#including the question “what college was the experiment conducted on”

[opossumpitcher]

crazy that for once in my life I'm excited to learn new things and these college classes are literally failing at teaching me anything

#TO BE FAIR...✋🏾theyre freshman courses #but i graduated hs four years ago and this stuff is still mad easy #i wanna be challenged #i was hoping my psych class would be interested but i took basically this class in hs as well so nothing is new #and then my envi sci prof is full of himself (and co-authored the course's textbook) #half of the test questions where about his phd dissertation or whatever #including the question “what college was the experiment conducted on” #like cmon dude wtf does that have to do with science #anyways i just have no one else to rant about this stuff to

[poisonousquinzel]

As we've entered into the 2024 election year, I Beg you all that feel disappointment and rage at the disgraceful excuses for politicians we have in the US rn to look into the campaign of the two women shown in this video.

Claudia de la Cruz and Karina Garcia are running for President and VP in 2024. Here's their campaign video, as I can only include 1 vid per post. And here is their website.

I implore everyone who has the ability to vote in the November US election to read up on them.

Claudia De la Cruz (Presidential Candidate) is a mother, popular educator, community organizer and theologian. Being at the nexus of many different projects, organizations and social movements, Claudia connects different groups of people to link and merge struggles together in the overarching fight for justice. Born in the South Bronx to immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, she was nourished by the Black and Caribbean working class communities of the Bronx and Washington Heights in the 1980s and 90s. At an early age, she was already questioning the conditions of poverty, violence, and oppression in her neighborhood, and what she saw and experienced served as her first entry point to understanding working class consciousness. When she was 13, Claudia began her political organizing work at her home church—Iglesia Episcopal Santa Maria (later the Iglesia San Romero de Las Américas–UCC), grounding her work on principles of liberation theology. She actively participated in campaigns to free political prisoners; to get the U.S. Navy out of Vieques, Puerto Rico; to end the U.S. blockade against Cuba; for the freedom of Palestine; against police terror—to name a few. In high school, she became a peer educator, conducting workshops on reproductive health and safe sex at community hubs and progressive churches, particularly for youth in the Bronx. It was through this work and her experiences as a working class Black Caribbean young woman that she understood there was only one solution to our collective problems: to fight for a better future, a socialist future

-

Karina Garcia (VP Candidate) is a Chicana organizer and popular educator who has been fighting for a better world since she was 17 years old as a high school student in California. From El Barrio in New York City to the border areas of Texas, she has helped lead campaigns against landlord abuses, wage theft, and police brutality, as well as fights for reproductive justice, immigrants rights and student financial aid reform. She is a founder of the Justice Center en El Barrio in New York City and is a member of the Central Committee of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

Karina’s father migrated to the U.S. from Mexico when he was just 16 years old, and the will of working-class immigrants like him to survive and thrive inspired her to take on life with determination. This served her well when Karina received a full scholarship to study at Columbia University. She moved across the country by herself, knowing that she had to seize upon every opportunity to give back—a single year of tuition was the equivalent of her family's entire household income. As soon as she arrived, she joined every conceivable progressive organization on campus. She led struggles to expand financial aid for low-income students, for immigrant and worker rights, and to speak out against the Iraq war. In 2006, her activism received national attention when she led a campaign to confront and shut down the anti-immigrant fascist militia, the Minuteman Project. When Karina took a semester off to do a speaking tour in California, she met with high school and college students to keep building the movement for immigrant rights. That same year, she joined the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Graduating with a degree in Economics, Karina went on to become a New York City high school math teacher. After school, she advised a student group that protested against budget cuts, the Iraq war, police brutality and anti-immigrant laws. In 2012, she moved into a national organizing position for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice where she worked for nearly a decade training immigrant women and working-class Latina activists in New York, Texas, Virginia and Florida.

[Taken from the About The Candidates section on their website.]

Understand that despite the mainstream medias desperate attempts to make us believe that our choices are really just Biden and Trump that that is not true.

We have other options.

We have better options.

#not dc #karina garcia #claudia de la cruz #election 2024 #palestine #free palestine

[beardedmrbean]

PHILADELPHIA – In the City of Brotherly Love, Gemma Levy sometimes doesn’t feel safe.

Levy decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania partly because of its long history of tolerance toward Jewish students like her. But with recent events – pro-Palestinian protests, antisemitic chants, university President Liz Magill’s perplexing remarks about genocide and her subsequent resignation – the campus hasn’t seemed all that tolerant.

“I’ve felt super unsafe at times,” Levy, a freshman cognitive science major from Brooklyn, said while hurrying to class along the tree-lined Locust Walk in the oldest part of the campus. “It’s a weird experience to feel that way.”

It’s an unsettling experience for the city, too.

Philadelphia, known as the birthplace of the United States, is where the Founding Fathers met and debated the future of the new country. Founded on the principles of religious freedom, it’s home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the country.

The University of Pennsylvania, founded primarily by Benjamin Franklin and now regarded as one of the nation’s premier schools of higher learning, kept its doors open to Jewish students when Harvard and other Ivy League colleges implemented quotas and other measures to limit their enrollment or keep them out altogether.

Today, though, Philadelphia and the university are at the epicenter of the clash over free speech and antisemitism, the Israel-Hamas war and the right to feel safe and secure.

How did that happen? In Philadelphia of all places?

“We’re a microcosm of society,” said Michael Balaban, president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

Antisemitism is a virus that mutates over time and is easily spread through the prevalence of social media, Balaban said.

“We see it online in vicious ways every single second of the day,” he said.

'Vile, antisemitic messages'

Antisemitism in Philadelphia has turned up online, on campus and in the streets.

In November, the university responded to what it described as “vile, antisemitic messages” threatening violence against the Jewish community. Antisemitic emails were sent to a number of staffers, and antisemitic language was projected onto several campus buildings. The school said it planned to increase security across the campus, including at Penn Hillel, a Jewish student organization.

A month later, an off-campus protest by pro-Palestinian demonstrators was widely condemned for targeting the Jewish-owned falafel restaurant Goldie. Video posted on social media showed a large crowd gathered outside the restaurant, chanting: “Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the restaurant was singled out because its owner, Philadelphia-based Israeli chef Michael Solomonov, had raised over $100,000 for an Israeli nonprofit that provided emergency relief services to Israeli Defense Forces soldiers after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Regardless, the White House, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and others condemned the protesters’ actions, calling them antisemitic and reminiscent of a dark time in history.

Then came Magill’s downfall.

Magill and the presidents of two other elite universities – Claudine Gay of Harvard and Sally Kornbluth of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – already had been under scrutiny over how their institutions had responded to a rise in antisemitism on their campuses when they agreed to testify last week before a GOP-led House congressional panel.

Lawmakers lobbed a series of tough questions at the three college leaders, who hedged when Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., asked whether calls for the genocide of Jews violated their schools’ code of conduct against bullying and harassment.

Appearing to sense a trap, Magill and the other two presidents gave carefully worded responses that sounded scripted and lawyerly but failed to directly answer the question. In one exchange, Magill called those decisions “context-dependent” but conceded that calls for genocide could be considered harassment “if the speech turns into conduct.”

The backlash was fast and brutal. To some, the presidents’ responses raised questions about whether the schools would adequately protect Jewish students. The White House condemned their answers, donors threatened to withhold millions of dollars, and the House committee announced an investigation into the universities' policies and disciplinary procedures.

Magill tried to walk back her comments, but the damage was done. She resigned last Saturday but will remain at the university as a tenured law professor. Scott Bok, chairman of the university’s board of trustees, also stepped down.

Julie Platt, the trustees’ interim chair, declined requests for an interview but said in a statement after Magill’s resignation that a leadership change at the university was “necessary and appropriate.”

While Penn has made strides in addressing the rise of antisemitism on campus, “we have not made all of the progress that we should have and intend to accomplish,” she said.

Magill, who had been president for just a little over a year, was already on shaky ground even before her testimony. She had come under fire in September over a Palestinian Writers’ Festival that was held at the university and drew criticism for including speakers who have been accused of antisemitism. Magill and others had raised concerns about the program but did not stop it, citing support for “the free exchange of ideas” – even those that are controversial and “incompatible with our institutional values.”

Last week, a pair of Jewish students sued the university, claiming it has become a lab for "virulent anti-Jewish hatred, harassment and discrimination."

Author Jerome Karabel, who has written about the history of exclusion at Ivy League schools, said it is ironic that Penn is facing charges that it hasn’t done enough to quell antisemitism on campus. At some point, all of the other Ivy League schools tried to limit Jewish enrollment. Penn never had any such limitations, he said.

“You could argue that Penn, historically, has been the friendliest of the Ivy League schools for Jewish students,” Karabel said.

'An inclusive and welcoming community for all students'

On campus, there were few outward signs of turmoil this week. With final exams under way, students hurried to class on a cold, blustery late-fall morning. Stickers and fliers supporting the Palestinian people and urging a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war were posted on billboards and along walkways and pedestrian bridges.

At Houston Hall, which the university says is the oldest student union in the country, a small group of students has been staging a sit-in since mid-November to show support for the Palestinians. Early one afternoon this week, protesters nestled in big chairs and slept under sheets on cushions. Others painted posters and fliers listing their demands: A cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The protection of freedom of speech on campus. “Critical thought” on the subject of Palestine. A place for Palestinian studies.

“Nobody here is calling for the genocide of Jews,” insisted Clancy Murray, who is working on a Ph.D. in political science.

Murray said several Jewish students have joined the sit-in but acknowledged that some feel unsafe in the current environment. Some Palestinian students on campus aren’t comfortable being visible either, Murray said, because of threats and the possibility of doxing, harassment and even violence and hate crimes.

As for Magill’s departure, Murray said it’s concerning “that she was driven out” and that “there are a handful of donors who are empowered to dictate what is and what is not acceptable speech on campus.”

David Donovan, who was on his way to his daughter’s graduation from Penn’s nursing school, said emotions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war are charging tensions on campus like never before.

“We are more sensitive to the feelings of other people, and that’s a net positive, I believe,” said Donovan, a history teacher from Morristown, N.J.

When it comes to deciding what constitutes free speech vs. hate speech, Donovan said, “we still have to be very apprehensive and think very carefully that our positions are backed by reason.”

“We need to err on the side of free speech,” Donovan added, acknowledging, “That’s an easy thing for me to believe as a straight, white man.”

The community at large is also grappling with issues of free speech. Some Jewish families are rethinking outward expressions of Judaism, Balaban said.

At his home in the Wynnewood suburb, Balaban flies both the Israeli and American flags in the front of his house and displays a menorah in the window. Before, “that would never have been a question in my mind to do it or not to do it,” he said. But with everything that has happened, “in my household, the question was, ‘Are we OK doing this?’” he said.

“Of course, the answer is, yes, we're going to,” Balaban said. “But did we worry that someone may do something? The answer is yes. I think we will always display an Israeli flag with pride. We will always display symbols of our Judaism. But there was a pause of what does that mean.”

'We will come through this difficult moment'

So what's next? How do the community and the university heal after the trauma of the past few months?

"This is a strong community built on a sturdy foundation.  We will come through this difficult moment," the university promised in an email message to students this week.

The university pledged to redouble its commitment to ensuring that Penn is a place where “intellectual growth is cultivated” and students are “supported as a person.”

“Initiatives recently launched to address bigotry and hatred on our campus will continue, and this will be an inclusive and welcoming community for all students,” the message said.

Levy urged school administrators to be more proactive and less reactive.

“I hope,” she said, “instead of being on the defensive and apologizing after things happen, they’ll take steps to actually stop these incidents in the first place.”

#nunyas news

[password-door-lock]

Maybe

The (reader insert) mysme linguistics department AU that's been bouncing around in my head for months now; 3k words Rating: General Audiences

“Is there something wrong with that sentence?” Saeran asks, frantically scribbling in his notebook as he speaks. “It’s okay if you have the context, I guess,” you decide, “But without context, it just sounds weird to me.” “And what kind of context do you need?” Saeran seems to be a lot more direct with his questions than his brother has been, and he’s offering none of the same assurances about your general performance as a language consultant. Or: You agree to an interview about your native language. It's not at all what you expected.

This is literally just my niche daydream scenario of choice made as accessible as I could to those who aren't linguistics majors! The basic concept is that the twins are interviewing you about your native language for their research. I did include some English-specific stuff but I still tried to leave it fairly vague as far as what MC's native language is to make it slightly more immersive for as many people as possible. If anyone is interested I can definitely write more in this universe, possibly with some romance!

Read it on Ao3!

To be honest, you're a bit nervous about your upcoming interview. After all, you've never been interviewed for anything before— you were shocked that you even got a call back from the research team doing a study of your native language. You'd only applied for their study out of curiosity— how does one study a language via interview, anyway? After consulting with a few of your friends, you arrived at the conclusion that the researchers must want you to teach the language to them. That should be easy, right? You've been speaking it your whole life, and although Korean isn't your first language, clearly you've been able to learn it well enough to communicate your way through college and into a job here. How hard could it really be to mediate between the two?

Very hard, apparently. You're not sure how much you're supposed to have prepared, but you are coming into this interview with quite a bit of experience failing to explain basic concepts in your native language to a few of your friends. Hopefully, the researchers will know what they're doing— well, of course they will. Who are you kidding? They got approved to conduct a study, after all. That must mean that they have some sort of plan to go on, and you doubt that they would have selected you as a consultant if they didn't think you'd be able to help them. Nevertheless, you nervously adjust your button-down for the fifth time since getting off the train before opening the door to the room where the interview will be conducted.

You are greeted immediately by someone with the reddest hair you've ever seen. “MC, right?” He addresses you in your native tongue, and you blush, not having expected him to know anything right off the bat. If he's already conversational, what does he need you for? Maybe you’re supposed to help him teach somebody else.

“Hi,” you manage. “Yes. Hello.”

“Don't be shy,” he beckons for you to follow him into the room and leads you over to a table where another researcher— also with red hair— is waiting. The first guy is wearing yellow-and-black striped glasses with a matching yellow-and-black hoodie; the second sports a charcoal grey sweater over a pale blue dress shirt. You're not sure how you're going to tell them apart if you come back for a second interview— they've got to be identical twins. Although, you probably won't be coming back for a second interview, if they already speak the language you're supposed to be teaching them. Not that you have any clue how this works— maybe they need help developing language-instruction curriculum, or something along those lines. “I'm Saeyoung,” the one with the glasses pulls your chair back for you, “And this is Saeran. He'll be taking notes, if that's okay?”

“It's fine,” you assure them both. “Good to meet you.” 

“You mentioned on the form that you were okay with recording,” Saeran deadpans. He sounds like he's reciting from a mental script— you suppose there must be at least a few questions that they need to ask for legal reasons. “Is that still true?”

“Yes, of course,” you fidget nervously. He's certainly very intense, and this is not turning out to be what you expected at all. “Um... the form didn't explain what you would be doing?” 

“That's because our faculty advisor doesn't know,” Saeyoung grins, which instantly sets you more at ease. He seems like the type of person you could be friends with, in a non-interview setting, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s quite pretty. “And he made the fliers. All we want to do is ask you some questions about how you say things— and we might also check to see if our ideas about how we might say things are correct. Anything we ask you, just answer honestly. We’re looking for native speaker intuitions here, okay? But that’s just about everything we need from you.”

“Really? And will that help you learn?” You're still confused about how this works. Surely there are professional language teachers they can consult? They work at a university, after all.

“It may not help us with speaking, but it will absolutely help us with our research,” Saeyoung explains. “I wish I could tell you what I'm studying, but if I did, it might make you start to doubt your judgments. Just relax, and tell us whatever comes to your mind naturally. We'll take it from there.”

“Okay,” you nod. “Although, you already speak very well.”

“I've had a lot of practice,” Saeyoung assures you, “But you're a native speaker. You have intuitions that I'll never be able to access on my own.” 

Saeran snorts, but says nothing, and you can't help but agree with him— his twin is a bit intense, too, now that you think about it. “I mean, if you think it'll be helpful…” You trail off, unsure of how to go about this, but grateful that you don’t actually have to teach your native language to the researchers. Of course, knowing that much doesn’t help you to understand what kind of information they’re actually seeking, but Saeyoung and Saeran both seem to know what they’re doing.

“You'll do great,” Saeyoung assures you, “And even if you do a terrible job, you'll still get the cash prize at the end.”

You look to Saeran for clarification. He doesn’t seem like the type to mince words. “Compensation,” is his only explanation. “As noted on the form.”

“Oh, right.” You weren't even thinking about the compensation when you signed up, but the amount they’re offering will certainly go a long way if you attend multiple sessions.

“Alright,” Saeyoung grins. “Let's get started. I have a picture that I want you to describe, if that's okay.”

He slides a sheet of paper across the table to you. Someone has printed the Longcat meme onto it, and in full color, too. “Oh, it's Longcat,” you note.

“See ? People know Longcat,” Saeyoung addresses his brother in Korean. Based on his tone, you get the feeling that there was some heated debate involved in the image selection process. “I told you they would.”

“One person knows Longcat,” Saeran corrects him, “The last five didn't.”

You can't help but smile. “Am I really the only one?”

Saeyoung shakes his head mournfully. “People are so uncultured these days. It's a tragedy.”

Saeran rolls his eyes, before redirecting his attention to you. “How would you say ‘People know Longcat?'“

You get the feeling that he's asking you about your native language, since he already clearly knows how to say it in Korean. “Um...” you consider it, before offering a rough translation. Saeran seems to like it, as he begins vigorously scribbling on a notepad in front of him. “That's how you would, like... express the same idea? But did you mean word-for-word?”

“Never give us a word-for-word translation,” Saeran mumbles, shaking his head.

“He's just being dramatic,” Saeyoung assures you, “But please try to be as authentic as you can. If something is awkward to say or not how you would express whatever idea, just let us know, alright? We won't be mad. Now, would you mind pronouncing 'Longcat' again?”

Saeran rolls his eyes, but doesn’t interrupt as you repeat the word again. He has notes about that, too, which strikes you as odd— you wonder what he could possibly be writing to differentiate your version of 'Longcat' from his own. “Was that good?”

Saeyoung laughs. “If you're saying it naturally, then of course it's good.”

You blush. “Sorry. I'm just a little bit nervous... I've never done this before. I don’t want to mess up your research.” 

“Don't worry,” Saeyoung pats the Longcat picture as if it were a real cat, which, to his credit, gets a laugh out of you. “Just say whatever comes to mind about this picture. It'll help us, I promise.”

“Oh.” You look at the picture for a moment, not sure what you're supposed to say. “Well, it's Longcat, which is... like, a cat that is long?”

“What am I supposed to put for the free translation?” Saeran hisses in Korean.

Saeyoung shoots him a look that says 'shut up' in every language before turning back to you. “Don't mind him. Keep going.”

Considering you don't even know what a free translation is, Saeran’s comment isn’t hard to ignore. “Um, well, there's someone... holding the cat. Maybe that's to make it longer?”

Saeyoung nods, while Saeran continues taking frantic notes. You don't see how what you're saying is that interesting, but if it makes them happy, then you're glad to contribute— even if you are a bit confused. ”Sorry, and how would you say 'maybe they're holding the cat to make it longer?'“ It's giving you a headache to switch back and forth between languages so much, especially since you typically use only one at a time.

You translate his expression to your native language as best you can— the word order is different, of course, and you're not sure if Saeyoung wants you to phrase it as a question or as a statement. The most ‘correct’ way would probably be a statement, but you settle for translating the question to a question. That seems more accurate, even if it’s less grammatical. “But I don't know if that sentence is... like, correct .” Suddenly, you're very worried that you'll be teaching the twins how to speak incorrectly. Then, an even scarier idea pops into your mind: since they're both already so advanced, they might be judging you, and—

Saeyoung laughs. “Of course it's correct.” He waves you off. “You're a native speaker.”

Your eyes widen. “I say things wrong all the time. Like, I say ‘like’—”

“A discourse marker,” Saeran mumbles, talking more to his notes than to you. It doesn't sound like a bad thing, but you're not quite sure.

Saeyoung shakes his head. “And I say ‘well.’ There's literally no difference.”

“Yes, there i—” You start to correct him, before you remember that he's an expert, and also paying you. Maybe it would be best for you to refrain from correcting him on any point— but, then again, he explicitly asked you to correct him if necessary. This linguistics thing seems very complicated. “Never mind.” 

“It's just part of the language.” Saeran shrugs. You get the feeling that if he's on board with ‘like,’ then it's probably fine, considering how grumpy he seems about everything else. 

“Exactly,” Saeyoung agrees, “We want to know as much as we can about how you actually speak, MC.”

The way he says it makes you blush. You know very well that the twins are really only interested in your speech for how it will help them with their research— but, still, they’re both such intense and passionate people, and to have all of that attention trained on you… well, you can’t really beat yourself up about the heat that’s rising to your cheeks, can you? And, anyway, you’re here to help them with their research, not to beat yourself up— you’d better start participating properly. You examine the Longcat photo once again. “Do you want me to just keep describing it?” 

“If you want,” Saeyoung replies, “Otherwise, I have other ways of extracting information.” He wiggles his fingers menacingly, earning a giggle from you and a light shove from Saeran. It doesn’t look like it hurt very much, but Saeyoung rubs his side where his brother’s elbow made contact. “Okay, I get it! Hey, MC— how would you say, ‘Maybe he pushed me to make me shut up?’” 

You glance hesitantly in Saeran’s direction, and he raises his eyebrows in a gesture of invitation that you might classify as playful, considering his typical affect. “It’s a good question,” he concedes with a slight smirk. 

Oh. Alright then. Nothing to see here— just two beautiful twins interrogating you about your native language, as if you could be expected to throw together any combination of words while they’re both looking at you so expectantly. You offer a vague translation. “At least, that’s how I would say it. I know there’s other ways.” You then list a few alternative expressions which have the same general meaning. 

“Okay,” Saeyoung glances at his laptop, which, presumably, contains notes for how he wants to conduct the remainder of this session. “What if I knew for a fact that he pushed me to make me shut up?” 

You consider this. “Um… I guess it would be like, ‘He pushed me to make me shut up.’ But now that I think about it, Saeran didn’t really, uh, push you. He elbowed you, so ‘He elbowed me to make me shut up,’ would be better.”

“Okay,” Saeyoung says again, “So, then, do you think ‘Maybe he elbowed me to make me shut up,’ would be better, too?” 

“Yeah, but ‘pushed’ is still okay,” you explain, though you’re sure he already knows that it’s a permissible word. “I just think it’s wrong in context.”  

Saeran regards you with brilliant green eyes. “Back to the cat,” he taps on the photo with the clicker at the end of his pen, “Could I say, ‘They’re holding it to make the cat longer?’” 

You wince. “Uh… I don’t know.” You really do have to think about it for a moment— surprisingly, it’s not easy to determine right away whether a sentence is appropriate. In all honesty, something about it feels off, but you don’t know how to explain what the problem is. “I think so.” 

“Is there something wrong with that sentence?” Saeran asks, frantically scribbling in his notebook as he speaks. 

“It’s okay if you have the context, I guess,” you decide, “But without context, it just sounds weird to me.” 

“And what kind of context do you need?” Saeran seems to be a lot more direct with his questions than his brother has been, and he’s offering none of the same assurances about your general performance as a language consultant. 

You bite your lip as you consider the inquiry. “I think just the picture of the cat would be enough? But even that is a little weird. I think ‘They’re holding the cat to make it longer’ would be better. Did I say it the other way around before?” 

“What if I said, ‘Maybe they’re holding it to make the cat longer?’” Saeran asks, neither relenting nor answering your question. 

“I don’t know,” you admit, “That does sound a lot better for some reason, but I still don’t like it.” 

“Hm.” You’re not sure if that’s a positive sound, and Saeran seems too occupied with his notes to elaborate further. 

“That’s alright,” Saeyoung assures you, redirecting your attention back to the picture. He’s standing beside you now, so that he can reach over and point at the image without having to lean across the table. “Why don’t you just tell us more about what you think is going on in this picture?” 

“Do you want more ‘maybe’ sentences?” You ask. There seems to be a trend forming here, and you want to be as helpful as you can.

Saeyoung grins. “You’re a sharp one,” he observes. “Yes, we want more ‘maybe’ sentences, please.” 

You chew thoughtfully on your bottom lip as you consider this new request. “Well,” you study the picture in front of you, paying special attention to the wrist of the person holding onto Longcat, “Maybe that watch is a Rolex?” 

That gets both twins smiling. Maybe this language consultant gig won’t be so difficult after all. 

The hour dedicated to your interview goes by surprisingly quickly; it feels as though it’s over before it’s even begun. The twins seem very interested in your guesses and conjectures about the Longcat photo, though you still have no idea what they could possibly be planning to use this data for. “Is there anything else you need from me?” You ask, just after the timer goes off. Saeran, it seems, anticipated that he and Saeyoung would get too wrapped up in the interviewing process to end it promptly without the aid of an alarm— you can respect that, you decide. You were pretty wrapped up, too.

“No,” Saeran assures you with something almost like a smile.

You might be persuaded, were it not for Saeyoung's simultaneous declaration of, “Oh, yeah, but we can save that for the next session.”

“If you want me to stay, I can stay,” you offer, “I've been having fun with this ‘maybe’ business.” You don’t know any of the technical terms, but you get the feeling that the twins are approaching some sort of breakthrough. Even Saeran was fairly animated during the final segment of the elicitation. 

“We have to meet with our faculty advisor,” Saeran explains, perhaps a bit regretfully. “But you can come back next Wednesday, if you'd like.”

“We can also do phone or video interviews,” Saeyoung elaborates. Sometime during the interview, he took to sitting on the table beside you, which you don't suppose is very professional— then again, he did also show you photos of Longcat. Maybe professionalism works differently in his field than it does in yours. “If that's easier for you.”

“I'll come back,” you assure them with a smile, “But I'm bringing snacks next time.” You don’t like the thought of the twins rushing around campus, working for free on this project of theirs before hurrying to a meeting with some professor. They should at least get some refreshments in between, right? 

“Bring something sweet,” Saeran orders.

“Please,” Saeyoung adds on his brother’s behalf with a sheepish smile.

As you leave the classroom that they've taken over for their research, you can't help but wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into. 

#Listen I know this is niche #And I don't know if people will be interested in this sort of content #Especially since there's no pairings #But I am trying to post more of what I write and some people did express interest when I talked about a linguistics AU before #So here it is #mystic messenger #mystic messenger fic

[trickstarbrave]

Why would an ethics committee not approve of it even if you had their full consent?

oh jeez

context: this is about tags i left on a post where it was like "if you could 100% be certain human flesh was ethically sources, full consent of the person, and they were in no pain and you wouldnt get sick, would you eat it"

in college we asked this very question, but took it a step further--most accounts we have of people who have well, eaten other people we done far less ethically or for survival. like, starving to death and all your companions are dead so you have to eat them, or serial killers who decide to cook and eat victims. all knowledge is based on that which we cannot entirely prove, there is no 100% true objectivity, blah blah, but we can all agree these ppl are like. less objective than the average person right. serial killers and murderers can and will lie or have smth seriously fucked up with them, ppl who are starving will prob think anything is fine enough, you get the picture

so, hypothetically, "what if we tried to be more objective about it to get less biased interpretations of how human meat would taste without having to like, murder someone or scavenge someone without their consent?" bc there are ppl who would be down to help. there are ppl who are into being eaten, even. we have the technology to make sure it is as painless as possible like with sedated surgery, or after they pass from unrelated means.

we were then told by our professor "no actual reputable ethics committee (which you have to go through as part of scientific study validation like, before you can even do the experiment) would approve that". queue 20 out of 35 anthropology undergrads being actually distraught by this trying to argue it. we even asked "well what if we did it with our own flesh? what if we got a part of our own body surgically removed and cooked and ate it, would they stop us then?"

the reasons why no ethics committee would approve it is because their job is primarily harm reduction. if you have looked into basically any social experiments, you'll know just what nightmares they could be before we had ethics committees, no informed consent (or consent at all), outright lying to ppl involved, putting them in direct harms way, leading to their deaths... you get the picture. consent is only ONE part of harm reduction.

"but shouldnt people be allowed to consent to things that might 'harm' them? we all do stuff that can potentially blow up in our faces. should we ban sky diving because you might die during it?" i do agree people have the right to consent to things that might harm them, like tattoos hurt, BDSM can hurt, you can die sky diving or storm chasing... part of our freedom as ppl is we can choose to do it. the issue isn't that people are too stupid to consent to stuff, its just scientific institutions shouldn't be incentivizing research that puts people in harms way. doing so can lead to more and more wildly careless experiments being conducted just for the thrill of more publicity and exposure, putting more and more people at risk. including if that risk is to researcher wanting to do it. even if you have the full consent of everyone involved "lets just do this wildly fucked up, risky, and uncommon thing just to see what fucking happens" is not a mindset you wanna breed in scientific circles. we saw what that line of thinking has done in the past, and it was awful

because like, eating a person while easy as an abstract hypothetical, involves a lot of risk. human to human transmission of diseases are high. there could be complications we dont even know of yet bc most people dont commit cannibalism for good reason evolutionary. someone has to handle it properly, cook it basically contaminating a bunch of cooking equipment, and instead of it being a guarantee you just have to hop you dont get sick. and if its with someone else there is like, the question of "how can you PROVE someone consented to this" because while there was a case of some guy "consenting" to being killed and eaten the story was actually twisted and the man hadn't consented to dying and having his whole body eaten. most ppl who say theyre into it would probably chicken out at the actual process, which like, no shame in that.

tl;dr: an ethics committee's job is to stop fucked up shit from happening in a way that is scientifically validated and incentivized to prevent future atrocities from taking place, they arent gonna approve your fucked up experiment to eat human meat just bc you wanna fuck around and find out. as much as we all kinda wish they would just a little. if you can find the people who really want to and can make it happen on your own time i guess sure why not but good luck with that and not getting arrested

[gstdaisuki]

Part 1: A Chat with Paul Hutchinson

While I usually interview musicians, Paul is a programmer first, and musician when he needs to be. However, I still had a lot to ask about, as he was able to provide a fascinating window into what gamedev was like in the late 80s and early 90s.

This interview was conducted across several emails in 2024Q1. The exchange has been rearranged to flow more naturally as a conversation, with quote blocks mostly removed. There's a part 2, in a different format with more of a music focus. Both are mirrored on patreon.

GST: I'd like to start with a somewhat open-ended question: most of your online presence is under the handle "Z80GameCoder". that's a really interesting processor to embrace! I'd like to know why you embraced that, and I guess how you got started on that path. I got the impression that you were part of the UK's "bedroom coder revolution" era, but it seems like the 6502 was more popular (C64, BBC Micro). Was the ZX Spectrum your first computer, perhaps?

PH: It all began when I was about 13 years old, in 1977. Technically, the very first computer I had experience with was via a 300 baud modem teletype (playing Tic-Tac-Toe, on a print-out), but I don't recall what was on the other end of the telephone line. This was an interim solution, until the new machines arrived at my school. Computer Studies (O-level) was a brand new course at the time, and my mum said I should give it a try, on account of it being such a new thing. When the first machines arrived, after a few weeks, they were RML 380Z desktop computers. Made by Research Machines Limited, as I recall, and Z80 based.

They were a lot more fun than the teletype. I dove right in, and became quite familiar with them. So that is probably why I got into the Z80 in the first place. I wrote some BASIC games at the time. A version of Tic-Tac-Toe, and a version of Star Trek, which was another game they had on the teletype. Man, we used up a lot of paper playing that game on the teletype.

I left school at 16, to go to College, where I took Computer Science (A-level). There was a computer lab with a bunch of RML 380Z desktops. I continued to program games in BASIC, including a version of Pong, Breakout, and even a rudimentary implementation of Space Invaders. The graphics were very blocky, four pixels per character square, with black, white, and two shades of gray, if I remember coirrectly. Yeah, that was pretty basic stuff.

I got a Sinclair ZX-Spectrum 16k in 1982, for my 18th birthday, my very first computer. We quickly replaced it with a 48k version, as 16k clearly was not enough RAM to be working with, even at the time. I bought, and played, all the games I could, spending many hours with my beloved 'Speccie'.

Meanwhile, back at college, a friend, and one of the teachers, challenged me to write my games in Assembler, instead of BASIC. So I then set about learning Z80 code. I basically taught myself, although, later on, the Computer Science class began working with Assembler. But by that time, I was already fairly proficient. And the rest, as they say, is history.

GST: So in other words, you taught yourself Z80 assembly outside of school. What resources were you using to teach yourself all that? It's a few years before google, after all.

PH: Yes, I taught myself BASIC programming, Assembler, and everything related to game development. You had to be able to do everything back then, so I did.

The resources I used were …

Sinclair ZX Spectrum BASIC Programming - Steven Vickers - Appendix A

(For some reason Appendix A has been removed from the PDF that is online, I have no idea why, it's very strange.)

I referred to the assembler code there, but it was not enough, long term, and I very soon got …

Programming The Z80 - Rodnay Zaks

This was the resource for the Z80 at the time. Very detailed descriptions, and, most importantly, the execution time T-states, along with the byte length, for each and every instruction. With this I was able to determine that using a bunch of LDI instructions in a row, with a JR instruction to loop back, was much faster than using an LDIR. This got used in the V-blank routines used to dump memory to the display, for example. It used up more memory, but it got the job done way faster.

GST: How did you get into PSS? Did Xavior come first, and you found PSS as a publisher? Or did PSS find you? It looks to me like you found PSS and they brought you in to work on other projects, since your Amstrad games all came after 1984

PH: The first real piece of code I wrote in Assembler was for LBC's "Computer Club", a radio show hosted by Clive Bull. They would broadcast a program over the air every week. I sent in a version of Pacman I called MacMan, because it had a burger theme. (It's at the bottom of my game page at z80gamecoder.com ) After that I wrote Xavior. I spent about two months teaching myself Assembler, and coding the game. We were moving back up to Coventry from London, so I looked for a publisher in Coventry. That was PSS. I pitched the game to them, and they accepted it, and offered me a job. It was my first job. Pretty basic, not well paid though, but it got me into the industry. I got to work alongside Alan Steele (a really good bloke, I miss him), who was the leading War Game programmer at the time (at least in the UK). I worked with Mike Simpson (on Swords & Sorcery), who went on to do the Total War series of games, at Creative Assembly.

(As a side note, a member of Creative Assembly (I think his name was Ingi? Ingimar? [EDITOR'S NOTE: it was Ingimar Guðmundsson]) showed up to work at Gogogic in Iceland, when I was there. It's a small world, eh. re: the gaming industry)

I have worked alongside some of the biggest names in the history of game programming, looking back, it's pretty cool, tbh.

GST: I'm kind of surprised to see a game development job described as "pretty basic"!

"Not well paid" is easy to believe, but games are complicated! What made it basic?

PH: I say "basic" firstly because of the low pay. With the contract I had after leaving PSS, a project with Firebird (BT), I earned my yearly salary in just two months, which would be a six-fold increase in earnings in one jump. Secondly, the place where we worked was a residential house, nothing fancy.

(this off-white building is the same place in 2014, via google street view)

Mike's office was behind the top left window, our office space was at the back on the same floor. Humble beginnings. Although the bosses, Gary and Richard, drove around in super fancy sports cars.

GST: Actually, I'd like to ask about the names you mentioned. Maybe you can dig up some old memories about working with everyone and use those stories to illuminate what it was like at the time.

Or at least I think anecdotes are fun and interesting. :P

The credits I can find on Swords & Sorcery are all quite vague, saying that you and Mike Simpson both did "unknown".

I assume that he took the role of a designer while you programmed? Or is it impossible to cleanly divide who did what?

PH: Names …

Mike wore sweaters that were not the most fashionable, as I recall, and, as a result, got some degree of ribbing from co-workers. He was not always in the office, he came in when necessary. My involvement with Swords & Sorcery was with rendering the action window, Mike did the bulk of the coding, obviously, and he was the game designer. I contributed some graphics too, as I have some natural artistic ability. I worked on both the Spectrum and Amstrad versions (the full code conversion for Amstrad). The project took quite a bit longer than we expected, by my recollection. I remember a conversation with Mike about how excited he was with the possibility of fractal generation of environment, what is called 'procedural'? An example he gave was being able to generate graphic renderings of trees in games, using maths, rather than having a pre-rendered image of a tree. He was a bit ahead of himself, as he needed to get S&S finished first. … and now we have games like "No Man's Sky".

As an example, I did the graphics for this:

GST: Looking at mobygames, you're in the credits for the ZX Speccy version of Bismark alongside Alan Steele.

It says he designed everything and you just provided "graphic help"?

PH: Alan was a really nice bloke, and very talented. One day he showed me a book he had gotten, and at the back was mention of Jacqui Lyons, who was just starting to represent game developers, having been representing authors for some time.

Alan said I should get in touch with her and see where it would lead. I took his advice, and ended up as one of her clients. She got the contract with Firebird. It was definitely a good move, and I am really grateful to Alan for that advice. In turn, after a couple of contracts with Firebird, Jacqui said I should consider an opportunity in America. The first one that presented itself was with EA, in California. I did an interview with them, I think it was with Trip Hawkins (if I recall correctly).

However, I was not ready to make the move, so I declined their offer. Subsequently, I was rather glad about that, as I have heard that working for EA was not easy.

Later, the offer from MicroProse presented itself, and I was ready by then, and accepted. I interviewed with Steve Meyer, who had a firm handshake, which was something I noted about the Americans that I met. A level of confidence, assertiveness, that was not typical of your average Brit, including myself. I liked Steve, he was a good boss.

For Bismarck, I was working on the arcade screens, and the Amstrad version of those when I left. When I look now, I do not see that it ever got published for the Amstrad? Hmm. I commented the heck out of the code, right before I departed, and printed it all out, just to be certain it was well documented. That way I could not be said to have left things in a mess. I guess they never got someone to pick up the project. Oh, well. [EDITOR'S NOTE: this version was advertised as "coming soon", but never released.]

I had asked PSS to give me a contract right from the beginning, but they never did, so I had the freedom to leave whenever. When I told them I was leaving, they offered to double my wages, and give me a bonus there and then. However, double is still less than six times, and I had already committed to the contract with Firebird.

In my experience, and my life in general, everything happens for a reason. Looking back I can see all the turning points, and how everything just fell into place at exactly the right moment in time.

GST: I'm very fascinated with the situation you described with Jacqui Lyons. She's like an agent… for game developers? I'm surprised I've never heard of this!

PH: Yes, Jacqui was an agent for quite a few developers, some big names, apparently. She would find contracts, negotiate the best deal, and receive a percentage in recompense. It was well worth it. I got work, was well compensated for it, and I could just get on with doing what I loved, coding. I would go down to London from time to time, for a meeting with her, and for interviews with potential clients for projects. It worked out very well. She looked out for me, and I appreciated that too. When she got me the position with Microprose, all that came to an end, obviously.

GST: Looking at your gameography, it looks like Project Stealth Fighter is the only released game from Microprose.

Did you do anything else there? Or was it just a series of contracted projects once you came to America?

PH: At Microprose I did the 128k version of PSF for the ZX-Spectrum, and then I squeezed it down to the 48k version, as I recall. By the time I was done, two years had passed. In the meantime I had met my wife-to-be, and we had a wedding date planned, so I was kind of committed to staying in America by then. Once the PSF project was completed, I tried to convince the management at Microprose that I was worth keeping on as an employee (because I knew for a fact that I was). However, I was not able to do so. The new boss (not Steve Meyer) decided to let me go. They claimed I was not useful for anything else, and could only do Spectrum related projects, which they had no need of any longer. At the time, it seemed like a bad situation, but, as with everything else in my experience, it was just a transition to something much better.

When they let me go, I had to pack up all my stuff immediately, and vacate the building. That is how it worked in the software business. Once they were done with you, you had to leave. Supposedly due to industry secrecy etc. I would continue to be paid, I just could not be in the office once I was being let go.

As I was leaving, walking to the end of the corridor, there was a fellow coder, who had his office door open. He asked me about what was happening, and I told him. He quickly produced a business card for "Innerprise", a nearby company that was started by Paul Lombardi, a former Microprose employee. The co-worker said I might want to try giving those guys a call. And so, there was another stepping stone to a brighter future.

After leaving I did give Innerprise a call, got an interview, and was offered a job. I just had to wait until after I was allowed to work again, with the correct paperwork. There was a gap, where I went back to the UK briefly, returned, got married, and got the necessary paperwork.

I do have some anecdotes related to MicroProse, if you are interested in those?

GST: Absolutely! Anecdotes are great brushstrokes that help paint a picture of the era.

PH: MicroProse was a great experience for me. For the first year and a half the "MicroProse Family" (which I think it was actually referred to as) was a lot of fun. There were a lot of social activities going on, which was actively encouraged. This was a good business strategy, because a happy workforce is a productive workforce. We were more of a team as a result.

The whole company went to the Air Show at Andrews Air Force base, for example. Where the Blue Angels put on quite a display. Then there was the company trip to have a flight on the "Miss MicroProse", an old WWII airplane, with a single propeller. "Wild" Bill Stealey was the pilot, and we each took our turn up in the air, donning a flight suit and clambering up into the cockpit. I remember it being a pretty wild, and noisy, ride. Much more fun/exhilarating than any rollercoaster I had been on. We all went on a trip to an aircraft museum also. No chance was missed to participate in Aeronautical activities related to the flight sims the company was developing at the time.

(from an advertisement, courtesy SidMeiersMemoir)

The company purchased season passes for Merriweather Post Pavilion, for the summer concerts. We could select which concert we wanted to attend, based on availability. I remember going to see Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, which was most agreeable. Herbie Hancock being one of my favourite artists at the time, an excellent keyboard player/musician. The weather was suitably "summery", and the music was excellent.

GST: Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea! That's a great pair already! This would've been not long after "Perfect Machine", one of my fav HH albums.

I'm very curious about your music tastes, but I don't want to derail your thoughts just yet.

PH: Each Monday there was a company meeting, where everyone gathered in the main area of the building. Bill Stealey would address us all, along with the other management, keeping us up to date on the various goings on. That was fairly mundane, tbh, and not the most fun. However, one time, someone (and I do not recall exactly who it was) had an idea to help make it more fun. They ordered some comical headwear for all of us, which we paid for ourselves. And so, one Monday, we all showed up wearing a fez. It took a few moments to become noticed, as we filed in and sat down. It was rather silly, but it did lighten things up, with a round of laughter to follow.

Sid Meier was a cool dude to hang out with. One time, after work, a small group of us, including Sid, played M.U.L.E. on an Atari 400. We each took turns on the console, making our moves, as the game is turn based. Pizza was ordered, so we would have something to eat for dinner. As I recall, whilst we were waiting for the pizza to be delivered, Sid came up with the idea of "Pizza Hijackers", where you would order the pizza to be delivered, then hijack it on its way, and end up being the one who delivered it to the customer, thereby removing all the (unnecessary) overhead of actually having a pizza business. After consuming the rather delicious pizza, we drove to the local 7-Eleven, and picked out a pint of Ben & Jerry's, each. Then returned to the office, and devoured the entire pint in one go. Ah, the joys of being young and carefree, eh.

My (humble) contribution to making things a little "funner" was a "Name The Gorilla" competition. I purchased a bunch of small stuffed gorillas, and posted details of the competition, the prize for a winning name was a doughnut (the budget for the project was somewhat limited, obviously, going mostly for the gorillas). There were a few participants, including Bruce Shelley. I think Bruce's winning name was "DrillBit". The only other name I can recall is "Gorilla MyDreams", which was John Kennedy's entry(?). I still have "DrillBit", in a box somewhere here. I used to hangout and chat with Bruce from time to time, he was a big fan of the Saturn cars, which I think were fairly new at the time. I remember him mentioning, more than once, how popular they were.

Man, I just remembered the pit beef. Was it "Sharkey's Pit Beef"? There was a nearby food shack that sold pit beef. My first lunch in America was a pit beef sandwich. I always ordered it the same way from that day forward: pit beef, salt and pepper, American cheese, on a kaiser roll. We grabbed the sandwich and went to a local field, where we ate, and threw a softball around for a bit. The company had a softball team, which I joined for a while (although I do not remember us ever winning a game).

I seem to remember the food quite a bit. My first burger, which was about twice the size of anything you would get in the UK at the time, and I was unable to finish it. The ribs at "The Corner Stable" too, which I really enjoyed at the time. Ah ... Roy Rogers ... One lunch time, we went out to get burgers from "Roy Rogers". When we got there, the restaurant was quite busy. So, my roommate, Kevin, said we should go through the drive through instead. Except, he suggested we park the car, and walk through the drive through in formation. Okay, so off we went, on foot, in formation, to order and collect our lunch. I think the drive through staff were a little perplexed, but we got our food, and had a laugh at the same time.

All in all, the first 18 months at MicroProse were a lot of fun for me, which helped me adjust to life in America. I can remember when I first arrived I had some culture shock. America was quite different from England. It felt a bit weird because everyone was talking with an accent, and, unlike on TV, it did not stop, I could not turn it off. I did get homesick for a while, as it was my first time living away from my family home. In the end, I adjusted pretty well, and grew to prefer America as a place to live.

GST: Man, that drive-through prank in particular is perfect. Beautiful. lol

Let's see... after Innerprise, you moved to Sega of America. How did that work? I recall reading that you were in a unique position with SoA…

PH: I was at Innerprise working on the Sega Master System version of Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin. As such, I was in touch with Ed Annunziata, the project manager at Sega of America. The project was moving along, although maybe not as smoothly as it could have been. However, Ed and I worked together well, and had a good relationship. There were some things going on behind the scenes with the management at Innerprise, and I was not privy to such activity. What I did know, was that my paychecks were bouncing. I am not one to be working for free, and the cost/inconvenience of a bounced check is not to be tolerated for long. Ed came out to visit, we met and discussed the situation. Ed appreciated my honesty. After the third bounced paycheck, I had had enough, and I left my position at Innerprise as a result. After a brief period, I was contacted by Sega Of America and offered the contract to finish up the SMS version of Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin. (The Genesis version was still under development by Innerprise.) Thus, I found myself working directly with Sega Of America, as an independent contractor (rather than as a company), which made me unique. SoA seemed quite pleased with the choice, and so we continued our relationship across quite a few projects, moving on to the Game Gear right after Spider-Man was finished (beginning with that conversion).

GST: Oh yeah, I had a very specific question about your work on Spiderman vs The Kingpin: the in-game credits say that you were the programmer "with assistance by John Kennedy". I assumed that this was a senior programmer that helped onboard you to the project, but I actually can't find any other credits to his name.

Do you recall what the situation was, here?

PH: John Kennedy helped with some subroutines on Spiderman vs The Kingpin, I was the majority programmer.

GST: I'm curious about these conversions in general, actually. What was it like working as an independent contractor? Specifically, I noticed that the credits always had a tiny number of people, and your name was often in programming, music, art, AND design.

Were you doing all of this with some kit at home?

PH: It was great working as an independent contractor. I got to do what I loved to do, and without a lot of additional stuff to deal with (business-wise). After I left Innerprise, and got the contract with SoA direct, I had to go pick up the development kit from the Innerprise Office. Then I went and bought a new PC to hook it up to. I remember paying about $2200 for it. A 486 DX2 66, as I recall. With a $300 14" CRT monitor. I think that is the most I ever paid for a PC. Later I got an Amiga 2000HD also, for doing art (using Dpaint), and music (using Pro-Tracker). The Sega development kit included a ZAX-ICE (In-Circuit Emulator), which plugged into an SMS where the Z80 cpu would be (the SMS top cover was removed in order to achieve that). Those ZAX units ran about $50,000 a piece at the time. SoA provided a second one later on, when I was doing Game Gear work, as backup. I still have both units (SoA said I could just keep them or throw them out at the end of the GG development cycle, they did not want them back), and last time I looked, some years ago, they were on Ebay selling for only about $500. The Game Gear had a special development board, into which the ZAX-ICE plugged, it looked nothing like an actual Game Gear. I coded, and then uploaded to an SoA BBS (this was before there was an internet for that sort of thing). Once a year they would fly me out to visit, and we would meet and discuss the next project. I worked from home, and I was a stay-at-home dad too. My wife was an anesthesiologist, so she was busy full-time with that career. It was a lot to handle, and I did the best I could.

I was involved in all aspects of the games' development to varying degrees. There would be a designer who wrote the initial design paper, and we would work from that blueprint, going back and forth to get the best possible game we could make that was practical. There would be a musician who composed music for some of the projects too. And, of course, an artist to take care of the bulk of the necessary artwork. I contributed to everything that I was able to. I would touch up bits of art in order to make it work right, particularly sprites. I had prior experience with Spectrum and Amstrad, where I did everything myself. I really enjoyed having a hands-on approach to projects, it was very satisfying to have that much influence.

GST: I also spotted a Judy Hutchinson in the credits for the 2nd X-Men game. Any relation?

PH: Judy was my wife at the time, she was quite supportive. We supported each other. When the Game Gear projects ended, and the final X-Men 3 SMS conversion for Brazil was done, I was done working with SoA. I continued on as a stay-at-home dad. That was enough to keep me busy, with about three jobs worth of activity. A doctor for a wife, who was often on call. Three young children, all growing up. A large household, on 18.5 acres, that needed a lot of attention. Up to five horses, two pygmy goats, a pot-bellied pig, a rabbit, and around ten cats (at one point). I had my hands full all the time. I planned, drove, shopped, cooked, cleaned, mowed, planted, tended, … all the things. It was a great experience, which I would not repeat. I was a stay-at-home dad before that was even really a thing, so I was pretty much on my own (very challenging).

Looking at the .ASM files I can see the dates/years. We moved to the Gettysburg farm in 1995, I think. Before that we lived in a townhouse in Timonium, MD. There I worked in the basement. Slightly less work for me there.

GST: It's funny to hear that you were making these games on a farm! (Or, well, mostly basement.) I think most people imagine video games are made exclusively in high tech offices filled to the brim with cutting edge technology. I keep finding just the opposite! (Thinking of David Wise having to furnish his studio from a cattle shed...)

Anyway, from the above, it sounds like you were kind of a funnel: The person that put every asset and idea into the ROM.

... And you took advantage of that by polishing everything you got as you put it in.

Or am I misreading? I suppose you could've been uploading pieces to the BBS, for someone else to assemble/compile…

PH: That is correct. I put everything together, and built the finished ROM. I used the Avocet Z80 Assembler for coding. Turbo C++ to write utilities to convert data into assembler files (with db/dw statements, and lots of hex values). Dpaint artwork, and music files had to be converted from native formats. Maps were built in TUME (The Ultimate Map Editor). TUME was made by my friend, and ex-colleague from MicroProse, Dan Chang (Echidna, who made NES "Cool Spot", "M.C. Kids", etc.). He went on to work for Nintendo, and was in Washington state, last I heard. I programmed the EPROMs using a Needham's Electronics EPROM programmer. I put those into a test cartridge and ran it on a regular system.

GST: I'd like to circle back and talk about music. You were getting into game making at what I think was a time of transition, when people were starting to expect music to be part of the game experience…

…but the ZX Speccy only had a beeper.

Your first 2 games featured (as best I can tell on my emulators) purely beeper music on their title screens. It's simple, but that's par for the course considering the hardware. I'm curious if you recall any of your thoughts/philosophy about music on the ZX and CPC.

I mean, you could probably have gotten away with a silent title screen, but you put the effort in to make some music, so you had to see some value in that, right?

PH: Absolutely, title music had value to me. Music on the Spectrum was quite limited, due to the nature of the hardware. The Amstrad had more to work with, obviously. Actually, I remember making an attempt at "Acid House" on the Amstrad. I made a demo tape from simple loops I constructed, in BASIC. I took it down to Jazzy M's record store in London (Michael Schiniou, Oh'Zone Records). I used to listen to him on LWR, a pirate radio station in London. I would go down and buy House Music from his store. He was a cool dude.

(Interview, 1h 50m 38s)

GST: Man, this interview is wild. It feels like a very distinct slice of time. I'm not familiar with pirate radio but it makes sense that someone like that would be the "A&R guy for the A&R guys", as he put it 🤣

PH: On a later visit I purchased an LP of UK Acid House (I think the cover is yellow, mostly), which had a track on it which sounded very familiar. I think my Amstrad demo tape was inspiration for it. This happened also with a track I did on the Amiga. I posted several tracks I made on an Amiga Music BBS, when I was living in Timonium, MD (1991?). One was called "Baby Beat", which I made whilst my then wife was pregnant with our first child, Samantha.

And this is the track that I think it helped inspire:

Orbital - Midnight (Live)

I am unable to prove this, since my Amiga is long gone. I am not able to prove the Amstrad track either, unless there is a tape somewhere here that still has that recording on it (maybe I will find it one day, who knows).

GST: Man, I'd LOVE to hear a comparison between your CPC acid and the vinyl it inspired. Too bad it's been lost to time…

I also tried a quick search for any archived amiga tunes with "baby beat" in the instrument text, with no luck. alas…

PH: I released "Baby Beat" into the public domain, so it's fair game for anyone. I think I used my Mista "P" handle for that. That was the handle I ran with for pirate radio. We used to listen to Radio Invicta back in the day. Another pirate radio station, playing mostly soul, funk, jazz-funk etc. Stuff you could not hear on the BBC or even commercial radio at the time. I made, and sent in, large envelopes covered in funky artwork. Something to get noticed. We had lots of dedications read out, which were also designed to be stand-out (funky/quirky). Invicta was a South London based pirate station. They got to be quite familiar with us, due to our consistent interaction (via mail and phone). We (me and my younger brother, who called himself "Jam Thang", his name is James, btw) got to host a show once, with Steve DeVonne. We brought in all the Funk and P-Funk we had on vinyl, and Steve played it for us. We were teenagers at the time. The shows were recorded ahead of time, to cassette, then broadcast on a Sunday. Invicta would pick a block of flats somewhere, and set up their transmitter on the roof, for that afternoon. They had to stay ahead of the authorities, since it was not licensed. We even answered the phones one week too, so our home phone was used (just the once). It felt very cool at the time. I have a lot of the dedications on tape still, and the show we did with Steve too. I visited with Tony Johns, who ran the station. And I also made a banner for them in 1982 (when the "Falklands War" broke out, as I remember hearing it on LBC when I was painting the letters on the canvas). I met Steve Walsh (DJ), to deliver the banner, as I recall, when it was completed. I remember getting BBC Radio Medway to say stuff they were not allowed to say, that was fun. Dave Brown used to have a show on there. I sent in a dedication that included a "hi" to "Ray, Dee, Owen, Victor …" Hahaha … Dave read it out, before realizing what he had just said on air, then quickly said "Oops, who got caught out there? …" and laughed. That is on a tape I have. Man, I have to digitize those things before they fall apart, eh.

GST: I encourage this! It looks like it'd be in great company, too: https://archive.org/details/70s-80s-radio-shows/

Skimming through some of these shows, I imagine this is what I'd be into if I were there at the time. Especially when they bring in the jazz fusion.

I even spotted some Shakatak! Seven years before my favorite album of theirs!

This kinda answers an earlier thought, where I was wondering about your musical tastes.

Though these roots don't show very much in your game scores, which feel more dancefloor inspired, to my ear. Looking it up, I guess the music on LWR is a closer match

PH: Shakatak!

I remember buying their first 12" (1980)

Back when Brit-Funk was starting to be a thing.

I was recalling going up into town (when I lived in South London), to visit Groove Records (to get Surface Noise's 12" "The Scratch") and Bluebird Records (Manfredo Fest "Jungle Kitten"). I think both stores were in the Soho area? (generally)

I still have the plastic carrier bags from those stores. :D

GST: I keep being amazed at all the little details you can find online. Check this out, a website dedicated to remembering these old record stores: https://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org/shops/blue-bird-records/

PH: That is cool.

Ok, Counterpoint is where I bought my first vinyl, it was just up the road from where we lived. I even worked there for a time. Dang. This is a different location. The one I shopped/worked at was on Westow Hill, Upper Norwood. https://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org/shops/counterpoint/

GST: Circling back a bit, you mentioned you that you wrote an acid tune... I think it's kind of funny to imagine the square waves of a CPC in rotation on a pirate radio!

Were you able to get that "ringmod" sound with the AY using BASIC? (This "triangular" sound.) I've never worked with the AY so I don't fully understand it, but I always figured that was a fast CPU trick…

PH: I don't think I achieved that with the Amstrad audio in BASIC. I remember I was doing bending/ramping somehow. It wasn't actual Acid House sound, but was as close to it as I could manage. It sounded funky, and had that chip-tune quality to it.

I am happy at the thought I might have inspired some actual musicians. :)

GST: That's a funny choice of words, I think. What is an "actual musician" and how does that definition exclude you?

To be fair, I've been making and sharing music for decades but haven't signed any record deals, so perhaps I'd exclude myself from a category of "actual musicians".

It's an interesting thought to me, though. "No true Scotsman" and all that.

PH: "Actual musician" … hmm … I guess I mean "professional"? Like, it's something the person projects as what they inherently are? Technically I got paid for my music, so simply earning money from it is not what I mean. I would say I was a Game Coder, who made music, as opposed to a musician. But maybe, if I look at it, then I am a musician, by simple fact of making music?

GST: You definitely carry the essence of a Game Coder, specifically on the Z80. ;)

I'd describe these as hats. You may primarily be a game coder, but you've worn your musician hat plenty as well.

PH: Back on the topic of games … My time at Gogogic was even more of a family experience than it had been at MicroProse (the first 18 months there, that is). Such a cool bunch of people. I really enjoyed that time. There were co-workers who had grown up playing my games as kids (e.g. Jonathon Osborne, Australian, now in Montreal, Canada, I think).

GST: Was that the first time you had experienced that? I can imagine this being a shock, both with the realization that your work reached others, and the feeling of "I can't believe that I'm old now"

PH: Yes, that was the first time I experienced meeting someone who had played my games as a kid. It was kind of cool. It's heartwarming to know that I helped bring some fun/joy into the world. I don't regard game programming as something that has much impact on the world, in general, but knowing that it has had a positive effect is comforting. Yeah, there is a disconnect between programming games and the audience that plays them, for the most part. There are a few people in the industry who are "rock stars" that get that kind of experience. Most of us are just coding away, and getting on with our lives (and getting older).

GST: I'm also noting that you skipped straight to Gogogic, not really talking about what I presume was an era of self-study, learning how to write iOS apps. I suppose it was too transitional to mention?

PH: Ah, yes, the time before Gogogic …

I was doing the stay-at-home dad thing, on the farm, as I mentioned. I spent the time collecting consoles and games, in order to keep up with the industry in general. I was "The Entertainment Committee", and I had a (weekly) budget even. I built a home theater in the basement, with a projector, a 12' screen, large surround sound system, and six La-Z-Boy chairs, with the back row on a raised platform. It was super cool, especially when the THX sound played, at some volume. There was also an array of consoles set up, so the kids could all be playing whatever game they wanted, simultaneously. Then, after some years, I was being encouraged by my then wife to get back to work (since the kids were growing up, and requiring somewhat less supervision). I saw the growth of the iOS market, and people making a decent living from it. I had an iPhone, so I had played games on that. I set about finding out how to program iOS. It's a lot different from Z80 Assembler, the whole approach is different (high level vs low level).

We had a two story home, so I sequestered myself in the (finished) basement every morning for some months. I just pushed myself forward until it finally clicked. If game programming is supposed to be like "riding a bicycle", then it was more like having had muscles atrophy, and having to grow back muscle mass, before even getting to ride anywhere. It was literally painful to get my brain accustomed to programming again, but I persevered. I wrote a word puzzle game for iOS. I am sure the structure is terrible, because I did not apply the new philosophy of high level languages to the process. But, it worked. I made a word dictionary using a DAWG (Directed Acyclic Word Graph), which kept the size down to a minimum, and traversing it to find words was fast. Little did I know that it would come in very handy when I interviewed for Gogogic, and then getting hired within two weeks of arriving in Iceland.

We had developed a friendship with the team at Gogogic through their Facebook game "Vikings of Thule". We played it a lot, and interacted with the development team, providing bug reports and feedback on gameplay. We were getting very interested in Iceland, after visiting during a stop-over on the way to see my family in the UK. To the point of wanting to live there, at least for a part of the year (it was a mutual preference/desire). When we bought a summer house in Kjós, near Hvalfjörður, we hosted the entire team at our home (during one of our stays in the summer). It was the "Gogogic Fanfest". CCP had their big annual Fanfest each year, and so we decided to host one for Gogogic. They hired a mini-bus, and drove up to visit. It was so much fun.

GST:

It was literally painful to get my brain accustomed to programming again

yeah, I feel that! I took a class on iOS development around the same time (~2012) and it's far, far removed from assembly! I was curious about that transitional period specifically for that reason.

I can't help but zoom in on some of the things you say: You make it sound like you were playing Vikings of Thule, noticed a bug, reported it, then heard back from the developers… and then repeated that cycle until you became friends and coworkers.

Is that what happened?

PH: Yes, that is it in a nutshell. We (Judy and I) played the game a lot, found bugs, as it was still under development, and reported the bugs. We also made suggestions for improvements and features. It was really cool to interact with them. We visited Iceland a number of times before buying the summer house. Firstly, we met Gogogic at their office, before they moved to Laugavegur, which was here …

Glass building on the left, I think it was the third floor. The Japanese embassy is also in the building. To the right is the petrol/gas station that was used for the TV show "Næturvaktin" (highly recommended, very funny).

GST: that's a funny way to move to Iceland :P

PH: Actually, it was the perfect way to move to Iceland. Everything fell into place in exactly the right way. When our marriage came to an end, everything was in place for me to move there as smoothly as can be. The timing was perfect. I had just three days notice, from the time I was told "You have to go!", to when I was on the ground in Iceland. When I arrived, I had a car, a home, and a job lined up within two weeks. Jón Heiðar kindly picked me up, once I arrived in Reykjavík (on the bus from the airport), and we chatted on the drive up to the summer house (where the car was parked). He said Gogogic was looking for an iOS programmer, and I should interview. Which I did, not knowing how vital that would be at the time.

I also had developed a friendship with Jared and Hulda, and their friend Tim, which revolved around paragliding. They looked out for me, a lot, being concerned about my well-being, given the circumstances. I learned paragliding with them, up to the point of making an actual flight (a small flight, but nonetheless, I flew). I probably would not have made it without them. I am forever grateful.

I had been corresponding with Jared on account of his blog about moving to Iceland, and we had met at least once before I moved there. So I had actual friends as well, not just friends who were co-workers. Given that I ended up going through a divorce, everything else was perfect. It helped immensely, and I thank God for all of it.

GST: Paragliding? That's a funny recurring motif: flight!

PH: I bloody loved paragliding. I got really good at ground handling, which they told me is harder than flight, because in flight you don't have the ground to deal with. They all said they had never seen anyone learn so fast, and I was good. Tim said I could be one of the best if I continued.

(37s) "Hola Hop"

Hulda is holding the camera, and that's her voice. Jared is the other paraglider in the video.

They moved to Switzerland. During a flight, where Hulda was given instructions, which she followed, she got into a spin that was not recoverable from. She went all the way into the ground and died as a result. When I heard of this I quit. Hulda was the one who managed to get through to me with instruction the best, and we clicked as regards teacher/pupil. She trusted that instructor, and I would do the same. So I saw the potential of being in a similar situation. I could not risk that. My kids were pleased I gave it up.

GST: oh, that's a really tragic turn of events :(

I suppose it's nice to have experienced flight at all, but that's got to be haunting…

PH: Yes, it is a bit haunting. However, I remember all the good times we spent together, and I am forever grateful to Jared, Hulda, and Tim. I cherish those memories, and they always bring a smile.

GST: I'd like to circle back to gogogic. so, although both involve programming, working on high level iOS code in the 10s is extremely different from working on machine code in the 90s. I'm wondering if you experienced any culture shock, not just from moving to Iceland, but from jumping 15 years into the future of game development so to speak.

PH: yes, very much so. It was not just the Assembler to Objective C jump, in terms of type of language. It was also the jump from a lot of constraints, to relatively few. Space was at a premium on the Z80 devices I coded for. Whereas, it was not so on iOS. My co-workers at Gogogic were very helpful in guiding me in how to change the way I wrote code. On Z80 I used a lot of abbreviations, due to space. This makes code harder to read, obviously. On iOS they told me to name things according to what they were, or what they did. I did not have to abbreviate to save space. Then there is the object oriented aspect of the higher level coding. It is very different indeed. Working as part of a team was a change too. I mean, I worked on a team before, but I had more hands-on control over things on Z80. I enjoyed learning. We used Git, so I had to learn about version control etc. The way I did debugging was not to their liking, as I recall. I relied on intuition a lot, and it worked very well for me. They prefered a more systematic approach to debugging. I remember having my bug fixes rejected, after I came up with them very quickly. Then they went through the process they had adopted and fixed the same bug over again. It took them hours to do, but that is how they wanted it done. So that would be a change too, having to use the same methods as the team, with no room for bringing my own. I am good either way. My focus is on delivering the product, and doing the best job I can possibly do, regardless of anything else. If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. That is how I have always worked, and it applies to everything in life.

GST: They didn't like your debugging? Interesting… I remember looking at your linkedin and seeing that you particularly enjoyed debugging code. I suppose this means you became accustomed to the team's "newschool" methods?

PH: Yes, I love debugging. I like fixing things in general, so that is the coding version of it. I did learn how to debug their way, and fit in with the team as needed. At AppDynamic I was praised by the boss for how I helped take the product(s) from something that functioned, to something that was really polished. Pratik was quite pleased with my debugging. He was really good at getting code up and running, but I don't think he liked debugging as much as I did. It's like a puzzle, you have to solve it. Puzzles are fun.

Fixing things is great. Taking something broken and making it of use, I love that. I can do anything I put my mind to as well. My friend Kent said "You can do anything that you want to do, if people do it, you can do it." "If you don't want to do it, have someone else do it" I took his advice, and I did all sorts of things. I bought a secondhand big dish (10') system, for $300, and installed it, so we had satellite tv. That required digging in the ground, hitting a boulder, drilling into the boulder, inserting rebar, pouring concrete, and setting a pole, perfectly vertical. I mounted the dish, ran the cable to the house, drilled through the wall, ran more cable. I set up the receiver, I buried an earthing rod and ran cable for that too. I aligned the dish with the satellite, and got C-Band stations across the entire arc. I had never done anything like it. It stayed in place throughout the years, through all kinds of wind and weather. We got a lot of enjoyment out of it. It builds confidence to achieve things like that. I did many projects like it whilst we had the farm.

Anyway, I digress, again …

GST: no, that makes sense! I think this mindset is why programmers are considered engineers.

I think I've covered all of the ground I was interested in, so I'd like to wrap up this interview with a few final questions.

First, since you mentioned it earlier [EDITOR'S NOTE: this mention was moved to part 2], have you worked with the PICO-8 at all yet?

PH: I have not worked on the Pico-8 yet. I bought the app, and I have it running on a Powkiddy RGB30 handheld. Which is the ideal platform for it, as the screen is square, and just the right size. I've played a few games, and watched a few videos (e.g. Pico Playtime on YT), and I just like the whole concept. It would be a fun thing to try, and not too much of a stretch.

GST: Another recurring theme I noticed: it's kind of fascinating that you still have an archive of all of your project files from so long ago.

Were you actively trying to preserve everything at the time? Or was it just a recurring thought of "hmm, maybe I shouldn't delete this"?

PH: I definitely meant to backup the files to the CD in 1999. I am a bit of a digital packrat, I have podcasts (including all the raw files from my own podcast) and all-sorts of digital archives from years gone by, because I don't like to throw out digital stuff. I started putting the Sega directory on whatever was my latest computer, so I would have it on hand for reference. I don't know if Sega still keeps that stuff after all this time, I would guess not, since it has been so long. I am not sure how long the NDA lasts, so I would not release the code into the public domain without asking them first (I don't have any of the paperwork I signed for them any longer).

GST: And finally, to endcap this interview, I'd like to open up a space for you to talk about what you're up to these days. Any upcoming projects you'd like to promote?

PH: We skipped over AppDynamic, where I coded for the iOS apps: AirServer, AirMediaCenter, and RemoteHD. Largely bug fixes, and some minor feature updates. I discovered that coding on its own is still fun for me, not just games. Again, because it is puzzles to solve.

I also spent a year without work, in Iceland, in between jobs, which was a challenge, but very necessary. Before I returned to the US, for the sake of my partner, and my (grown) children.

The last bit of coding I did was on the Ethereum blockchain. A project for my daughter's company (now dissolved, I think). So I taught myself that too. It was kind of fun. When it was published the contract number had "1dad" in it (what are the odds of that?), so my daughter had a t-shirt made for me with the address on it. :)

These days I am continuing to collect items related to retro gaming. I got into emulation pretty heavily, with a view to experiencing older titles on newer machines (for ease/convenience), and preserving them too. I want to have my own little video game museum, which maybe I can pass on to generations that follow me. I have most consoles going all the way back to pong. I recently acquired a bunch of retro systems, including a Wii, Wii U, PS2 fat, PS Vita, and a 3DS. Some of the hardware is getting harder to find, I got the last two devices from Japan. I collect games on the PC too. I have over 1300 games on my gaming PC, for example. Even though I have mostly just played Fortnite (with my sister) and Destiny 2 (with my youngest daughter). I bought Return To Monkey Island, and played that all the way through with my partner, as I just love point and click adventures. I have many fond memories of playing those types of games in the past. I listen to music a lot, and I make playlists on YT, either based on mixes, or of my own choices (lately, select tracks from a single label). I watch a lot of movies, and have a personal collection of DVDs/Blu-rays in the thousands. I have archived those too, and converted to them MKV, for convenient playback on a mini PC running Kodi. I love old movies, it's like time travel. Fascinating to see how the world was, over 100 years ago, for example. And for the nostalgia factor, for the years I experienced myself.

So … video games, music, and movies. That takes up a lot of my time currently, since I am basically retired (for now).

We live in a one-person apartment (it's a bit cramped, to say the least), so I am always looking for a house, to make into a home for us. When I get that, I will be able to spread out a little/lot. Set up all my old systems like I used to have them (they are currently in tubs, on shelves). I want to set up a home theatre again, so I can have that full movie experience once more. The audio in particular was what I enjoyed (I still have the speakers from that). I would get a new projector though, as now there are 4k projectors for less than the $3,000 I paid for my 720p projector for my old home theatre. I want to set up my podcasting gear again, and do some more recording. I miss that, it was a lot of fun. I want to set up my dual Technics SL-1200 turntables too, and listen to all my vinyl again (for now, they are all sat here on shelves).

I definitely want to do more creating, I do miss that quite a bit. I have been consuming a lot lately, but producing very little. Be it music, art, audio or video. Certainly doing some coding too. Maybe Ed Annunziata and I can collaborate on something cool, just like the old days. I would love that.

#sega of america #paul hutchinson

[oflgtfol]

quastion. if you were a high schooler looking to take the least stressful lab science would you taking physics or chemistry

i think this is a simpler question of which do you enjoy more? for me i would choose physics over chemistry any day but that’s because i hate chemistry and so all chem labs i took were boring and stressful, and i love physics so the labs were fun and interesting

however if both subjects are equally uninteresting to you, then i do recommend physics! maybe i'm biased, but i think even personal interest aside, my high school chem labs were definitely more involved and complicated than my high school physics labs. physics experiments in lower level classes such as high school (and even introductory college physics to some extent) are pretty simple to set up and conduct, the main understanding comes from doing the math afterwards to get any sort of result out of it, whereas chem was more like, actually mixing stuff and then observing

not only were physics labs easier, simpler, and more engaging, but each lab also was unique and distinct from each other. i really can only recall the same basic setup of like, mixing stuff together as the idea behind every single chem lab i did. the exact way you mixed them together differed of course but that was the main idea

meanwhile some examples of physics labs i recall from high school include:

projectile motion: most likely you will roll a marble down a ramp off the edge of the lab table, measure the horizontal and vertical distances it traveled, maybe time it also or use a photogate to measure the velocity, or something, and then use the kinematic equations to find any missing variables, and then through all that you will probably be to told to find the value of g, what is known as the acceleration due to gravity, aka the rate at which things fall.

circular motion: you may be using a FLYING PIG to demonstrate circular motion!!! figuring out the tension in the string, the idea of centripetal force, centripetal acceleration, rates of revolution, etc.

harmonic motion: push some slinkies around, demonstrate hooke's law and spring force, calculation of frequency and oscillation, maybe observing resonant frequencies and resonant modes

standing waves: using some sort of low tech version of a standing wave generator to observe, well, standing waves. the high school version of this lab i believe was very surface level and was mostly just drawing how different standing waves looked, counting the nodes and antinodes, and predicting it for different frequencies. i think the teacher even got us a giant rope and we had to recreate the lower frequency standing waves together as a class by just oscillating it ourselves

all around, in my experience at least, high school physics labs are so much more involved and engaging than chem ever was. and while the math involved in the physics class was more daunting than chem, it was such a fun and interactive class. and again i may be biased but i think, if both chem and physics are uninteresting to you but you need to choose one anyway, i think having a basic background in physics is a lot more useful and goes a lot further than a basic background in chem does. i truly believe that knowing stuff about the kinematic equations, circular motion, free body diagrams, harmonic motion, etc etc will enrich your life further and change the way you see the world around you. high school physics will not make you an expert but it can certainly make observing patterns in life and how the natural world operates a lot more fun and exciting

#sorry i am INCAPABLE of ever giving a brief response when it comes to physics stuff lol #ask #Anonymous #literally the only chem lab i remember is titration and i cant even tell you what titration is anymore #all i know is that it was long and frustrating and the word makes me shudder years later #like some acid and base type shit i really could not tell you #but by far my most vivid memory of any science class i took in my 4 years of high school .was the fucking flying pig in physics #i will say i did get far better grades in chem. but despite that i also felt like i understood way fucking less as i was going through it #which made it its own brand of stressful #my grades in physics were my worst in high school but even despite that i still felt like i was retaining and learning so much more #and despite the complexity of the subjects increasing throughout the school year my grades actually increased as well #its truly just like a rough learning curve at first adjusting to the class compared to previous science classes #and if your physics class is like how mine was and you all get bad grades then a good teacher will offer opportunities #for you to earn points back and that also means that concepts get reinforced in your head #so despite getting a 60 on an exam he will make us basically redo the exam and relearn the concepts #and earn an 80 on it once we're done with exam corrections #so you will get a better grade in the end AND actually LEARN from doing badly on the exam #so what im saying here is: it also depends on the teacher. so if you get a bad teacher who just gives you a bad grade and moves on #then like. the class will not be enjoyable. and will be stressful. but if you have a good teacher then it should be fine #and you WILL get bad grades. you just will. but dont sweat it because literally everyone will always get bad grades #and a good teacher will give you the opportunity to make up for those bad grades. bc its unfair to punish you for it. #since everyone always gets bad grades. lol

[21kschool]

5 Cost-Cutting Strategies For Schools And Colleges

Maintaining schools and colleges is a costly affair. Students must be provided with multiple amenities and the latest technology for a wholesome learning experience and overall development. Nowadays, schooling is not limited to 5-6 subjects—in addition to academics, sports and extracurricular activities are also designed to help students realise what sparks their interest and what they want from their life.

Therefore, schools and colleges often wonder how to cut costs to provide students with the best learning experience in the most affordable manner. However, how can schools and colleges implement cost-cutting in their services? Let’s find out!

5 Best Cost-Cutting Strategies for Schools and Colleges

Following are the five best cost-cutting strategies for schools and colleges:

Going Paperless

Schools and colleges usually use vast quantities of paper. From books to exam sheets, question papers, notes, worksheets, assignments, registers, administration etc., paper is used in almost every activity a school or college undertakes. Therefore, balancing and reducing paper usage can help schools and colleges save a lot of money. One of the best ways is to go digital in whatever way possible.

For instance, an app can be used to make a note of the attendance of students and faculty members. E-book versions of textbooks can be used. Exams can be conducted online, or a hybrid model (online + offline exams) can be adopted. Further, libraries can be converted into e-libraries. This can help with cost-cutting, as replacing books that can get damaged or misplaced is expensive. There are tons of ways in which schools and colleges can save on paper costs.

       2. Smart Inventory Management

Schools and colleges involve a lot of inventory. In many institutions, you will find inventory being mismanaged. School inventories can include chalks, dusters, markers, stationery items, papers, classroom materials, uniforms, etc. Students or even teachers can easily misplace all these items, and there is a high chance of leakage of funds due to carelessness regarding school inventory.

Certain policy changes can help you reduce fund leakage due to inventory mismanagement. You can place stricter policies and guidelines on managing and distributing inventory items. Further, verifying inventory and tracking each item can help you analyse which items are more susceptible to being misplaced or lost. Additionally, using Smartboards instead of traditional blackboards can further reduce the use of inventory items.

        3. Go for Green Energy

Schools and colleges have high energy consumption. Each class likely has an air conditioner, fans, lights, Smartboards, projectors, etc. Thus, you can imagine the level of energy that a single school or college consumes in a single day, especially in schools that run in multiple shifts. Therefore, choosing green energy can help these institutions save considerably on energy costs.

Installing solar panels can enable the production of electricity in-house—this will directly reduce the electricity costs. Further, schools and colleges can consider switching to LED bulbs that are energy efficient and consume relatively lesser energy. Various other electricity-generating equipment like wind electric systems can be installed to boost electricity production.

         4. Cut out Unnecessary Extracurricular Activities

Schools and colleges tend to conduct a variety of extracurricular activities. While several of these are useful and necessary for the holistic development of the students, educational institutions should evaluate the value that each activity is adding to students’ lives. This does not mean limiting the students to just classroom time—However, many activities only serve as entertainment and do not make a significant positive addition to the student’s development. Schools and colleges can eliminate or replace such activities with more productive and value-adding ones. Certain activities can be shifted to an online platform instead of eliminated. This can help such institutions save the costs of organising and conducting such activities.

          5. Increase Class Sizes

Each classroom comes with its own set of fixed costs. Therefore, increasing the classroom strength effectively reduces the annual spending of schools and colleges. If 20-25 students are typically assigned to one classroom, the institution can consider increasing this number to 30-35, depending upon the classroom size, without compromising the quality of teaching.

Several related costs—hiring extra class teachers, equipment like fans, Smartboards, cupboards, projectors, etc.—will be eliminated as a result. It is crucial to ensure the classes are not overcrowded if using this strategy to cut costs. Further, schools and colleges should strive for better utilisation of existing spaces.

In a Nutshell

Educational institutions need to act smartly to reduce their operational costs. Investing and adopting technology may involve initial investments, but in the long run, it will not only help in cost-cutting but also enhance the administrative efficiency of these institutions. For instance, two of the above suggestions, i.e., going paperless and going green, may require a significant initial investment by an educational institution. However, in the long run, the benefits of these strategies far outweigh the costs.

Further, becoming tech-savvy and adopting the latest trends and technologies to enhance teaching will only help educational institutions deliver better learning experiences and gain a positive reputation among existing as well as prospective students and their parents. There has been a paradigm shift in the schooling system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, Web 3.0 will redefine the way people will consume learning. In this post-COVID era, online schooling is rapidly gaining popularity among students.

The convenience of learning from anywhere has eliminated geography as a concern in obtaining learning. Online schooling is transforming students’ learning experiences, and it is to stay. While the west is already adopting this model, 21K School is India’s first online-only Web 3.0 school that offers transparent and quality education regardless of the situation and location. Now is the time for you to adapt to the new and transparent learning model with 21K School.

#online learning #cost cutting strategies #Online Schools #online homeschooling #Online Schooling

[srmuniversitysonepat]

Explore Your Potential at Delhi-NCR's Premier Educational Hub!

Are you searching for a premier educational institution in Sonepat that offers exceptional academic programs? Look no further than SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat. Renowned for its world-class facilities, distinguished faculty, and diverse academic offerings, SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat stands out as the top university in Sonepat, providing students with a comprehensive educational experience.

An Exciting World of Learning

At SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Sonepat learning is always an adventure! With a wide range of academic programs to choose from, including engineering, management, law, hospitality, and science, there's something for everyone here. Whether you're interested in building robots, exploring the mysteries of the universe, or learning how to run your own business, SRM University Delhi-NCR, the top university in Sonepat, has got you covered.

But what makes SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat truly special is its innovative approach to education. Gone are the days of boring lectures and endless note-taking. Instead, students here are encouraged to think outside the box, ask questions, and explore new ideas. With hands-on projects, interactive classes, and plenty of opportunities for practical learning, SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat is redefining what it means to get an education.

The Best University Ever!

Did you know that SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat is the top university in Sonepat? That's right! When it comes to academic excellence, innovation, and research, SRM University University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat is in a league of its own. But what sets SRM University University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat apart is its amazing faculty. Not only are they experts in their fields, but they're also super friendly and always willing to lend a helping hand.

Whether you're struggling with a tough assignment or just need some advice, you can always count on the teachers at SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat to be there for you. They're not just here to teach you—they're here to help you succeed.

Awesome Facilities

But wait, it gets even better! SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat, the top university in Sonepat, isn't just a place to learn—it's also a place to have fun! The campus is like a giant playground, with state-of-the-art facilities that will blow your mind. From high-tech classrooms and well-equipped laboratories to sprawling sports fields and cozy dormitories, SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat has everything you need to make your college experience unforgettable.

And let's not forget about the library. With its vast collection of books, journals, and online resources, the library at SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat is a treasure trove of knowledge just waiting to be discovered. Whether you're researching a paper or just looking for something to read, you're sure to find what you're looking for here. So Much to Explore!

But the fun doesn't stop there! At SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Sonepat there's always something exciting happening. From sports tournaments and cultural events to technical competitions and community service projects, there's never a dull moment on campus.

And if you're feeling adventurous, why not join one of the many clubs and organizations? Whether you're into photography, music, or entrepreneurship, there's a club for you. And if there isn't, you can always start one yourself!

Making Big Discoveries

But perhaps the best thing about SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat is the opportunity to make your discoveries. With its focus on research and innovation, SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat is the perfect place to explore your interests and push the boundaries of knowledge.

Whether you're conducting experiments in the lab, working on a group project, or presenting your findings at a conference, you'll have plenty of opportunities to make your mark. And who knows? You might just make a discovery that changed the world!

In Conclusion...

So what are you waiting for? Come join us at SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat, the top university in Sonepat, and be a part of something truly special. With its exceptional academic programs, top-notch faculty, world-class facilities, and vibrant community, SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat is more than just a place to get an education—it's a place to discover who you are and who you want to be.

Don't miss out on the adventure of a lifetime. Come be a part of the SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat family today!

#trending #colleges #today on tumblr #university

[doegirly]

cervidae (I forgot to include this, I'm sorry)

Hi! How are you? I hope you're doing well and safe. Thank you so much for conducting free readings! I'd like to participate, please.

Question: Which career path might be best for me? I'm planning to pursue law after graduating college and/or maybe gaining some work experience in relation to my undergrad. Any piece of advice and/or insight will be greatly appreciated ✨

I have Scorpio Sun, Virgo Moon, and Scorpio Rising.

Thank you so much 💕

- Maryel 🌼

READING FOR A SCORPIO RISING, MARYEL! ⭐️ want a free reading?

disclaimer: if doesn’t apply, let it fly <3 feedback is always appreciated! thank you for asking how i am btw, i’m doing quite well! working on some readings before i go in for work!

onto the reading. .

for this reading i pulled the three of pentacles reversed! i seeing as though the pentacles suit is the suit of the earthly energies, i feel like this card is calling more to your virgo moon and your emotions than anything else.

this card warns of power struggles, fierce competition, challenges, struggles to be seen / heard — it’s law school, so i’m sure most of these things were expected in some way. be aware that law school is incredibly harsh and that law in general is a very demanding field.

if you choose to pursue that path, you will have to face these issues and stand firm in your resolution. be as certain as the ground beneath our feet. this card ultimately warns that the path won’t be an easy one! the three of pentacles urges you to seriously consider the facts of this path, positive and negative.

i did do a secondary pull ( i’m nosy, sue me! ) and i got the knight of cups! seeing as though the cups is the water suite, this may be appealing more to your sun and rising sign. the knight of cups is a known romantic, but he also signals emotional support. in terms of your question, he urges you to consider where your passion truly lie. creativity is big with this card but i’d say focus mostly on if you have a passion for law, as you can be creative with every career if you try hard enough.

do you genuinely feel a pull towards law? what job would you want to work involving law? consider how long you’ve felt the urge to go into law, as that will be a big hint! feelings are fleeting, so if you’ve felt it for a long while then it’s definitely for you.

regardless of what you choose, the knight of cups supports you :) so keep that in mind!

⭐️ thank you for requesting, thank you for reading, and thank you for allowing me to connect with you! hope this reading resonates with you <3

#my post #tarot readings #tarot card reading #tarot reading #tarot cards #tarot #tarotblr #tarot witch #free readings #free tarot readings #free tarot #astrology #scorpio rising

[tafsircareercounselor]

Empowering Change: Community Service Diploma in Toronto Overview

Are you passionate about helping others and making a positive impact in your community? Do you have a strong desire to work in the field of community care and outreach? If so, then the Addictions and Community Service Worker Diploma program at ABM College's Toronto campus may be the perfect fit for you.

In this article, we'll explore the benefits of studying for your diploma on-campus at ABM College's Toronto campus and how it can prepare you for a rewarding career in community service.

Why Choose an On-campus Program?

While online learning has become increasingly popular, there are still many benefits to studying on-campus. Here are a few reasons why you should consider an on-campus program for your Addictions and Community Service Worker Diploma.

Hands-on Learning Experience

by Glenn Carstens-Peters (https://unsplash.com/@glenncarstenspeters)

One of the main advantages of studying on-campus is the hands-on learning experience. In the field of community service, it's essential to have practical skills and experience to effectively support and assist individuals in need.

At ABM College's Toronto campus, you'll have access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, allowing you to gain hands-on experience in a simulated work environment. This hands-on learning experience will prepare you for the real-world challenges you may face in your future career.

Face-to-face Interaction with Instructors

Studying on-campus also allows for face-to-face interaction with your instructors. This means you can ask questions, receive immediate feedback, and engage in discussions with your peers and instructors.

In the Addictions and Community Service Worker Diploma program, you'll have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals who have worked in the field and can provide valuable insights and guidance.

Networking Opportunities

Studying on-campus also provides networking opportunities with your classmates and instructors. These connections can be beneficial in your future career, as you may be able to collaborate on projects, share job opportunities, and receive recommendations.

What Will You Learn in the Addictions and Community Service Worker Diploma Program?

The Addictions and Community Service Worker Diploma program at ABM College's Toronto campus is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work in the field of community care and outreach.

Here are some of the key topics covered in the program:

Addictions and Mental Health

by Dan Meyers (https://unsplash.com/@dmey503)

The program covers the fundamentals of addictions and mental health, including the different types of addictions, their causes, and the impact they have on individuals and communities. You'll also learn about mental health disorders, their symptoms, and how to support individuals with mental health challenges.

Community Outreach and Support

The program also focuses on community outreach and support, teaching students how to effectively engage with individuals and communities in need. You'll learn about community resources, how to develop and implement outreach programs, and how to provide support to individuals in crisis.

Counselling Techniques

Counselling is a crucial aspect of community service work, and the program covers various counselling techniques and strategies. You'll learn how to conduct assessments, develop treatment plans, and provide counselling to individuals and groups.

Professional Development

In addition to the technical skills, the program also focuses on professional development. You'll learn about ethical and legal considerations in the field, how to maintain professional boundaries, and how to effectively communicate with clients and colleagues.

What Career Opportunities Are Available?

Upon completion of the Addictions and Community Service Worker Diploma program, you'll be prepared for a variety of career opportunities in the field of community service. Here are some of the roles you may pursue:

Community Service Worker

As a community service worker, you'll work directly with individuals and communities in need, providing support, resources, and assistance. You may work in a variety of settings, such as community centers, shelters, or outreach programs.

Addictions Counsellor

As an addictions counsellor, you'll work with individuals struggling with addiction, providing counselling, support, and resources to help them overcome their challenges. You may work in a variety of settings, such as rehabilitation centers, hospitals, or community organizations.

Mental Health Support Worker

As a mental health support worker, you'll work with individuals who have mental health challenges, providing support, resources, and assistance to help them manage their conditions. You may work in a variety of settings, such as mental health clinics, hospitals, or community organizations.

Why Choose ABM College's Toronto Campus?

ABM College's Toronto campus offers a supportive and inclusive learning environment, with experienced instructors and state-of-the-art facilities. Here are some of the reasons why you should choose ABM College for your Addictions and Community Service Worker Diploma.

Experienced Instructors

At ABM College, you'll learn from experienced professionals who have worked in the field of community service and have a wealth of knowledge to share. They'll provide you with practical insights and guidance to help you succeed in your future career.

Hands-on Learning Experience

As mentioned earlier, ABM College's Toronto campus offers a hands-on learning experience, allowing you to gain practical skills and experience in a simulated work environment. This experience will prepare you for the challenges you may face in your future career.

Career Services

ABM College offers career services to help students prepare for their future careers. This includes resume and cover letter writing, job search assistance, and interview preparation. The college also has partnerships with various organizations, providing students with job placement opportunities.

Conclusion

If you're passionate about making a positive impact in your community and want to pursue a career in community service, then the Addictions and Community Service Worker Diploma program at ABM College's Toronto campus is the perfect choice for you. With experienced instructors, hands-on learning, and a supportive learning environment, you'll be well-prepared for a rewarding career in community care and outreach.

#community support worker program #community service diploma #community support worker diploma #community service worker course #addictions worker diploma

[cozicenter]

Most Americans rely on their own research to make big decisions, and that often means online searches

When it comes to where Americans place their trust as they gather information before making an important decision, a big majority (81%) say they rely a lot on their own research – many more than say they rely a lot on friends and family (43%) or professional experts (31%), according to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey. Some 15% also say they rely on their own research “a little” as they make major decisions.

The 96% of those in the survey who said they rely on their own research a lot or a little were asked to explain in their own words what they mean by “doing their own research.” In answering this open-ended question, they cited a host of sources that often start – but do not end – with searching on the internet. Overall, 46% explained they turned to digital tools, while 25% said they turned to other people for advice. Less commonly cited strategies for self-conducted research included people relying on their prior education or life experiences (11%), reading print media (8%), and consulting religious wisdom (4%). For some, it meant letting their instincts and “gut” inform their decision. Many reported using multiple strategies when seeking advice, often depending on the type of decision they are trying to make.

Several themes stood out as Americans explained in writing the way they do their own research when they make big decisions (responses edited for punctuation, spelling and clarity).

The internet is a starting point, but often not the endpoint:

“I rely on information on the internet, e.g., a move to another city made me look up geographical information, cost of living, and also info from residents of the new area and also input from friends of long standing, using their experiences.” – Woman, 77

“If I were to change jobs, enter college, etc., I would conduct research on the internet. I would search for news articles, seek out publications that evaluate the choices, and try to talk directly to experts or people with relevant experiences.” – Man, 54

“First, I will do a fairly rigorous web search, comparing multiple sources of information for both content and reliability. Afterward, I will follow up with books and other resources from the library.” – Man, 45

I try to use multiple sources:

“All available: Web, reviews, leg work, asking questions, reviewing with my family, finding people who had the same decision to make and get their take on it.” – Man, 54

“Internet, books, articles and others’ experiences. Whatever medium contains information that is relevant and deemed reliable by me.” – Male, age 45

My guides are my gut and my searches:

“My instincts. My wisdom. Google ���. My gut feelings.” – Woman, 60

“I research and read up on everything and everyone involved. I use the internet and research what is available, but I trust my instincts when making decisions.” – Woman, 54

Experts can be found easily online:

“Authoritative sources on the internet written by experts on the subject, primarily.” – Man, 48

Feedback loops matter:

“Talk to my parents and grandparents. I then talk to a friend who’s a subject matter expert if available. I finally move to internet research and research heavily on the internet. If any questions remain I circle back to the beginning and loop through again.” – Man, 26

I rely on people who have been through the same experience:

“Discussions with people who have been in the same situation. Professional advice from doctors, pastors, counselors. Do research on my own via the internet.” – Woman, 72

Religion sometimes matters:

“[I do] online research; asking friends (or persons I respect) their advice. Prayer is a key factor in any decision I make. Also, what the Bible has to say that might apply to my situation.” – Woman, 53

“Major decisions are always led with a conversation with husband. Talking with professional and going online to look at options mentioned by professional plus other alternatives. Is it in line with my faith or scripturally sound? Talking with a trusted friend.” – Woman, 65

Libraries can help:

“Look for resources at the library and I love YouTube because it provides more a personal resource.” – Woman, 39

“Google and library.” – Woman, 20

In a wrap-up comment, a 93-year-old woman respondent to the survey wrote, “I have a few [major decisions] ahead of me. Internet and children assist.”

Reviews and ratings help people in their research

The rise of digital resources on the web and apps has occurred at a time of decreasing trust in institutions like the government, news media and higher education. The move by people to do their own research online is also taking place as the internet is allowing crowds of people to post reviews, ratings and comments of the things they purchase and experience. This internet-enabled, crowd-based activity has been described as distributed trust.

The 2018 survey also asked questions about people’s use of online reviews and ratings. An overwhelming majority (93%) of Americans report reading customer reviews and ratings at least sometimes when buying a product or service for the first time.

By and large, Americans have confidence that reviews and ratings can be beneficial: Majorities say reviews have at least a somewhat positive effect on consumer confidence (88% think they help a lot or some), product safety (80%) and company accountability (78%).

#america #america news #Research Topics #new york #south america #business growth #american bison #American business

[cambridgeenglishacdemy]

Best IELTS Training Institute in Laxmi Nagar With Fees

Are you ready to conquer the IELTS exam with confidence and finesse? Searching for the best IELTS training institute in Laxmi Nagar that can help you achieve your desired scores? Look no further! In this blog post, we will delve into all things IELTS, from exam overview to registration details, and introduce you to Cambridge English Academy — your ultimate destination for top IELTS coaching in Laxmi Nagar. Let’s embark on this journey towards success together!

IELTS Exam Overview

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a globally recognized exam designed to assess the language proficiency of individuals who aim to study, work, or migrate to English-speaking countries. It consists of four sections — Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking — each evaluating different language skills.

The Listening section involves listening to recordings and answering questions based on them. The Reading section tests your ability to understand written texts and answer related questions. The Writing part requires you to write responses for specific tasks. The Speaking section evaluates your spoken English through face-to-face interviews with certified examiners.

IELTS serves as a benchmark for assessing one’s English language abilities accurately and fairly. Whether you are a student aspiring to study abroad or a professional seeking global opportunities, achieving a high score in IELTS can open doors to endless possibilities in your personal and professional life.

Who accepts IELTS scores?

IELTS scores are widely accepted by over 10,000 organizations and institutions around the world. These include universities, colleges, employers, immigration authorities, and professional bodies in English-speaking countries like the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Universities often require IELTS scores as part of their admissions process for international students to ensure they have the necessary English language proficiency to succeed in their courses. Employers may also request IELTS scores from job applicants who need to demonstrate their English language skills for work purposes.

Immigration authorities in countries like Canada and Australia use IELTS scores to assess the English proficiency of individuals applying for visas or residency permits. Having a good understanding of your target institution’s requirements regarding IELTS scores can greatly benefit your academic or career pursuits.

What are the types of IELTS tests?

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) offers two main types of tests: the Academic and General Training modules.

The Academic module is for those planning to study at a university or institution in an English-speaking country. It assesses whether you are ready to begin studying or training in an academic environment, focusing on higher-level language skills.

On the other hand, the General Training module is suitable for individuals who wish to migrate to an English-speaking country for work experience or training programs. This test evaluates practical, everyday language skills in a social and workplace context.

Both modules include four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both modules; however, the Reading and Writing tasks differ based on the purpose of taking the exam.

How many times is the IELTS test conducted in a year ?

The IELTS test is conducted multiple times throughout the year, giving candidates flexibility in choosing a suitable exam date. This allows individuals to plan and prepare for the test according to their schedule and readiness. With regular test dates available, aspiring test-takers can align their preparation efforts effectively.

Candidates can select from various test dates spread across different months, providing ample opportunities to book a slot that suits their convenience. The frequent scheduling of the IELTS exam ensures that applicants have several chances to attempt the test and achieve their desired band scores.

Whether aiming for academic or general training modules, candidates can take advantage of the numerous testing opportunities offered by IELTS annually. This accessibility enables individuals to pursue their aspirations of studying or working abroad without unnecessary delays in taking the required English proficiency examination.

How to register for IELTS exam?

To register for the IELTS exam, first, determine which type of test you need to take: Academic or General Training. Next, find an approved IELTS test center near you. Check available test dates and choose one that fits your schedule.

Once you have selected a date, complete the online registration form on the official IELTS website. Make sure to provide accurate personal information as it will be used for all correspondence.

After submitting the form, pay the registration fee through the available payment methods. Keep in mind that fees may vary depending on your location.

Upon successful registration and payment, you will receive a confirmation email with details about your test venue, time, and what to bring on test day.

Be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time with valid identification documents specified in the confirmation email.

Cambridge English Academy — IELTS Coaching in Laxmi Nagar

Looking for top-notch IELTS coaching in Laxmi Nagar? Look no further than Cambridge English Academy (CEA) India. Known for its exceptional track record of helping students achieve their desired scores, CEA offers comprehensive training programs tailored to suit individual needs.

With a team of experienced and dedicated instructors, CEA ensures that each student receives personalized attention and guidance throughout their IELTS preparation journey. The institute’s structured curriculum covers all sections of the exam — reading, writing, speaking, and listening — equipping students with the skills and strategies needed to excel on test day.

Moreover, CEA’s state-of-the-art facilities provide a conducive learning environment for students to hone their language proficiency. Whether you’re aiming for immigration purposes or higher education opportunities abroad, Cambridge English Academy is your go-to destination for expert IELTS coaching in Laxmi Nagar.

Some Features Of Cambridge English Academy (CEA) India

Cambridge English Academy in Laxmi Nagar stands out as one of the best IELTS training institutes in the area. With a track record of success and experienced faculty, CEA offers comprehensive coaching to help students achieve their desired band scores. The institute provides personalized attention to each student, ensuring that individual learning needs are met.

Moreover, Cambridge English Academy boasts a well-equipped learning environment with modern facilities and resources necessary for effective preparation. Their structured curriculum covers all sections of the IELTS exam thoroughly, helping students build confidence and proficiency in English language skills.

By enrolling at Cambridge English Academy in Laxmi Nagar, you can expect top-notch coaching, valuable study materials, regular mock tests, and constant feedback to monitor your progress. With CEA’s guidance and support, you can enhance your chances of scoring well in the IELTS exam and fulfilling your aspirations of studying or working abroad.

Choose Cambridge English Academy for an unparalleled IELTS coaching experience in Laxmi Nagar!

Read More Info — Best IELTS Coaching Institute In Laxmi Nagar

#bestieltscoachinginlaxminagar

[ricestest]

Understanding the Rice Purity Test Score A Comprehensive Analysis

In the realm of college culture, the Rice Purity Test has become a widely recognized measure of one's innocence or purity. Originating from Rice University in the 1980s, this test consists of a series of questions aimed at assessing various aspects of an individual's life experiences and behaviors. The test has since gained popularity across campuses worldwide as a playful yet revealing way to gauge one's past experiences and lifestyle choices. In this article, we delve deep into the significance, interpretation, and societal implications of the Rice Purity Test score.

What is the Rice Purity Test?

The Rice Purity Test is a questionnaire comprising of a hundred or more questions, each pertaining to different aspects of life experiences. These questions cover a wide range of topics, including romantic relationships, substance use, academic integrity, and personal behaviors. Participants are required to answer honestly based on their past experiences, with each question typically having a yes or no response.

Scoring System

The scoring system of the Rice Purity Test is straightforward. Participants receive one point for every question they answer with a "no." Therefore, the lower the score, the fewer experiences the individual has had that could be considered impure or morally questionable. Conversely, a higher score indicates a broader range of experiences and potentially more adventurous or risqué behavior.

Interpreting the Score

Interpreting the Rice Purity Test score can vary significantly depending on individual perspectives and societal norms. Some may view a high score as indicative of innocence or moral uprightness, while others might see it as a lack of life experience or adventurousness. Conversely, a low score may be interpreted as a sign of worldly experience or a more liberal approach to life.

Factors Influencing Scores

Several factors can influence an individual's Rice Purity Test score:

Cultural Background: Cultural norms and values play a significant role in shaping one's experiences and behaviors. Participants from more conservative cultures or backgrounds may have higher scores compared to those from more liberal or permissive environments.

Personal Beliefs and Values: Individual beliefs and values regarding relationships, substance use, and personal conduct heavily influence how one responds to the test questions. Those with strict moral codes may have higher scores, while others with more permissive attitudes may score lower.

Peer Influence: Peer pressure and social circles can impact the choices individuals make, thereby influencing their test scores. Those surrounded by peers who engage in certain behaviors may be more likely to have experienced them themselves.

Life Stage: The stage of life at which the test is taken can also affect the score. Younger participants, such as high school or college students, may have lower scores due to their relatively limited life experiences compared to older individuals.

Societal Perceptions and Stigma

While the Rice Purity Test is often taken in good fun, it also reflects broader societal perceptions and stigmas surrounding certain behaviors. For example, questions related to sexual activity or substance use may carry different connotations depending on cultural and societal norms. This can lead to judgment or stigma attached to individuals based on their test scores, perpetuating stereotypes or expectations about behavior.

Criticism and Controversy

Despite its popularity, the Rice Purity Test has faced criticism from various quarters. Some argue that the test promotes a narrow and judgmental view of morality, equating purity with the absence of certain experiences. Others criticize its lack of nuance, as the yes or no format fails to capture the complexities of human behavior and relationships.

Personal Reflection and Growth

While the Rice Purity Test can be a lighthearted activity, it also provides an opportunity for personal reflection and growth. Reflecting on one's past experiences and behaviors, regardless of the score obtained, can lead to insights about values, boundaries, and personal growth areas. It can also spark conversations about societal expectations and the importance of individual autonomy in decision-making.

Conclusion

The Rice Purity Test serves as a playful yet thought-provoking tool for assessing one's past experiences and behaviors. While the score itself may hold varying degrees of significance, the act of self-reflection it encourages is invaluable. Ultimately, our experiences shape who we are, but it is our attitudes, values, and actions that define our character and integrity. As such, the Rice Purity Test, while entertaining, should be viewed as just one piece of the puzzle in understanding ourselves and others.

#rice purity test #fitness #gym

[entrepreneurgoddess]

Entrepreneurial Mind - "CHE - NDahan"

Survey Interview for the Proposal of the Honesty Pantry at the College of Human Ecology. 

"The CHE - NDahan"

For this blog, it documents the results of the conducted interview made by the students from BSND 2A, namely the "CHEsmosa".

Definition of the Hypothesis

The target of our CHE-NDahan was the students at the College of Human Ecology, at Central Mindanao University. We have conducted the interview where they are the potential buyers of the CHE-NDahan in the future. The hypothesis is "if this proposed project can help the students benefit from it, such as valuing the customers by providing their daily necessity and addressed their concern regarding the far area where they can access their needs. Then we'd be their to offer our service with our future store." The goal of the interview was to confirm the hypothesis made by the team and also to gather more information.

Testing and Results of the Hypothesis

28 students from the college of Human Ecology was interviewed, aiming to evaluate a hypothesis. We've put few questions that they can evaluate; challenges they have encountered as students within the college, their perspectives on a proposed project, and recommendations for products to be included in the said project.

Coming from the result of the interview most students concern are associated with the lack of access to a nearby store. Convenience store that are supposedly aiming to provide them with primary needs such as food and water, also printings and other needs, they happen to have to walk a distant store to have these. Additionally, they have to forcefully insert this effort and extra money at their short breaks after class and even have to deal with the harsh weather conditions.

  The survey had shown that the suggested solution can cater the concern of the students. Providing a convenient means near the college premises . Moreover, the respondents displayed favorable attitudes and anticipation towards the proposed resolution.

  In conclusion, we have seen positive outcome with the proposed project. And the students also agreed with the idea, as this will give them a service that will allow them to experience service that will address the scarcity of the necessary needs inside the said college.

Team Options and Decisions

    The team came up with one decision to solve the problem that was identified during the survey. Our scope was aiming to provide them food that is cheap and easily accessible.

Establishing an honesty store in the College of Human Ecology was the choice that we made because most of our respondents wished to have access to stores, however, there are no stores nearby the college and it is such a burden. Since there isn't a store nearby, this honesty store will assist the students from the College of Human Ecology in getting a snack without wasting too much of their time, money and effort. In our CHE - NDahan, they can get their basic needs such as bottled water, biscuits and other foods. Without this honesty pantry, students have to travel to Chow - koi or near the College of Veterinary Medicine, which may be quite a distance from the college.

This decision made by the team is the option of resolving common struggles of the college students, that includes access to quality and safe foods.

Lesson Learned 

   It was challenging for us to identify what a student truly need, since there were many. And providing the perfect and accessible necessity is quite difficult and at some point there were many preferences one provide. With every concern that we wishes to address we have thought to cater the utmost needs of our respondents and that had helped us to go under a specific scope where we can focus and start. From each others support from the team, it lead me to conclude that these ideas imparted was a big help despite a small act, cause i believe that one ripple that stared from micro can make a macro effect.

Documentation (kindly open the link below)

The CHE - NDahan by CHEsmosa:

Alambatin, Jaime

Alaya - ay, Mawin Kane

Cloma, Kara Kris

Distor, Kent

Garcia, Mekyla Shane

Naag, Kate Donna Faye

Salvador, Keith Andrew