#users glenda

[aranict]

Book asks! 9, 12, and 19 please :D

OOooh that was a hard one!

Wall of text incoming :D

9.if u were stuck on an island and could only have three books w u what would they be? (series would be counted as one cuz as i said so)

The Coldfire trilogy by C.S Friedman

Havenstar by Glenda Larke

Deathless by Catherynne Valente

Those books mean a lot to me, to be fair they are the only books I went back to  re-read right after I finished them. Each one has a different appeal, either due to its story, or its characters. 

Coldfire is a masterpiece of how to write a dark fantasy tale with The Most Memorable Villain (™) in the genre, whose moral decline goes far more than the lust for power; Tarrant is an once hailed saviour, a killer, a martyr, a master of demonic forces and unimaginable powers, who yet manages to have such a strong presence in the world, that even the main hero - Damien, the equivalent of the upright cleric of light - is drawn to. Damien’s own change of beliefs and attitude to him towards the series is beautifully executed and more importantly, believable ; in the end of the series, they are both changed, moved by their respective rigid values and beliefs, into camaraderie and understanding. Even if the book shows its age sometimes- its 34 years old by now -  its flaws can be overlooked in favour of the fantastic worldbuilding and the memorable main characters.

Havenstar is perhaps the most underrated standalone novel I have ever read. Again , published in the early 90s and relatively unknown, it has one of the most original concepts regarding the impact of magic and such forces - magic is chaotic, unpredictable, and seemingly controlled by demons, having disastrous effects when used without care.  The land itself is changed, where magic is present in abundance, with magic users being hunted as servants of the dark. People rely on mapmakers who can see and chart the ever changing landscape to travel  - people like the main protagonist, who takes it upon her to pick up her father’s work in mapping out the unstable wild lands. Keris is forced in one such journey to work with a man who is bound to the dark - Davron, a magic user, who represents the evil she has been taught to hate all her life. Only things are not what they seem, and Keris comes to understand that what she has been shown about magic is not quite true, and to see the plight of a persecuted people first hand, which helps here to grow out of her taught prejudices and narrow mindedness of the society she has been brought up in. Keris and Davron’s gradual transition from hate to understanding and eventually, to something more, is a masterfully told enemies-to-lovers story, which again, puts newer works on the genre to shame. I could go on and on about this book, but I would rather you just read it instead :)

Deathless is… I don’t really know what to say about this book, it walks the fine line between genre fiction and literary fiction, the prose is a work of art in itself, a lyrical, dark fairytale inspired by the Russian folklore of the Tsar of Life and Death. I do not think that I have read a love story more profound, more memorable, than that of Marya and Koschei; their love is something terrible to behold, bound to surpass the bounds of life and death. A fairytale told in the age where magic dies, the a dark , twisted story with the backdrop of the political turmoil and wars of the 20th century. It just something that you have to read :)  

“I do not tolerate a world emptied of you.” :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

12.a book/book series u wish u could read for the first time ever again?

I think that I would want to re-read the Malazan Book Of the Fallen series again, and re-live all the beautiful, tragic, heart-wrenching moments of this epic like the first time. It’s the pinnacle of epic fantasy for me, the kind that you cannot really describe in a short summary. It has the right amount of action, character development, insane lore and magic - think D&D but in a more mature setting. Gods walk the earth, magic tears the realm and the sky, legions battle impossible odds…It’s military fantasy, at its best, with politics, power plays between gods and mortals and flawed, tragic characters. Add to that the masterful writing of Steven Erikson, who writes a D&D fantasy like it's a Greek tragedy, and come on, what’s not to like?

Provided, they are difficult books. There is a lot of philosophy and symbolism thrown in and the prose is quite heavy, but… it’s beautiful :)

19.a book u came across randomly but ended up loving it?

Ok, a really random read that I actually enjoyed quite a lot was Anthony Ryan’s  A Pilgrimage of Swords. Although I’ve read quite a lot of Ryan’s works, I found this novella by chance while browsing books on the kobo store. It is not a full length novel but it’s exceptionally good, reads a lot like a D&D party adventure , a party of people thrown together on a quest. However, this is Ryan we’re talking about, so the worldbuilding is terrific, and the main character , the Pilgrim,  is just a chef’s kiss kind of morally grey character, who is equal parts intimidating, sarcastic, utterly likeable.  :) 

Thanks for tagging me!!!

#aranict rambles

[tea-with-evan-and-me]

https://twitter.com/luigisodyssey_/status/1661510498385375234?s=46&t=vw4WI8Brl3poq10fUcDT9w

That’s quite literally what the show did

you're right, they did tell the stories of the victims in a respectful way.. what more do they want? this is such a goofy take... i'm sorry. because twitter user @luigisodyssey_ totally would've opened up netflix and watched a 10 episode series about the life and times of the jeffrey dahmer victims.

yes, the focus was dahmer and chronicling his life and descent into depravity - that is undeniably the hook. but the broader story told is about why his killing spree was able to go on for so long, the systemic racism and homophobia that allowed it, and reminding viewers the victims were real, innocent people who deserve to be remembered.. the determination of glenda cleveland.. all of these are things that these idiot armchair critics would know if they actually watched the series and formed an objective opinion not based on falling in line with the woke twitter mob.

[cassidymayshijinks]

02/09/22

So the first round of interviews was today, and for some reason I was asked to take time out of my busy schedule to help with them, even though I have no experience with hiring people. I was asked to test the proficiency of one of the magic users, a sorcerer by the name of Talon. 

I did not know enough about draconic magic to conduct that test. 

Whatever, I ran them through a few spells that would be necessary for our work, Hold Person, Friends, Sleep. They seemed fully competent, but sorcerer magic is not my forte. I have no idea how Glenda put together such a competent crew if this is her process. 

Cassidy 

#if it was wizardry I could help #but it's not #sorcery #journal #cassidymay

[kryztals-blog]

Hello! This user is Astrophile. Im a lover, lover of all things celestial._

I loves astronomy or constantly gazes at the stars.

Here's a compilation of my creative non fiction outputs!

feel free to read.*

#creative writing #non fiction #autobiography #reaction #biography

[myhahnestopinion]

THE AARONS 2022 - Best Supporting TV Performance

To financially support The Aarons, I’m starting my own subscription service, MyHahnestOpinion+. For the low price of $8 a month, each user can pay me to add another + to the service’s name. Here are The Aarons for Best Supporting TV Performance:

WINNER: Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin - Better Call Saul

In a show lauded for its rich characterization, no one underwent better development than Patrick Fabian’s Howard Hamlin. The smug-looking Hamlin was an easy target for audience’s ire in the show’s early seasons before it finally disclosed the truth behind his behavior. As Saul’s petty feud with Howard escalated to unjustifiable extremes in the sixth season, those unforeseen sympathies only grew. Fabian was undoubtedly the actor best suited to represent this lawyer. His nuanced balancing of ego and pathos turned Hamlin into a proper tragic figure. Thanks to him, Hamlin may be the preeminent example of the piteous characters the world of Breaking Bad was built on. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Carol Burnett as Marion - Better Call Saul

Comedy-great Carol Burnett couldn’t be contained to just a cameo; her unwavering Marion played a crucial role in Call’s depicted downfall.

Andre Braugher as Ri’Chard Lane - The Good Fight

Braugher brought kooky conflict to Fight as the rowdy religious lawyer, without ever letting Lane go down the road of parody.

Lachlan Watson as Glen Tilly/Glenda Tilly - Chucky

Resurrecting characters rooted in the campy Seed of Chucky, Watson dressed up the former dolls with distinctive fortitude.

Bruce Horak as Hemmer - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Despite his gruff demeanor, Hemmer’s alien officer was perfectly engineered to maximize endearment.

NEXT UP: THE 2022 AARON FOR WORST TV SHOW!

#tv #TheAarons #TheAarons2022 #TheAaronsTV #BestOf #better call saul #patrick fabian #carol burnett #the good fight #andre braugher #chucky #lachlan watson #star trek #strange new worlds #bruce horak

[9plab]

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@@! @@@ @@! @@! @@@ @@! @@@ @@!@!@@@ @@!

!@! @!@ !@! !@! @!@ !@! @!@ !@!!@!@! !@!

!!@!!@!! @!!!:! @!@!!@! @!@ !@! @!@ !!@! @!!

!!@!!! !!!!!: !!@!@! !@! !!! !@! !!! !!!

!!! !!: !!: :!! !!: !!! !!: !!! !!:

!:! :!: :!: !:! :!: !:! :!: !:! :!:

::::: :: :: :: ::: ::::: :: :: :: ::

: : : : : : : : : : :: : :

Based on 9front-6165.2a79d5dddf41

This is a collection of notes on how to complete tasks I've found myself

commonly performing while using 9front.

Most of what is here is straight from various parts of the 9front FQA, just

ordered differently. If not from the FQA, I'll provide the source under the

header for the section.

As I'm in the process of learning Plan 9/9front, feel free to contact me

with suggestions or corrections.

I'm overly verbose at times because I'm extremely forgetful.

____

/_ | Building & installing the amd64 kernel

| | ______________________________________________________________________

| |

|___|

% cd /

% rc /sys/lib/rootstub

% cd /sys/src

% objtype=amd64 mk install

% cd /sys/src/9/pc64

% mk install

Now the amd64 kernel has been built. First, install the new bootloader to

the 9fat partition:

% 9fs 9fat

% rm /n/9fat/9bootfat # Required, cannot copy over existing bootloader

% cp /386/9bootfat /n/9fat/

% chmod +al /n/9fat/9bootfat # defrag magic

Next, copy the kernel:

% cp /amd64/9pc64 /n/9fat/

Finally, edit the bootfile variable in /n/9fat/plan9.ini to use the 9pc64

kernel: bootfile=9pc64

Reboot.

________

\_____ \ cpu/auth server setup

/ ____/ ______________________________________________________________________

/ \

\_______ \

\/

Following these steps sets up a machine with 9front installed as a cpu AND

auth server. I don't cover fileserver configuration since I've just been logging

in as the default user, but it is covered in FQA 7.3

For those of us coming from the *nix world... setting up a machine running

9front as a cpu & auth server will allow you to remote into it using drawterm

(covered later) and have access to the rio GUI. Similar to X11 forwarding using

ssh -X. I don't currently know the nitty-gritty of how it works, but remote

access was something I wanted to set up right away.

First, add the line service=cpu to /n/9fat/plan9.ini. This defines the service

variable during the boot process so the cpu kernel is booted.

Reboot.

Upon rebooting, you'll get something along the lines of the following:

bad nvram key

bad authentication id

bad authentication domain # You may not see these errors.

authid: <glenda>

authdom: <9front>

secstore key:

password: [glenda’s password]

Enter `glenda` for authid, `9front` (or anything you want) for authdom, hit

return for secstore key, and enter a password.

Now you'll be in an rc shell only, no rio GUI. You can run rio -i riostart if

you prefer to make the rest of the changes using acme or sam, but I tend to just

use ed to make the edits via the command line.

If you installed the cwfs filesystem instead of hjfs, reboot with fshalt -r.

When prompted for bootargs during boot, enter `local!/dev/sdXX/fscache -c`,

where XX corresponds to whatever your drive identifier is. Then type `noauth`

twice, followed by `end`:

config: noauth

auth is now disabled

config: noauth

auth is now enabled

config: end

Finally, run `9fs 9fat` and edit /n/9fat/plan9.ini. Change the bootargs variable

to one of the following.

* for cwfs -> bootargs=local!/dev/sdXX/fscache -a tcp!*!564

* for hjfs -> bootargs=local!/dev/sdXX/fs -m 702 -A -a tcp!*!564

* 702 will probably be a different value on your install, just don't

change the value from what it was by default.

Reboot. The cpu server is now listening for connections.

________

\_____ \ Authorize remote connections (auth server)

_(__ < ______________________________________________________________________

/ \

/______ /

\/

We need to edit the file /lib/ndb/local, but this was a bit tricky for me at

first. The contents of this file on a fresh install of 9front-5966.df2c352ae695:

#

# files comprising the data,base, use as many as you like, see ndb(6)

#

database=

file=/net/ndb

file=/lib/ndb/local

file=/lib/ndb/common

#

# entries defining the dns root. these will be overridden by any

# authentic info obtained from the root.

#

dom=

ns=A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=J.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=K.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=L.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

#

# because the public demands the name localsource

#

ip=127.0.0.1 sys=localhost dom=localhost

# example: adjust to fit your network

#auth=cirno authdom=9front

#ipnet=9front ip=192.168.0.0 ipmask=255.255.255.0

# ipgw=192.168.0.1

# dns=192.168.0.1

# auth=cirno

# dnsdom=9front

# cpu=cirno

# smtp=cirno

#

#ip=192.168.0.99 sys=cirno dom=cirno.9front ether=112233445566

sys=cirno ether=000c29e16a29

Before making the changes, run `ndb/query sys SYSNAME` to get some info about

your network. It will output something like:

ip=192.168.1.23

ipmask=255.255.255.0

ipgw=192.168.1.1

sys=cirno dns=192.168.1.1

sys=cirno ether=000c29e16a29

Use this information to edit /lib/ndb/local so it looks similar to:

#

# files comprising the data,base, use as many as you like, see ndb(6)

#

database=

file=/net/ndb

file=/lib/ndb/local

file=/lib/ndb/common

#

# entries defining the dns root. these will be overridden by any

# authentic info obtained from the root.

#

dom=

ns=A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=J.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=K.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=L.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

ns=M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

#

# because the public demands the name localsource

#

ip=127.0.0.1 sys=localhost dom=localhost

# example: adjust to fit your network

auth=cirno authdom=9front

ipnet=9front ip=192.168.0.0 ipmask=255.255.255.0

ipgw=192.168.0.1

dns=192.168.0.1

auth=cirno

dnsdom=9front

cpu=cirno

fs=cirno

# smtp=cirno

#

#ip=192.168.0.99 sys=cirno dom=cirno.9front ether=112233445566

sys=cirno ether=000c29e16a29

NOTE: The indentation of the lines under ipnet=9front ip=192.168.0.0

ipmask=255.255.255.0 DOES matter.

A more detailed explanation:

* auth and cpu must be set to the system name.

* authdom can be anything, but has to match the authdom we entered at the

boot prompt earlier.

* ipnet should match authdom.

* ipmask, ipgw, and dns should be changed to values from the output of

`ndb/query sys <sysname>`.

* You'll notice ip does NOT match the output from ndb/query. In

/lib/ndb/local, ip must be set to the subnet ID of the network. This just

means the last digit is 0. For example, if the output of ip from

`ndb/query sys <sysname>` was 156.43.9.78, ip in /lib/ndb/local

should be set to 156.43.9.0.

Reboot.

Start keyfs by running `auth/keyfs`.

Run `auth/changeuser glenda` to get the following:

Password: # type password here, will not echo

Confirm password: # confirm password here, will not echo

assign Inferno/POP secret? (y/n) n

Expiration date (YYYYMMDD or never)[return = never]:

2 keys read

Post id:

User’s full name:

Department #:

User’s email address:

Sponsor’s email address:

user username installed for Plan 9

NOTE: Password MUST match what you entered for glenda earlier.

After "assign Inferno/POP secret? (y/n) n" you can just hit enter for everything

else.

If everything is set up correctly, running `netaudit` should output something

similar to:

checking this host's tuple:

ip=192.168.1.23 looks ok

no dom= entry

ether=000c29e16a29 looks ok

checking the network tuple:

we are in ipnet=9front

ipgw=192.168.1.1 looks ok

dns=192.168.1.1 look ok

auth=cirno looks ok

checking auth server configuration:

we are the auth server

auth/keyfs is running

someone is listening on port 567

run auth/debug to test the auth server

run auth/asaudit to verify auth server configuration

_____

/ | | Post-setup configuration

/ | |_ _____________________________________________________________________

/ ^ /

\____ |

|__|

You'll probably want to be able to access websites and have rio running when

you connect via drawterm. While you can add whatever you like to your profile,

I recommend adding the following to /usr/glenda/lib/profile:

webfs

bind -b '#S' /dev

rio -i riostart

Add those right below fn cpu% { $* } and you'll be able to interact with

URLs, mount 9fat or other filesystems via 9fs, and rio will start automatically

on connect.

.________

| ____/ Connecting via drawterm

|____ \ ______________________________________________________________________

/ \

/______ /

\/

[calaviausers]

Glenda Users

-dracuglenda

-xxglendaxx

-vampglenda

-ghostglenda

-glendachiquitita

Like/reblog/message me if you use ❤️

#users #usernames #personal users #users personal #personal usernames #usernames personal #glenda #users glenda #glenda usernames #usernames glenda #glenda users #abba #vampires #dracule mihawk #phantom of the opera #twitter users #twitter usernames #users twitters

[aloneandforsakenbyfateandbyman]

My fav makeup artistry of all time has to be Glenda Jackson in the 1971 miniseries Elizabeth R.

The Queen dissipates psychologically and physically throughout a period of time and not just due to personal problems. But because she was using “Venetian Ceruse,” a toxic white powder made of lead and vinegar to cover up her smallpox scars. At the same time, the makeup was causing blood poisoning, grey wrinkly skin, and loss of hair and teeth.

The lipstick of that era also contained heavy metals, and women used face wash with ingredients like rosewater, mercury, honey and eggshells. The mercury would make women’s skin softer, but that was only because it was eating away at their flesh.

It’s a fascinating metaphor imo that beauty products actually caused the inverse of what they were intended for, and scarred and deformed the user even further. All this left Queen Elizabeth looking like a skeleton clown, yet when she died her face was fully caked with makeup.

#Glenda Jackson #Elizabeth R #history #makeup #l #1k

[loosesodamarble]

Imma switch it up! May I request Yuno for ☕️? 👀

Steph! So glad to see you requesting! For you, the one who convinced me to dive into this weird space called Tumblr, I will of course fulfill your request.

And the final order is served: one Yuno-centric piece!

The song for the coffee request is I Will Sing by Glenda E. Franklin. I have a great fondness for this song since I sang it back in high school and it had everyone in the choir in tears by the end. It hits close to my heart.

..........

For as long as Yuno could remember, he heard the phrase “magic is everything.” Over and over, it was said. It was why peasants and nobles lived such different lives.

“What is the point of magic?” he asked one day as a child. “Why is it so important?”

“Magic is a part of who we are,” was Sister Lily’s answer. “It is our everyday life.”

Yuno already knew that. Those with earth magic would turn up the soil to plant seeds. Water mages irrigated the fields. Healing magic for cuts and scrapes. Magic was another part of life, as normal and natural eating, sleeping, and breathing.

But what was its reason for existence?

…

A cry reached Yuno’s ears. He opened his eyes to darkness and the warmth of Asta and Recca beside him. The only light was a trickle of starlight coming in through the window.

“Now, now,” Father Orsi whispered. Yuno squinted to make out the silhouette of the man leaning on the opposite wall and holding the newest member of their family, Nash, in his arms. “You’re not usually so fussy, are you, boy?”

Yuno quietly snuggled into the mattress but continued to watch his foster father.

“Is it too dark for you?” Father Orsi adjusted his hold on Nash until the baby boy was in one arm. “Or is it too cold? Autumn’s near, after all.” Then, the man held up his open hand over the boy. A tiny flame lit up and in its glow, Yuno saw Nash squirming. “There, there. Nothing to be afraid of.”

Nash’s cries died down into whimpers as he seemed to fixate on the fire. His tiny hands reached out. Suddenly, Nash sneezed, expelling a tiny flash of burning embers.

“Well would you look at that!” laughed Father Orsi. “Looks like I’m going to be competing for the title of favorite fire mage soon!”

…

“Happy birthday, captain!” The members of the Golden Dawn cheered and clapped while William smiled bashfully.

Yuno looked around the room at the party set up. The confetti fluttering in the air and settling on the floor was made from tiny leaves and plants courtesy of plant magic users. Streamer had been created using one member’s paper magic. In the center of the buffet table was a statue of William, a joint effort by Klaus and Hamon.

I really hope he gets rid of that thing later, Yuno thought while taking a sip of cider. It’s tacky. Not to mention kind of creepy…

That buffet, as well as the cake being presented to William, were cooked using the fire of another squad member’s fire magic.

“I know it goes against tradition,” William said, “but I’d like to state my wish aloud. That being…” He smiled and looked at everyone. “My wish is for us to continue prospering as a squad.”

Another round of hollers and cheers began.

“Now let’s get out the fireworks!” David yelled from the other side of the crowd.

“Ah… Is that really necessary?” William asked. Perhaps he was trying to come off as humble but Yuno suspected he was feeling shy.

“Captain, please! We made them from our own magic too! Just for you!” someone else exclaimed.

William sighed before saying, “Well if you went through all that trouble for me, how can I turn you down?”

…

The last thing Yuno expected to see in the garden was Mimosa going on a rampage.

“GRAAAAAH!”

A row of trees grew in rapid succession before being blasted apart by Mimosa’s Magic Cannon Flower. Her whole body was shaking. Between her frustrated screams, Yuno also heard gasping breaths, as if she were crying.

Yuno didn’t consider himself friends with Mimosa but he hazarded a guess that she thought so. He walked up from behind before speaking. “Something the matter?”

Mimosa jolted in place and swiped her arms across her face before she faced Yuno.

“Why wouldn’t I be fine?” Mimosa replied. The smile on her face, red and blotchy likely from an extended period of crying, was strained. “I’m just doing a bit of training! Yes, training!”

So you’re venting. Yuno sighed. “Say no more. Although, I believe that training against a partner might be wise.”

Yuno’s words made Mimosa pause then nod.

…

It took Yuno a while to figure it out. But the reason magic existed was the same as why music existed. It was a way for people to express the very depths of their hearts.

Anger. Joy. Love. And so much more.

Yuno concentrated a sphere of wind between his hands.

He would use magic until his dying day to say what words couldn’t. That he would protect others. That he cherished others. That he would become the Wizard King.

Magic was Yuno’s song.

#black clover #black clover fanfic #yuno grinberryall #Soda Fountain Special #100 follower special #questions from the ask box #the video i link to is not of my high school choir #it's just one of the various recordings you can find on youtube #sorry for the wait but i really wanted to do Yuno and the song justice

[cobycobsy2k]

COBYCOBS UBERHOOD, Chapter 14, part 2 of 2: “Its Ok!!”

Irene kept seeing in the chat rooms who wanted to chat with her ... Until she got a notification from a certain "Captain Andrew123".

Irene: Finally someone wants to chat with me !.

Simon: Who?

Irene: a user called "Captain Andrew123", in his profile he says that he is 18 years old, he likes video games and comics ... He is the perfect boy for me !!.

Simon: Well, chat with him!

Irene (MSN Profile: Ivy sundar he): "Hello Captain Andrew123."

Andrew Martin (MSN Profile: Captain Andrew123): "Hi Ivy sundar he, how are you?"

Irene: "A bit boring, what about you?"

Andrew: "Playing a game, it's called Glenda Coco: Flute of Time (Note the parody of Zelda Ocarina of Time and the reference of  Mean Girls Glen Coco), have you heard of that game?"

Irene: "That game is super cool! I want to play it, but I don't have the game :-("

Andrew: "Don't worry, if you want one day we can meet and there you can play with me ;-)"

Irene: "You are really super cool, do you want to be my friend?"

Andrew: "Of course Ivy!"

Riverblossom Hills

Andrew Martin was chatting online with his new friend "Ivy Sundar he", who was super cool.

Andrew: Hopefully she doesn't mind that I'm ugly ...

Old Catherine was approaching Andrew to talk to him.

Catherine: Andrew a question, do you think I can ask Betty for a date today?

Andrew: I think if Cathy, the truth , Betty has been very attached to Leod ... After he did that to that girl.

Catherine: Poor Irene ... I imagine she must do very well at that academy.

#sims2 #sims 2 uberhood #cobycobsuberhood #irene thaaroth #simon beige #andrew martin #catherine viejo

[gorillageek27]

The Fanfic ‘Jaune Arc Lord of Hunger’ has Jaune Arc become one with Darth Nihlus after Ironwood, Ozpin, and Glenda push the beginner level force user too and finds Nihlus mask that contains his soul.

Nihlus can do these feats: drain planets of their life from orbit, track you across star systems, use the force to escape gravity wells, is a walking wound in the force, turn you into a mindless slave from being in his presence too long, his voice even hurts to hear, separate his soul from his body, and more with his return.

What has Ozpin, Glenda, and Ironwood done?

sounds interesting

#rwby #jaune arc

[uguardian]

Friendly reminder that the Wicked Witch of the West just wanted her sister’s shoes returned while Glenda made sure that the people thought a little girl from Kansas killed the only other magic users in the kingdom.

#conspiracy theories #the wizard of oz #wicked witch of the west #glenda the good witch #other side of the story

[summerlouisecooke]

Inside the deceitful mind of a fake book review fraudster

“Chaos and Grime” author accused of making dozens of sockpuppet accounts on Amazon and Goodreads to write glowing reviews of his own book.

On January 1, 2020, a foreign exchange student based in Xiaogan, a suburb of Wuhan China, using the alias Jacob Acerbi published a new book on Amazon titled Chaos and Grime: A Year in the Life of a Chinese City.

It claims to be a memoir about his year in China, but the synopsis paints it more as a fictionalized romance/thriller:

“Jim and a local peasant girl meet and fall in love. Yet their relationship must remain secret, for reasons that put both of their lives in jeopardy. Their story leads to devastating revelations about what really happens to China’s “leftover women” and how the authorities stop at nothing to try to prevent such knowledge from getting out.”

The synopsis is also laced with every cliched China-book buzzword lifted right out of a Peter Hessler press release:

“a window into the lives of Chinese peasants...takes you where no memoir has dared to go...a complex portrait of contemporary China....in the midst of this rapid and chaotic transformation...a society in flux...”

Most audaciously, the book claims to be “OFFICIALLY BANNED IN CHINA BY THE COMMUNIST PARTY'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (on March 9, 2020)”:

However, since there was no statement made by the General Administration of Press and Publication (新闻出版总署) about this book, and since publishing and censorship do not fall under the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国外交部), we can reasonably deduce that this claim is exaggerated if not outright fabricated.

The Amazon reviews are (so far) all positive, albeit SO glowing that one can’t help but wonder if they were purchased on one of those Buy Amazon Review sites based out of Bangladesh or Russia (you write the review yourself and pay them a fee to post it).

This 5-star review by Warrior Lodge (who also reviews office chairs and windshield wipers) seems particularly suspect:

“The author's attention to detail is total, resulting in world-building quite unlike anything I have ever read. I admit that I read it in one sitting; such is the level of immersion. This book should be required reading in Asian studies classes in colleges all over the United States.”

###

SO…let’s hop on over to GoodReads, where users are more discerning and critical, but where fraud and manipulation by self-published authors desperate for attention are also rampant.

Uh oh! Several 1-star reviews, from real, regular GoodReads users who recently participated in the author’s free giveaway:

“This author is vindictive. Like his reviews, and you're all good! Dislike them, and he's rude!” and “The subtitle should have been: A Bunch of College Kids Get Drunk A Lot and Have Indiscriminate Sex. It just happens to take place in Wuhan.”

Along with more exalting reviews:

“I cried at the very end (and a couple of times before that).” and “The attention to detail is stunning. I, as others have said before me, have never seen anything like it. Jacob Acerbi is some kind of mad genius.”

Some GoodReads users also participated in a discussion on the book’s page about if Chaos and Grime would be a good choice for a woman’s book club.

The asking user, named Jasmine, a black women in Missouri, has only reviewed 1 other book. The rest of her GoodReads profile is activity exclusively about Chaos and Grime.

A quick reverse-image search on TinEye reveals that “Jasmine” is actually the photo of the late Jazmond Dixon of St. Louis, who died on March 24, 2020, from Coronavirus. But perhaps Jasmine is Jazmond’s twin sister who really, really loves obscure China expat memoirs, so we will give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

Jasmine is new to GoodReads, but just three days after opening her account she started a group called Missouri Ladies' Reading Group which instantaneously attracted 4 other women (all also brand-new GoodReads members; only one of them, an elderly woman named Helen Lim, has her account set to public, so we can view her activity. Just like Jasmine, her activity is also exclusively dedicated to Chaos and Grime. According to TinEye, her avatar is a stock photo.

Reading “their” discussion about Chaos and Grime is a thing of cringey beauty. Presuming that these are all sockpuppet accounts, the conversation that ensues on the Missouri Ladies' Reading Group is essentially Jacob Acerbi talking to himself over the course of 114 (and counting) posts! I’m talking VERY in-depth and lengthy analysis. That’s an autistic-level of focus and obsession (unmatched only by my own autistic-ish determination to document all this):

Glenda (also an elderly black woman): “I was talking to my pastor about this book today. He's gonna read it.”

Vanessa: “The underlying point that he was attempting to illustrate through these evasions and equivocations was the significance of the common law precept of...”

Jasmine: “With the amount of content condensed in this book it could easily be 1000 pages long if each item was expanded into a more thorough discussion like the beginning of the chapter and the other romances. It is very unusual. I like this book a lot!”

Helen: “Jacob Acerbi has a story to tell and important related cultural phenomena to communicate, and so I think that the narrative voice is there to convey things as objectively as possible. Having this story coming from the voice of "Jim" would make it too subjective. Having it the way it is means that the author is making authoritative statements as a historian, which I believe he is.”

I’ve archived “their” entire discussion here:

1) https://archive.is/H8jhN

2) https://archive.vn/LxfU8

3) https://archive.vn/ADFs7

I encourage you to read it for an embarrassed, sad-cringe laugh, but also for a chilling glimpse into the mind of someone who might be suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder or Narcissistic Personality Disorder - or both. It’s as if Kevin Crumb (played by James McAvoy in the horror movies Split and Glass) had access to Chaos and Grime and GoodReads while locked up in his mental asylum):

But let’s go back to all those glowing reviewers (including Jasmine and Vanessa and Helen) on Chaos and Grime’s main GoodReads page. Click on any two reviewers’ accounts concurrently (for example Nelson and Olivia); provided they are set to public, what do you notice? Yes – THEY ARE ALL FRIENDS WITH EACH OTHER! They each have the exact same 10 or 11 friends (no other real GoodReads users), all whom are rabid fans exclusively of Chaos and Grime – no other books!

Someone also went through the trouble of creating dozens of new GoodReads Listopia reading lists with bombastic titles like “Most Anticipated Releases of 2020” and then voting up Chaos and Grime to the very top of each. And who were those 10 voters? You guessed it! Jasmine, Olivia, Helen, BH and the rest of the Chaos and Grime sockpuppet gang.

###

We’ve established that Jacob Acerbi is obviously very desperate for reviews of his new book, but can we really fault him? I mean, there was absolutely nothing in the newspapers about Chaos and Grime (very unusual for a book “officially banned by China”; the Global Times and the South China Morning Post definitely should have covered the big news), which leads us to believe that his publisher doesn’t have a very effective marketing department. So who is this publisher?

According to Amazon, Chaos and Grime was published by LSI Holdings. Strange name for a publishing house. Let’s have a look at their website.

According to ICANN the site was created on 12/28/19 – just three days before Chaos and Grime was published.

And yet, in their About Us section, they claim to “publish a large number of books each year.”

Okay, but in their Books section, they only show 4 titles : Waited. Long Enough, Looking for Nini, You’re Not A Hoarder, and Chaos and Grime. And among those titles, ONLY Chaos and Grime is listed on Amazon/GoodReads. None of the other books are found anywhere.

But that’s forgivable, because Wow! Check this out! All 4 books won multiple “literary awards”. No need to even name the awards, they were that good! And you wouldn’t believe which title won “Best Book”. Wait for it...Chaos and Grime!

LSI Holdings LLC must be some kind of indie publishing powerhouse! Who is this amazing team? Taylor Quill!!! And, oh cool, Melanie Boykins! And, yes!!!, the lovely Margaret Jiang in HR! She’s really great. In fact, they are all so legendary that none of them have need for LinkedIn or social media. Their sole online presence is on LSI Holdings:

###

But now I’m really inspired to read LSI Holdings’ award-winning literature, so I google Anish Rajmani, author of Waited Long Enough, which sounds like an epic read. Hmmm, seems she has TWO publishers – the other named Beadle Books.

What the…??? The EXACT same books as LSI Holdings (except for Chaos and Grime) and the exact same authors (minus Jacob Acerbi). And now I’m even more confused, because author Ash Marcus is suddenly black, and Charlie McMann is white...and a w-w-woman!

Something funny is going on around here.

Could it be that, on top of making fake Amazon and GoodReads shill accounts, Jacob Acerbi also set up a website for a fake publisher, to hide the humiliating fact that he’s, GASP!, a self-published author? After all, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (formerly CreateSpace) allows paying authors the option to mask that they published via KDP simply by providing a “publisher” website.

Rounding out the elaborate ruse are:

1) Jacob Acerbi’s (very crappy) Twitter feed (with just 16 followers at present, though he is adding dozens of bot-followers by the day) with spammy posts composed only of hashtags:

2) Inserting Chaos and Grime on the Wikipedia page for Xiaogan:

3) A faux-foreword in his book written by one Afsana Sheeftahova, a “distinguished professor of humanities at the Tajik University of Geosciences” who is also an online ghost that doesn’t exist in this world:

###

So what’s Jacob Acerbi’s endgame? If it’s to make money selling his book, his long-con tactics are deceitful if not downright dishonest. Fake reviews and claiming fake literary awards are the equivalent of putting misleading labels on food; some suckers are going to pay their hard-earned money on something that’s just not as tasty as the slippery salesman said it was. That’s kinda lame, bro.

On the other hand, what if Jacob Acerbi is just trolling us? Having a good laugh while taking notes on how gullible the sheeple on GoodReads (which is largely a popularity contest) are, and how easily he can manipulate the site (which is owned by Amazon) before admin get wise and shut down his account.

He also seems to be purposely making a mockery of the tired and passe China expat memoir genre (Peter Hessler, Michael Meyer, etc.). Perhaps once upon a time Acerbi did really want to write a legitimate book about his experiences in China, failed to find an agent or publisher, then said ‘f*ck this and f*ck you’ and turned it all into a satirical social experiment. After all, the author’s bio is clearly taking the piss on all those self-important China Watchers and self-proclaimed Sino Specialists with their self-aggrandizing bios:

“Jacob Acerbi (Russian: Иаков Иаковевич терпкеницын; Chinese: 晉智明) is an American memoirist, historian, and philosopher known for his acute psychological, historical, and philosophical analyses, as well as his prescience as a "China watcher." His best-known work is the 2020 memoir about his life in the city of Wuhan, Chaos and Grime: A Year in the Life of a Chinese City. Widely regarded for its unique style and thriller-like dramatization of complex, controversial, and true subject matter, Chaos and Grime was banned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China almost immediately upon its release.”

And how can anyone take this slightly racist, slightly homophobic announcement on his publisher’s website seriously?

“LSI HOLDINGS PROMOTES CHILDHOOD LITERACY WITH SCHOOL BOOK PROGRAM - Shawneekwa Williams, only in the fourth grade, won an LSI Holdings Diversity Scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in lieu of fifth grade. There she will study police brutality and trans activism for college credit. Great work!”

In conclusion, I admittedly have not read Chaos and Grime and don’t have any desire to (at this point I have read enough China expat memoirs to last me a lifetime). But I was very interested in uncovering just how low Jacob Acerbi is willing to go to promote his book (or troll us).

Now that I have tracked down his sloppy digital footprints and connected all the dots, I am left wondering: if he had put this much effort into his storytelling and writing craft, he might have actually found a real publisher, in which case, Jacob Acerbi would not have had to stoop to such shameless depths. It’s a little slimy, a little pathetic; but also a little funny.

#Jacob Acerbi #Chaos and Grime #Books #Authors #Self-publishing #Fake Book Reviews #GoodReads #Fake Amazon Reviews #Fake GoodReads Reviews #Scams #Fraudsters #Shills #Trolls #Publishing #Marketing Strategies #Self-promotion Strategies #Literary #Amazon #China #Chinese #Wuhan

[kryztals-blog]

Hello! This user (kryztal ong) is Astrophile. Im a lover, lover of all things celestial.

I loves astronomy or constantly gazes at the stars.

Here's a compliation of my creative non fiction outputs!

feel free to read.*

[le-petitmort]

Part II – This thing is about to be a thing

In one-point-four seconds I came to the realization that I am quite literally…the dumbest motherfucker ever. First, I never got her digits. Second…I never got her digits. Disgraceful. Where was my situational awareness? It was akin to a scrawny defender putting pressure up court on the opposing team’s guard, not paying attention and running smack dab into a pick set by a seven foot chiseled like a bronze formed by the hands of Donatello, NBA center. Basketball metaphors…get used to them.

Anyway, it knocked the wind out of my sails. The reason being is that I had formulated this grandiose plan for her to make the first move beyond the first move. To engage the conversation. Open the forum. Get the small talk out the way. Allowing me to pitter patter and tiptoe my way past the threshold of awkwardness and straight to the glory road of getting to know her intimately.

By intimately, I’m not talking about straight to boom, boom, out go the lights carnal skullduggery complete with passionate wet kisses, heavy petting and cock to pussy communication. I was angling for dinner first. Not wine, dine and sixty-nine dinner either. I had it built up in my head that I was going to treat this one like a lady. Later on, I could whisper filthy invitations in her ear that would make her coo, as my hand deftly slid up her thigh towards paradise. Getting to that point would be the hard part. Or maybe not.

Maybe, I had put this particular pussy on a pedestal. Perhaps she was a cum guzzling cock whore who jumped bed to bed trolling for fat cock in the ocean of fuckery that is Brooklyn?

Mayhap, she was one of those chicks who secretly delved into her passionate side by stroking the kitty by the light of her iPhone to kinky images on tumblr. Trolling for virtual cock with selfie side boob action, a toothy smile of seduction and a user name like…say…wantonbabygirldreamsandtequilamemories.

Perchance, all that was completely off base and she was raised right by her parents. A pristine catholic girl with of heart and mind of gold, devout in her love of our lord and savior Jesus Christ who would be spending good Friday getting ashes thumbed on her forehead…or whatever it is Catholics do on that religious day. I’m agnostic so, I have zero idea and I highly doubt she’s Ms. Goodytwoshoes since I had already noted in passing that she likes a smoke and a cocktail in the evening. Plus, she wears those fancy stocking that scream “unwrap me Daddy and see the present beneath”.

Let’s get back on point. This is how much I’ve thought into her. The epitome of pussy on a pedestal syndrome. Now, we’ve had an actual conversation. Albeit, a very short conversation. Brevity is sometimes good…except when you don’t get the digits.

The face to face was going to have to happen. Overcoming my fear of ineptitude and delving into my inner rico suave. A little more toned down though, than an unbuttoned white shirt to the navel, smooth talking lothario schtick. But, more than simply me. Yep, this girl has me all sorts of fucked up.

You’re probably wondering, “what’s with all the self-loathing, dude?”. I admit it’s got to be a bit of a turn off so, here’s the back story. No, I am not a virgin who sprawls across the couch in my jockey’s eating flamin’ hot Cheetos whilst penning dirty poems to lewd images on tumblr under a username such as…bigdongdaddysearchingforhootchiecocksluts. I’m also not the kind of man who walks into a room, drawing in beautiful, leggy, big busted vixens like steel to a magnet. I’m somewhere in the middle.

A relationship failure who gets too wrapped up in his work. Which can come off as neglectful to a significant other. But, I’ve had a plan since I was eighteen that I’d be retired on a beach in Mexico by the time I was forty, with my gorgeous wife and two adorable children playing in the sand as I sip a corona and reminisce about all the good times.

You see, I like plans. I don’t like flying by the seat of my pants. Life is analytical. Meant to be linear with a point A, B, C and onward. Peaks and valleys are for the weak. Which is why, when I first spied my dream girl promenading down the crooked sidewalks of Williamsburg, I stopped the initial urge to go in for the kill and went with formulation of a process. Fucking up in love multiple times will do such things to a man.

The plan was off though, for now. I wasn’t going to be able to slap another ”call me, maybe” note on her morning coffee to pique interest. That was already done. Mutual admiration and quite possibly mutual eye fucking were already in play. She had said it herself! Not so much in those words. But, I’d been noticed. How had I not noticed her noticing me? I really am daft at this shit…or maybe I need a lightning bolt of confidence in my life?

Is this moment it? Is that all I needed was the knowledge that there was a connection from across the room that I hadn’t felt? Was there truly distant simpatico? Was kismet closer than the vacuum of my unsure, fearful mind? Do we already have a thing for each other?! Holy fuck. These are the questions whirring in my head at 5 AM. Just like the ceiling fan spinning full speed above my bed. I’m one hundred twenty miles an hour of jubilation and angst. As much as I pride myself on a linear lifestyle, I climb to the mountain summit and hurl myself into a canyon of doubt with every passing second spent thinking about her.

I can hear the city coming to life. The traffic beginning to snarl. The metal clank of bodega doors rolling open. A single bird stationed on it’s perch singing.

I should be ambling into my office, coffee cup in hand starting my so-called work day. Instead I’m counting the minutes before I jump in the shower, clean up and go finish business with my future paramour. Yes sir, I’m forcing myself to project a dose of swagger. Laying here, mean mugging like an NBA power forward who just euro-stepped his way to a thundering game-changing dunk. I’m a winner, baby! Shelve that pitiful shit, bruh. You da man! Get fuckin’ fired up!

Which is why I basically pimp walked my way to the coffee shop when the time came for action. Outfit: casual. A hoodie from my alma mater, jeans with a strategic knee rip, green Nike air force ones on my feet. I popped straight through the shop door towards the familiar blonde at the counter like I owned the place. Ya boy iz in da house! Woof, woof, woof!

“Large straight black and a skinny latte, please.” I winked, expecting she’d question why I was getting two drinks instead of one.

She went straight to brewing and giving me the inflated total. “Twelve even. Name, please.” Ok, babe, maybe you don’t understand that lives are about to change in mere minutes. A whole cosmic galaxy is about to open up. Astronomers like Neil Degrasse Tyson will be talking about the cavalcade of stars falling out of the sky because two lips met at an overpriced local coffee shop in Brooklyn. Guess I’m getting ahead of myself there.

“Stephen…with a P.” I responded.

Apprehension and giddiness course through me. Giddiness seems unmanly but, my excitement isn’t. I’m bouncing heel to toe as our drinks magically appear before me. I check my phone one last time. Knowing her punctuality, we are currently at T minus 2 minutes and counting. Ps. I am not a stalker…to reiterate.

I grab the steaming drinks and fly towards the door, nearly tumbling over a shorty with her nose buried her phone. No time for apologies, I must nail down a cozy table on the sidewalk. I want this first meeting to be something the entire five boroughs of New York stops in awe to witness.

But, there she is coming through the door just as I reach for it. The coffees are in one hand and I can feel them about to crash right into her. I swivel my wrist, going for the save. No fucking way am I flinging a skinny latte across the object of my forever affections. Fuck no. Shit. There it goes. Whoa…steady as she goes. Eye widening panic! Boom goes the dynamite! My fingers grip the cups harder and safely held. Crisis averted.

Cool and casual like that. “Here you go Iona.” I handed over her drink with a smile.

“Iona?” She looked at me puzzled.

My eyes darted, alarmed. “Uh, yesterday…when you made your order here. Uh…you told the cashier your name was Iona?” Now it was time for my own quizzical. “Your name is Iona…right?”

She blew out a breath. The kind that shoots upward, blowing a dangling strand of her bangs from her rolling at being caught in a fib eyes. “That’s a thing I do. To sound exotic.” She gave a quick shake of the head and nodded to the counter. “I change it up every day. Glenda, Marion, Billie Jean...Iona. Whatever I’m feeling like that day.”

Her hand casually reached for a true introductory shake. “My real name is Tuesday…and I already know you’re Stephen…with a P.”

My smile was contemplatively wry. “Isn’t Tuesday an exotic enough name already? I mean…I’ve never met a Tuesday.”

“Yeah, well, a girl has to have many faces. One must stay intriguing and beguiling.”

“I’m intrigued and beguiled.” I shot back. Somehow feeling comfortable in my skin for a change.

The corners of her lips curved. “Mutual.”

Relaxation immediately struck. My entire being at ease. A wordless infinity.

“But, I’m sorry Stephen. Much as I’d like to sit down and get to know you, I have to be to work in five minutes. I’m all about a strict schedule.” Nice! She really is perfection.

“I completely understand that.”

Tuesday fished a hand into her oversized tote, withdrawing a business card which she handed over. “I neglected to leave you my number last night. I was a little jittery over it all…well...you know.” Our eyes locked. Mesmerizing. “Will you call me for dinner?” She questioned as if there was some sort of doubt.

“Absolutely.” I opened the door, leading her through. Two fingers steadied at the small of her back. Feeling a response as Tuesday’s back comfortably adjusted.

She turned to me on the street, one last parting moment.  Words breaking apart the sweetest lips I’d ever laid eyes on. “Thanks for latte. I like a man who gets me coffee in the morning…cliché, I know.”

“The pleasure was all mine.”

Tuesday paused, giving thought to one last message. “Just so you know…I don’t do personal calls or texts during the work day. So, don’t bother. I’m married to my career. I have a plan.”

I gave the thumbs up. Fucking perfection.

-bart 4.20.2019

[dual-of-the-sexes]

Glenda Prey said:

I swear, I wish I could erase the memories of some of the shittiest people I have met in my past. As if they had never existed; in fact, they don’t exist in my world

I distinctively remember the physical pain they have caused me! A very deep pain in my chest, as if they had stabbed my heart! Without that Scum I am happier! So, today I will vacuum the memories of the users, the cheaters, the liars and the abusers! I am flushing them down the toilet!

Goodfuckingbye!