YR fanfic pet peeves (and corrections): latin america edition

so. i was originally going to post this in january as a kind of "new year, new opportunity to learn about simon's hispanic heritage" kind of a thing, but life got busy, and then my computer died and i lost my original list, so i've had to reconstruct this from memory as best as i could. there may be some stuff missing, so perhaps i'll just keep adding to this post as missing/new points come to mind.

disclaimer 1: if you've included any of the points made here on any fanfic of yours, please don't take this as a call-out. this isn't intended to shame anyone, but rather as an educational opportunity. it's very rare that a latin american nationality that is not mexican or colombian or puerto rican is showcased in an international show, especially outside of the US, and it's given me such joy to have all of you lovely folks make the effort to be open to and research and understand the idiosyncrasies of simon's (and omar's) heritage because the rest of latin america tends to go overlooked in most other fandoms. so i don't intend to scold anyone with this. we can't all know everything about every other culture-- lord knows i don't know everything about sweden, but i want to be respectful to the country and its people and that is why i heavily research anything i don't know and ask people who do know when my research doesn't quite cover it and am open to corrections when even that falls short. i expect most of you come to write about simon's family background in good faith and also want to be respectful to his family's culture, and so i thought i might make things a bit easier for you all by putting the most common errors/misunderstandings i've seen in one handy post. but once again, it's not a call-out, i don't get offended by these things, and i'm in no way implying, if you've done any of these things in fic or in life, that you are a bad person. i understand people make mistakes when they don't know things.

disclaimer 2: i am not venezuelan myself. i was born and raised in the same general region of latin america, though, and i have venezuelan friends and have worked with venezuelan people and have visited venezuela. generally speaking, i feel their culture is very similar to mine (though our spanish is much closer to spanglish than theirs is, haha xD) and feel a deep kinship with them. but of course, i'm no native, and if you're venezuelan and catch anything here that you feel is incorrect, feel free to point it out and i'll add a correction in your name.

warning: this is very long. christ almighty. DX if you can't make it to the end, tl;dr-- feel free to ask if you have any questions or if anything isn't clear. my ask box/messages are always open.

1- "mijo." this is the only one that legit has caused me to click out of several fics/chapters, at least in the beginning, but i've learned to grin and bear it by now. it's not so much that it's wrong, per se, but rather it's more of a location issue. "mijo" is, to my ears, very much a mexican (or, if you stretch it, northern triangle) slang. it IS used sparingly in other countries, but rarely used unironically. instead, if you hear the term used in the caribbean region of latin america (which my country is part of, as is a large part of venezuela), it's almost always used… let's say sarcastically. for example, if your grown-ass adult friend is being a dumbass and doing something reckless, you might call out "oiga, mijo, se va a romper el cuello" ("hey, mijo, you're going to break your neck"). basically, it's a way of calling someone immature like a child. it doesn't have to be ENTIRELY unaffectionate (kinda like the way someone might call their significant other "idiot" or "dummy" but mean it endearingly. in fact, in colombia it's way more common for spouses to call each other "mijo/a" than it is for them to call their children that), but you can also use it with complete strangers-- like if someone cuts sharply into your lane while you're driving, you might yell at them "oiga, mijo, a donde le enseñaron a manejar, en un potrero?!" ("hey, mijo, where did you learn how to drive, in a horse paddock?!"). but even in these sarcastic/neggy cases, it's rare. and EVEN RARER to hear a mother call her children "mijo" or "mija" in this region. it's just not a thing. so when i read it in fanfic, it immediately takes me out of the story because it's so weird to me that linda would sound mexican-- it's a very distinctive accent, which carmen gloria 1000000% does not have. (plus, "mijo" in spanish is a type of birdseed. so it gave me a chuckle the first few times i read it in a fic because i always have that brief second of confusion where i go "why is linda calling simon birdseed?" before it clicks. xD i'm a dork.) it's much more likely that linda would just say "hijo" or "mi hijo," instead.

1b- the way you decide on whether to use "hijo" or "mi hijo" is important because "mi hijo" can sound overly formal in the modern context especially, much like it would in english. in fact, you can use the english version of it, "son" vs "my son" to guide you on which of the two to use. like for example, if linda were to say directly to simon "i love you, my son," she would sound oddly old-timey and anachronistic, so you would just use "son" ("hijo") in that case. whereas if she's talking about simon with someone else, for example saying "i told my son to be here on time," you'd be perfectly okay to use "mi hijo" in that sentence in spanish. it's very transferable in that case.

2- speaking of non-transferable, though, you can't use "cariño" in all instances you would use "sweetheart" or "sweetie." it really depends on the grammatical construction, and it can be tricky to get it right, but it depends on whether you're using it as a direct address or as an object. for example, if you're using it in place of someone's name-- say, a mother telling her child "te quiero, cariño" ("i love you, sweetheart/sweetie") is perfectly fine, because in that case, she could also say "te quiero, hijo" ("i love you, son") or "te quiero, simon" ("i love you, simon"). but if, say, simon says to wille "you're my sweetheart," you would not use "cariño" there; you'd go instead with some syrupy way to say "boyfriend," like "eres mi novio" or "eres mi enamorado" or even "eres mi amor," and if sara tells felice "you're a sweetheart," that would also not involve "cariño" at all. in addition, "cariño" is also very rarely used in plural; if linda is using a term of endearment for both her kids, or for a group of teens her kids' age, she would use a different term of endearment altogether: "hola, mis amores" ("hi, my loves"), "hola, bebés" ("hi, babies") or "hola, mis tesoros" ("hi, my treasures") among some examples. one exception is when you say "cariños míos" ("my sweethearts"), but very rarely the plural by itself. in fact, "cariño" is often slang for gift or present, especially in the diminutive-- for example, if you go to someone's celebratory party for some occassion (birthdays, graduations, baby showers, heck even christmas), you might hand them a small gift and go "te traje un cariñito" ("i brought you a small present"), and if it's more than one gift, or you're bringing gifts for several people, then you'd say "unos cariños" or "unos cariñitos" in the plural.

3- simon's skin is tan, not tanned. this… doesn't personally bug me as much because it's more of an english grammar issue, but i know people who might actually feel very offended if you get this one wrong with respect to them. "tan" is a color; a light shade of brown. "tanned" implies the original color of your skin has darkened with the sun. now, i'm sure simon can tan (lucky goat, says she whose skin burns even while indoors), but about 95% of the time "tanned" is used in YR fanfiction, it's used as a descriptor of the color of simon's skin as we see it on the show. that would imply his skin used to be lighter at some indeterminate before-time and has been darkened by the sun. this is incorrect; that is the natural color of simon's skin. so stick to "tan skin" instead (not tan PERSON, mind you. his SKIN is tan, he is not). and i would gently suggest that if you take away any single thing from this post, make it ESPECIALLY this point, as someone more sensitive than me might interpret this error as some kind of retroactive whitewashing. and i don't want anyone here to get in trouble for simply not knowing.

4- pabellón criollo is one dish, yes, but it's four different FOODS. it's not something a newbie would be able to make off of a recipe (i don't know how to make it and i've been eating it all my life), and it's not something that's likely to be taught in just one day. also, if you're bringing it to a dinner or a potluck, you're bringing four separate food containers, not just one.

4b- also, venezuelan food, for the most part, is not particularly spicy. you CAN make it spicy if you want, but traditionally, it is not. it's flavorful, maybe even saucy depending on the dish, but rarely spicy. i know the joke of white people being unable to handle spice is funny, but there's also plenty of us hispanic people who are equally terrible at it, because there's different levels of spice in the food from different regions of latin america. besides, as a friend of mine perfectly put: we are living in the 21st century now. if you can eat mild mexican food, you should be able to handle traditional venezuelan food just fine. and i'm pretty sure there's mexican food in sweden. plus, wille would probably be more used to international food-- not only does he have the means, but having traditional meals in foreign countries is kind of part of the job.

5- while i'm at it: simon is definitely half venezuelan. this is canon as of S2. there is no other place in the world where that dish is called pabellón. please keep that in mind when you're writing and researching.

5b- this, along with several of the points above, is important because it's a bit of diaspora trauma that whenever we venture outside of latin america and people learn we're latino, they immediately assume we're mexican, or that our culture and traditions are the same as those of mexican people. it happens often, and it's incredibly annoying. not that there's anything wrong with mexico or mexican people-- they're lovely, and their traditions and culture and food are fantastic-- but we are not them, and treating us like we are is reductive. the rest of latin america can be very different and incredibly diverse, and it can be dispiriting when people treat us like we're all the same. so that is why it is important when writing about simon, his family or his venezuelan roots, that you take care to actually research things as they are in venezuela, and not just pick the low-hanging fruit of latino facts you might've learned through pop cultural osmosis, which eight times out of ten will be mexican-only because most hispanic people in the US are mexican and the US exports its media all over the world. i've learned to just roll my eyes at it by now, but some people might actually feel offended or hurt, and i'm sure nobody here intends for that to happen.

6- although simon speaks spanish, neither he nor sara nor his mother nor any aspect of his mother's culture is spanish. "spanish" is what people from spain call themselves. people from spanish-speaking latin american countries are not spanish; we are hispanic, or latino/a/e. "latinx" is… let's call it controversial, at least outside of the US. most people born and raised in latin america don't like it; i personally don't get offended if people use it, but i don't use the term myself. also, you can say "latin food" or "latin music," but we usually don't refer to PEOPLE as latin, but rather latino/a/e. if in doubt, just use latin american or hispanic. they're also conveniently gender neutral.

EDIT: @andthatisnotfake also brought up a very important point: "if you spell it latinx, it makes it harder for screen readers to read (or so I've been told) and some people depend on those, so there's another reason to avoid it." (the unpronounceability of that term is at least part of the reason why hispanic people who live in latin america don't like it.)

6b- never use "the latino/a" on its own to refer to people. "latino/a/e" is an adjective, not a noun, so you would say "the latino boy" or "the latino man" but never just "the latino." kinda like it would be weird to point out the one japanese man in a room as "the japanese." there are some nationality/ethnic terms that just don't work as nouns in english.

7- spanish is not simon's one native language-- or at least not any more than swedish is. he grew up in a mixed-race household, speaking two different languages. it's pointless to call spanish his native language when comparing it to swedish. both are his native languages. also, while we're at this, wille is probably at least bilingual (i'm assuming he can speak at least english), although he only has one native language. it's hardly a competition between the two boys as to who's more of a polyglot.

7b- simon wouldn't take classes on the spanish language-- like to learn how to SPEAK the language-- since spanish is one of his native languages. he wouldn't take them at hillerska, nor in university, nor elsewhere. he wouldn't be allowed. you're literally not allowed to take classes on your native language, nor get credit for said classes. trust me, those would've been an easy extra 24 credits for me in college if that was a thing.

EDIT: have been made aware (thanks, @rightsogetthis and @plantbasedfish!) that at least in sweden and in finland one IS allowed to take classes of your non-swedish/finnish native language, in certain circumstances. i have to say, i'd be pissed if i were taking my french classes alongside a french native speaker, but hey, the system's the system, i guess. ;) so i've struck this one out.

8- dear god please don't use google translate for your spanish translations. listen, i'm not judging-- i do it with other languages, too, when i'm in a pinch. but google translate is literally The Worst (tm) so i always try to either check with someone, or stick to the stuff i already know is correct. seriously, you don't want to know the kinds of crazy stuff GT can spit out that people actually put out in the real world; some of them are quite hilarious. if you're unsure, my ask box/messages are always open and i looooove helping people with this kind of thing, hispanic language and cultural stuff. i know it seems like i'm hardly around, but i do check my messages. don't be shy, even if it's something really small.

PS: while i'm talking pet peeves, malin is wille's bodyguard, not his butler. she's nice enough to attend to him at hillerska because there's no other palace staff around and she's literally stationed outside his door, but she wouldn't do that in the actual palace. there's other staff for that. she wouldn't even guard him at the palace, i don't think, because the royal palaces in sweden are guarded by the royal guard, not SÄPO. if anything, malin might spend the time while wille is in the palace grounds at a gatehouse (like in YR 2x03 and onwards) or at some kind of security office in the palace, and then get called whenever wille needs to go anywhere. she wouldn't be giving wille messages from the queen or walking guests to wille's room or anything like that. that's not her job. (sorry, i had to get that off my chest, lol.)

"i wish you would write a fic where..." prompt: metal in for repairs. what got it there, what does it think of eggman's treatment of it, and how does it feel about having presumably failed the mission it was on? (angst?? eggman being a good dad??? up to you!!)

Summary: Metal Sonic receives some repairs, and some advice.

1086 words

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“Up.” Dr. Ivo Robotnik tapped the diagnostic table as he passed it on his way to gather his tools.

Metal Sonic commanded its leg to move. Its actuators grinded in response, offering one short burst of movement before stuttering. Its left leg scraped as it dragged on the ground behind it. Before it could complete the walk cycle, something snapped, and its left hip joint went limp. An attempt to balance on the remaining leg failed. An attempt to spin up its turbine to prevent collision with the floor sent a flood of error messages tumbling to the front of its processor. 

The impact darkened its visual sensors for three seconds. It used this time to dismiss the error messages. Upon regaining sight, it extended its hands across the floor ahead of it, dug its claws into the surface, and pulled. The effort of overcoming the force of friction caused its entire frame to shake. 

It grabbed onto the nearest leg of the diagnostic table. The table was manufactured out of a smooth metal, and its structure contained no additional outcroppings that could be utilized as handholds. Perhaps if it could raise its torso against the leg so it could grab the surface edge-

“Metal, that’s enough.”

Metal Sonic looked up to see its creator standing over it. He set his retrieved toolbox onto the diagnostic table, before he came around and knelt down beside it.

He placed a hand on its forehead. It had enough tactile sensors left in the region to register that much. 

“You really are perfect, aren’t you? Perfectly obedient. Hellishly determined, if I do say so myself.” He gave a small pat. “Today’s outcome wasn’t for a lack of effort, now was it?”

It found its vocalizer damaged but still responsive. It queued a negative ping, only for the noise to come out too garbled to communicate the intended meaning.

“Quiet, my boy. It’s alright.”

Dr. Ivo Robotnik’s tone was. . . unusual. As was the phrase he used. Metal Sonic searched its memory banks and found no matches for either. 

“Stay here. Don’t move, I’ll be back.”

The door closed behind him. When it opened again, joining his footsteps was the plodding of an Egg Pawn. 

“Lift him up to the diagnostic table and lay him on his back, gently.” He hissed to it. 

The Egg Pawn slid its hand beneath Metal Sonic’s frame and carried it from the ground. The Pawn laid it down on its front, before rolling it over.

“I said gently, you fool!” Dr. Ivo Robotnik slapped the Pawn's arm, kicked its shin, and pushed it away. He then shooed it out of the room with a gesture. 

He walked beside the table and began positioning Metal Sonic’s limbs to where he desired. He then opened his toolbox and began repair work. The first thing he attended to was its processor; he disappeared from visual range, and unscrewed its quill plating and its interior head paneling to reveal the delicate parts beneath. Here, Metal Sonic lost any register of tactile sensation. Dr. Ivo Robotnik existed by the suggestion of its audial sensors alone. 

“Hmm. . . only minor damage here, few snapped wires around optical processing. . .”

Its visual sensors brightened with increased resolution. Strange, it hadn’t noticed the handicap prior. Dr. Ivo Robotnik then replaced the plating he’d removed and reconnected its tactile sensors. He then tilted its head sideways and opened the access port at the nape of its neck. 

“Generate your post-action report while I work on the rest of you.” He said as he plugged in the data cable. 

Metal Sonic obeyed, and soon its internal processings scrolled up the nearby computer screen. Dr. Ivo Robotnik chose to repair its left leg first, allowing him to face the screen as well. It began the report with the simplest of data. Its speed had matched and at one point exceeded Sonic’s. Its body had been stronger and more durable. Its agility and processing speed had been superior. 

Yet it had suffered a near-complete chassis loss. 

Yet Sonic had stolen the chaos emerald away. 

It had failed, completely and utterly. It launched into a rapid-fire analysis of every frame of data it collected during the battle, attempting to sort out the reason for this outcome, only to find no pattern. It was illogical that it had failed. Its every attribute was superior. It should not have failed! 

“Oh, quit moping.” Dr. Ivo Robotnik muttered. 

Metal Sonic ceased its analysis.

“Sonic, the irritating little rodent, tends to defy all logic with his little escapades, so move on. Continue with your report.” 

That was impossible. Sonic was as much an object bound by the laws of physics as everything else was. His and its attributes were objective, quantifiable, and therefore logic could be applied-

“Believe me when I say I understand. Check the records- I’ve been in this situation countless times before.” 

Dr. Ivo Robotnik always spoke the objective and rational truth, but supplementing his statement with a quick scan of its memory banks allowed it to better grasp the concept. Indeed, its creator had been defeated by Sonic before, despite having superior technology and intelligence.

“Precisely. That’s why I say ‘there’s always next time’. Persistence and determination is my motto!” Dr. Ivo Robotnik pointed a finger into the air. “You’ll get Sonic one of these days. I have utmost confidence in your ability to do so.”

Every statement made by Dr. Ivo Robotnik was true, yet if his prior statement was also true, how could it defeat Sonic if superior attributes alone were not enough?

“Simple! You’re my technology. And my technology always triumphs. Am I clear?”

Metal Sonic gave an affirmative ping, only for its vocalizer to short out. 

“Process it. Show me you understand.”

Yes, Metal Sonic affirmed. It was superior. It would triumph because of the brilliance of the man who created it.

“Good.” Dr. Ivo Robotnik paused his work to remove the data cable from its access port. The computer screen went dark. “Now, perform a quick debug, then enter standby mode until I wake you.”

Its attention turned onto itself as it began marking files within its processor for review. It flagged one potential issue with its audial sensors. It then initiated its power-down process, shutting off its cameras and spooling down its subroutines. 

Before the process completed, it felt Dr. Ivo Robotnik’s hand on its forehead again. It recorded four words.  

“Rest well, my boy.”

Uhhh. Au. sobbing.

tl;dr: Devil Spamton Angel that just looks like that because of videogame-like corruptions (see this for example)

And of course, LORE DUMP BELOW THE CUT

Devil was one of Spamton’s Angels where he is a manifestation of his good sense in which in this setting, Spamton blames everything but himself for his downfall and misery. Devil happened because he is a corrupted pipis and ended up with weird graphics and color schemes similar to old video game corruptions, which are often compared to being satanic in nature. The devil helps Spamton get through his downfall and back on his feet as at least a pretty well off worker for the new computer/internet era. It is humiliating as it takes a lot of admission of errors and his faults and being held accountable for his actions. But at the same time devil helps Spamton, he manages to gets his own success by helping other cyber city denizens and lightners. The energy and attention he gets makes him grow bigger, to a short addison size, independent and better as he climbs up the success ladder. Spamton has a cushy job, a good potential life ahead of him but not learning his lesson and somehow being shadowed by a mini demon version of himself that never went away because of a strange glitch makes him deeply unsatisfied, angry, bitter, etc and begins to plot against Devil to get rid of him now that he's well off and be on the limelight again. Devil knows of what’s coming, he wasn’t stupid, so he uses his corruption powers to modify his own code  to create an autorun script for when he is inevitably killed by spam and have all his info absorbed by him. At this point he is influential but he isn’t strong like a whole darkner. (The minitons in my hcs, have their data always return to spamton once they are terminated, but spamton is in control and gets it all of their memories and experiences, and has no safety measures because this isn’t supposed to happen) So the script he makes basically formats and expels all of Spamton’s memories and "soul", and the only thing in his system becomes Devil’s code. As a result he basically got the vessel and became a solid darkner individual. He basically vomited spamton dust and put it in a jar as a bragging piece. Devil is all that he talks about, he gets his job done and is confident about it, probably the most stable guy in the room because he literally killed all his insecurities and bad habits/issues in the strangest of senses. He's the opposite of spamton, and killed his worst flaw while also being his own person He’s also a tad narcissistic but in a healthy amount(because people can be full of themselves and still good), He knows his own flaws too and knows that if he fucks up he'll own up to his mistakes hile knowing his own worth. I thought it was interesting to subvert the ‘angel good’ thing and make him straight out a dude who gets things done by being direct and holding people accountable for their mistakes. It may be a punishment to some, but in the end it gives you opportunity to be better and move forward in life and past your fears.

.....his dialogue sounds like the devil from shadow fandub. (not voice completely though)

"Ignored Blessing" (1/?)

since im bored ill put lore here :3 oh and the numbers are not errors i put it there on purpose, the story will be confusing but trust the process, i don't wanna reveal the true plot yet soooo i might double post

Harem x Reader

Warnings: Derealization

you always thought of yourself as an average person you don't know a lot of people you have a few friends and you have a job at a cafe shop you loved working there since the smell of coffee always relaxes you. You barely remember the events in your high school since it had been a long time since the last time you talked to any of your friends

You dont even remember if you even went to high school you barely remember your past too its like you just woke up and exist its strange all you remembered was a few friends from your childhood but you dont remember any person in your past that isnt related to them

You felt like you know nothing else in the past and only the present memories you have now

you woke up, what day was it? it was strange you were just dozing off and then you were back where you were, you shrug it off as just your imagination there was no way that was possible you thought it was just a dream you stood up from your bed getting ready for the day as you did you look down at your hands and squinting your eyes

am i real?

you start to look around you, you lived alone since you moved out of your parents house...parents? you don't remember their faces or names where was your home town? you don't remember...what was your favorite fruit? color? how old where you? you look down at your clothes, you wear the same clothes everyday but strangely enough you don't smell, did you even sleep last night? it feels like your repeating what you do everyday you just now noticed that, how come?

Nothing feels...real everything looked the same you wake up get ready for the day go to work and go home over and over again you were like programed to repeat the same things everyday when was the last time you didn't just go to work? you never remember having any fun it was like...you were a NPC

you look at your hands again your vision slowly getting blurry as you drag your legs to your room, you plop down your bed and close your eyes, you sigh your eyes slowly closing again as you slowly fall asleep you realized-

01010011 01110100 01101111 01110000 00100000 01110001 01110101 01100101 01110011 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 01101001 01101110 01100111

looking at his paper, his room messy with papers around his room it was a messy scene as he sat on the floor staring at the blank paper thats writing on its own, he stared at the paper with shock the letter was writing on its own he shakily took the chair that he had threw earlier that was still in tact he stared at the paper

he blinked the character he wrote that he had already forgotten about was questioning its own existence it was a bizarre his gaze went from fear to interest. He slowly lift the paper stops writing on its own he blinked raising a brow, strange.

he put it back down and then its starts to write on its own again he instead starts to read what its doing, it was questioning its own life, he thought that he had threw away this one, it wasn't getting as popular as the other things he made so it was useless to keep it around any longer.

he picked up the paper once more and it stopped writing again. He carefully put it on his pocket and starts to clean up his room, after all he had more important things to write than focus on the one he threw away it was irrelevant now.

AAAAAAA i hope you guys liked it im not that good with writing and plots, this ones short so ill make the other part longer, i type slower at my computer soooo have a nice day/night

And for those whos waiting for the diamond reader x sagau it will come around soon please have patience with me T^T i get really random idea in my head so i cant really focus on one thing-

Edit: Reading this in my phone is actually very small, i have to make the part 2 longer

For Once | sherlock holmes

Yeah so registering for classes is a pain in the ass and I’m stuck in a pickle as I’m trying to graduate soon, so this blurb is a big anger outlet where Sherlock tries to help out. Swearing and mentions of hurting are mentioned here so please be aware. 

Please don’t claim, repost, copy or translate my works to other sites. This was written in a tizzy of frustration and anger so there is most likely a lot of errors. 

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The screen blinked again, the red banner taunting you, the text sending your blood boiling. “Time tickets prevent registration at this time.” Frankly, you had enough of the system’s fucking bullshit and you shriek. Nothing at this damn university worked out for you, you needed these stupid ass courses to graduate on time, and still the fucking system was blowing you off again. 

Nothing ever worked out in your favor so why did you expect this to turn out any different? Anytime you tried to hope for something, and look forward to it it all fell short. Falling short like you were of the expectations you put on yourself. Was it too much to ask to graduate already? You were already over all the enrollment bullshit they put you through, this cornucopia of a Hunger Games to barter for next semester’s courses

Why would this be different? 

You tried to be proactive staying up until the wee hours of the morning to do so, yet you let loose another scream, shaking, sobbing, resisting the urge to strangle someone, even yourself. Why was it like this? 

How could this be any different? All you asked was for this one thing to work out and here you are hunched over the computer, clicking the keys harder, harder, you want to pick out your nailbeds in frustration. 

Sherlock knew something was wrong, oh he knew it by the fore in your eyes, an ember threatening to burst. He dove away at the sound of your wails of agony trying to find a cure for the frustration. You told him before to flee when you got this desperate, so far out of your mind you couldn’t see straight, hoping praying your racing mind would straighten itself out. 

Your heart beat quicker as you typed furiously sending out emails, bitching about needing the system to be fixed. Why the hell did you have to be punished for the crimes and atrocities committed by the shitty university system and their lack of preparedness in actually setting a corrected priority enrollment schedule. 

You thought the whole thing to be bullshit. If they said registration was at a certain time with those above ninety earned hours then it should accept the enrollment as such, not cockblock them with the same system message. Even your enrollment status was cleared to register so why did you have so much damn trouble? 

Why? 

Why? 

Fucking why? 

You hold back another shriek, too afraid of yourself and the monster you kept close to your chest, always too afraid to let it loose fully. 

He stepped into the room quietly, collected, the rain to your fiery throng. Wordlessly he eased you from your chair, guiding you to bed, and laid beside you and caressed your hand. 

Your heart thrummed on, thinking only of the morning and what it would bring, the events from the night only fueling you with more rage but every touch of his hand sent cool summer rain into your system, filling you up, easing you into his soft grass of warmth and understanding as he asked you to trust him and trust yourself. 

You find this hard to do inquiring why, you’re only you after all someone trying to push towards a goal bestowed on them since beginning this path. You want it to be over, completed gone and know you won’t remember that part of your life much longer, fading like the photographic memories of your youth, long gone, forgotten, preserved by photos of everyone smiling, such a happy family, you’d have thought once upon a time. 

Now all you saw were times long past, thinking only toward the future, the hecticness that tomorrow would bring dealing you more blows and the unexpected. You want to puke, to shrink away, but those are only thoughts, swimming in the ocean tide and your heart is the anchor, swiftly guiding you through. 

With them, you knew you could pull through, with Sherlock next to you you find yourself actually breathing not gasping aching for another breath, trying your damnest to calm your mind, choking against the waves and screams that threatened to break lose, but you lost yourself then, swept up in the tide. 

For you are the storm then, and he is the lighthouse who guided you home to him, now safe in his arms. 

******

@classickook​ @frostandflamesfanfic​ @starks-hero​ @feral-for-strange​ @lilythemadqueen​

Cognitive psychology: a fascinating journey into the depths of our minds

Cognitive psychology as a science has the incredibly interesting goal of tapping into the mysterious depths of your brain. It deals with the perception and memorization of information, as well as the process of thinking, cognition and decision-making.

In other words, it is the science of how our "brain computer" works - our most complex and unique "computer" in the world, in the entire universe.

Therefore, this information is simply essential to know. After all, who would refuse to have a guide to themselves!

Knowledge of cognitive psychology helps you understand yourself better, learn and work more effectively, and find creative solutions to problems.

For me personally, getting to know this science was a real discovery. I began to notice how my thoughts and feelings influence my behavior, learned to manage my attention and memory.

Cognitive psychology is the key to unlocking the limitless potential of our minds! Feelings and perception: how we know the world around us.

Have you ever wondered how amazing the workings of our senses are? We perceive only a fraction of the information that is actually around us. Our brain, like a skillful magician, creates the illusion of a complete picture of the world, when in fact it is full of gaps and inaccuracies. Every phenomenon of our perception sometimes makes us doubt the reality of what is happening.

For example, the famous optical illusions in the form of impossible figures, distortion of perspective, and the play of light and shadow. These and many other such examples show that our perception is subjective and does not always reflect the truth. Indeed, numerous experiments show that knowledge, attitudes, expectations, and past experiences can influence how we perceive unfamiliar sensory information.

We see what we expect to see and sometimes overlook obvious things.

In one study, participants didn't notice a gorilla walking across a basketball court because they were focused on counting the passes of the ball. Amazing, isn't it? Attention and memory: the secrets to effective memorization and concentration. Our attention is a limited resource.

We cannot focus on many things at the same time, although sometimes we think otherwise. Scientists distinguish different types of attention: selective attention (when we single out the right stimulus among others), sustained attention (the ability to maintain focus for a long time), and distributed attention (the ability to do several things at once).

By developing each of these skills, we can greatly improve our performance. Memory is a huge library with many halls and repositories. We remember not only facts and events, but also motor skills, emotions, images and sensations. Short-term memory allows us to retain information briefly, while long-term memory allows us to retain it for many years.

Procedural memory is responsible for our habits and automatisms, while declarative memory is responsible for conscious memories.

So how can you improve your memory and attention? Cognitive psychology provides a lot of practical advice. To memorize information, it is important to create vivid images, link new knowledge with already known, use mnemotechnics.

To train attention useful exercises for switching between tasks, meditative practices, games and puzzles.

The main thing is regularity of exercises and gradual complication of the load. Thinking and decision making: how we cope with complex tasks.

Our thinking is an amazing tool that allows us to find non-standard solutions, make predictions, and grasp abstract ideas. However, it is not always rational and infallible. We are subject to cognitive distortions - systematic errors in reasoning that affect our judgments and decisions.

One such distortion is the confirmation effect. We tend to notice and remember information that is consistent with our beliefs and ignore facts that contradict them.

Another distortion is the availability heuristic: we overestimate the probability of events whose examples come readily to mind.

Being aware of these and other cognitive traps helps us make better decisions. Cognitive psychology offers different models and strategies for problem solving.

Some problems require a logical, step-by-step approach, while others require creative insight and bold guesswork. By developing flexibility and fluency of thinking, the ability to look at a situation from different angles, we become more effective in solving various life and professional problems. The prospects for the development of cognitive science are truly breathtaking. Scientists are already working on brain-computer interfaces that will allow us to control technology with our thoughts. Research on artificial intelligence is bringing us closer to creating machines that can not only process information, but also think like a human being.

Perhaps in the future we will learn to "read minds," record and transfer memories, and enhance our brain's capabilities with the help of technology.

This is only a small part of what cognitive science promises us. To summarize, cognitive psychology is a fascinating journey into the depths of the human mind. The more we learn about the workings of our minds, the better we understand ourselves and the world around us. I encourage you not to stop there, to continue to explore your inner cosmos, to push the boundaries of what is possible.

Use the knowledge you have gained for self-development, effective learning, fruitful work and harmonious relationships. Let cognitive psychology become your reliable compass on the way to success and personal growth!

I apply the principles of cognitive psychology to my life every day. Knowing how memory works helps me to memorize information faster, and understanding the mechanisms of attention helps me to focus on the main things and not get distracted by trifles. When I face difficult tasks, I try to look at them from a different angle and apply a non-standard approach. Most importantly, I have learned to better understand myself, my thoughts and emotions, and the motives behind my actions. This is a priceless gift that cognitive science gives to everyone who is ready to immerse himself in its study.

So feel free to embark on a fascinating journey through the labyrinths of your mind! Explore, experiment, ask questions and seek answers. I'm sure you will have many amazing discoveries and insights. And let cognitive psychology be your faithful companion and assistant on this path.

Bon voyage!

Don't know if you need more names for your au but, I love computer/electronics based puns so:

RAM Error (Random access memory is used in computers for immediate data storage and retrieval -- something vox obviously can't do now)

Gridlock (a situation where no progress can be made; also locked in an [electrical] grid)

Burn-in (screen burn-ins occur when an image is fixed/left on screen too long in CRTs)

Short circuit

Overload

Dumb terminal/thin client/zero client (terminals with reduced functionality, optimised for remote connection with a network)

Access_Denied (from window error codes?)

Automaton (automata refers to automated puppets that resemble humans, but it's also a pun on how the original Greek means "acting of one's own will", which well...)

Turing-incomplete (Turing test)

Signal/radio jam (interference with wireless communications)

Mayday

Cutting room floor/bin ends (scrapped footage)

Grayout

Synthetic shock

Monochrome

Ghost in the Shell

Random Access Memory might be the one. The double meaning there is delicious and I wanted something that references the memory issues while still being a computer pun. Thank you anon!

Sometimes/often I just want to be an ordinary man with ordinary interests, ordinary expectations from life and ordinary wishes and here I am: autistic and conscious of all my lack of basic life skills.

--

Currently lt's disabling. My focus is non-existent. My clumsyness is so severe that I even refuse to leave the bed, not due to being depressed, but because I have no "brain capacity" to determine my moves properly without causing chain reactions of incidences. It is no exaggeration, but whenever I attempt to solve a problem (like a glass of water fell down..) I cause even more shitty incidences. It's the quanity and frequentation of those incidences that is disabling.

My sensory problems are severe as well. Both sensory processing is deficitary as well as the "output" via motoric control of my body.

Whenever I fail 90% in what I do, I always remember all the shitty degrading comments I received.

I had a bit of self esteem, but thanks to severely desinterested psych workers I have lost my self esteem entirely.

Everyday I hear these comments in my mind and I have nothing to hold against it. I have no counter-example. I have so few experiences where I could achieve something, where my kind of thinking was even wanted.

Constantly being deemed as dumb and whatever is painful when you know you can be smart - with a bit of self esteem and trust in yourself, with just few affirmative words - and an option to advance your knowledge and skills.

Having no options to use my knowledge and skills - and especially not being able to improve and work on them makes me sad. Additionally, working on expanding/improving my knowledge and skills could help me with my self-esteem.

It's saddening.

In the last months I could not train my mind enough to remain functional.

I need daily mental workout to remain a basic level of functionality of basic cognitive abilities. It's like a person with muscular dystrophy - they have to train hard everyday just to remain at a basic functionality.

My verbal and communication skills severely decreased over the last months. Whenever I attempt to write something - may it be poetry, philosophy or about STEM topics it turns into utter gibberish shortly after I started writing.

Even basic grammar becomes deficitary. Word finding problems are severe too.

My brain is super slow. Processing information is filled with more errors than i am able to detect and correct via metacognition. Even basic perception is exhausting because of this. In moments of severe exhaustion my vision becomes double (double pictures) and if I continue the exhausting task (mostly tasks that require much working memory capacity) I become delirious and then fall asleep while doing the task... mental overload... mental shutdown. Mental CPU used by 100%.

The dissociation aspect in my cognitive processes makes it all too difficult, as, well, my memory is like a server having multiple co-existing sub-systems - each of them is also errorous. And sending information between the servers, as to use this analogy, is a very "mental-CPU-exhausting task"...

.... hmmm I might want to write an article about cognitive processes in general - and how it is with my own sensory as well as memory processing. Some weeks ago I started doing short explanations of analogies between cognitive processes and "computer and math terms".

I also want to use pseudocode to depict some "working mechanisms" of my cognition, so to speak.

(I made these many months ago:)

I might go into detail when I actually continue this project.

you mention the apollo guidance computer in your bio.

do you have any nerdy fun facts about it?

Thanks for the ask!

It's difficult to convey everything the AGC was, concisely, but here's some highlists:

In terms of size and power, it's comparable to the Apple II, but predates it by 11 years. There are some obvious differences in the constraints placed on the two designs, but still, that's pretty ahead of it's time.

The bare-bones OS written for the AGC was one of the first to ever implement co-operative multi-tasking and process priority management. This would lead problems on Apollo 11, when an erroneously deployed landing radar overloaded the task scheduler on Eagle during the Lunar landing (the infamous 1201/1202 program alarms). Fortunately, it didn't end up affecting the mission, and the procedures were subsequently revised/better followed to avoid the situation ever reoccurring.

Relatedly, it was also designed to immediately re-boot, cull low-priority tasks, and resume operations following a crash -- a property essential to ensuring the spacecraft could be piloted safely and reliably in all circumstances. Many of the reliability-promoting techniques used by Apollo programmers (led by Margaret Hamilton, go women in STEM) went on to become foundational principles of software engineering.

Following the end of the Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo-Soyuz missions, a modified AGC would be re-purposed into the worlds first digital fly-by-wire system. (Earlier fly-by-wire used analogue computers, which are their own strange beasts.) This is, IMO, one of the easiest things to point to when anyone asks "What does NASA even do for us anyway?" Modern aircraft autopilots owe so, so much to the AGC -- and passengers owe so much to those modern autopilots. While there are some pretty well-known incidents involving fly-by-wire (lookin' at you, MCAS), it speaks to the incredible amount of safety such systems normally afford that said incidents are so rare. Pilot error killed so many people before computers hit the cockpit.

AGC programs were stored in a early form of read only memory, called "core rope memory", where bits were literally woven into an array of copper wire and magnets. As a Harvard-architecture machine (programs and variables stored and treated separately), it therefore could not be re-programmed in flight. This would be problem on Apollo 14, when an intermittent short in the LM's abort switch nearly cancelled the landing -- if it occurred during decent, the computer would immediately discard the descent engine and return to orbit. A second, consecutive failure (after Apollo 13) would have almost certainly ended in the cancellation of the program, and the loss of the invaluable findings of Apollo 15, 16, and 17. (These were the missions with the lunar roving vehicles, allowing treks far from the LM.) Fortunately, the MIT engineers who built the AGC found a solution -- convince the computer it had, in fact, already aborted, allowing the landing to occur as normal -- with a bit of manual babysitting from LMP Edgar Mitchell.

Finally, it wasn't actually the only computer used on Apollo! The two AGCs (one in the command module, the other in the Lunar Module, a redundancy that allowed Apollo 13 to power off the CM and survive their accident) were complemented by the Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC) designed by IBM and located in S-IVB (Saturn V's third stage, Saturn-I/IB's second stage), and the Abort Guidance System (AGS) located in the LM. The AGS was extremely simple, and intended to serve as a backup should the AGC have ever failed and been unable to return the LM to orbit-- something it was fortunately never needed for. The LVDC, on the other hand, was tasked with flying the Saturn rocket to Earth orbit, which it did every time. This was very important during Apollo 12, when their Saturn V was struck by lightning shortly after launch, completely scrambling the CM's electrical system and sending their gimbal stacks a-spinning. Unaffected by the strike, the LVDC flew true and put the crew into a nominal low Earth orbit -- where diagnostics began, the AGC was re-set, and the mission continued as normal.

I want to say that i honestly adore your fanfics, they are so lovely, with a proper dose of angst, and sometimes comfort and fluff 💌!!!!

I want to write my first fanfic, i am a bundle of nerves, how was it for you? Also, do you have any tips? For now i am aiming for a oneshot, but i would actually love to write multichapters in future (T_T)

Aah, thank you, anon!

I've been writing and posting fics for thirteen years (my first posted fanfic was September 2009) so I have to admit my memory is a little hazy on the exact emotions surrounding it, but let me see what I can dredge up.

It was a multichap. It's still up on both FFN and AO3 because I don't believe in taking down my old stuff - it's a document to how much I've improved over the years - although I consider it highly cringe-worthy and never look at it myself any more. I wrote the whole thing out on paper because I was only allowed to be on the computer for an hour a day back then and painstakingly typed it all up whenever I got the chance before posting it onto FFN.

The biggest thing I learned, posting that, was to write what I wanted. I had a really enthusiastic reader who kept throwing suggestions my way and I ended up changing my pre-written fic to follow all of their suggestions because I got too excited that someone liked it. Not only did that person disappear off the face of the earth before I finished the fic, I was actually left pretty unsatisfied with where it had gone by the time I was done with it. That's one of the reasons I don't re-read that fic.

So, tips: write what you want to. It's something I see around the internet a lot and it's absolutely correct: the best fics get written because you want to write that fic. When you write to please other people, it feels kinda hollow and empty after a while; there's instant gratification if the person who you're trying to please says they like it (and if they don't respond at all, you deflate like a lead balloon really fast), but in my experience, everything I've written to please someone else are the ones I like the least. In some cases, I wish I hadn't written them at all.

My best works, the ones I look back on and love months, years, later, are the ones I wrote for me. I share them online because I want to, and yes, it's always disappointing when I don't get any response from readers, but that story's worth isn't tied into external validation.

If you're casting about for ideas on what to write, there are options. Prompt lists exist, if you work well from prompts (I personally use prompts as short exercises most of the time). If there's a common trope you see but there's something slightly different about it - write that! If there's something you really want to read but you've scoured the archives and there's nothing there that scratches that itch - write that! Or if there's a common trope that you love and want to have a go at - there's nothing wrong with that, either! It doesn't matter if it's been written to death; if someone likes that trope, they will scour the archive looking for every single fic and devour all of them. As an author, I like twisting tropes/prompts etc., but as a reader, honestly I love reading the same thing written by many different people.

Also, for the first-time posters: remember that it won't be perfect. No matter how much you slave over the editing and reading and re-reading, there will be mistakes that you will not spot until you've posted it up for the world to see. Don't beat yourself up over them. Obviously, do your spellcheck, your grammar check - if you can handle it, get a beta (I, personally, cannot deal with people picking my stuff apart so I suck it up and do all my own editing, but for some people betas are a lifeline; you'll learn over time what works best for you). If it's riddled with errors, people won't read it, but they will forgive odd small things.

And really, it is scary throwing things out into the internet for people to look at. Even now, I get nervous about how people are going to react to my latest stuff, although in my case, it's now because I know I have a few people who do read everything I write, and I'm always worried about disappointing them, but to start with (and whenever I dip into a new fandom), it's the fear that I've broken some fandom taboo I didn't know about, the fear that I messed up a characterisation, that no-one will like it.

Things you can do to try and get the best reception: Tag correctly. If you tag it with a bunch of irrelevant characters/genres/tropes, all you're gonna do is irritate people. I don't know which fandom you found me through, anon, but in the Riordanverse fandom, mistagging is rife and I know it's infuriating a lot of people, so. This mostly applies for AO3 but is also applicable to tumblr:

Fandom: tag it. If it's a crossover, tag all of them. If it's part of a huge universe that has several subsects, tag the overall one (e.g. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Works") and then only the relevant subsect(s) (e.g. Heroes of Olympus).

Rating: AO3 gives useful guidelines for this; don't tag something as general audiences if it's got a lot of swearing, blood and injury, serious angst, nsfw, don't tag as explicit if it's completely soft and there's nothing at all, etc. It's mostly common sense, if in doubt always err to the higher rating because we're always better safe than sorry.

Warnings: Warnings are important. Sometimes, you don't want to warn for something that's a major plot twist (I do this sometimes), and in my personal view that's okay as long as you use "chose not to warn" on AO3 if it's an archive warning, or "additional warnings apply" if it's not. Never say there are no warnings at all if there's something you're trying to hide. If you don't know if an archive warning applies (I never know where the line is for violence), again, use "chose not to warn".

Relationships: Tag the major ones. If it's a oneshot, you can probably tag any that have any relevance, for multichaps I prefer to go minimalistic and only tag the relationships that are a main part of the story, like the ones that involve the main character(s). Remember / is romantic and & is platonic/familial. Don't mix them up!

Characters: Again, tag the major ones. For oneshots you can probably get away with any character who does something in the story. For multichaps, again, keep it minimal. A lot of authors don't do that but as a fan of generally minor, obscure characters, I find it hellish going through their tag, see them tagged on a fic, then realise that they have all of one line out of 100k words, and I know other readers who feel the same way. I'm still waiting for AO3 to add in a distinction between major characters and background characters... Regardless, if a character doesn't do anything in the fic, do not tag them.

Otherwise, just tag genres, tropes if you've used any - lots of fandoms have their own little trope tags so look around and see what gets used frequently. But don't tag wall it; people will skip over a tag walled fic. Trust me.

Titles and summaries suck to come up with, I'm well aware, and I'm not the right person to give advice on how to do those because after thirteen years I'm still clueless and hate those the most, but things to not include are: bad grammar, "fic is better than the summary" or other negative remarks about yourself/the summary, and begging people to read and/or comment. Those are the first thing people see - and if they don't like what they see, also the last thing people see as they scroll past.

But, really? Just have fun. Fandom is supposed to be fun. It's not a chore, it's not something any of us do because we have to. If you're not enjoying it, take a break. Do something else. It's nerve-wracking putting a little piece of you up on the internet, something you put time, effort, and love into, but it's connecting with other people. It's fun, it's a way to make friends with similar interests to yours.

This got long, so I'll leave it here for now; I hope this helped, anon, and good luck with your writing!

OC ask - 50, please and thank you!

50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you want

Have some assorted Starship Legitimacy worldbuilding! not all that much of it is the ship or crew but I'm making this whole universe up so it counts as an OC right

The Starship Legitimacy itself is very haunted. It is haunted in the sense that there is at least one ghost there. It's haunted in the sense that Events have Occurred (good? bad? weird? It doesn't quite matter) and now the memories and stories hang around the ship. It is also haunted in the way that buildings are called haunted when there's a gas leak or poisonous mold in the walls or something.

Ghosts (and to a lesser degree some other supernatural beings) are honestly a lot more entwined with those other types of "hauntings" than you'd necessarily think. The idea of their presence and influence always seems to predate any real proof or truly inexplicable phenomena.

Speaking of supernatural phenomena... People can do all sorts of weird stuff with the right training (and some luck), including things that would get called magic even if the official name for them was something else. This does include robots and other such created beings.

Sadly artificial beings getting supernatural powers is frequently A Problem for everyone involved rather than especially helpful. Something about gaining such powers alters how the user's mind works in a way that is basically unnoticeable (aside from. having magic powers now) for most organic beings, but when your mind started out as a nice neat computer program it messes things up. Almost never in the direction of personality changes, though. Mostly, it means it's an absolute pain to back any part of yourself up, or fix any errors that may pop up. And so much as new or changed pieces of hardware to run said code on might end up making your powers stop working :(. It's not the worst thing to deal with, but considering how much you may need to practice before getting anything useful out of it, it's kind of a nuisance to get magic as an AI.

There's also a... worse thing that can happen to AI with supernatural powers.

See, while the attributes that go into one's magic power and chance of developing it are complicated and nonlinear and not very well understood, there are certain things that, in abundance, are likely to result in a lot of power. These things happen to include the sort of intelligence that can be really really useful in an AI.

As a result, when an AI's intelligence is improved, by giving it more processing power, more memory storage, more effective code, the chance that it will gain magic increases, and the power it will have should it gain magic increases at an even greater rate. Past a certain point, the potential power will outstrip any ability the AI may have to control it properly, and it just keeps on going. It keeps on going to the point that if the AI ever gained magic, it would be an instant and horrific disaster, and the chances of it gaining magic without even trying go up and up...

Long story short you can't make a computer too smart, because it will become a wizard and unintentionally blow itself up. And also probably destroy the whole planet and maybe the star system and fill the lungs of everyone involved who somehow escaped with molten glass and offbrand legos or some fucking thing.

There might be ways to make this not happen, but the consequences of failure make it kind of a Bad Idea.

25 & 41

25. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?

            I am everyone’s worst nightmare. I have dual monitors on my desktop because I like to place the most recent draft on the left screen, and then I open a new word doc on the right screen. I’ll retype everything manually, as it allows me to rephrase things or edit as I go. It’s ridiculously tedious and I’ve been called on it a few times because it takes a lot of unnecessary time, but it soothes me. It’s also made me super fast at typing.

Once I get a draft to somewhere I think the story is solid and it’s just down to getting specific words right, I read and read and read and read. A few times on my computer, then again on my laptop, a couple more on my phone, within the AO3 posting screen, etc. By the time a fic makes it onto AO3, I’ve usually read it over close 20 times. I also typically pass it along to a couple of friends to have a look at. If there are still errors by the time it’s up… I’ve probably gone blind to them. It’s frustrating to read things over after they’re posted, because I’ll often notice things I want to change and it feels wrong to adjust something that already belongs to the readers.

41. What is the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had?

            Fic wise, I think it might be the one shot that explored Charity Dingle living with her family in the house where she once shit on the floor in retaliation to the then landlord. Somehow, it turned into an expression of love called To (i) Let. Recently, the romance of socks in Vorfreude was a little off-side, too. Extraordinary Measures also explored a time machine that allowed people to travel through their own memories.

I don’t think I’m too wild with my writing when it comes to fanfiction, though. My focus is always comfort and feelings of safety and warmth. As for stuff I write for school or work, I’m very different in that realm. Notably, there’s a show pitch that involves Drag Queens on farms, one about a super-powered family in suburbia, a queer love story in a universe where meeting your soulmate allows you to see in colours, and my short film we shot over the weekend is about a place where things go when they’re forgotten.

fic writing asks

okay so i know that home ownership is a pipe dream for a lot of us with how things are right now, but if you ever end up with one via buying or inheriting, please allow my formerly-morgage-customer-service ass help you, my US friends, with something:

for the love of fuck, if you're setting up mortgage autopay, try to do it through your mortgage company, NOT your bank. i am dead fucking serious.

your mortgage payment is made of four parts: Payment, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance (or PITI for short). Payment and Interest are static from the inception of your mortgage unless you refi, but TAXES AND INSURANCE CAN CHANGE. every year, your state evaluates how much in property taxes you should be paying. ('when' varies by state, you can find tables online for which month your state does the eval). this typically means that your monthly mortgage payment changes by, like, a few bucks, typically. but this creates a problem.

say you pay $100 a month for your house (somehow). you have autopay set up through your bank, not your mortgage lender. one day, your state's eval says your payment is now $101. your bank autopays $100. the Big Mortgage Computer sees that your payment is only partially paid and considers it incomplete. you are now one month delinquent, because your bank's static autopay was unaware of the payment change. you are now open to getting hit with a late fee, and your credit score can be affected after 30 days. this shit *sucks*.

i cannot tell you how many calls i got from people who were upset that their bills were constantly saying unpaid (iirc it'll try to complete your payment for the prior month in full before paying for the current month), and i had to explain that 1. payments are technically due on the 1st but there's a legal grace window until the 15th (that's a whole other thing), but 2. their autopay just didn't keep up with a TI change, and that i could help them resolve the issue over the phone and they could adjust their autopay or, even better, do autopay through us so we can auto-adjust it. and hell, if a payment failed because of a system error on *our* side, it would automatically be forgiven, which can't always be assured if the bank fucked up.

bonus tip: if you do ever talk to mortgage personnel on the phone and you keep polite (and god, i know it can be hard when shit is stressful, but we're people too and we did not cause your issue), try asking if late fees can be waived. i can't remember my former company's rules, but i actually had the ability to send it up to my supervisor to request at least one late fee be removed, and 99% of the time it was because of issues like this.

anyway my memory for my previous jobs is kinda hazy, but if anyone has basic questions about mortgages or cruises, i can try to help, lmao. stay safe out there babes

Conquering the Dreaded Blue Screen: Techwarrior Technologies' Expert Repair Services in Delano, MN

Are you staring at a blue screen with a cryptic error code instead of your usual desktop? Known as the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), this screen is the infamous harbinger of deep-seated issues within your computer system. Residents of Delano, MN, fear not! Techwarrior Technologies, operating out of their Rockford, MN office, offers a lifeline for when your computer cries out for help.

Understanding the Blue Screen of Death

Before diving into the services offered by Techwarrior Technologies, it's essential to understand what causes a BSOD. This error occurs when the Windows operating system encounters a critical issue that it cannot resolve, such as driver conflicts, hardware failures, or severe software bugs. The blue screen appears with a stop code that can help diagnose the problem.

Why Techwarrior Technologies is Your Go-To Repair Service

Techwarrior Technologies has carved out a niche for itself in the world of computer repair services, and their foray into Delano, MN, brings professional, reliable, and swift solutions to the local community. Here's why they stand out:

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4. Preventative Measures: It's not just about fixing the current problem. Techwarrior Technologies believes in preventative care. After repairing the blue screen issue, they offer advice and services to optimize your system to prevent future crashes, such as regular maintenance checks and installing reliable security software.

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Getting Back to Work with No Worries

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Blue screen error repair Delano MN

People in space

(Event Horizon - Family movie that teach people about space physics)

I took a deep breath when I left the transport and raised my head to the top of the ceilings. This was the right station, and it was underground. But yet the light seemed so surreal .. normal. Not Neon. Not Bulb or LED. It just felt natural. Like being on an open flower field in spring. Not many ft under the ground. Staring at special lights that Karls-Ruhe had installed on this stations to keep you distracted. Like everything is fine. Everything seemed right.

I already remained as the last person on this station. It was time to go. So I climbed the the stairs, following the led stripes thought the surreal and bloomy scenery back to the surface. It rained. I noticed that there was another rail road on top of the underground one. Wondered what the difference might be, and passed by of this blinding colourfull display windows. Offering to transfer money. Good food. Having a call with your families or risking your salaries on some slot machines. And in between all of this was an narrow door. 24|7. The serial number of my home for tonight.

I mean. Not the first door. Not the second. Not the big ones, of places that ran down. Closed up and pasted over by political papers on the former clear windows. No. The last one, the tiny one.

Just the right code, and the door would open. Let you in a narrow room with 4 computer panels and a desk that divides this room like an natural but useless barrier between customers and the paper files stored in a shelf behind.

"Hello customer. Please tell me your booking number, and your name" Easy task. Two of the terminals seems to work. The others just show something confusing. Probably had been out cold for quite a while. I started to enter the number. The display calibration was slightly off. Writing on it was not that easy.

"May I help you?" an voice asked. A small man suddenly approached besides me. The look in his eyes was firm. Like he had seen to much, and rules was the thing, that kept his world together. "Nah. Im fine." I try to continue. It's not as there werent many posters on the wall telling you what to do. I cant remember, if the posters had been intact. Maybe something had been torn off? Maybe something, that I should had known. But somebody made sure that I will not know. Not now. Maybe never.

He was insisting "I really should help you!" I raised my tired eyes from the display and slowly move them over, and down to him. "Its complicated." "Hm. If i cant even handle that. How could I handle anything on the path that lays ahead?" He dont cared. Raises his small hands to the display and starts punching on the different shapes. "Now take a card and put it in front of the scanner!" I might had a weird look over my face. Why in all world was he not completing the task himself, it is was SO important? Why having panels in the first place? I took my card and presented it to the scanning device.

Error. "Do it again!" he keeps punching on the panel. "Do it again!" "Again" "Again!!!" And without anything changing. My hand was not even moving. Suddenly he said "Its done. What are you waiting for? Go up! Its capsule 20!" And off he was.

I took a deep breath. Climbed the stairs to a smal lobby with tables and a running TV. Some kind of space documentary where soldiers shot and killed each other. In front of them some old guys. Wearing leather jackets that probably had been made out of old enemies skins. Or maybe the remainings of old friends. Haircuts strong like short steel. Faces firm and strong, but crafted by deep, painfull memories. A dark skin tone in memorial to their probably orange skinned idol. The blue, almost blinded eyes gave me a short look. But no words. Nothing. At least they had been alive. Not like the other guys sitting in the corner and staring to the screens in front of them. Probably this backs will never be straight ever again.

I nodded to the room and progressed further thought the first security lock. The card worked. At least.

....

It was deep in the night. I already had been in my capsule for a long time. But they been still shaking. Sometimes the wodden planks outside of the capsule made noises. I decided to do not ask, why steel secured capsules needed to be patched up with pinewood planks. Maybe it is not steel at all? No. Do not think about it. Again and again the capsule was shaking. I decided to raise up the air conditioner a bit more so that it's rapid operating noise might calm me down.

....

Early morning. Time to get up. The temperature had risen to 27°C. The conditioner did its best to blow air and dust, alot of dust into my tiny capsule. But probably it would had been more efficient, when it just could blow, and suck at the same time. Like, having a stream of air floating thought the cell. But no. It was eighter one. Tough decisions had been made. I open the airlock and feel the pressure lowering. The floor looks empty. Most of the flocks had allready left.

....

Stitting in front of the TV. Eating and watching 'jenifer tat'. It was somehow the only non war related thing that i found. And suddenly. The guy spawned to my left.

"What are you watching there?" "A true crime show" I was wondering, if this was 'ok' or not. Its a public place. On the other hand... It was basically just like most true crime shows. An long stream of sad pictures and interviews. "It's horror!" he asked. No, not really, he decided. "Its a documentary?" I asked. "No its horror" Insisting again. And suddenly it felt like there was horror. I just had not been able to see it so far. "Let me help you" he smiled, and ripped the remote control out of my hand. Soon enough he noticed that all the other options had been much worse. "This is so bad. So much horror. So much horror." He decided to select one show by himself.

And a warm, big smile came over his face. He walked away. I sat there. Left behind and not able to continue. I waited for 5 minutes. The walked over to the capsule. Collected all my stuff and headed to the exit. Fast, but not too fast. Suddenly I remembered the faces of this other old men here. Those blinded eyes. Those empty eyes. I passed by the TV and even thought I shut it up when I left. It was activated again. Running BBT again. I looked around. But I did not saw -him-. Even thought I felt his presence.

I walked down the stairs. Threw the card back into that machine. I left the place and the city. Probably to never return again.

Exploring Anomaly Detection Techniques in Data Analytics

In the realm of data analytics, anomalies stand out as irregularities or deviations from the norm within datasets. Detecting these anomalies is crucial across various industries, from finance and cybersecurity to healthcare and manufacturing. Anomaly detection techniques play a pivotal role in identifying these outliers, providing valuable insights and enabling proactive decision-making. In this blog post, we delve into the fascinating world of anomaly detection techniques and their significance in data analytics.

Understanding Anomaly Detection: Anomaly detection, also known as outlier detection, involves the identification of patterns or data points that deviate significantly from the expected behavior within a dataset. These anomalies can signify potential opportunities, threats, or errors, making their detection essential for maintaining operational efficiency and mitigating risks.

Common Anomaly Detection Techniques:

Statistical Methods: Statistical techniques such as z-score analysis, mean and standard deviation, and box plots are often used to detect anomalies by identifying data points that fall outside expected ranges.

Machine Learning Algorithms: Supervised, unsupervised, and semi-supervised machine learning algorithms like Isolation Forest, k-means clustering, and autoencoders are employed for anomaly detection, leveraging patterns and relationships within data.

Time Series Analysis: Time series anomaly detection techniques focus on identifying deviations from expected temporal patterns, utilizing methods like Seasonal-Trend Decomposition, moving averages, and exponential smoothing.

Density-Based Methods: Density-based anomaly detection techniques, including k-nearest neighbors (KNN) and Local Outlier Factor (LOF), assess data points based on their proximity to neighboring points within the dataset's density distribution.

Deep Learning Approaches: Deep learning models such as Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are increasingly employed for anomaly detection tasks, capturing complex patterns and dependencies in data.

Challenges and Considerations: While anomaly detection techniques offer valuable insights, they are not without challenges. False positives, imbalanced datasets, computational complexity, and interpretability issues are some common challenges faced in anomaly detection. Moreover, selecting the appropriate technique depends on factors such as data characteristics, domain-specific requirements, and the desired level of sensitivity.

Imarticus Learning: Empowering Data Analysts with Advanced Skills: At Imarticus Learning, we recognize the critical importance of anomaly detection techniques in the field of data analytics. Our comprehensive Data Analytics courses are designed to equip aspiring data analysts with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience needed to excel in anomaly detection and other advanced data analytics tasks.

Through our industry-aligned curriculum and expert-led training, students gain proficiency in a wide array of anomaly detection techniques, including statistical methods, machine learning algorithms, time series analysis, and deep learning approaches. With practical projects and real-world case studies, our courses enable students to apply anomaly detection techniques in diverse domains, preparing them for success in today's data-driven world.

Whether you're a beginner looking to enter the field of data analytics or an experienced professional seeking to enhance your skill set, Imarticus Learning offers tailored learning paths to suit your needs. Join us today and embark on a rewarding journey towards mastering anomaly detection and unlocking new opportunities in the dynamic field of data analytics.