help yall gyal out and drop some cool college tips (and for all our fellow college freshmen HEHE)

I never claimed Biden's policies never hurt anyone, but it is unfair to blame Biden for Covid when Covid began under the Trump administration and it was Trump's actions that led to its severity and damage. Biden at least attempted to mitigate Covid during the first year of his administration, but by then the damage was already extensive and the politicized culture around it made it impossible for Americans to cooperate and regulations to have any real affect. But blaming Biden for Covid is like blaming Hoover for the Great Depression.

Don't get me wrong, I hate Biden too. But no matter how awful our 2024 presidential choices are, they are our only possible choices for president. Our voting systems are messed up. 3rd party votes only work against us and lots of people also just opt out of voting, which is about as equally affective. The electoral college was founded on literal racism and slavery and is still imposed to this day. But that's the system we have to work with. It's rigged. It's awful. I KNOW.

And like I said voting is not the end all of political action, and reading some of these comments, I can understand your anger. For most elections, yes, a vote IS an endorsement and support for a politician. But presidential elections just don't work that same way. When you vote 3rd party, you might as well just handed over your right to vote to your representative. And I guarantee you your representative is either going to vote for Trump or Biden.

The presidential election is NOT the only election on the ballot. And all other elections in the US make it possible for 3rd party candidates to win. I will vote 3rd party wherever possible locally, and I encourage you to do so too.

Still, reading through all these comments, I have yet to hear an actual solution to this problem that is achievable by November. Our choices are Biden or Trump. That's it. I hate it too, but if you have any better, feasible ideas, please let me hear it.

Except it is an endorsement. Biden literally thinks "they'll get over it" (it being the genocide of palestinians) by the time election comes. He thinks that we will vote for him anyways so he'll do whatever he wants. That's literally an endorsement. The reason the Vote Uncommitted campaign is gaining traction is to threaten Biden into doing something. If he doesn't feel threatened, then he assumes we are going to vote for him no matter what. So that means it's an endorsement.

If Biden doesn't listen to us, that's on him for losing the election. Not on the people who want him to do something else. And I don't want trump to win. I don't. But I will never vote for a person who so brazenly killed my friends and family, lied to my face, and was so unbelievably arrogant in that he thinks he can do whatever the fuck he wants. Feel free to vote for Biden. Just don't say it's for anyone else.

Hiii!

Can you please write headcanons for Laswell and Valeria having a wife who is an highschool art teacher? (or even just a highschool teacher)

Hi!

I wrote these because I immediately had ideas for them both! I also want to say how underappreciated teachers are as a whole and they deserve more everything. A close family member of mine went to college to be a teacher and often substituted a lot, so that helped me a lot. I wrote this in the mind of the American School system because Kate lives in the USA and because I only have knowledge in the American School System. I will be posting Valeria's next!

Part One/ Part Two/ Part Three

♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡ ♡ She 100% is in awe of how you deal with so much attitude and teenagers all day, everyday, for seemigly way too many days straight.

♡ Loves to do her paperwork sitting next to you while you grade papers or create assignments. She often finds it easier to do paperwork with you, so she loves this time.

♡ if you come home stressed about parent teacher conferences (let's be honest here half the time it's the parents fault for the kids awful attitude and they blame it on the teachers or say some rude shit) she will often tell you that it's not your fault and make you a warm drink, because she was going to make her umpteenth coffee anyways.

♡ You both often are exhausted from paper work and fall asleep at the table until one of you wakes up and wakes the other up to head to bed, or to make more coffee and keep going after a power nap, teachers have a ton of shit to do.

♡ If you are an art teacher she loves when you bring home the art work show it to her, though after the walls and fridge are full she will mentally beg you to put it in a drawer somewhere.

♡ Kate loves when you talk about students and call them 'your kids' knowing that you love your job even though sometimes like her you wish you could take a long well needed vacation.

♡ She also feels sad when you tell her about a student who had opened up to you/you had found out that they were going through something at home, she hates how terribly out of it you are and seem wishing you could save them.

♡ Sometimes, she gets an odd day off in the middle of the week and wishes it was easier for you to call out. She will understand completely, but she will wait for you to get home.

♡ Genuinely shocked when you say you need more supplies, you had already seemingly bought way too many off already, "How could they go through that many pencils?!" Or "How often do you write on a whiteboard that you already need more packs of markers?"

♡ Watching you spend your own check on them makes her realize just how little you get paid and how underfunded the school you work at is. She loves and hates watching how excited you are to spend your money on your students.

♡ Loves watching you plan fun lessons for your students, often running them by her to see if she has any feedback, she doesn't but she will grin as you explain and the pure excitement in your voice.

♡ Kate loves your outfits, often being as she describes 'very you' and loves to watch you happily wear them as you get ready for work.

♡ Will make jokes about your patience with them often, "How do you deal with them?" Loves it if you counter back with."I deal with you." She adores the pure amount of willpower you have to deal with teenagers every day. She 100% says all of the time, "I don't know how you can do it, I couldn't."

♡ Hates how much time you put in for your work that isn't paid, often noticing how you work late into the night to get papers graded and making up lessons on your own time.

♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡

(I will edit this more when I get done putting my cows in for the night, yes I own cows, they are only pets, I love them.)

Masterlist/ More like this/ Request

Think what strikes me about something like "we can't vote because the system is rigged! Ban the electoral college!" is the big underlying implication of it.

That there is no multiple solutions or paths, only the one correct path and everything else is worthless.

And that's incredibly frustrating because there are two levels of problems with it:

is the utter dismissiveness of anything other than their specific solution, which ignores how any degree of positive change cannot occur with only just ONE idea, it's usually the result of many ideas that lead to change.

The fact that it feels like they're skipping every step in between the current situation to this end result, or actively fixating on themselves having the correct solution, but only by literally getting everything in between completely wrong in the process.

Like, the latter point in particular is like a complex math equation: Just because you got the right answer doesn't mean you can just ignore every difficult step in between, or just assume that all of the WRONG processes become validated retroactively because you stumbled into the correct answer. You'd literally get failed and be forced to redo the problem if you tried that shit in math.

I saw a poll the other day claiming that support for abolishing the Electoral College had now reached 65% of all Americans. Now, I take all polls, whether good or bad, with a grain of salt, but this does reflect a growing awareness that the EC is a horrible racist anti-democratic dinosaur only applied to the presidential election and only used for electing Republicans who don't win the nationwide popular vote, and that there's a genuine groundswell of support to abolish it. See the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which could possibly collect enough state-by-state ratifications to go into effect into 2028 (in the best-case scenario). So even all the bitching about how "the system is rigged" (which. WE KNOW! WE KNOW! There's not a single Democratic voter going to vote like WOW I LOVE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE CAN'T WAIT FOR MY VOTE TO DEPEND ON HOW MUCH IT COUNTS THANKS TO THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WHEE OLD DEAD WHITE GUYS!) blatantly ignores that a possible seismic change IS possibly in the offing, because people put in the work to make it happen!!! The fact that the EC might soon be superseded or disempowered is FUCKING MONUMENTALLY HUGE!!! It has existed literally since the beginning of America and arbitrated every single presidential election!!! And let me tell you, the people working to make that change and fundamentally reshape American democracy are absolutely not the Online Leftists, whose grasp of civic and political theory starts and ends at "wah the system is rigged I do not vote I am very smart!"

This also reminds me of the recent idiots in my notes complaining that Biden was a) not "genuine" in supporting the striking auto workers, that b) Don't You Know He Broke The Rail Strike (the follow-up where he gave the railworkers what they most wanted with that strike was conveniently never mentioned), or c) that he wasn't "doing it for the right reasons" (whatever the fuck that means). Which accurately reflects their belief that the way you do politics, or praxis, or anything at all, is just by having the Really Goodest Mostest Purest Intentions really hard, and that's it. Like. Aside from the fact that it's impossible to prove why Biden is privately motivated to do anything, we have a long track record demonstrating that he is a person of genuine Catholic faith who has been moving more and more to the left overall, and has been the most pro-union, pro-labor president in American history. So first of all, complaining that "he's not GENUINE!!!!" in supporting the strikers is impossible to prove, and contradicted by actual evidence. But the Online Leftists gotta feel More Gooder Than Him somehow, so.

Likewise: as I said in one of my previous posts about Hillary Clinton: I do not give a fuck if she was privately the most Neoliberal Corporate Centrist Shill Ever To Shill (and as I also said, none of those words means what the Online Leftists think they do). I do not care about the American monarch president's personal feelings, unless they reflect directly on the policy that they make and the real-world effects that it has. I don't care if Clinton killed puppies (or dreamed about killing puppies, which for the thoughtcrime police is equally bad), as long as she appointed 3 new liberal justices to SCOTUS and throughout the courts, instead of the hacks that Trump forced onto the bench and literally everything else he did. In the same vein, Biden could secretly be like "hahahaha fuck all workers BIG CORPORATIONS FOR LYFE but I gotta support the workers and get them their rights so they'll vote 4 meeee" (not that I actually think he is, but still) and hold onto your hankies, children: I DO NOT CARE! Because the tangible real-world effects of that policy that he is working hard on making results in a better economy for those workers and substantial redistribution of capital away from the oligarchs for the first time in a generation! Not to mention, I kind of like the idea that a president decides to make himself most appealing to workers instead of bosses! But for the Online Leftists, if this action isn't done with the Sufficiently Pure Motives, it is Wrong and Bad and Not Good Enough and Blah Blah Biden Sekrit Republican.

Anyway. Yes. That. The end.

roboquinn!!!

thank you and tc for asking <3 but also girl this is literally just YOUR commentator au that i wrote down notes/snippets for and then gave up on as we kept talking because i was delusionally hoping you'd do it for us LMFAO. it's a very bare doc with only lapslock excerpts but i'm still attached to the concept and have many thoughts about how their dynamic would work... also funny because we came up with this like 8 months before quinn even got the c but in all our notes we were just like yeah obviously he'd retire as captain lol

anyway the thing with 4321 is that i would personally read a lot of different au permutations for them, especially anything involving umich/Midwestern College Hockey dynamics because there's a lot of au potential there. commentator au specifically was = what if robo never made it to the nhl? + what if quinn retired prematurely because of injury and both of them went into broadcasting?, and i think we'd decided on robo doing play-by-play because he has more natural personality and quinn taking on the ex-player analyst role alongside him. however what's most crucial to ME about non-player!robo is that i think of him as someone who is very secure in himself and almost neurotically dedicated to always doing the right thing/making the correct life decisions, so the only reason he doesn't make it professionally is that his family moves to michigan a lot later and he and his brothers miss out on crucial junior development opportunities, so he realizes that hockey is a pipe dream and decides to treat it as a hobby and gets a journalism degree or something. this also makes the nick sibling dynamic more interesting because in my head nick would still try to become a hockey player since he's way more stubborn and impulsive, but he'd max out as an echl/ahl lifer and it becomes less of like "look at how much my athlete brother has succeeded!!" but in a way still robo being more successful because he got a good degree and stayed realistic about his future and makes good money now.

i think 4321 is basically interesting because everything in the world for them boils down to Siblings and they're the oldest of their respective nhl sibling groups but still have very different upbringings. i love the idea of having history long before they meet as a broadcasting duo because robo also went to umich and watched some of his games, but quinn obviously not remembering him... i also think in this universe quinn retires early but not like egregiously so and therefore still has a historic career with the canucks, but then he still struggles to grapple with that because maybe at this age the devils are like a total wagon and he has to cover playoff games for jack and luke for example. AND IN HIS ENTIRE CAREER HE NEVER WINS A CUP!!! plus i think of quinn spending his entire career in vancouver and depending on petey way more than he'd thought he did and now being like unmoored from his second home while robo is very used to traveling and is extremely independent and self-sufficient, and then it's like You think you're the most adjusted member of your family because you're the oldest brother and spent decades living alone on a whole different coast but the reality is actually that you were still deeply accustomed to the insular niche of an nhl team bubble and are being forced to navigate what it means to be an adult for the very first time when everyone you ever cared about is still stuck in that environment. and you're in your 30s!

also the reason quinn gets hired is because robo used to broadcast with pavs (who eventually leaves the role because he's old and wants to spend time with his family), so by now he's totally used to working with hotshot american ex-players and is very blasé around Rich NHL Dudes, and again like with nick is basically the more adjusted one who kind of sees how like quinn is basically functionally alone and doesn't have any systems around him that aren't 100% about hockey and thus latches on to him a little bit. so the dynamic is like >we are coworkers but also do you even know how to book a hotel by yourself? and quinn thinking robo is a nerd at first but eventually deferring to his 100% faith in himself and ease with which he navigates social situations.

also robo would have longterm gf because it's the Right Thing To Do and he's never thought that there was another way to live... like he's adjusted to the point of being so mindlessly socially integrated that he never even considers the fact that maybe he isn't even into women, he just does it because it's what he's meant to do, whereas quinn has way more inner turmoil and could never really hold a relationship down and has a million crises about it and then stuff happens and they get together in a random hotel room in finland during world juniors blah blah more bad decisions and realizations the end. please write them for me 😭

I've been asked to provide brief commentary on some specific books from my 2023 reading list, so --

Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America, Richard Rorty

I was not super impressed by this one. The core thesis -- the radical theory-driven left is not particularly helpful in terms of advancing concrete leftist political goals within the American system -- is, at this point, not news. (It wasn't even really news in 1998 when the book was published.) And everything surrounding that thesis...well, it is very serious about the idea that it is Good and Helpful to develop a nationalistic-but-leftist ideological consciousness, which should raise a lot of eyebrows no matter who you are.

This book was recommended by Matt Yglesias, and it reads very much like part of the ideological grounding of someone like Matt Yglesias. Which is not a compliment. I like Yglesias, but -- ideological grounding is not his strong suit.

The Tatami Galaxy, Tomihiko Morimi

It was...fine, I guess.

There are four stories, which are theoretically all alternate-universe versions of the same events. (Not a spoiler, that fact is revealed extremely quickly.) They're all very modern-Asian-style magical surrealism. The last story is substantially the longest and substantially the best; its vision of the titular "tatami galaxy," a Borges-style labyrinth made from endless iterations of your own college dorm room, is at the very least punchy and memorable. But there's not really enough there there, and the first three stories are a slog.

The Man Who Was Thursday, G. K. Chesterton

This is fucking amazing. Probably the best book I read all year, unless that goes to the Oscar Wilde.

It's witty throughout, although it's the wit of an old stodgy conservative British guy who sneers at a lot of things, so you have to be willing to live with that. But it's also...well, ballsy is the best word I have for it. Saying that it's a "twist book" fails to do it justice. There is a twist -- but the more-relevant thing is that it sneaks around behind you and kicks you in the back of the head in a way that is mostly not about the twist, but about a much-more-fundamentally-weird thing that Chesterton is doing. The book you are reading at the end is very much not the book you thought you were reading at the beginning.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin

Mnr mnr mnr mnr. My feelings here are complicated.

On the one hand: this is a book about a small number of people with incestuously-tangled lives who make art together and in reaction to each other, who are absolutely obsessed with the art that they're making. This is a theme that has a lot of resonance for me, and, like, it gets the feel of that thing largely right. There are also other, more-idiosyncratic reasons for this book to have resonance for me.

On the other hand: it's a character-driven litfic book, and I don't love any of the characters, or even particularly like them. They are the wrong flavor of nerd, with the wrong kinds of thoughts and emotional issues. Also, it is a book about making and selling video games that...reads like it was written by someone who doesn't quite understand how video games work or how the video game market works.

On the gripping hand: it does a very good job of portraying the aspect of life experience that is "as you get older, the intense dramas of your youth don't get forgotten, but the colors kind of fade and the feelings come to seem much less important with perspective."

In particular: Near the beginning, there is a side character who is portrayed as the Absolute Fucking Unforgivable Shitbag Monster of a contemporary story told using contemporary norms. He does the kind of things that are specifically tailored to make you think this guy deserves nothing but hate, forever. The characters, to the extent that they know about him and what he's done, by and large do feel that way. And then...well, it's not like there's ever a comeuppance or a redemption or anything like that. But at the end, the feeling is much more -- well, he's this guy we know, there's a lot of awkwardness related to past pain and past wrongdoing, but even so we're something sort of like old friends and really it's mostly just water under the bridge at this point.

Which is, complicatedly, interesting.

Also, I am going to let all my followers in on my spicy insider opinion as someone young in the field of psych researchers, but the field of research, being a researcher, and all that - at least in psychology - is very much glorified professional discourse as a job.

It's like literally just professional discourse. You spend your life having your opinion and ideas on how things are and spend years and years developing the most reliable and "valid" numbers and statistics that support or deny your claim and compare it to people who both agree, disagree, and partially agree with yours to prove your direction. There is a whole different layer and level of complaining about how others are making bad arguments or how their logic is flawed and yada yada that I'm not gonna go into

But like, one of the reasons I don't bother with most online discourse at this point is most online discourse boils down to "WELL I FOUND A PAPER SAYING THIS SO ITS SCIENTIFIC FACTS" and not actually scrutenizing the paper and the methods and everything to get a non-black and white understanding of how strong that evidence is and at this point I just find it kind of funny seeing internet discourse pulling up "papers" as "facts" which just feels like posting a link to someone else's blog as "evidence" of "facts" with how people discuss it.

Like to everyone who participates in discourse, do what makes you happy and matters to you, but I have yet to really see anyone on here discuss research papers in any way that is like... academically right and respectful to the way psychological research works save for the old @/this-is-not-dissociative that has been on a possibly indefinite hiatus; and thats cause the person running that blog actually is a PhD candidate themselves.

But like... if you look at research papers as facts and proof to your claims and just that, then I'm sorry but you Dunning Kruger. I honestly don't blame 99% of the internet for being like this cause a lot of English classes (at least American) teach people to argue and use "science" like this and so a lot of people are raised with abysmal scientific literacy and never really get confronted with it if they don't go into college and take several research courses / participate in research, but its just a pain.

I don't complain about it a lot cause I really really don't blame people for the school system failing them, but like... its really sad how much of a disservice English classes, AP Rhetoric and other debate / persuasion centered highschool classes has taught people how to "get their point across and win / convince the opponent no matter what" and not "how to have a functionable conversation discussing the nature of how things exist."

2023 Goal Setting Brain Dump

So it's been a LONG time since I have posted anything.  And I mean posted anything- here, the book with the face, the little blue bird, the tok that has a tick or even in my journal.

Now, there are many reasons for that - life got in the way, too busy with the girls, husband, dogs, work, etc.  But in all honesty, none of those can take over all my time all at once.  There are 24 hours in a day, and even with all the factors in life, it is impossible not to have a few hours a week for oneself. 

The past two, maybe three weeks, I have been fighting off some sort of head cold from hell with a side of sinusitis and fluid filled ears.  (It's been hell.)  Anyway, with all my meds and the rest I need, my mind does not rest very well.  And with a new year means there is a lot of talk about ‘new year, new me’ things. 

Now, I don’t believe in the new year, new me BS, because I am the same person I was last year (for better or for worse) and I’ll be the same person going into the new year. But the new year is a chance to stop and look back and in a way see what has happened, and what could be done to improve the new year.  And THERE IS NO ONE ON EARTH WHO HAD A PERFECT YEAR AND NOTHING NEEDS TO CHANGE IN THEIR LIVES AND EVERYTHING IS PERFECT.

If you are that person, please, get your head checked.

Anyway, a new year is a new chance at life.  I tell my daughters every evening that tomorrow morning is a fresh day and a new chance to try and do better.  But a day and a year are TWO VERY DIFFERENT measurements of time.  A year is much longer than a day and it gives a unique chance that you only get once a year!  (Lame joke, I get it. lol)

Enough babbling, and get to my point - which brings up a whole other thought about how American writers never seem to know when to shut up and here I am not shutting up.

The main idea of this post is talking about my new goals for the new year.  Not new year resolutions (because they never work and people always over-bite on what their goals are and what they can do to get to their goals.) But I am talking about goals.

Goals can be S.M.A.R.T, H.A.R.D, WOOPed, ORKed, micro, backwards, one worded, or visualized.  There is also a Locke and Latham’s Five principles of goal setting. Or my personal favorite, the K.I.S.S.ed system (that I made up, lol, Keep It Simple Stupid.)  But all of them boil down to about three or four key factors.

And remember, I am not some master guru on goal setting and I have no ‘official’ schooling on the matter.  I have been in therapy since I was like three years old, I have read a lot of books and I have been through the American public school system and several colleges.

The one main factor is: working to improve something (either by doing or stopping something) to improve one’s overall life. Part of this factor is that the goal is something that the goal maker wants to do, aligns with their character or values, and (this is often critical) doable. For example, if someone who weighs over 600 pounds and decides in January that they want to run the Boston Marathon in April of the same year, that is not doable, and might not even align with what they want to do (maybe they want to lose weight and run daily, but not run in a marathon.)

Then other factors that go into goal setting are (in no special order):

Being clear on what you want to achieve

Creating a plan on HOW you want to achieve this goal

Knowing what outcome you want from achieving this goal

How you are going to measure your progress with the goal

Creating some sort of commitment plan (how you are going to hold yourself responsible for getting the steps done for your goal)

And sometimes, a reward for completing steps or the goal itself.

Often people have ideas or dreams of what they want to achieve or complete things in their life, but they either do not create a game plan on how to do any of that, or they don’t keep track of what they are doing.  If you must know, I am in all three camps. ;-) (Do the math. lol.)

Anyway, with the new year, I want to take the time to really think about what I want to achieve, how I am going to do that, and create a plan on how to do that.  (If anyone is interested in learning more about the goal setting systems I mentioned earlier, please let me know.  I can gladly do a post on each of the goal setting theories.  It’s interesting [for me, because I am a nerd with somethings] to compare and contrast the different systems and share that with others.)

So for the next couple of posts (maybe) I will brain dump several ideas I have and through writing out my thoughts I will be able to get a better idea of what I want to do.  

I do not think I am going to share specifics about each of my goals because it becomes a double edged sword.  What do I mean?  Well, many studies have stated that sharing your goals - to the public or with just a friend - helps people achieve those shared goals.  But there are a lot of studies coming out saying that just sharing our goals with anyone tricks the brain into thinking that the work is done. (Similar to the joke that more people are afraid of public speaking than death,)  Sometimes, just sharing things (anything) with others is often the hardest part, sharing the goal could trick the brain into thinking that everything is done.  But with sharing the goal, you have someone to hold you accountable to getting things done.

See why sharing goals is a Catch-22.  So I'm not sure if I will share my detailed plan or not but I will share my brain dumps abouts what I want to work on.  So you guys will have an idea of a few things I want to work on in the new year.  Does that make any sense?  I hope so. Maybe?  Let me know in the comments or in a message.

Also, this might go without saying, but with brain dumps, things might go in weird directions. I will edit for spelling and completely crazy grammar but over all, I want to keep my thoughts in tack as much as possible.

Until next time,

Steph 

I tend to keep a lot of my "vulnerable" feelings a bit bottled up lol BUT I am working on that lol I of course appreciate you sooo much! Even before I claimed the 💜emoji, I HEAVILY related to your MC's like there were so many similarities in their personality and struggles that for a second got a little TOO REAL lol And to know you put alot of yourself into your stories and characters it felt nice to know that I wasn't alone in feeling like that. Sometimes it feels like something is so wrong with me when it gets tough so knowing that my feelings aren't so strange made/makes me feel alright :) idk if any of that made sense lol

omg don't even get me started when parents trauma dump 😭 idk if i mentioned this before or not but Im first gen Mexican American so literally Mexican parents/elders will literally tell you the most TRAUMATZING stories/experiences then go to say shit like "it's okay, thank god we are better now😁" LIKE HELLO!? WE NEED TO UNPACK THAT?!

I often think if I would be "happier" if I had just chosen a semester school bc I despise this horrid system lol But youre so kind, you have no idea😭

OMG YOU THINK I HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE??? thats crazy bc I feel like mine isn't too crazy or fun lol I have a small core group of friends but the majority of them aren't in school and the friends I do have in college i feel like I rarely seem them due to all of us being so busy lol But ngl i do love going to the free events there like concerts and drag shows WHICH ARE MY FAVE!!! but even then hanging out can sometimes be a little draining for me but once again Im trying to work on that lol.

But bestie you graduated early?! That's really cool! And that is such a big accomplishment! And I can't blame you for wanting your Friends moment like who wouldn't want that?! I wanted a cute little college romance but instead Im over hear falling for my professor lol OH i forgot to mention I have a cute TA in one of my psyc classes so Im saying sorry in advance for how annoying I will be about him 😔

AH you know I love you Sam! You seriously are someone I look forward to chatting with!-💜

I totally get the bottling your feelings up. I think Tulips is most like that. She has some issues (she, being me). I'm glad feeling relatable was a comfort for you. I know it's a comfort for me and I think one of the NICEST things about writing on here is that there are actually many people share the same feelings as me (us). Way more than I thought. It's kind of isolating day-to-day so it's nice to know it doesn't have to be.

HEY RANDOM!!! do you know your Myer's Brigg Personality? I am a HUGE personality test taker. Those buzzfeed ones that were like "What toaster are you?" literally obsessed. or the soldier, poet, king test? Any of them! I love them. It might be a little confirmation bias-y in my own personality but I don't care; I love them. HAHAHAHHAHA I did one for a job years ago I would have to dig it out to remember what the actual test was but i think it was like your big 5 qualities in the work place. Anyway, it made me think of more ways we could be similar (I'm an INFJ - (T) but if I use my teacher persona I can be convinced to be an ENFJ --but I'm a major introvert at heart obvi)

My mom and I are very similar. My bf has some pretty convincing theories about how my mom used to be like my sister and then turned into me when she had kids because she had to be responsible. So her trauma dumping often includes a lot of regrets and worries. You've mentioned your Mexican-American heritage before and I've seen a lot in the media (I know it's not exactly the same and probs also childish of me to rely on Disney for media but Encanto and Coco I feel like were semi-good examples--please don't think the worst of me if you disagree) Encanto especially--Grandma has some things to talk through. That's a lot to unload on you (or anyone!). Again, nice to know it's relatable even if it's sad sometimes. At least I'm not alone! 💕

UGH I can't wait to write TA Harry 😍 You could NEVER be annoying. I want the play-by-play PLEASE it will be the best inspo and I need to live vicariously!!! I've never been to a drag show but definitely on the list of things I'd like to attend! I fall into the latter part of your sentence there. I refrain from doing a lot of things because I'm already so busy on a regular day I don't want to do anything that will require energy when I don't need to use it HAHAHAHA

You're so sweet, thank you. At the time graduating early felt like a really big deal. Now I feel like it doesn't mean much. I guess it saved me some money right? There isn't much I won't do for a coupon 😂

Love you! Hope your week is being good to you!

xoxo

2023/02/28 English

BGM: Wes Montgomery : Days Of Wine And Roses

Today was a day off. This morning I went to AEON and read Yoshio Kataoka's "Coffee calls" with Wes Montgomery's music. Suddenly, I had an idea, "what on earth I am doing here?". Indeed, I basically like reading, but I am just doing this hobby only and not have any family or kids. My life is just wandering from here to there, so it made me down. But then, I should think that the people who are not "productive" can't be there in this world? How about the people who aren't working, or can't work and sometimes treated as a waste? Me, once, I was certainly a NEET, and that situation gave me a certain serious pressure and got sick from that. I want to think that we can live without any productive attitude, and also enjoy our lives, primary.

When I was a college student, at the season that springtime exactly was coming like now, I had a strong depression. It was too early for job hunting, and I couldn't find any good part-time job, so (it was embarrassing but) I relied on my parents' money and did nothing but hangout the whole day, getting bored too much. Now I think that I would go traveling, fishing, or choose to read Marcel Proust's "In Search Of Lost Times" if I had such a boring time. Anyway, I felt a crisis of feeling, "what on earth I am doing?" and had a depression. I entered a university, but I needed to have another, quite a different tactic to survive, and I couldn't find it. It was a really hard time.

At that time, we had a large incident with AUM and I wondered "how should I live this life?" and "what could be the best life for me or this world?". Now, I have found some answers through this life. But anyway, life is basically long, so sometimes people can wonder what they are doing or what they want to do. I am also a lost person. Reading was for me the way to measure myself. Once, in a room of my apartment, I was into Paul Auster's "Moon Palace" and thought about how the main character's fate and his feelings could be. These ideas bring me that I should read Souseki Natsume, a Japanese legendary author who wrote about that kind of "a stray sheep", again. Or I might choose Charles Bukowski.

This evening, I went to the English conversation class. Today, we had a topic that the teachers got injured by skiing, and talked about "how can be the difference of the system of health care". It was really difficult because I have never learned about the system of American health care. I also showed how I don't know about "Obama care". I have to admit this. Once I had my mind closed and just drank a lot every day, so can't remember those miserable days. I can't even remember 3.11 and Fukushima. What a shame... but I said that "American society is based on capitalism, so doctors developed their service for the rich people", "It might be influenced by Neo-liberalism with the motto of 'Only the strong survive'", and "Japan has the tradition of helping each other and we Japanese achieved great safety net". Oh my, what an easy-going like Junji Takada, a Japanese famous comedian.

If you can dream it, you can do it Fundamentals Explained

In a world where a fantastic offer of individuals believe that damaging thinking is a more reasonable method to lifestyle than good thinking, it’s no marvel that our lives have ended up being thus adverse. One theory holds that individuals possess additional difficulty coping with emotions of insufficiency or negativeness. That's the concept of the mind that we established in primary college, and that this concept has arised once more and once again in our existing institution educational program. Try to inform somebody that is experiencing a primary obstacle they ought to reassess their values and that no matter what happens, it’s going to help their life and see how they respond. What you are trying to do is promote people to center on what matters. This means talking to yourself whether their loved ones participant has provided up or is starting to lose count on in you so that they would receive to the end of their relationship. If so, at that point you need to have to proceed to center on that. It’s very not likely that they’ll simply acknowledge and comply. It seems like individuals are attempting to claim "that's not their company’ therefore why don't we just get back to the actual business’ and after that observe what it looks like, and say to the fact. That will definitely operate.". While in Canada, the Liberal authorities has declined to move on field rules. Therefore this may not be something that's been on the table for a lengthy time. Yet, adversity is not just good because it includes uncertainty and unpleasant surprise to our lives, which is the substance that produces lifestyle interesting, but it is additionally the ideal means for us to grow as human creatures – challenges help make us more powerful persons. We may eliminated difficult opportunities, but we may also withstand those difficulty – a world where improvement may not be achievable. It is likewise the time, our lives, to ask ourselves how we can easily develop the world that we desire. However, most people are fully unfamiliar with the idea of positivity and depreciate it. And also though positivity was cultivated through the Holocaust (and several of culture's very most noticeable Holocaust targets were Jews), not every person who happened before its time possessed any concept how negative it was for the normal American. So after a incredibly lengthy, harsh time frame of years, I found the idea of positivity a tad troublesome. On one palm, positivity is a very difficult principle to cultivate. It just isn’t realistic for them. What they are trying to do is merely create a lifestyle that really feels truly really good. This isn't happening in America, this is taking place anywhere’. ’ They're thus wrong’. (Vibrant importance included.). ’ It's not working for them’. But that's not how www.amarishwardinews24.com works’. Why do we have a society of bullying and misuse and abuse and all these factors like that’. They have been trained their entire lives to feel in ‘negative thoughts’. In this system, the only reason they have not constantly functioned is because they lost their confidence (at the very least when it comes to their encounter of how to become absolutely free of cost from fascism), but it's rather a lot their fault. All you ought to recognize regarding this is that if you're an oppressed individual for any various other factor at that point I assure you that you're not an oppressed person. The truth of the matter is that truth is whatever you want it to be: it can easily be a wonderful, enriching dream. or a dreadful, threatening ordeal. Either way, if it were an actual reality, it would be remarkable, yet there is actually NO ONE in this world who would happen close to developing one more dream that is therefore various from their own. Permit’s chat around 6 methods that may produce your lifestyle extra good: 1 – Supply Your Mind With Positivity 1 – Nourish Your Thoughts Along with Positivity Depending on your previous encounters and current atmosphere, you may have been supplied a great deal of unwarrantable negativity throughout your lifestyle: putdowns, threats, cursing, mocking. which has dramatically shaped your viewpoint of the world. This has affected your overview on lifestyle and has influenced all of your connections. In purchase to alter the means your right now recognize the world, it’s currently time to perform the contrast: feed your mind along with positivity, all time long! My new fixation is a new kind of mind-calming exercise: Beneficial Self-Realization. This new strategy (that I get in touch with the "brand new doing yoga" or SRA) is located on one of the most fundamental maxims of mindfulness-guided meditation – the requirement for awareness to alter belief and emphasis to a certain amount.

Blog Post #1

In today’s world, one peppered with conversations around race, identity, and intersectionality, one of the least debated identities and labels is that of whiteness. A shroud over our country, the label of whiteness stemmed from colonial dominance and is one that has permeated throughout our culture. 

As an Indo-Caribbean woman growing up in a white and consservative small town, the impact of whiteness on how I viewed my own identity was huge to say the least. I remember being seventeen and walking home from work with a friend, a white girl of the same age. We were talking about relationships and men, and I remember her saying to me, “And you know the worst men of all? Indian men! They’re so creepy, and they smell.” I was immediately torn between trying to find a way to validate her negative experience while also being unsure how best to proceed as a brown woman. In this moment, am I to be a representative of my race, or would it be best to demure to the whiteness, to utilize the way that Asian women are seen in society to evade any confrontation and thus contradiction? I chose the latter, and responded with “Yeah,” and nothing else. Completely missing my hesitation, she went on to grab my arm and be like, “ Ugh I know you get it. You know, my boyfriend just hates Indian people! But not like you, you’re different. You’re not like them.” I remember turning that over and over in my head, stewing and stewing, burning into my brain. I was Indian too, just like the men she hated, just like the people that so repulsed her boyfriend. So what made me different? 

In reading Mitsuye Yamada’s musings on being an Asian American woman, I understood and related to so much of what she had to say. To have had to watch her brother be removed from college for the same actions she was taken, and to be seen as simply non-threatening just because she was an Asian woman. To be told by her class, by her white students, that they didn’t understand her anger, her frustration was one of the most validating things I’ve ever read. When Yamada said, “I had created an underground culture of survival for myself and had become in the eyes of others the person I was trying not to be,” (page 37),” I understood her completely. How does one fight and rebel against a system that forces Asian American women toward these prescribed ideals of whiteness, and in doing so and in being oneself, not accidentally fall into and become the very tropes we are working so hard to deflect? How do we prioritize survival while also trying to stand against the model minority myths and ideas? 

The history behind the man-made and societally perpetuated identity of whiteness was further reinforced by Bonnett’s article, “Who was white?” Bonnet’s writings highlight the origin of whiteness, and showcase that the idea of white as a descriptor was in existence long before the Euro-centric white identity that we see today. He explains that in China and the Middle East, many individuals were described as white, with the same fair and porcelain skin that many today attribute to Europeans. His writings illustrate an early history of colorism, where for example, “...the Chinese, who perceived their own skin to be white until the early 20th century, considered individuals with lighter skin as having a higher social status than dark-skinned people.” (page 1033). The writing goes on to elaborate on the classism of color, where those with darker color were associated with being of lower status, as their color came from being outdoors and doing acts of manual labor. I found the entire article truly fascinating, especially as we see folks who are considered people of color today considering themselves white, based on class and pure skin tone alone, and still doing so even after the arrival of those who held European white traits. 

So how do we go from this notion of whiteness as purely a description of skin’s color to the dominating and polarizing concept it is today, one identified with Euro-centricity, and colonization? How is it that the same Europeans who saw Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern folks as “white” and documented them as such, later began to see themselves as superior to these folks, and who found within these created labels the power to subjugate and control for centuries after? Why have Asian American women who once garnered power from their white skin, whose culture valued their femininity and power and grace, become this symbol of demure obscurity, whose identity in the racial hierarchy is that of being “next to white?” The erasure of the history of whiteness is one that I believe has and continues to paralyze our nation and our concept of race, for without finding ways to acknowledge the man-made and self-imposed nature of the white label, how are we ever to unpack the damage that it has caused? 

Genuine question: I learned in school that Reagan fixed an economic recession America had entered. Is that true, or was it a short term only solution?

This is a statement that falls into the category of "partly true, but only from a very narrow perspective and which ignores the broader context of what happened before and after, as well as the long-lasting consequences of Reagan's economic policy down to the present day." I recently answered this ask which discussed Reagan's taxation and deregulation approach, and the permanent damage that it did in terms of installing "Reagonomics" as the primary economic strategy of both America and the world. In short, it boils down to "if you let rich people get even richer, they will munificently "trickle down" their wealth to the lower classes and the economy will be made great again!" Which, to say the least. Did not actually do that.

The 1970s were a long period of sustained and global economic crisis. There was sporadic gas rationing in 1972-74 in both the UK and US, the UK could only have the lights on for a few days a week in the early 70s and faced extended coal-miner strikes, and the later 70s saw electricity blackouts even during some ferociously cold winters. So this wasn't just an American problem, but the general feeling was that Jimmy Carter, elected in 1976, had failed to deal with the country's economic woes as well as geopolitical issues like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iran hostage crisis, which hit within a few months of each other in 1979 and pretty much torpedoed his chances against Reagan, who -- wouldn't you know it -- was running under the slogan "Make America Great Again." As is usually the case in moments of national fear and uncertainty, they wanted a charismatic demagogue to step in and promise he had all the answers and would make it better. So, therefore, they got it.

Reagan certainly proved adept at swiftly making the economy work again for rich people, which has been mistaken ever since for making the economy work for everyone. But as discussed in the ask above, he raised taxes on middle and working-class people no less than twelve different times, and comprehensively gutted the high taxes on the wealthy that had funded not just America's postwar economic boom but the Marshall Plan and the rebuilding of post-WWII Europe. The highest marginal tax bracket in Eisenhower's day had been north of 90%; by the time Reagan was done, it had plunged to 28% (and kept falling). It was also accompanied by the idea that any government interference or regulation in business and industry, ever, was a bad thing, and all the "red tape" had to be cut to make sure the free market could gobble up all the money it possibly could. The core of this magical thinking was that the market's "invisible hand" (a concept from Adam Smith's laissez-faire economic proposals in the 18th century) would automatically fix all the problems with it, and nobody else should interfere in the system. Which, of course, was serving exactly its intended purpose in making as much extra money for rich people as possible, and making sure that it was never redistributed, either in taxes to the government or paid to the lower class in rising wages. At the same time, the cost of everything (especially college) started going through the roof, since there were no longer any rules, price-fixing caps, or other economic mechanisms to keep them down. Capitalism!

Anyway. Reagan is the reason that your parents could get through college with very few or no loans on one minimum-wage job and buy a house with their first paycheck, and you, to say the least, cannot. He totally upended the structure of American economics in permanent favor of the ultra-rich, and fucked everyone else over as a result, especially since his successors saw how well the policy worked (for rich people) and kept doing it. Now, of course, we're in a situation where the younger generations are drowning in debt, can't get jobs or can't support themselves even on multiple jobs, can't buy houses, can't save money, or otherwise establish any kind of a long-term financial future, and yet are being ordered to spend more to keep the shell-game of an economy running. No wages, only spend!!!

So. Yes. If you consider that "fixing" the economy on Reagan's part, I suppose he did. Otherwise, he can (as ever, and always) get fucked.

The Conference of Hidden Genius

Request:  I had an idea for a Winchester sister thing where the brothers go to a parent/teacher night expecting to hear you are average &keep your head down but your teacher goes on about your good grades and societies you're in (arts/sports/science/whatever) and how you won a funded place at a summer school at a (random) college and will they reconsider letting you go. They ask you about why you don't talk about school and you didn't think they'd care as its not hunting and that's all they care about xx

Tags: @winchesters-favorite-girl​ @percussiongirl2017  @the-third-winchester-warrior  @hellhoundlover @emmazach @sisterwinchesterwriter  @fandom-queen-of-wonderland @staticweekes @hi-my-name-is-riley @a-paranoid-bastard @because-you-never-know-when @enchantingempathhumanoidturtle @alexwinchester23 @winchesterhound

A/N: Not sure if this will be one imagine for awhile or if this means I’ll be back regularly. Love you all xx Also this is a tad different if you want it rewritten lemme know!

An average Tuesday night. That’s all it was to any normal family attending the local high school’s parent night. Each time slot filled with the expectation of a progress report and comments on student behavior. It was the average American system of pining parents and children against teachers, or sometimes the other way around. 

You had been nervous all week, walking on thin ice around your brothers, forgetting to remind them. That’s why when they both knocked on your door and told you they were going to go you shot up like a rocket. 

“No guys, it’s really okay!” you protested, without doing much to make it seem suspicious. 

“Nah babygirl, Dad would miss this stuff for us and we’d miss out on some decent extra credit, plus I heard they’re supposed to have a dessert spread” Dean smirked as he left the room. 

“It’ll be good to know where you stand amongst your classmates Y/N” Sam gave a small smile and followed him. You groaned, throwing a pillow over your head. Falling out of the pillowcase was the brochure to an expensive summer program, one you’d secretly prayed to Castiel on, even though he was nowhere to be found.

When the boys arrived at the school they were shocked to find they were the last guardians to be scheduled. It seemed as though they were thrown on last minute, almost as if your marks had been forgotten. 

Dean was disappointed to find that the dessert spread had been long demolished. 

Entering your homeroom a cheery red head with matching lipstick greeted them. 

“Oh I had no idea Y/N had two fathers! How lovely!”

The boys choked, holding back vile, “Actually we’re her older brothers,” Sam greeted, “But lovely to meet you.” 

“Lovely indeed,” Dean winked. 

With a grin she took the boys to her desk, sitting on the other side. 

“Well, to be honest I don’t really know why you two are here.” She began. 

Both boys cocked their heads to the side. 

“Y/N is a great student, so smart and kind. Quite the little leader. She has perfect scores in all of her classes and is honestly on track to becoming top student,”

The boys looked to each other. 

“Are you sure you’re talking about the right Y/N?” Dean asked. 

“Y/N Winchester, you know, quiet, keeps to herself,” Sam started. 

“Isn’t really good at turning things in on time, often sleeps in class?” Dean recalled his own experience being a hunter in training while doubling as an adolescent student. 

“I fear as though you aren’t hearing what I am saying. Your little sister is really great. One of the best actually. Always turns everything in on time, never sleeps in class, and is charming and kind to everyone she meets or works with. She’s quite the class discussion starter too. In fact, she’s been offered a full scholarship to the Eastern Scholars Summer Program. I know how you both feel she shouldn’t go, but I have to say, you have a bright young person on your hands and not letting her go is the biggest mistake I’ve ever seen guardians make.” 

The two looked at each other again. “The what now?”

“Y/N said you two won’t let her go. But I’m begging you, the girl we have here is different then the one you’re describing, and if you just give her the chance she’ll prove you wrong. I promise.”

When the boys got home you were in the library, reading. 

“Y/N” Dean called. 

“In here!” You yelled back. 

“Why wouldn’t you tell us about the Summer program?” Sam asked. He leaned against the doorframe as Dean leaned on a bookcase. 

You pushed your hair back from your face. “It’s really not that important. It’d just get in the way.”

“Y/N according to your grades you’re smarter then Sam. And Sam is Sam.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “What he’s trying to say is that you’re not telling us about how good you’re actually doing in school. Not to mention you have the opportunity for something really-” he started. 

“No stop,” you interupt him, “This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you. You guys expect me to be one thing. To live this life or get out completely and to be honest I don’t know what I want. I won’t lose you for a picket fence future, but I also don’t know if I can keep looking death in the eyes, literally.

“The summer program would be the first time I’ve ever gone away. Alone. I don’t know if I’m smart enough let alone ready to face that without you guys. “

They both looked at you. “Well at least talk to us next time, don’t just keep us in the dark, okay?” Sam asked. 

You nodded. 

“I think you should go though,” Dean whispered. 

You looked at him, tears spilling over your bottom eyelids. 

“Okay.”

“But this report card is going on the fridge regardless of what you say,” Sam laughed. 

“The teacher’s phone number on that?” Dean asks. 

“DEAN!” both you and Sam chirp.

Do you think one could follow the Jedi Code/Lifestyle in real life as a positive manner of living or do you think it only works in Star Wars? I asked this on r/Mawinstallation and the answers I got were either:

''The Jedi code is oppressive so no'' ( this was the most upvoted answer )

''The Jedi code works but only for the Jedi''

''The Jedi code requires the force to work and since the force doesn't exist in the real world, the code cannot work''

And finally, I got only a single reply that said

''Yes, the Jedi code does work in real life, that's the entire point of Star Wars''.

What is your take on this?

This is going to be sort of a long, roundabout answer, but the short version is: In the finer details, we're not space psychics, but as a general idea? Yes. First of all, what even IS the Jedi Code?  Are we talking about the whole “there is no emotion, there is peace”/”emotion, yet peace” meditation mantra, which we should point out is nowhere in the movies or TV shows, but is entirely in the novels and comics supplementary material?  Are we talking about a more generalized idea of Jedi philosophy?  And what, precisely, does that mean?  I mean, what’s oppressive about it and what scene evidences that that’s what the Jedi taught? Second, there are two talks that George Lucas gave that I think really illustrate this view of emotional navigation and how that impacts Star Wars and the Force: There’s the writers meeting of The Clone Wars where he talks about the light side and the dark side and there’s an Academy of Achievement Speech from 2013 where he talks about joy vs pleasure:     “Happiness is pleasure and happiness is joy. It can be either one, you add them up and it can be the uber category of happiness.     “Pleasure is short lived. It lasts an hour, it lasts a minute, it lasts a month. It peaks and then it goes down–it peaks very high, but the next time you want to get that same peak you have to do it twice as much. It’s like drugs, you have to keep doing it because it insulates itself. No matter what it is, whether you’re shopping or you’re engaged in any other kind of pleasure. It all has the same quality about it.     “On the other hand is joy and joy is the thing that doesn’t go as high as pleasure, in terms of your emotional reaction. But it stays with you. Joy is something you can recall, pleasure you can’t.  So the secret is that, even though it’s not as intense as pleasure, the joy will last you a lot longer.     “People who get the pleasure they keep saying, ‘Well, if I can just get richer and get more cars–!’ You’ll never relive the moment you got your first car, that’s it, that’s the highest peak. Yes, you could get three Ferraris and a new gulf stream jet and maybe you’ll get close. But you have to keep going and eventually you’ll run out.  You just can’t do it, it doesn’t work.     “If you’re trying to sustain that level of peak pleasure, you’re doomed. It’s a very American idea, but it just can’t happen. You just let it go. Peak.  Break. Pleasure is fun it’s great, but you can’t keep it going forever.     “Just accept the fact that it’s here and it’s gone, and maybe again it’ll come back and you’ll get to do it again. Joy lasts forever. Pleasure is purely self-centered. It’s all about your pleasure, it’s about you. It’s a selfish self-centered emotion, that’s created by self-centered motive of greed.     “Joy is compassion, joy is giving yourself to somebody else or something else. And it’s the kind of thing that is in it’s subtlty and lowness more powerful than pleasure.  If you get hung up on pleasure you’re doomed. If you pursue joy you will find everlasting happiness.”  –George Lucas And how I like to compare that to The Hijacking of the American Mind by Robert Lustig, MD, MSL, which is a book about how corporations have hijacked our pleasure centers to make us focused on reward over pleasure.  It talks about the exact same concepts, with only slight word adjustments, but otherwise might as well be verbatim: “At this point it’s essential to define and clarify what I mean by these two words—pleasure and happiness—which can mean different things to different people.     “Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “pleasure” as “enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one’s liking”; or “gratification”; or “reward.” While “pleasure” has a multitude of synonyms, it is this phenomenon of reward that we will explore, as scientists have elaborated a specific “reward pathway” in the brain, and we now understand the neuroscience of its regulation. Conversely, “happiness” is defined as “the quality or state of being happy”; or “joy”; or “contentment.” While there are many synonyms for “happiness,” it is the phenomenon that Aristotle originally referred to as eudemonia, or the internal experience of contentment, that we will parse in this book. Contentment is the lowest baseline level of happiness, the state in which it’s not necessary to seek more. In the movie Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), middle-aged married couple Beatrice Arthur and Richard Castellano were asked the question “Are you happy?”—to which they responded, “Happy? Who’s happy? We’re content.” Scientists now understand that there is a specific “contentment pathway” that is completely separate from the pleasure or reward pathway in the brain and under completely different regulation. Pleasure (reward) is the emotional state where your brain says, This feels good—I want more, while happiness (contentment) is the emotional state where your brain says, This feels good—I don’t want or need any more.     “Reward and contentment are both positive emotions, highly valued by humans, and both reasons for initiative and personal betterment. It’s hard to be happy if you derive no pleasure for your efforts—but this is exactly what is seen in the various forms of addiction. Conversely, if you are perennially discontent, as is so often seen in patients with clinical depression, you may lose the impetus to better your social position in life, and it’s virtually impossible to derive reward for your efforts. Reward and contentment rely on the presence of the other. Nonetheless, they are decidedly different phenomena. Yet both have been slowly and mysteriously vanishing from our global ethos as the prevalence of addiction and depression continues to climb.     “Drumroll … without further ado, behold the seven differences between reward and contentment: Reward is short-lived (about an hour, like a good meal). Get it, experience it, and get over it. Why do you think you can’t remember what you ate for dinner yesterday? Conversely, contentment lasts much longer (weeks to months to years). It’s what happens when you have a working marriage or watch your teenager graduate from high school. And if you experience contentment from a sense of achievement or purpose, the chances are that you will feel it for a long time to come, perhaps even the rest of your life.Reward is visceral in terms of excitement (e.g., a casino, a football game, or a strip club). It activates the body’s fight-or-flight system, which causes blood pressure and heart rate to go up. Conversely, contentment is ethereal and calming (e.g., listening to soothing music or watching the waves of the ocean). It makes your heart rate slow and your blood pressure decline.       - “ Reward can be achieved with different substances (e.g., heroin, nicotine, cocaine, caffeine, alcohol, and of course sugar). Each stimulates the reward center of the brain. Some are legal, some are not. Conversely, contentment is not achievable with substance use. Rather, contentment is usually achieved with deeds (like graduating from college or having a child who can navigate his or her own path in life).       - “Reward occurs with the process of taking (like from a casino). Gambling is definitely a high: when you win, it is fundamentally rewarding, both viscerally and economically. But go back to the same table the next day. Maybe you’ll feel a jolt of excitement to try again. But there’s no glow, no lasting feeling from the night before. Or go buy a nice dress at Macy’s. Then try it on again a month later. Does it generate the same enthusiasm? Conversely, contentment is often generated through giving (like giving money to a charity, or giving your time to your child, or devoting time and energy to a worthwhile project).       - Reward is yours and yours alone. Your sense of reward does not immediately impact anyone else. Conversely, your contentment, or lack of it, often impacts other people directly and can impact society at large. Those who are extremely unhappy (the Columbine shooters) can take their unhappiness out on others. It should be said at this point that pleasure and happiness are by no means mutually exclusive. A dinner at the Bay Area Michelin three-star restaurant the French Laundry can likely generate simultaneous pleasure for you from the stellar food and wine but can also generate contentment from the shared experience with spouse, family, or friends, and then possibly a bit of unhappiness when the bill arrives.       - Reward when unchecked can lead us into misery, like addiction. Too much substance use (food, drugs, nicotine, alcohol) or compulsive behaviors (gambling, shopping, surfing the internet, sex) will overload the reward pathway and lead not just to dejection, destitution, and disease but not uncommonly death as well. Conversely, walking in the woods or playing with your grandchildren or pets (as long as you don’t have to clean up after them) could bring contentment and keep you from being miserable in the first place.       - Last and most important, reward is driven by dopamine, and contentment by serotonin. Each is a neurotransmitter—a biochemical manufactured in the brain that drives feelings and emotions—but the two couldn’t be more different. Although dopamine and serotonin drive separate brain processes, it is where they overlap and how they influence each other that generates the action in this story. Two separate chemicals, two separate brain pathways, two separate regulatory schemes, and two separate physiological and psychological outcomes. How and where these two chemicals work, and how they work either in concert or in opposition to each other, is the holy grail in the ultimate quest for both pleasure and happiness.”                                – Robert Lustig, MD, MSL And then lets add in what Dave Filoni has said about the Force and the core themes of Star Wars:     "In the end, it’s about fundamentally becoming selfless moreso than selfish.  It seems so simple, but it’s so hard to do.  And when you’re tempted by the dark side, you don’t overcome it once in life and then you’re good.  It’s a constant.  And that’s what, really, Star Wars is about and what I think George wanted people to know.  That to be a good person and to really feel better about your life and experience life fully you have to let go of everything you fear to lose. Because then you can’t be controlled.        “But when you fear, fear is the path to the dark side, it’s also the shadow of greed, because greed makes you covet things, greed makes you surround yourself with all these things that make you feel comfortable in the moment, but they don’t really make you happy.  And then, when you’re afraid of something, it makes you angry, when you get angry, you start to hate something, sometimes you don’t even know why.  When you hate, do you often know why you hate?  No, you direct it at things and then you hate it.  And it’s hard because anger can be a strength at times, but you can’t use it in such a selfish way, it can be a destroyer then.        “These are the core things of Star Wars.“  –Dave Filoni So, the core things of Star Wars and the Jedi teachings (because Jedi teachings are basically almost word for word how GL described how the Force works) can very much be a reflection of real world teachings and ways to live by, because all of the above are about how GL viewed the world and what he wanted to put into his movies. Further, Jedi teachings are basically just reworded Buddhism + Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.  And both of those are very livable by our real world standards, if you so choose.  GL was very much about how SW had themes that were meant to be picked up on by the audience and even DF has said this:  “ Jedi have the ability to turn the tide, to make a significant moment, to give hope where there’s none.  That’s their ultimate role to play, to be this example of selflessness.  And that’s what makes them a hero, when no one else can match that heroic thing.  And then our job is to emulate that, to use that example, and further our own lives.” --Dave Filoni Ultimately, the Jedi are specifically focused on disciplining themselves (which GL has said is the only way to overcome the dark side, in that TCW writers’ meeting), probably to a degree most of us wouldn’t have the room to devote to, but that doesn’t mean that the broader strokes aren’t meant to be applicable to our lives or don’t echo real world teachings.

sapnap x reader where the readers first language is greek and they confess to him in greek without knowing he speaks it too ? i love ur writing btw !! :)

sapnap x reader

first of all, this is such a cute idea and I love it, second of all, I DO NOT KNOW GREEK, so apologize in advance for anything google translate gets wrong

trigger warnings: some swearing, drinking

(y/n/n)- your nickname

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You’d first seen him from across the quad, whilst searching for a distraction from the boring chattering of your mother on the phone, the dirty blonde man also lost in conversation with the brunette who’d walked beside him.

You continued to watched them on their path through the mess of kids on benches or even the ground, tracing his familiarity to one of your lectures on software design.

What surprised you most, was when he looked over, and smiled at you, he’d caught you in the act of staring at him, and smiled.

You smiled back, not to be impolite, and were pulled back to reality by your mothers voice in your ear, “(y/n), είσαι εκεί? ή έχει πετάξει το κεφάλι σου στα σύννεφα;” (Are you there? Or has your head flown off in the clouds?)

“Είμαι εδώ μαμά.” (I’m here mama) you sighed.

~~

The next time you saw him was at a party some frat house on the other side of campus was throwing.

You hadn’t planned on going, seeing as you barley knew the boys in the frat, and your friends, well, at this college anyway, were nonexistent, but hey, free booze.

So that's how you found yourself, leaning against the living room wall, cup in hand, watching the beer pong game happening in the center of the room.

Taking another sip of your drink you did a mental walk of the room, making mental note of the people you knew, and then there he was again, definitely less than sober, calling dibs on playing the loser of the game.

You watched, amused as the game ended, and he quickly took the place of the loser, taunting the other guy loudly.

Three games (and several beers) later he was still winning, loudly yelling that he could beat anyone at the party.

Unable to help yourself you stepped forward, “I’ll have a go then.”

He looked you up and down proclaiming, “Easy win.”

You smirked, moving up to the table.

The game began, and his confidence quickly wore down, as all your shots either landed, or came very close.

The last few were neck and neck, but soon it was down to three left on your side, and only one left on his.  

Desperately, his first shot got one of yours and you quickly chugged it down, still smirking at him.

You raised an eyebrow as he lined up his next shot, and his eyes flicked to yours just long enough to cause him to miss.

You bit back a grin, easily sinking the last shot, “I’ve bested the beast.”

The people who had been spectating cheered, and the brunette who you’d seen with him before started to laugh his ass off, “They fucking got you Nick!”

“Yeah, I’m aware.” He sounded all too sober for someone who should’ve been that drunk.

You chuckled, turning and disappearing into the crowd.

A half hour later you were half way out the door, not bothering to pull on your jacket, the relative amount of dinking you had done still making your cheeks feel warm.

“Wait! Wait!” He- Nick, you reminded yourself, came half stumbling down the road, “I wanted to say good game.”

“That was half an hour ago.” You laughed.

“Still- i- sorry, what is your name?”

“(y/n), I’m in your intro to software design.”

“I’ve never seen you in there before,” He looked confused, “Which group do you sit with?”

“I don’t really have friends.” You shrugged.

Nick frowned, quickly holding out his hand for a shake, “Hi, I’m Nick, I’m your friend now.”

You looked at his outstretched hand confused, “Yeah o-kay. Your drunk, I’m tipsy and if I’m lucky you won’t remember this in the morning. I don’t really do friends here.”

He nodded as if paying attention, but then said, “You have an accent.”

You nodded, “Yup, I’m leaving now.”

~~

You didn’t see him again after that, for nearly three weeks, and you were beginning to think he really had forgotten, that is, until he approached out out side of the lecture hall, “Hey!”

“Yeah?”

“(y/n) right? Your the one who beat me at beer pong. And then walked away when I asked about your accent.”

You rolled your eyes, “You didn’t ask you literally just stated I had an accent.”

“Well I’m not wrong! I meant to ask why- well not why- just, are you an exchange student or?”

You adjusted your laptop bag on your shoulder, “This isn’t high school. We don’t have exchange students.”

“Well, are you studying abroad then?”

“I’m an American. I can��t study abroad in my own country.”

He looked slightly confused, “Sorry- it’s just with your accent I assumed.”

“I wasn’t born here if that helps.” You turned and started away, pulling out your phone as it started to ring, “Ναι μαμά; Έχω μαθήματα σύντομα, τι συμβαίνει;” (Yes mama? I have class soon, what's wrong?)

~~

“Why are you always alone all the time?”

You groaned, looking up from the firewall system assignment you’d been testing on your tablet, to see Nick, “I’m working.”

“And I’m asking a question,” He sat down at the otherwise empty table, “Why are you always alone?”

“I told you, I don’t have friends here.” You ran the breaker code again, seeing if it could illuminate any unseen holes.

“You were at the party, surely you knew someone there, otherwise you wouldn’t have gone.”

“σκατά“ You muttered, a new problem in the chain arising, “It was an open house party, I heard about it from people I know.” (shit)

Nick frowned, “Oh, thats-”

“Sad, tragic, depressing? Yeah I’m aware.” You sighed.

You saved the project, shutting off your tablet and looking around the empty cafeteria, “Isn’t it like, wicked late? Why are you here?”

“Why’re you?” he countered.

“World’s asleep.” You muttered, packing up the rest of your stuff, “Why do you keep making such an effort to talk to me?”

“Cause we’re friends remember? Shook on it.”

“I never shook your hand.” You grumbled, standing up.

~~

“You know that I’m right!” Nick exclaimed.

“Maybe! But I don’t want to admit it!”

Over the course of a few month Nick had crawled, kicked and wormed his way into your life, all but forcing you to become his friend, and surprisingly, you didn’t mind all that much.

Now you were sitting out on the roof of your dorm, looking up at the night sky.

“I swear your fucking nocturnal dude! Like an owl! And I willingly give up my sleep to hang out with you!”

You hesitated, feeling a sudden jolt of a realization, and as suddenly as a lighting strike, you were falling in love.

You fumbled to recover, “Well you’re the one who went out of your way to become my friend.”

“I mean, too be fair I was drunk.”

“But still went out of your way to be my friend once you were sober.” You pointed out.

“Hey, drunk me makes good decisions sometimes.” He laughed, looking over at you.

You let out a sigh, watching the white wisps of your breath drift up in the sky, “That’s the thing I’ve never got over.”

“What? Drunk me making interesting decisions?”

“The cold,” You said simply, “I’ve lived here half my life, but the cold still doesn’t make sense to me.”

He laughed, “This is Texas, it’s not nearly as cold as it gets up north. Snow’s much more common for now, up there.”

“I’ve never seen snow. Mama doesn’t like it much,” You laughed, “The first time I really heard about it it sounded so strange.”

Nick smiled, “Lets go up north during winter break then. I know people up there, we can go do winter tourist things.”  

“Winter tourist things?”

“Yeah,” He chuckled, “Go ice skating, look at lights, sleigh rides, all that.”

You laughed, “Winter Tourist things.”

~~

A month and a half had passed, your sudden change in feelings toward your only friend on campus had not.

If anything they had just gotten worse, and now, the thing you still couldn’t wrap your head around, you were tossing your suitcase into the back of his car, about to head on your way to the airport, because yes, the Winter Tourist thing stuck.

“Dude, I’m so excited! This is gonna be epic!”

You nodded, “You know, thinking about it, it actually is possible I’ve seen snow, like when I was little. It just never lasted long.”

Nick scrunched up his nose, “Well it’s too late to duck out now!”

“I never said I was ducking out.” You laughed.

~~

The trip had gone pretty well, the snow in the northeast was certainly different than that of Macedonia, but you didn’t think it was all Nick had said it would be.

Still you had enjoyed wandering around the city looking at Christmas lights, attempting to ice skate, and just enjoying each others company.

It seemed like every minute you spent with Nick, you teetered closer to the edge, knowing that by the end of this trip you’d be head over heels for him, if you weren’t already now.

Now you were quietly sitting on the balcony of your hotel room, hands cradled around the warm cup of hot chocolate you’d made, looking out into the swirling darkness above the city.

“You know your gonna freeze if you stay out here.” Nick moved through the door and sat beside you, draping part of a blanket around your shoulders.

“I know.” You sighed.

He looked at you, concerned, “What’s wrong?”

“Νομίζω ότι ερωτεύομαι,” You murmured, a quiet confession, more so to yourself than to him, “και αυτό με τρομάζει.”  (I think I’m falling in love with you... and that terrifies me)

You started to sigh as he looked confused, though only for a moment, because “Τι είναι τόσο τρομακτικό για την αγάπη;” He asked softly. (What’s so scary about love?)

You froze, almost dropping your cup, “ε-ε-ε, εσύ- μιλάς ελληνικά;” (uh- y- uh, you-  you speak Greek?)

“λίγο,” He smiled, “Είσαι ερωτευμένος μαζί μου;“ (A bit... you’re in love with me?)

“λίγο.” (A bit), you breathed, trying to ignore the small space between you seemingly shrink.

“Νομίζω ότι είμαι λίγο ερωτευμένος και εσένα.” He chuckled. (I think I'm a bit in love with you too)

Your breath hitched, and your quickly bridged the small gap between you to kiss him, smiling into it a bit as he kissed back.

“How long?” He asked softly when you pulled apart.

“When you first brought up the trip. You said that you were willing to lose sleep to hang out with me,” You chuckled nervously, “You?”

“Second week of school, you were on the phone with someone, and you smiled back at me,” Nick grinned, “I saw you from across the quad and knew.”