, this entire series would have been only 1 or 2 stars. Potential isn't enough to carry a series, and when execution fails the end results are disappointing, which sums up not only this book but this entire series. Amnesty received 2 out 5 stars.

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente: This one is going to be short because there isn't a lot to say. I only managed to get about a third of the way into it, which I haven't done in years. Whenever I DNF I make an effort to get 50% of the way through so that the characters or plot has a chance to improve. The reason I quit at 33% was because my issues with the book had nothing to do with the characters or plot. The writing style was awful. It was pure word vomit, overloading the page with every word that sounded like it could fit, and some that didn't. The writing honestly starting resembling a Donald Trump speech with utilizing the quantity of words used (and how cool they sounded) versus the actual quality of word usage. It was about at that point that I had to put the book because I couldn't take it anymore and I knew that this was something that was not going to change as the book progressed. I honestly couldn't tell you anything about the characters or the plot, because everything was so weird. Granted I expected an eclectic writing style based on my experience with Valente's other novel, Deathless, and the general premise of this story, but it was so over the top it was just nauseating and unbearable. I've read a short story of Valente's and really liked that, but I just don't agree with her novels. Space Opera received 1 out 5 stars and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “book about a game or puzzle,” since it's not about a game exactly but more about a competition.    

Hunger by Michael Grant: I don't have much to say about this one for a few reasons. I hit another mini reading slump because when I was reading this book I wasn't reading anything I was enjoying. This lead to me just skimming like the last half of this book so that it could be over. Even doing that, though,  this book still lacked the level of action that the first book had set up. Not to say that there wasn't some significant things that occurred, but I really think this book suffered from second book syndrome. This book picks up immediately where the first book left off, all the kids still trying to survive in the FAYZE with dwindling resources and Caine recovering from his previous defeat and plotting against Sam. Most of the book is similar to the first one, kids being kids and not really managing things and different power struggles, and once again things being built up just to serve their purpose in the climax, which I think is the biggest fault of this book. Nothing was organically developed, the story seemed to drag on and at slow pace (despite the majority of the book literally taking place within 24 hours), characters were being stupid and generally assholes (heroes and villains), and there was a lot of forgettable material in this book. The saving grace of the previous book was the strong beginning, which this book lacked. The only saving grace of this book was that there were some compelling themes, but even that's a bit of stretch because they were once again poorly developed. After finishing this book I was really tempted to quit the whole series, which is telling of how frustrated I was with this entire book. I will at some point continue with this series, but I need to take a little time off after completing this disappointment. Hunger received 2 out 5 stars.  

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: Close to the beginning of the year I was wanting to read a classic novel each month to widen the genre of books I read each month and get back into regularly reading classics like I used to in high school. I read Little Women, but that was really it. Last month Barnes and Noble had a sale on classics, so I picked up a couple that I really wanted to get. This one was the first one I read, and is actually a reread. I first read it for a literature course I had to take in college and I really liked. I liked the soothing tone it set and I found it to be a very thought provoking classic (even if I didn't always agree with what it was advocating). I figured I would probably enjoy rereading it and I think I liked it even more the second time. It's got a very serene tone, the philosophies presented are quite humbling and ones I think should be implemented in daily life (to certain extent), and it makes in interesting contrast to Confucianism with both having their virtues and weaknesses. There was supplemental reading that went along with the edition that I had, which I definitely think helped improve my reading experience because it added context to much of what I was reading. It's the kind of classic that you can see why it has lasted so long, and that you can enjoy reading because of it's simplicity and calm tone. Tao Te Ching received 5 out 5 stars.    

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson: Initially I intended to read this book in September to help get ready for the eerie October reads I have planned. Then I noticed I'm behind on my PopSugar Challenge, so I wanted to do some quick reads to catch up. I looked up this one to see how long it is and it's only 7 pages, so I definitely gave this one a quick read. There's a lot you can break down even in this short story, and I like that. I always like something that gives me food for thought, and this work in just a few pages manages to do that better than some works do in over 400 pages. It manages it tackle and satirize themes of tradition and war, again, in such a small amount of pages. Suspense was also something done really well, which I did expect because it's a Shirley Jackson. At the beginning everything seems fine but then the story starts building up this sinister feeling around the lottery until the horrifying reveal of what the lottery actually is. It's an intelligent, satirical, chilling piece of short fiction that I think everyone should read. This book made a brief appearance on Netflix's Haunting of Hill House, which is another book by Jackson I want to get to later this year, but also thought it was a clever nod to Jackson's stories, and fits perfectly for the PopSugar prompt “book you saw someone else on TV reading.” The Lottery received 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown: Going into this reread I knew it wasn't going to be as good as I remembered. Despite this, and some frustrating aspects, I still managed to find it somewhat enjoyable. It has a rather generic dystopian premise, a boy at the bottom of the hierarchy rebelling against his leaders, there's something about the story that adds enough of a breath of fresh air for it to be engrossing. This book's greatest strength is definitely it's action and pacing. I was never bored while reading it and at least when there was a filler chapter, it was over quickly. It kept adding new twists and turns, creating multiple conflicts for the protagonist, Darrow. As for Darrow himself, he's a character that I both like and dislike. He's arrogant and stupid, but it feels in character and fits quite well for the series as a whole. He's generally a well intentioned person who is fighting for a good cause so you want him to win, but the book does display him as almost being too perfect. Speaking of which, I didn't like most of the side characters, especially the women, because their entire characterization revolved around Darrow. The core trait of every woman was that she's beautiful. Either kind and beautiful or evil and beautiful but always beautiful. It was really annoying, and I wanted more from these characters. The only one I liked was Sevro, who was really an underdog and weirdo, but didn't seems to care. The story in this first book is really an underdog story about overcoming the odds, which is straight forward and something people are both familiar with and inclined to like. The world was kind of cool, a sort of Roman Empire in space, that actually felt like the Ancient Rome and appreciated seeing that. While this book is a bit too shallow for me to love, it's a fun, quick read that can help pull you out of a slump. Red Rising received 3 out 5 stars and was my first book for the Reading Frenzy Pride Month Buzzword challenge, which asked you to read a book with a color in the title.  

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: Oh boy, this one was a hot mess.  Much like the previous book, I knew I wasn't going to like this one, in fact I was almost sure I was going to hate it. Unlike Red Rising, however, which balanced out things I thought were good with things I thought could have been improved, this book only had a sparse few moments of compelling narrative but was jammed full of stuff that just made me angry. So the series is about Kelsea, a 19 year old who has been raised in isolation until the day she ascends to the throne. When she does become queen she discovers that her kingdom is in massive disarray and full of corruption. As she tries to work and internal problems and avoid assassination attempts, she also must address the looming war she will likely have with her powerful and mysterious neighbor, the Queen of Mort. While, there were several issues I had with Kelsea (which I will get into in a second) there were a few good moments with her. As a book lover, I was glad to see a ruler who wanted to put an emphasis on education, deeply valued her collection of books, and even worked with the church (which she makes clear her distrust of) to start something of a library system. That's something that I liked not just because of my own love of books but because it's good to see a ruler with those values and implementing them. The other thing was Kelsea ending the Mort Treaty when she learns what it means for her people. It's a tricky situation, and one she probably could have handled better, but I do admire her for sticking to her morals and doing what she believes is right. Feels a bit like Danerys Targyern (before she got power hungry). And that's about it. That was honestly all I enjoyed about the book. Other than what I just talked about everything else in this book actively frustrated me. Characters are very flat, usually either being written as angsty or evil (and those evils ones always being sluts), the plot has a ton of holes in it (biggest example being Kelsea raised in total isolation for 19 years) and generally dragged on with very little action despite the books length, and the world building was, in a word, bad. I'm not going into a detailed rant here, talking about all the issues I had with this book, but there is something I want to go into a little more depth with and that's Kelsea herself. Kelsea has to be one of the worst protagonists I have ever read. She's supposed to be intelligent, or at least book smart, yet consistently makes stupid decisions. She's a condescending brat who insults everyone around her, which isn't a smart idea since she's a brand new ruler. Insists on doing everything her way, and has mini tantrums when it doesn't go her way. Above all else is her hypocritical ways and her obsession with her appearance, considering her attractive mother beneath her for focusing on vanity, but Kelsea spends most of the time focusing on her own plain appearance (which is emphasized at every opportunity and usually in the worst way) and insults other people's appearance. Also when she's talking to her attractive servants who had previously been abused because of their beauty and they try to warn her of that, she completely disregards them, only wanting to be gorgeous. Kelsea is the kind of character this book tries to say is a savior figure, but all the narrative does is present her as a hypocritical brat that shouldn't be within a mile of the throne. I knew this book was going to be bad after reading some reviews, but I didn't think it would absolutely tank. The Queen of the Tearling received 1 out 5 stars.

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore: Going into this one I knew little, only that it was a magical realism because that's what McLemore usually writes and there's a curse on this family that causes their lovers to disappear but something changes when a boy shows up. Also you can tell flowers are going to be a central motif based on the colors and title. The flower's provided beautiful imagery and I liked what the meant to the girls and the land of La Pradera. In fact this novel's imagery was probably the best thing about it. It felt distinct, quiet, personal, lush, and colorful. I also liked the family dynamics in this book. All these women tied to the land and each other by the curse that has plagued them for generations. This has the double effect of making them intimately close with each other, but also dislike and distrust each other. I felt their pain just as much as I felt their love. Speaking of love, I also liked Estrella and Fel's dynamic at the start (and only at the start) of the book. Fel mysteriously shows up in their garden, meets Estrella and the 2 quickly develop an odd connection, both being plagued by their pasts in different ways. For a little while I wasn't sure if they were going to become lovers or platonic soul mates, and that's what made me like the 2 of them together because I would be happy with either. I also liked some the themes presented in the first half of the story and how they were handled (within the first half). That being said there was one thing I didn't like and that was Bay. She was kind of annoying and artificial, this figure that all the girls put up on this pedestal, and I honestly found the  Nomeolvides girl's obsession with her (yes obsession, not love) more than a little irritating. Also Estrella was really the only one in the group of girls that stood out to me. The rest were just kind of there, and I would have liked more development of them. The ending was what really dropped the rating of the book. Standalone novels are hard to cram a good, complete plot into, and magical realism tends to sacrifice plot for atmosphere. At the start, Wild Beauty had a vague plot that was slowly developing but there was solid direction with good themes and great atmosphere. Then it took a hard right and the plot seemed to be trying to hard to have something happen at the price of sacrificing everything else and the message took a dark and almost destructive meaning, the girls ripping out everything that makes them who they are. At the end Estrella makes it clear that she has no sense of self love, in fact she seems to hate herself even more because of something she wasn't aware or responsible for. That left a very bad taste in my mouth. The romance also seemed to fall apart in the end too. I already went in with certain expectations, but was still okay with romance. At the end, Estrella's self hatred seems to add an unnecessary amount of angst, and even has a toxic feel to it. It also feels very rushed, though I can't say exactly why. This was a pleasant novel with a solid start that unfortunately was bogged down by an unnecessarily depressing and empty ending. Wild Beauty received 3 out of 5 stars and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “plant in title or on cover.”  

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: Not since last year have I read a series that has made me so enraged. This series is an amalgamation of lazy, generic world building, toxic tropes, and ripping off of other popular works. There's honestly too many issues in this book to properly go over in a Monthly Wrap Up. There did manage to be a few slightly redeemable aspects but even those were tainted by the rest of the writing. Kelsea started to develop interesting parallels to the Red Queen, but Kelsea became on awful character who showed her true colors. She's petty, violent, doesn't listen to anyone, and isn't as bright as she likes to think she is, yet other praise her as being the True Queen. Also having read the final book, I know that things don't get better, which makes me dislike her even more. The only other character that remotely stands out in my mind is Lily, a character from our world shown in flashbacks. Her narrative is basically a Handmaid's Tale rip off, but she at least seems to have a little more drive. The other character I thought I would like was Ewen, a mentally slow prison guard because he's a sweet bean who always does what is right, but he didn't stand out to me as much this time. This book also really pushes the anti religion message. This could be an interesting theme, because religion and those in charge are capable of doing both good and bad, but it's done in such a black and white manner that all good will of the message Johansen is trying to deliver goes flying out the door. This one's arguably my least favorite book in the series, just because I was so mad after reading it. It's just another example of why I'm always cautious about hyped books, because they are rarely worth the hype they get. The Invasion of the Tearling gets 1 out 5 stars.

Golden Son by Pierce Brown: I was a bit surprised I enjoyed this one as much as I did. Not that I thought I would dislike it, but this book still managed to get a reaction from me. Continuing a year after the events of the previous book, Darrow must maintain his persona as a Gold while hiding his true heritage as a Red. With mounting tension between various faction, war seems to be an inevitable outcome. The start was slow and a bit painful, there was some convoluted moments, but the book overall keeps up the momentum that the previous book developed. This was also the book that made me respect Brown as an author. Darrow still has the same flaws, because that's just who he is, but now he's starting to see consequences. The themes become more developed, mostly focusing on the fine line between revolution and terrorism, imbalance of power leading to civil war, and breaking caste systems. Brown also clearly tried to develop the side characters more, especially the females. However this ultimately falls a bit short and I think the main reason for that is because the entire story is told from Darrow's perspective, who is seeing the world and people through his own distorted filter. That specific element is I think biggest fault this series has. On a good note, the ending of this book was without a doubt the best moment of this entire series, it's the darkest moment and was done perfectly. Even knowing what happened, I was still shaking from the anticipation. It's a book with enough solid assets to balance out the flaws, and is possibly my favorite book in the series. Golden Son received 3.5 out 5 stars and was my second book for the Reading Frenzy's Pride Buzzword Challenge.    

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: I'm worn out by this series. I knew I was going to hate this book because even when I first completed the series and still liked the first 2 books, I thought this one was incredibly disappointing. I skimmed most of this book, and outright skipped sections in a certain characters perspective, because I just wanted to complete this series. Like honestly the story repeats the same issues as the previous books with new issues in pacing (moving very rapidly), character arcs (stagnates and does nothing), the ending (huge cop out), the origins of the “magic” crystals (confusing and just doesn't work) and the villains. The main villain was actually the one interesting thing about this story because he could have been this eerie mysterious force or could have been at the center of a compelling conflict about power and politics, and he just wasn't. He was irritating brat who thought way too highly of himself (spurned on by his nut case of a mother) and is another reflection of the poor writing that plagues this entire series. I didn't actively hate this book like the previous one but that's only because I was tired from this series. This is a series where I honestly don't understand the hype and don't know why I liked it so much the first time I read it other than the hype. Disappointing book and sub par series. The Fate of the Tearling received 1 out 5 stars.  

[thefireinside59]

You must really dislike Caitlin

Oh, boy this is going to be a long answer. I wish it was as simple as I don’t like Caitlin. I dislike what a waste of potential Caitlin is. I dislike how badly written she is. I dislike how writers always take the cheap way out with her, the lazy way and story always end up sucking because they don’t give crap tell her story the same way they tell Barry, Cisco, Harry and Iris’s stories. Finally, in season three by end of terrible writing, I completely stopped liking Caitlin as a character over the deeds she did as character & interaction of other characters in relation to said deeds. It was the final nail in the coffin of ‘I can’t keep hoping for better or pushing the bad writing side to enjoy the good bits there. I dislike her now in such manner of I don’t even want to see her on my screen without some big changes to how she handled.’ It was such a bad story in s3. It made her look bad in every way possible and not the good kind of ‘oh I love that bad villain’ sorta way. Everything sucked. Season three and spoilers thus far for season four have made lost complete faith that writers will do right by Caitlin Snow.

But lets talking about writing because that’s the root of the problem.

Caitlin has few problems that define her character. She’s static flat character that suffers “factory resets” at the start of every season that means hardly from last season effects her save the odd time here or there. She’s also completely defined as the love interest and makes her character who lacks depth in a sea of characters with way more depth growing deeper with each passing season.

Think about every season:

Her plot in season one was grieving Ronnie & helping build team Flash. At a certain point, she was a fun more happy character.

Season two Ronnie died for real. Six-month time jump & Caitlin magically moved on back into bouncy fun character eyeing Fake!Jay’s abs and making friends with Harry as of 2x02. They did touch on her grief with Ronnie but only with they gunning up kill fake!Jay and start Hunter/Zoom story. S3B ended with Caitlin suffering extreme PTSD due to her kidnapping.

Season 3, post-flashpoint, it’s like Zoom never happened! She’s back to a bouncy fun character again. All the development that should’ve come from Fake!jay/Zoom was completely wiped away. They Flashpointed away all her growth! Even when she started a relationship with Julian it was still like there was nothing that happened in s2. Not even in a way that you go ‘so what happened instead’. No there is just a blank hole like season two never happened to her. A season’s whole juicy development just brushed aside like nothing.

You know who that doesn’t happen to? Cisco. Barry. Iris. Cisco was deeply affected by Eobard’s betrayal. His issues with Wells manifesting different ways carried on into s3 with HR. Barry does bounce back to the ‘happy guy’ at the start of each season but he doesn’t lose the development from last season like Caitlin does. Things from last season shape his actions in the next. Caitlin is the only one not to address Eobard’s betrayal. All she got was angry but didn’t speak to Eobard about it. They didn’t show her feelings after the initial point of revealing his betrayal. That’s where story basically ended because her story served Barry (& Cisco’s) in the prove Dr. Wells was the Man in Yellow plot. Barry, Cisco, and Joe all talked to Eobard in the cell but Caitlin? Nope, she got married. Had to get her heart broken in time for s2 to cause to leave the time for 6 months and then Factory Reset. Meanwhile, Cisco & Barry were deeply affected by Eobard. Joe has affected which in turn affected things with Harry. Iris was grieving Eddie which showed it’s self by putting a stop on westallen for s2B. What did Caitlin get? She got a man with nice abs and it was like she wasn’t grieving for Ronnie at all in 2x02. When Reverse Flash returned we again saw Cisco and Barry’s feelings on the matter. This time with Harry’s feelings thrown in there but Caitlin was a background player. Why? Why can’t we ever hear or see her feelings? She was just as betrayed as others. She lost her husband twice due to Eobard’s evil plans. Okay, that’s now as bad as murdering your mom or being murdered in AU timeline but still. We hear Joe’s voice and even Harry’s voice more Caitlin. Because the writers don’t give a crap about her. They don’t care about telling her story. When you add it all up everything out its incredibility frustrating. Everyone else got have a story dealing with Eobard and fallout from season one and Caitlin got story about new man in her life as Fake Jay then scary Hunter/Zoom.

Caitlin is the most underdeveloped character on the show. All her relationships, save Cisco, are defined by being a love interest. Even her friendship with Barry was based in bonding on a shared understanding of loss in s1. Ago connected to Ronnie making her love interest. Which would be no problem if did repeat the being love interest every damn season. Season two the only character she becomes real friends with was Harry and rest of her story was about being a love interest to Jay and minor friendship stuff with Cisco/Barry. The writers choose NOT to give Caitlin and Iris a big friendship story when it was the perfect time to give them one! These two women just have in a proximity friendship or as the writers liked to call it ‘work friends’. Iris learned the secret, she joined team Flash, both women were going through the same thing losing a lover it was the perfect time to build their friendship. Instead, they choose to build Caitlin & fake!Jay & focus on that. Caitlin has no close friendship with Joe, Wally or Jesse. Think about it when has Caitlin ever had one or one scene with Joe? or Wally? Harry tried to get Caitlin to talk to Jesse on bases of ‘great close relationship’ and even she was like ‘we’re not even close!’. The writers do not care about writing her beyond the tiny little box. I don’t feel that distance with Cisco/Iris or Cisco/Joe as I do with Caitlin. How many close female friends does Caitlin have? None. Work friends with Iris & Felicity. She had a random friend from her six-month job when the show needed a one-off villain. The writers let Iris be friends with Linda and Cecile. Yes, there more of connection but my point is the writers don’t try to make ANY connection with Caitlin and other women on the show. Given Harry & Julian, they prove Caitlin is easily more to friendly and open and welcoming on the team. They just don’t care about writing it. Harry is the only non-romantic character who the writers actual spend time letting Caitlin develop a relationship post s1. Which is ridiculous given how much the team has expanded since then - Iris, Jesse, Wally, HR, and allies like Cindy, Cecile, Linda, real Jay + every other superhero.

So yeah, I don’t like Caitlin anymore. I’m beyond frustrated with the writing. I’ve given up hope of better things. If they can’t put the effort into Killer Frost plot then when will put the effort into her character? There is no reason she can be written with same respect and development as everyone else on the team. This show has a problem with misogynistic writing. Just because Iris gets off lighter then Caitlin does make it less of problem. Two women on the show but they friends till one is married and they bridesmaid? The narrative problems with that be damned. Upwards of four women on the show at best but we are lucky if two interact in a truly positive way. (I’m talking Iris/Linda or Iris/Cecile because of she as hell never Caitlin or Jesse or Cindy with someone.) We don’t have strong female drive plots on this show. Iris’s mom plot? That was a nothing story, terrible, didn’t get to see much of Iris’s feelings or even Wally with his mom over in two seconds. Jesse become Jesse Quick? The only speeders to hand-me-down suit. What other hero or villain wore the same suit as another character? Besides the two actors playing Reverse Flash. They don’t care enough to give Jesse Quick her own suit. They gave Fake!Jay a suit, Zoom a suit and the real Jay a suit modified twice plus Rival got a suit! That’s not even touching on Jesse’s rushed plots lacking logic or the disrespect of characters not thinking her as skilled as male speeders or letting her do things ‘because think of her father’. 

Caitlin is always defined as a love interest. Frist Ronnie, they fake!Jay/Hunter, and Julian. Even Killer Frost story had love interest tacked on. Julian trailing around behind her telling her he loved her when there was hardly time for to fall in love with her. Her feelings weren’t that strong but it doesn’t matter. We suffered through the plot. Julian’s voice ended being louder then Cisco and Barry when it came to Killer Frost. Never did hear Iris, Joe or Wally say a damn thing because it was always Julian, Cisco or Barry talking. The only thing Iris ever got to save was ‘We have to help Caitlin. Think of Caitlin. What about Caitlin’. Yet we never got see KF and Iris confront things.

Killer Frost should’ve been her biggest story but instead, it was an inconstant mess that left me hating her. I can’t enjoy Killer Frost the villain or Caitlin Snow “the hero” because didn’t commit to either. Caitlin sure as heck didn’t act like a good person in s3 but show kept having the other characters abolishing her all responsibility for everything. From KF or betraying the team with stone. Likewise, the story started Killer Frost isn’t Caitlin’s fault it’s evil meta powers but wait no it isn’t, but wait for the characters on the show still, hold don’t her responsible even the show proved she had a choice in her actions. The writers tried to have cake and eat it too when it came to Killer Frost or maybe they just stopped caring. She had clear motives then it became meta power=evil just because. She started with logical motives in s3A. She used her powers with and without becoming Killer Frost. It was very clearly an emotionally driven thing which like she became very angry and lashed using her powers. Such as trying to kill the man who tried to kidnap her, all the times you start eyes go in 3x07 because she was more and pissed at Barry & upset and situation. Everything made sense. Till it stopped making sense… She was scared of becoming KF, but acted counterproductive to preventing it, KF just seemed cartoon evil. Evil for the sake of it. It looked for a minute like KF might have ‘anit Caitlin Snow thing’ and the show was going play two personalities but then made clear nope one person. So that just left KF as power high that comes out during emotional distress? I guess. Caitlin decided powers=evil so was she was evil? Why? What made the evil. it seemed like she saw E2 KF was evil and decided that what her powers were. S3B KF just wanted to as powerful as god. The writers didn’t even care enough to play angle like she was sick of feeling & was choosing KF/power to get away from pain. She just wanted to be God didn’t give rat behind about killing Cisco her best friend. It was too big of jump just wake up evil & not caring killing Cisco. Didn’t even flinch on three times she tried to kill him. I’m supposed to take that fact that saved him after he threw the cure at her AFTER her side was had clearly lost (so no goddess power for her)? It felt hollow. Completely and totally hallow. I had no basis in which to understand anything or sudden change so she feels hallow. If they stuck with one thing like Mupility Personality or made it clear she was making choices because X or had other characters react better SOMETHING maybe I could get my head about things.

Now, what season four is coming along and it sounds like another factory reset is coming. Sure we might still get some minor Killer Frost stuff but all her relationships? Her being the team? Back working as a hero? All factory reset. It borders on negative continuity a lot of the time. In fact, failing to address things with Killer Frost like stuff between Caitlin & Iris is outright negative continuity. Caitlin’s going change her style and work bar. Maybe that will something but given way KF is just being pushed aside in her relationships. The show is just acting like Iris and Caitlin was even bigger pals then before. Caitlin picked herself, the fear of the possibility of becoming KF, over Iris’s life every day for months when she kept that stone. That’s 100% Caitlin Snow and it’s never been addressed with Iris. Just Julian because all the love interest’s feelings matter remember. Suddenly I’m supposed to think Caitlin cares about Iris as a friend after no friendship for four years? After how she treated her as Caitlin in s3 on top of KF? As if. Caitlin stood there watching the West family suffering in a family for months testing that piece of the stone. Watching Iris tearful confess to her father that she was going to be murdered. Watch, Iris, Wally, Joe and Barry’s total heartbreak as they struggled to find a way to save her. To stop Savitar. Much like Caitlin’s sudden show of friendship for Cisco after trying to kill him three times it rings completely hollow.

I have interest in putting any more goodwill and hope of better things in Caitlin’s character when each season the writers find a new way to fail her character and let me down. They really excelled at failing her in s3 and it’s already blowing over in s4. So yeah, I really don’t like Caitlin anymore. I don’t like how other characters are being negatively affected by the lack of growth and bad storytelling Caitlin gets.

[alcyone2305]

The Anatomy of the Chocobo (FFXV)

“A chocobo (チョコボ, chokobo) is a type of large, flightless bird that appears in Final Fantasy XV. It is a recurring Final Fantasy series mascot, and its kind can be rented by Noctis Lucis Caelum and his friends to help them traverse the world of Eos. Wild chocobos also exist.”

(official Chocobo artwork, as far as I know)

PROFILE Chocobos are tall, friendly avians that roam wild but can be tamed and ridden. Several are kept at Wiz Chocobo Post in Duscae. The birds become loyal companions, and they are capable of jumping high, gliding short distances, and swimming in calm waters. Chocobos feed on greens; gysahl greens are their favorite. While wild chocobos can only be found with yellow or black feathers, tame ones allow their owners to dye their plumage a variety of colors. (Excerpt from here)

In game the Chocobo Noctis can ride on is Noctis’ height (1.76m) + Noctis’ head (~0.24m), so this settles the height of the beloved giant chicken at 2m. Gladiolus is 1.98m and if you get the chance to make him stand next to a Chocobo, you’ll notice he’s just slightly shorter than the avian!

Maybe we should take a look at what inspired the design: Since I was already referring to the Chocobo as a chicken, it’s fair to claim chickens surely are part of the design. The Chocobo’s feet appear to be giant-sized chicken legs with the exact same texture though chickens can have a different amount on toes. (4-6 is what I found online but hey, I’m not a chicken expert.) A friend of mine brought up the comparison to a dodo. Dodos have a round fluffy body with a neck which appears to be extra long compared to the eggshaped body. The wings are pretty small. It fits to the Chocobo. Since we’re already in the extinct section, I’ll also bring up velociraptors. Okay, sure, they also had feathers like our fluffy mascot but more importantly: The way they walk and run and their body structure. It’s extremely similar to the movement and body of a Chocobo. Last but not least, the height/size would suggest the influence of an ostrich as well. Maybe the long neck wasn’t inspired by a dodo, but an ostrich.

What about the weight though? This will be an assumption on my part. Since most of the body should consist of muscles (more on that later), I’d say the Chocobo’s weight should be ~300-400lbs (~140-180kg). Since it shares more similarities in size and anatomy with the velociraptor, I’d predict the giant chicken’s weight to be at least a bit less but obviously it can weigh more since its body is more massive than its dinosaur inspiration.

And the beak? I’d say it’s similar to a parrot’s beak. The lower half is shorter and barely visible while the upper beak dominates the lower one and is curved downwards. A parrot’s diet consists of seeds, fruit and nuts for example. Add the green we’re introduced to in the game and we might already have the entire diet of the Chocobos. I wouldn’t be surprised if it also eats insects.

Let’s get to the feathers! So the most common feathers are Pennaceous feathers. They consist of a strong quill/shaft and the basal part is embedded into the skin. The most apparent part is the rachis with its barbs. The Pennaceous feathers are usually used for activities like flying but in the Chocobo’s case, since it can’t fly, the feathers on its fluffy butt (called retrices) are used for drifting! (See here.) The retrices are used to control the movement of the bird. The remiges and tretrices at the wings are underdeveloped which is no surprise since the Chocobo can’t really fly. Instead, they’re just functional enough to let the Chocobo glide when it spreads its tiny wings. The breast feathers at its chest are longer and fluffier compared to the remaining feathers on its body. What about the feathers on its head? I honestly have no clue to be honest. Somebody help me out, please. I’m already struggling with all the different kings of feathers. Maybe those feathers come into business during mating season to impress the other half?

Off to the feet! Those thin chicken legs are obviously carrying the Chocobo’s weight which was honestly surprising to me.

I hope you can see the orange line I drew. (Mind you this is just my assumption. My first version of the line was more to the left which is also possible.) Considering the body is leaning forward (as indicated by the tilted main body), the weight also shifts along with it. The center of mass should be around the lowest part of the chest or a bit off to the right side. What is the center of mass? As wikipedia explains it: “In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero or the point where if a force is applied causes it to move in direction of force without rotation.” Orif I had to explain it with my English skills: You want to balance a pen on your fingertip. The center of mass is the exact point on the pen touching your finger when its balanced; Its distributed mass sums to zero. Any additional weight on either side would destroy the balance and the pen moves along. So if you wanted to balance a Chocobo on a stick and if it was possible, you’d have to press the stick to the lowest around of the chest (or a bit to the right). Now that I think about it, a bit to the right is more likely. The two front claws are most likely used for digging up the ground on the search for food, running, attacking and defending and are more developed (bigger and more dangerous) than the one, lonely rear claw. Sure, the rear claw is there for additional support to keep the Chocobo standing, but as seen in the gif set before when we were talking about drifting, the rear claw also stabilises the bird while drifting. When making sudden turns, the Chocobos shift their weight to the back and onto the rear toe, causing it to dig deep into the ground. It allows more grip and after drifting, the Chocobo can dash forward again. It’s like a sprinter/runner, trying to get a perfect start for the track ahead. The rear claw is similar to the starting block and the two front claws are the main mean to gain speed. The legs are angled to ensure incredible acceleration while balancing the entire body at the same time. What if somebody rides the Chocobo? It’s no problem at all! Their butt (and therefore a major part of their weight) is applying pressure just where the orange line is going down which means the Chocobo doesn’t lose its balance. It can safely carry the person on its back and sprint towards the sunset.

How fast can a Chocobo actually be? Low and behold, I actually went ingame, searched for a straight and even surface of at least 100m length and simply tried it. I tested three types of movement: Walking, running and sprinting. Just to explain my exact procedure: I selected a street in the Eastern part of Duscae, southeast from the Chocobo Post. It’s pretty straight and even so the 100m on the map are 100m the Chocobo has to run. And I let it run, lemme tell you. The bigger the deviation of the results were, the more often I chased the Chocobo across the pavement until I saw a certain pattern of similar times. I know it’s magic to some people, but it’s just Math so here have the exact procedure for the Chocobo walking the 100m:

My results were: 34.8 | 33.7s | 34.0s | 33.8s | 33.8s | 33.8s | 34.0s | 33.9s | 33.6s This is when I stopped the procedure. Notice how the first time is vastly different from the other times. It was the first attempt I made and actually had Gladio cross my path so it’s no surprise it took me longer than the other tries. So I excluded it from the measurement. On average the Chocobo took 33.825s to pass 100m.

33.825s - 100m  |:33.825 1s - 100/33.825m | x60 (to get to minutes) x60 (to get to hours) 1h - 10643m

10643m/h = 10.643km/h

And this is what I did with every type of movement you have ingame. Here, have Noctis’ speed as a comparison:

walking: 48.9s/100m on average so about 7.361km/h running: 20.72s/100m on average so about 17.374km/h sprinting: 16.1s/100m on average so about 22.36km/h

For the Chocobo, I got the following results:

walking: 33.825s/100m on average so about 10.643km/h running: 11.86s/100m on average so about 30.354km/h sprinting: 9.38s/100m on average so about 38.379km/h

You can pimp your Chocobo though! (As in feed it to increase its stats.)

walking: 24.8s/100m on average so about 14.516km/h running: 8.65s/100m on average so about 41.618km/h sprinting: 6.1s/100m on average so about 59.016km/h

Its walking and running speed increases by ~25% while its sprinting speed increases by solid 35%. Pimp your Chocobo indeed. (I might also add I expected the Chocobo to take off like an airplane judging by the way it’s running ingame–) Some stats for comparison:

Donkey: up to 24km/h Horse: up to 50km/h Rabbits: up to 60km/h Ostrich: up to 72km/h (Those fuckers can be extremely fast, holy shit.)

Now let’s talk about something we might not be able to see: Bones, flesh, muscles and all that jazz. Ever heard of muscle weighing more than fat? It’s true if we talk about the density of both! Muscle is 1.05g/cc while fat lingers at 0.94g/cc, a difference of about 10%. (I’ve seen different values on every page but it’s about 10% for all the density stats.) Now talking about the Chocobo and considering the speed it can achieve along with its body structure of the tilted main body, I’d say the chest is more fat than muscle along with down feathers but when we reach its fluffy butt, the lower body has to consist of muscles all the way. It’s where the avian gets its acceleration and its speed from. Since a Chocobo can’t fly, I’d suggest the bones aren’t hollow, or rather they’re more dense. Many flightless birds still have hollow bones though so we can’t be entirely sure about that. About the organs.. My first thought was about most of the organs being located in the thick chest area since there’s only little space in the lower part of the body. Maybe the organs are perfectly and neatly arranged in the lower part and organs like lungs and heart are where the chest is.

And this concludes my incredible long Chocobo anatomy post. I hope you liked it! It was a real tough challenge for me and I’m sure I made some mistakes in between but I didn’t want all the effort go to waste. If you have something to add (based on facts would be cool), I’ll gladly add it.

[voca22000]

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397. 그 탁자는 의자보다 더 견고하게 만들어졌으므로 아마 의자보다 더 오래 갈 것이다. The table is more solidly constructed than the chairs and will probably outlast them. 398. 미숙련 노동자들의 전망은 밝지 않다. The outlook for unskilled laborers is not bright. 399. 새 장비가 도입되면서 미국 공장의 평균 생산량이 증가하고 있다. The output of the average American factory increases as new equipment is introduced. 400. 그 도둑은 자기를 잡으려는 사람들보다 더 빨리 뛸 수 있다고 생각했다. The thief thought he could outrun his pursuers. 401. 알마는 지나치게 솔직해서 그녀가 다른 사람들의 일을 비평할 때 가끔 상대방의 감정을 상하게 한다. Alma sometimes hurts others when she criticizes their work because she is too outspoken. 402. 소설 속의 탐정인 셜록 홈즈는 아무리 범인들이 영리하더라도 그들보다 한 수 위이다. The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes manages to outwit the cleverest criminals. 403. 제이슨은 작은 권한을 부여받게 되자 거만하게 명령을 하기 시작했다. Once Jason was given a little authority, he began to issue orders in an overbearing manner. 404. 목요일에 쇼핑하러 가면 지나치게 부담이 될 것이다. 왜냐하면 그날 과제가 너무 많기 때문이다. It would overburden me to go shopping Thursday because I have so much homework that day. 405. 나는 합격할 것이라고 확신해서 공부를 하지 않으려고 했으나, 데이브는 내게 너무 자만하지 말라고 충고했다. I was so sure of passing that I wasn’t going to study, but Dave advised me not to be overconfident. 406. 의사 선생님이 지시한 것보다 많은 양을 복용하지 마라. 정량 초과는 위험할 수 있다. Do not take more of the medicine than the doctor ordered; an overdose may be dangerous. 407. 조는 그 버스의 수용 능력을 과대평가했다. 그는 60명이 탈 수 있다고 생각했지만 버스에는 48명이 탈 공간밖에 없다. Joe overestimated the capacity of the bus. He thought it could hold 60; it has room for only 48. 408. 서비스가 형편없었기 때문에 지나는 내가 팁을 15% 준 것이 너무 후하다고 생각했다. Because the service was poor, Gina thought I was overgenerous in leaving a 15% tip. 409. 수비에서 게리의 실수는 타석에서의 그의 선전을 무색하게 했다. Gary’s errors in the field overshadowed his good work at the plate. 410. 던이 볼을 잡아 팀이 이김으로써 그가 외야에서 했던 이전 실수들은 덮였다. Don’s game-saving catch overshadowed his previous errors in the outfield. 411. 숙련공들은 부족한 반면 미숙련공들은 너무 많다. There is a shortage of skilled technicians but an oversupply of unskilled workers. 412. 경비원들은 세일이 시작되길 기다리는 많은 고객 인파에 거의 압도당했다. The security guards were nearly overwhelmed by the crowds of shoppers waiting for the sale to begin. 413. 요약판 사전은 사용하기 편리하지만, 완본판보다 정의가 훨씬 부족하다. Though an abridged dictionary is convenient to use, it contains far fewer definitions than an unabridged dictionary. 414. 콘테스트 참가자의 어머니에게 심사를 부탁하지 마십시오. 왜냐하면 공정성을 유지하기가 힘들 것이기 때문입니다. Don’t ask the mother of a contestant to serve as a judge because it may be hard for her to remain unbiased. 415. 관중은 대담한 줄타기 곡예를 보는 동안 불안하여 숨을 죽이고 있었다. 그러나 정작 곡예사들은 자신들의 안전에는 무관심한 듯이 공연했다. The audience was breathless with anxiety during the daring tightrope act, though the acrobats themselves performed with seeming unconcern for their own safety. 416. 오웬스 여사가 내 사촌이라고 해서 그녀에게 당신을 채용하도록 할 수 있다고 생각한다면 그릇된 생각을 깨우쳐 줄게요. 저는 그녀를 좌우할 만한 힘이 없어요. If you think I can get Mrs. Owens to hire you because she is my cousin, let me undeceive you. I have no influence with her. 417. 독재자가 몰락하면서 검열 명령이 폐지되었고 언론에 대한 검열이 해제됐다. With the dictator’s downfall, the censorship decrees were abolished, and the press was ungagged. 418. 우리 팀의 주전 선수는 상대편 팬들의 소란으로 너무 당황해 두 개의 자유투를 연달아 실패했다. The harassing noises of hostile fans so unnerved our star player that he missed two foul shots in a row. 419. 십대인 줄스는 모험 소설을 끊임없이 갈구하고 있었다. 그는 한 권 한 권 계속 읽어 나갔다. As a teenager, Jules had an unquenchable thirst for adventure stories; he read one after another. 420. 전임 비서가 서류철을 너무 엉망으로 섞어 놓아서 그것들을 정돈하는데 1주일이 걸렸다. The previous secretary had mixed up the files so badly that it took me a week to unscramble them. 421. 옛날에는 선장이 반항하는 선원들에게 쇠고랑을 채우면 어느 누구도 그들을 풀어줄 수 없었다. When a captain put mutinous sailors in irons in the old days, nobody was allowed to unshackle them. 422. 조심성이 없는 보행자는 좌우를 살피고 신호에 따라 길을 건너는 사람보다 훨씬 더 차에 치이기 쉽다. An unwary pedestrian is much more likely to be struck by a car than one who looks both ways and crosses with the light. 423. 울창한 밀림을 지나가는 동안 순찰대는 덤불 속에 숨어 있을지도 모르는 적군을 계속 경계해야만 했다. On its way through the dense jungle, the patrol had to be constantly wary of enemy soldiers who might be lurking in the underbrush. 424. 미국은 저개발국들의 생활수준 개선을 돕기 위해서 수십억 달러를 썼다. The United States has spent billions to help the underdeveloped nations improve their standard of living. 425. 학교만 다니는 대학생들은 학사 학위를 4년 안에 취득할 수 있다. Full-time undergraduates can earn a bachelor’s degree in four years. 426. 주급에서 소득세를 너무 적게 공제하면, 결국 연말에 급료를 적게 수령하게 될 것이다. If too little is deducted from your weekly wages for income tax, the result is an underpayment at the end of the year. 427. 그 기금의 목표는 혜택을 누리지 못하는 가능한 한 많은 어린이들에게 내년 여름 도시를 떠나 휴가를 갈 기회를 주는 것이다. The goal of the fund is to give as many underprivileged children as possible an opportunity for a vacation away from the city next summer. 428. 필기할 때는 특별히 중요한 사항에 밑줄을 쳐라. When you take notes, underscore items that are especially important. 429. ‘당신은 어디에서도 더 싸게 살 수 없다’라는 표현은 ‘우리는 더 싸게 팔 수 없다’라는 말과 같은 뜻이다. The expression “You can’t get it anywhere else for less” means about the same as “We will not be undersold.” 430. 주지사에게 보낼 탄원서에 서명한 사람들 중에는 주에서 아주 저명한 사람들도 더러 끼어 있었다. Among the undersigned in the petition to the governor were some of the most prominent persons in the state. 431. 사고로 ‘가벼운 타박상’을 입었다는 프랭크의 얘기는 실제보다 줄여서 한 말이다. 그는 갈비뼈 두 대가 부러지는 부상을 입었다. Frank’s remark that he was “slightly bruised” in the accident is an understatement; he suffered two fractured ribs. 432. 마들린이 병에서 회복하는 동안, 그녀의 배역은 임시 대역 배우가 하게 될 것이다. While Madeline is recuperating from her illness, her role will be played by an understudy. 433. 각 고객에게 발송된 월간 회보는 곧 있을 세일 소식을 전해준다. A monthly bulletin mailed to each customer gives news of upcoming sales. 434. 새로운 도로 건설로 자동차 클럽들은 매년 도로지도를 새로 만들어야 한다. New highway construction requires auto clubs to update their road maps annually. 435. 많은 직장인들이 기술과 승진 기회를 향상시키기 위해 야간 강좌에 참석한다. Many employees attend evening courses to upgrade their skills and improve their chances for promotion. 436. 새로운 세금을 만들자는 수상의 제의는 엄청난 물의를 일으켜 그 내각은 무너지고 말았다. The prime minister’s proposal for new taxes created such an upheaval that his government fell. 437. 수잔은 낡은 차 유지비가 너무 많이 들어서 새 차로 바꾸었다. Susan traded in her old car because the upkeep had become too high. 438. 고용주들이 재고용을 하고 있다는 소식은 많은 실직자들의 희망을 고조시켰다. The news that employers are rehiring has uplifted the hopes of many of the unemployed. 439. 그 권투 선수는 녹다운이 되었을 때 아홉을 셀 때까지 기다렸다가 다시 일어났다. When knocked to the canvas, the boxer waited till the count of nine before resuming an upright position. 440. 사람들의 마음 속에 자유에 대한 사랑이 너무도 확고히 자리잡고 있어서 어떤 독재자도 그것을 뿌리째 뽑을 수 없다. The love of liberty is so firmly embedded in people’s hearts that no tyrant can hope to uproot it. 441. 새로 당선된 하원의원이 입법부에 들어왔을 때, 몇몇 원로 의원들은 그녀를 콧대 높은 졸부 정도로 여겼다. When the new representative entered the legislature, some older members regarded her as an upstart. 442. 대부분의 상인들은 10월에는 판매가 부진하다고 한다. 그러나 성탄절이 다가오면서 상승할 것이라고 자신하고 있다. Most merchants report a slowdown in sales for October, but confidently expect an upturn with the approach of Christmas. 443. 사회단체가 그녀의 주요 후원자이다. 만약 그 단체가 후원을 철회한다면 그녀가 어떻게 선출될 수 있을지 모르겠다. The community association is her principal backer; if it withdraws its support, I don’t see how she can be elected. 444. 그 침략자들은 철수하라는 명령을 받았다. The invaders were ordered to withdraw. 445. 우리가 친하게 지내려 해도 롤라의 남동생은 남과 어울리지도 않고 말도 거의 하지 않는다. 그는 내성적인 것 같다. Lola’s brother keeps to himself and hardly says anything, though we try to be friendly; he seems withdrawn. 446. 제가 이야기를 마칠 때까지 당신의 이야기를 미루어 주신다면 정말 감사하겠습니다. I would appreciate it if you would please withhold your comment until I have finished speaking. 447. 고용주는 당신의 봉급에서 일정 액수를 연방 정부에 납부할 원천 과세로 공제하게 되어 있다. Your employer is required to deduct a certain amount from your salary as a withholding tax payable to the federal government. 448. 댐의 벽은 엄청난 수압을 견딜 수 있을 만큼 튼튼해야 한다. The walls of a dam must be strong enough to withstand tremendous water pressure. 449. 원정팀 선수들은 장신이라는 이점에도 불구하고 우리 농구 팀을 이길 수 없었다. Notwithstanding their advantage of height, the visitors were unable to beat our baseball team. 450. 나이가 든 왕은 왕위에서 물러나 은퇴했다. The aging monarch abdicated the throne and went into retirement. 451. 그리스인들은 헬렌을 되찾기 위해 트로이를 공격했다. 그녀는 트로이의 왕자 패리스에게 유괴당했었다. The Greeks attacked Troy to recover Helen, who had been abducted by the Trojan prince Paris. 452. 자넷은 그 과목을 통과하기 위해 최선을 다하고 있다. 왜냐하면 여름에 재수강해야 한다는 생각만 해도 진저리가 나기 때문이다. Janet is doing her best to pass the course because she abhors the thought of having to repeat it in summer school. 453. 오늘 결석자가 세 사람 있었는데, 이것은 이례적인 일이다. 보통은 전원이 출석한다. We had three absences today, which is abnormal. Usually, everyone is present. 454. 자동차는 완전히 부서졌지만, 다행히도 운전자는 가벼운 상처와 찰과상만 입고 화를 면했다. The automobile was a total wreck, but the driver, luckily, escaped with minor cuts and abrasions. 455. 오늘 미술 수업은 소방 훈령종이 울려서 갑자기 끝났다. Today’s art lesson came to an abrupt end when the gongs sounded for a fire drill. 456. 회사 자금을 가지고 도주한 경영자를 찾는 수사가 광범위하게 진행 중이다. A wide search is under way for the manager who absconded with the company’s funds. 457. 법률을 모른다고 해서 그 법률을 지키지 않아도 되는 것은 아니다. Ignorance of the law does not absolve a person from obeying it. 458. 세 명의 용의자들 중에서 두 사람은 유죄 판결을 받았고 다른 한 사람은 무죄를 언도받았다. Of the three suspects, two were found guilty, and the third was absolved. 459. 그 책은 아주 재미있었다. 처음부터 끝까지 나의 관심을 사로잡았다. That was an absorbing book. It held my interest from beginning to end. 460. 치과 의사는 내가 단 것을 그만 먹으면 충치가 줄어들 것이라고 말했다. My dentist said I would have fewer cavities if I abstained from sweets. 461. 나는 무도회를 여는 것은 좋지만 5월 25일에 여는 것에는 반대한다. I am in favor of the dance, but I am averse to holding it on May 25. 462. 시장은 시청 직원들의 파업을 막으려고 애를 썼다. The mayor tried to avert a strike by municipal employees. 463. 소아과 의사인 고모는 취미로 작곡을 한다. My aunt, a pediatrician, composes music as an avocation. 464. 밤에 일하는 사람들은 낮에 자도록 적응해야 한다. People who work at night have to adapt themselves to sleeping in the daytime. 465. 로레인 한스베리의 브로드웨이 연극 히트작 <태양속의 건포도>는 후에 영화로 각색되었다. Lorraine Hansberry’s hit Broadway play, A Raisin in the Sun, was later adapted for the screen. 466. 누군가 담배를 권할 때 거절하면 흡연에 중독되지 않을 것이다. You will not become addicted to smoking if you refuse cigarettes when they are offered. 467. 10분 늦게 도착한 그 학생은 시험을 끝마칠 시간이 충분하지 않았다. The student who arrived ten minutes late did not have adequate time to finish the test. 468. 당신의 재선 운동에서 마사의 지지를 믿어도 좋아요. 그녀는 당신의 가장 충실한 지지자들 중 한 사람이니까요. You can count on Martha’s support in your campaign for reelection. She is one of your most loyal adherents. 469. 쿠바 섬은 플로리다에 인접해 있다. The island of Cuba is adjacent to Florida. 470. 멕시코는 미국과 접해 있다. Mexico adjoins the United States. 471. 판사는 재판을 다음 월요일로 연기했다. The judge adjourned the court to the following Monday. 472. 기상청은 태풍의 출현에 대하여 적절한 경보를 내렸다. The weather bureau gave adequate warning of the advent of the hurricane. 473. 시합이 시작되기 전에 챔피언과 상대 선수는 악수를 했다. Before the contest began, the champion and her adversary shook hands. 474. 악평으로 인해 제작자는 오늘 저녁을 끝으로 연극 공연을 마칠 것이라고 발표했다. Because of adverse reviews, the producer announced that the play will close with tonight’s performance. 475. 로널드의 조상은 100년도 더 전에 이 나라에 왔다. Ronald’s antecedents came to this country more than a hundred years ago. 476. 만약 오늘 쓴 수표에 어제 날짜를 사용한다면, 수표를 실제보다 앞선 날짜로 지정한 것이다. If you used yesterday’s date on a check written today, you have antedated the check. 477. 알래스카는 하와이보다 먼저 주가 되었다. 하와이보다 7개월 앞선 1959년 1월 3일에 주로 승격되었다. Alaska antedates Hawaii as a state, having gained statehood on January 3, 1959, seven months before Hawaii. 478. 나는 수표에 날짜를 늦추어 적었다. 이 수표에는 내일 날짜가 적혀있다. I postdated the check; it has tomorrow’s date on it. 479. 9 A.M.에서 A.M.이란 약자는 ‘정오 이전’을 뜻하는 ante meridiem을 나타낸다. In 9 A.M., A.M. stands for ante meridiem, meaning “before noon.” 480. 9 P.M.에서 P.M.이란 약자는 ‘정오 이후’를 뜻하는 post meridiem을 나타낸다. In 9 P.M., P.M. stands for post meridiem, meaning “afternoon.” 481. 환자가 왔을 때 의사가 바쁘면, 간호사는 그들에게 대기실에서 기다리라고 한다. If the physician is busy when patients arrive, the nurse asks them to wait in the anteroom. 482. 대학을 졸업한 후 니나는 로스쿨에서 대학원 공부를 하고 싶어한다. After college, Nina hopes to do postgraduate work in law school. 483. 부검의 목적은 사인을 찾아내는 것이다. The purpose of a postmortem is to discover the cause of death. 484. 패배 후 사후 토의에서 우리는 무엇이 잘못되었고 개선을 위해 무엇을 할 수 있는지 논의한다. In a postmortem after a defeat, we discuss what went wrong and what we can do to improve. 485. 편지에 서명을 하고 난 후 나는 중요한 사실을 빠뜨린 것을 발견했다. 그래서 나는 추신을 덧붙여야 했다. After signing the letter, I noticed I had omitted an important fact, and I had to add a postscript. 486. 우리 입법부는 양원제로서, 하원과 상원으로 구성되어 있다. Our legislature is bicameral; it consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. 487. 건국 200주년 기념식은 1976년에 거행되었다. Our nation’s bicentennial was celebrated in 1976. 488. 하원에 출마했다가 낙선한 후보는 2년 후에 재출마할 수 있다. 왜냐하면 선거가 2년마다 한 번 있기 때문이다. A defeated candidate for the House of Representatives can run again in two years because the elections are biennial. 489. 우리 학교에서는 진급이 1년에 2번, 1월과 6월에 있다. Promotion in our school is semiannual, occurring in January and June. 490. 우리는 두 달 기준으로 청구서를 받기 때문에 공공요금 청구서를 1년에 여섯 장만 받는다. We receive only six utility bills a year because we are billed on a bimonthly basis. 491. 보름을 기준으로 봉급을 받는 직원들은 한 달에 두 번 봉급을 받는다. Employees paid on a semimonthly basis receive two salary checks per month. 492. 프랑스군은 1781년 요크타운 전투에서 영국군에 대항하기 위한 양면 작전에서 미국과 합세했다. French forces joined the Americans in a bilateral action against the British at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. 493. 뉴욕에는 영어와 외국어를 하는 시민이 많다. New York has a large number of bilingual citizens who speak English and a foreign language. 494. 자동 투표기에 사용 설명서는 영어와 스페인어 2개 국어로 씌어 있다. The instructions on the voting machine are bilingual; they are in English and Spanish. 495. 국회는 민주당과 공화당 양당을 대표하는 의원들이 속해있다. Congressional committees are bipartisan; they include Democratic and Republican members. 496. 지름은 원을 이등분하는 선이다. A diameter is a line that bisects a circle. 497. 수업이 끝나자 학생들이 추가로 질문하기 위해 반원 모양으로 선생님 주위에 모였다. At the end of the lesson, students gathered about the teacher in a semicircle to ask additional questions. 498. 아침에 잠에서 깨어날 때는 사람의 의식이 완전하지 않은 상태이다. In the morning, as you begin to awaken, you are in a semiconscious state. 499. 한쪽 벽만 옆 채에 붙은 모퉁이의 집들을 제외하고는 그 블록의 모든 집들은 붙어 있다. All the houses on the block are attached, except the corner ones, which are semidetached. 500. 반숙련직 근로자는 장기간의 훈련을 거칠 필요가 없다. Workers in a semiskilled job usually do not require a long period of training. 501. 열세살에 마리아 캘러스는 미국에서 이주해왔다. At thirteen, Maria Callas emigrated from the United States. 502. 열세살에 마리아 캘러스는 그리스로 이주해왔다. At thirteen, Maria Callas immigrated to Greece. 503. 마리아 캘러스는 저명한 오페라 가수가 되었다. Maria Callas became an eminent opera singer. 504. 처음 번개가 번쩍이자 해변의 군중들은 곧 있을 폭풍우를 피할 은신처를 찾아 허둥지둥 달���갔다. At the first flash of lightning, the beach crowd scurried for shelter from the imminent storm. 505. 나는 내리쬐는 태양에 너무 지쳐서 앉아야 했다. I was so enervated by the broiling sun that I had to sit down. 506. 흐르는 물이 토양 침식의 주요 원인들 중 하나이다. Running water is one of the pricipal causes of soil erosion. 507. 수업 연한을 연장하자는 제안은 상당한 반발을 불러일으켰다. The suggestion to lengthen the school year has evoked considerable opposition. 508. 질문에 대답하기를 거부하면서, 증인은 헌법 제5조 수정 조항에 호소했는데 이 조항은 누구든 자기 의사에 반해 증언을 강요받는 것으로부터 보호해 준다. Refusing to answer the question, the witness invoked the fifth amendment which protects persons from being compelled to testify against themselves. 509. 호주머니칼로 그는 사과 껍질을 벗기고 벌레먹은 부분을 잘라냈다. With a penknife, I peeled the apple and excised the wormy part. 510. 기념비의 글자들은 끌로 새겨졌다. The letters on the corner stone had been incised with power drills. 511. 배타적은 클럽은 신입회원들을 쉽게 받아들이지 않는다. An exclusive club does not readily accept newcomers. 512. 경기 전에 각 팀은 10분간의 연습 시간 동안 운동장을 독점 사용했다. Before the game, each team has the exclusive use of the field for a ten-minute period time. 513. 요약판 사전은 일반적인 탁상용 사전보다 훨씬 포괄적이다. An abridged dictionary is much more inclusive than an ordinary desk dictionary. 514. 박물관은 현재 캐나다 북부의 이뉴잇족의 미술품을 전시하고 있다. The museum is now exhibiting the art of the Inuit people of northern Canada. 515. 많은 사람들은 울음을 참을 수 없었다. 그들은 공개적으로 울었다. Many could not inhibit the tears; they cried openly. 516. 성적이 나빠서 대학에서 퇴학당한 그 학생은 다음 학기에 재입학을 위해 지원했다. The student, who was expelled from the university, applied for the readmission the following term. 517. 우리는 무엇이 그 비서가 그만두게 하였는지 알지 못한다. We do not know what impelled the secretary to resign. 518. 기소된 사람 중 한 사람은 고백했다. 그리고 다른 두명이 범죄에 연루되었다. One of the accused persons confessed and implicated two others in the crime. 519. 회계 담당자는 재정 보고를 요구받았을 때 화를 내지 말았어야 했다. 어느 누구도 그가 정직하다는 것을 의심하지 않았으니까. The treasure should not have been offended when asked for a financial report. No one was impugning his honesty. 520. 탈옥하고 다시 붙잡힌 뒤에 죄수들은 더 삼엄한 감옥에 감금되었다. After their escape and recapture, the convicts were incarcerated in a more secure prison. 521. 승자의 이름이 메달에 새겨질 것이다. The name of the winner will be inscribed on the medal. 522. 통치자는 무기를 버리는 반란자는 누구든지 용서하겠다고 약속했다. The ruler promised to pardon any insurgents who would lay down their arms. 523. 클럽이나 학생 신문, 또는 운동부 같은 과외 활동을 하는게 어때? Why don’t you join an extracurricular activity such as a club, the school paper and a team? 524. 당신은 주제에서 벗어나지 않겠다고 했지만, 계속 관계없는 문제를 소개하고 있다. You said you would stick to the topic, but you keep introducing extraneous issues. 525. 믿을만한 제조업자는 자기네 제품에 대해 터무니없는 가격을 요구하지 않는다. Reliable manufacturers do not make exravagant claims for their product. 526. 몇 달 만에 낭비벽이 있는 유산 상속자는 평생 쓸 재산을 써 버렸다. In a few months, the extravagant heir spent the forture of a lifetime. 527. 대부분의 학교에서는 학급끼리 겨루는 교내 체육경기에 참여하는 학생 수가 학교 대항 체육행사에 참여하는 학생 수를 압도한다. At most schools, the students participating in intramural atheletes vastly outnumbered the students involoved in interscholastic sports. 528. 민주당원들은 다가오는 선거에서 단합된 전선을 보여주기 위해 당내 분쟁을 해결하려고 노력하고 있다. The Democratics are trying to heal the intraparty strife so as to present a united front in the coming election.

[blackstarlinebrewing-blog]

They told us we wouldn’t win...

They told us we wouldn’t win…

Last night and all morning, Ekua and I have been thinking about our experience at #bbsession, Brew Bound’s Startup Brewery Challenge. There’s so much to share and probably many pieces we’ll write about our experience. At the end of the day, we knew we weren’t quite ready to be on the stage. We’re not going to be in bottles or cans anytime soon, so we don’t have marketing that we could display on the stage. We can’t legally sell quite yet, because we don’t have the cash/financing, to get that stuff in place; so we’re in limbo. We can’t get a damn financing or know investors who will take a chance on us. The local CDFI is even like, “nah, we’re gonna have to pass homies.” Ok, that’s not a direct quote, clearly. Then, it’s like there will maybe, kinda be funding for less than what we need and we’re just gonna have to figure it out. No, these aren’t excuses, just the reality.

Going in to the competition, we didn’t have any more beer. Quite frankly, we stopped brewing because we couldn’t afford it. We had to use a store credit we had from past purchases to buy some ingredients. Our flagships, Stokely Stout and Dat Dere, couldn’t make it because we didn’t have the cash to produce. We, as always, transparently let folks know the realities and started to raise funds, but they didn’t come quite quickly enough. Those closest to us were hesitant to support because they felt strongly we would not win. So, we did what we know how to do when we’re up against a wall, undercapitalized, poor, and bootstrapping… we made it work. We turned three batches of beer in 9 days.

As far as we know, there’s never been Black women on the stage. There’s never been queer POC on the stage. We knew, no real start-up had ever won the startup brewery challenge at #bbsession. Most of the winners were fully capitalized, had tap rooms, were in distribution, and at a stage we’ve been trying to grow too. It was a risk.

The folks at the local CDFI talk about how we would make it being undercapitalized… well, as Black folks on this land, we always do. Manning Marable said it was Capitalism that underdeveloped Black America. Right… Undercapitalizing, not funding, holding the purse strings tightly, squashing the economic liberation of a people; is simply called genocide. It is by design that the institutions and systems have “certain rules and limitations” with regards to who has access to capital. Most simply, it is called racism. We know it is patriarchy, white supremacy, and the intersections of all the other interlocking supremacy systems.

Let me be clear: We are so grateful for the funds that were received! We would not have been able to be on the stage had it not been for the widespread community support, #grassrootsreparations, and love offerings. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We’re sorry we only got the silver but know, it was our full intention to come home with the Gold.

No, I know that had we received the full $2000 in advance of our trip, we would have won. Really, we needed $2450. But we would have been victorious - Hands down. Is it worth spending half of the prize to get the W?! Absolutely. Bringing that W home meant we could come back and not have to worry about getting evicted, which is now ever pressing in our minds. It legitimizes our work. It lends us credibility, and perhaps, it would have let the folks at the local CDFIs know that we’re actually worthy. If we had the cash, this is how we would have used it:

·         $150 would have been spent brewing our delicious flagship brews: Stokely Stout and Dat Dere Ginger Beer. These would have impressed both the judges and the crowd. There have been indisputably positive, overwhelming, and enthusiastic reviews for these two delicious brews.

·         $50 would have allowed us to make enough of the Ginger Brew botanicals for all of the conference attendees.

·         $350 would have allowed us to buy a jockey box so that we could have kept the brews fresh and served them fresh to participants, attendees, and judges. Admittedly, our head retention was super low because of the beer being in growlers for days. Since we’re on a budget (what an understatement), we had to pour the beer with us when we left NC on Tuesday morning. Not ideal for a competition where folks wouldn’t be tasting until 48 hours later.

·         $175 would have been enough for us to print our marketing materials, business cards, and make sure that we had them in time for the conference.

·         $250 would have been enough for our much needed logo re-design.

·         $750 would have given us the opportunity to have the mock ups of the bottle labels completed as well as much needed new swag so that we could appropriately represent the brand. Shit, it would have been nice to have some branded growlers instead of print-at-home Avery labels, that didn’t stick, on the growlers. There’s just some marketing stuff we need to tighten up.

·         $500 transportation – So, we needed an oil change, gas, and DAMN – NYC transportation is expensive!

·         $150 for food – We’ve been super frugal and have some “government assistance” that we can use as individuals to help offset our costs. So grateful for this social program right now!

·         $75 for spiritual supplies – Absolutely necessary. We would have loved to be able to build an altar at #bbsession. However, cash was tight and we were a rolling altar.

As is typically the case at things like this where either one or both of us present, they said we were the best. We had the best pitch. They were inspired. Some folks were in tears. They called us the “people’s beer.” Many folks were really apologetic and said that if they could have voted, they would have voted for us. Ekua and I (both collectively and individually) stood by the drinks being poured and listened to folks responses when they tasted our beers. They loved it. We loved the older white dudes saying “wow!” “This is good” “Haven’t had anything like this before.” “What is this? I like this a lot” “Where can I buy it.” Our security guard friend really loved hearing people’s responses and continued to give us encouragement throughout the day. After the pitch, he was very apologetic and encouraged us to keep going. He let us know we were the best and there wasn’t even anyone else who could come close.

 It was so odd to keep hearing these comments throughout the rest of the day and evening. Later, after folks got a bit more liquored up J, we found out we were second place. Some of the judges wish they would have known more information. We wish they would have asked.

 There was a moment on the stage where I was waiting for questions. I grew up in Bel Air, Maryland; in Harford County; in the suburbs. I went to all Blue Ribbon schools. I’m a woman. I’m a Black woman. I was waiting to be asked questions so I could respond. No one ever asked questions, so I sat silent. I feel like, ironically enough, Audre Lorde is kicking me in the ass… They were drinking The Lorde. “My silences never protected me…” FUCK! Then, I watched my male colleagues (mostly white) just start speaking and responding. What the actual fuck? Why didn’t I do that? Oh, right, I was raised to be silent, respect authority, and all that female subjugation bull shit. Wasn’t it the former Sales Manager Dan Dalton who told me not to ask for people’s time, just take it. Fuck, these dudes have grown up like that their whole lives and just created space to talk and interact with the judges. Why didn’t I? Fucking patriarchy. Shit.

 So we won silver. Cool. I’m really excited for all of the collaborations, partnerships, and opportunities that are on the horizon.

However, I can’t stop thinking of other Black women who’ve been in competitions like this. They ended up not winning the competition, were clearly the best, and made great careers. Look at Jennifer Hudson. The most successful American Idol contestant. She lost to a (closeted at the time) gay white man and  super sweet cuddly bear Black dude. Jennifer was clearly the best. J-Hud has gone on to establish herself in the industry and continue to push and inspire. Y’all know I love The Rap Game… Look at Nia Kay. She DEFINITELY should have won over Mediocre Mani (at best) and Keep it Together Key (I love you, Lil Key though). Nevertheless, she kept it pushing and is really becoming solid on the young rap scene. Of course, there’s my home girl: Deetranada. Dee had some challenges but needed the win. Nova, due to skill, arrogances, and his support crew, would have been able to make it in the industry. Deetranada inspires so many, grew so much, and really focused. But damn, she’s still on the So So Def tour.

Of course, there’s always the case of HRC – Hillary Rodham Clinton. After having to concede to the young Barack Obama in ’07, she came back kicking and did great things for our country. SHE WON the popular vote, after it has been confirmed that there has been Russian interference, and still she persists. Fucking badass. They told her she wouldn’t win, she won (but didn’t), and even in the wake of all these haters, including in her party, she continues to work tirelessly for a better place for all of us.

You know, this is not new. Black culture being told its second rate. Let’s look at “Living Single”. The white version of this became wildly popular and created stars. It was called, “Friends.” Or let’s look at “Waiting to Exhale.” I’ve never met a Black woman who hasn’t seen this movie. For us, it was a first. It pretty accurately captured our experiences. Of course, “Sex in the City” was the spin off. Our culture wasn’t enough, it was too different, too unique, and too authentic. But not so much so that white folks wouldn’t want to experiment with it and launch their own.

On the intentional sweetness of our beers: We know our folks. Our folks love sweet drinks: kool-aid, sweet tea, and so forth. How many types of juice or soda (Fuck high fructose corn syrup), do you have in your fridge right now, folks of color? The industry depends on us having this sweet tooth. Folks capitalize on us having it and have made our folks addicted through the harmful additives. We know this and want to queer this a bit. AND, we know folks love smoking and drinking. The bitterness of the cigarettes or other rolled sweets necessitates something sweet and refreshing. But again, it’s not their market or culture to understand UNLESS it can make them money. Here’s the secret: it can and it will. We’ll be the beer pioneers on this front.

This mindset of the liberal whites at this conference helps me to understand the mindset of those who voted for Trump against their best interest, right? They were and are so tied in to the system that they literally cannot conceive another way. The misappropriations of their power were astounding. The cowardice was something I could never truly comprehend. It’s like its easier for them to uphold the system that do something as so radical as voting with what’s in the heart. To contextualize: what’s the worst that could have happened if we won? Empowerment of Black, queer folks living on the margins? Affirming the dignity and value of something that’s unique and distinctive that the industry just spent an entire day saying it needs? Supporting the authenticity that was so vividly described in discussed in the opening? Or perhaps, just taking a chance. Folks take chances all the time, especially as related to our freedom and liberation. Think about the folks that voted for Trump just because they couldn’t vote for a woman. “It just didn’t feel right”, they said. I heard these people say just that as I stood with them for hours outside of Lenoir-Rhyne University waiting to see him.

Look y’all, folks talk the talk about being authentic. But when you’re Black, you can’t be too authentic or too real because you’ll scare whites. Right? The back lash to white folks realizing their privilege and their agency to be change-makers, is and has historically been to uphold the status quo. It’s frightening to be the ones to be change makers and quite frankly, most folks don’t have the courage. It was so fucking awkward to be at the after party and overhear folks talking (in their quiet white circles) about how they thought we should have won, how inspiring we were, what could they do, did they know *insert X fact that we shared*. This happens so frequently in situations like this. Where we could have won, did not, or where we could have received funding, or a place to call home, whatever!... and then folks find out more and are deeply saturated in their white guilt and shame. 5 people literally began to tear up and cry on that roof top. How was I supposed to hold space for their sorrow, guilt, and shame while still processing that we lost, juxtaposed with folks saying we were the best, the best they’ve ever seen, etc.? Uh, what? I think about what my father told me… it is these types of folks who allowed lynchings to happen in his home state of South Carolina. It is these folks who may have voted for Trump. And it is these folks that we’ll continue building with because this is our work and the work of #blackstarlinebrewing. This is the work we’re being called too. This is why its imperative for Black Star Line Brewing to exist now, to radicalize these spaces, and to help us (as our new friends at Good City say) “seek the good”.

And yes, it’s pretty awesome that we cranked out these brews, in 9 days, on our homebrew equipment, and got the silver. That’s fucking badass. So yes, they told us we wouldn’t win. But I’m certain they weren’t expecting us to get the silver!

 All of this to say, hell yes – we are so grateful to have been at the event, make connections, have a platform, and let the industry know we’re on the come up. We’re blessed beyond belief and never imagined even competing in something like this. We’re so grateful for the prayer warriors and those who held us in the light. Grateful for Gma’s prayers with Starla cooking in the background and Jo eating too many cookies. We’re grateful Bishop prayed over us and anointed us. We’re grateful my Pop (Larry) prayed fervently. My family held us in prayer and in the light. The community was on their knees, we felt it. Thank you. We’re so appreciative of all of the affirmations and commitments for collaboration, assistance, mentoring, and support. We’re following up with all of y’all! Black Star Line Brewing Co. is the new kid on the block and we’re changing the scene, y’all.

Well, folks kept asking “What’s next” for Black Star Line Brewing Co. Most immediately, we’re gonna figure out how to get this $ so we can pay rent and not be evicted. We’re gonna figure out how to get out here and start pitching more. We HAVE to figure out where this funding is going to come from so we can actually get out here and start brewing. Where are all these white, liberals, and progressives who voted for Barack Obama and Kamala Harris? Where are these kick ass beer folks who are so interested in transforming the industry and want to talk about diversity? Note: diversity is very different than inclusion or even intersectionality. Diversity is the polite white way to say we have a problem with all the homogeneity, and we don’t know how to fix it, but we’re afraid to do anything other than what we’re doing now, because there might be too much of y’all; what’s the minimal thing that we can do to not get ourselves screwed, sued, and look like white supremacists? And we certainly can’t have more of you than us! So help us diversify, good darkie.

What’s next is that we’re gonna continue to grind. After all, we’re a grassroots, family centered brewery launching a social movement rooted in self-determination, social entrepreneurship, collective economics, and our collective healing and liberation. We’re creating pathways out of poverty for folks, including us. We’re strong. We’re resilient. We are #blackstarline.

[myupdatesystems-blog]

Buying Property In Bulgaria

New Post has been published on https://myupdatesystems.com/buying-property-in-bulgaria/

Buying Property In Bulgaria

The media in both Bulgaria and the UK is still raving about the phenomenal investment potential of the Bulgarian property market. This hype has lead many people to invest in the market in the hope of making a fast return. Mass publicity about rising property prices lures many people to Bulgaria, but what is the reality of the situation?

Quest Bulgaria takes a look at the reality of re-sales of property in Bulgaria and how much your property might be worth.

Knight Frank, one of the UK’s most respected residential and commercial property consultancies, recently published a report stating that high increases in residential property prices placed Bulgaria in second place in a world table highlighting property price increases during the second quarter of 2007. The report stated prices increased by 27.1%, so does this mean my house is now worth around £44,000 more than it was when I put it on the market at the start of the year? Should I be increasing the price in line with market trends?

A report by another reputable company, real estate consultants, Colliers, reported similar trends in Bulgarian property but focussed more on the fact that it was the number of buildings constructed. The mountain resorts showed 50% increases and the Black Sea coast 39%. How easy it is to read this statement in relation to prices increasing rather than that of the rate of build and to neglect the part of Colliers report, which states that overall sales prices have “remained unchanged for the past half year as supply continues to outpace demand.”

The reality of the situation is that most reports measure Bulgaria’s property market success in terms of price increases or build rates and neglect the fact that in Bulgaria, the real estate market is unregulated and the seller puts the price tag on their property. The valuation process goes something like this, “Ivan across the road has advertised his house for sale at 20,000 euro, so my house must be worth 30,000 euro because it is bigger.”

Another form of valuation has resulted from towns and in particular villages adopting unofficial rates. All it takes is a professional developer to move into the area and the price they charge for their properties, usually a cost per square metre, becomes the official standard.

The village of Rogachevo on the Northern Black Sea coast is a prime example. Bulgarian Land Development Plc, a newly incorporated company now listed on the AIM stock market, has started the construction of a six million euro apartment and villa complex just outside of the village. The price of the property in the development ranges from between 750 to 1,200 euro per sq.m. The conclusion amongst people wishing to resell properties in the village is, “my property is now worth at least 750 euros a square metre.” The fact that property up for resale may not have the same scenic outlook, modern facilities or luxurious design is irrelevant to the sellers. Bulgarian sellers have little experience of the property market because until a few years ago there was little demand. Consequently, they are unused to working to the laws of supply and demand. Many British sellers, who hail from a mature property market are lost without the skills of a valuer and stamp a price on their resale based on the following equation:

original cost + renovation costs + local market rates +desired profit =resale price

Yet, as everyone who emigrated here on the lure of cheap property and a fast buck now knows, the resale market is slow and underdeveloped. Apartment blocks are shooting up at a rapid pace giving new buyers lots of choice in both price and design. Renovated houses are two a penny and who wants to buy a renovated traditional build in the middle of nowhere, when they have so many well-designed new builds to choose? At the moment, it is safe to say, that in Bulgaria, supply far exceeds demand in terms of land and property.

The picture is not one of doom and gloom, but of caution rather than crash. The market is far from a crash, if it was, you would not see UK currency speculator Joe Lewis, investing 70 million pounds in the Bulgarian property market. And he is not alone, Israeli construction and investment company BSR Europe recently bought around 80,000 sq.m of land in Bulgaria for 37 million euro. Gardens Group is investing 400 million euro in a 600,000 sq.m development Lozen, a village close to Sofia.

A source from Raiffeisen real estates said that most sales over the last 2 years are from re-sale clients. Most of theses people bought land or property, sat on it for at least three years and are now re-selling for profits between 20 and 50%. This is easy to achieve when looking at properties at the low end of the market; recently Raiffeisen sold a property, which the client bought for 10,000 euro and sold for 15,000, but the demand for rural renovation projects has declined. Land re-sales are lucrative if the location is good. Apparently, there is good demand for regulated land, close to the coast. Again, patience is the key. Raiffeisen have dealt with re-sellers who bought land in 2004 at 10 euro per sq.m and sold it in October 2007 for 25 euro per sq.m.

British buyers have a “rising property” mentality. They expect property to increase dramatically in value as it has done over the last seven years in the UK. In this sense, they are not in tune with the rest of Europe; most of mainland Europe look at their property as their home, whereas the British view their property as a way to make money. Their foray into the Bulgarian property market has left many disappointed, because lead on by media hype, they expected the market to earn them vast profits in a short space of time as had happened in the UK. The lack of regulation in the Bulgarian real estate market has meant that the seller is in charge of valuing their own property and often they choose an inflated sales figure rather than checking actual market rates for re-sales.

Property prices have increased in the last two years. Belinda Knowles (42), a trainee solicitor from Dulwich, bought her one-bedroom apartment in Golden Sands resort off-plan for 40,000 euro. It took two years to complete the project and she has just spent her first summer enjoying the fruits of her investment. A one bed roomed apartment in her block now costs 60,000 euro – a staggering growth of 50% – if she could sell her own. “I think the market is inflated by unscrupulous real estate agents. I’m certain that if I put my apartment up for sale at this price I would be left disappointed for two reasons. Why would someone buy my apartment when they can by a brand new one for the same price and if the demand is so great, why haven’t all of the apartments been sold?” Fortunately, Belinda bought her apartment as a long-term investment. “I have two teenage children and package holidays abroad were becoming ridiculously expensive. The children are also getting to the age where they would prefer to come on holiday with their friends rather than with me. I wanted to save money in the long-term by having a place abroad that the whole family could use via the low cost airline network and I wanted to be sure that it would be a safe place for my children to stay alone with their friends. Golden Sands is ideal. We get cheap flights with Wizz and British Airways from Gatwick which means we can come over more regularly and the nightclubs here are not filled with drug-taking louts, so I have no qualms about letting my kids go out.” She also knows that by the time they have out-grown Bulgaria, the apartment will yield a good return on her investment. “In ten years time, when my children have their own lives and means of support, they may not want to spend their leisure time here. I’m sure that with the rate of investment going into the country at the moment, my apartment will sell at a higher rate than I paid for it and I will have saved money in the long run by not having to fork out for package holiday fees.”

Jayne from Sofia purchased a run down country house this year for 20,000 euro. “I have been quoted a further 20,000 euro to do it up and have set aside a contingency budget of 20,000 euro. I expect to be able to sell the property within two years for 70,000 euro netting me a modest 10,000 euro profit. I think this is a reasonable gain.”

Assetz International Ltd, a reputable British investment company has warned its clients that growth rates of 20 -30 % in countries like Bulgaria would not continue and a cutback to a more steady and sustainable growth rate was necessary. They still labelled Bulgaria as the best place to invest in foreign property, but as early as 2005, Assetz advised caution, when investing in emerging markets like Bulgaria, “Low prices attract purchasers who are keen for a ‘quick fix’ solution to pension shortfalls, but as many agents will admit there is no guaranteed resale market in Bulgaria and little existing benchmark for measuring price increases.” Even as far back as 2005, they recommended that their clients view Bulgaria as a long-term investment rather than hoping for instant returns, sighting the fact that for a time supply would outstrip demand.

Economic indicators, as we pointed out in last months copy of Quest Bulgaria, look healthy for Bulgaria and will go a long way to increasing house prices in the market, but in the long-term. What we need right now is a realistic adjustment in market prices.

The key to investing in Bulgaria is; location, location, location – be reasonable, expect good returns in the medium and long term. Choose Bulgaria because it is a great place to be and you can have a home for less than the price of a dog kennel in Britain. Bulgaria still offers incredible prices compared to the rest of Europe, which will provide you with inexpensive holidays, a low cost of living, easy access, summer beaches and skiing in the winter.

TIPS AND HINTS FOR BULGARIAN PROPERTY RE-SALES

Supply currently outstrips demand in many areas giving buyers a great deal of choice and the potential for good prices.

Don’t over-estimate the return. Expect to make good gains in the medium to long term

Invest your money wisely – don’t take risks with a property portfolio if you need to make fast profits or need the money

Location and the type of property you buy will determine the size of your profits. So will future developments such as infrastructure, airports, cheap flights…. Research, research, research.

Set reasonable prices on your resale, don’t pick numbers out of thin air or copy what others are doing. Market the best features of your property, what makes it special.

Ask people you know how much they would expect to pay for your property

Sit back and enjoy your property for yourself or consider turning it into a business to take the pressure off the need to re-sell.

Quest Bulgaria. If you would like to find out more about buying property, moving to or living in Bulgaria then Quest Bulgaria magazine has been specially designed for you.

Quest Bulgaria is the specialist high end, quality English language magazine about Bulgaria and Bulgarian property; about moving to and living in Bulgaria. A monthly guide for those searching for information on the country. It is the leading point of reference for those seeking comprehensive and independent advice on Bulgaria.