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cozyhearthyarnworks · 7 months

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Finished Object: Cailleach Shawl

October 31, 2019

Happy Halloween! Just in time for the spooky season, a project that has engaged most of the household for the entire summer is finished – the Cailleach Shawl. This stunning, witchy, wooly garment is knit in Cozy Hearth Yarn Works hand-dyed Rustic Worsted yarn (Dubh as the primary colorway, with a one-of-a-kind skein providing the accent edging). I dyed up the yarn early in my development work for our Dathanna series, my wife Kai and I worked on the pattern design together, and she knit the entire finished object! While Kai primarily works with Cozy Hearth Yarn Works as a fan, supporter, and frequent knitwear model, she has been working on improving her own knitting skills, and this shawl shows that improvement magnificently. Rather than blather on forever, though, I’m going to let her introduce her own work.

Kai showing off the wild chaos lace edging of the Cailleach shawl.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE THIS SHAWL?

I knew that I wanted something that was a little more witchy feeling for my wardrobe, and I also wanted a BIG warm shawl. We’d recently attended an online conference about (among other things) the Cailleach, and that gave me enough background on her lore to confirm that she would be an appropriate association to call on with the creation of the shawl.

WHO’S THE CAILLEACH? (I KNOW, BUT OTHERS MIGHT NOT!)

She is a figure in Irish and also Scottish folklore and mythology. As far as we can tell, she’s a preChristian goddess that in Irish folklore is associated with the building of great stoneworks, and also in more recent folklore has heavy associations with cunning women, shapeshifting, and general witchery.

Shawl wrapped traditionally around her shoulders and fastened with a pin, Kai leans back against a tree.

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF WORKING ON THIS SHAWL?

I think honestly the thing that I had the most consistent trouble with is keeping count of where I was as the rows got long. This project had the longest rows I’ve ever worked on, and I was, um, not as diligent at keeping track in some places as I should have been.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN WHILE WORKING ON THIS SHAWL?

That chaos lace is possibly the most fun technique I’ve ever discovered! Also: counting is important. I found that I really also enjoyed the fade technique that I used to transition from the Dubh colorway to the edging colorway, and that’s making me think I’ll have fun with similar color-changing effects in the future.

Enjoying the seasonal foliage / Wrapped up close for warmth / Securing with a pin

DID YOU LIKE YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH DESIGN WORK? AND RELATEDLY, ARE YOU PLANNING ON RELEASING THIS PATTERN?

I almost feel guilty calling it design work because it’s composed of very simple patterns with a crazy tail added on, but yeah- I can’t give instructions for identical chaos lace to mine, but if people are interested I can write out a simple sketch! (Kit note – I’m interested in knitting up my own copy of the shawl, so I’m also invested in a written pattern existing.)

DID YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH THE YARN?

Yeah! It wasn’t a difficult yarn to manage, so it feels like it’s fairly strong without being scratchy or unpleasant to touch. It’s a good, medium, balanced yarn. One of the things I enjoyed about the dye work itself was the way that it very subtly moved from a deep, purpley tone to having hints of blue and brown and green, so in different lights the shawl has a range of colors like what you’d find in, say, a blackbird feather.

WHAT WAS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF THIS EXPERIENCE?

Having a big warm shawl to wear that’s exactly what I’d been picturing.

WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO WEAR SUCH A BIG STATEMENT SHAWL?

Wherever I want! I figure I’ll mostly wear it as an outer layer on colder days, as it’s pretty heavy for milder weather. (Kit note – she’s literally been wearing it everywhere. A shawl this fabulous makes its own space, and Kai has never been shy about her wardrobe.)

Kai likes to have fun during shoots / She also just really, really loves this shawl

WHAT ARE YOU MAKING NEXT?

Right now, I’m working on trying to level up my basic knitting skills before I try to do anything more ambitious. I’m going back to the Simple Collection by Tin Can Knits and working on the Oats Cowl.

And that’s all from Kai! I am also very in love with this project, and, as mentioned, I’ll be working with her on making the pattern more accessible. For now, though, it’s time to go enjoy the spookiest of eves. Stay warm, friends!

boooOOOoooOOOooo

#reposting this here #cozyhearthyarnworks #blog post

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this-barbie-is-a-blogger · 11 months

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Memory Log #8:

A Barbie's Guide to Career Planning

“Fight For My Way"

In Barbie's world where women can be anything, one's job is assumed to be what she also enjoyed doing. It's what she has been preparing for years after all. Her daily problem revolves around solving certain issues that arise in her job. However, this doesn't apply in the real world. There exists a difference between doing what you are passionate about and having a job that provides your necessities. What you've been studying for years in an institution, might not be used at all once you get a job that doesn't align with it. The reality of this country is that job mismatch and unemployment are two things that happen so often that it's making this Barbie anxious about her future (Melchor, 2022).

The next chapter for students after schooling is to be reintegrated back to the society. They are expected to work to contribute to the economy. All the knowledge and skills honed through the years are expected to be utilized in their chosen career paths. Thus, it is important for an individual to have career planning early on in his/her life. Well, what are the steps in career planning?

Self-awareness. One must start with identifying his/her strengths and weaknesses. This can help him/her visualize what career track is appropriate for his/her skill set. I know I'm good at understanding and memorizing scientific theories, and I really enjoy artistic expression through theater, writing and drawing. I'm also aware that I’m bad at solving math problems. Thus, it should be logical for me to pursue a degree program that doesn't involve a lot of Math courses.

Opportunity Awareness. Once you have identified where you are inclined to, the next step is to fit in your interests to a career path available. This may involve a lot of research since some career choices might not be available in your locality. Some degree programs are also quite expensive so in this part, one might consider looking into the possible scholarships for the desired degree program. I have always known I enjoy performing in front of a big crowd and I would probably pursue a degree program in theater arts given the opportunity. But there was no such degree program existing in my province thus I settled with a degree program leaning to sciences, a course that focuses on improving the quality and safety of our food.

Decision Making. Now that you know your choices, it’s time to set your goals. Decide on the career path that best fits your skills and interests. One must weigh the pros and cons of all the jobs he/she has listed. The financial factor may also be considered but it is advisable that this is the leading motivation as one might be led to picking a job that will bring unhappiness and discontentment in the long run. Sadly at this stage, this is where vocation and career becomes so defined and may start to diverge. Oftentimes, vocational courses are costly yet due to low demand, they are low-paying as well.

Taking Action. It’s time to make a plan that consists of writing your goal, that is, to get your desired career followed by the actions you will need towards the goal. It is important to lay down here the important institutions or people to tap that will aid in your journey to achieving your career.

The off stage of being a student is near for this graduating Barbie and I sometimes wonder, what would it be like in the real world? All I know is that it’s a lot harsher, and less forgiving than the institution I’ve been for almost 16 years of my life. I’m still not confident enough to be reintegrated into the society nor in finding a job that will sustain me and my family. I’m fully aware that the system won’t adjust to my principles at all. I’m afraid that I just blend in and obey rather than stand firm on what I believe in. Change is truly inevitable and the uncertainty it brings worries me a lot but this Barbie has no other choice but to face it all head on. All I’m equipped with is my resilience and confidence that I hope will not be drowned by the cruelty of society.

I hope you’ll cheer me on for the next chapter of my Barbie life.

See yah!

Get motivated with these:

References:

Melchor, M. (2022). Surveying the Extent and Wage Consequences of Education-Job Mismatches in the Philippine Labor Market. Philippine Journal of Development, 46(1).

#spotify #Module_8 #career #life goals #legally blonde

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alyshajisaacs · 1 year

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Entry 2: Finding my feet

My first day of my internship I met up with Holly in person at Creative Cubes South Melbourne. I remember being very excited and eager to begin my internship experience.

My Play Like a Girl induction with Holly was getting to know her as a person and what Play Like a Girl goals. Also talking about what projects I'll be doing and what is expected from me as an intern. My internship position at Play Like a girl is digital content assistant.

This role consisted of several task such as:

- Plan, create and schedule social media content for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

- Create the first Play Like A Girl Media Kit

- Engage with our followers and social media communities by responding to comments, messages etc

- Writing sports blogs

- Editing guest speakers interviews

- Editing videos on Play Like a Girl Youtube Video

-Created Play Like A Girl Course Applications and EDM

My first 40 hours has been so far good. The first task I’ve completed in my internship is a post about the Australian Opals World Cup Campaign. I really enjoyed writing about what's happening in women's sports as it doesn’t really get that much media coverage compared to men's games. So far I’ve been writing posts about what's happening in women's sports.

Also I completed editing a 90 second clip of Bec Miller interview for our socials.

Holly gave me full responsibility for this project as her only requirement was to choose 90 second clip of engaging content for our social media channels. I really enjoyed this editing guest speaker interviews as everyday I was doing something new and I got the chance to advance my editing skills. Also it was the first time I add subtitles as it was something I’ve never done before.

So far I’ve been posting on Play Like a Girl socials three times a week. Monday being a business post, Wednesday being a woman in sport post whilst Friday focused on a guest speaker interview post.

Up to this point I’ve submitted everything on time and I personally feel like I’m contributing a lot to the business, improving on my skills and gaining so much confidence through this internship experience. Internships will help you to build confidence through practice which will also help in your personal growth (Undercover Recruiter, 2013). So far this internship experience has made me want to pursue a career in sports media.

Ko (2008) believes “Through internships students have more chances to explore future careers, to gain deeper knowledge of details, and to start thinking about their future careers based on their internship experiences” (p.3).

References:

Fleischmann, C. (2013). 7 Reasons You Should Take an Internship. Undercover Recruiter. https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/7-reasons-take-internship/

Ko. (2008). Training, Satisfaction with Internship Programs, and Confidence about Future Careers among Hospitality Students: A Case Study of Universities in Taiwan. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 7(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220802033245

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stevensavage · 1 year

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Steve’s Book Roundup

I write a lot and have quite a few books. So now and then I post a roundup of them for interested parties!

The Way With Worlds Series

This is what I do a lot of – writing on worldbuilding!. You can find all of my books at www.WayWithWorlds.com!

The core books of the series will help you get going:

Way With Worlds Book 1 – Discusses my philosophy of worldbuilding and world creation essentials.

Way With Worlds Book 2 – Looks at common subjects of worldbuilding like conflicts in your setting, skills for being a good worldbuilder, and more!

When you need to focus on specifics of worldbuilding, I have an ever-growing series of deep dive minibooks. Each provides fifty questions with additional exercises and ideas to help you focus on one subject important to you!

The current subjects are:

Sex and Reproduction

Magic and Technology

Food and Culture

Religion

Worldbuilding Checkups

Characters

Superheroes

Organizations

Cities

Fashion

News

Gods and Deities

Conspiracies

Calendars and Holidays

History and Records

Natural Disasters

Man-Made Disasters

Misinformation, Disinformation, Propaganda

Fiction

Take a typical fantasy world – and then let it evolve into the information age. Welcome to the solar system of Avenoth, where gods use email, demons were banished to a distant planet, and science and sorcery fling people across worlds . . .

A Bridge To The Quiet Planet – Two future teachers of Techno-Magical safety find trying to earn their credentials hunting odd artifacts backfires when they’re hired to put some back . . . on a planet where gods go to die!

A School of Many Futures - The crew is back, and finding having secrets and keeping them isn't the same thing! Unfortunately they also find "very normal" is a cover for "anything but" . . .

Creativity

I’m the kind of person that studies how creativity works, and I’ve distilled my findings and advice into some helpful books!

The Power Of Creative Paths – Explores my theories of the Five Types of Creativity, how you can find yours, and how to expand your creative skills to use more Types of Creativity.

Agile Creativity – I take the Agile Manifesto, a guide to adaptable project development, and show how it can help creatives improve their work – and stay organized without being overwhelmed.

The Art of The Brainstorm Book – A quick guide to using a simple notebook to improve brainstorming, reduce the stress around having new ideas, and prioritize your latest inspirations.

Chance’s Muse – I take everything I learned at Seventh Sanctum and my love of random tables and charts and detail how randomness can produce inspiration!

Careers

Being a “Professional Geek” is what I do – I turned my interests into a career and have been doing my best to turn that into advice. The following books are my ways of helping out!

Fan To Pro – My “flagship” book on using hobbies and interests in your career – and not always in ways you’d think!

Skill Portability – A quick guide to how to move skills from one job to another, or even from hobbies into your job. Try out my “DARE” system and asses your abilities!

Resume Plus – A guide to jazzing up a resume, sometimes to extreme measures.

Epic Resume Go! – Make a resume a creative act so it’s both better and more enjoyable to make!

Quest For Employment – Where I distill down my job search experiences and ways to take the search further.

Cosplay, Costuming, and Careers – An interview-driven book about ways to leverage cosplay interests to help your career!

Fanart, Fanartists, and Careers – My second interview-driven book about ways to leverage fanart to help your career!

Convention Career Connection – A system for coming up with good career panels for conventions!

Culture

Her Eternal Moonlight – My co-author Bonnie and I analyze the impact Sailor Moon had on women’s lives when it first came to North America. Based on a series of interviews, there’s a lot to analyze here, and surprisingly consistent themes . . .

My Sites

www.StevenSavage.com – My personal website, with my blog and latest updates.

www.InformoTron.com – My press site, with the links to my books and some extra goodies!

www.SeventhSanctum.com – My random inspiration website, with generators for all sorts of stories, characters, and more!

#books #steven savage

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inflammatoryfandomblog · 2 years

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back to mass effect 3: okay so the mission structure is... questionable. but i’m not honestly qualified to speak on the mass effect combat; mostly my twitch skills/aim have deteriorated rapidly over the years so i usually just blast through the games on easy. but me3 is really a product of its time in that when graphics were ramping up in the 7th gen of consoles, it became easy to really obfuscate the levels with weird shading and nonsensical details and such--ie levels become less clear to navigate. they aren’t particularly complex levels either, it is just easier to get lost because the visuals don’t necessarily serve to guide you through the levels--they just add clutter, and oftentimes nonsensical clutter.

(see also other games with this problem: the halo MCC levels becoming much harder to navigate with the remastered graphics, because everything is so glittery.)

i think it did take a few years for modern game designers to sort through this issue/provide crisper and easier visuals. i mean nowadays you have jedi: fallen order and even back then you had something like the souls games, which very rarely use their improved graphics to make their levels incomprehensible. but back then, especially with rushed games, it was very easy to put visual clutter all over the place.)

i don’t really otherwise comment on the gameplay of mass effect because the mechanics are nothing spectacular. they are there because action game cover shooters were popular, not because cover shooting is integral to experience the game or whatever.

anyways, i really like eve! i think it’s a good perspective on krogan culture and not one that i really thought about in the first game. it got brought up in the second game with how protective the tuchanka krogans were with their females, but i am really pleasantly surprised with how they fleshed out krogan culture by basically introducing us to the other half of their population. the simultaneous sanctification and devaluation of women in krogan society flows and makes sense and even has applicability to the real world human experience, but it also makes perfect sense for what transpired with the krogan “in-universe.”

(this is bioware writing at its best, honestly. one thing that mass effect has over dragon age in terms of most of its non-cerberus related lore is this sort of consistency--meanwhile dragon age erases the unique relationship the qunari had with gender as described in the first game, then brings it back in a very way that is inconsistent with how it was in origins (the guy with the chargers was a nice callback though). it makes the chantry instead of simply reminiscent of christianity... basically american protestant christianity by the third game (and many characters straight-up just speak like various levels of american christians) etc. but to be honest, the dragon age universe feels like its inception was much less cohesive than mass effect’s)

okay now to stop complimenting. the entire cerberus organization is monumental levels of stupid. like besides the questions like “how the hell are they so powerful?” and “why are there saturday cartoon villains in the same game that deals with the fallout of alien genocide?” and it’s not something you can ignore either. the characters constantly grill shepard for joining cerberus in the second game (this was very stupid and i agree, it was a stupid decision, but like........... it was also something that the writers forced on you pretending that it was a reasonable thing shepard would do when it never was lmao--i was complaining about it in me2!) i cannot escape the illusive man being like “ohohohohohohohoho look at me i’m doing another saturday morning cartoon thing because i’m obviously indoctrinated by the reapers! ohohoho~”

the crucible is kind of an asspull, but honestly i think the way the writers decided to write me2 as a little side adventure... they kind of wrote themselves into a corner. i mean, yeah, if there is an ending to this game that ends up with anybody surviving anything, you will have to pull out some sort of deus ex machina. maybe this deus ex machina would seem less so if you discovered the crucible during the course of the events of the second game, and it was something that people had been secretly working on. but then you wouldn’t get the uninteresting manufactured drama of “you are the SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE AND ALL HINGES UPON YOU, SHEPARD and no one listened to you!!!” i truly think that a lot of the bad writing decisions made in the mass effect series are a result of this badassification when really, being badass feels good when it’s delivered in small punches.

#mass effect #me3 #uhh... let's play?????#me.txt #begone thought #huh i haven't used that tag in a while #good for me!#dragon age is mentioned very slightly in a diversion so...#bioware #not gonna tag it as such lmao

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acutrack · 2 years

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Useful Suggestions for Book Printing

Books are usually important mainly because they widen the knowledge of men and women. They function as a crucial resource of information including different topics. They foster education plus help grow the intellectual, logical as well as communicative skills of individuals.

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Here are some ideas that you need to consider if you want to have your works be posted.

Write a book.

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Think about a good headline for your own book.

The actual title of your own publication should be something that secures the interest of the readers. For example in the event that you're creating a nonfiction book, you must go with a title that immediately affirms something about the actual topic of the book.

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Get some good feedback.

Any time you're finished in writing the publication, it would be of particular help if you would enable folks to give some responses about it. You should be all set to listen to what they think of your book. It would be helpful to know what the audience like and don't like about what you actually have authored. Understand the negative and positive details of your own book and also improve what must be enhanced. Have a expert comment on your book.

Take into service a fantastic editor.

As an author you need a good editor to check the in general framework of your own book. A great editor corrects the actual grammatical errors of your own book as well as the punctuation plus spellings. It is the editor who evaluates your publication before you submit it to the publisher.

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Send the book for publishing.

Think about just how many books you actually want to print. The actual number of books which you will print should be in line with your budget and your target audience. Think of just how much you are willing to invest for publishing. One can find affordable ways on how you will be able to release your books.

Advertise the book.

For you to be able to sell copies of your own publication, you will want to advertise it. Promote your books to bookstores or through a web site. Book marketing is extremely important for it is the primary component that establishes if our book publishing will be successful.

#Custom Book Printing #Custom Hardcover Book Printing

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hedezhao6 · 2 years

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Football is a activity that numerous individuals appreciate viewing, but will not know how to enjoy pretty properly. This is generally owing to the truth that they have not taken the time to understand about it. The good news is, you no for a longer period have to be section of that group. This post consists of soccer strategies to better your capabilities.

Bear in mind to practice kicking the soccer. Kicking is not the most important skill to have, but it is undoubtedly up there. Far too lots of soccer gamers will not expend more than enough time bettering their kicking video game. This typically implies they have difficulty kicking the ball straight by the goal posts when they are identified as to do so. When you have proven a superior work out schedule, follow it on a regular basis. This is much improved than staring a plan and dumping it the subsequent week. The very best way to advantage from doing work out is to locate a fantastic plan and do it various situations a week. Stay away from quitting and starting off a new schedule around and around. Does your kicker know the right placement of the plant foot? The plant foot must be put along with the soccer. It should not be forward of it or driving it. When the ball is kicked, the display have to be parallel to the discipline. Exercise generally to fantastic kicking technique. When your kid performs football, make absolutely sure he wears the appropriate helmet to stay clear of injuries. The helmet should have an outer shell produced of tricky plastic and the padding should really be thick. It should really also have a facial area mask that is rigid and a chin strap that contains a protective chin cup. The chin strap really should generally be cosy and fastened when actively playing. A great practice idea if you happen to be an offensive or defensive lineman is to apply hitting the sled as normally as you can. The sled is fundamentally a slab of steel with padding on the stop to depict the opposing line. You rush it and press it as you would when in a real activity. Get your roll down. Everyone on a soccer staff has a role to perform. Don't be the one human being who would not have an understanding of that. If you you should not observe via with your role, you can be allowing your staff down. As this is a team sport, it will also most likely guide to a reduction. When tackling, lessen the risks of a traumatic damage to the neck or head by working towards the correct kind. When you make a tackle, sustain your head up and do not direct with your helmet's major. Not only is this illegal, but it enormously increases the chances of an injury. If you want to do perfectly late activity, make sure that interval coaching is a normal part of your cardio. This is mainly alternating superior-speed and low-speed laps or timed intervals inside your overall working session. Carrying out this will enable you preserve up a steady vitality stage in the course of the full game, meaning that coach can count on you in the fourth quarter. Have an indoor exercise routine that you can do whenever. Consist of drive-ups, sit-ups and everything else you do to perform on stamina anytime. This will enable you get some actual physical exercise each morning and night. It also makes for a superior backup system to work out when the weather outside is unfriendly or you do not have entry to a field or pounds area. If you engage in soccer, you really should exercise session outside the house of your soccer observe. Obtaining a robust physique can not only help you play better, but it can also retain you safe when you participate in. Just take section in routines that improve your entire overall body and that can support you when you enjoy football. The time is now to toughen on your own up. You may possibly get the wind knocked out of you, or even a little bit wounded. These are occasions when you just have to get up and get back into the match. Severe injuries like concussions are times when you ought to get off the industry, although. As 프리메이플 off of this write-up stated, most men and women like to check out a sport of football, but lots of are unaware of how to definitely play this sport. Since studying the guidelines above, however, this does not apply to you. You now have the information it normally takes to grasp the activity of football.

#프리메이플구축

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silverthetheorist · 3 years

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Wilbur returning as a writer is good (and why it will be an uphill battle)

I am back I guess. I disappeared for a while, which I tend to do. Anyways, my point today is explaining why Wilbur returning as the writer of the SMP is the best possible thing for the server. I’ve seen a lot of hate towards Wilbur and his writing, people say it was too focused on his own character and leaving everyone else out except for Tommy, to which I say.... Have you seen Season 2? They could have renamed the SMP the “Tommy, Techno, and no one else SMP”

Before showing proof to how Wilbur can improve the storyline let me talk about the Final Disk War Arc for a bit:

- It was very good!.... Until you start thinking about it for a little bit. When everyone showed up to say goodbye to Tommy and Tubbo and the Endgame moment were good, but then you remember half of those character either hate Tommy, barely interacted with him or have nothing to do with the plot of Season 2 (Because everyone who was not called Tommy, Techno and Dream were left out). So yeah, those moments are good on their own

- When Tommy starts listing all the horrible things Dream has done to everyone in the server and can’t think of any besides a joke about Quackity not wearing clothes... Even they know no one had any stake in the plot jesus

-Dream ending up in the prison was the perfect ending. Anyone else ending in that prison would not have made sense from a story perspective. Glad they dodged that narrative bullet.

Really, the Final Disk War made me realise the biggest problem with season 2. The exile arc is very good... on its own. Doomsday was very g- hahahahaah... I’m kidding Doomsday is the only bad bad event on the SMP. And the Final Disk War is also very good. But when you put it all together.... it just doesn’t fit. This is a classic example of something being worse than the sum of its parts (Not sure if I am using that phrase correctly but you get the point... hopefully). Each arc on its own is fairly competent but how did Techno’s execution affect the rest of the arcs? How was the Final Disk War affected by prior arcs? It lacks cohesiveness and consistent themes.

Now I have two more things to say before I give Wilbur his credit:

- I’ve mentioned Eret, Fundy and Nicki a lot because I think they were great characters with a lot of potential. But, as we know, the story completely ignored them in favor of Dream, Techno and Tommy (Even Tubbo was sidelined for most of the Story). I am not insinuating anything, but something about one of the few LGBT CC of the server, one of the two women of the server and the only (I think) canonically trans characters being left out of the story they have been a part of since the beginning just... doesn’t feel right to me.

- I LOVE Ranboo. You can see the passion and dedication he puts in his story and I love it. But, has he really done anything? Like... that affects the plot. He grieffed George’s house with Tommy but you can cut him out of it and nothing changes? Same with blowing up the community house, you can just say it was Dream and cut Ranboo’s character all together. If you can remove a character and the plot does not change then that is a bad character. And this is not Ranboo’s fault, you can tell how passionate he is and he is definitely the best actor of the SMP (Low bar there but whatever), but the Storyline says: No, your character cannot actually do anything. This also fits together with the Eret, Fundy and Nicki situation: A character giving his opinion and feeling over an event is not a character being involved in the plot. That is a reactionary character that never affects anything but is delegated to just reacting to the plot other characters move. Sad.

Now. How can Wilbur fix all of this? The evidence can be seen on his failed resurrection. He went directly to Eret to ask for help. That is the key to everything.

Tommy is the main character. There is no changing that this far into the story. But by writing stories that involve other characters you include them. Big shocker there, I know. Season 2 was more character centric (Although not in a good way), the problem is that character centric stories cannot handle that many characters. Wilbur has said that he prefers geopolitical plots and why is that? A country has many people, not only one. if you built and open narrative, it allows for anyone who want to be included in the story to... well, be included. And a story being more geopolitical does not mean it is not character centric, but a character-centric story cannot be geopolitical.

Why did I mention him asking Eret for help before Philza joining in? Because it is simple thing like that the way to go to include other characters. If you invite another CC into your lore event, then that CC can develop how his character interacts and grows from that event. You see this with Eret, he shows regret over the betray, he shows his love for Fundy and his respect for Wilbur. It really is not that hard to do, which makes everything season 2 has done way more infuriating. The ONE thing Wilbur decides in season 2 showed more skill that anything in season 1 (Kind of an exaggeration but you get the point).

So to summarize, Wilbur will improve season 3 in two ways: Writing a bigger narrative that sustains more character and inviting said left-out characters to help out on events that they may not really have a lot of stake in.

Why it will be an uphill battle you ask? Because they got rid of L’manberg. The geopolitical stuff is barely present anymore. And season 2 negative’s will still affect the future of the SMP forever just as the strength’s of season 1 impacted the mix reception season 2 had.

PS: English. Me make mistakes sometimes. Me sorry. Also sorry if I rambled a bit too much. Head full.

PS2: The egg plot is cool and new and refreshing. But I cannot say it is very good until I see what the emotional core of the story is. It is still fairly new so I will give it the benefit of the doubt.

PS3: Sorry if I was too negative again, but there are already so many people pointing out the good things about the SMP. This fandom forgets that they are allowed to not like things, and disagree with the CC. I see many post per day saying things like: If CC does this (Insert stupid idea) then we (Their viewers who they have to appease in some way or another) we CANNOT COMPLAIN EVER. Like, no. Have some critical thinking and point out bad when you see it, I know this fandom is capable of it but many suppress critical thinking in this fandom in favor of very weird hive-mind ideas.

PS4: Dream’s song is not it. I am sorry.

#dream smp #dream #georgenotfound #SapNap #tommyinnit #tubbo #eret #nihachu #fundy #wilbur #wilbur soot #technoblade #phliza #ranboo #awesamdude #badboyhalo #Skeppy #antfrost

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yogaadvise · 3 years

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Practicing Yoga Terms

Sanskirt, the ancient Hindu language, can be tough to recognize. The language has words that are commonly listened to in yoga exercise course or listened to in anything regarding yoga, so it assists to have a concept of some of their meanings.

In Sanskrit words resemble living beings, depending upon context, condition and also atmosphere their mood differs and also indicating differs. Amit Ray, Walking the Course of Compassion

In a yoga exercise class, it is nearly unavoidable that there are going to be some terms that are symbolic, Sanskrit, and probably tough to articulate that might leave you wanting that you had a yoga exercise thesaurus with you. Don't fret! Most of us start someplace. Right here is a listing of 50 terms that typically are heard in a yoga course that could sound like gibberish if you are brand-new to the course or cue something that has a much deeper definition. The majority of these have far more deepness and information to them than what is specified right here. So for deeper understanding, further reading and translations is useful. Sanskirt writing typically has a number of various translations. However for the benefit of the read, this is a quick overview.

Yoga in the Body

Bandha Mula Bandha Muladhara Bandha Jalandhara Bandha Chakra Muladhara Svadhisthana Manipura Anahata Vishudha Ajna Sahasrara Nadi Prana Ujjayi

Yoga Philosophy

Sutras Bhagavad Gita

The Limbs of Yoga

Yama Ahimsa Satya Asteya Brachmacharya Aparigraha Niyama Saucha Santosha Tapas Svhadhyaya Ishvara Pranidhana Asana Pranayama Pratyahara Dharana Dhyana Samadhi

Yoga Methods

Vinyasa Kundalini Yin Bhakti Ashtanga Hatha Tantra Kirtan Ayurveda

Practicing Yoga Terms

Mantra Mudra Drishti OM Shanti Namaste

Yoga in the Body

These are Sanskrit terms in the yoga exercise custom that are techniques, skills, as well as energetics that are vital in practicing yoga. They can improve the physique, your technique, self-exploration, development, as well as understanding.

Bandha - The term for Body Locks that are engagements within the body for the integrity of a yoga exercise practice. Mula Bandha - The Root Lock of the 3 bandhas. It is a tightening and interaction of the perineum, the sex organs. Uddiyana Bandha - The involvement of the core by the action of contracting the marine right into the rib cage. Jalandhara Bandha - The Throat Lock. Done by tucking the chin in a little in the direction of the chest. Chakra - Energy centers straightened in the body that are energetically and physiologically powerful. There are 7 major chakras within the body and also they connect among each various other, throughout the mind and body. There is an 8th chakra that is rarely mentioned, the "mood," the energetic field that borders each being. Muladhara - The Root Chakra. Situated at the base of the spine and also holds the power of your methods of survival, safety, grounding, and self approval. The color associated is Red and also has the element of the Earth. Svadhisthana - The Sacral Chakra. Found at the sacrum and holds energy of creative thinking, sensuality, relationships with others, and also the relationship with the self. The shade is orange as well as has the element of water. Manipura - The Solar Plexus Chakra. It is situated at the naval facility as well as holds the energy of confidence, recognition, strength, spontaneity, as well as core being. The shade with this chakra is yellow and also the aspect is fire. Anahata - The Heart Chakra. Located at heart facility, this holds the energy of empathy, love, compassion, the equilibrium in between heaven and also planet, purity, mercy, as well as taking care of others. The shade linked is eco-friendly and the element is air. Vishudha - The Throat Chakra. Situated at the facility of the throat as well as the energy below is of communication, truthfulness, hearing the truth, talking the fact, and estimate of your real self. The shade associated is blue-green and the element of Ether. Ajna - The Pineal Eye Chakra. Located in between the brows at the facility of the forehead, the energy held right here is the seed of intuition, recognizing, and also understanding. The color connected with the pineal eye is indigo blue. Sahasrara - The Crown Chakra. Found at the crown of the head, this chakra has the energy of transcendence, link to the highest possible self, as well as the partnership to the unidentified. The shade with the Crown Chakra is violet purple. Nadi - Link and also energy lines throughout the whole body. In yogic texts, it is said there are over 72,000 Nadis in the body. The two major are the Ida Nadi and the Pingala Nadi. Prana - Equates to "Life Force" as well as also refers to the breath. Ujjayi - A breathing method that is commonly cued throughout yoga courses. Inhales as well as breathes out are matched in length, through your nose, as well as audible to hear.

Yoga Philosophy

These are two ancient messages that are at the root of the approach of yoga.

Sutras - old mentors of Patanjali of exactly how to live a yogic way of living, practice, meditate, and also methods of taking the path to the highest self. Bhagavad Gita - An ancient Hindu message that informs the tale of Krishna leading Arjuna on the spiritual journey as well as expedition of the self, and also the means of linking to the highest possible self through yoga.

The Limbs of Yoga

There are eight limbs of yoga exercise. Generally shown, you need to take the course beginning at the first limb as well as proceeding on for your trip via yoga each day.

Yama - From the trainings tape-recorded in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The Yamas are the universal, moral, and also moral guidelines of practicing yoga. Ahimsa - Non-violence. This converts to practicing non-violence towards ourselves as well as in the direction of the world around us. Satya - Reliability. Implying to live our truth, speak honestly, and also technique honesty. Asteya - Non-stealing. The technique of not swiping from yourself as well as from the world around you in any way that can be. Brahmacharya - Moderation of the senses. Often converted as abstinence however extra so implies to mindfully utilize your energy in the right way. Aparigraha - Non-greed. Translates to non-attachment definition to practice not taking extra than what you really need. Niyama - guidelines of communicating with self. The niyamas are personality building practices. Saucha - Cleanliness/purity. Pureness of the being and also tidiness maintained in the globe around you. Santosha - Satisfaction. Exercising satisfaction, being all right as well as glad with your own life in each moment. Tapas - Discipline. Can translate as heat. It means exercising self-control to expand stronger. Svadhyaya - Self-study. Exercising self-exploration and also study totally through reflection as well as recognition. Ishvara Pranidhana - Give up to the self. Welcoming and giving up completely to all consciousness as well as your greatest being. Asana - The 3rd limb. Essentially suggests, "to rest." This is the strength and versatility from the yoga positions of exercising yoga. Pranayama - The fourth limb. Breath work or control of the life-force. Any breathing technique and also control of the breath is pranayama. Pratyahara - The fifth limb. Withdrawal of the detects, drawing in of the detects for deep link past mindlessness. Dharana - The sixth arm or leg. Having one pointed focus and concentration. Dhyana - The 7th limb. Having an emphasis that you can keep in meditation. Samadhi - The eighth limb. Coming to be completely soaked up into your highest possible self.

Yoga Methods

These are different styles of a yoga method. Each have their very own function and method of exercising, yet they all have the origins of yoga exercise's core worths. A person can exercise one or as many styles that fits their own journey.

Vinyasa - there are a pair of various definitions behind the term vinyasa and exactly how it is used in a class. It equates to activity paired with breath, so when you most likely to a "Vinyasa course" it is a circulation class that connects breath with movement. When you remain in a class as well as the instructor says "take a Vinyasa" that implies to take a flow of your finding, generally a Higher Pet dog to Downward Dealing With Dog. Kundalini - A kind of primitive energy coiled at the base of the spinal column, Shakti, that is within each being. Kundalini yoga is a collection of countless kriyas, which are intentional movements or techniques, shown by Yogi Bhajan to awaken one's inner kundalini. Yin - The women power of a technique that is slower and also calmer. In yin yoga exercise, poses are held for a number of breaths, a minimum of a pair minutes, to get involved in releasing the deep tissue as well as fascia of the body. Bhakti - Love and also devotion. Bhakti yoga courses typically consist of chanting or vocal singing as a means of devotion. Ashtanga - Establish sequences of 3 different seires of vinyasa yoga developed and also made popular by Sri K. Patthabi Jois. This technique is indicated to be tough, rise toughness and also versatility, as well as cleaning of the body and mind. Hatha - The collection of both masculine and also womanly power (Ha= sun as well as tha= moon). Hatha yoga exercise is implied to help find equilibrium through the body, mind, and also spirit as well as produce room for spiritual growth. Tantra - Meaning "woven with each other," tantra is the yoga exercise of union. It is not about tantric sex that is promoted, yet instead union with various other beings by any means and also within yourself. Kirtan - Spiritual community gathering of yogic singing, shouting, and meditation. Ayurveda - An old of living that comes from the exact same Hindu roots that yoga exercise stemmed. It incorporates nourishment, medication, as well as one-of-a-kind types (called doshas) developed to aid a private comprehend their very own tendencies and needs.

Practicing Yoga Terms

These are a few of the common terms you might listen to that accompany a yoga exercise practice. They are various strategies as well as purposeful components of a practice.

Practicing Yoga Terms

Mantra - Word or expression that is repeated to strengthen the method mentally and also emotionally. Mudra - A positioning or plan of the hands or fingers. Mudra equates to "secure." Each mudra has its own meaning as well as they are utilized to facilitate a particular circulation of power and evoke various things. Anjali Mudra, hands with each other in mind facility, and also ¬ ¬ ¬ Gyana Mudra, the forefinger as well as thumb touching, are typical mudras. Drishti - A fixed gaze point. Maintaining an established look factor assists to maintain balance. OM - the universal audio and vibration of all living things. It is the start as well as the end as well as is used to get in touch with the globe around us. Shanti - Converts to "tranquility." Typically shouted at the beginning or end of a practice to ignite tranquility within the world as well as ourselves. Namaste - translates to "the light within me honors and values the light within you." Chanted at the end of a technique to recognize the light within on your own and others.

#asana #Hatha Yoga #kundalini yoga #meditation #pranayama #restorative yoga #spiritual #spiritual growth #spiritual journey #vinyasa yoga #yin yoga #yoga #yoga poses #yoga positions #yoga sutras #yoga works

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germanicseidr · 3 years

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Cananefates

It has been over a year since I have written a post on the Cananefates tribe. I have rewritten the post to include more information since it was quite a short post. This tribe is personally one of my favourites because I currently live in former Cananefates territory and so have my ancestors for about a 1000 years, at least as far as my family tree goes back.

The Cananefates were a Germanic tribe located in modern day Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands in the Rhine delta. Their neighbours to the east were the Batavi, to the south the Frisiavones and to the north the Frisii. They obviously had no neighbours to the west because they lived on the coasts of the north sea.

The name of this tribe is a bit strange and the origins of the Cananefates people is also not fully clear. There are two possible theories: one theory suggests that the Cananefates are actually a small splinter group of the Batavi, the other theory suggests that both the Batavi and Cananefates broke off the Chatti after an internal conflict. The only thing that is sure is that the Batavi and Cananefates were related to each other. Another completely different theory suggests that the Cananefates were perhaps Celtic in origin but adopted the Germanic culture or the other way around.

Several reasons to support the last theory is the name of the tribe. The word Cananefates means 'master of leeks', the first half of the name is Celtic and the latter Germanic. The meaning is quite curious because it isn't really that much of a heroic name compared to most other Germanic tribes. It does however suggest that they were very skilled at farming.

The first Roman who recorded the existence of this tribe was Julius Caesar in his work 'De Bello Gallico'. He describes how the Batavi and Cananefates live on an island in the Rhine delta. Another Roman who gave a more detailed description of the Cananefates was Tacitus. He described the Cananefates as a tribe smaller than the Batavi but they equalled the Batavi in their skills of war. Just like the Batavi, the Cananefates supplied the Roman army with auxiliary units and some even served as imperial bodyguards.

Despite being only a small tribe, the Cananefates have accomplished fairly great things, one example is the story of Gannascus, the Cananefaat who terrorized coastal settlements with raids, he's considered to be one of the earliest proto-vikings. I have written a seperate article about his life for those who are interested. Another unknown Cananefates auxiliary officer was present at Caligula's infamous attack on the sea. An event that the Cananefates would never forget.

The most famous Cananefaat was Brinno, a chief of the tribe. The Cananefates and Batavi were not only related to each other but they were close allies as well. When the Batavi revolted in 69AD, Brinno called upon his tribe to join the revolt against the Romans. Tacitus has described Brinno in his work 'the annals' as following:

"Among the Cananefates was a foolish desperado called Brinno. He came from a very distinguished family. His father had taken part in many marauding exploits. The mere fact that his son was the heir of a rebel family secured him votes. He was placed upon a shield in the tribal fashion and carried on the swaying shoulders of his bearers to symbolize his election as leader.

Immediately calling upon the Frisians, a tribe beyond the Rhine, he swooped down on two Roman auxiliary units in the nearby quarters and simultaneously overran them from the North Sea. The garrison had not expected the attack, nor indeed would it have been strong enough to hold out if it had. So the posts were captured and sacked." - Tacitus, the annals

If you want to know more about Brinno, I have written a post about him as well.

Besides all their military accomplishments, their most unique trait was farming. The tribe's name rightfully means 'master of leeks' because the Cananefates had the most ingenious farming system of all the Germanic people and perhaps of all Western Europe. In Vlaardingen, Netherlands, certain valves were found dating back to 100AD. These valves were used to direct water to a specific direction. They built dams and used these valves to direct water away from the crops during high tides and heavy rains. This is the oldest sluice system of Western Europe.

The Cananefates were perhaps also the Germanic tribe with the most Roman influences. When the Romans encountered this tribe, the Cananefates were still living in tiny hamlets consisting of a few farms. By 130AD the Cananefates had a capital city, Forum Hadriani, with a typical Roman layout and streets made of brick. Their temples looked exactly the same as classic Roman temples, although they were smaller.

Unfortunately nothing much more is known about this tribe after 170AD. We know that the Cananefates continued raiding coastal settlements to the great annoyance of the Romans. Together with the Chauci and Frisii, they truly terrorized towns across Gaul and Britannia causing the Romans to drastically improve their defences.

Eventually the Cananefates were absorbed by the Franks around 350AD, it is also very much so possible that the Cananefates were one of the tribes who were responsible for the formation of the Frankish confederation.

The Cananefates supplied Rome with soldiers, some records of these soldiers and their units have survived. We know per example that the Cananefates and Batavi always had a combined force of about 5000-6500 men serving in the Roman army and that the Cananefates supplied Rome with 24 new recruits each year, the Batavi 240 new recruits. We also know that there was one Cananefates auxiliary cavalry unit and that this unit was also involved in the Frisii uprising. They suffered heavy losses at the battle of Baduhenna grove.

Initially the Cananefates auxiliary were deployed close to their homelands, such as during the Frisii revolt. But the Romans lost their trust in the Cananefates after the Batavi revolt so after 69AD, the Cananefates were deployed far away from their homeland in modern day countries like Romania, Hungary and Algeria.

Another interesting little fact is that the Roman influence did not only extent into Cananefates architecture, religion and military. Quite some family members of Cananefates, and also Batavi, auxiliary troops were literate. Even in the lower classes, many women, whose husbands were serving in the Roman army, were able to write so that they could communicate with them.

Here are images of: A map showing the location of the Cananefates, Brinno being carried on a shield, art by Jacob de Vos, Remains of the Cananefates capital in modern day Voorburg,

#Cananefates #Germanic #Germanic tribe #Dutch

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juana-the-iguana · 3 years

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Headcanons about Sakura:

- Her parents were not ninjas. Maybe they went to the academy, but if they did, they never passed the genin exams. No halfway decent ninja would let their daughter diet, let alone the night before a crucial, physically taxing exam.

- Her family leaves much to be desired. It's one thing to say, "I'm better than blank, because my family is better," but it's another thing to say "I'm better because I have a family." And the haughty way she spoke too seemed a bit like she was overcompensating. I don't think she was abused, but I think there was something seriously dysfunctional. To elaborate:

-Her father was either distant, disapproving or even left her family at some point. I don't think there is anything atypical about her feelings toward Sasuke in their full progression. I also don't think that her desire to stand back-to-back with her teammates is unusual. Still. She values her relationship with them to the same degree, if not more, than the ones she has with the women in her life who had been there for her for longer, and more consistently (her mother, Ino, Tsunade, etc.) Part of this is because Naruto is a very sexist society and Kishimoto does not know how to write women whose lives don't revolve around men, but part of this is because she lacked male approval growing up and seeks validation from men to compensate. (Yes, this is a very cliche explanation for why girls go for "bad boys," but it works in my head.)

- She trained a lot before the Forest of Death. She exited the Forest bloodied, beaten and traumatized, yet still able to keep up with Ino—one of the best ninjas in their academy class, who also improved a lot since the Academy—and tie with her in a fight. She also had fine enough chakra control to channel chakra into her fists. Those skills didn't appear after her fight with the Sound nin.

- Kakashi never trained her, but she never held it against him. He was surprised by her progress in the preliminary matches and seeing as she improved drastically since the Academy, that's a hard thing to miss. Also, the only time we see him praise her is to use her success as a way to goad her teammates on, and he specifically mentions the fact that she is a girl (before Shippuden at least; during the time skip they did not keep in contact at all).

Kakashi was a young, traumatized man in his mid-twenties who was suddenly and put in charge of an emotionally unstable Sharingan user and an equally emotionally unstable (but in other ways) jinchuuriki, both of whom showed tremendous amounts of potential. Kakashi didn't know what he was doing, but he knew that Sasuke and Naruto needed a lot of attention. Combine that with a dose of casual sexism and Sakura got pushed aside. She understood this and never held it against him.

- She never thought about being from a civilian family until the Chuunin Exams. In the Academy, she was so focused on passing her classes and competing with Ino that it she never gave any thought to the that. Once she was placed on Team 7, she was with: the last Uchiha, so she had no reason to believe that his skills were anything but a result of practice and innate talent; Naruto, who was believed to be clanless/Uzumaki was not a well known clan among their generation; and Kakashi who also has an elusive family history. She didn't even know about the Sharingan and the Byakugon until witnessing them firsthand, despite the fact that she is one of the most well-read ninjas in her generation.

Then, during the exam, it became clear in the test portion that so many of the successful ninjas relied heavily on kekkai genkai or clan jutsus (the latter of which she fell victim to), in the Forest of Death Orochimaru was hunting Sasuke for his Sharingan, and during the preliminary matches, every single clan-kid relied heavily on their clan techniques/blood limits. Of the four (in her mind) ninjas who did not have clan techniques—her, Naruto, Lee and Tenten—only one of them advanced to the next round, despite the fact that they were all very capable ninjas. Ninja clans went from a thing she had no reason to pay attention to, to one of the most determining factors in which ninjas progressed in their careers.

- She wouldn't have actually abandoned the village for Sasuke. I think she loved him and was saying anything she thought would make him stay, but I don't think she would have followed through on that spur-of-the-moment comment.

- Inner Sakura existed to cope with her frustration toward her teammates, because she felt like she couldn't be angry at them. She stopped caring about childhood bullies after she joined Team 7, but her anger from being overlooked, condescended, abandoned and, in general, not being able to keep up with her team kept Inner alive. She could never take these emotions out on her teammates (except in small bursts) because she understood that they were dealing with bigger things and didn't hold their actions against them, so she bottled them up.

- She trained a lot in genjutsu. No one's "immune" to genjutsu. She progresses from falling for a simple genjutsu during the Bell Test to brushing off s-ranked genjutsus like they're nothing for the majority of the series.

- She was good friends with Hinata and Shikamaru. There is a photo of her, Naruto and Hinata as kids in the Uzumaki mantle in Boruto (I know, I know), which leads me to believe that Hinata and her were good friends, because we all know that Sakura would have been the one to arrange a hang out between those three. As for Shikamaru, after Sakura rekindled her friendship with Ino and began spending time training with Team 10 before the Chuunin Exams, Shikamaru became a regular figure in her life. They're vibed with each other, because they're both smart and analytical.

- Sasuke only had so many photos and he really wanted to hold onto that photo with Team Taka, which is why Sakura put it in the family portrait frame and kept it intact. There has to be a reason.

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andmaybegayer · 4 years

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The cultural positioning of typewriters, or: I promise I’m not corporatecore come back it’s fine.

I got a typewriter! If you want a documentary breakdown of that you should read this post, but this is going to be about what typewriters were used for back in the 20th century and how utterly batshit the entire ecosystem there was.

Typewriters were used by three main groups of people: journalists, authors, and secretaries. I don’t really care much about the first two, because while they used typewriters, their job was not typewriting. Typewriters were popular for journalists and authors because typewritten drafts and manuscripts were easier for editors and typesetters (and indeed, legibility is a big reason for the adoption of the typewriter in all parts of the world) but typing is not what journalists and authors do. Authors compose and edit, and journalists research and write, but only secretaries type.

(I read an interesting paper about this three-way split, you can read it here)

In the 1800′s, secretary was a job given to a strapping young man with a bright future in business so that he could learn the trade, but after some wars and other social pressures that reduced the supply of male secretaries, and a convenient confluence of women learning the skill of typewriting, the female secretary became a thing. Suffrage movements were pretty happy about this for a while: Women in the office! How progressive! Of course, the role of secretary very quickly stopped having a progression path to management, and it picked up all the usual misogynistic stereotypes that you probably know today.

If you’re over 45 you probably know what the job of secretary used to look like, but for those of you who aren’t, for most of the 1900′s secretary was a job that revolved around typing letters, missives and notes in a legible and consistent format. This is important, because the alternative sucks shit. If you were mid level manager Johnson Q. Goodfellow at the Racism Company, and you needed to tell the Racism Factory that they needed to produce 400 more units of Racism this week, you could try calling up the manager at the factory and telling him this. Unfortunately, there’s all manner of things that could go wrong here. He might misinterpret you saying “produce 400 more” as “produce 400 only”, in which case you might have a Racism shortage. Or he might mishear entirely and produce only four more, if your accent is particularly bad.

Instead, Johnson Q. Goodfellow could get a secretary to create a missive (in quadruplicate, using carbon paper) and get the 17 year old who hangs around your lobby to courier two copies out of town to the Racism Factory, and you can keep two copies for your own records. Very low chance for errors now, since either side can refer to their copies to find out what was intended. A secretary would also add dates and ensure all communication meets business standards.

(This is also why there’s no red telephone between Washington and Moscow. It used to be a teletype: a text transfer machine. Later, it was Fax, and nowadays it’s encrypted email and text chat. All text-based systems, written in the sender’s native language and translated on the other side to provide the lowest chance of a misunderstanding and high chance of being correctly recorded.)

How would that letter get written? If you were an audio or shorthand typist (a highly skilled profession requiring extensive training at a secretarial school) you would either be a personal secretary to a single executive or a high-ranking member of a secretarial pool. Either way, your manager would dictate a letter, and you would have to convert it into a typewritten document. Originally this would be done by a secretary capturing the speech in real time in shorthand, and later it would be captured on a microcasette and transcribed with the assistance of a dictation machine. On the other hand, a simple copy typist can only work in the secretarial pool, and you would get a hand-written draft from a manager, likely one too low-level to have his own secretary or even his own microcasette recorder. This would possibly be sent back for checking, either by the manager or by your superior, and then all copies would be sent wherever they were needed. The jobs are otherwise similar, apart from a lack of real progression for copy typists.

(A good pop-media example of shorthand typing is the “speed test” song from the musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, a rendition of which I will link here. It’s also a treasure trove of the kind of ridiculous stereotypes that existed around the secretarial profession, as a musical made in the 60′s about the 20′s. Millie is a fawning social-ladder-climber who gets her job explicitly to someday marry her boss, who is a self-absorbed dipshit. I was a stagehand on my high school’s production of this, so I know the whole thing from memory. Please send help.)

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Why don’t the managers type their own letters? Well, partially because of the weird skill split on typing: typing was a woman’s skill back then, many men would not even know how to type, and those that did may be extremely slow hunt and peck typists who would make many errors and produce uneven, sub-par manuscripts. Secretary was kind of considered a fallback profession in some cases: schools taught it to girls the same way woodwork was taught to boys. You don’t necessarily want to become a carpenter/secretary, but if you can’t find a decent company job/suitable husband, the skill can support you until you track one down or die. Man, the 20′s-70′s were insane.

There’s some interesting status stuff to talk about here. If you’ve ever seen an old movie where a rich dude takes out a tape recorder and makes a note to himself, that’s the movie’s way of telling you that this guy is powerful enough to have a personal secretary. It implies that later he’s going to put that in an envelope and leave it on someone’s desk and the next day when he comes in, any reminders he made will be on his calendar and any notes will have been typed out in full.

Secretaries type as a profession. The speed expected of an acceptable secretary is a sustained 70 words per minute, which is about what I can do in an extended session. A good secretary could easily surpass 100, and there’s an old navy typist training video of the fastest typewriter typist in the world reaching 180 wpm on demand, and since correction on typewriters is tedious, your accuracy was expected to be near on 100%. On old manual typewriters the skill of keeping all letters even was an additional challenge, since you provided the mechanical force for the type bars. Electric typewriters, like the one I have solve this problem, but it’s still a complicated skill.

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Before the invention of the typewriter, the only way to produce clear, reliably text was typesetting. Typesetting is of course, a noble profession, but not something you can easily do in the office on a whim, and wholly unsuitable for one-time messages. Standardized writing in the office reduces the chance of errors and improves your ability to find out who’s to blame when something goes wrong.

Nowadays secretary is not really a job that exists anymore? You mostly hire Executive Assistants and groups of lower managers share a single Executive Assistant rather than accessing a pool of secretaries. Typing is also no longer the name of the game, instead it focuses on maintaining schedules, synthesis of letters from prompts from your manager, and serving as a gatekeeper for mail and meetings. The name has changed because the job has changed, describing an executive assistant as a secretary would be like referring to the blades of a combine harvester as a scythe. That’s not to say secretaries don’t or can’t type, they are still often the most skilled typists in an office (I have seen multiple photos of macbooks with the coating worn clean off their keys by a legal secretary or medical scribe) but most executives are now capable of performing an adequate job of typing and editing on a computer.

If you wish to do some further reading, interesting resources I found while doing some research that I haven’t linked above for this include:

This quora answer from a woman who was a secretary in the 70′s

This series from an EE magazine about what it was like to work in a typing pool

#typewriter #history #secretary #typing

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stevensavage · 1 year

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Steve's Book Roundup 11/6/2022