#psychology and philosophy and education and stuff

[jackleopard]

I went to a school to test some kids today for my thesis and the teacher who received me and talked to me while we waited for the headmaster was the nicest person 💕💕💕

#he was like ‘ah what are you doing for your thesis’ and we started talking and he has a philosophy degree and we like debated about #psychology and philosophy and education and stuff #and he was so interesting and also sooo nice he kept like saying ‘wow I’m really enjoying your ideas and your perspective’ #and then he was also super nice when I needed a place to test the kids in and he like helped me move chairs and tables and get the kids from #their classes #then I had to stay there over lunch time and he was like adamant that I must eat and that the school could give me food and I didn’t have to #go out and buy anything but I had to tell him no bc my stomach is sooo sensitive I couldn’t eat (and also I’m a picky eater aksjjdd) #and he was like so worried that I would faint that i would be hungry or thirsty etc #and then when I finished he insisted on walking me out of the school and to a main avenue — because the school is in this kind of ‘unsafe/ #dangerous’ area and I was like ‘thank you but you don’t have to’ bc he had helped so much #but he wouldn’t hear of it so he did walk me and I was so grateful bc a) I have THE worst sense of direction so I was going to get lost #and b) it was a really long way to the main avenue and I was glad for the company to distract myself of how tired and hungry I actually was #and lastly he told me that he really wanted to come to my thesis presentation whenever I did it because he was really impressed by how well #i articulated myself and how interesting my subject was which was so 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 #idk it was really like such a heartwarming thing he was just SO incredibly nice and made a day that could’ve been sooo tiring a lot better #uni #personal

[vaulthunterlands]

BORDERLANDS COLLEGE AU

Stupid idea I had a few nights ago, don't think too hard about the inconsistencies in ages and stuff. Probably just doing Vault Hunters and a few other characters.

ROLAND

Majoring in cybersecurity. Good student, studies and gets consistently high grades. Has a well-formulated meal and workout plan. Also an RA on campus. Roland is the guy you go to if you have issues. He might not be great at "talking you through them" or "showing empathy" but he always has solid advice and is well-respected by his peers.

BRICK

I was going to say "Brick wouldn't go to college in canon" but this isn't canon babeyyyy. Brick is going into veterinary medicine. You may think this is completely off as a major for him, but I argue that his love for dogs is far greater than any challenge he may face in his education. Still a gym maniac. Roland is his RA, which means Roland is in charge of calming Brick down when he gets mad. Dating Mordecai. Also, unrelated but Brick in a philosophy class:

"Brick, can you tell us what you think about what Descartes said?"

"I PUNCH Descartes."

LILITH

Y'all are going to hate me for this but Lilith is a chemistry major. Girl loves fire, electricity, and acid so you can't tell me she wouldn't be a menace in her labs. (Also, before the first game was released her full title was "Dr. Lilith Cashlin, Mercenary Scientist") Only goes to class half the time but still does really well. Rooms with Mordecai and Brick. Huge crush on this RA she keeps seeing around

MORDECAI

BIRD MAAAAAN. Y'all already know this guy is doing two things on campus. 1) Majoring in Ornithology 2) Going to parties to get drunk. This man is the epitome of "college is for partying". Keeps birds in campus (not allowed) and is doing okay in his classes (he is hung over 80% of the time) (Mordy pls) Dating Brick.

PATRICIA TANNIS

Honestly, what field of science ISN'T this girl majoring in? She's insane(ly smart) and constantly gets perfect scores on all of her exams. Closest friends are Roland and the gang.

MARCUS

Why is he here??? What??? Marcus is the guy who runs the restaurant that is directly across the street from campus. *Phenomenal* food, but GOD is it pricey. Tends to not care about many of the students chilling (as long as they BUY SOMETHING)

SCOOTER

Doesn't go to this college but he's good friends with Roland and his pals. Likes to go out drinking with them on the weekends and is just all-in-all a cool guy to hang around with. Friends with Janey.

AXTON

BMOC. Captain of the football team. You can trust him! (He's the water boy.) Total jock but he's not an asshole about it. Majoring in Rehabilitation Science. He's... not the *best* student, but he does try and genuinely care about what he wants to do. Lives with Salvador, Maya, and Zer0 in a dorm.

SALVADOR

Culinary major. My man can COOK. He's the best cook in the dorm and no one will ever argue if he offers to cook. Really good student even though he parties all the time with Mordecai, Brick, and Axton. Lives with Maya, Axton, and Zer0.

ZER0

*Insert weeb joke here* They're a literature major. Not just because of the haiku, either. I feel like Zer0 would be fantastic in literature courses and understanding thr deeper meanings in texts. They are seen as a "weird kid" on campus. They do not care. Lives with Maya, Salvador, and Axton.

MAYA

The reason I made this list (big surprise, V does a huge post and it's Maya's fault), Maya majors in entomology. (S/O to @forbiddenpurplesoda for this because I've always thought Maya would be a bug girl) Maya is a phenomenal student and she always gets great marks in her studies. Lives with Axton, Sal and Zer0. Has at least one pet beetle that makes Axton panic.

GAIGE

Mechanical Engineering/Robotics major. Obviously built Deathtrap as a buddy because she felt a little lonely in her dorm. Calls her Dad every night. Has a huge crush on a girl in one of her math classes. Lives with...

KRIEG!!!!

Listen. Listen. Krieg majors in psychology. The *actual* football captain. Doesn't talk much and when he does, it's complete nonsense. (Everyone just goes "haha classic Krieg") Gaige gets along with him extremely well. Maya and him have a thing where they will just look at each other and think "holy shit they're so gorgeous). Always wears a face mask.

TINA

Child prodigy chemistry major, buddies with Lilith and Roland. But seriously, who let this kid in the lab? Like, okay, yeah, she knows what she's doing, but what she's doing is COMBUSTION REACTIONS. How is she still in school.

ELLIE

Engineering major. Lives in the building across from Roland and the gang. Absolute sweetheart and huge flirt but will also drop you on her ass if you threaten her friends.

MOXXI

I could see Moxxi as a professor of engineering, actually. Every student thinks she's gorgeous and she's learned to ignore it. Scooter and Ellie's Mom. Thinks their friends are funny.

HANDSOME JACK

Oh man, this one was tough. I decided on absolute tool you meet in college who's the head of a frat and thinks he's God's gift to women. Lives in the same building as Roland, Lilith, Brick, Mordecai, Salvador, Axton, Maya, Zer0, Gaige, and Krieg. Constantly getting into arguments with... basically everyone listed above. Majors in business.

ANGEL

She's an art major!!! She's super intelligent and aces all of her classes but she absolutely loves art. Jack is her brother in this AU. Has a crush on the cute punk girl in her math class but could never tell her. Lives in a single.

ALISTAIR HAMMERLOCK

Double majors in conservation biology and zoology! Finds the creatures that he studies absolutely fascinating and always has a bright disposition on his face. Lives in a single that looks exactly like you think it does (his room on Sanctuary III). Strained relationship with his sister.

ATHENA

Acient History Major, specifically interested in Ancient Greece (wonder why?). Works at Marcus' restaurant. Hates it. Pay her more. Has her eyes on a girl that frequents Marcus' restaurant. Tried to live with Wilhelm, Jack, Nisha, Timothy, and Claptrap for a semester, she is now a commuter. Still friends with Timothy.

WILHELM

Jack's second-in-command. People look at him like he's a dumbass, big hunk of meat, but he's also in a robotics major. Aside from being buddies with Jack, he's... kind of chill? Man likes what he likes and he works out pretty often. Boxes in his free time. Lives with Nisha, Jack, Timothy, and (formerly) Claptrap.

NISHA

Criminal justice major, naturally. Jack's girlfriend and the baddest and scariest bitch on campus. Likes watching old western movies. Never, ever shows up to class but still passes. No one knows how. Lives with Jack, Timothy, Wilhelm, and (formerly) Claptrap

CLAPTRAP

Theater major! Always has a smile on his face, even though he's nooooot very well-liked. Tried to get in with the popular guys but eventually figured out he was being used. He confronted Jack and Jack kicked him out of the dorm 😔 Lives... well, he kind of just lives around Roland's dorm. Roland's too nice to say no.

TIMOTHY

I feel like Tim would be a Biology major. I don't know why but I can see him in that field. Looks SCARILY similar to Jack, and hates this. Unfortunately put into a room with Jack, Wilhelm, Nisha, and (formerly) Claptrap. Misses Athena greatly and wishes she still lived on campus. They're still good friends.

AURELIA HAMMERLOCK

Oh good lord, who let her on a college campus. Has an extravagant single room because she's *rich* and she's not sharing with someone else are you insane? Studies law because this bitch wants to be a judge someday. Absolutely hates to be seen with her brother Alistair. Rivalry with another rich law student makes this even more tense.

JANEY SPRINGS

Doesn't go to this college but she knows a few people around campus and hits up Marcus' restaurant for a bite to eat every so often. The food is just so good, right? No other reason. None at all. Friends with Scooter.

RHYS STRONGFOK

Rhys is a business and economics major. Is in Jack's frat. Is getting increasingly sick of Jack's shit. Buddy buddy with Vaughn, Fiona, and Zer0. Dating Sasha.

VAUGHN

Accounting major. Man has a mind like a steel trap, and also enjoys bodybuilding. Best friends with Rhys, good friends with Fiona and Sasha.

FIONA

I genuinely feel like Fiona would be a nursing or Healthcare major. I have no basis for this, it just feels right for her. Hates Jack and keeps telling Rhys to tell him to fuck off. Friends with Rhys and Vaughn, Sasha's older sister.

SASHA

Social work major! Loves helping people and wants to make a change in the world after she and Fiona grew up in less-than-ideal circumstances. Dating Rhys, also keeps telling Rhys to get away from Jack. Friends with Vaughn.

MOZE

Transfer student. Served in the military for a while before deciding she wanted to go to college. Undecided major but she's just trying to focus on the pretty women I mean her grades haha am I right? ALWAYS at Marcus'. Always. Lives with Zane, Amara, and FL4K.

FL4K

FL4K has Mr. Chew, Broodless and Meat-Thief as emotional support animals. I can see FL4K as a double major in zoology and veterinary medicine. Loves their pets. Super chill unless you speak badly about them or their pets. Will shank a bitch. Lives with Zane, Moze, and Amara.

AMARA

Healthcare studies major, with a focus on pathology. Also a bodybuilder. Also a boxer. Amara is that girl and she knows it. Always asking Moze to work out with her and she is completely oblivious to Moze being head over heels. Will fight someone being mean to a customer service worker. Lives with Zane, Moze, and FL4K.

ZANE

Pop pop went back to college! No but in this AU Zane is probably older than everyone but not that much older. His major was tough for me, but I honestly think he'd be a good candidate for a major in rehabilitation science with Axton. Also LOVES parties.

WAINWRIGHT JAKOBS

His Father wanted him to go into Business to take over the family legacy but he decided to go into law to "protect the little guy". Has daily arguments with this stuck-up, pretentious "harpy" that's in most of his classes. She's awful. Has a crush on this well-spoken man in zoological studies. At least that will take his mind off of the harpy.

TROY CALYPSO

Troy is a media and communications major. Has a fantastic time making videos and being admin of many social media pages but doesn't do very well in class because he dislikes most of his professors. Has a very close relationship with his sister, Tyreen.

TYREEN CALYPSO

Double major in Art History and Theater. Loves to be the center of attention and often stars in her brother's videos and projects. She loves it. A little full of herself. Close with her brother, Troy.

TYPHON DELEON

OKAY WAIT WAIT DON'T CLOSE THE POST HEAR ME OUT.

Cringe boomer history professor that can be easily distracted by him telling his stories of his many adventures (no one knows if they're true or not). Troy and Tyreen's Father. NOT a piss poor Dad in this AU, just embarrassing as all hell. Pretty decent guy but he's okay as a professor. (Please guys let me have my "Typhon is a good cringe embarrassing boomer dad to the Calypsos" AU)

OKAY this was a really long post and I probably forgot someone but I'm sure I'll hear about it LMAO. Also I don't know every single college major and its appropriate title, I just went off of vibes. Pls be nice 2 me

#borderlands #borderlands 2 #borderlands the presequel #tales from the borderlands #borderlands 3 #roland the soldier #lilith the siren #mordecai the hunter #brick the berserker #patricia tannis #marcus kincaid #scooter hodunk #axton the commando #salvador the gunzerker #zer0 the assassin #maya the siren #gaige the mechromancer #krieg the psycho #tiny tina #ellie hodunk #moxxi hodunk #handsome jack #angel the siren #alistair hammerlock #athena the gladiator #Wilhelm the enforcer #nisha the lawbringer #claptrap the fragtrap #timothy lawrence the doppleganger #aurelia hammerlock

[belle-keys]

My Year of (Educational) Podcasts

I spent 12,000 minutes this year listening to podcasts according to Spotify. No, I do not listen to alphamale or girlboss or true crime podcasts– I mostly listen to history, philosophy, and literature podcasts i.e. educational podcasts. Here are 12 fun, well-executed podcasts I’d recommend if you’d like to learn more about your favourite (Humanities and Social Sciences) topics.

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. This is a podcast about the history of sex and sexuality. The podcast pays special attention to overlooked aspects of queer history, pop culture, and cultural superstitions. The love life and sex life of historical and artistic figures are also discussed with historians.

Dan Snow's History Hit. This podcasts discusses the most exciting and culturally relevant historical events and figures with expert panel guests. Clears up historical misconceptions and deals with the most interesting topics in an engaging way.

Occult Confessions. This podcast is about the history of the occult, witches, folklore, magicians, and conspiracies. There are discussions of folklore, religious history, and cults. The themes are dark but quite fascinating.

Intelligence Squared. This podcast is centered on cultural and academic debates and deep-dives into polemical topics among top UK experts. I really enjoy their episodes about writers, art, and artists.

The History of Literature. This is about, well, the history of literature i.e. the contexts that created impressive writers, literary movements, and literary works. It also debates and critically discusses classic works.

The Korea File. Y'all know I love kpop and kdramas and by extension, am quite fascinated by Korean culture and society given how much I interact with Korean media. This podcast, produced by a couple of Korean guys, critically explores Korean media, culture, society, and history.

Not Just the Tudors. A fun history podcast that doesn't only cover English Tudor history, but definitely covers a whole damn lot of English Tudor history. Mainly focuses on 13th-17th century global history.

Classical Stuff You Should Know. A podcast about the classical world, the Western Canon, and world philosophy. Discussions of the classics are in conversational layman terms. Topics not restricted to the Graeco-Roman world.

Why Theory. A podcast that uses philosophy and psychological theory to examine culture, history, art and human behavior. Lots of pertinent contemporary social topics are discussed.

Brown History. A podcast about South Asia and "brown" Asian demographics. A wide range of topics, from Pakistani history to the Indian diaspora to Afghan migration to the colonization of India by Great Britain.

Philosophize This!. This podcast covers philosophy, philosophies, and philosophers. I highly recommend listening to the episodes in order as much as possible. Breaks down the complex philosophical ideas using simple terms.

The Thing About Austen. This is a podcast about the world of Jane Austen from the time period to the people to the culture which influenced her big literary hits. Hits that sweet spot between literature and history in a creative way. Recommend for all the Pride and Prejudice (2005) fanatics.

#i could make at least three more of these lmfao #if you have an oddly specific podcast rec request hmu #podcasts #spotify #postcast recs #podcast recommendations #podcast reviews #podcasting #history #literature #books and literature #book blog #nerdy #studyblr #learning #education #light academia #light academia blog #philosophy

[licorice-lips]

You know, one thing that really bothers me about how people view Bunny and the whole point of The Secret History is that they seem to think that because Richard is an unreliable narrator, that makes him a complete liar and everything that he says happened to and with Bunny was completely twisted into portraying him as bad as Richard can to justify Bunny's murder.

Although that's truth to some extent, I refuse to believe everything about their interactions is a lie, because that would be just lazy writing to justify things you don't want to think about very hard instead of really putting an effort into explaining the open ends to your reader. And I don't believe Donna Tartt is this kind of writer.

Anyway, I saw a post here on tumblr where op says that Bunny is the person that connected the rest of the group to ground reality and that's why his death is so tragic. Even agreeing with this person, I have some thoughts I still want to vent to you guys.

The point of TSH is that knowledge just for aesthetics is dangerous, but that's the thing: our characters have so much knowledge and they are still absolute idiots because they don't see their knowledge through the lens of reality. Their knowledge has no material grounds and therefore, it doesn't even occur to them to be aware of the things they are ignorant about because our minds have trouble understanding how much we don't understand.

(Which is ironic, considering Ancient Greece were the very first Occidental civilization to bring the notion of ignorance to the conversation, but anyways...)

But my point is, as much as Bunny is their link to their humanity, it's not like the humanity Bunny shows is anywhere near the kind of humanity they should be craving, sorry not sorry. From their very first interaction, I hated Bunny because although he's human in his rawest form, he's also just as ignorant as the rest of the group, just in a different way. My problem with Bunny as he's portrayed even early on is that he prides himself on his own ignorance and that, in my personal values, is way more worrisome then not understand how much you don't know.

Because the second case still has space to grow, to learn — albeit with mighty hardship, as exemplified by the very story — and the first one (Bunny's ignorance) is just stasis. And humans don't thrive through inaction, it's just not how we're wired. We are our best version when we're acting to be better — you can perceive this in Bell Hook's All About Love (Chapter 4), in psychology (my therapist has almost emphasize the need to act on my emotions instead of just feeling it and be locked up on them), Theodore Roosevelt has a speech about it too (the man in the arena).

So when I look at Bunny's character through the critical thinking of Richard being an unreliable narrator, it's still inconceivable to me to see him as some people do and be sad about his murder like he didn't deserve to die. Now let's be clear: he didn't deserve to die but it's not like the world is a worst place because of his death. Bunny is insufferable, entitled (although not because of the reasons Henry and the other point out later in the story to justify his murder), bigoted and overall just the epitome of a middle-class American white man (which to me is his worst characteristic), and his death is not that tragic in the overall sense.

His death is tragic because it brings the rest of the group back to reality, where what they do has weight and consequences. And don't even get me started on Julian and how much I hate his ass because it was his responsibility to provide these young adults with an education that was at the very least, grounded in reality. And let me be clear, when I say "grounded in reality" I don't mean common sense. He could still reflect upon Beauty and Terror and all of the stuff he wanted. The problem is that there's a why. We don't study things (specially not philosophy) in a vacuum, the things we do study are real, palpable, material. It has grounds in reality because science, Social Science in special, is about the truth of reality and how it's viewer and how it shapes our very foundations as individuals and as society.

But I digress, I'll do a commentary on Julian and his teaching methods later on.

So in a sense, Bunny's death was tragic because he was the anchor, even in death, of a reality none of the characters wanted to face. A reality that isn't pretty, nor it is good. So Bunny is not good, he was never good. He was just real. He was a real human being and he lived in the world the rest of the group avoided in a mistaken sense of arrogance, of being above "all that". And that's charming, but it doesn't mean Bunny represent anything near the kind of reality we should aim to live in.

Bunny, just like the others, was ignorant and arrogant about it. But as I said, he prided himself on his ignorance. He studied because he was killing time until he was ready to do something else, something he thought was the "real" thing. And that's just as dangerous, or even more so in a collective sense, than not being aware of our own ignorance.

To deny knowledge and the importance of it, to deny all there is behind the aesthetic, not because you don't see it but because you don't want to see it, is just as dumb as just seeing the looks and thinking there's nothing more to it. And in a collective sense, it's just as harmful. The reality he represents is a reality without knowledge, it's studying and not absorbing anything, not even the aesthetic. The one thing that makes me hate the rest of the group a bit less than I hate Bunny is that they at the very least allow themselves to be influenced by knowledge, although in a idiotic way. And that's not even completely their fault.

Bunny, on the other hand, is just, stasis. He's the same person throughout it all, and based on his family and his general behaviour? He could've been an okay person (the kind you tolerate in family dinners because it's not worth the drama), but he was very far from being a good person because to be a good person requires action, it requires the very knowledge he despises — because if you act without knowledge, you're just as blind as any ignorant (that's why we study).

So I don't get why people get so invested in defending Bunny because his death was just as meaningless as his life would've been. And I get that that sounds mean, but it's true exactly because Bunny's whole thing is his own brand of ignorance is inaction and no one changes doing nothing.

#tsh donna tartt #tsh #the secret history #donna tartt #dark academia aesthetic #dark academia #dark academia memes #richard papen #bunny corcoran #iwwv #writers #writing #the secret history spoilers #the secret history aesthetic #i hate Bunny Corcoran #tbh I hate every character of this book #but i guess its the point #books #bunny corcoran is my actual nightmare #maybe it's trauma #i met a lot of bunny corcorans in my life #probably more than I should #for my very mental health

[cheeeerie]

I hate summer I wanna go back to school SO BAD.

Ninjago College AU.

COLE!

He’s a Performing Arts Major with a Geology Minor :)

He doesn’t have many classes with the others, but he has had a couple classes with Nya since their minors have some overlap

Roommates with Jay, suitemates with Zane and Kai

Constantly getting in trouble for breaking quiet hours because he keeps listening to abba at 3 am

His dad is a dance professor. Cole tries desperately not to take any of his dad’s classes but he had to for his major eventually, he spends the entire time pretending he doesn’t know his dad while Lou is like “EVERYONE LOOK HOW TALENTED MY SON IS!”

Gets the most out of his meal plan. He’s in the dining hall three times a day.

Part time barista. Pretty good one too, but he keeps sleeping late and getting fired

KAI!

Sports Management Major with a Primary Education Minor

He has to take a lot of business classes for his major and he HATES all his business major classmates

He has classes with Lloyd, since his minor is Lloyd’s major

Roommates with Zane, suitemates with Cole and Jay

Every time there’s a health and safety check he sends Zane to the door to stall while he hurriedly hides all his lighters and candles. Never gets in trouble with the RA because Zane is great at stalling.

Takes FOREVER in the shower, Jay is always pounding on the door cause he has to pee. Kai repays him by banging on the walls when Jay and Cole are being way to loud in the middle of the night.

He coaches kids karate part time, plus whatever odd jobs he can find, since he’s paying for all of this himself

JAY!

Electrical Engineering Major, Digital Arts Minor

Has classes with Nya cause they’re both in engineering, plus he shares a minor with Pixal so they have a ton of class overlap.

Roommates with Cole, Suitemates with Zane and Kai

Cole and Jay have their beds bunked so Cole has room to dance and Jay has room for his gaming set-up. Jay streams, and very often Cole will just be practicing choreography in the background.

He doesn’t have a job, but he still has all the best stuff cause his parents send frequent care packages. They make sure to include goodies for everyone else too, though :)

Gets in trouble for having contraband CONSTANTLY. Do you know how many times this man has almost burned the entire dorm hall down in an electrical fire??? At least four times. Plus he’s always loudly playing video games during quiet hours.

lives on instant noodles, which he makes in his hot pot, which he is definitely not supposed to have

ZANE!

Computer Science Major with a Philosophy Minor

Has classes with Jay and Pixal because of the computer stuff, plus some classes with Lloyd because their minors have a lot of overlap.

Roommates with Kai, suitemates with Jay and Cole.

He has a lot of cooking supplies that he isn’t supposed to have, but he’s very careful so he doesn’t get caught.

Makes THE BEST dorm food, has the gang over for dinner pretty frequently.

Makes dean’s list basically every semester, man writes a hell of a paper

Sleeps like a rock, so Jay and Cole being loud all the time doesn’t bother him. He doesn’t even notice Kai banging on the walls and telling them to shut up.

He and Kai don’t bunk their beds, they each have their own side of the room. Zane’s side is very organized and well decorated. Kai’s side is a trash fire. Zane doesn’t touch the trash fire he just gently nudges is to Kai’s side of the room.

Whenever Kai stays the night somewhere else Zane washes Kai’s sheets. That is the only time Kai’s sheets get washed.

He has an on-campus job in the library

LLOYD!

Secondary Education Major with a double Minor in Psychology (because he’s traumatized) and theology (because his grandpa is god)

He’s actually still 17, he graduated early because he hated high school and wanted to be with his friends who are all older than him

He lives off campus in an apartment with his dad and step-dad, but the commute isn’t far and he stays the night at Kai and Zane’s dorm a lot

He has a lot of classes with Kai since they’re both in education, plus his theology minor and Zane’s philosophy minor have a lot of overlap so they have classes together too

He’s such an over achiever, he’s in the library studying day and night

He wanted to get a job but his dad said no because he already works too hard in school

He’s group baby. He once convinced the gang to take him with them to a party but they all just ended up baby sitting him the whole time. They ran a full investigation on every drink he was handed and stood behind him like body guards every time someone talked to him

NYA!

Mechanical Engineering Major, Coastal Environmental Science Minor

Roommates with Pixal, I haven’t decided if they have suitemates/who it would be

Her and Pixal’s room is decorated PERFECTLY.

She has a lot of classes with Jay, plus some with Cole because of their minors are both natural sciences. Her and Pixal have a ton of classes together because they have the same major

She has a pet fish in her dorm named Nyad :) Kai thinks that name is stupid

“You can’t name your pet after yourself” “I didn’t name her after myself I named her after Nyad” “who you’re named after” “…listen here you little shit—”

The boys stay the night at Nya and Pixal’s all the time, sometimes even all five of them at once, but they never get in trouble. Nya thinks it’s because she’s so sneaky.

It’s actually because Pixal writes most of the RA’s papers.

Nya is on the school’s swim team, but she hates it. She’d quit if she could, but she’s there on a swim scholarship and she can’t afford to pay for school herself.

PIXAL!

Mechanical Engineering Major, Digital Arts Minor

Nya’s roommate

She’s constantly making things to make everyone’s lives just a little easier

She’s like the princess of the tech/engineering department, every professor wants her as a TA soooo bad, both because of who her father is AND because she’s insanely talented

She’s surprisingly artistic. Well, it’s a surprise to her, no one else is surprised, they just expect her to be good at everything at this point. Makes some very pretty things in the design classes she has to take for digital arts

She doesn’t need the money (her father is seriously filthy rich) but she works at a mechanic shop part time for fun. Whatever money she makes she uses to buy things for the rest of the gang

President’s list

Fuck I accidentally hit the poll button and it won’t let me get rid of it ummm uhhh

#ninjago #lego ninjago #pixal borg #cole brookstone #zane julien #jay walker #nya smith #lloyd garmadon #kai smith #this isn’t very interesting is it #oh well posting anyway #ninjago au

[theculturedmarxist]

Our civilization is sick because all its systems ensure that human behavior is driven by profit, and health isn’t profitable. Nobody gets rich from everyone staying healthy all the time. The gears of capitalism will still keep turning if its populace is made shallow and dull by bad education and crappy art made for profit. Billionaires aren’t made by leaving forests and oceans unmolested, consuming less, mining less, drilling less, using less energy. The economy doesn’t soar when the world is at peace and nations are working together in harmony.

If you programmed an advanced AI to arrange human behavior solely around extracting the maximum amount of profit possible using existing technologies, its world wouldn’t look a whole lot different from the real one. We’re being guided by unthinking, unfeeling systems that don’t care about the good of our minds, our hearts, our health, or our biosphere, which will sacrifice all of the above to accomplish the one goal we’ve set them to accomplish.

It’s just a dogshit way to run a civilization. It doesn’t work. It’s left us with a dying world full of crazy morons hurtling toward nuclear armageddon on multiple fronts. Our systems have failed as spectacularly as anything can fail.

It’s simple really: we settled for capitalism as the status quo system because it’s an efficient way to churn out a lot of stuff and create a lot of wealth, but now we’re churning out too much stuff too quickly and society is enslaved by the wealthy. So now new systems are needed.

❖

So much of modern political life consists of the ruling class tricking the public into trading away things the ruling class values in exchange for things the ruling class does not value. Trading revolution for the feeling of being revolutionary. Trading actual freedom and democracy for the story of having freedom and democracy. Trading away the civil rights our rulers actually care about like unrestricted speech and freedom from surveillance in exchange for culture wars about racism and transphobia. Trading real labor for imaginary money. In every way possible we’re being duped into trading away real power for empty narrative fluff.

❖

One part of the problem is that in this mind-controlled dystopia people are prevented from knowing how deeply evil their government is, so the idea of their government surveilling them and regulating their speech and their access to information doesn’t scare them like it should.

This is why it annoys me when people say “Stop talking about the problems, we need to talk about solutions!” It’s like mate, we’re so far from ever being able to implement solutions — we haven’t even gotten to a point where a significant number of people know the problems exist. Step one is spreading awareness of the problems and their sources, because nobody’s going to turn and fight an enemy who they still believe is their friend. Systemic solutions are pretty far down the track from that point.

❖

It’s a pretty well-established fact by now that free will doesn’t exist nearly to the extent that most religions, philosophies and judicial systems pretend it does. Our minds are very hackable and propaganda is very effective. If you don’t get this, you don’t understand the problem.

Do a deep dive into cognitive biases and how they operate. Look into the research which shows our brains know what decisions we’re going to make several seconds before the conscious mind thinks we’re making them. You’re going to tell me these are organisms with free agency?

In order to understand what we’re up against you have to understand psychological manipulation, how effective it is, and why it works, because mass-scale psychological manipulation is the primary force preventing the public from turning against our rulers in our own interest.

❖

It seems like a lot of the inertia and self-defeating hopelessness that people have about fighting the machine comes from knowing the political awakenings of the sixties fizzled out, but I don’t think that would be the case if people understood just how much hard work the machine had to put into making them fizzle.

I mean, we all get that the death of activist movements didn’t just happen on its own, right? We all know about COINTELPRO? Known instances where one out of every six activists was actually a federal infiltrator? The roll-out of the most sophisticated propaganda machine that has ever existed?

The amount of energy the western empire has poured into killing all leftist and antiwar movement is staggering, but people just think the acid wore off and the hippies turned into yuppies and the Reagan administration happened on its own. It didn’t. They had to work hard at that.

The revolution didn’t organically fizzle out, it was actively strangled to death. And what’s left in its place is this defeatist attitude where people want a healthy society but believe it can’t be attained, so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We COINTELPRO ourselves now.

People think we can’t use the power of our numbers to force the emergence of a healthy society, and we don’t deserve one because we dropped the ball. But we didn’t knowingly drop the ball, we were manipulated out of it. And the manipulators had to work very, very hard to do so. Those movements died out because the machine understood very clearly that it needed to stomp them out with extreme aggression and knew exactly what it needed to do to accomplish this, while ordinary people did not. It’s not a fair fight if only one party knows it’s a fight.

The machine won one battle and everyone’s acting like they won the war. They didn’t. We can absolutely pick up the fight again, and we can overwhelm them with our numbers. If we had any idea how hard they had to work to win that one battle, this would be clear to everybody.

#revolution #leftism #socialism #communism #capitalism #caitlin johnstone #cointelpro

[euphraisette]

Modern les mis college au majors but I basically almost don’t care about canon:

Enjolras: law and polisci. Wants to go into politics but also holds the view that the modern political system is deeply broken and doesn’t want to contribute to it in it’s current state so maybe he’ll just be a public defender.

Grantaire: art. He doesn’t really care about it but he’s really, really fucking good at it and got into college on a full ride scholarship and his folks were really pressuring him to go to post secondary so he went. His professors are reaallllyyyy trying to get him to be more engaged because they think he could be great but he’s got his own stuff going on.

Combeferre: History with a minor in entomology. Moth combeferre has my heart till the day i die. He’s going to work a museum and really pushes for ecological preservation.

Courfeyrac: MUSICAL THEATRE COURF. He always gets the lead in all of the shows and is something of a local celebrity for his turn as link Larkin in hairspray. He’s getting a philosophy minor but has no plans to use it.

Jehan: classic lit + poetry, duh, but with a minor in botany or something. In another life they’d like to be a dancer and realistically they COULD do that now, but they decided to go with the safer option and wants to work in a library or maybe with combeferre at the museum after school.

Joly: again pretty obvious, he’s pre-med and his minor is history. He’s insanely passionate about making healthcare more accessible and might not go to med school proper and instead focus his efforts on the HR side of things (though he’d make a really good doctor).

Bossuet: elementary education or adolescent psychology!!! He really wants to work with/help kids, which is wonderful because kids naturally just love him, he’s funny and kind and easy to talk to and always keeps a little stash of candy and juice boxes on him when he works.

Feuilly: design. Maybe a minor in war history or religion. He’s pretty interested in knowing where he and his family came from but doesn’t really know how to utilize that career-wise, so he goes for design as his main thing because he’s pretty good at it. He’s only a part-time student and works construction.

Eponine: either psychology or criminology. Yeah i just think. Yeah. I’ve gone in depth about my ideas for how Eponine wants to use her life to be better than her parents and wants to understand why people are sometimes terrible and how to help their victims.

Marius: languages, mostly German, Latin, and English (and maybe Hebrew bc of my Jewish Marius hc). His minor is in music composition. He’s very much a romantic and loves the fine arts but he hasn’t unhitched his life from his grandfather’s ideals enough yet to dive into pursuing that full-time so he studies languages and might work as a translator.

Cosette: also law. She wanted to study it before she met enjolras but when they met he really encouraged her to pursue it and he’s a really big role model for her. Like him, she wants to be a public defender, because right before she went off to college valjean finally told her the full story of fantine and this really lit a fire under her and she wants to help people who the system has turned it’s back on. She’s minoring in theatre with courf.

Musichetta: chetta didn’t go to a traditional college, she went to cosmetology school and works at a salon and is the most sought-after stylist in town. Ideally she’d like to go back and get a bachelors in social justice or something but right now she’s happy where she is.

And Gavroche, well. He’s the best science student in his 6th grade class.

#les mis #les miserables headcanon #hcs #les amis #les miserables #cosette #marius pontmercy #les mis headcanons #enjolras #grantiare #joly #bossuet #combeferre #courfeyrac #jehan #feuilly #Eponine #Musichetta #Gavroche

[nflstreetsanimereviews]

Welcome to the NHK novel review

Welcome to the NHK, despite being published over twenty years ago at this point, is still as relevant as ever. In fact, it’s only become more relevant as time has gone on. Not just the phenomenon of being a hikikomori, more commonly known today as being a ‘NEET’ (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), has grown in the last twenty years, but conspiratorial thinking has as well. Especially ever since

the COVID lockdowns began, conspiracy theories have been thrown into the mainstream. The difficult part about conspiracy theories is that while most of them are bunk, there’s a tiny percentage of them that make sense, or even rarer, aren’t conspiracies and things that actually happened. The most common conspiracy theory right now that is nonsense is QAnon. Well, at least four-fifths of the population believes that. Compare that JFK was killed in a conspiracy, which more than half the population has believed ever since the CIA popped him. Conspiracy theories fill in the gap in the middle, which replaces the unknown with what you want to believe. With many things with unknown origins permanently affecting our lives, conspiracy theories have grown significantly. This makes Welcome to the NHK feel like a contemporary read, even though the book is old enough to drink alcohol now.

The conspiracy that Tatsuhiro Satou, the main character of Welcome to the NHK, believes in isn’t anything related to anything that’s a real-life conspiracy. He’s smart enough to acknowledge that most conspiracy theories come from people projecting their own insecurities onto others. Despite all of this, he still ‘stumbles’ upon a conspiracy. A conspiracy that only he knows about, and one that came to him while he was tripping on a hallucinogen (named ‘White Drug’). He comes to the ‘realization’ that the NHK, the Japanese equivalent of the BBC or NBC, doesn’t for “Nippon Housou Kyoukai (Japanese Broadcast Association)”, but actually stands for “Nihon Hikikomori Kyoukai (Japanese Hikikomori Association)”.

Basically, the gist of the conspiracy is that the NHK wants to increase the number of hikikomori in Japan. In the novel, there are stated to be already two million hikikomori in Japan alone, which means that the NHK has done a good job. They ‘maintain’ this amount, and increase it, by broadcasting content that caters to the hikikomori (stuff like anime). This is a conspiracy that Satou doesn’t bother spreading across the internet, but is honestly one that could take off if it was about, say, CNN.

One day, Satou is approached by an odd girl, named Misaki Nakahara, who claims that she can save him from his hikikomori lifestyle. She coerces him into signing a contract, which ‘binds’ him to meet her at the park behind his apartment every night after dinner. These meetings, which are meant to help Satou return to ‘normal life’, mostly are her reading beginner-level psychology and philosophy books that she rented from the library. It’s questionable if these meetings are helping Satou, but he can’t afford to not come–if he breaks the contract, he’ll have to pay a one million yen fine.

Satou’s neighbor, and a former junior in the Literature Club back in high school, Kaoru Yamazaki, is his partner in crime (quite literally). Being an otaku, he and Satou share a lot of the same feelings of insecurity and loneliness. Yamazaki, however, isn’t a hikikomori–he’s currently at university to become a game creator, against his family’s wishes of taking over his father’s business. Yamazaki and Satou, while being terrible influences on each other, are the closest things each one of them has to a support system.

For Satou to escape being a hikikomori, and for Yamazaki to make it big in the game industry (and avoid being forced to take over the family business), they decide to create an eroge game. As you would expect from someone who has been a hikikomori for four years and a hopeless otaku, their eroge game is half-baked, and might as well be dead on arrival. This is one of the things that make Welcome to the NHK so relatable–the feeling of having a great idea, and finally getting the courage to put the pen to paper, only to find out that it’s very hard to create games. Being an eroge game, the scenario Satou has to write doesn’t have to be the best, but even writing sex scenes is hard, or at the very least embarrassing to type. Part of this roleplay that Satou and Yamazaki are doing is escapism from what seems like their destiny. Satou and getting a job, and Yamazaki and taking over the family business. If Satou can prove that he’s busy, then his family won’t feel obliged to force him to move back. If Yamazaki can make something that sells, then he can afford not to go back home. 

If you’ve already seen the Welcome to the NHK anime, then you already know the general plot. The Welcome to the NHK anime adaption was different from most other novel adaptations, in the sense that this volume is the only entry into the series. The anime has original arcs that aren’t in the novel, and the drug use in the novel is way more noticeable. I appreciate this version since it’s the original version. While it’s rougher on the edges than the anime, it feels more real. Part of this is because we get to read into Satou’s thoughts more in the novel–another part is because the author of this novel, Tatsuhiko Takimoto, was a hikikomori at the time of writing Welcome to the NHK. Having first-hand experience of being a hikikomori, writing what is partially a story about himself had to be very tough to do. It does make me hope that the lolita part was conjecture–either way, it does show how depraved one can get after an extended period of no human contact. Satou, for better or worse, isn’t part of society. One part that binds pretty much all hikikomori and NEETs together is a lack of social skills–it’s hard to get ahead if you can’t associate with others. Satou nearly obtains a part-time job near the beginning of the novel, but freaks out and runs out of the establishment before even getting an interview.

I have to admit that part of my admiration for Welcome to the NHK is due to nostalgia. It was one of the first anime that I watched back when I first got into watching anime. I downloaded the novel back then but never read it. It’s a shame since the Welcome to the NHK novel has bits original to it. It’s also a change from most light novel series, which can potentially drag on forever due to sales. While the novel and anime were successful, there hasn’t been any new content since the manga ended in 2007. There easily could have been more novels written with the added content the anime had, but there weren’t. And that’s a good thing. Too often a series gets ruined by outstaying its welcome and not knowing how to end. Welcome to the NHK knows when to end, because really, there isn’t a way to ‘solve’ being a hikikomori. There’s not much inherently wrong with being one too, as long as you have your wits about you (which Satou fails at miserably). For all we know, Satou could still be a hikikomori today, twenty years later.

I call Welcome to the NHK a ‘novel’, and not a ‘light novel’, since it isn’t one. While it reads like one (it is a light read), there aren’t any illustrations in the book besides the cover (which was drawn by the same illustrator who did the character designs for Serial Experiments Lain), which is the biggest tell. Welcome to the NHK lacks the vapidness that light novels often have, willing to be disgusting. Welcome to the NHK has more in common with novels such as No Longer Human than its contemporaries that also got an anime adaptation. Satou is about as vile, if not more, than Oba (the main character of No Longer Human), and both novels are semi-autobiographical. Welcome to the NHK is more of an ‘I-novel’ than a ‘light novel’, or rather, an I-novel written in the style of a light novel.

The rather painful nature of this novel, which comes with the territory of writing about something that affects you, also means that it’s unlikely to ever be any new Welcome to the NHK novels. I’ve been proven wrong before, but the apparent psychological toll writing this took leaves me to believe that Tatsuhiko Takimoto won’t be bothered to do it again, even if it was a winning formula. In the second afterword of the novel, Takimoto states that he hasn’t written a single new story since he wrote Welcome to the NHK and that he ‘returned’ to being a NEET, “living as a parasite on the royalties from this book”. I argue that he in fact isn’t living as one, since he’s living off of his work, which sold quite rather well. Well enough to warrant an official English translation. There’s also the fact that being a writer isn’t a regular 9 to 5 job–meaning that authors who ONLY write for a living are as much as ‘parasites’ as Takimoto is. Writers aren’t in a constant state of writing. Well, some may think they are, but the point is that Takimoto sees this book as something agonizing to think about, not his crown jewel. Ever since writing that second afterword in 2005, Takimoto thankfully has been able to write some original stories. None of them have made it big like Welcome to the NHK has, however.

If you were a fan of the Welcome to the NHK anime, then I one thousand percent recommend you to read the novel. It’ll connect to you the same way the anime does, and maybe even more if you also participate in recreational drug use. Really, knowing that Satou is high during most of the novel makes his nonsensical actions make a lot more sense. The Welcome to the NHK novel is also different enough from the anime that you won’t feel like you’re reading a screenplay.

Normally, I would end the review here, but seeing as there’s no reputable place to buy the English edition of Welcome to the NHK at the current moment, the only way you’d be able to read this is by reading it here. Don’t worry, it’s legal. Here’s hoping that it gets reprinted one day.

80/100

#welcome to the nhk #novel #light novel review #nhk ni youkoso #review

[anewkindofme]

Any Addison Montgomery Cg headcanons? she's so soft and I really enjoy her character and I feel like she would be great! (at taking care of me ofc)- @their-bby-dino

Ask me for headcanons on characters from my fandom list!

Ahhh! I love Addison so much. She really would be the best caregiver. (She’s already an excellent mom!)

I did set these somewhat in the Private Practice universe, but outside a couple, they apply to Seattle/Grey’s as well.

Addison constantly worries and second guesses herself as a caregiver. She really doesn’t want to be like Bizzy or the Captain.

She makes the effort to know every last detail about her Little, right down to their favorite pair of socks. She’s very detailed oriented.

Addison is the type of caregiver to wear stilettos and designer dresses to the park but also doesn’t mind if they get dirty.

She for sure has a designer diaper bag, stocked with every single thing you can think of.

I see her as the cloth diapering type if her Little drops that young. Along with putting bloomers on top.

Addison lets her Little dress however they want, but she does try to sneak in the cute, designer outfits. Again, if they get dirty, no skin off her nose. She just thinks it’s cute.

She’s not the greatest cook, but still tries to order “healthy” takeout. There’s a lot of vegetarian restaurants in LA, so she hits those up.

That’s not to say she’s not good for a good sweet. Ice cream is in great supply.

Addison spoils her Little. Anything they want, they get. They definitely have a decked out nursery/Little bedroom and a separate playroom. Even when they’re in an older space, Addison makes sure they have all they want and need.

She also pays for and indulges any activity they want to do. They want to learn to ride a horse? She’s buying a pony. They have a desire to learn Mandarin? She’ll get a tutor.

That being said, she’s firm. There are rules and boundaries. All very reasonable (bedtime, curfew, being respectful, doing chores, etc) but she enforces them.

Her go-to discipline method is a cool down corner. She’s the type to get one of those glitter water bottles and tell her Little to watch as it moves to the bottom, then they’ll discuss their actions.

If the Little goes to school, she takes education very seriously. She’ll help them study and do all she can to help them succeed.

Addison prefers hiring a nanny for when she works versus daycare. She feels it’s better for her Little to get one on one time.

She vets every single nanny thoroughly. No one with less than 10 years experience. They need a degree in Little psychology. Must adhere to all of Addison’s parenting philosophies. And she won’t hire any of them if her Little doesn’t approve.

The nanny (and Addison when she’s not working) takes the Little to playgroups and stuff so they can socialize.

Addison has a nursery/Little space set up in her office so she really only needs the nanny when she has a packed day at the practice or needs to go to the hospital.

Despite being a doctor herself, she freaks out over the slightest cold. Cooper is also specialized as a doctor for Littles and he has to tell Addison at least once a month to calm down.

Addison keeps up to date with all research regarding Littles and adjusts how she does things as recommended. She says she does the same as a doctor, so why wouldn’t she with the most precious thing in her life?

Addison initially doesn’t want to cosleep but if her Little needed it, she’d cave and let them sleep in her bed every night.

Addison pushes her Little to be independent if they wish to be, but if they need to be younger, she won’t hesitate to do everything for them.

#sfw agere #sfw age regression #sfw littlespace #sfw caregiver #caregiver addison montgomery #grey’s anatomy #their-bby-dino #asked and answered

[trans-axolotl]

Hey! Really excited about that sh curriculum you're putting together. At the risk of diluting the focus: What definition of self-harm are you going to be using? Some stuff I've seen before has been very focussed on NSSI/very direct forms of self-harm and I think there are more recent/broad definitions that are better but depends on if those would limit how effective your curriculum would be. Full disclosure I studied psychology at undergrad and my dissertation was on self harm (specifically if psych undergrads recognised/accepted a broader definition of it). I was using research that was slated for publication that same year, but that was five years ago and I haven't been a student since then so I don't know how up-to-date it is (and one reason I left was the institution of psychology as a practice put theory far ahead of the experiences of the people we're supposed to be helping). Best of luck! I hope your work helps many many people. 💜💜💜

not diluting the focus at all!

content note: in depth discussion of several forms of self harm.

so i was planning on using a pretty broad definition of self harm that is essentially based on what an individual defines as self harm for themselves, rather than trying to create an umbrella definition that labels certain kinds of actions as "inherently self harm" or "never self harm." the first slide of the presentation is actually about collaboratively creating a working definition of self harm within the presentation group, bringing up things not traditionally considered self harm like piercings, tattoos, high risk sports, etc, as a way to consider societal attitudes towards self harm, and then contrasting the definition with medical definitions of self harm so that we can start to build a political understanding of self harm. for this specific training and audience (group of radical medics and health organizers looking for specific skills and strategies they can implement), a lot of what they need is direct information on more common forms of self harm and practical strategies for supporting people with things like cutting, burning, hitting/headbanging, etc. it's likely that a lot of content will be focused on that, simply because that's the need for this context.

also think that there's some other more uncommon forms of self harm that i definitely want to at least mention and brainstorm a bit with (ingestion harm, ligature harm, etc). which can be a lot harder to do harm reduction with given risk level, but important to discuss and brainstorm and try.

in terms of adapting harm reduction to a broad definition of self harm that encompasses many ways people hurt themselves, both directly, indirectly, in ways that are societally acceptable, in ways that are not, i think there's really a lot of opportunity there. in a lot of harm reduction education that I went through that was drug use and sex work specific, we spent a lot of time developing essentially like... a set of generalized best practices based in values and the philosophy of harm reduction that could theoretically be applied in many situations, before we went on to specific harm reduction recommendations for specific drugs. and i think there might be a lot of value do to something similar here. even if a lot of the practical techniques are focused on the type of direct self harm i mentioned above, i think that developing a harm reduction for self harm framework that could be applied for a wide variety of situations that different people might consider self harm. maybe doing a few less typical examples that we work through together and consider how we would apply the harm reduction framework.

honestly i think the only things that i know for certain i'm not going to be covering in this training even though they're things that some people might consider under the umbrella of self harm is harm reduction for eating disorders, because i have a whole separate presentation planned for that LMFAO and harm reduction for drug use, bc there's already so many existing resources in my community. (to be clear not saying that all or most drug use is self harm, but just that i know some people who consider their drug use as a form of self harm for them).

also, would love to hear more about your research if you want to share! it sounds super interesting.

thanks for the ask!

#asks #harm reduction #self harm tw #sh tw #tw self harm #self harm cw #<-tags to filter out if you don't want to see any of this content! #heads up this might be a lot of content on my blog tonight cause we've got some more asks

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Ditching phonics makes no sense! I learnt to read full novels in 4 months and read Lord of the Rings when others were struggling with early learner books. Why do schools allow ideologues render so many children illiterate?

It's really wierd. "Whole word"/"whole language"/"three-cueing" functions as a kind of ideology and worldview. It's not based on anything demonstrably true about how people learn to read, and adherents cling to it with resolute faith.

It seems to comprise part of a larger philosophy that teachers actually teaching, and students actually learning, useful skills like the alphabet, how to read, how to add and multiply, is oppressive, limiting and "rote learning." And we should instead open up the world to kids to just let them absorb all this stuff and figure it out for themselves. Just show them how fulfilling, how great reading is, and they'll pick it up on their own. It feels nice to these people. Which, of course, is the most important thing. Not working with kids through the hard process of building a life skill that could make or break their future.

Two thirds of American Ed School professors teach the homeopathy of "Whole Word," aka "Three-Cueing" to their classes of future teachers. And I say "homeopathy" deliberately, in that "whole word" crusaders believe kids magically absorb reading in the same way homeopaths believe water magically absorbs the properties of other chemicals.

This is like two thirds of geography teachers teaching that the Earth is flat, or two thirds of chemistry teachers teaching about how you should stay away from "chemicals."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading#Whole_language

In his 2009 book, Reading in the Brain, cognitive neuroscientist, Stanislas Dehaene, said "cognitive psychology directly refutes any notion of teaching via a 'global' or 'whole language' method". He goes on to talk about "the myth of whole-word reading", saying it has been refuted by recent experiments. "We do not recognize a printed word through a holistic grasping of its contours, because our brain breaks it down into letters and graphemes". In addition, cognitive neuroscientist Mark Seidenberg, in his 2017 book Language at the Speed of Sight, refers to whole language as a "theoretical zombie" because it persists in spite of a lack of supporting evidence.

This is from the US government's Nation's Report Card website.

[ Note: This is part of a larger infographic; I trimmed it down to include just reading and writing. You can see the whole thing at the original website. ]

It's minority and underprivileged kids who suffer from this reading woo because they may not have as many books at home, may not have as stable a home life, might not have family members who can take the time to spend on the alphabet or reading practice if, for example, it's a single-parent household with a parent holding down two jobs to make ends meet. Or didn't learn to read properly themselves. These are kinds of considerations that grifters like Kendi and DiAngelo never factor into their sweeping narratives of systemic this and that. And cast you as a bigot for even suggesting.

How about, before implementing the toxic poison of the tenets of Critical Race Theory, you actually teach the kids to read? How about before implementing divisive oppressor-vs-oppressed programs of unsubstantiated postmodern philosophy in Kindergarten, you teach the alphabet and then see what sort of life success your students get.

As Roland Fryer remarked:

"I've been in fifth grade classrooms in which they're still learning the clock, and how to tell time, in fifth grade. I told the principal, if they can't tell time, at this point, they'll have no place to be on time for."

What's further difficult to stomach is that this has been known for over 60 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Johnny_Can%27t_Read

Why Johnny Can't Read—And What You Can Do About It is a 1955 book-length exposé on American reading education by Rudolf Flesch. It was an immediate bestseller for 37 weeks and became an educational cause célèbre. In this book, the author concluded that the whole-word (look-say) method was ineffective because it lacked phonics training. In addition, Flesch was critical of the simple stories and limited text and vocabulary in the Dick and Jane style readers that taught students to read through word memorization. Flesch also believed that the look-say method did not properly prepare students to read more complex materials in the upper grade levels.

Just think about that. For over sixty years, many kids have been taught to read using known substandard, ineffective methods, and any success they had was in spite of that teaching, not because of it.

Think of how many kids dropped out of school or did poorly because they were frustrated by not being able to fully participate, or concluded that school wasn't for them because they couldn't "get it." Who watched more advantaged kids streak ahead of them, thinking that there was something wrong with them. And if you can't read, how well can you possibly write?

Think of how many underprivileged kids perpetuated a cycle of dropping out of school, possibly early or single parenthood, low income prospects or even crime, and eventually unable to help their own kids learn to read properly, because the school will not. On the basis of an unevidenced ideology that asserts that "learning to read English comes naturally to humans, especially young children, in the same way that learning to speak develops naturally."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_language#State_of_the_debate

One neuroscientist, Mark Seidenberg, says "[Whole-language quack Ken] Goodman's guessing game theory was grievously wrong" and "the impact was enormous and continues to be felt". When it come to evidence supporting the whole-language theory, he emphatically states "There wasn't any".

Dr. Lyell Asher goes into this in a segment of his larger series. Part 12 is specifically about "The Reading Debacle," but Part 11, "The Knowledge Gap," gives some important background that explains the criticality of literacy.

Other people like Emily Hanford and Belinda Luscombe have been writing about this as well.

It's amazing that something so fundamental could become yet another ideological warzone, with kids caught in the crossfire.

#ask #science of reading #phonics #reading #literacy #basic literacy #sound it out #whole word method #whole language method #corruption of education #education #pseudoscience

[imaginarianisms]

alias / name : angel ( singletsona / core / host; only if we're close ) / arcana ( singletsona / core / host ) / ansale'wit ( my name translated into mi'kmawi'simk ) / ᐋᓐᔐᓃ ( my name translated into anishinaabemowin, literally spelled aanzhenii ) ; the imaginarians galaxy ( system name; please refer to us& as this when you're not sure who's fronting & please don't refer to us& as one person, everyone in the system deserves to & should have the equal amount of respect, love, dignity, honor, care & undivided attention & it's disrespectful to only ever refer to me& especially if i've& known you for years at this point; that's my& firm boundary. ). birthday : july 13th. zodiac sign : cancer sun, sagittarius moon, libra rising & leo venus. height : 5'2. hobbies : it depends on who you ask because we're& a system but we& collectively like gaming, writing/rping, worldbuilding, learning our& indigenous languages, true crime, psychology, criminology, sociology, philosophy, intersectionality, history (especially during the medieval period but certainly not exclusive), eastern history/civilization, indigenous history/civilization, ancient history, loveletters, queer shit, fashion, acting, transhumanism, alterhumanity, plurality, the occult & magick & witchcraft, the concept of apotheosis, enlightenment, fate, folklore, godhood, hope, humanity, & monstrosity, virtual reality, traveling, asmr, being a boujee native & being an educated heaux.

favorite book : a song of ice and fire series & gangsta. last song : dust bowl by ethel cain. last film / show : the love witch / gangsta. recent reads : arianne martell & sansa stark / alayne stone; the winds of winter.

inspiration : honestly for the longest time i didn't want to return to the tumblr rpc bc it made me feel bittersweet bc a lot of my old friends were moving elsewhere or inactive & on top of that it reminded me of someone i used to know & i have. a lot of bittersweet feelings around this person so. but some of us& wanted to get back into it again. tthe vast majority of our& interpretations on our& muses are heavily based in both headcanons & our& fictives' ( 4 singlets: a fictional introject ) exomemories which honestly most of the time they tend to overlap, the latter meaning that this actually happened to them & isn't something that just happened in a book or a movie or a tv series or a videogame, they're living, breathing people & for that individual, it all happened & it was all very real !! additionally, a lot of my& own personal life was used as major inspiration. being a survivor of multiple traumas that most people can't even fathom ( to the point where my doctor told me most would've kermited if they'd experienced the things i went through ) & that did unspeakable things to my brain chemistry ig so. i use writing to cope. so. yall have to deal w/ that ig. at least i aint boring. /lh furthermore ethel cain & nicole dollanganger are major inspo. & as much as i& write / rp for fun, i& also write & rp to educate others especially on topics like indigenous peoples, disabilities, neurodivergencies & mental health, especially around stigmatized disorders like did bc honestly i'm so very tired & demoralized bc of the constant stigma around did & other stuff like npd, bpd, etc. & both the media & people treating us like we're some kinda fucking soulless monsters when we're literally people who were hurt & failed in childhood & had traumatic upbringings only to be demonized, trauma & other shit so it's v important to us&. representation matters & so does keeping the light of humanity alive & well. story behind url : our& system name the imaginarians galaxy + isms! fun fact about me : my great aunt & technically a cousin of mine was a witch in the family; she passed her knowledge onto her granddaughter, my cousin, & she passed her knowledge down to me so i'm a hereditary witch. my mom dated a serial killer years ago when she was 19 & she had no idea so that was fucking wild bc i was 8 when she told me about it, thanks mom. lmao. i was also born 24 weeks premature & i quite literally died before the doctors resurrected me. basically i made death my bitch. i'm all the letters in 2lgbtqia+ at once & ppl can die mad about it lmao. i'm clusters a ( schizotypal personality disorder / schizospec / psychotic / stpd ) b ( {mild} antisocial personality disorder / aspd, {mild} narcissistic personality disorder / npd, histrionic personality disorder / hpd,, borderline personality disorder / bpd ) & c ( avoidant personality disorder / avpd ) as well as autism & adhd; i also have cptsd & h.c-did bc yknow. trauma did shit to my brain, this shit fucks with me on such a deep level & uh. the comorbidities have me fucking insane up in the club. on the physical disabilities side of things i have cfs / chronic fatigue & pots (so like. don't take it personally if i dont respond quickly) & am hoh. so i'm hoping to get a multipurpose psychiatric service dog & eventually get a wheelchair as an ambulatory wheelchair user. my paternal grandfather fought in wwii & killed nazis. my& clans are mouse / apukji'j ( mi'kmaq ) & wolf / yanariskwa' ( huron-wendat ), it basically represents a family & it has nothing to do with a spirit animal, & in the huron-wendat's case a clan is like an ancestor, who you're descended from in the huron-wendat creation story & they shared a longhouse & traced their lineage from the female line from a female ancestor bc the wendat were matriarchal so wolves are my ancestors.

tagged by : stole it from @noctuafought ( hi aphy lmaoooo ) ! tagging : @velcryons / @brokcncrowns @loyalpromise @helbroth @gutsing @sevynhells @inmydrcams @dethdvncer & anyone who breathes !!

#out of the galaxy. || ooc. #dash games.

[mishalikessoundsandcolours]

My irl friend group is very good at educating each other. There's one friend who often lectures us on history and mythology by sending us memes and then explaining them in voice messages. Then there's another friend who knows a lot about psychology, she actually writes proper articles about this stuff in her telegram channel. Another friend knows bits of this and that, a lot about science, philosophy, history and literature, and sends us many memes too. Then there's my bestie-sister-cat-husband (don't ask, that's the shortest way to describe what she is to me) who has seen a lot of crazy things in her life, so she tells us about all that stuff, like that kind of wise traveler who sits down by the fire and says "Gather round, children, and listen to tales of what I have seen on my journey". And then there's me, the language and rock'n'roll nerd – my 'lectures' on linguistics are basically me randomly talking to them in French, Finnish or Latin or teaching them swear words in other languages lol. I also litter them with my knowledge on 60-70s rock history (which isn't complete of course, I still have a lot to read about), since my friends like the music I listen to, but don't read about it that much. So, you know, we don't really need school at this point.

#a few days ago one of my friends (the one who knows bits of everything) was staying over at my place #so I started telling her about pink Floyd band history from the very beginning #I noticed that she was falling asleep so I asked if I should rather continue in the morning #and she said “no go on I want to see what my dreams will be like if I fall asleep to you telling me all this” #sadly she didn't remember her dreams the next morning but she did remember that they were interesting in some way #misha talks

[kireoppi]

[Image description: An illustration of the night sky. A yellow crescent moon is in the centre of the dark blue sky and there are clouds surrounding the edges of the image. End description.]

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hello and welcome! my name's Will.

here's some information about me:

☆ i am an autistic person and i am self diagnosed, though i am currently trying to get a professional diagnosis as soon as a i can. if i say anything wrong/incorrect, please do correct me as im also still learning and figuring stuff out about my autism and just autism in general.

☆ i am mentally ill in one way or another, though i am completely undiagnosed.

☆ also physically disabled with illnesses that are diagnosed (Scoliosis, Hypermobile Joint Syndrome), and suspected (POTS, ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia). i also find it hard to read smaller texts at times, so blogs will mainly have texts in bigger fonts.

☆ i use mobility aids, such as forearm crutches and a cane.

☆ i am transgender and cupioromantic asexual achillian, please refer to me using he/him pronouns.

☆ although verbal, i do struggle with communication via oral speech and sometimes even experience speech loss episodes, so i use AAC sometimes.

☆ i occaisionally may use an AAC board to write posts on here as practice!

☆ when asking questions or interacting with me, please use tonetags!

☆ if i don't respond to asks, it may just be me having a hard time to answer trying to figure out how. there can be other reasons, but i most likely wont ignore you on purpose for no good reason.

☆ this is the more serious sideblog of @yippee-tippees.

what this blog is about:

this blog will mostly be about autism, disability and mental health, though it will mostly be about disability. i will mostly reblog a lot of stuff, but may also talk about my experiences and opinions on here. some posts may have a lot of typos, so i do apolagise for that. i also sometimes will have trouble with grammar and typing as these things can be difficult for me at times, so please be patient with me.

i will also often post/reblog other things i deem important and would like to share! again, please correct me if i say anything wrong as i am still learning. though, you should definately go check out other disabled people and find out more as i am not at all someone that can provide the best information about these things and you should just support others as well.

like mentioned above, im an AAC user even though im verbal and i am self diagnosed when it comes to autism, so please treat me with respect. a lot of what i want to write down here is already above so this is pretty much all! enjoy your stay here.

*please note that im still learning about autism and many other things, so feel free to educate me about anything or add to any replies i give asks if you know about the topic. thank you!

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tagging system:

#important ! : stuff i find important.

#awareness : information about something and to spread awareness.

#acceptance: posts about acceptance.

#<3 (heart emojicon): positivity/reminders.

#rant: rant posts.

#vent: vent posts.

list may keep updating overtime.

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♧ list of special interests & hyperfixations!: Space/Astronomy/Cosmology, Geology, Biology, Greek Mythology, Marine Life, Sharks, Singing/Voice related things, Drawing/Arts, Animals, Chemistry, Pirates, Psychology, Philosophy, Ride The Cyclone, Phantom of the Opera, Welcome Home, The Amazing Digital Circus, Team Fortress 2, Hades Game, Reverse 1999, Good Omens, The Song of Achilles, They Both Die At The End, Simon Snow Trilogy, Steven Universe, Will Wood (& The Tapeworms)

list will keep updating overtime.

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‼️ DNI: Racists/Xenophobes, Sexists, Homophobes, Transphobes, Proshippers, Pedophiles/'Maps', Fetishizers, Ableists, Self-proclaimed 'Aspiesz', NSFW blogs, Anti-agere, Trolls , SH/ED blogs, Autism Speaks Supporters , people who know me in real life unless we’re close (please), people who dislike any of my special interests & hyperfixations (sorry), transabled/transid and RCTA

list will keep updating overtime.

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Thank you for reading my introduction!

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[Image description: A painting painted using what seems to resemble gouache paint. The piece has two pink cats with astronaut helmets on floating next to each other in space, coloured a saturated dark blue. There is a big streak of pink on the right side of the image and small white dots everywhere, resembling stars. There is one big four-edged star on the left side of the piece. End description.]

#blog intro #introduction #important !

[oceanblueeyesoul]

Hi dear! Could I possibly get a Harry Potter matchup? It would really brighten my day <3 Starting of with the fact that I am bisexual, so you can literally match me w/ anyone and I will be screaming out of happiness, love and excitement haha. I go by she/her.

physical description ~ 5’4, longer blonde hair with green bright eyes, sometimes they do look grey. My skin is pale and my face is clean. I use minimalistic makeup and usually plain clothes with some type of statement piece. Typical jeans, with a black shirt and a blazer is standard if I don’t have anything to wear. Always wearing jewelry. ALWAYS. It makes me feel powerful haha.

personality ~ I am a nineteen years old Slytherin with blonde hair n green eyes. My astrology chart is taurus sun, aries moon and cancer rising. Now days, I am an extroverted introvert? I love being around and talking to people, but I think the fear of others judging me might make my uncomfortable in some situations. My friends describe me as intelligent, which I can agree on partly. I’m like a sponge to new information and I love learning. I have a HUGE ambition. I always find a way to achieve my goals. I have a feeling there’s a chance I’m stone faced in public and people see me as moody and cold. A giant flaw is how much I’m complaining, however, I am doing my best being positive. Though I am a natural pessimist. I brag to much and I can’t stop myself. My MBTI type is INTP. I am loyal and always there for my friends. My humor is SO BAD HAHA. As dry as plain flour. It’s terribly dark as well. Stubborn as hell. Doing my best to be well spoken and look educated to the outside. Overachiever is my first name.

Hobbies/likes ~ Reading and self care mostly. I have a huge interest in psychology, history, true crime and philosophy. I can spend HOURS researching it. Obsession w/ horror movies and scary themed stuff. Always been, always will. I’m a magnet to the darker stuff I guess. Love shopping and as weird as it sounds, studying. I have a dream of traveling to plenty of countries. I enjoy cooking :) Family is so important to me as well as it is a safety in life. Partying is fun.

Love language ~ WORDS. Write a poem to me and I am on the floor. Say the three words “I love you” and I’m on the floor again. Compliments. Love ‘em. Also physical touch 😮‍💨

That’s about is I assume. Have an amazing day or night, where ever you are in this world. Thank you in advance!!

Hi there sweetie! I really hope you like this a lot!

Harry Potter Matchup

Your Harry Potter soulmate is...

HERMIONE GRANGER!

The two of you would definitely be studying together because the two of you are both focused on your studies a lot and the both of you enjoy each other's company a lot when it comes to study time.

The two of you would definitely be traveling around the country when you guys graduates from Hogwarts together and the two of you would definitely be trying out new activities in each of the countries.

The two of you would be reading books together in a quiet and intimate places because the two of you would definitely be listening to each other reading a book together and to each other as well.

Virgo x Taurus lovebirds!

ESTJ x INTP soulmates!

#oceanblueeyesoul #matchups #harry potter #harry potter matchups #hermione granger #hermione granger x reader

[nickeverdeen]

Hi dear! Could I possibly get a Harry Potter matchup? It would really brighten my day <3 Starting of with the fact that I am bisexual, so you can literally match me w/ anyone and I will be screaming out of happiness, love and excitement haha. I go by she/her.

physical description ~ 5’4, longer blonde hair with green bright eyes, sometimes they do look grey. My skin is pale and my face is clean. I use minimalistic makeup and usually plain clothes with some type of statement piece. Typical jeans, with a black shirt and a blazer is standard if I don’t have anything to wear. Always wearing jewelry. ALWAYS. It makes me feel powerful haha.

personality ~ I am a nineteen years old Slytherin with blonde hair n green eyes. My astrology chart is taurus sun, aries moon and cancer rising. Now days, I am an extroverted introvert? I love being around and talking to people, but I think the fear of others judging me might make my uncomfortable in some situations. My friends describe me as intelligent, which I can agree on partly. I’m like a sponge to new information and I love learning. I have a HUGE ambition. I always find a way to achieve my goals. I have a feeling there’s a chance I’m stone faced in public and people see me as moody and cold. A giant flaw is how much I’m complaining, however, I am doing my best being positive. Though I am a natural pessimist. I brag to much and I can’t stop myself. My MBTI type is INTP. I am loyal and always there for my friends. My humor is SO BAD HAHA. As dry as plain flour. It’s terribly dark as well. Stubborn as hell. Doing my best to be well spoken and look educated to the outside. Overachiever is my first name.

Hobbies/likes ~ Reading and self care mostly. I have a huge interest in psychology, history, true crime and philosophy. I can spend HOURS researching it. Obsession w/ horror movies and scary themed stuff. Always been, always will. I’m a magnet to the darker stuff I guess. Love shopping and as weird as it sounds, studying. I have a dream of traveling to plenty of countries. I enjoy cooking :) Family is so important to me as well as it is a safety in life. Partying is fun.

Love language ~ WORDS. Write a poem to me and I am on the floor. Say the three words “I love you” and I’m on the floor again. Compliments. Love ‘em. Also physical touch 😮‍💨

That’s about is I assume. Have an amazing day or night, where ever you are in this world. Thank you in advance!!

Your Harry Potter match is…

Tom Riddle

Tom is fascinated by your eyes and loves them

He definetly bought you a necklaces

Whistl you love talking to people, he’s just gonna sit in the corner observing them and making sure they don’t make you uncomfortable

Very protective

Assures you that you don’t have to be afraid of others judging you

If someone is and it makes you incomfortable he’s most likely to pull you away and make them pay for it later

Loves your intelligence and that you’re ambitious

“I always find a way to achieve my goals” hell yeah he loves that

Tom personally doesn’t really complain, but he doesn’t think it’s a huge flaw

I mean after all you might achieve what you want sometimes if you’re complaining

Likes to listen to you talking

Tom loves your confidence

Exchanges opinions and theories about unsolved cases and philosophy

If you’re ever scared during a horror movie he’s most likely to hold your hand

Study dates

This boy can’t cook even if it means he’d save his life with it he just CAN’T cook

Even though Tom isn’t really the type of a boy who’d party, he still goes on some parties with you

Tom’s love language is words affirmation and time

Calls you “princess” or “darling”

He doesn’t really say “I love you” every hour, but he’d say it in diffrent words or actions

Just like you said, he might write something to you

It’s probably not gonna be a poem tho

Whistl cuddling he’s either on his back and has your head on his chest or stomach

If you wanna spoon he’s a big spoon

Tom’s a big spoon, always was, always is and forever will be

Teaches you some spells

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#request #matchups #headcanons #tom riddle #tom riddle x reader #harry potter #voldemort