#also why don’t i check out that fb group more often it was so helpful

[mordoriscalling]

Stay or Sail Away (1/6)

Here comes part one the modern AU fake dating Geraskier fic that I talked about in this post. I’d like to post each part daily. Tagging @geraskier-trashh as requested! :D

***

It’s not that Jaskier has any problem finding someone, thank you very much. It’s just that he’s busy. Busy with concerts and composing, meeting fans at various events, travelling, internet dramas involving Valdo (it’s always fucking Valdo). There’s no time for a relationship, only for occasional one night stands that sometimes that leave him heartbroken because he actually manages to fall in love with someone in the span of a few hours. It’s fine, though. Heartbreak inspires him like little else.

Jaskier's never complained about lack of bed partners, when he seeks them out. He’s charming, after all. Still, the moment he hears “commitment”, he flees. It’s just not his way. Or perhaps he’s never found anyone fascinating enough to commit to; it takes a lot to keep his attention.  He wasn’t even looking for someone like that. Not until recently.

His troubles began a week ago, during a phone call with his mum. She reminded him of his father’s 65th birthday party and asked if he would bring anyone with him. This was followed by a series of questions about his love life because, as his mum put it, “you’re 35, Julian darling, and you’re always working so hard! I worry you’ll end up alone”. In order to placate her, Jaskier might’ve lied a little tiny bit about some things. As a result, because of all the twists and turns of the conversation, he made his mother believe he had a fiancé.

A fucking fiancé.

Wanda Pankratz was ecstatic, wishing to know everything about her son’s relationship, but he dodged all the further questions by saying that she would meet his love soon enough. She left it at that but, of course, told half the family about it, if the texts and calls from his sisters and aunts were anything to go by.

Hence, The Post.

It’s a bit pathetic and desperate, Jaskier can freely admit, but he has no other choice. His personal guard Zoltan almost pissed himself laughing when Jaskier asked him to pretend to be his fiancé, and not one of his friends knows anyone who would want to do this. Not even his agent Triss could help him out.

It all drove Jaskier to log on his anonymous Facebook account (he is a pretty big name in the UK; better be safe than sorry) and post in one of the big London groups.

“I need urgent help from someone who’d be willing to act as my fiancé during a family party on February the 24th. The only thing I expect is the ability to sing praises of our love and to compliment my aunts. It’ll take around 4 hours and then we end our relationship. Age from 35 to 40. It’d be great if you knew something about the sea because I intend to introduce you as a sailor who’s never home and afterwards, you die. Can anybody help?”

Since yesterday, the post has got more than a thousand reactions (mostly the laughing one and likes) and hundreds of comments. Many people tagged their friends as a joke, which is not helpful, but Jaskier still scrolls down and down, trying not to let his hope die. Nobody seems to think his request is for real and he’s received no serious offers so far. Then, one of the newest comment threads catches his attention.

Lambert Rivia:    Geralt Rivia Destiny!

                              Geralt Rivia Fuck off

                              Yennefer Vengeberg Omg 😂 Cirilla Vengeberg-Rivia Eskel Rivia you must see this!

                              Cirilla Vengeberg-Rivia Yesssss!! This is perfect! ❤️

                              Eskel Rvia Do it Geralt

                              Geralt Rivia No.

Intrigued, Jaskier decides to check out these people’s profiles. Lambert Rivia is a handsome red-haired man who wears some kind of black military suit in his profile picture. Looking at his bio, Jaskier already knows why Lambert didn’t volunteer himself – he’s in a relationship. Eskel Rivia is blond, even more handsome than Lambert despite facial scars, and also has a photo in a black suit, together with a white cap on his head. There’s no information on Eskel’s relationship status and Jaskier is intrigued indeed. Yennefer Vengeberg is a terrifyingly beautiful woman who, judging how professional her profile picture appears, must work in some serious profession. Cirilla Vengerberg-Rivia is a lovely teenage girl with white-blond hair. Jaskier reckons she’s the daughter of Yennefer and one of the Rivia guys.

He left the poor Geralt’s profile as the last to look at, but now that Jaskier has seen the rest, he checks this one too.

His jaw fucking drops.

Geralt Rivia is a ridiculously handsome man. His face seems practically unreal because, surely, people as beautiful as Geralt don’t actually exist? The man’s long white hair (which makes no sense considering his apparent age), as well as his brown-almost-golden eyes, only add to his otherwordly, stunning appearance. Double stunning in that black military suit he’s wearing in his profile picture, just like Lambert and Eskel. The suit looks familiar and Jaskier has a nagging feeling he really should know what kind of army it is. Google helps him out and he quickly puts two to two – Geralt, Eskel and Lambert serve for the Royal Navy.

He bursts out laughing.

This is too good.

He wonders what he should to about this. Now that he knows about Geralt’s existence, he can’t really miss the chance of meeting him, however slim. His gut feeling tells him not to let the opportunity slip and well, who is Jaskier not to listen?

When he’s in the middle of debating what to write to the man, his phone pings. There’s a new messenger notification... with Geralt’s name. With a racing heart, Jaskier opens the message.

FEB THE 18TH AT 06:14 PM Hey. Everyone’s telling me to message you and won’t leave me alone. Is your request for real? Please say no

Jaskier chuckles and replies:

Hi! I’m sorry they’re bothering you and I’m also sorry to say that my request is very much for real. I’d be forever grateful if you helped me 😁

To this, Geralt responds with:

They really won’t stop until I agree They think it’s so fucking funny

Jaskier purses his lips, already suspecting this isn’t likely to work out. He'll have to face his loving mum and admit that he lied to her about fucking having a fiancé. She’s going to be so disappointed. At the very prospect, bad mood overtakes him, but he still types what he hopes to be a cheerful answer.

Damn, so sorry mate I won’t push you but, again, I’d totally owe you one if you agree  ☺️

What would I get?

Jaskier tries to reason with his hope to calm the fuck down and replies:

Money, or a favour of some sort, I have many connections Could be free tickets to my concerts  Even my company for the night 😏 Just whatever you want I really need help

Fuck

For a minute or two, the three dots next to Geralt’s photo disappear, and Jaskier’s hope plummets in a  dramatic fashion. Then, more messages from Geralt show up in the chat.

Free tickets seem fine My daughter loves going to concerts She’d like free tickets but I never heard of you

Jaskier starts begging any god out there that Cirilla is Geralt’s daughter. Teenagers make up a large part of his audience (which is great, actually; teenage kids are amazing these days). If she’s a fan, the free tickets are a major bargaining chip.

Well, Julian AP isn’t my stage name I don’t use it on fb

What is it? Your stage name

I’d rather not say here And you must promise me you won’t tell anyone about it too Well, anyone but your daughter

Ok

 Can you call me? It’s better to talk about this on the phone anyway

Fine.

Jaskier sends Geralt his number and waits for the call. In other circumstances, he’d congratulate himself on getting a man like that to call him so easily, but he’s too anxious. His hands itch for his guitar but he doesn’t get up from his bed. He begins smoothing his hair out with his palms, praying in his mind that Geralt hasn’t changed his mind.

After the agonizing wait of six minutes, there’s an incoming call. Jaskier takes a deep breath and picks up.

“Hello,” says a gravelly baritone voice so pleasant that it sends shivers down Jaskier’s spine.

“Uhm, h-hi, Geralt,” he replies a bit breathlessly, “so, my name’s Julian Alfred Pankratz but I’m known to many as Jaskier.”

There’s a beat of silence. “Jaskier?” Geralt repeats, “the one who sings Her Sweet Kiss?”

Jaskier beams, his chest swelling with pride. “The very same.”

“Fuck,” Geralt growls, “Ciri wants to blast this song whenever we drive somewhere.”

Jaskier laughs. “She would love free tickets to my concerts, wouldn’t she?”

“Yeah.”

Geralt says no more. Jaskier has to swallow down to sop his throat from constricting. “So?” he asks, “Can you do this for me?”

The silence on the other side is deafening and Jaskier doesn’t even breathe until Geralt finally speaks up. “Fine,” he grunts, his tone indicating it’s anything but fine.

Air leaves Jaskier’s lungs in a whoosh, replaced by a flood of such sheer relief that he may as well cry. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” he babbles, heady with joy, “Gosh, you’re my saviour!”

“Just don’t tell anyone about this,” Geralt grumbles.

“Not a soul, Geralt, not a soul.”

“Send me the details about when and where and let’s get this over w–”

“No, wait!” Jaskier cuts in, “My family’s very perceptive, they’ll know it’s a ruse. We should plan everything carefully.”

“You’re making me regret this,” Gerlt growls.

“I’m sorry!” Jaskier hastens to say. “Just... at least tell me a bit about yourself?”

Geralt lets out an irritated sigh. “I’m forty, serve for the Royal Navy with my brothers. Eskel’s the nice one and Lambert’s the prick. My ex-wife Yennefer works for the government.” Jaskier actually shudders at this one because he already can picture it. Yennefer seems exactly powerful like that. “We have a daughter,” Geralt goes on, his tone softening, “Ciri. She’s fourteen. We live in London but I’m away often.”

“Oh, lovely,” Jaskier says with a wide smile because, really, this man’s love for his daughter is so clear and endearing, “this is something we can start with.”

“Just make everything up about our relationship and send it to me. I’ll play along.”

“Thank you,” he breathes out, still amazed at his luck. Jaskier is almost high on the success of his ingenious scheme and his obligations are therefore non-existent, so nothing stops him from teasing Geralt. “Though, to be completely honest," he says cheekily, "you don’t strike me as the type to sing praises of our love and compliment my aunts.”

“Hmm,” Geralt replies. It doesn’t sound like a negation. “Yen says I’m not that bad if I try.”

The fondness with which he said Yennefer’s name is a cold bucket of water poured on his enthusiasm. “O-oh, ok,” he stutters out, thrown off-track, “So, uhm, would you be willing to try for me?”

For a moment, Geralt says nothing, then answers, “If you give Ciri an autograph.”

Jaskier laughs out loud. “Not a problem at all! Whatever she wants.” He pauses. “Whatever you want,” he adds more seriously.  

Geralt only hmms, in a way that Jaskier’s prone-to-romanticism mind would almost call warm. Silence falls between them but it doesn’t feel awkward somehow. “Have to go,” Geralt says.

“Okay,” Jaskier replies quietly, “Thank you again. I’ll text you, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

After Geralt hangs up, Jaskier huffs out a shaky breath. Deep down, he already knows.

This is going to mess him up.

TBC

Part 2

#myfic #geraskier #geralt x jaskier #the witcher #modern au #pretend relationship #fake dating #fanfic #let's call this... the Sailor and the Singer AU xD #the Sailor and the Singer AU

[myautisticpov]

Thinking Critically About Social Media - Not Getting Rid of It

Okay, so, every so often, there’s an article that goes around about social media detoxes and how everyone should just log off.

And inevitably, there’s always the counterargument that for some people, social media is the only reliable way to stay in touch with people and make friends, and certain marginalised communities are more easily accessed online than in person, depending on where you live.

Which, you know, is kind of true for me. And also I work online, so I can’t cut social media out entirely.

But it has had a noticeable drain on my mental health.

So, here are my strategies for not letting social media drain me:

a) Ad-block

This is less of a drain thing, but just sensible internet usage. Get an ad-blocker, and use it.

b) Separate Entertainment from News

Seriously, one of the biggest mental drains for me was logging onto Twitter to see what was going on, only to be bombarded by a million climate despair tweets.

“But Lucy, I need to know what’s going on.”

Then find news sources you trust that aren’t on social media. I listen to a wide variety of podcasts, but there are plenty of written news sites. It’ll also make it easier to decide if you trust the sources if the information isn’t being relayed through a game of social media telephone.

Like, 9 times out of 10 now, if I see people posting about “I can’t believe no one’s talking about X”, I’ve already heard about X several times over.

The most important part of this is that I’m choosing when to engage with the news. If I’m not in a mental space to deal with it, then I know it’s not going to pop up in my feed unexpectedly, and that leaves me with more mental energy to channel into local organising or other positive steps.

Being informed means nothing if all it does is make you sad and stop you living.

c) Block/mute Words/Phrases

Do it, even if you feel guilty. There are some things that I find difficult that I then feel bad for muting because they’re honest expressions of pain from other people. But usually it would just leave me overwhelmed and not actually capable of helping.

d) Find closed spaces with good moderators

I think marginalised people often end up interacting with spaces where there’s more mentally draining content because they think it’s the only safe space for them.

Like, many marginalised communities online often end up talking mostly about the effects of their marginalisation. Which is good in a lot of ways, but again, it can be mentally draining. Especially if these spaces are all you expose yourself to because you’re afraid that if you join a community for a hobby, you won’t be accepted.

And maybe that has been your experience before.

But closed Facebook groups, Discord servers, Slack channels, or forums can still be safe environments. Find ones with explicit rules about conduct and if the moderators aren’t active, leave and find another.

I know that a lot of people go on about Twitter like it’s the holy grail of writer interactions, but I find that environment way more competitive and cliquey than the FB groups or Slack channels I’m in.

But again, I pick the ones with the creator/mods who don’t encourage that kind of behaviour. The format itself isn’t the difference, the fact that the format allows mods to dictate the atmosphere and acceptable forms of behaviour is.

e) Breaking habits

Even with all of the word-muting in the world, some sites aren’t going to be perfect. Which is why I limit my time on them. I’m not saying everyone has to, but limiting my time on broader social media sites - especially the ones designed to get rage clicks like Twitter - has improved my mental health and given me more energy to interact with people in closed spaces/with my friends.

But this can be hard. Especially if checking social media is part of your routine, so I use a Chrome extension called StayFocusd, and an app for my phone called Freedom. (Freedom is paid for, but StayFocusd has a 40% off offer code.)

I’ve blocked broader sites on my phone altogether, and I’ve blocked them on my browser for most of the day, leaving myself just enough time to check my notifications, and then I have one day a week where I’m allowed on all day to queue posts/tweets and see what’s going on.

I actually downloaded an ebook app on my phone, and that’s been my go-to instead of social media, massively increasing my reading time.

In conclusion...

I don’t think “social media bad” is a good way to think about things, but I also think that it’s important to recognise your limits. I have autism, ADHD, and I work two jobs. I don’t have time for drains on my mental energy.

Not if I want to maintain friendships and have hobbies.

But I also don’t think turning off social media altogether is a reasonable suggestion for a lot of people.

So, I’m not being one of those people who tells you to throw your phone away. But I do think that maybe looking at the time you spend on social media, and asking what you’re getting out of it isn’t a bad idea.

I guess I’m basically saying that you should ask if it sparks joy, so... That’s the conclusion. Marie Kondo your social media.

[jaspernspv902]

What’s Holding Back the USA Study Scholarships for Africans Industry?

Why Study in the US?

Historical history

America is arguably the location to go to in order to analyze overseas and Visit the Americas. When its power standing has long been questioned quite a few occasions previously decade, it is referred to as the land from the cost-free. Developed over a revolution from Great Britain for independence in 1776, The usa has grown substantially for your young place, Regardless of its background of becoming in wars. Obtaining their own personal Civil War after which staying players in the two Earth Wars, America attained its standing from Intercontinental involvement in these tragedies. It had been write-up Entire world War II when the region was capable to practical experience a increase, and gained its title like a superpower.

Social progress

The us has its individual exceptional culture and with regards to the area you head over to, a person might have varying encounters, as well as their reactions will rely on the specified place. On the whole, the United States are divided into the next areas: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, West and Southwest. When researching, it is sensible to exploration the region you may be residing in. Due to nation becoming the fourth premier in the world, the local climate is significantly unique, and you can experience unique climates by likely a handful of states absent. With various temperate zones, this also prospects to varied landscapes to view even though studying abroad, creating for fascinating family vacation ideas.

Cultural and geographical variety

The usa is enduring numerous actions and political variations. Among the best attributes with regard to the US is the proper to independence of speech and assembly. Due to the power to protest, the Civil Rights Movement and the Females’s Motion, along with LGBT legal rights, have successfully passed via their maximum legislation-generating physique, Congress. As a result of this, America is a popular location for immigrants, Specially people who have been exiled by their communities due to politics, faith or even race/ethnicity.

Overall, The us is often a melting pot of various waves of immigration and migration, which makes it a really perfect place for the Intercontinental pupil. In cities like Los Angeles, Miami, Ny city and Boston, the immigrant inhabitants is significant sufficient that you can come to feel in your own home. Dependant upon your interests, you might find yourself in a large metropolis, compact town, the nation or even in a very college or university town (we’ll describe this later). You could potentially be in a place that is certainly dense with forests, hills, deserts, lakes, and so on.

Science and technological know-how advancements

Given that Globe War Ⅱ, the US has grown to be the global leader in Science and Technologies. It's captivated prime proficient Students and experts from everywhere in the entire world to understand their scientific pursuit. Since 1950, about half from the Nobel Prizes laureates are with the US. These days it's the home of engineering giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Fb, Intel between a number of other leading organizations from the market.

Financial ability

Being the whole world’s greatest economic system, the US could be the driving power for business enhancement in pcs, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, armed service machines, and so forth. US pounds is a world forex, recognized for trade through the entire world. Nearly ¼ of the earth’s 500 biggest firms have their headquarters from the US and the biggest stock exchanges and transactions take place on a daily basis in Nasdaq and New York Stock Trade.

All the above truly helps make the US a land brimming with chances. On top of that, it truly is household to most of the most effective universities on this planet. Down below you'll be able to read through more about the American Instruction procedure.

University graduates

The US Academic Program

Neighborhood University (Junior College)

America has two sorts of better stage education. There are actually Neighborhood colleges (two-year colleges), and you'll find universities (4-year colleges). At a Neighborhood university, people can acquire an Affiliate’s Diploma, that is around sixty credits. It will require a complete-time school student two a long time to get this degree, and it can be less expensive than finding out at a College. At some Group colleges, college students can get paid a bachelor diploma in four a long time, which happens to be also provided by all universities. Learners with an Affiliate Degree can transfer directly in the 3rd calendar year of the university software with their credits becoming rolled into your bachelor degree, that is much more distinct and it has other necessities. Go through more about Neighborhood Colleges during the US for international students.

College

Universities, Then again, are larger sized and considered the “conventional” American college. Universities generally have study teams, many choices for routines and an array of options to “key” and “insignificant” in. For an undergraduate (a pupil that's acquiring a Bachelor Degree, generally known as a 4 12 months degree), A serious is the subject matter These are getting the diploma in. Such as, I come about to become an American scholar who majored in psychology. This means that I took nearly all of my classes in psychology. Now, I also minored in sociology, meaning which i took a number of lessons On this issue, but I did not think about it. Determined by which College you go to and what you need to do, you'll be able to big, slight and also double major and minor in countless topics.

Majors, Minors - opt for subjects within your curiosity

When you find yourself majoring/minoring in a very matter, you are trying to get a vocation related to this subject; it is crucial to understand what you need to do. When you can transform your important (I did myself. I had been originally a political science main), it might be tricky to transfer previous credits into your new method. Sometimes, people must remain in higher education for a longer period mainly because of the modify, but don’t get worried! Several go to high school all all over again, owing to altering their head. To me, this is The great thing about the American faculty program. In lieu of staying forced into a system, you may Specific your personal pursuits and judge on subjects that you may want to be in for the future. For Global pupils subjects like organization, Worldwide relations, it, tourism and even the social sciences are significant-desire factors thanks to their capacity to transform quickly again in one’s home state.

Best rating universities

You'll find many alternative College rankings. A lot of them are created in America, which may reveal that a lot of US universities are remarkably rated. Having said that, there is absolutely no doube that lots of the globe's foremost universities are American. Rankings alter from calendar year to calendar year, even so the faculties that usually rank in the best 30 in the United States are:

California Institute of Technological know-how

Stanford College

Massachusetts Institute of Know-how

Princeton University

Harvard College

Yale College

University of Chicago

University of Pennsylvania

Johns Hopkins University

College of California, Berkeley

Columbia College

College of read more California, La

Cornell College

Duke College

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Northwestern University

University of Washington

Carnegie Mellon University

Big apple University

College of California, San Diego

Georgia Institute of Technological innovation

University of Texas at Austin

College of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Washington University in St Louis

Brown University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of California, Davis

University of California, Santa Barbara

Boston University

Scholarships to check in United states

Diploma and scholarship

USA has a number of the greatest tuition expenses in the world. It is standing to have superior tuition costs during the US, but that also ensures that schools have cash to provide back to learners as scholarship. For that reason couple American learners pay back the checklist price, Particularly to the costlier faculties. Some scholarships are only available for American citizens but most universities offer you some scholarships for Global college students far too.

Academic scholarships are the most typical. They offer students that manage great grades a scholarship discounted of five-thirty% on the tuition fee. Complete scholarships are very rare on undergraduate amount Except you are a extremely gifted athlete or have other equal abilities. On graduate stage it is easier for proficient Students to receive massive scholarships, frequently in return for expert services to the school such as getting a teacher assistant or research assistant.

#Study Abroad

[oberlincollegelibraries]

Self-Care Sunday: OCL Staff on How They De-Stress in Isolation

Sunday’s here again and today we’re checking in with our staff at the Oberlin College Libraries to see how they’ve been managing stress during the pandemic. Let’s see what they have to say!

One thing we heard over and over is that our library staff loves food! Cooking and baking is a great way to relax and unwind. Outreach and Programming Librarian Eboni told us she’s been baking “A LOT”, while Facilities and Operations Assistant Bill says that eating healthy is what keeps him feeling great. And if you’re looking for culinary inspiration, why not pop over to the Bon Appétit YouTube channel? They have lots of great videos and, did you know? One of their hosts, Chris Morocco, is an Obie? Class of 2003!

Another big recommendation from our staff is exercise (Perhaps to burn off all the calories from that delicious home cooking). Daily walks are a must for many staff members, especially those with dogs (And, hey, at least our pets are happy we’re in isolation!). Science Librarian Alison suggests walking near water and woods, if you can, to enjoy the spring flowers and bird songs. And we have quite a few practicing yogis in our group. Art Librarian Barb recommends the app Down Dog, which is free until May 1st, for solo workouts. Or, if you’d like some one-on-one time with our very own resident yoga instructor, Head of DMS Tim (RYT-200 certified) is offering to give Obies freebie advice and classes while we’re all stuck at home. A big thank you to Tim for such a generous offer! (Contact Tim at [email protected])

Well, if all that working out has got you tired, we have some folk who have great advice for keeping you entertained. Preparations Assistant Patty recommends the newest Animal Crossing game. She says “It helps me to relax and even allows me to connect online with others in my family that I can't see in person. It is basically a peaceful game until the tarantulas show up (which doesn't happen often).” Meanwhile, Science Library assistant Jennifer prefers old-school gaming. She finds it “helpful to plan special events at home during all of this - formal dinner night, game night, poker tournament, etc. Put it on our calendar, and make it something to look forward to.”

Of course, we wouldn’t be a library if we didn’t have knitters on staff! Outreach and Programming Librarian Eboni and catalogers Lindsey and Faith all listed knitting as a favorite way to unwind. Lindsey recommends getting a Ravelry account if you don’t have one already! And if yarn isn’t your thing, Reserves and Media Manager Michael suggests stamp collecting, and Information Literacy and Student Success Librarian Alonso recommends making art. He enjoys drawing, sketching, and coloring. Science Library assistant Jennifer also enjoys drawing and coloring, but she prefers to do it digitally.... She suggests downloading paint by number apps!

As you might expect, binge watching Netflix  is high on the list of ways to relax (and all the other streaming services, of course! HBO is actually offering a bunch of free movies and shows until the end of April). Multiple people suggested rewatching all of the Lord of the Rings movies. Sounds like we have some Tolkien fans at OCL!  

Other great advice includes watching livestreams of your favorite musicians or taking an online course. Music cataloger Faith says she’s been “taking dance classes through the Beck Center at Home classes! They are free!” Follow #BeckatHome on Instagram or Facebook to see what they’re offering. 

We also have quite a few Buddhists on staff who say their faith is helping during this time at home. Conservatory Public Services Librarian Kathy finds Buddhism, along with a good laugh, is what she needs- “I've been looking for more humor. Being a Buddhist, I have really been enjoying the  FB group Buddhist Humor. It's fabulous!!”

With that, we’ll leave you with a few more words of wisdom from the OCL staff. We hope our advice, tips, and suggestions have been helpful! From our homes to yours, we hope you are all safe, happy, and healthy!

“Staying on a ‘normal’ schedule seems to be the best way to handle stress for me. I also enjoy napping, reading, spending time with my family. It’s so nice to have time together without our regular activities.”-- Sara, Cataloging and Metadata Assistant

“Remember that, while things could still get worse, everything always changes. Eventually the situation we're all in now won't be the same. Take it one day at a time. Do things you enjoy, take time to avoid news outlets, and relax.”--Tim, Head of Discovery and Metadata Services

“Being grateful for simple things like waking up to another day, naturally occurring timeless awareness, giving and receiving love with other sentient beings. Singing. Making any old music from scratch.”--Facilities and Operations Assistant, Bill

Image sources: giphy.com

#OCLSelfCareSunday #Self care #oberlin college libraries #staff recommendations #de-stressing #managing stress

[szopenhauer]

What star sign is the last person you text messaged? Aries

How did you feel when you woke up today? not well

Do you know what the person you're dating is doing at this moment? napping

Who was the last person to make you cry with laughter? my gf

Who was the last person you talked about sex/love with? either her or my father

Who introduced you to the person you're in a relationshop with? my high school classmate K.K.

How many brothers does your father have? two

When was the last time you did something which you knew was wrong? I don’t know what’s wrong and what not, ugh...

Do you still speak to your first crush? nope

If you could get your own house with one friend, who would you pick? dad but I’d prefer to live alone

Which is worse, too-tight clothes or much too-loose clothes? too tight are worse

What is something that you are willing to fight for? hmm...

If you jump, can you touch the ceiling of the room you’re in? noooo

Which do you think is worse: ear aches or tooth aches? tooth aches

How many different colors are you wearing right now?  3 (4 counting panties)

You can only listen to one band for the rest of your life, who do you pick? omg I can’t choose :o

Do you like big or small cars better? big

What store do you get the majority of your shoes from? *shrug*

What place, in your mind, is heaven on earth? How about hell on earth? there’s no such thing as heaven on Earth to me as I would bring myself there and ruin everything but almost whole planet is hell mostly because of people

Do you think there is anything scary about midnight? midnight is the time of ghosts but no longer minute before and/or after :P 

Can you snap with both of your hands? yep

In your opinion what is the absolute worst house chore? laundry?

How young do you think is too young to get married? definitely under 20 but I think it’s best to get married 30+

Who do you think is the dumbest superhero?  I can’t believe Green lantern is an actual superhero...

Would you rather be a hair stylist or a clothes designer? clothes designer

Would you rather be 3 inches taller or shorter than you are now? taller

Are there any foods that you think smell good, but taste bad? possibly

Would you ever stay overnight at any of your neighbors houses? why would I? 

Do you think it would be cooler to play a hero or the villain in a movie? hero

If you had the last name of your favorite actor, what would your name be? I like many actors so...

how many syllables does your first name consist of?: 3

do you know someone who is allergic to chocolate?: used to know

have you worn a dress [casual, formal, etc] within the past week?: not within the past week

when was the last time you saw the last person you kissed?: days ago

is that person your significant other?: yup

last person you talked to on the phone and what was it about?: mom, I informed her she probably didn’t take out the matches from my pocket and now she’s washing my shorts with ‘em inside the machine and my instinct was right so she turned it off in the last moment, minutes or even seconds later water would soak the package and that could ruin the clothes, I wish she checked or asked while taking my stuff away

got any plans today?: been to laboratory, done shopping but am too tired to help my parents in carrying wood 

were you born in an odd or even numbered year?: even

did you drive anywhere at all today?: took the bus

which of your parents did you see last?: both at once

describe your current shirt: black tee Nie każdy musi mnie lubić w końcu nie każdy ma dobry gust with Lil My

are you currently listening to music?: I’m very picky about songs today

do you fill out your own surveys or do you think it’s just weird?: I do

where did you buy the shoes you last wore?: Biedronka (Tom & Rose)

last disappointment?: health issues 

do you still talk to the person you first kissed?: yeah

did you seriously believe that the opposite sex had cooties in elementary?: I didn’t think about that 

did you take a nap today?: I barely ever take naps in general

name something random in your car: I don’t own a car

would/did you cheat on someone for revenge or if they wouldn’t find out? neither

would you rather be remembered for something bad or forgotten? forgotten

would you date someone twice your age for money? only if I really had to survive and there was no other way but not forever?

rate your self-confidence, 1 being insecure, and 10 being cocky. I’m insecure but not sure how much 

are you content? I wish

would you knowingly be who someone cheats on someone else with? cheats with me on someone they pretend to love? hell no

would you sleep with a teacher to pass a class you were failing? ewww, yuk

have you ever contemplated physically hurting yourself or another? mhm

are you prejudice against any groups of people? I am

is there anything you chose to be ignorant about? (war, animal rights, etc) maybe

would you replace any family members if possible (& who)? oh well...

do you lie when asked how you’re doing? what for? to blame then for not noticing? to be an ass who’s lying?...

do you have any plans for tomorrow? meeting with M.

are you able to get a tan? not much

the next time you are on an airplane, where will you be traveling to? umm... no thx

are you satisfied with the picture on your id card? could be worse but also could be better

what are your chances of getting with your crush? I'm taken

what color is your car? no car!

is the song you’re currently listening to being sung by a male or female? two women

where did you get the shirt that you’re wearing? it was a gift

how tall is the last person you kissed? taller than me

is anybody in the room with you right now? not rn

how long have you been with your significant other, if you have one? 3 months

do you enjoy dried fruit? meh

How’s your day going? blergh

What does your umbrella look like? I borrow my parents’ umbrella, I hate umbrellas

Do you share a room with anyone? there are furniture with stuff inside that don’t belong to me

Do you have socks on? Describe them. grey

Are you one of those people who has like a hundred apps on their phone? I have spotify, choices, tumblr, tik tok, fb and messenger

Do you have good reflexes? I guess

Picture you think is cute.

Do you like blowing bubbles? sometimes

Are you better at posing good questions or coming up with outrageous dares? depends

Has there been a celebrity death that really affected you? I cried after some celebs but that’s all

If you’re out of high school, have you stayed in touch with your high school friends?  I haven’t :(

Do you think, if it came down to it, that you’d be able to kill someone? I believe I might

Are you good at rating things? am not

Do you get into a lot of arguments? :x

Can you pass for older than you are? can’t even pass for my real age lmfao

Do you talk a lot? at times

Are you capable of finishing a game of Monopoly? it’s not that hard

Do you own any tie-dye clothing? I hate tie-dye 

How much soda do you drink in a week? - Do you like being asked questions? love Are you nosy? slightly

How well can you pay attention to someone talking? depends What is the closest yellow thing to you? rosary Would you mind living on a farm? I’d try Are you a patient person? wouldn’t say so What annoys you the most about people? what doesn’t... Does your computer freeze a lot? my browser freezes right after turning on the computer and my internet dies often

Have you ever ate glue? wtf

When is the last time you took a picture? this day

If you could know one thing about the future, what would it be? when will I die for example

Do you like Ellen Degeneres? she’s awful

Are you comfortable dancing in public? whatever

Would you like to live to be 110 years old? I wanna die already

Do you like getting your picture taken? I’m ugly

Do you like being the X or the O when you play tic tac toe? X

What do you think is the most popular name for a girl? I checked:

Zofia Hanna Julia Zuzanna Alicja Maja Helena Maria Oliwia Pola

What about a boy?

Jan Franciszek Antoni Aleksander Stanisław Jakub Adam Leon Mikołaj Szymon

*do ya like any?

How many people are around you right now? my family’s in the kitchen eating so I’m alone

Do spicy foods give you heartburn or make you make you gassy? both and more

Is body hair attractive or unattractive to you? it’s normal/natural?

Do you prefer bare feet or socks? socks

Hard wood floor or carpet? hardwood

Would you ever want to work in a toy store? yasss

Do you like asking questions better or answering? answering

Do you follow your head or heart more? head

Would you rather give up your hand or your foot? foot

Have you ever tried crowd surfing? too risky and no fun

If you could have 16 wishes, tell me just one you wish: I don’t need 16, 3 are enough

Do you like the movie Bambi? If so, who is your favorite on there? I don’t remember Bambi 

Would you rather be on the computer all day or watch TV? computer

Would you rather be a police man or a firefighter? police

Do you like jokes or riddles better? jokes

Do you like onion rings? disgusting

Do you like odd or even numbers better? even are easier to count

Last song you heard? Marroon 5 - Animals

Ocean or lake? lake

Do you know a lot of people with the middle name Marie? weird but no, Anna is more popular

Do you like loud or quiet people better? smth in between unless in public - quiet strangers are better

Taking pictures or getting your picture taken? taking

Do you like chocolate? meh

Favorite day of the year? New year’s eve?

Favorite holiday? same

Crayons or markers? markers

Snookie or Vinny? Snookie

have you ever been to an animal shelter? that would break my heart

are you tired right now?

who is the worst actor or actress in your opinion? there are plenty  have you ever bought someone else lingerie? nope where are your parents right now? run around the house like crazy if you have a dog, does it bark a lot? luckily not, he howls rarely too have you ever seen a magic show? sure can you juggle? I tried to learn but failed

[ukcps]

An excellent blog from Sue Higgins. Check out her FB page at Sue Higgins Art

What stop us from creating coloured pencil Art?

On looking back over my recent creations, I notice that my art has changed direction and my love of coloured pencil art seems to have hit a hiatus. So I've been pondering this and thought that maybe others might be thinking about this too. Fear can be the most devastating element in stopping our creativity and what I write below can be applied to many forms of art or craft.

So how can fear present itself and what other things can effect our ability to create and how do we overcome it?

How often do you spend time scrolling on Instagram and Facebook in a variety of art groups and feel intimidated by the quality or the volume of work others are producing? This often causes us to doubt our abilities as we compare ourselves to others, but the fact of the matter is Why do we need to be like others or assess our own capabilities compared to them. Human nature you reply, well yes it's an easy trap to fall into and we allow this to tarnish what we have acheived. Each of us can learn to draw, paint and create art forms with training, practice and the right knowledge. What makes some people more sucessful is more to do with confidence rather than inate skill. We can master techniques to help with composition, build creativity if we allow our inner child to grow and not set unachievable goals.

How we feel about ourselves can play an important part in whether we are crippled by fear of" doing it wrong", it wont be good enough, fear of embarrassing ourselves when we start out.

We all have a starting point and our progress should only be measured by the improvements we make on our next piece. I've been drawing and creating for the last few years after not doing much since childhood. Each piece I do I might feel is okay, but could do better. But whether this is true or not is down to how I perceive my work. If I create for someone as a gift or a commission ( not that I do many as I'm a hobbyist) and they are pleased with it then that's good enough. Yes, I can learn from it in terms of what I can do differently next time to enhance and improve but I don't let Ego rule. I have developed a gracious approach, if people like what I do, that is wonderful but I don't chase likes on IG or FB as a measure of success. My measure is my next piece how I improve little areas. So how do I do it? I keep a Journal of my work, make notes on what worked well, what improvements could I do next time - look at what paper I have used, what pencils, tools or techniques. If I didn't like a particular technique- I try to evaluate why. I talk to other artists, friends who paint/ draw and share my experiences. I am lucky that my Dad is one of my Art buddies and we bounce ideas off eachother. it's great to have someone who provides objective critique and quietens my self doubt. Try pulling some old pieces of art alongside newer pieces of work to show how you have improved; we often don't realise how far we have come.

Knowing where your gaps in knowledge shouldn't be fearful but seen as an opportunity to learn and develop further. There are many opportunities to learn new techniques. UKCPS is a great resource for free tutorials in the T P magazine, access to professional artists workshop, written tutorials to help learn new techniques. There are many FB groups for all levels of skills, where people readily share knowledge and these can be general or specific to a particular genre such as Animals or Botanicals. Finding your own style, niche and interest is also important, do you want to develop a freeform, abstract or realism approach, these are all considerations when looking for tutors or tutorials.

How you choose to develop your knowledge and skill will depend on aesthetics- do what feels right for you, there are no Coloured Pencil Police- telling you how you must develop. Love What you do, do what you love is my motto!

Time can be a limiting factor in developing your art skills. Successful artists will PRACTICE,PRACTICE,PRACTICE. Someone who dedicates 1hr per week will obviously not progress as quickly as someone who puts in10 hrs per week. Don't set unrealistic expectations for yourself. What can you acheive in reality within your current commitments and lifestyle. Plan what is achievable so that you can see progress. Here is where comparrison can eat at our self esteem - we are all individual, so celebrate your own achievements against yourself and not against others.

Sometimes I get frustrated in my creations as I'm one of those people who tries lots of different art techniques. I am not a dedicated Coloured Pencil Artist, so I do a bit of everything including textiles and mixed media. If I compare my coloured pencil work with someone who only dedicates their time to CPs then I am likely to be disappointed. So again it is important to believe in yourself and not try to be like the next person, we all have our own creativity to express.

However, creative blocks do occur from time to time and can be due to many factors. Our environment can affect our ability to be inspired, or sometimes our emotions and physical wellbeing can impact. How can we overcome blocks?

Well for me,it's about trying something new. Find inspiration, go out in nature, or a walk around your neighbourhood, look for shapes, textures, things that create an emoti-onal response in you. Doodled, open your journal, pencil on paper and draw with your eyes closed, try continuous line drawng see what happenswhenyou drawsomething infrontof you without lifting your pencil off the page, just play! What is the worst thing that can happen, you waste a sheet of paper, well it isn't the end of the world and you might come up with something unique which inspires your next creation.

You can see in this collage, examples of work ideas, completed works doodles in pencil, trying new things, yes broccoli print trees and some completed pieces

I hope that you have found a little gem of inspiration to takeaway and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

[cowboyjen68]

Hi Jen! I have been following you for a long time now and have never asked for advice, because once I get to typing I can’t seem to stop. But, I have been struggling with my sexuality my whole life, and now as I approach 25, I really want to be with a woman. Relationship, sexually, i do not care, I would like it all. I joined a lesbian FB group, but everyone seems to be way older than me. And gay clubs are just not my scene and usually everyone runs in packs, and I feel being drunk is not >>>

.  [continued] a good reason to try and talk to someone just because I have the liquid courage (and lets be honest everyone is into each other when they’re sippin)…. I really am at a loss. I feel like a lot of young women expect me (a masculine woman) to hit on them, but I am really nervous, and when I have they might flirt super hard with me but then say they’re straight. I’m beginning to think this search for female companionship is very lonely. Why is it that gay men seem to have an abundant >[con.] sex life, but gay women.. don’t? I know this is a generalization. But still, when I go out to gay bars and it’s mainly men, they all have someone or find someone. “Lesbian night” always seems more intimidating to me, and nobody approaches me like a gay man would approach another. This dynamic is frustrating to me. Why does it seem like the lesbian community suffers a little more than the men? Why does it seem gay men have more casual sex with each other? I hope this isn’t offensive

Let me start at the bottom. Your observation about gay men is not inaccuate and certainly males have much more community support and even cultural support to “sleep around”. They are taught that sex is important and love and committment is the butt of jokes. The stuff that “pussy whipped” men do… even if they are gay, they absorb this toxicity. Also.. sadly.. gay boys as they come to realize they are thought of as sexual beings above all else in our society begin to fulfill that prophecy.  They are told they are dirty, bad, disgusting so often times they internalize that and it becomes “damn if I do, damn if I don’t, so damn it I WILL”.  Lesbians fall victim to the same bullshit.. being told we are dirty or wrong and we often react by dating men “giving it a try”.  Or “finding a nice boy”.  So it is just a difference in the way we are conditioned as male and females as to how we handle the misogyny lathered on us. 

Meeting women is as a lesbian is a problem as old as humans. ( I can’t prove this but I am really really sure it is a fact).  In my younger days, bars were it. That was the “gay space”.   Our only real choice to be able to approach a woman and be pretty sure they also liked women. BUT as times have changed gay bars are filled with straight people. The local bar in my town has drag almost every night so it fills with bridal showers, straight couples and regulars. Those poeple help keep the doors open… I get it.. but it is no longer a space I want to be in very often.. Maybe once every two years if that. I also understand not wanted to be drunk when meeting a potiential mate or even a friend. It clouds personalities and judgements. I prefer to be with my friends for a drunken night out. They already know I am an idiot.

You of course crave sex and intimacy and the companionship of a woman. That is your natural state and very healthy to want that. Let me start by saying.. TAKE  YOUR TIME> Be honest with you. IF you meet someone they don’t HAVE to be the one. You can enjoy dates, making out even sex without a lifetime committment. You need to explore a bit so you know what you like. Be aware that sex with a  woman with whom you have chemistry feels very much like love.. it is probably not. Chemistry is wonderful and important but can also be a part of a Friend with Benefit arrangement or a temporary fun dating situation. Be honest with youself and with her. Talk often about emotions and what you want. 

Some tips to meeting women.

1.  Volunteer when lesbians do. Animal shelters, or rescues. Horse therapy barns. LGBT events. Habitat for Humanity “women built” weekends. 

2. Find the nearest women’s festial and get you butt there.  I know I push this a lot… but imagine 500 to 2000 women, mostly lesbians there specifically to see each other.. to be around each other. 

3. Look for women authors, comedians or musicians coming to smaller venues. .Check out what is going on in your town that is not mainstream. 

4. Attend charity events for any number of non profits: women’s shelters, animal rescue (including wildlife), nature centers, hiking and trail up keep, LGBT events, Food bank fundraisers etc. 

WIth anyone of these. make it a plan to meet at least one person. be honest, you are seeking LGBT friends/ Community.. You might even make some straight friends. but straight people have lesbian friends, cousins and coworkers. 

Approaching women:  Since I came out in 1993/4 and even before that as I was in gay bars (you know.. for the music) as early as 1987 I noticed the trend of butch women being expected to approach women. YET I also observed many butch women standing in a corner trying VERY hard to look unapproachable. What a paradox of actions. 

We get mixed signals. Be the strong, quiet type, don’t smile, look tough, aloof, uninterested.  Puff up, walk like you own the place and ignore those attempting eye contact.. IE “make them work for it”. BUT ALSO.. butches are the “guy” right? We buy the lady a drink, we ask her to dance, we invite ourselves into her space. We boldy say things like “Dance with me”.  

What the ever loving fuck? NO wonder we can’t meet each other. We have two approached fed to us but the world and neither on has any track record of working well or at all. 

My advice... smile, make eye contact and say “hi”.. Basically do what it is you want to do..which is speak to an attractive woman. You being the more masculine of the two does not matter. You are human and seeking connections.. she is human and likely seeking connections. We have words and social cues for a reason.. to connect. As humans, women and lesbians we over think. Don’t. SImplify it to these two line of thoughts:

 1. you say “hi” and she is not interested..she will so “no” or “no thank you” or ignore you. YOU have lost nothing. You weren’t talking to her, you still aren’t so you are just fine. Remember, it is not “you” she is rejecting. She might be married, tired, not interested, out with friends, or just a jerk.  

2. you say “hi” and she says it back. You can ask to sit next to her. Tell her you think she is pretty and want to talk to her. Compliment her shirt or hair style and ask if she minds company. You can Tell her you are tired of not talking to woman and she seems nice so you stepped out of your comfort zone to speak to her (this last one with brutal honesty has a track record of success). At the end of the night, you might have a date, you might have a friend, you might have just had a nice talk with a nice woman. Either way. you either have gained something (date or friend) or LOST nothing but a little time. 

Stop running “worst case scenerios” in your head. She will not toss a beer at you, laugh at you, call you ugly nor turn to her friends and make fun of you. AND If she does.. aren’t you glad she didn’t say “yes” to a date.

As far as social media look in to more specific lesbians groups. Maybe look at hiking, biking, history.. etc.. narrow it down from just “lesbians”or dating sights. Bi woman are also out there and have sites open to th

em.  Find lesbians or bi women with similar interests and you might find some closer to your age. Ask the older women on the Facebook pages about other connections. Maybe there are in other groups or clubs where they see young women asking about finding each other. Us old schoolers know how to network..let them help you.

I hope some of this helps. Let me know how it is going and if you learn something i forgot, please share it with me. 

#dating #lesbians

[jess-abides]

FMLS90 Catch-Up: Week 1

Okay, I went out of town and really managed to unplug, which was glorious. However, that means I missed the first two weeks’ worth of prompts for FMLS90. I’m not letting that stop me from carrying on, so here’s my catch-up! 

10/7 -  Tell us about your expierence with goal setting. What works best for you? Have you used the SMART goal setting process or any other method? 

Typically, I love to make goals and plans. My main downfall is the follow-through. I’ll spend a whole day in my planner, getting all my plans and goals down on paper, and then just...not make any progress. I know about SMART goals but haven’t really implemented them in my personal life. I think they will be helpful for me as I move through this challenge, and that they’ll help me follow through better. I love rules and guidelines, so SMART goals will provide me with those guidelines.

10/8 -  If you are comfortable with it, share some of your goals with the team.

Move my body every day, employing a rotation of cardio, strength training, and stretching/yoga - including one active recovery day per week. 

Meditate at least 3 days per week for at least 10 minutes at a time. I’ll use the Headspace app because I like the guided practices. Also, this does not include the sleep meditations they have--I love them and use them often, but the goal is to incorporate meditation into my waking hours ;)

Stick to keto plan at least 80% of the time through the end of the year. 

Get back to using DailyBudget - update my income & expenses in the app this week, then track my daily spending there. Use this plan to save money and pay down debt.

10/9 -  If you have more than one goal, which is the most important to you and why? If you chose to stay with one goal, tell us why you are focused on that specific goal.

I think the exercise goal is most important to me. Mainly because I’ve been very inconsistent with exercise lately, but I know that once I’m in the habit it will go much more smoothly. When I’m in the habit of exercising regularly, I feel better and sleep better and eat better. It takes much less effort for me to get myself moving when I’m in the habit of it. On the flip side, when I’m out of the habit, it’s incredibly difficult to get back into the routine and convince myself that it’s worth it.

10/10 -  Share something that motivates you. It can be a person, a movie, a song, a quote - anything that speaks to you. Tell us about it and why it is important to you.

In a weird way, right now, my dad is motivating me. I had a painful realization about some of the similarities we have, and that was difficult but motivating for me. But also, I was able to visit him for a couple days while I was on vacation last week, and he is in a much better place and making some positive changes. So I’m motivated by that, too! 

10/11 -  If you had to offer the group one tip about goal setting or accountability, what would it be?

Uhhh, I feel like I am not a great person to give advice or tips about this. But I guess I would say just DO IT. Don’t get so wrapped up in the planning that you never get to the execution. An imperfect plan, implemented, is better than a perfect plan that never gets implemented. And I really need to take my own advice on that 😂

10/12 -  What is your expierence with public accountability? Do you share details of your journey with others or are you more private? Why?

In real life, I’m sort of inbetween public and private. I share some of my goals and struggles with some people--but no one really has the whole story or all of my goals or anything. And I definitely don’t share super publicly, like on FB or Instagram. That’s why I came back to Tumblr, because the last time I had a “fitblr” was the last time I was really successful in losing weight and all that.

10/13 -  Have you had a chance to find an accountability partner or group yet? If so, tell us about them and how you plan to work together. If you have not and would like to, use this prompt to tell us about what you are looking for in a partner.

@less-flower reached out, and I’m grateful! I’m not very good at initiating, haha. We plan to check in a couple times a week with how things are going--what’s going well and what we need to work on. 

Phew! That’s one week done. Another week to catch up on, and then I’m current 😅

#fmls90

[theonyxpath]

Shhhhh.

Mum’s the word! A few weeks ago in this blog, I mentioned that we’re working on a bunch of secret projects that for one reason or the other we can’t announce as yet. But that we’re going to announce during the year as we can, particularly at conventions as we attend them.

(Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition is not one of them. Saying that now, because I know how rumors start.)

This is why we have what appears to be a lighter than normal First Draft section below in the Blurbs!.

But now it’s time to reveal one of these projects!

This Wednesday, the Phone PDF version of Scion Origin goes on sale on DTRPG! If you had a chance to check out the free Pugmire core Phone PDF, then this version of Scion Origin is based off of that process and set-up. Hyper-linked out the wazoo for ease of use, but still containing all the great info and art of the regular PDF and print versions.

Here’s some info about Phone PDFs from DTRPG:

Using a Phone PDF

Phone PDFs are designed so you can quickly navigate them by touch using links in the PDF, instead of relying upon bookmarks or other navigation. Look for the Quick Links menu at the front of the book to give you links to touch to reach the most often referenced parts of the book. Links in the footer of each page help you easily navigate through the PDF.

Navigating the Pugmire Phone PDF

Some of the link navigation in the Phone PDF file works better in certain readers.

If you’re on iOS, we recommend the Apple’s Books reading app (which comes on every Apple phone) as it supports the Back navigation links in the Phone PDF. If you’re on Android, then we recommend grabbing the free Xodo reader app as that reader has a built in Back function which will jump back one link. This is a handy feature when touch navigating through the Phone PDF (no PDF viewers we’ve tested on Android natively support the Back navigation links in the Phone PDF so Xodo‘s Back function is the next best thing).

When we put up the Pugmire Phone PDF, there were a few demands that we investigate ePub as a format for this rather than PDFs. Long time readers of this blog know that we have, in fact, been working with ePub for years, trying to find a way for it to allow us to present our projects with the same usability and beauty as we have ported from physical books to PDFs. So far, there just hasn’t been a way to produce something that will hold charts and visuals the way we need them.

Maybe someday, as we keep pecking away at it. But that day is not today. Today we had an opportunity to create a phone-based version of a core rulebook, and we did that. One does not preclude the other ever happening, and now we have a very user friendly hand-held electronic version that is still very much recognizable as Scion Origin.

V5 Chicago Folio art by Michele Giorgi

Of course, this week’s headline also refers to our ongoing Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition Kickstarter as it approaches the two week mark and 200% funding with almost 1000 backers. We’re thrilled and gratified at the reaction the book is receiving, and we’re REALLY looking forward to hitting more Stretch Goals that start creating extra projects to expand this new version of Mummy.

If you just aren’t sure it’s your cup of tanis leaves, please check out the last several weeks’ blogs, or last Friday’s Onyx Pathcast, or one of the many interviews developer Matthew Dawkins has given out, or one of the actual plays linked below in the Media section.

In fact, you can ask Matthew all of your Mummy 2e questions on our Onyx Path forums, right here on this site, as he prepares for a Twitch Q&A planned for 15:00 EST / 21:00 GMT on Tuesday 19th: http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-new-world-of-darkness/mummy-the-curse/1348728-mummy-the-curse-twitch-q-a-questions-thread

Deviant: The Renegades art by Michael Gaydos

One question you might ask Matthew is how he managed to make sure that the Timeless Chronicle (the subtitle of the game) was included in the book. I hear that it was something that permeated every decision, yet at the book’s earliest stage wasn’t actually directly written about. An oversight Matthew messaged someone not-me about:

“…failed to add the Timeless bit.”

And then he added, after making sure that the book actually did directly address and include that Chronicle:

“I won’t tell Rich if you won’t”.

What a rapscallion! (This info, by the way, was revealed during last Friday’s Onyx Pathcast deep dive into Mummy 2e because Matthew thinks I don’t listen every week).

But Judge Rich, you might say, “Traitorous minions aside, what if I can’t make it to that Q&A, plus I’m more interested in other Chronicles of Darkness games, or Exalted, or V5, or Scion. Whatever can I do?”

Well, I have good news! We’re running an Onyx Path AMA on Reddit on Wednesday November 27th starting at 12 noon Eastern US time and running until ya’ll run out of questions. It’ll be labelled more for Chronicles of Darkness questions, I think, but bring and ask whatever you’re into.

More news on that next week and on our various and many social media venues!

Memento Mori art by Drew Tucker

When we talk of social media, it’s often with a sort of worst expectations mind-set, but just a few years ago a post led to a viral campaign to celebrate a brand new holiday: Wolfenoot. This is an annual festival which commemorates the anniversary of The Great Wolf’s death. The holiday is observed on November 23. According to tradition, during Wolfenoot the Spirit of the Wolf brings small gifts to homes and hides them around the house for everyone. People who display kindness to dogs receive better gifts than everyone else.

The holiday was created by a 7-year-old boy in New Zealand. his mother shared the idea for the holiday via Facebook in 2018, and the post was quickly shared more than 2,000 times. The FB event page for the holiday got more than 13,000 Facebook users marking that they were interested in the event or planned to attend. An official page was created and soon numerous FB groups, pages, and events followed.

The central theme of the Nov 23rd holiday is kindness to dogs and wolves. Various celebrations along these elements have been proposed by participants, such as feasting on roasted meat, giving gifts, donating time and money to charitable organizations which benefit dogs and wolves, and decorating homes with wolf and dog themes. Participants are encouraged to celebrate by eating roast meat and cakes decorated as a full moon. Those who prefer not to consume meat are encouraged to omit the consumption of meat and celebrate in the spirit of “being kind to animals.”

To celebrate the holiday, DriveThruRPG will have a Pugmire sale from Nov 21th-28th. As part of the celebration, we’ve also given the Canis Minor community their own gift: Now Canis Minor creators can write and sell Pugmire and Mau fiction! Check out the Canis Minor program for details: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/cc/17/canis-minor

Pugsteady and Onyx Path be donating 50% of our earning from the Pugmire sale to the Guide Dog Foundation.

And that then, is our blog this week. Hope everybody can find at least one part of it of interest; something that speaks to you about our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

Kickstarter!

The Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition Kickstarter funded within a day, and is now almost at 200% funding with over two weeks to go. Backers have already unlocked the Mummy 2e Screen as a Stretch Goal, additional Utterances, and are now headed towards starting a whole new project, the Mummy 2e Companion!

Please check out this blog from the last two weeks for a description of all the amazing features of this new edition!

Be there to witness the majesty and terror of this new version of Mummy: The Curse!

Onyx Path Media!

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features a discussion by the Terrific Trio of some of the weirder elements and plot points of the Vampire: The Masquerade metaplot!

The Onyx Path Twitch schedule continues apace with a staggering number of games, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Pugmire, Hunter: The Vigil, Aberrant, Scarred Lands, Changeling: The Lost, Mage: The Awakening, and even an exploration into Expedition: Scarred Lands!

Stay tuned to the Twitch channel, as this coming weekend we have a Deviant: The Renegades one-shot at 16:00 EST on Saturday, and on a date to be confirmed, an interview with developer extraordinaire Meghan Fitzgerald.

We also have a Q&A regarding Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition planned for 15:00 EST / 21:00 GMT on Tuesday 19th, so do check it out and ask us your questions live, or post them in the following thread: http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-new-world-of-darkness/mummy-the-curse/1348728-mummy-the-curse-twitch-q-a-questions-thread

In other words, do check us out on twitch.tv/theonyxpath and give us a follow and a subscribe! We ambush the channel with news episodes every week, so keep your eyes open!

It really helps us to have subscribers on our Twitch channel, and you can do so for free and catch premieres as they go up if you have an Amazon Prime account. Just type Twitch Amazon Prime into Google and you’ll be shown how to subscribe for free.

The rampage of Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition media continues:

The Story Told Podcast interviewed Matthew Dawkins regarding Mummy: The Curse right here: https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/mummy-2nd-edition-with-matthew-dawkins

Red Moon Roleplaying continue their World War II era Mummy: The Curse chronicle right here, run by Matthew Dawkins for players including Onyx Path writers Bianca Savazzi and John Burke: https://youtu.be/MxNxPx7TPeU

And Red Moon Roleplaying have a Mummy: The Curse character creation session here, in case you missed it, where a mummy, an immortal, and a mortal are created: https://youtu.be/GJIEAEAx2MY

But there’s more to our media than just Mummy:

The fine folks at the Story Told RPG Podcast have recorded and uploaded a review / overview of TheTrinity Continuum:Æon: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/episode-40-trinity-continuum-on-overview

Satyros Phil Brucato and Jacqueline Bryk were interviewed for the Symposium podcast about Book of the Fallen and Technocracy Reloaded for Mage: The Ascension: https://symposium.podbean.com/e/the-symposium-podcast-episode-6-m20-book-of-the-fallen/

And Red Moon Roleplaying, who put out so much content, continue with their actual play of The Sacrifice from V5 Chicago by Night, including Matthew Dawkins as a player and Klara Horskjær Herbøl as the Storyteller: https://youtu.be/XHl9-2dqHpw

Finally, if you’ve not subscribed to our Onyx Path YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/theonyxpath, you really should, because if you miss any of our content from Twitch it ends up over there! Please subscribe and leave comments!

Drop Matthew a message via the contact button on matthewdawkins.com if you have actual plays, reviews, or game overviews you want us to profile on the blog!

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these latest fiction books:

Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And NOW Scion Origin and Scion Hero are available to order!

As always, you can find most of Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

To celebrate the latest Internet holiday, Wolfenoot, DriveThruRPG will have a Pugmire sale from Nov 21th-28th. As part of the celebration, we’ve also given the Canis Minor community their own gift: Now Canis Minor creators can write and sell Pugmire and Mau fiction! Check out the Canis Minor program for details: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/cc/17/canis-minor

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, the IPhone PDF version of the Scion Origin core rulebook premieres on DTRPG!

In addition, we are also offering this Wednesday a variety of new Pugmire merchandise on our RedBubble store including character and symbol stickers!

Conventions!

PAX Unplugged: December 6th – 8th, in Philadelphia, PA. We’re going to have lots and lots of gaming for folks to sign up for, a lot of them featuring our game creators! 2020: Midwinter: January 9th – 12th, in Milwaukee, WI.

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Creating in the Realms of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)

Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Duke Rollo fiction (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Redlines

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Second Draft

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

Development

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Post-Approval Development

Scion LARP Rules (Scion)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Editing

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

Let the Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Mythical Denizens (Creatures of the World Bestiary) (Scion 2nd Edition)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Post-Editing Development

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)

Indexing

ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

Contagion Chronicle – Sent out contracts.

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Ex3 Lunars – Just need two artists’ pieces in.

TCfBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Cults of the Blood God (KS)

Chicago Folio – Got most of the finals in. Need to run through my list and match everything up to make sure I’m not missing anything.

Mummy 2 (KS) – Going.

City of the Towered Tombs

Let the Streets Run Red – Going over artnotes and dividing stuff up.

CtL Oak Ash and Thorn – Awaiting artnotes.

Scion Mythical Denizens – Contracted.

Deviant

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad – Getting it going.

Vigil Watch – Awaiting artnotes.

In Layout

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Working on it.

Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds

VtR Spilled Blood – Josh is working on it.

Pirates of Pugmire

Proofing

Memento Mori – On second proof.

Dark Eras 2 – Aileen finalizing second proof.

Trinity Continuum Aeon Jumpstart

At Press

Trinity: In Media Res – PoD proofs coming.

V5: Chicago – Printing. Prepping PoD files.

Aeon Aexpansion – PoD proofs coming.

Geist 2e (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition) – At press, waiting for proofs.

Geist 2e Screen – Getting print files ready.

DR:E – At press, waiting for proofs.

DRE Screen – Getting print files prepped.

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties – PoD proof ordered.

M20 Book of the Fallen – Backer PDF errata being gathered.

Trinity RMCs

Scion Origins Iphone Edition – Should be good to go this week!

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Happy Birthday, in a way, to Alan Moore – one of the most influential comic book writers ever. Swamp Thing, Watchmen, V For Vigilante, From Hell, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen…his list of highlights just goes on and on, along with plenty of other works, that turn our ideas of what comic book writing styles and themes are inside out. I say “in a way”, though, because his huge novel Jerusalem postulates that all time is an illusion and we are born, live, and die all at the same time – so the concept of a separate day of birth seems a bit artificial and limited to our perception of reality. Can’t have that!

#Onyx Path Publishing

[yespoetry]

8 Things That Might Make You Happier & Get You Off the Internet

By Joanna C. Valente

Modern life is the internet. Or so it seems. Modern life seems to happen between the air, those electrical wires, that ephemeral place called the world wide web. As an artist who promotes myself through social media, and stays in touch with friends through these platforms, it seems almost impossible to “unplug.” But unplugging is what I need and want to do to live. To stay emotionally healthy and happy. Unplugging sometimes seems like the only authentic thing I can do, especially in an age where everyone has a brand and is concerned about that brand on a daily basis.

This isn’t a criticism of the internet. It’s part of how we consume information, learn, love, and create. In some ways, it’s a love letter, but it’s also a love letter to ourselves, our bodies, our minds, and our spirits. This doesn’t mean we need to throw it all out, but like with most things in life, it’s about moderation. And technology, like social platforms, is still so new, so clearly we haven’t figured it out yet.

Being online, thus available all the time, isn’t realistic, both for career purposes and for community. For many people like myself, we find communities online, whether LGBTQ+, chronic illness, or art. Community happens everywhere we allow it to. That being said, I wanted to be online less. I wanted to be more present and mindful in my physical life, because as awesome as the online community is, it can’t be everything.

So I began to think about how I use my time, and have been prioritizing ways to limit my screen time. Here are ways that work for me.

1. Learn a language with Duolingo

What’s more valuable than learning another language? Language is what connects all of us together. So, lately, my partner and I have been learning Italian using Duolingo. While he’s actually taking an Italian class right now, I wanted to be supportive and help him learn, especially since we both want to travel and potentially live in Italy one day. For those who can’t easily travel or take a class, this is also a great way to dive into a language.

Clearly, this makes sense for us (as it’s also free) - and it’s a fun way for us to do something together that is also educational. Of course, you don’t need to have a partner to make this happen, but learning with someone is helpful, especially if you can’t take a class yourself.

2. Try a new recipe every month

Last year, my resolution was to make a new recipe every month. While I can’t say I kept track of that resolution (as with most), I do cook a lot, and often try to do new things. The resolution itself acted like a prompt for me in the back of my mind to take old recipes and make them new.

Besides the obvious reasons to cook more (like saving money, being healthier), I’ve found it to be meditative and therapeutic, and a great group activity. I often invite friends over and cook with or for them, which is far more intimate than going to a bar. As someone who rarely drinks, I barely want to socialize over drinks, so socializing over making food has become one of my favorite things to do.

3. Schedule phone dates with friends

In an effort to get away from the internet, I try to talk on the phone more with friends. Because of schedules and location, it’s not always possible to hang out in person, but phones (especially video chatting) can be a great way to connect with someone and be present, even if just for five minutes.

Making ourselves available and mindful is how we can stay in touch and maintain our relationships. We don’t need epic catch ups; rather, I try to think of it this way: If I can’t find a few minutes for someone, what am I doing that’s so important? Why not?

4. Write letters and send cards

Similar to phone calls, sending a note, even a quick note, says a lot. It shows someone you’re thinking of them and that you value them. It’s an intimate act that involves some thought and planning. I’ve found that when I’m especially busy, it’s nice to sit down and write notes, both to pause for myself, but to let someone know that even if I’m not always around, I still care.

5. Check out free museum days by yourself

Museums are my happy place, but even if they aren’t yours, they’re a great place to relax and learn. I enjoy going and finding a place to draw, or spend time with an exhibit. Having alone time is important and reflecting on art is a wonderful way to learn about other cultures - and yourself. It’s easy to view art online and realize, however awesome it is, viewing something in person has no comparison.

6. Meditate for a few minutes each day

Quieting your brain isn’t easy for most people. It’s definitely not for me as someone who has a million thoughts a minute. But I’ve found that meditating even just a few minutes every day makes a huge difference for me with mindfulness, managing anxiety, and just putting everything into perspective. I prefer mornings, but whenever you can fit it in works too. This is a free meditation app you can use to help aid the process.

7. Choose a night each week to do "self-care"

While self-care is a hot topic right now, that often gets too easily capitalized, it is a real thing everyone deserves. We’re all busy and we all need to pause and relax. Personally, I love doing facials, face masks, nails, and baths.

These are just ways I happen to relax; it may not work for you, but finding a way to relax and take care of your body is key to being present and healthy, without relegating to rapid scrolling on your phone that ultimately isn’t emotionally healthy.

8. Choose a new thing to learn about and actually study it - even better, get a friend to join you

Whether or not you take a physical class, enroll in an online course, or research something on your own, dive into something new. Challenge yourself. Life is short, so why not? It’s also a great way to find an activity you can do with a friend or partner that allows you to maintain and nurture the relationship - and yourself.

Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of Sirs & Madams, The Gods Are Dead, Marys of the Sea, Sexting Ghosts, Xenos, No(body), #Survivor, (forthcoming, The Operating System), and is the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault. They received their MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Joanna is the founder of Yes Poetry and the senior managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine. Some of their writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Them, Brooklyn Magazine, BUST, and elsewhere. Joanna also leads workshops at Brooklyn Poets. joannavalente.com / Twitter: @joannasaid / IG: joannacvalente / FB: joannacvalente

#wellness

[femslashy]

x

#i’ve got a week to decide if i’m sending nate back to school or not #currently leaning towards the virtual option #ik he wants to be back at school #but i just don’t know rip #the Popular Onion among the parents in the t1d fb group is to do virtual at first to give the school time to adjust #but also bc it’s less of a hassle to already be virtual when the schools inevitably close again #bc texas sucks and i hate it here lmao #truly a terrible time to be a parent honestly #half joking #sigh #if i can get a plan in place that ensures he still interacts socially with other kids #and a plan to help him learn at home #like be able to focus etc #then i’ll feel better about keeping him home #his endo says he’s not as risk to catch it easier but he is at risk for liks #Complications™ if he does and that’s enough to make me hesitate more #also why don’t i check out that fb group more often it was so helpful #mayhaps social media is not the root of all evil lol #hmm #ALSO the school sent an email with a link to page with all the plans for the school year #only they forgot to MAKE THE DOCS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE #will email if not fixed by tomorrow #why am i ranting here i don’t know #shut up katie 🤪

[actuallyvady]

Cross-posting my long-ass trip post from fb

Finally took the time to write out my thoughts on the concert. They're... mostly coherent. Long, so under the cut.

It's really hard to articulate what this weekend meant to me; my feelings are many and varied and some of them so deep that I'm not sure I can put words to them.

I'll start with the easy ones. Traveling is neat, flying alone is wonderful, and I want to go more places and do more things. Not sure I'm ready to go on a trip all by myself but... I'm definitely not going to go another four years without going anywhere.

We stayed in a house, made meals instead of eating out. I got to sit on the porch and have breakfast and coffee. It was wonderful. And I liked being the early riser-- and getting to share a quiet morning with the other early riser. I am not a super social person, I need quiet time amidst adventures, so it worked out really well for me that some of the group slept later, giving me those early mornings.

I had money to spend on merch and other things. Less than I had planned on-- damn automatic payments and my habit of forgetting them-- but still a reasonable amount. I got all the things I wanted and I don't feel bad about the amount I spent... though if i add up how much the trip cost it's a little sobering. But it was really nice to not feel like I had to *worry* about the cost.

Fabric shopping in the garment district is a wonderful, dangerous thing that I want to do more of but should probably be very careful about budgeting for if (when) I do. It is seriously magical. So many things, so much inspiration.

Now for the things which are harder to articulate...

I want to design and make more things. I've been moving towards enjoying original designs for a while; the reception my Things got this weekend was deeply gratifying, and both that and the fabric shopping left me super hyped to do it more. I'm not sure what that looks like, but... fashion design may become a goal.

The ARMY is a lot. To be honest I didn't really know what to expect; I'm new to this fandom and I don't go to concerts much, but I've heard a lot about the ARMY, both good and bad. But! They were wonderful, in every encounter I had with other fans. So sweet, so giving, so creative, so supportive. So excited to share their love with others. Did the screaming make me very glad for my earplugs? Yes. But mostly I loved their enthusiasm. I loved how many people I saw giving away things they had made or put together, I loved the fans we met who were selling pins, I loved the wide variety of fashion for the concerts, I just... loved all of it.

Kudos to the Rose Bowl for their organization of things all weekend. That could have been a HUGE mess but they were really quite well prepared, and I'm grateful for that. Most every staff member we talked to was cheerful and helpful. Very few seemed annoyed by the whole thing and honestly, I'm impressed and a little bit shocked by that, given, well, ARMY.

The concert... that's the hardest bit to put into words. It was... so much more than seeing a band perform music I like.

Given the chance, I would do exactly this again; seeing the concert from far away the first night I think gave me more context for seeing it the second night. Both nights were amazing, and I'm glad I did both, in the order that I did.

From the club level was surreal. It's a huge stadium but somehow the stage doesn't seem that far away, and watching them (rather than the screens showing close ups) I was struck by the thought that they were real people. Just... seven guys, singing and dancing on a stage I could imagine being on myself. For all that we were super far away there was this strange sense of intimacy, for me.

Also when I turned on my ARMY bomb and it started doing the Thing along with the music videos I was giddy as a child. It's NEAT and I am not ashamed of how cool I found it. There may be footage of this, I'm not sure. But then to see the whole stadium filled with them, to see the light show they created... it's very, VERY cool. It really supports the way the guys talk about how the ARMY is connected to them? As a fan, you are literally part of what makes the show spectacular, and that is so cool on, like, a symbolic level.

Sound check was. Um. I was like ten feet away from them? And they all just looked like they were having so much fun. They really do love their fans and love what they do and it's so wonderful to see that joy shine through. Also Jimin is a cocky little shit? Not complaining, dude just had this smug "I know you think I'm sexy so here, enjoy the view" air the entire time he was near us for soundcheck and honestly I loved it. Not as much as I loved J-Hope's pure, unbridled excitement about everything, but it did amuse me.

The show the second night... I am a lot more emotional about it than I thought I would be. It's a weird combination of intimate and larger than life, surrounded by the screaming fans and the confetti and the music so loud you feel it in your bones but able to see the expressions on their faces. I found myself often watching the ones who weren't being featured at the time- in part because they tended to be toward the front of the forward stage when they were the featured one and we were towards the back of it, but also because it was fun to watch the way they interacted with fans when they had a bit more freedom to do so.

This concert was for us. I mean, that's a given, you perform for the fans, but. It felt like they were there to give us a gift, in thanks for supporting them. Every moment they were on stage they presented to the fans like an offering, not of worship but one made out of gratitude. Here, ARMY. We made this for you. We hope you like it. Please share this experience with us. Join us tonight, have fun with us, cry with us.

At least, that was how it felt to me. IDK.

And they treated the screaming adoration of the fans not as their due but as a treasured gift, something they cherished. They seemed overwhelmed by it-- the fact that Jimin literally broke down and cried night two really hit that point home. It's easy for them to say they are blown away but these guys really, genuinely were. I will never forget Namjoon's face as he tried not to cry at the overwhelming screaming for him the second night.

They were all so very real, even in such an unreal setting. That's what I will remember most: how genuine the whole thing felt. I will remember the dorky faces Tae makes when he dances, the joy radiating from J-Hope all the time, Suga's cute little smile, Jin's tears, even Jimin's smug attitude from soundcheck. I will remember the joy with which they watched the wave and the fact that Namjoon had us use cell phones instead of the ARMY bombs and how happy I was that he'd made it so people who didn't have a light stick got to play too.

I'm not sure having this be my first kpop concert was a great idea-- it's going to be very hard for anything else to live up to this, lol. (Though I do think G-Dragon will surpass it, but I'm a little bit biased.) And the whole thing was made so much better by getting to share it with the wonderful people I was with, both those who traveled with me and those we met there. I think they may be surprised by all of this, actually-- I am not a very demonstrative person when it comes to things that impact me emotionally, lol, and was not in tears or anything at the concert. But.

This trip was magical. There is no other word for it. I'm tired, I need to put money into savings to recover a bit, I managed to get a tiny bit sunburned (how did I miss the top of my nose?) but I wouldn't change a thing. I'm honestly not sure how to go back to work, to slip back into a life where nothing has changed. That's a bit of hyperbole but... it does feel like the world ought to be different, because in some way I am? I'm not sure what that even means but it feels true. I feel like this experience has, in some way, changed me. Maybe I'm simply feeling a renewed sense of hope or purpose or happiness or something. I don't honestly know and I can't point to any one part of this trip and say "this is why I feel this way." But it's a very real, very strong feeling anyway.

Like I said. So much more than seeing a band perform songs I like. And fuck if i know how to explain what it was. But I'm so glad, so grateful. So... I don't even know. But it's wonderful.

#bts was amazing #is what i am trying to say

[singh82nolan-blog]

The particular role of test preparation in getting admission from a highly regarded university abroad

If you are intending to study abroad next you must have come after the various tests engaged in a top admit. SAT coaching in Kolkata be the English proficiency exams such as this IELTS/ TOEFL, as well as the aptitude tests such as GMAT/ GRE/ SAT/ TAKE ACTION, you would have come over a few challenge or often the other such as these tests. Here we will go through the roles that each regarding these exams play inside the admissions process to analyze overseas at a good college. We will look at the most often asked questions we find out about English proficiency plus aptitude tests. Do My partner and i need to take typically the language proficiency assessments? Why don't start at the outset. Typically the short answer to help this issue is Of course, and No! Puzzled? Nicely, if you’re from some sort of predominantly non-English speaking region and you’re applying to be able to a rustic where English is definitely the primary vocabulary, next the university plus the country embassy will want in order to appear from your Everyday terms talents test scores ahead of handing you an entrance offer you as well as a university student visa. This can be done in order to make sure that the dialect of communication doesn’t grow to be a good reason for very poor performance at university. Also, this kind of test serves because some sort of smart way to eradicate students as their main objective is not knowledge. Often the commonly accepted English language skills tests throughout the planet are classified as the International English Vocabulary Evaluation System (IELTS) together with the Evaluation of Uk as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Pearson Check of English or the PTE has likewise developed in popularity from the recent years. If you’re making use of to the university located in The ussr or Indonesia, then you may furthermore need to take a basic skill test throughout A language like german or perhaps Russian vocabulary. Almost all the language proficiency exams are not normally aggressive and tend to simply have the requirement connected with scoring a basic cutoff to prove the essential amount of proficiency. A good score higher than the cut-off does not actually offer a benefit in admissions but may increase often the chances of securing some sort of scholarship or apprenticeship. Different nations have different words talents requirements, so your first interface of call should be to meet up with an education counsellor or perhaps execute a thorough research to be able to find the actual requirements. To study abroad, whenever should I take these types of checks? It's critical that will you take the requisite testsmuch beforeyou desire to apply with regard to your study vacation spot. An individual will need to have got a new very clear career system and be familiar with requirements involving the colleges you would like to attend. Another important feature for you to keep in mind will be the dates that this testing are conducted. For instance , this SAT exam will be carried out just 4 times a year in certain elements of the world. As well, your own scores can point in the direction of a proper group of educational institutions and give you plenty of to prepare for some other features of the app, such as page creating, CV building, essay ideation and preparation, recommendations, in addition to others. Getting done having often the tests early on will allow you to be able to have a hold on most aspects of the application form course of action. What precisely would be the aptitude or admissions try out that I actually need to have? Often the admissions process includes of different tests these kinds of as SAT/ GRE/ GMAT/ ACT/ APs/ LSAT etcetera. The short summary of each and every of the tests is given under: SAT/ ACT – The particular SAT/ BEHAVE is an skills analyze taken by students throughout high school for admissions to help universities in USA, Europe and some different parts of the earth. It primarily tests men and women at English and Maths. SITTING Subject Tests ~ A few colleges in the US ALL call for subjects test found in places such as Physics, Mathematics, Biochemistry, Dialects as well as World Record. GRE : The Scholar Record Test (GRE) or perhaps the GRE is one of the recommended understanding tests for universities providing top engineering and other programs, especially often the ones in the ALL OF US. GMAT – The GMAT can be conducted by typically the GMAC for admissions to help top universities and colleges in often the management programs. A great GMAT score is the place to start of getting a fine MBA admission. How do I prepare for these types of exams? Before you get started preparation you must extensively research on the actual scannings required for your admissions to the dream college or university. Check the deadlines together with estimate the fb timeline with regard to the entire process, not just the test prep period. There are about three well-liked modes of prep: • Self Study – This particular is appropriate if an individual are self-motivated and include the material readily offered. This problem is that you would need to research all the aspects from scratch, together with right now there wouldn’t be anyone to support with your doubts. • Online Prep – On the internet cooking has become famous in recent years due to much better internet velocities. Generally, the particular course requires a particular number of pre-defined several hours and in many situations the course can become self-paced. Lectures are generally good nonetheless individual focus is not current. A good point is that you can find not travel occasion engaged. • Classroom Ready : This is this traditional process regarding prep. Students benefit from face-to-face interaction and in several instances good institutes will definitely provide with least a few level of custom made preparation and doubt dealing with. Just how long will the preparation acquire? Prep normally requires anywhere involving 3-6 a few months but may even go up to a year for every of these examinations. We have taken the required test, what next? Hopefully a person have obtained your own personal desired scores. Now just prepare yourself the rest of your current application. You can speak for you to one of our specialist counsellors at [phone] or perhaps WhatsApp us from [phone] for further more data approach continue.

[aznavide1978-blog]

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[loveleads]

Pressing in to hear the sound of God’s voice in your life

Do you hear God’s voice? Do you know how He speaks to you? I grew up in a “Christian” home. We went to church regularly, we prayed before meals, we did what we knew to be right, my father served as an elder at our church and I went to youth group faithfully. I knew who God was and I was saved at the age of 16 when I attended the Harvest Crusade with Greg Laurie while Crystal Lewis sang the song “come just as you are”. I was a good kid in high school, I attended a Christian college and then worked at my church for the next 10 years. I met and married a Christian guy, we got married in our church and faithfully attended service each week. I was a good, Christian girl.

Fast forward 10 years. We started going to a new church. One that did not fit the mold of what church looked like for me growing up. I grew up with a lot of rules, ways to not disappoint God. I was taught that when you do good, God is pleased and when you do bad, God is disappointed. That along with life, crazy hard complicated life, taught me that if I behave good, then I am good. If I behave bad, then I must be bad. Having to live up to unreachable standards almost wrecked me.

 We started attending this new church, a place where people worshiped freely, sang and danced, prayed in tongues and prayed for and expected healing. It was a church that made me feel uncomfortable. We continued to attend church service each week because Matt was on fire, he was sure this was the place our family needed to be. I respected where he was and I continued to show up, waiting and hoping to feel the same. The more we attended this church, the more out of place I felt. People were hearing God’s voice. Daily. They were getting words from the Lord for themselves and for others. At first, this scared me but I pressed in. I started wondering why the power of the Holy Spirit scared me, why did these things that I knew were from the Lord, scare me? I mean isn’t the bible filled with awe and wonder? Isn’t it filled with prayer and worship? Miracles and healings? Weeks passed and I realized I was yearning for more. I so desperately wanted what the people from that church had. I started boldly asking for God to speak to me.

Weeks past and I got nothing. It broke me. Literally broke me. In August of last year I was struggling. I was asking the Lord to speak directly to me, like He did to so many other people in my life. Yet He was quiet, or so I thought. September 2017 was a breaking point for me. I remember I felt like I was stuck and I needed someone to help me out of the hole I dug myself in. Matt and I would go back and forth with talks about God, about his experience and about mine. He encouraged me to speak to one of our leaders, to ask the hard questions and to seek the counsel I so desperately needed.

 That is when I felt a shift, I sat with my friend and shared with her my battle, I told her where I have been and where I currently was. She spoke words of truth over my life, encouraged and equipped me to press in. I started asking the Lord boldly for Him to speak to me, for Him to be real in my life. I realized that day, the Lord is faithful, He is speaking to me and has been for as long as I could remember.

 Have you ever listened for the Lord’s voice? Growing up, I was taught to pray to the Lord for things, to fix things, to receive things, to help things. I was really good at having a one way conversation with God. After my coffee date with my Pastor and friend, I remember going for a walk where I literally just listened for the Lord’s voice. I got nothing. I prayed for Him to speak to me and heard nothing. Discouraged and disappointed yet I kept pressing in. I have done a lot of talking to the Lord but rarely do I sit and listen to what He has to say.

I love how the Lord doesn’t just give us what we ask for when we ask for it, I love (okay I actually don’t love it but I have come to love what happens after) that He keeps us waiting. If I have learned anything the past two years of my crazy messy life, it is that the good stuff absolutely comes in the waiting. This is the time you are most vulnerable, this is the time you are clinging to Him and His truths. It is in the waiting that He can provide unexplainable peace, a time He builds our character, it is when He molds us to be more of who He created us to be. It is in the waiting that we learn how to preserve, how to fight the good fight, how we learn to “Trust the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

God has shown me much grace this past year. He has absolutely reminded me how truly loved and valued I am in His kingdom and He has given me the gift of hearing His voice. John 10:27 says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me”. I am a feeler, I feel things deeply and I feel things often. The area to which I have always felt most embarrassed by (because really, I cry all the time, I have always been super sensitive and I have always felt super embarrassed by my emotions) is the very thing God uses to speak to me. Daily. When I started paying attention to my feelings, when I started praying about the things that broke my heart, that is when I heard the Lord speak to me. It comes fast, words just start flowing. Almost always in my head and I have learned that when it happens, to grab my phone and write it down. Some of my posts on FB have been just that, words that just flowed out of my mouth, right out of my heart.

I remember when we first started attending our church. I was literally praying weekly that the Lord would speak to my heart in a very obvious way. Matt had received prophetic words multiple times by multiple different people. It took me 17 months for that prayer to be answered. This past Sunday, our pastor spoke on hearing God’s voice. He said everything that has been in my heart this past year. He described my exact journey to finding God’s voice and it was a beautiful thing. And then after service he spoke over my life in such a powerful and obvious way. It was the Lord speaking right to my heart, it was everything I have been asking for and needing. It was beautiful, everything I hoped it would be. Had I gotten that message a year ago, I might not have been ready. God needed to work on my heart some before this message was delivered to me but once it was, it was powerful. It was in that year long wait that I was refined, transformed and made new because of a desire to know God more.

This past Sunday, God gave me permission to speak. He gave me permission to feel. He gave me permission to check myself every time I get a nudge, what could God be saying to me in this moment? He confirmed that it was Him speaking to me all these years and it was Him promising me He will continue to speak to me, even when I doubt, even when I fear. 

Oh and I have to tell you the best part of this story…. Remember when I said I was waiting, waiting for the Lord to speak to me, desperately seeking Him? Yeah well we started attending this church during a very difficult season of my life. Ella was having some serious testing done. I was at the very bottom, feeling alone and scared. This church wrapped their loving arms around our family. Ella had an MRI done (which about wrecked me) and we were waiting on blood test results. People from this church would come up to me, people I didn’t even know, and ask how Ella was doing, they told me they were praying for her all week. And you guys, they were! They absolutely meant that they spent time that week going after Ella’s healing on our behalf. That Sunday, the pastor asked if we could come up on stage, that they wanted to lay hands on Ella and pray for that the results we were waiting on would come back normal (and guess what? They did! But that is a story for another day). Now I carry around some past hurt, some moments that I personally watched people struggle and I stood by as the church quietly turned their heads away from the heartbreak. Something I am learning to extend grace to now, but this moment, yeah this moment touched my heart in a way nothing else could. My family’s struggle was known, it was seen, it was understood. This was the Lord speaking to me, this was the moment I was waiting for although I couldn’t understand it at the time, this was God speaking to my heart. I look back to this moment and realize that the Lord was saying to me: “Beloved, I am in this, I am here with you, I am creating an army, a powerful army, to surround you and you will see miracles happen because of this moment.”  

I came home from church on Sunday and felt a mixture of emotions. I was thankful, I felt like God affirmed in me that He actually sees me, I felt truly known by Him. But if I am honest, I also felt a little fear and maybe a little doubt. I tried to fight them but it was hard so instead of trying to make sense of my fear, I took it to the Lord. I have learned that speaking out my mess is way better then holding it in. Matt and I have developed such a deep relationship because of the vulnerable things we can share with one another nowadays. When we share our mess with someone, it becomes less messy. We take away the mess’s power to control our mind and our hearts. I prayed that the Lord would help me, take away all uncertainties and fill me with what He has for me. And this is when I heard God say to me: “You hear me, I know you do but then you allow my voice to be quieted. You allow insecurities and doubt to fill your mind. You tell yourself all the things you aren’t when I am quietly telling you all the things you are. You are my beloved child. You are worth fighting for so I will continue to pursue you, I will continue fight for you.” And friends, He says the same thing about you. I am 100% sure if this messy, broken, selfish girl has the Lord speaking to her, the Lord is also speaking to you.

God, you are so good. I am so thankful and grateful that I have decided to press in, not to give up, not to run from you and your promises. I am so happy to know that you do and have always spoken to my heart, I just needed to learn how to hear you. Doubt and insecurities fill my mind but you are bigger than those things, if I press in to you, I will no doubt become less of those two things. Do you want to hear the Lord’s voice in your life? Press in. And then press in a little harder for a little longer. He is there and He is more than ready to speak to your heart.

#hearinggodsvoice

[teacherintransition]

The Facebook Dilemma

... not just for the transitioning teacher, but for all of us...

...like most well intentioned possibilities on the internet, it can take a wrong turn.

In 2009, I was 43 and was intrigued by this new “product...service” you could find online called Facebook. There was a lot of buzz about it among friends I knew and my interest was piqued. For a Gen X’er, I had stayed more than just current on computer and internet advancements as I had written a curriculum and taught a course on “How to do Academic Research using the Internet.” A couple of college campuses had approached our school with a dilemma: many high graduates weren’t able to transfer what they knew about hard copy, old school, going through the stacks research to using online resources. I’d taught the class since 2003 and had already been exposed to the burgeoning world of “social media” from my students. Six Degrees, Are You (Hot of Not), Friendster, Xanga, MySpace and several others and all to a 40 something... they seemed too cheesy, too much for the teens and not comfortable for my generation. Then in 2009, I came across this new site called Facebook, silly me... it had loaded its platform and had been online since 2004. It seemed a bit more toned down than the others and I’d discovered that some of my high school classmates were already using it. “What the hell,” let’s give it a shot and I set up my Facebook account ... it seemed harmless.

At first, FB was a blast, I reconnected with friends I hadn’t seen in years, the groups on music and Art were addictive, there were fun games to play... it was an honest online, social media blast and it was user friendly, checking it became part of the daily routine. Like the ancient adage goes, “nothing good can last forever.” Soon, politics, biased news, divisive debate, spying, cheeky algorithms turned what had been a fun pastime into another area for the uniquely American “culture wars.” The same reconnected friendships became casualties on the battlefield, “gotcha” videos were everywhere, Fact-checking was a needed weapon... and it just wasn’t fun. Wishing Happy Birthday or sending sympathy for losses became a cold, mechanical process void of genuine feeling. A friend of ours had said while we were all having dinner that our generation was going to be the experiment subject for this. Generation X was the last one that grew up without wide spread computer usage or without the internet, but had adapted to it much, much better than Boomers. Millennials got exposed to internet and cell phones at the beginning of their teen years and the new guys, “Gen Z” are born with an IP address and a cellular plan. To all too many people I know, social media is more designed to develop angina than friendships.

Social media and a retiring “teacher in transition,” how does it fit during the daily routine of retirement? Well, like most things it’s as varied as the individual in question. My friend who astutely remarked that we were the experiment subjects of this trend had no doubt arrived at a conclusion for those of us who grew up tech free but quickly adopted for work and leisure... I know I have. Using Occam’s Razor in scientific evaluation, I’ve come to the conclusion that life, in general, was better without the pervasive use of technology in our lives. Life lacks a genuine quality and sense of independence during this age of internet everything. I’d rather call a person and wish them happy birthday that use an app; I’d rather spend my time just thinking to myself than have my thinking provided to me via algorithms, I’d rather be more self reliant than have to rely on Siri or Alexa telling when to turn left. C’est la vie... it is what it is, but I am able to put all of this to work for me in specialized ways since I’ve retired. Being able to easily share and post my writing allows me access to an audience that wouldn’t have existed before. These media platforms also grant me a web venue to share and market my Art to a vast online audience which would have been impossible to achieve in previous eras. The internet age also provides a magnificent way to satisfy my travel urges between trips, by being able to virtually visits cities and countries I long to visit and revisit in the interim. We human beings tend to jump into trends whole hog and then after the fact revisit the wise advice of “everything in moderation.” True, true, truer words were ne’er spoken. All this being said, O’ wise teacher in transition, how doth we interact with yon social media upon retirement?

As stated early in this column, this would be the ramblings of a mid fifty retiree finding his way through the challenges of adapting to a new way of living. Some of my “pearls of wisdom” some might find helpful; others, not so much. These observations are mine and not mandatory. I do hope some might find these helpful. Sigh... in regards to Facebook or internet usage in general for the newly retired, I’d suggest limiting it to the smallest degree possible. I envision legions of readers hearing my declaration standing up and crying, “huzzah, huzzah, huzzah” followed by cellphones and iPads being cast in to raging flames followed by the chanting of my name! Ahh, the blessings of a vivid imagination. I suggest this for several reasons, mind you I didn’t suggest total withdrawal, but a moderate to strong decrease in usage. One of the criticisms of Gen Z is their sedentary lifestyle while focusing on texting, gaming, trolling etc etc .... in other words, these young people spend so much time on line they are getting overweight instead of getting out and active IRL ( hipster, techie acronym for In Real Life). If it not a good idea for kids from the ages of 10-25 to sit on their asses all day, it certainly isn’t a good idea for those of us experiencing a mature quality of life (you like that huh? sounds a whole lot better than saying “getting old”). While being online... time can get lost ... and a day waisted and a waistline enlarged. Might I suggest limiting yourself to a few specific times where you check your email, peruse social media, play games ... what have you. I’ve remarked often that a structured day during retirement is a great way to chase your dreams and goals. That doesn’t usually happen sitting on a padded desk chair all day staring at a screen.

I strongly advise that you carefully research the most reliable news organizations based on accuracy and lack of bias and review them periodically during the day. The 24 hour news cycle, breaking reports, obscene bias in news reporting has become a scourge to all areas of society for the last twenty years. It has divided our nation to an unhealthy point amongst all demographics in our country. Inappropriate visuals, doctored photos, deep fake videos and out right deception can really shake up a peaceful mindset. I’m not suggesting abandoning online news at all, but be more discriminating of the sources that don’t sensationalize stories. You’re at a point in life to relax and enjoy peace of mind... make sure you do. Fill your time with what’s in front of you IRL .... not on a screen. Whether we are fifteen to 50 to 80, our time in this world is limited, don’t obsess over things you can’t control; “joie de vie” “la dolce vita” not doom and gloom.

In my mind, try to limit your online time to interests and hobbies that are personally yours. Give your time online a purpose: are you learning the guitar?...then pick some sites that develop that interest. While on Facebook limit your group memberships to interests that enrich you as a person with diverse pursuits. Goof off time is essential to having a peaceful retirement.... but to maintain an active lifestyle, make certain that most of your time has a purpose. No ... not like “working” but determined by the passions of your heart. While there are many ill advised sites on the internet, it was originally intended to enrich us and extend our knowledge. Do it!

“If there is nothing good about Facebook or social media, why do you still use it ...huh?” I’m not implying that it is totally without merit. AsI hoped I tried to state, moderation, the most un American of words is essential to anything we do. I’ll draw this examination to a close by sharing what I think is the most valuable aspect that I derive from Facebook: photographs and the memories option. The daily memories page offered is something I look forward to every morning. It’s is a personal journey through what was on my mind and of interest to me over the years. It takes me back to a moment in time to what I was thinking, feeling and gives me a chance to see how my life has changed over the years. You are afforded the opportunity to see if you’ve grown as a person and what events had enough of an impact for you to post it. It can make joys and sorrows live again momentarily and appreciate the life you have lived. Just remember... living online is not really living. Use these amazing advancements to enhance your life .... not be the direction of it. Just some random thoughts from a teacher in transition.

http://labibliotecacoffee.com/

Facebook Photo; https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7761-facebook-business-guide.html; 2021

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