#but often times online it feels like people require you to look a certain way

[goodtoyous]

The Trouble With Tagging

Tagging in fandom is useful, but ultimately detrimental because of how people are using it.

When I shop online for shoes, tagging is what lets me filter my view to white sneakers in size 7.5. But there are other attributes I look for in shoes. Maybe I want shoes with widely-spaced holes so they aren’t too tight when I lace them. Maybe I want to buy soles that aren’t too thick because I think that makes them clunky. And there will be other people who have these preferences too, so that must mean they’re useful classifications to have!

So it should be in a company’s best interest to provide me a way to find white sneakers in size 7.5 with widely-spaced holes, thinner soles, and whatever else I want in my shoes. Because otherwise it’s just a waste of time for me to buy something and return it later when I don’t like it, right?

No. Absolutely not.

I can’t ask for all the shoes that aren’t red to be tagged as #Not Red. I can’t ask for all shoes to be tagged #Loose Around the Ankles, when that isn’t a universal metric. The best way for me to find the shoes I want, and maybe this is still somehow controversial but I can’t imagine how, is to go into the store MYSELF and either try on shoes until I find ones I like, or ask a salesperson to help me.

Yet, somehow, people fail to see how this applies to tagging.

Back in the days of cable television, when a show was about to start, you’d see a rating and a content warning. ‘Viewer discretion is advised’, and maybe a few more words on what kind of content to expect: crude language, sexual situations, or graphic violence. We still use variations of those ratings and contents warnings on AO3 today, and they are very useful, standardized indicators.

Writers would use these indicators, and it was understood certain ratings would contain adult topics. There was nuance there, and room for interpretation, and responsibility on the reader’s side for monitoring their own content consumption.

In fandom, we coined our own terms to help enforce the idea that fanfiction was a free space for everyone to write what they wanted. ‘Don’t like; don’t read’ (DL;DR) is a common term that has perhaps become less common over the years, and has lost some of the meaning it used to have.

DL;DR does not mean ‘we, the writers, will warn for every topic that this work will include so you can avoid it’. What it meant was, if you read a story and came across something you didn’t like, you would stop reading. It did not have to be something triggering, it could just be something you didn’t like. You would hit the back button and that was the end of it.

Using tags became a way to include additional information on a story so that people could avoid certain topics more easily. So that back button didn’t need to be hit quite as often. Nowadays, I feel as though people have begun to see it as a requirement.

People will preach about wanting to avoid content they don't want, but you have always been able to do that from the very beginning. You always have the option to close the tab, to stop reading.

‘I wouldn’t have read this if I had known ___’ is a complaint most writers are not unfamiliar with. Readers complain about having wasted their time on stories that were ‘disappointing’, ‘problematic’, or ‘misleading’, simply because there is an aspect of a story they disagree with.

If a story doesn’t have ‘Unhappy Ending’ slapped on it, readers hold the author responsible for their emotional response. If one topic isn’t tagged, the author is somehow at fault for being ignorant, insensitive, or irresponsible.

It is grossly misleading to approach this by assuming authors are acting incorrectly, or possess malicious intent for not including a tag. Simplifying fiction by categorizing it into tags is exactly what that is, simplifying it. Maybe it isn’t tagged because it's a spoiler. Maybe the author didn't think it was an important aspect of the story. Maybe they just forgot!

If an author is mistagging and misrepresenting their work, that is a different story that is subject to different nuances. But it is not a requirement, unspoken or otherwise, to include a tag, because this isn’t how reading works! There is a reason why 'Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings' exists, and that is because tags are for an author to classify their own work how they see fit. It is their choice!

People have been trained by social media into not curating their own content; they let algorithms and FYPs do it for them, and when they see something they don't like, they blame it on the person who posted it.

"How dare anyone encroach on this public space with something I don't want to see!"

So I ask you this: does an author’s opinions and desires on how their work is presented not matter? Are authors shackled to public opinion irregardless of what they believe is most important about their own creation? Should creative control be fully relinquished because people who had nothing to do with a work's creative process believe they know better?

If your answer to that last question isn’t a firm, resounding NO, then you are admitting you feel more entitled to a creator’s work than the actual creator.

Society has evolved to no longer value art for being art, but value art only if it is able to conform to various labels for commodified consumption. Yet there is no faster way to kill true art than to try and cram it into a billion tiny little boxes.

Fiction is subjective. Tastes are subjective. Tagging is useful, but it isn’t everything. Take responsibility for the content you consume. Stop asking people to pick out your shoes for you, and go try some on for yourself.

#ao3 #writing #meta #fanfiction #fiction

[charmac]

People seem to forget that transmasc people can still dress feminine and vice versa. Men can wear wigs and dresses and women can cut their hair and grow beards. I think Charlie is transmasc and discovered this early so since he transitioned and looked like a male Bonnie dressed him femininely and he felt fine with it. some people are acting like men cant wear dresses and its annoying

It's definitely absolutely insanely accidental, but RCG really wrote Charlie as the most gender character of all time.

The Bathroom Problem is kinda the best example you can give anyone as to how you can have an infinite interpretation of gender: "cis man who poops transgender," I give you transman who can still enjoy wearing a dress in a certain environment, transfem whose closet is a bathroom stall, genderfluid in the place of bodilyfluids (okay, wait. WAS it definitely accidental?)

We're all on Tumblr, we all know anyone can look and dress any way and be any gender (or, if you don't understand that, I encourage you to explore and talk to trans mutuals!), which is why I think it's quite nonsensical to spend time arguing over a headcanon being dismissive of another. Charlie can be anything! Or nothing! (TY Charlie Day for my favourite line in Right to Chop "I don't really identify..." <3)

People aren't required to share the same interpretations or agree on what is a good or bad headcanon, and I think if you're getting upset by someone's own personal preferences or their interpretation for character analysis, you're just not supposed to be in the same circles of the fandom, and that's okay! You can share your own opinions, you can post your own content, but you can't keep people from personally disagreeing or expressing why they dislike a certain interpretation in their own, personal spaces online.

A lot of Sunny is pretty deep and also, very heavy. It's not surprising that people end up pulling a lot out of it, often projecting, and then find themselves very personally connected to their own interpretations and feel extremely validated when others agree with them, or feel upsettingly thrown when they see conflicting ideas. I feel all of that constantly, about many different aspects and characters, and a lot of the time I need to talk about it! I spent two years trying to do that on the SUBREDDIT and that's why I made this blog (and why my Twitter account is all but overrun by Sunny, lmfao). I think that's why most of us are here? And a lot of the time we're going to very heavily, crazily, completely agree with each other, but other times we're going to disagree as well.

Sometimes disagreement is something you can shrug off and move past (yeah, there are very clearly multiple interpretations), something you can just get over by venting more privately or one-on-one, but sometimes it's something you think is genuinely important to address/speak about, and I think that's actually how we can end up having very interesting and meaningful discussions and learn from each other.

(But if that's no good, just unfollow and block if you need to. Some people just don't get along or come from too-far distant places to agree on certain things, and that's a fact of life! This show has thousands of fans who think The D.E.N.N.I.S. System is actually a genius method, and a couple thousand more who think he is genuinely a killer ladies man)

#ask #wtf happened to this lmfao im sorry anon #idk i think i made some points #ive been in enough fandoms to learn that not everyone has to get along #and thats fine but just stop interacting with accounts or people you genuinely dislike lol #this is not twitter theres no good system in place for being a hater #(this is a joke about being able to private quote tweets on twitter) #youre just gonna make yourself miserable in the long run #find people with like minds make posts create stuff share things you love #thats how you enjoy yourself online #fandom shit #sunnyblr

[active-mind-15]

I was playing Sky: Children of the Light recently and thought about the Teiko gang + Kagami playing it together

Before I start with my headcanons, I'm sure some of y'all don't know what Sky: Children of the Light is, so I'll explain briefly.

Sky is a social adventure game where you play as a child from the now-desolate Sky Kingdom. Through exploring the seven realms of this kingdom, you restore the light back to the remaining spirits while unraveling the lore of the kingdom and figuring out what happened to it and where all the people went. You can play this game solo if you want to, but it's best played with friends. You can also play with up to eight friends on one server, and the Teiko gang + Kagami is exactly eight people, which works out perfectly! So this post will be me talking about the type of players I think all of them would be on Sky and what type of hijinks I think they'd get into if they decided to play on the same server. The rest will be under the cut. Enjoy!

KUROKO

Very diligent about playing Sky on a regular basis but doesn't play super long sessions unless he's playing with other people. Totally fine with playing by himself since he likes to wander the maps and find quiet secluded places to sit.

But sometimes he also "people watches" in the game and categorizes people based on how they play Sky. Ever since he started people-watching for basketball, it translates into pretty much everything he does, so social video games are no exception.

But when he's taking a break from solitude, he's helping moths (a term of endearment for newbies in Sky) navigate their way through the game and complete quests. There are probably a few he befriends and sees from time to time when he opens Sky, and he kinda feels like a proud parent each and every time he runs into them and sees how much they've leveled up.

Since he's an avid reader I would think he'd be a big fan of worldbuilding and lore and so I think he'd really like exploring the lore of Sky. He follows the official Sky pages on Twitter and YT to keep updated.

In terms of what Kuroko would look like in Sky (since you can customize your Sky kid's outfit and hair), he would dress very simplistically. His fit would almost always be something from the regular accessory constellations. Nothing flashy or out of the ordinary. The only non-default accessory he consistently wears is a pair of sunglasses he got during one season (a season is a period where you can do limited-time themed events and be able to get special cosmetics and emotes). He's pretty frugal in-game, so even though he has a fair number of candles (the in-game currency), he doesn't spend it that much. And the things he spends it on are small accessories and other trinkets.

Somehow, his Misdirection translates into Sky as well because most people really don't notice him, so it's pretty difficult for him to open special doors that require the help of at least two people. That's why he always befriends people who notice him. He knows that they've got his back and he's got theirs.

In Sky, you can also leave messages for other players to read. They usually take the form of paper boats or cranes you can place in any body of water in Sky, and you can write whatever you want on them (within reason of course). So, I can imagine Kuroko would always leave encouraging messages for others like "Don't give up!" and "You can do it!" Those messages always get so much attention, but nobody ever knows who writes them.

KAGAMI

Is almost never on by himself. Most of the time, he's online when Kuroko is online and they do quests together.

Since he's more of an infrequent player, he's often confused about certain aspects of the game and will need Kuroko to help him out.

He likes the game for the pretty scenery and nice music but doesn't really engage with it on a deeper level since he's not super informed about The Lore™. As a result, he's constantly asking Kuroko for explanations as to why certain things in the game are happening.

The rare times he is on by himself he's kind of awkward in navigating the maps and making friends. I would say he's more of a moth than anyone on this list, which means that whenever he's by himself, other players feel more inclined to help him out, which is how he kind of gets adopted by multiple different players. He would log into Sky and check his friend constellations to find that multiple people have gifted him light (you need light to be able to forge hearts which are a more valuable type of in-game currency that buys you more extravagant cosmetics compared to candles).

I would say he often gets sidetracked while doing quests. He'd see somewhere that he hadn't explored and drop everything to go check it out.

The way his Sky kid is dressed is a mixture of regular and seasonal cosmetics that he's managed to snag. He always tries to make himself look cool on Sky, so he cares a little bit more about his appearance because of that.

He is perpetually broke on Sky. Almost always less than 10 candles to his name. So when the time comes for him to buy a cosmetic that he really likes, he's constantly having to hustle last-minute and collect enough light around the kingdom to forge candles.

KISE

Either plays by himself or with the rest of the gang however he much prefers company and is not above pestering the others to come online and play with him.

Also a regular player because the game is cute and fun for him. He probably plays it a lot while he's on break during a modeling session or during lunch breaks at school.

He knows the basic lore of Sky but doesn't go any further. He's not one to create theories like that because he also kinda takes it at face value.

He's the type to unlock all the nodes in his friends' constellations so he can do cute things with them (unlocking friendship nodes means you can initiate gestures with friends like high-fives, hugs, piggyback rides, and more).

Because he's so used to being followed and chased by fangirls due to his modeling career, he likes the anonymity of Sky because it gives him the freedom to approach and chat with other players as an equal.

He is the flashiest Sky kid out of everyone. If he's not grinding to get all the seasonal cosmetics, he's using real money to splurge on some of the cosmetics you can't buy with in-game currency. The others sometimes are embarrassed by how much he sticks out, but Kise never lets that deter him from being the most fashionable person on the server.

He also likes leaving messages in paper boats, but they're usually generic messages like a "hi!" with a bunch of emojis. Anyone in the gang who finds his messages will screenshot them and send them to Kise via text to let him know that his messages have been spotted.

MIDORIMA

He plays this game on and off, but when he's on, he's on.

He usually plays with other people since he's more likely to play if there's a group session, but it's not uncommon to catch him doing quests by himself or simply just exploring parts of the map he's never been to before.

He strikes me as someone who'd be super deep into Sky lore and making his own theories. But his tsundere ass would pretend like he's not into it and swears that he only got this game because Kise and Momoi begged him to, even though there are too many occasions of other people in the gang asking if he wants to join them to do daily quests and Midorima responding that he's already done them, and everyone wises up that he likes the game far more than he lets on, but they don't call him out on it.

He only bothers playing with actual friends. He doesn't really interact with other strangers on the server. So, if he's on Sky by himself, he's truly just doing everything alone. Any nodes unlocked in his friendship constellation are unlocked by other people in the gang. He'd rather die than use his candles to unlock a hug emote with any of his friends.

Since there's a set limit to how many candles you can forge per day (there's a limited amount of light you can collect across the seven realms to forge candles and it refreshes daily), he takes note of where the biggest/most candles are and remembers that if he needs to forge a bunch of candles in a hurry but doesn't have time to collect every single fragment of light across all the realms.

In terms of what Midorima's Sky kid would look like, he'd be dressed very smartly. No matter what outfit he has on, he always seems to look like a scholar of some sort. Even his hair is well put together. He's not one to shy away from seasonal cosmetics, but they're not the over-the-top outfits like Kise would have on. He dresses a lot more modestly like Kuroko but not in that "default setting" sort of way.

He sometimes hoards spells (in Sky, you can purchase/be given spells that can allow you to give your Sky kid temporary boosts or powers like recharging your wings faster, making you taller or shorter, or even giving you a different outfit. These spells can also be shared with friends if you hold their hand while activating them.) He sometimes uses the outfit spells as a test run to see if something looks nice on him. And if it does, he'll save up enough candles to buy the real thing.

AOMINE

Very infrequent player. He'll log on once to wreak havoc all day before disappearing for weeks at a time.

He never plays unless someone else in the gang is also online. Especially if it's Kuroko.

Doesn't give a fuck about the lore at all and because he plays so infrequently he never has any idea what goes on.

He also doesn't have that much winged light (the more winged light you collect the more energy you have to fly) but somehow he manages to explore just as well as everyone else in the gang. It's kind of impressive.

He has no problem charging into the more dangerous areas of Sky. In fact, it would be better to say he likes to get himself into danger on purpose for that sweet, sweet adrenaline rush.

In terms of what his Sky kid looks like, I would say he also has very default accessories like Kuroko, not because he prefers them but because he's so infrequently online that he never earns enough seasonal candles to buy specially-themed accessories. However, trust and believe he will still make do with what he has. He seems like the type of person to prefer all the goofiest-looking cosmetics like beards and bushy eyebrows. It almost annoys the others how unserious his Sky kid looks at all times, but he never pays them any attention.

Sometimes when he's bored he'll try and exploit glitches in the game to see what they do or to try and get into an inaccessible area of the map.

MOMOI

Another frequent player. She loves this game DOWN. After school, she likes to get cozy in her room and hop online.

She enjoys playing both by herself and with the rest of the gang, she's not biased toward one or the other.

She really enjoys the lore of Sky and does things like analyze the appearance of each realm so she can make theories. I bet she has a notebook where she keeps track of all the lore and her interpretations of it. She exchanges theories with Kuroko a lot. Also Midorima, too, but he'll pretend like he's not interested in it.

She mainly likes to play with the rest of the gang but she's not opposed to making friends with a couple strangers on the server here and there. Sometimes if nobody from the gang is online, she'll do daily quests with these other players and sometimes add them to her friendship constellation.

You will never catch her broke on Sky. She does regular candle runs to replenish her earnings (going on a candle run means you travel through all the realms and collect all the available light so you can forge it into candles. You can typically earn about 20 candles in a day if you do a full candle run). She is probably the most consistent with gifting friends light and hearts, too. She's also the best person to ask about upcoming seasons and other Sky-related info since she follows the developers and the official Sky page on YouTube and Twitter.

Her Sky kid is the prettiest out of everyone's. Since she's such a frequent player, she has a bunch of seasonal cosmetics that she loves to alternate between. Every time the others see her, she's in a new outfit. She's just constantly decked out to the nines. She and Kise sometimes coordinate their outfits.

She has accumulated a lot of placeable props in her inventory (placeable props are decorative or functional items you can place on the ground in Sky. They could be anything from a cushion to a swing set.) She also loves to make shared spaces (shared spaces are little shrine areas that you can create and decorate as your space using props you have acquired. These spaces can also be accessed by other players). Her shared spaces are always cute and well-decorated. She likes to create them in secluded areas of the map so she and the rest of the gang can just hang out in those spaces together away from everyone else.

MURASAKIBARA

Not a super frequent player but more active than people expect. I peg him as a fan of cozy games.

Most times he prefers to play with other people, but sometimes he will have days where he'll just go off by himself and get up to God knows what.

He loosely follows the lore but doesn't really care about theories the way some of the others do. He doesn't really play Sky to think too hard about anything. He mainly just plays it to take his mind off other things.

Candle runs are so much work so sometimes he waits for others in the gang to come online before doing them for the sole purpose of holding onto their hands in-game and letting them do all the work on his behalf.

He loves accepting gifts of light and hearts but almost always forgets to return the favor. Kise complains about it the most.

His Sky kid is surprisingly well put together. When choosing hairstyles, he'll always go for the longer-haired ones out of habit. He sometimes likes wearing the pigtail hairstyles, too. In terms of cuteness, his Sky kid is second only to Momoi's. You will never catch him lacking when it comes to outfits.

He likes to antagonize Kagami when Kagami shows ignorance in something related to Sky. A simple "Huh? You didn't know even this much?" would be enough to send Kagami spiraling for ages. It's a very hilarious sight to see walls of text above the head of Kagami's Sky kid as he argues with Murasakibara through the in-game chat function.

AKASHI

Another unexpectedly frequent player. It's a refreshing change of pace from his busy life.

He has fun playing solo and playing with friends, and it astounds the others what he can get up to when left to play alone. He could probably tackle some of the more dangerous realms singlehandedly.

He is another person big on lore and exchanges theories with the other lore fans of the squad, focusing on even the most minute details of the map and the characters to make inferences. Sometimes he'll think of theories that the others hadn't even remotely considered. He also follows the official Sky page for updates, too and will (along with Momoi) be one of the first to know about new Sky-related info.

He has the best control of his Sky kid while flying out of everyone. He's just really good at maneuvering tight spaces or windy currents. Also really good at diving. The others never have to worry about him if they're traveling around the map. It's actually them who have to keep up with Akashi.

He's not one to officially befriend a lot of other players per se, but he does use the common areas scattered across the map to talk to people sometimes. He enjoys the idea of being able to approach whoever without worrying about people being intimidated by him. Being able to just be treated as a regular person feels nice.

His Sky kid is always dressed so stylishly. Not too flashy like Kise but not too proper like Midorima. Akashi lets himself get creative with the outfit coordination. He especially loves the different masks you can wear and loves collecting those the most.

You can also have instruments in Sky that are actually playable, so during group gaming sessions, he likes to sit down and play songs for the squad. You can either go buy the sheet music you can unlock through constellations or you can just play whatever random notes you like. Either way, Akashi finds a way to entertain his friends.

HOW WOULD THEY ALL PLAY TOGETHER AS A GROUP?

First of all, Akamomo as the canonical activity planners of their friend circle would be the ones to reach out to everyone for availabilities so they could arrange a group gaming session.

Most of the time they do full group sessions during new seasons where maybe new parts of the map are unlocked and they all get to discover it together.

Aomine is usually the one who puts everyone else's safety at risk in the more dangerous realms. There are a few realms with dark dragons that knock winged light out of players if they spot you, and Aomine sometimes deliberately provokes them. Most of the time he isn't able to dodge, which leaves everyone else to grab his winged light for him after he gets knocked out.

Sometimes Murasakibara disappears mid-game to go grab snacks so you'll see his Sky kid just snoozing while he's inactive.

Kuroko, Momoi, Akashi, and Midorima have fixations on cave paintings in Sky and will sometimes spend several minutes going back and forth on theories and interpretations of lore.

On occasion, after all of their daily quests are done, they like to find secluded parts of the map to just chill and talk. They like utilizing Momoi's shared spaces for that specific purpose.

Sometimes Kise manages to convince everyone to coordinate their outfits,

Kagami constantly has to be saved by the Teiko gang members when he runs out of energy to fly, and it humiliates him to no end. Especially if Aomine ends up saving him because he hates owing Aomine favors.

Kuroko loves using the high-five emote a lot, especially with Kagami and Aomine.

Kise refuses to go into scary parts of the map unless someone holds his hand in-game.

Aomine will sometimes break off from the group and come back holding a crab that he picked up from who knows where.

Akashi is the one who scopes out an area for potential danger first before letting the others start wandering around. If he feels like somebody in the group is about to be in danger, he'll start calling out to them to come back.

Midorima is constantly shepherding the others whenever they get distracted from doing their daily tasks. He will always make his annoyance known whenever the rest of the group is not doing what he thinks they should be doing. He sometimes enlists Momoi for help.

All in all, they're chaotic as fuck when they play altogether, but they admit that it makes everything all the more fun.

#okay i've written enough i need to get outta here #i'm falling asleep as we speak #but at least i can finally take this out of my drafts #ive had this post in there for at least a week #but after this i may add more sky cotl headcanons on a different post #because this was fun #i love talking about knb and video games they would play #anyway i hope yall like this #sky children of the light #sky cotl #kuroko no basket #knb headcanons #kuroko tetsuya #kagami taiga #kise ryouta #midorima shintarou #aomine daiki #momoi satsuki #murasakibara atsushi #akashi seijuro

[joys-of-everyday]

SQQ(SY)'s character arc

Last time I talked about Shen Jiu's character arc, so this time, let's talk about Shen Yuan's character arc. Here's the theory of character arcs I'm working on for reference. If Shen Jiu's arc in SVSSS is an (abstract) redemption arc, then Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan) is an (abstract) enlightenment arc.

I say 'abstract' because I'm not talking about the spiritual enlightenment that 'enlightenment' often refers to, but the more general meaning of the word 'enlightened' aka. to have a better understanding or wisdom of something. Character arcs are often framed as 'goal-misbelief-truth' (good video on misbeliefs here) - the character works towards a 'goal' (which is not necessarily the 'truth'), is hindered by a 'misbelief', which is related to the 'truth'. Take Shen Qingqiu. His 'goal' is to get away from Luo Binghe. His 'misbelief' is that Luo Binghe wants to harm him. The 'truth' is that they love each other. When I say 'enlightenment arc', I'm referring to the specific way that Shen Qingqiu discovers this 'truth', not as a slow process of learning (a growth arc), but as a sudden moment of revelation. There are two points that this occurs - first in the dreamscape where Shen Qingqiu realises Luo Binghe's intentions, and second on Maigu Ridge, where Shen Qingqiu realises he's been hurting Luo Binghe all along.

Let's talk about enlightenment arcs

I made this up. Someone might have already done this (it feels like a natural thing to think about). If you've come across this/thought about this, please let me know >.<

To be clear, enlightenment arcs are not constrained to certain cultures, and are not that uncommon either. Here's a Western example: in the 2021 film Don't Look Up, Randall discovers a 'truth'. All along, what he cared about wasn't arguing with people online or hooking up with sexy news presenters; it was the time spent with his friends and family. The 'moment of revelation' is very sudden, probably less than 15mins in the film. Enlightenment arcs underpin a lot of romantic comedy, where the revelation is in the form 'A likes B'. Secondly, enlightenment arcs aren't just 'super fast growth'. They're structured in a way that is fundamentally different from a growth arc. Whilst growth arcs may have 'moments of revelation' where the truth fully hits the character (those 'power of friendship' moments), they're still building on things that the character has been discovering up to that point. Meanwhile, an enlightenment arc contains a fundamental turning point. An 'it was all a lie' moment.

But also, enlightenment arcs are arcs, not just moments. You can't just 180 in the middle of an arc and go 'so they discovered the truth and were forever changed'. That will probably leave readers severely dissatisfied. The 'moment of revelation' requires serious set up, some parts of which I want to demonstrate with Shen Qingqiu's arc in SVSSS.

1. The audience/reader should know your 'truth' well before the revelation

A twist without foreshadowing is... kind of just annoying. If in the middle of a sports story, the MC suddenly decides actually the industry is screwed and sports competitions are unethical, then rides off into the sunset with the love of their life having decided happiness and comfort is more important... well good for them, but it would be awful to read. By the time the revelation comes around, the reader should at least be able to acknowledge why the 'truth' is what it is.

For SVSSS, it is abundantly clear right from the start that Luo Binghe is madly in love with Shen Qingqiu. Luo Binghe might as well be holding a sign in red flashing lights which says 'I love you' at all times. The second revelation is... more subtle. From Luo Binghe's return from the abyss to the start of the holy mausoleum, we're led to believe that Luo Binghe is this yandere character who killed resident cinnamon roll Gongyi Xiao out of jealousy. But almost as soon as the first revelation (Shen Qingqiu discovers Luo Binghe is in love with him) is done and dusted, we're led straight into uncovering the second revelation.

In succession we learn that 1) when Shen Qingqiu tells Luo Binghe to leave him alone, he does, to Shen Qingqiu's surprise 2) Luo Binghe wasn't responsible for the sowers (start of Mausoleum) 3) Luo Binghe goes to great lengths to protect Shen Qingqiu (Mausoleum) 4) Luo Binghe wasn't murder boy actually. That was Zhuzhi-Lang all along (demon realm scene) 5) Luo Binghe is a sad wet puppy who needs a hug (tea scene in flash back) 6) Bingmei isn't like Bingge at all (end of flashback) 7) Bingmei has separation anxiety

All along the way, Shen Qingqiu's care for Luo Binghe is also reiterated. We learn that Shen Qingqiu is willing to go through great pain to protect Luo Binghe, and that he would rather face down the entire cultivation world than leave him. By the time Maigu Ridge comes around (chapter 21 in Seven Seas translation), the revelation is natural.

Note: the 'truth' can be ambiguous. In Everything Everywhere All At Once (great film!) 'truth'=googly eye. Interpret that as you will. (As in, of course all of this is alluding to something like 'human connection good' or 'meaninglessness and absurdity is fine actually', but it's felt rather than told.)

2. The character is completely missing the mark most of the time

In an enlightenment arc, before the revelation, the character is completely oblivious to the 'truth' and is often actively working against it for the majority of the time. This is what separates an enlightenment arc from a growth arc - the dissonance between the message the reader is getting from step 1, and the actions of the main character. You probably recognise the vibe: characters that are 'oblivious', 'frustrating', 'why are they so dumb?!!!! (affectionate)'. Or characters who are pitifully drowning in their faults/traumas and are pushing away the people trying to warn them.

Pulling this off is a technical skill. A Silent Voice does this in a really cool way, with dissonance between Ishida and Nishimiya's actions, combined with the eerie quality of the music, portraying Ishida's complete obliviousness to a really important thing that will soon hit him like truck. A lot of people have written cool posts about Shen Qingqiu's obliviousness to both Luo Binghe's feelings and his own feelings. I wrote a short post here on Liu Qingge's role in this for SVSSS. In summary, how to create romantic tension without telling your MC:

Have your MC obsessed with the love interest, but in an 'appreciating objective beauty' way

Have your love interest be obsessed with MC, but make MC allergic to sensible logical deductions

Wife plot your MC

Liu Qingge (with help from Gongyi Xiao)

3. But just before the moment of revelation, the character should be in a position to understand the 'truth'

Everything in an enlightenment arc is building towards a moment of revelation, but this moment is extremely fast. There is basically no time for character development, so you need your character to be ready for the 'truth' before the moment happens, e.g. maturity or life experiences or wtv. If you told Shen Qingqiu at the beginning of SVSSS that Luo Binghe will fall in love with him and he needs to look after him or cause pain, he would probably laugh in your face. Some maturing has to happen before he is capable of realising this. This kind of character development is the same as in any arc and there's lots out there on some of the ways to do it, so I won't go into this. However, in an enlightenment arc, this is uniquely difficult to pull off. Because for a long part of the arc, the MC is increasingly ready for the 'truth', but makes no progress towards finding it. (If they did, it would be a growth arc.)

Here's two techniques to make this work.

The first technique is to withdraw information from the MC. They might be ready for the truth, but they don't know it because.... they just don't know. For Shen Qingqiu's first revelation (Luo Binghe is in love with him) he finds out because Luo Binghe kisses him. This is information he didn't have before (that Luo Binghe wants to kiss him), so when he gets it, that forces a change in his world view.

But one has to be extremely careful with this - since you need the readers to be aware of the 'truth' and the MC to not be, this can rapidly devolve into the hated (badly done) misunderstandings trope (misunderstandings can be done well. This is an easy way to do them badly).

The second technique is to distract your MC. They are too stressed/traumatised to think straight. ('aaah he wants to kill me' -> 'he's in love with me' is obviously a big leap and the 'aaaah' feeling is hard to get out of) They are too focused on their goal and the rewards that this is giving them to stop and think. (For Shen Qingqiu Operation run away from Luo Binghe/stop Tianlang-Jun takes too much precessing power while they're in action) Or maybe their misbeliefs cause them to shrug off evidence of the 'truth' and diverts their thoughts to other things ('he doesn't like women' + 'protagonist can't be gay' -> 'he must be asexual' ...??? I love the SQQ logic)

This is used for both of Shen Qingqiu's revelations, but relies on it more heavily in the second half (in part because of practicalities. The second revelation is also largely about Shen Qingqiu's internal feelings, which is not something an external event can give you information about). Note that as Shen Qingqiu gets closer to the final revelation, the 'distractions' get stronger. Regret of Chunshan causing Shen Qingqiu to feel humiliation and embarrassment. Tianlang-Jun threatening to destroy the world. Luo Binghe's declining reputation and increasingly unpredictable behaviour. All of these are work to prevent Shen Qingqiu from self-reflecting on his relationship with Luo Binghe.

This kind of escalation is important for an enlightenment arc, because that's how tension is built. Think of it like a spring. The more energy you store in it, the more dramatic the release is.

4. Making your 'moment of revelation' hit home

In an enlightenment arc, absolutely everything rests on a single moment. Get this wrong, and the whole arc falls flat.

I say moment of revelation, but the 'moment of revelation' might be an entire episode or chapter, or even longer. A moment of revelation is a transformation, and here it is 'very fast growth'. Actually discontinuous character arcs aren't usually advisable, so there should be a natural sequence of things happening that get you from A to B. Often, there is a external driving force (or 'small scenario pusher') which forces the MC to confront the 'truth'. Alongside this, there may be a series of thoughts the MC has, dispelling the misbelief and arriving at the 'truth'. In visual media, moments of revelation can be given impact by having a definitive moment where an actual thing happens e.g. Music changes, symbolic cues, use of colour palettes and lighting etc.

Some popular forms of 'revelation' include

- a conversation, where the MC is told the 'truth'. ('I love you!' proclaims the love interest. 'Oh wow who could have guessed,' says the main character.)

- a conversation, where the MC is told the 'misbelief', but dramatically counters it with the 'truth'. ('you're just like me,' says the villain. 'No, I'm not!' says the hero.)

- an event, which forces the MC to question and disregard their 'misbelief'. ('I'm all alone' thinks the MC, but when they wake up in hospital, they are surrounded by friends.)

- exposition (often used in writing, for first person, or third person limited) where the MC's thought process is explained

MXTX leans very heavily into exposition, and the second Shen Qingqiu revelation is all of chapter 21 (Seven Seas), which includes like 10 paragraphs of straight text (in the original serialisation, this was chapters 78-81). This long 'moment of revelation' is a good opportunity to dissect one way a 'moment of revelation' can unfold.

1. The doubt. The closure of Tianlang-Jun's story (a story of hatred and betrayal turned to one of love and sacrifice) works as a final bit of foreshadowing, while Luo Binghe's descent into madness shakes Shen Qingqiu terribly.

Upon hearing him admit to his lunacy, Shen Qingqiu's heart spasmed with a dull pain. "Binghe, get away from that sword first," he said quietly. "The farther the better."

2. The realisation. Next we have Yue Qingyuan's reveal (a story of loyalty and sacrifice gone wrong because of miscommunication). Shen Qingqiu has an 'oh fuck' moment in the middle of this, then immediately after starts to throw off his misbeliefs and starts making his deductions towards the 'truth'.

Everyone said Luo Binghe had gone mad. Even he himself had smiled and admitted it. Xin Mo, which Luo Binghe had finally managed to suppress after a million words of struggle in the original work, had gained the upper hand in this struggle and invaded Luo Binghe's mind. This wasn't a result of one or two events, but a slow accumulation over time, until finally it had completely erupted. Numerous signs had long since made themselves apparent, but Shen Qingqiu had never noticed. Or perhaps he should say that he'd never realized that Luo Binghe was actually so insecure, to the point of having an inferiority complex.

3. The reflection. With this realisation in hand, Shen Qingqiu continues to think about all the things that he's done that has hurt Luo Binghe and seeks to fix the wrongs, ending with the (in)famous Maigu ridge papapa.

Why hadn't he told him earlier? It was just like Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe. Why hadn't he told him earlier? If he hadn't been so cavalier, so full of conjecture, Luo Binghe might never have darkened. He could have remained the sweet and bashful disciple he'd been on Qing Jing Peak.

4. The big truth reveal. And finally Shen Qingqiu's 'truth' is made clear. He loves Luo Binghe, has always loved Luo Binghe, and wants nothing more than for him to lead a happy life. And in turn, Luo Binghe loves him, not in dark yandere demon lord way, but a child who wants security, having been thrown away so many times.

Shen Qingqiu made sure to emphasize every word. "If I were her, no matter how venomous that drug was, I would have drunk it down without hesitation, then escaped the Water Prison. Afterward, I would draw all its effects into my own body. No matter how agonizing the process, no matter if the price would be complete destruction of my marital aspect, no matter if it meant a horrible death: I absolutely would not allow my child to suffer even an ounce of harm."

He'd only ever been a child. Walking the world alone, tripping and stumbling countless times. Wanting only those few things, yet never able to grasp them. If only Shen Qingqiu had realized this earlier, he thought, he'd have definitely... definitely...

5. The acceptance. With the truth out, Shen Qingqiu's mental crisis is over. He accepts the change, and is happy to die with Luo Binghe.

"Dying together" also included a "together". It didn't seem that bad.

((Completely for fun, and if you're HxH fan, let's see how this template works in a different story. In HxH (big spoiler alert!). Meruem in the Chimera Ant Arc has an enlightenment arc. (You can tell because there's 6 panels where everything goes white.) The 'moment of revelation' starts quite slowly, and ends with a 12 page climax (in the manga). 1. Meruem doubts Pouf and suspects he is missing something important in his memories. 2. He is suddenly reminded of Komugi 3. Meruem recalls his time with Komugi and has Big Feelings. 4. Meruem's feelings are acknowledged. 5. Meruem walks off, having not killed a traitor, indicating he has no more desire to lead the Ants.))

Summary

I hope I have convinced you that Shen Qingqiu's character arc in SVSSS is an enlightenment arc, in that the discovery of his 'truth' is a sudden, dramatic reveal, and that this was interesting run down of some of the ways MXTX makes this work :3 As ever, comments/complaints/suggestions are greatly welcomed.

Acknowledgement

All this theory on character arcs was heavily inspired off these video essays on character arcs:

Hello Future Me's video on redemption arcs

Schnee's video on madness arcs

#svsss #svsss meta #shen qingqiu #shen yuan

[jeannereames]

Why is it that certain sensationalist trivias, still get peddled by professional historians as absolute truths? Like the Caranus debacle. PG's Alexander of Macedon, despite being an excellent account, still mentions the Caranus + Europa double alleged BBQfication. Even though, the timeline&Caranus' unicorn name, reek of myth? Or Stateira getting long distance impregnated by Darius (though Green suggests in fine print that Alexander raped her). What makes a historical tale more or less credible?

First, I’d caution that we look at when some of these books and articles were written. While the more recent version of Green’s Alexander of Macedon (U. Cal, Berkeley) is 1991, it’s a reprint of his much earlier Thames-and-Hudson bio from 1974, sans pictures. (Also, Green—who’s still alive and kicking!—is 97 this year, so that contextualizes his age.) A general critique of Peter for a while now (as far back as From Alexander to Actium) is that he’s not on top of the more recent publications in the field, which causes some of his conclusions to be dated. Many older scholars can be guilty of that. I can’t even keep up with everything coming out on Alexander and/or Philip and/or Macedonia each year, especially as more and more are in languages I don’t read, such as Italian or Spanish. Even my German is shaky.

OTOH, the proliferation of academic publications in various languages is great, as it signals a healthy field. OTOH, it’s problematic, as most people just don’t read multiple languages, and what languages might have been fashionable back in grad school has shifted since. Additionally, Americans are at a real disadvantage due to our very poor education system here when it comes to learning languages (Spanish aside)—unless one is wealthy enough to attend private schools. And that’s a topic for a different post about elite education in Classics, and the language barrier.

But the upshot is that, while older scholars often gain real breadth of knowledge that allows connections and conclusions younger scholars just can’t make yet, it can become harder to keep up with everything coming out, on top of teaching and service requirements at universities. I’d love to have more time to read the latest—but I can’t and get all my student papers graded, attend all the meetings I have to go to, prep new classes, learn online platforms, etc., etc.

One reason we try to protect pre-tenure faculty from undue service IS so they can write/publish (and do the reading required). Post-tenure, All That Other Stuff starts demanding our time. Way back in grad school, Gene Borza told me, “You will never have read so widely and know as much about a particular slice of the field than you do right now.” I thought he was joking. I know a lot more now than I knew then, to be sure—but feel perpetually behind on recent research.

Anyway, I mention the publication date because history is an ever-developing field. We can talk about Alexander studies as a series of “waves,” if you will. The initial wave viewed Alexander very positively, starting with Droysen (late 1800s), through Tarn, Burns, Milns, Robinson, some others, down into the 1960s and early ‘70s. Hammond was kinda the last of them, who published well into the ‘90s, also arguably Hamilton (although I see him as less forgiving). But this was the Great Man approach. Sources were taken mostly at face value, including Greek views of the Macedonians, with a distinct taste for colonialist narratives such as Plutarch (the Greek “civilizing” of the Barbarian East, etc.). Hammond, however, was among those who seriously questioned Greek views of Macedonians…even while he accepted other things uncritically.

So, in short, these are not absolutely separate buckets. Just general trends.

The next wave brought the Skeptics, engendered by Badian, Schachermeyer, Fredericksmeyer, Green, etc. It still had a fair bit of unconscious colonialist (and misogynistic) taint but began to do much more rigorous source criticism. Maybe ol’ Alexander wasn’t so great, after all. I think of Ian Worthington as still in that vein—Hammond’s flip side. Ha. (Which is funny as Ian edited Nick’s festschrift [a collection of papers in honor of a person]. But Hammond was a legend in his lifetime. Regardless of whether one agrees with everything he wrote, his impact on Macedonian history simply can’t be overestimated. I don’t think anybody, ever again, will [or can] have that sort of influence, given how the field has grown.)

Anyway, around the same time, Macedonian studies (and Philip) were opening as a field in their own right, thanks to Edson and Dell—and Hammond—followed by Borza, Errington, Ellis, Cawkwell, Walbank (Hellenistic), and Greeks like Hatzopoulos and Palagia, then Greenwalt, Anson, Adams, Heckel, Carney, Baynham, Atkinson, etc.

(I’m leaving out names, I’m sure, as I’m doing this on the fly without my library at hand, so apologies.)

Anyway, these things dovetailed to give us some new perspectives, including an attempt to detangle Macedonia from S. Greece, and to spot the misogyny behind texts (thank you, Carney and MacCurdy, et al.), and generally to think further about matters of culture and textual context.

I was a grad student at the back end of that wave, btw.

The “new”(-ish) wave(s?) have been to further contextualize our sources, not just to separate Greek from Macedonian, or to seek the sources behind our extant biographies, but to better recognize the Roman (imperial) overlay. It’s not that earlier historians didn’t know our existing sources were Roman era, but that the focus had been on trying to determine the sources behind our surviving sources: e.g., Kallisthenes, Kleitarchos, Ptolemy, Aristobulos, etc. Lionel Pearson’s The Lost Historians of Alexander the Great was the classic text of that type. What Pearson (and others) did less was talk about contemporary (Roman) influences on our surviving authors.

This new wave includes scholars like Asirvatham, Müller, Ogden, Bowden, Spencer, Pownall, Howe, Finn, etc., etc. There’s also good work being done on military stuff, following Heckel. They’re very much into the textual evidence. Also Carney still, and Baynham. So these are new trends in Alexander historiography.

A feature of this third/fourth wave has been to pick apart some heretofore accepted stories—such as, say, proskynesis. Or the story of Statiera mentioned in the Ask. You’ll see that new take in the forthcoming Netflix docudrama. Alexander isn’t so hands-off. Although I don’t think it was rape so much as Realpolitik, once it became clear Darius had abandoned his family to their fate. And maybe not even Alexander’s idea. 😉

We saw such questioning even in the second/early third wave. Take Karanos. That’s been questioned by Borza, Carney, Greenwalt, et al. BUT Greenwalt has really interesting things to say about the evolving genealogy of the Argead house across time, with morphing forefathers, depending on who the king was. So we get Perdikkas under Alexandros I and Perdikkas “II,” then an Archelaos under Archelaos (Euripides’ lost play), and finally, Karanos under Philip II (or post-Philip). Jonathan Hall in (et al.) Hellenicities talks about the creation of these falsified genealogies in ancient Greece as a means to build and (re-)affirm bonds for political, military, and trade purposes. These things don’t stay the same across time.

The upshot remains that it’s important to check the publication date for any particular book or article, and be sure it’s the original publication, too. Again, the 1991 Univ. of Cal, Berkeley edition of Alexander of Macedon = the 1974 Thames and Hudson’s book of the same title. (If you Google it, you’ll find the “originally published” date, btw.) In short, he wrote it before most people had begun to question the finer points of Kleopatra-Eurydike’s murder by Olympias. OR before so much doubt had been thrown on Justin as a source. (Just wait for the chapter by Carney in the work I’m currently editing. She’s going to trash and burn OH, so much of Trogus/Justin. I’ll give no more spoilers, but yeah. It’s a long, but very good chapter on historiography.)

So publishing date is one thing to look at.

The other is WHO did the writing.

There’s always been a small cottage industry in publishing on Alexander, but quite a few bios have come out recently by people who aren’t Macedonian specialists, or even (sometimes) trained Greek historians (Everitt, I’m looking at you).* Even Goldsworthy’s dual bio, which formed the basis of the recent History Channel episode, was written by a Romanist, albeit he’s known for his military topics. Paul Cartledge, who also wrote a popular bio on ATG, is a specialist on Sparta. Some scholars are one-foot-in, like Carol Thomas, who did Alexander and His World (2006). She knows more about Macedonia due to personal contacts, but her area of serious scholarship is the Dark Age/Early Archaic Age (= Early Iron Age).

So, yes, it’s really important to ask, Who wrote the book/article I’m reading? How deep are they into scholarship on ancient Macedonia/Alexander/Philip II, etc.

The latest bios of Alexander by actual Alexander specialists are Sabine Müller’s Alexander Der Grosse: Eroberungen - Politik – Rezeption (2019), Franca Landucci’s Alessandro Magno (2019), Hugh Bowden’s Alexander the Great, a very short introduction (2014), Edward Anson’s Alexander the Great: Themes and Issues (2013), Lindsay Adams Alexander the Great: Legacy of a Conqueror (2005), and Ian Worthington’s Alexander the Great: Man and God (2004) and the later By the Spear, which includes Phil, too (2016). (Ed Anson also did Philip II, Father of Alexander the Great: Themes and Issues, 2020.) I've probably missed one, so apologize in advance. Again...library is in my office.

If you want to read a biography of Alexander, read a couple of those.

I’ve thought more seriously of late about writing my own biography, intended for non-specialists (e.g., without footnotes but with “for further reading”). Many of these by my colleagues have been textbooks, like Lindsay’s and Ed’s. I’d be more inclined to write it for the interested non-specialist. But I’d have to find a publisher, and I wouldn’t even seriously consider it until this Hephaistion & Krateros book is done.

Also, I might have a hard time selling “yet another” biography on Alexander, especially if it’s not dripping with drama and/or cherished myth and/or doesn’t try to paint Alexander as either a god or a monster.

Or maybe THAT could be the selling point. “This is the biography by a specialist that brings the interested reader up to date on the latest scholarship regarding Alexander, Philip, and Argead Macedonia, but does it in layman’s language, and isn’t a college textbook.”

---------------------

*You may wonder why publishers buy books from historians who aren’t Macedonian specialists? Well, sometimes they want that. Carol wrote hers precisely because she’s not a specialist, but had contacts who were, and therefore was thought to be better at breaking it all down for students. Other publishers want the sensationalist stuff, or a “new angle” (which is rarely actually new).

#Alexander the Great #historiography of Alexander the Great #historiography of ancient Macedonia #ancient Macedonia #sensationalism in popular biographies on Alexander the Great #Classics #asks #tagamemnon #ancient Greece

[teawiththegods]

Hello, Jessie! Can I get your advice? I'm worshipping Theoi for around 2 years, but..I feel like my relationship with Gods are only becoming worse. I'm probably projecting but..I don't feel anything like you and a lot of others do. I can't tell where are Gods in my life. When I finish the offering, I kinda just go away in my mundane life and I don't feel anything. I recently came out as enby but I'm scared Gods disapprove of that. I'm loosing desire to do religion at all, cause I don't have hope

Hello, love!

I'm really sorry you're feeling that way. Hopefully the advice I have for you can help! <3

Firstly, I personally think its important to have a foundation for worship. By "foundation" I mean what are your beliefs and why are you part of this particular religion and worshiping these particular gods. You don't need to have fully fleshed out beliefs for everything, but I think it helps out a lot to sit down and really think about how you see the gods and their role in your life as well as the universe. It helps either as a reminder in certain situations (like if you're questioning why it seems like the gods didn't interfere in something) or as a possibility to see if any of your beliefs need to be challenged or adjusted (especially when new information is gathered). And its similar with your reasons for worship. Sometimes you just need to be reminded why/how you found your way to this religion in the first place.

Secondly, lets discuss actual worship. Often times, at least based on what I've seen and experienced, the disconnect worshipers feel to their gods is actually a disconnection to the way they are worshiping. It's important to know that giving offerings isn't the only way to worship nor is it a requirement. You can choose how you honor your gods and interact with them. My devotion is mainly devotional acts based. I only give offerings on occasion when I feel called to or the gods specifically ask me to. I think this is also where creating your "foundation" can offer guidance. Knowing how you see the gods, where you find them, feel them, what you associate with them can help you build a worship thats unique to you and that you connect to.

Lastly, and this is probably the hardest of the three imo. Try not to compare your journey to anyone elses. How we experience the gods is going to be different so you can't use someone elses experience as a goal or even baseline. Also, what people share online isn't the full story (as in you don't know their personal journey to get to that point) and sometimes its translated a certain way to make it easier to post (like how I make some of my interactions with the gods look like regular conversations when thats not exactly how they truly happen). People may also exaggerate or even flat out lie and you can't really tell, so it really is best to try and not compare. But like I said I know its difficult!

I hope this helps you, love! <3

[miniar]

Is it just me or are mobile games just getting worse?

I don't necessarily mean that the stories and gameplay itself is inherently worse, but over the last decade or two I've noticed certain trends.

First up, it used to be a game would prompt you for a MICRO transaction in order to, f.ex., stop getting shown ads. It used to be a one time payment of anything from one to maybe ten dollars (rounding up the stupid 99 cent bullshit). Nowadays comparable games will sell you tickets, skip-its, to skip a certain number of ads, or charge you a monthly subscription fee, and even then these may not rid you of All ads, just some of them, the ones that are otherwise unskippable.

On the subject of ads. False advertising has always been a bit of an issue with mobile games, but I feel like it's grown steadily worse. Every other ad I'm shown is for games I have previously played and thus I can say with 100% certainty that the ads do not represent the gameplay.

I'm also seeing basically the same ad, over and over, which is apparently for 4-5 different games, despite those games being listed as different types of games. A bubble shooter, hidden object, match 3, other puzzle games all showing the same ad, solving the same exact puzzles in each, none of which are the kind of puzzle game that revolves around the puzzle shown.

This used to be the "pull the pin" sort of ad, but now it's these interlocking circles you're (apparently) supposed to detach from one another.

Same puzzles, several different games, all of it fake.

And again, on the subject of ads. There have always been shitty, poorly made, cheap looking puzzle games that were never really "games" but ad farms, where what they were farming were ad watches. Your phone, you, being tricked into essentially being soil in which they grown their profits. The companies that make these make tons of them, the first 20-30 minutes of gameplay is mostly ad free, and then it ramps up, attempting to trick you into sticking it out, trying to make use of your sunk cost fallacy to maximize their ad revenue.

And that's not the only mass produced game out there. There are companies that re-use the same assets, same images, same level designs, same gameplay, same code essentially, only released in increments and with a slight environmental design variety to imply this is a new game being actively created as you play it despite being the exact same game as the last one, two, five, made by the same group of people. The company may even use multiple names to pretend to be new so that you can't just check what else they've made and find the same game over and over.

And then there's the prices.

They've really gotten well out of hand.

For approximately 15 usd a month I can subscribe to a massive online role playing PC game with active player support, a vast variety of activities, and so on. For the same amount of money I can maybe buy a medium pack of resources in one mobile game that won't last more than an hour of gameplay, won't give any lasting benefits, won't do anything really.

Multiplayer mobile games are very often war games where the winner is inevitably whoever can spend the most money on it every month, and those are in no way affordable to most people. They also mostly advertise themselves as games of exploration or of building when in reality the gameplay requires you to amass the largest army possible and invest several hours and hundreds of dollars to prevent your base from being raided frequently enough to make any exploration or building functionally impossible.

The micro-transactions have gone macro.

In short, it feels like mobile games these days are sold to you with false advertising, absolutely stuffed full of ads, and so unreasonably expensive you're better off putting the equivalent money in a jar for a couple of weeks and buying a whole ass PC setup instead.

Being that it's not a heavily regulated market, can this not be used as an example of how capitalism breeds neither innovation nor excellence?

(Yes, exceptions exist, but finding them in the very, very, very, very, heavily saturated with trash, marketplaces, with their absolutely garbage user interface is it's own pile of excrement.)

#mobile games #deterioration #lack of creativity #false advertising #fake games

[treestomeetyou]

I have a very similar experience. I obviously get wanting to look at the positives, but I also think it's important to understand the full picture. A lot of the talk I've seen online surrounding autism has made me realize that people don't really know just how shitty it can be sometimes.

Autistic people aren't just "a little quirky". In fact, some of the most talked about symptoms were the least of my concerns growing up. My emotional maturity has always been...not great. I struggled with anger and I had outbursts so bad that I would sometimes end up getting in fights or breaking things. And I had these all the way up until I was in high school. I thankfully had therapy and it's not as bad as it used to be, but my issues will never be completely gone. I've also had sleep problems my whole life and I don't really have the ability to be in certain high stress situations. That takes a lot of things off the table that I otherwise would have loved to do. I also can sometimes shut down when I get overwhelmed which is similar to a depressive episode (something I also have and experience) and depression is often a symptom autistic people experience but for me it was a seperate diagnosis. There are also people who have it worse and may never be able to live on their own, and who have problems that are even more serious and it feels like we're just...not allowed to talk about that. I have been called ableist more times than I can count by people who didn't realize I was autistic, just for trying to talk about these things, or for saying that I wouldn't wish this on anyone else.

A lot of people seem to think it's a fun thing to have and that's just not the case. It sucks. I wish people would understand that there's a difference between hating myself for being autistic (which I don't, I'm actually very upfront about it) and wishing that I didn't have certain symptoms. I'm not "masking" because I don't want to get angry and yell at my friends and family every two seconds! I did everything I could to get past that because it was the right thing to do for the sake of the other people in my life. I was bullied in school as a kid (mostly for the anger stuff) but as an adult I have experienced more shaming from within the autistic community than I have from outside of it. I should be able to talk about both the positive and the negative side of autism. There's normalization, and then there's presenting an idealized fantasy version of autism that rarely ever actually exists. (I also wish people would do actual research instead of just...basing their views of autism on a tik tok they saw somewhere, but that's a whooooole other conversation lmao)

Sorry, I didn't mean for this to get so long. I'm just very passionate about this. I hope you have a good day. ✨️

never apologize for making it so long it’s nice to hear from other people. i feel like autism on tiktok is just some kind of new age manic pixie dream girl. like she’s quirky and she has funny little habits but it’s “breaks the fantasy” when she has issues that can make her unpleasant to be around.

i always joke that i don’t drink a lot because i’m kind of a bitch when i drink, but it’s just sensory overload that makes me a deeply unpleasant person. i don’t want to be like that, i put in a lot of work to not be like that. but that work takes a lot out of me and i resent that. i agree with you that i wouldn’t change myself, i’m autistic and that’s an unchangeable part of me. but it’s so hard to make people understand that it’s a still a disability. that there are things i can’t do. i will require certain supports my whole life. the toxic positivity around autism (and neurodivergent people in general) online gets on my nerves. i can love myself and find positives in myself while still being upset about how i struggle

#ask box #actually autistic #autism

[wavetapper]

Hi reyn, one quastion! If you don't mind sharing, what's your VSRG recommendation? I've mainly played osu!mania and while I love its accessibility and its community-created charts, I want to try something more curated. I don't mind either way if there are leaderboards/internet connectivity (it might be nice to not have to connect actually), and key count doesn't really matter to me—I've played 4k and 7k in osu. Are there any games on PC you think I should try? Thanks!

HI SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWR i lost the original essaypost so here is a slightly quicker and less thought out one

tl;dr djmax respect v and ez2on reboot r are good paid options, though they're sadly both always-online for some reason. musynx is a decent third, which iirc doesn't require an internet connection and is a fair bit cheaper even with the full dlc pack, but the timing window situation is ridiculous (normal greats being way too loose, and pgreats being genuinely inhumanly tight) so i hesitate to give it a full recommendation. more people should get into bms so check out bemuse.ninja for an in-browser bms player (free), or get beatoraja for an objectively better experience (also free)

more ramblings under the cut if you want to know my thots on each game individually (FLASHING LIGHT WARNING FOR ALL VIDEOS. They're youtube so they shouldnt autoplay but still)

DJMAX RESPECT V is probably the easiest rhythm game to recommend to anyone. it's got a good balance of difficulty (timing window is fairly wide, but not overly generous) and the soundtrack is really good. there are 4k, 5k, 6k, and an "8k" mode which is still 6 lanes but with two extra buttons (kinda like the fx notes in sdvx if you have any experience with that game), which all also involve this side-track mechanic (two extra buttons only used for holds at certain points in the song)

it also has a ladder match and competitive seasons, if youre into that sort of thing. ladder matches make me grind my teeth to dust they get so close sometimes but thats a skill issue on my part, they are fun. plus you can do open matches with your friends for something more casual and party game :) yay

downsides are it has to be online for it to run, theres a lot of songs locked behind paid dlc (although the dlc does go on sale fairly often, as does the base game), and there's a weird difficulty spike between regular charts (normal, hard, maximum) and sc charts (sc)- sc charts use a different scale nowadays but i guess just keep in mind that an sc1 is equivalent to like.... mx11ish, nothing lower. also theres NO EARLY/LATE DISPLAY!!!! i have no idea why they didnt include one!!!!

moderate/hard difficulty for reference

and a high-level sc chart if you wanna see how this game charts something difficult

EZ2ON REBOOT : R broke into my house and put my wrists in a saw trap and they never fully recovered from them. i will admit the main thing i have to say about this one is its like djmax but harder in just about every way. It also has 4k, 5k, and 6k modes, but their 8k mode actually has 8 lanes which makes it a lot more challenging. The timing window is also much tighter (a KOOL is about twice as tight as a MAX100%) and i might be making this up but i feel like the health drain is also a bit tougher. theres also a basic mode which widens the timing window if you want, but scores are saved separately.

there is no scaling difference between hard and super hard, which is a point in its favour, and the scale goes from 1-20 rather than 1-15 which means it can get a lot more granular. the charts can also get stupid hard, with a lot of stuff even in the 18~19 range making the highest-tier djmax sc charts look tame. its also charted in a different way which you can only really tell if youve played both games but like idk it feels a lot more arcadey.

theres online multiplayer in this one, but afaik they don't have the same competitive season thing as djmax does. you can do open lobbies though.

downsides are always online (again), song list is a bit more hit or miss imo but thats a personal taste thing, and its a lot harder to get into than something like djmax because the difficulty can get a bit silly sometimes

hard/moderate 8k chart

upper level 4k chart. one of very few 4k charts to be rated 20

MUSYNX can be a little bonus interlude here. The charting is mid and the timing window is stupid, but it's priced fairly and the soundtrack is fucking insane if you like bms. So many good licenses in there.

(spongebob pointing .png) look they have upshift i love upshift

as for BMS, i answered an ask about it here and I would HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CHECK IT OUT...

tl;dr on bms, it's a community-led rhythm game with entirely original music created by and for the players. a lot of bms songs get licensed for other games (conflict is probably the most famous example), and they have yearly music contest events where a bunch of cool new music and videos and charts get released- its worth keeping up with those, even if you dont click with the game itself

you can try out some bms songs IN YOUR BROWSER RIGHT NOW on bemuse.ninja (although the player is a little janky imo), or check out the beatoraja english guide and set up beatoraja to play charts that way. beatoraja is what i use, and the player is super customisable with custom skins and stuff. i edited a little tbh creature as my lane cover :)

heres someone playing new york back raise which is a banger song with a banger music video and a banger lv11 chart which i cant clear yet

#i hope adding the vids to illustrate what the games look like helped rather than just added padding to the post lmao #also dont take my word as law on these games i know little except Button Funny and Song Good

[funkymbtifiction]

I’m not sure what type you come across to me as, but I feel more sure I’m a 6, because I started reading the influx of all these people “questioning your type” before I knew why and felt pissed off on your behalf.

Ha, ha. To be honest, ten years ago this would have sent me on a self-doubting spiral as I aggressively questioned, and re-questioned, and analyzed myself to see if they were somehow right and I was wrong because I overlooked something -- but now I am settled enough and confident of my 6-ness to catch myself before that starts and shut it down. There's still a little tendency to go !?!?!?!, but I funnel it into a sense of interested "Oh, why do you say that?" Since I really am curious as to how people frame their perceptions about me.

I think if just coming across you randomly for the first time, I would assume 9 fix somewhere because your response to conflict or unpleasant people seems to be more “okay :) some people are like that.” (There is a critical voice which jumps out every so often, but it strikes me more as Fi being able to do so in the background than wanting to directly take people on like an 8 or 1 fix.)

Yeah. I have... a lot of chill. 6 becomes anxious, and immediately I think "calm down and think about this before you react." I had a 9 friend stay with me for a few days before the pandemic, and she said she loved being at my house with me because "it was all so calming and pleasant. You have a soothing presence." I rarely lose my temper in any significant way. Even when things disappoint me, I shrug.

But the explanatory nature of your writing does feel head type dominant to me.

Yeah. It's "buzzy."

I was more surprised when you identified with 2 fix because I experience them as warmer and less competency-driven, and you may be one of the more status-aware and practically ambitious Ne-doms I know. So 369 6 core seems right to me.

I lean that direction as well, just because of my to-do lists and focus on competency. I'm also... extremely aware of how things look and almost painfully conscious of other people humiliating themselves on social media. Like, one of the first things I think is, "Don't they know how bad this makes them look??" I think I come across a certain way online because I am adopting a persona. "Professionals" don't get heated, don't start fights with other typist blogs, don't trash-talk other typist blogs, etc. Then there's the problem of not being able to locate my feelings and feeling "empty." Which is... fun.

Not sure about wings - I think 7 is right, but Ne-dom can affect that a lot. I think I’d have to talk to you in real life and assess whether I feel like you’re diving into optimism or realism more often.

I'm pretty sure of 6w7, because I bounce back from pessimism fast and get angry at other people for being negative (I came here to have a good time, and don't want to talk about all the crap happening in the world right now! No. Sad. Things!!). I caught myself re-framing for positivity the other day about the Queen's death -- I was sad about it, and immediately thought of something nice to cheer myself up. ;)

Sp/so for instincts seems plausible, but mainly because there isn’t evidence against it.

A while back I shared a post about stacking and writing style, and the sp/so was the most straightforward and easiest to read. A couple of weeks ago, I had someone come up to me in a store who knew who I was and said he liked my stuff because it was so straightforward and simple to read. It cracked me up, especially since he went on to say his niece writes stuff that is hard to read "... Dune meets Tolkien." And I thought, "well, she's an so/sp. Their stuff requires concentration!"

Also not 100% sure about MBTI type. I don’t think I’d assume ENFP coming across you for the first time - probably ISFJ or INFP. But I don’t think you’re mistyped, either. It’s just hard to get those impressions right online (many of my extroverted friends seem more introverted when writing.)

Yeah, it's hard to tell by online impressions, but thank you for not assuming me to be an ESFJ. I can't be a judging dominant -- there's no openness to them, it's all being ruled by first impressions and initial feelings, and I am more "well, we don't know enough to form solid assumptions, so tell me more." I have a militantly open-minded stance (I WILL consider all perspectives before making any harsh judgments and I WILL assume the best of everyone!) that is quite idealistic and unwilling to commit to premature judgments. Many years ago on PerC when I first started learning MBTI, a user said if you tell someone they are mistyped and they are a perceiving dominant, they will go "huh, that's interesting -- why do you say that?" because they are genuinely curious as to what formed this impression. So I would have to be ISJ or ENP.

It's funny how all the information I collect about myself is full of contradictions (which just goes to show you why you should never allow anyone else the final word on your identity/type). When I typed ISFJ, I had people telling me I had such obvious Ne, I must reconsider ENP. I had Fe users telling me I was "so mean about Fe, you must be a Fi!" Some Fi users accuse me of being too Fe. Some people think I am ESFJ, others say ISFJ, and some say INFP or ENTP.

You just can't please everyone. ;)

I do give off Fe vibes, which I assume come from being a social type, but it also be triple attachment, as you suggest. Hyper attentiveness to other people, their reactions, etc., but also a refusal to do anything I don't want to do, and a tendency toward blunt self-absorption. I've always been "kind," but it took me years to realize that not everyone wants to hear me prattle on constantly about my interests.

#mbti #mod post

[english100project]

Numbness in Reaction to Horror

Part of the dystopia in Fahrenheit 451’s society was the lack of care that practically everyone had towards the world that they lived in. Nobody really felt bothered, or were allowed to feel bothered about anything. Large televisors spewed out the equivalent to white noise was what was passed as entertainment, and the idea of an original thought that threatened the status quo was quickly dealt with. Even then, if people had wanted to care it was made quite difficult by their society. News of the war was being broadcast on occasion, but the rest of the media was very much focused on other things. The vast majority of people were not privy to the urgency that their situation possesed. This lack of knowledge led to an obvious lack of action, but what would have been the alternative? If the environment was the same, but the people used their technology to connect to each other and share information, what would that have looked like? Unfortunately, I think it would look a lot like what we’re dealing with right now.

The COVID-19 pandemic sort of catapulted people to online platforms and shifted our reality to include these platforms no matter what. In my youth, technology felt like something we could opt out of if we wanted to, but now it’s a requirement if you want to be able to do anything. This also means that everything that is happening in the world right now has us involved. In the U.S, our media platforms are not (for the most part) censored, and so the most horrifying of world events is shoved in our faces quite often. TikTok as of late has been the main vehicle for which people, in particular generation z, have been given access to videos from the front lines of the Russian and Ukraine war, police brutality, and a literal slew of other first hand recordings of horrifying acts. Infact, it was TikTok where I first heard about the leaked draft of the proposed overturning of Roe v. Wade just an hour after it leaked, and where I watched the January 6 insurrection.

This environment of hyper awareness does not compare to that of Fahrenheit 451. In the book, the people were too distracted by their parlor families to care about the war that was on the horizon, and so failed to do anything about it, “Is it because we’re having so much fun at home that we’ve forgotten the world?”(Bradbury 69) The people are passive, and annoyed even if you try to talk about certain issues. Of course, the latter aspect is also due to the government's involvement in “dealing” with outspoken individuals, but the sentiment is still there. The book also makes you aware that even though people are supposed to be “happy”, they're in fact incredibly depressed. No one is talking about anything, and digesting watered down parlor family entertainment, but they're not happy. Montag’s wife Mildred tries to kill herself through a drug overdose, and Montag himself was pushed to read because he longed for something he felt missing in his life. He is even able to recognize the world he lives in is not producing a happy population and exclaims so to Faber that people are instead, “Committing suicide. Murdering!” (Bradbury 83). They’re not completely ignorant to the fact that their world is wrong in some way, but they're too numb and too ignorant to do anything to change their environment. This aspect is unfortunately comparable to the world that reads Fahrenheit 451. Being inundated with all the grotesque aspects of the world has left a lot of us feeling numb to it. There's too much to care about at the same time, and it feels incredibly hopeless. Plus, the lackadaisical tone of the outlets we find this information on makes the news feel even more alien and abstract. This phenomenon in itself has been noted by individuals, and usually results in one of two responses. Either just acknowledging the horrifying predicament we find ourselves in, or making a joke out of it. Both have yielded expressions of said feeling with some kind of art ironically, something that we tend to do when nothing else feels of value. The former’s most succinct example is Bo Burnham's song Funny Feeling from his 2021 film Inside, which sports such lyrics as,

Twenty-thousand years of this, seven more to go

Carpool Karaoke, Steve Aoki, Logan Paul

A gift shop at the gun range, a mass shooting at the mall

There it is again, that funny feeling

That funny feeling

It’s an acknowledgement of the weird situation we are in. Knowing all the horror that is going on in the world, and just having to move on because we can’t do anything. The flip side to this is to make off handed jokes about the situation, which gen z has an incredible knack for doing. Hell, I make horrible jokes about things and share jokes with my friends because we have a shared community in trying to laugh at the messed up situation we’re in. In saying this, I also want to acknowledge that it’s easy to criticize the people of Fahrenheit 451. How could they not realize it was their society that was making them sick? However, we do the same thing. If you're depressed, the burden of fixing or dealing with that is on you as an individual. YOU need to go to therapy or take medication. There is no reflection or questioning of why our society is producing so many mentally ill individuals, that problem is yours. Just as it was for the individuals in Fahrenheit 451. If you tried to kill yourself, they’ll just pump your stomach and take all the bad stuff out for the time being and send you on your way, not taking the time to reflect what lead to such a predicament. So yes, it’s easy to get frustrated at them for not doing anything and it’s easy to call them ignorant and claim we can't allow ourselves to become them, but I fear the alternative is not any better. We know everything, but at what cost? You and I dont have the ability to change the world, and those who do are instead too busy buying Twitter or sitting on their hoards of money like wicked dragons. The end result of our situation is incredibly akin to those of Fahrenheit 451, but we’re burdened with the knowledge of the horror where they were at least somewhat unaware of it. They didn't know the war was coming, and they also didn't know they couldn't do anything about it. We know the war is happening, and we’re terrified we can't do anything.

Works Cited

Inside, Burham, Bo. Netflix, 2020

[pryceofwisdom]

Blog 10: Final

I had no idea how much work went into getting published in a literary journal. While the task was quite daunting. I learned a lot during my research. Initially, I did not know where to start. Thank goodness for Google! I immediately typed in “popular literary journals accepting submissions.” I also searched “African American literary journals.” I found several literary journals that sparked my interest. 

Three platforms in particular stood out to me. They are Moko, Virginia Quarterly Review Online, and The Sun. The Moko is an online literary journal that publishes work about the Caribbean and its diaspora. Its platform is comprised of work from many Caribbean creators. I identify as Caribbean American and I was drawn to the Moko for this reason. After reading the many guidelines, I decided against publishing my short story on their platform because of the decision time. Six to nine months seems unbearable. Also, Moko does not offer any payment for submissions. While money should not be the end all be all it is something that I would like to be an option. Who knows, maybe later down the road, I will publish some of my poetry on their platform. 

Next, I look into Virginia Quarterly Review Online. The Virginia Quarterly Review has been around for quite some time and has featured some of the most well renowned authors. Some of those authors are Joyce Carol Oates and Robert Frost. While most people would be further intrigued, I on the other hand am quite the opposite. I do not think this is the right choice for a beginning writer. I was feeling very discouraged. Their response time is similar to Moko, but only 6 months. In the future, when my writing is more refined, I’ll consider submission to their platform. 

Finally, I take a look at The Sun. The Sun submission guideline page made me feel most comfortable. It wasn’t a lengthy page with several bullets detailing the many restrictions in submission. It wasn’t overwhelming at all. It encourages writers to “surprise us; we often don’t know what we’ll like until we read it.” It gives writers the feeling that they don’t have to live up to this rigid construct of writing. Writers should be able to be themselves. The Sun doesn’t accept submissions over 7,000 words so there’s no need to add too much more to my current draft. The Sun offers $300 - $2000 for fiction submissions which is more than admirable. In order to submit a story, you must have an account. I recently found out that I already had one. I’m not sure when this happened, but one less step for me. 

Thankfully, The Sun doesn’t require writers to submit a bio. When tasked with a bio I never know what to say. When I was still considering other platforms, I researched sample author bios. Many of the bios include achievements, awards, and previous or upcoming publications. However, I don’t have any relevant awards or previous publications. I combed through a few more samples, until I found a bio that resonated with me. This bio, unlike the others, featured the author’s educational background, her interests, and what inspired her to write her debut novel. When I am ready to submit to another platform, I will be certain to follow this model. 

The last thing to be considered is a cover letter which The Sun requires. A cover letter for a submission is similar to a cover letter for a job. Tell them why you they should select your piece and what makes you qualified.

Aside from submission guidelines, I will be working on my short story according to the feedback provided to me. My hope is to submit by the end of June or earlier. This process has been humbling as beginning writer. I have learned many things along the way that I will continue to use as I hone my writing skills.

Happy Writing!

#final countdown #published

[kringkastrup15]

Required Knowledge For Today's Car Shopping Novices

Do you feel overwhelmed at just the thought of walking into a car dealership? You might need to read this article to help you this time around. The tips in this article will help your breeze through your next car purchase. Make sure that you have all the necessary materials when car shopping. Do you know what you can afford? How many people need to fit into the car? How much gas mileage should the car have? Do you want a vehicle with four doors or will two suffice? Make a list of everything you want, and take it with you so nothing is forgotten. When negotiating, you shouldn't be focusing on the monthly price. Instead, consider the total overall price. Sometimes the monthly rate can be deceiving in the long run. Negotiate the best overall deal for the course of your lease. Then you can determine what the monthly payment will be. Before you get a used car somewhere, look it over by using a third-party mechanic. A dealer that doesn't allow this is a red flag. Good mechanics will be able to see major problems like previous wrecks or water damage. If you are looking for a new car, you need to find one that is safe. Never purchase Pre-wound Bobbins that does not have an anti-lock brake system, or ABS. You need to think about a vehicle with airbags, because the more there are, the better. Safety is important because you are often in your car. Try renting a car in order to test it out. If you want to get a real feel for a car, rent one from a local rental car company to give it an extended test drive. Take a road trip with the family, and put the car through its paces to determine if it will work out well for your family. It's a cheap way to make sure that you're getting the right car before you purchase and make a commitment to it. Car shopping can be both exciting and exhausting. Are you aware that you may save time by doing online comparison shopping online? Many websites offer side by side comparisons of various vehicles. This helps you narrow down your choices, which can save you both time and money. Consider checking out local auto shows to find out what's available. Auto shows are the best place to directly make vehicle comparisons. You will also have access to numerous professionals who can tell you anything and everything about each vehicle. After spending time at the car show, you will have a clearer picture of what it is that you want. Understand that you may not find the perfect car for you. You might find that some features are too expensive or the dealerships in your area do not sell the cars you want. Luxuries like heating in the seats shouldn't make or break a deal. Before visiting a dealership, call in advance to find out whether or not your preferred make and model vehicle is on the lot. The salesman will do everything they can to have the car ready for you. If you want something that they do not carry, you will waste your time. Call first and ask. No two dealerships will offer the same experience. Car salesmen are known for a pushy, overbearing sales method. Many are finding out that happy and gentle salespeople have repeat business. Remember it is within your power to walk away if a salesperson gets too pushy. There are many salespeople who are willing to work with you. If you feel like the salesperson if pressuring or intimidating you, leave. He may beg you to stay; leave anyway. Give any excuse you'd like, but don't stay another minute. Leave immediately! There are dozens of dealerships nearby, so the hassle isn't worth it. The first offer a salesman gives you won't be the lowest possible offer. Reject the number and follow with a counteroffer. When that number is given to the manager, you can be certain the following figure will be a better deal. If they are eager to sell, this is likely to be as low as they will go. Everything you've read here should guide you as you look for your next car, truck or SUV. The entire process will go more smoothly if you keep in mind the advice from this article. Maintain this article in a safe place so you can refer to it anytime.

#Prewound Bobbins Supplier

[mccartyarcher17]

Required Knowledge For Today's Car Shopping Novices

Do you feel overwhelmed at just the thought of walking into a car dealership? You might need to read this article to help you this time around. The tips in this article will help your breeze through your next car purchase. Make sure that you have all the necessary materials when car shopping. Do you know what you can afford? How many people need to fit into the car? How much gas mileage should the car have? Do you want a vehicle with four doors or will two suffice? Make a list of everything you want, and take it with you so nothing is forgotten. When negotiating, you shouldn't be focusing on the monthly price. Instead, consider the total overall price. Sometimes the monthly rate can be deceiving in the long run. Negotiate the best overall deal for the course of your lease. Then you can determine what the monthly payment will be. Before you get a used car somewhere, look it over by using a third-party mechanic. A dealer that doesn't allow this is a red flag. Good mechanics will be able to see major problems like previous wrecks or water damage. If you are looking for a new car, you need to find one that is safe. Never purchase a vehicle that does not have an anti-lock brake system, or ABS. You need to think about a vehicle with airbags, because the more there are, the better. Safety is important because you are often in your car. Try renting a car in order to test it out. If you want to get a real feel for a car, rent one from a local rental car company to give it an extended test drive. Take a road trip with the family, and put the car through its paces to determine if it will work out well for your family. It's a cheap way to make sure that you're getting the right car before you purchase and make a commitment to it. Car shopping can be both exciting and exhausting. Are you aware that you may save time by doing online comparison shopping online? Many websites offer side by side comparisons of various vehicles. This helps you narrow down your choices, which can save you both time and money. Consider checking out local auto shows to find out what's available. Auto shows are the best place to directly make vehicle comparisons. You will also have access to numerous professionals who can tell you anything and everything about each vehicle. After spending time at the car show, you will have a clearer picture of what it is that you want. Understand that you may not find the perfect car for you. You might find that some features are too expensive or the dealerships in your area do not sell the cars you want. Luxuries like heating in the seats shouldn't make or break a deal. Before visiting a dealership, call in advance to find out whether or not your preferred make and model vehicle is on the lot. The salesman will do everything they can to have the car ready for you. If you want something that they do not carry, you will waste your time. Call first and ask. No two dealerships will offer the same experience. Dubai limousine rental are known for a pushy, overbearing sales method. Many are finding out that happy and gentle salespeople have repeat business. Remember it is within your power to walk away if a salesperson gets too pushy. There are many salespeople who are willing to work with you. If you feel like the salesperson if pressuring or intimidating you, leave. He may beg you to stay; leave anyway. Give any excuse you'd like, but don't stay another minute. Leave immediately! There are dozens of dealerships nearby, so the hassle isn't worth it. The first offer a salesman gives you won't be the lowest possible offer. Reject the number and follow with a counteroffer. When that number is given to the manager, you can be certain the following figure will be a better deal. If they are eager to sell, this is likely to be as low as they will go. Everything you've read here should guide you as you look for your next car, truck or SUV. The entire process will go more smoothly if you keep in mind the advice from this article. Maintain this article in a safe place so you can refer to it anytime.

#Limo Service

[lukeconlonblog]

Psych 372 Blog #1, 2, 3, 4

Entry #1 

As I have made my way through a few weeks of the course, it has opened my eyes to how the different theories reflect my own personal experiences. As someone who has been raised in a W.E.I.R.D. environment, it is all I have been accustomed to throughout my life. Having not traveled much outside of North America, I found it very interesting to know that only 16% of countries fit under this description. With this, taking up almost all psychology participants creates biases when studying culture. With this, I do not feel very globalized at all. The media I consume is mainly all North American outlets, and hearing other global perspectives is always new to me. This was highlighted when I traveled to Europe last May, the cultural variation was something I had not been accustomed to before. For example, while I was in France, people were happy to help translate certain things/help with directions. However, while I was in Germany people were much less likely to respond and would even walk away when I tried interacting with them. Although they are neighboring countries, the willingness to help translate varied in my personal experience. Another aspect of culture that reflects my personal experience is the idea of an increase in interconnectedness. As someone who stays in touch with my distant family members, we can stay in touch through social media, texting, etc. Also, the ability to find like-minded people, who share similar interests as you are easier with the increase of inter-connectedness online. 

Entry #2 

In my second entry, I wanted to discuss the idea of Individualism vs. Collectivism and the shift toward a more individualistic culture. There are experiences where we see more collective aspects, as many traditional values require collective goals/in-group ideals. However, as we noted, the increased stress of a capitalist society creates a more individualistic approach to ideals (such as money). I am currently experiencing this as I have matured through adulthood, as I have realized that making sure I am financially independent/stable is of utmost importance. Further, as I have moved away from home, I have understood my personal identity better and realized my own distinct traits. I also wanted to discuss some of the viewpoints I have on aspects of life, and how these had been stressed in my household. I believe a lot of them have resonated with me/have stuck with me. These may include basic things such as interests, manners, manners, and mannerisms. I would say I have similar worldview points as my parents, and although they didn’t push their political opinions on me to force me to think a certain way, they still guided me in a direction that they believed was right. 

Entry #3 

In my household, cultural ideals were not necessarily stressed as important as I grew up. These were things that just became engrained in my social/personal life as I was raised and were more of a subconscious engraining over time. However, these subconscious acts are caused by social conventions. The way I act has much to do with my family, who made sure I grew up with manners and social skills. I believe this is emphasized in the similarities I see between myself and my dad. We are often told how similar our mannerisms are, and how we react to certain situations. We are also into many of the same things, attributed to how I was raised. So, this is attributed to a lot of transmitted culture that was passed down to me, and how I view things. How I interact with settings is also attributed to the culture I was raised in, which is reflected in similar opinions regarding our interests- which are also very similar. Overall, I believe many social conventions that were created in my household have rubbed off on me since I came to university. 

Entry #4 

When looking at my family’s history, my parents always talked about the importance of having a family dinner at least once a week. They both grew up in large households, making it hard to find time for each other. The implementation of a family meal once a week held them accountable for making time for each other, which they have since passed on to our family. I see this as a type of tradition or something that means something more than just eating together. It has been a way for us to be accountable to spend time with each other as we have gotten older. Also, every Sunday we would sit down in the afternoons to watch the football games that were being played, and this is something that has since been implemented into my life in university. No matter how busy I may be, I always find time to spend a few hours watching football with my friends on Sunday afternoons. Also, every year since I can remember we would attend Mass on Christmas Eve and Easter Weekend. Although I do not attend Church regularly like I used to, we still make time every year to attend those masses. Although this takes place during the semester, I have since driven home to attend it with my family on Easter Weekend, because it is a tradition that is important to us.