Astro Observations #4

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• The mars in your ascendant persona chart might explain your temper. E.g. my mars in my asc pc is in Aries and that makes the utmost sense!

• Your best friends might have one of your mother's big 3 signs in their big 3. E.g. my mom's a Scorpio sun and 2 of my best friends are Scorpio suns and another is a Scorpio moon.

• The person you date might also have one of your parents' big 3 signs in their big 3. E.g. My mom's a Cancer rising and one of my ex's was a Cancer with a Cancer stellium while another one was a Cancer rising.

• I've been observing and this doesn't necessarily apply to everybody but I've seen people who have their grandparents' big 3/6 in their big 3. E.g. One of my best friends is a Libra rising and her grandma is a Libra sun while her brother is a Taurus moon and their grandpa is a Taurus sun.

• Or you can have the same element placements. E.g. My grandma was a Cancer sun, Leo mercury with Virgo mars & I'm a Pisces sun, Aries mercury with a Capricorn mars.

• Taurus suns with Taurus moons grandparents will literally spoil tf out their grandkids! Even if they didn't ask for anything. They're also very giving and they're probably the ones who have an expensive decoration at home lol.

• Virgo moons are literally so caring! They'll always include their loved ones in everything and they'll go out of their ways to do little things for you even if you think it isn't necessary.

• Libra suns with Sagittarius venuses are literally soo fun!!

• Air suns with Fire venuses are way easier to spot since they're not only charismatic but they're spontaneous & fiery!

• Taurus mars loove hickeys and choking lol. And they’re extra horny people!😩

• Capricorn mars have a thing for dominating their partners during sex, wether that be verbally or physically. “Who do you belong to?” “You not going nowhere. Do you understand me?” Type people🌚

• Scorpio suns with Aries moons will literally have their ex's obsessed and stalking them from secret accounts.

• Gemini placements/degrees love dirty talk especially on the phone!

• Libra mercuries might cuss occasionally but they don't like to.

• Aquarius mars people are so chill in general but will have outbursts when people least expect it?

• Mars dominants are so sexy for what?😩

• I think Pisces dominant people should look at Jupiter just as equally as Neptune tbh. I have a Libra Jupiter in the 5H at Leo degree and the traits are so obvious in my personality. Oh and the baby fever is real!!

• Scorpio rising-Gemini rising is the duo you'll probably find in a crowd laughing at some stupid remark one of them just made.

• Leo suns with their rising in earth degrees are so chill? Especially if they have a water rising then they’ll be super shy but super chill as you get to know them. Even if they have a fire moon lol.

• Your rising sign in your ascendant persona chart can show better when you’re around the people that are closest to you. E.g. I’m a natal Gemini rising at 23 degree and people tend to call me charming & charismatic often, I also feel like I express it more when I’m out in public. But with those closest to me I tend to embody my ascendant persona chart’s rising sign which is Leo rising at 9 degree because they think I’m sassy, bold & dramatic lol. Oh and the hair thing is true.🤣

• Your venus persona chart show what your ideal partner is like.

• 5H Scorpio Eros at 7 or 19 degree could be into putting on a sexy show for their partner while wearing lingerie or they might fantasize about it and they’re usually good at it too lol.

• Nah because kids with Air in their big 3 tend to be those little liars with big crackhead energy that snicker a lot.😭

• Gemini risings 🤝 grasping onto their crush/partner’s mannerisms/words and using them all the time.

• Saturnian moon kids tend to get scolded for stuff they didn’t do/say the most!

• Virgo suns with a Libra stellium tend to be so logical yet so childlike and a little shy.

• Fire suns tend to either not have their dads in their lives or if they do then they might not get along with them because they both have the same temper.

• Earth sun fathers tend to be harsh towards their kids especially Taurus since they’re so stubborn.

• I’ve noticed that Virgo sun mothers are usually the type to lay the law in their households, some to the extreme of abuse. Bonus points if they’re an Air moon.

• Gemini placements can be just as sneaky as Cap and Scorpio placements. They’re the type to get themselves in an entanglement for the stimulation it gives them lol.

• Pisces sun women tend to curvy. Like they don’t even have to turn around. Ifykyk.🌚

• I’ve noticed a lot of Sag sun women tend to have wider hips or a square like frame.

• I’ve also noticed that Earth suns and Water suns with Air risings tend to have a pear-like shape.

•Water mars women like to rub on their partner’s chest during the act.

• Water mars men like to feel on their partner too especially while making out.

• Want a sensual lover who’ll make your wildest fantasies come true and also likes communication or who likes to have fun during intercourse? Get you an Earth mars at Sagittarius degree (9, 21).

• Aries mars at Cancer degree (4, 16, 28) are very passionate and love being talked to during intercourse. They also love going for several rounds and they can be almost as horny as an Earth mars.🤭

• I’ve noticed Pisces sun men tend to be packing. 😭 Bonus points if they’re an Earth/Fire mars.

So I am having SO MANY thoughts about the twinrova and how they’re a couple centuries old and so would’ve lived through multiple rulers before “serving” ganondorf.

Like they raised him, what was their agenda? Did they have plans spanning multiple sovereigns to secure their power over the gerudo? Did they have the Omni man “what’s another century we’ll just raise the next one” kind of feelings towards him if he didn’t become their puppet or weapon?

So much thot not enough brain space this rot is taking over me

ooooooogh twinrova brainrot is strong in me too…..yeah because if they’re ~400 years old and OoT ganondorf was still just in his twenties at the time, and a male gerudo child is born every century, then presumably they could’ve been in the position of raising said children multiple times? i think i remember seeing a take somewhere that considered the idea of twinrova’s role in the gerudo being similar to that of impa serving as an attendant/mentor to zelda, and i think that’s a really cool idea. there’s probably also a lot of potential angst to be found in these little old witches who may have cared for previous gerudo princes, and would have had the incredible responsibility of keeping them safe in childhood, while also training them in witchcraft and war strategy, and advising them in their kingship as adults. because if that’s the case, they would’ve seen those princes live and die multiple times too

it kinda makes you wonder if their love for ganondorf is so obsessive in part because they know firsthand how painful it is to lose a child, to live long enough to outlive to your children multiple times. tbh, i feel like them using ganondorf as their proxy for everything, and trying to make him an all-powerful being at any cost, is more a product of their love for him, than it is a litmus test of whether they‘ll love him or not? and by this i don’t mean they’re like,,, a healthy family by any means, like you can still easily apply terms like abuse and trauma-bonding to parts of their dynamic, imo. i think kotake & koume love ganondorf genuinely, and always have, and that the sentiment is mutual. it’s just that they’re willing to go to very extreme lengths to protect/empower ganon in the ways they believe are necessary, because they are very aware of how important he is, to them and the gerudo as a whole. and ironically, a lot of the time, this desperation ends up being not at all conducive to his safety, or sanity, or happiness

like…raising him with expectations and standards that are completely unreasonable for any human being, that turn him into an ambition-driven nutjob who invents lightning magic & masters all types of weaponry & plays a pipe organ, while also having virtually no ability to form genuine relationships with people other than his mothers. or them trying to make him into an impervious, all-powerful being by trying to take divine power, which sometimes inadvertently turns the rational parts of his brain into soup and sets them on fire. or them trying to revive him after death in the downfall timeline by sacrificing themselves, inadvertently bringing him back wrong, and sentencing him to an existence he never would’ve originally wanted

idk. they’re really fun and also heartbreaking to think about. he engraves their names into his weapons, they willfully die just for the possibility of allowing him to live again. their familial relationship seems to be the most important bond in the lives of everyone involved in it, at the expense of any other kind of connections in their lives. he’s their figurative puppet in a few ways, and will break himself over and over if it means meeting their expectations, but i doubt any of them see it that way. everyone involved gets extremely hurt in one way or another, no matter what, often in an attempt to do the opposite, out of love and fear. little fucked up witch fambly……it’s so much

This is actually kind of funny but apparently there’s a mass turning from Malleus simps into Silver simps. I can’t believe Silver gained a bigger following from standing up to his prince. It’s kinda funny tbh-

I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT THE OTHER DAY!!

Like I love ALL the diasomnia boys, don't get me wrong, but I feel with Silver there was a distinct neutral take to his character from the fandom for quite some time? A lot of folks had strong emotions one way or another to Malleus/Lilia/Sebek because they are either such brash, entertaining characters or play very heavily to that mysterious and tortured individual trope. With Silver, we didn't get to see much of his emotions or see him have a direct effect on the storyline until the Spectral Halloween event and the Fairy Gala event, so I think most people thought he had a very pretty design and was a sweet character overall, but didn't necessary present a compelling story unless you went looking for it.

NOW THOUGH.....I think the community is really rallying around him because he represents something that a lot of us (especially us older fans lol) are coming to terms with— that our parents are aging and one day, that inevitable part of life will come to pass, no matter how much you may wish it wouldn't. There's a distinct genuine innocence to him that I personally find refreshing from all the NRC boys— there's no underlying motive, no manipulation, no casual cruelty at the expense of others. He simply is a good guy who wants to be there for his family as best as he can be, and love his father until the very end.

And now the more we learn of his story, the more we can see the sheer IMPACT he's had on the entire diasomnia clan. Sebek couldn't fathom a dream without them all being together, no matter how much he blusters otherwise. Malleus overblotted with Silver's tears being the final push over the edge, wanting to do something that would preserve the happiness of those he loves most. Lilia of course is leaving because it frightens him too much to allow his son to see him at such a weak state, because he loves him too much and fears his reaction.

All along, Silver's been the glue that holds Diasomnia together, and he's desperately fighting to save his family from falling apart, and we're all rooting from him to be successful, because I think we want the same. We want a happy ending for him, we want him to be able to spend Lilia's remaining days by his side, we want to see him smile because he's done nothing but sacrifice for his family, and I'm so, so happy that the fandom at large is recognizing him for representing how the power of true, unconditional love can make the greatest of impacts in those around you.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that they gave him one of the prettiest magics in all the game lol

For the lovesick event, could we get Nova with "Shouldn’t you be spending more time with me?" Feels very him tbh lol

|ও DJ SUBATOMIC SUPERNOVA: "Shouldn't you be spending more time with me?"

587 words |

contains heavy themes of manipulation, themes that can be read as gaslighting, themes that can be read as coercion, heavy themes of forced isolation. |

Going for my heart with the first request being Nova. Anyways, I like the thought of a Nova that tries to guilt-trip you into only ever thinking about him and this would be part of the descent into that. Hope you enjoy! |

✧

It starts sweeter this time.

A better word may be gentle.

Soft phrases, words close to hushed pleas, fluttering across the room. They take so, so much care in delivering each vowel in dowries laced with silk. It's difficult to resist.

"While it grates me to no end to sound childish, it really doesn't seem fair for you to do this to me."

But you know him.

You know this changes, in late-night calls like this, where he only wanted a sliver more of your time.

As sleep tinges your senses with an off numbing hue, the words grow oh so colder. They grow oh so thin. They truly give his name such an apt meaning.

And he's only being patient.

"When I do try to make enough time for us to make plans, you want to cancel. Because of—what? What is it this time?"

You also know it wouldn't have mattered what you said.

Friends are irrelevant, you can simply reschedule for some other time that isn't already his. Which is understandable. It's wrong to promise someone your time when... you could've sworn you had no plans that day. He's chided you more than once for being oblivious to your own schedule.

Work is really quite trivial when someone with his degree of prestige offers to cover about any expense you wish, with minimal exceptions. He's mentioned in the past that housing falls right within his capabilities. It's truly a wonderful offer.

Family are clearly important to most, but don't they become too overbearing over time? You're not a child anymore. You don't need to be checked up on every interval they please. Besides, some get-togethers would really go better over the phone rather than going through all that trouble, wouldn't they? And at that, while it is a sad reality, certain relatives really only care about the status you have as their, well—relative. They don't even know you anymore, do they? You aren't the little one you used to be or the one they want you to be, and if they cannot accept that, then perhaps some distance is necessary.

So there really should be no excuse unless you don't want to spend time with him.

And you think that's the case, he cannot—he will not allow you to continue to socialize with whoever keeps poisoning your mind.

"I'll make this as easy as possible. You are going to arrive here in the next..." A slow, dragging sigh echoes through the reciever. He muttered bitter nothings too low to hear. But you can tell what they meant: you've made another mistake. "Two hours should be sufficient time for you to get your belongings together, should it not?"

Your final mistake.

"Don't act like you don't understand. You're smart enough to know that both in- and improper- action has as much consequence as action would. However, you're simultaneously distracted enough to continuously fail to manage your time and efforts properly. I'm giving you the opportunity to be distracted no longer. I'm sure you realize that, don't you?"

... As heavy as the lack of sleep weighs on your mind, perhaps this would be best. Less awkward reservations. Less irritating work hours. Less people who don't know you.

He's being generous. He's only worrying.

You know that, too.

So much so that it's difficult to refuse as his voice lulls into that near-heavenly tune, and he helps walk you through the most logical way to pack your things.

okay. i now have the time to talk about this monster of a chapter. hopefully i don't need to pastebin it.

if you have never played battle before dawn on hhm, forget EVERYTHING you think you know about it as a chapter.

jaffar is unkillable? Wrong, he gets 3HKO'd by swordreaver fighters and usually if he gets hit by two of them, a mage or hero can finish him off. you can reach him somewhat quickly if you're lucky, but you have no say over when he uses his elixirs (already kind of a funds mald), nor do you control his aggression, so he can potentially suicide-rush a handful of units and you likely won't be able to stop it. it's not that he takes damage, because you can reach him with a physic by probably turn 4 or 5. it's that he aggros such a large amount of units that it's a diceroll on whether he'll live to that point. it's very funny that he's an in-universe killing machine but can die to unpromoted units fairly easily, but also aggravating at times. one of my biggest issues with my attempts is that i'd get stuck on a seed where jaffar would just kill himself over and over again and i couldn't do a thing about it. and the funny thing is: i don't recall ever having this issue on past HHM attempts of this chapter. it's really down to how much the RNG likes you, unfortunately, and RNG advancing will unfortunately be your only recourse if it doesn't.

zephiel is easy to save? Wrong, his AI is stupid and will run off of the pillar tiles that give +1 defense and +20 avoid if he takes too much damage, which will essentially doom him. even with WTA, iron axe fighters are coinflip hitting him on regular terrain, mages are hitting him for 5-6 damage, and archers (if they get to him, god help you) will rarely miss. it's a give-and-take situation for him and jaffar because if one gets less aggro, the other one gets more. despite what you may think, i found zephiel getting more of it to be slightly more manageable due to the enemy taking slightly longer to reach him + having established momentum in the chapter helps compared to hoping jaffar plays smart. if zephiel stays on the pillar, then the fighters are much less scary (no one with a swordreaver/slayer should reach him unless you entirely neglect defending him.). it's another situation of "healing him isn't the issue, him survving an entire enemy phase at full HP is". in my successful attempt, i actually had him crit one of the fighters, to my amusement. didn't save any time/damage because a noncrit would've killed anyway, but it was surprising.

ursula is usually a nonthreat due to not moving? Wrong, she starts moving on turn 13 and, if she still has bolting, will almost assuredly kill zephiel if not dealt with (this is actually one of the hhm changes i prefer, tbh). it's kind of gag-worthy that this also means that her AI will definitively not move even if you rush her, which makes her relatively easy to kill if you send a unit with good to even moderate resistance. for most players, this'll likely be a falcoknight, which works out well because all the mercenaries around her can be annoying without WTA and they don't have lancereavers. if you're feeling really cautious, you can send two units after her and secure the kill before she can counter, but it's not strictly necessary if your pegasus of choice is good enough. you could also do something insane like using eclipse with canas but a. eclipse is expensive, why would you use it in a ranked run and b. look i love canas, i really do, but rolling on the floor laughing @ the idea of using him at this point.

you only need one thief for this chapter? Wr- well okay you CAN make it work with one thief, but it is highly in your best interest to have two. there's good steals on the left side, and even base legault can likely steal from the thieves (both can have up to 18 speed, but base legault's is 16~18 whereas the thieves in this chapter are 14~18, so odds are more in your favor there). and this is assuming that somehow matthew didn't end up at 19 speed already, which he hits, on average, by level 14. no, you WANT to steal from the thieves because they have lockpicks and stealing their lockpicks turns them into limp-dick losers who leave the map, which is usually a good thing (shame we can't kill them, but this map is very tight on objectives, so it'd only be feasible to kill them if you really went out of your way to do so, rather than have it be incidental.). really, the absolute biggest reason by far to use two thieves is that it's less for your mounted units to do, who already need to be dealing with the swarm of enemies coming after either jaffar or zephiel. sure, i COULD use only matthew and send him to the right side then use a mounted unit to quickly send him over to the left side and then hope i get him to that luna druid in time to steal his earth seal. or i could just make life easier and drop a unit like raven, who is good but not going to do that much for me in this chapter, and field legault as well. it's peace of mind if nothing else. i'm sure you could route out a way to use only one thief and get the 4 chests + earth seal (hell, maybe even a lockpick if you're daring), and i've even probably done it, but it's just easier to do two.

at least nino's still easy to save right? Wr- okay this one is another halvsies thing because she's the least difficult spinning plate to manage and i never personally had her die, but the monk who goes after her does have a crit chance of like 1 or 2 and can crit for 15 damage. granted her full HP is 19 and she does heal herself with elixirs, so it's not that big of a deal, but i've heard people complain about the dreaded Nino Gets Crit situation play out for them, so i figured it's worth mentioning. but, other than that, nino really is the easiest part of this chapter since the monk and ursula are the only units who would go after her, and you have no reason to not be resolving nino's situation before turn like. idk. 9. no less 13.

okay well there's nothing else to worry about in this chapter right? Wrong, everyone forgets about maxime. but maxime will fuck you up. word is bond, he will FUCK you up. usually he ends up being an afterthought due to being relatively unthreatening on lower difficulties, but HHM stat increases make him skyrocket in threat level. hell, just compare his HP on HNM, which is 40, to HHM, which can be as high as 63. keep in mind his strength/skill/speed can all go as high as 24/23/21 respectively, and he's arguably one of the scarier bosses in all of HHM. the only positive about his situation is that you're dealing with him fairly early, so if he's going to troll you, he'll do it near the beginning of your attempts.

yeah tumblr's getting mad at me so i have to put the rest of this in a pastebin. ENJOY https://pastebin.com/TZT9Dxuc

Since we're talking about the US in MHA, what do you think of there being specialized schools? Since the US is vast and has many different biomes. Like a school in Alaska for hardcore winter things, a few in the dessert, one in the Everglades which is probably an even bigger mess, and so on. There's so much that frankly actually going into detail would take more than one ask. I'm personally calling it The Coalition.

It's pretty likely tbh? Like you need heroes capable of working in those sort of areas and it's genuinely not something you'd necessarily have *time* to learn on the job before you may get killed. I'm pretty sure vocational schools are more willing to focus on specific things in areas were specific industries are a larger part of their economy. Detroit probably has ones more focused on cars, etc.

I would also assume these are overwhelmingly public schools rather than private. Remember, heorics in overall is governed by an international body, rather than regional or governmental. Yes the HPSC is in charge of heroics in Japan, but they're still accountable to the WHA. This comes down to again the apparent standardization of hero licenses (again, allowing people like CC or AM to immediately be able to work in another country) strongly implies they'd need to be public rather than private (which may also not be able to get level of insurance necessary, insurance is fucking expensive; industries are starting to run into the very real issue that the rates for insurance are no longer affordable for them).

In replying to the last anon regarding the site; google is a free app that lets you see how extensive and expensive a site can be. i dont want to sound like a bootlicker toward the mods but let me give you a lesson

making a site from barebones is an expensive job for a multitude of reasons. namely server upholding; seel 100% a lot of money but not a lot to hold a server with thousands of images, thousands of individual pages of the ML, shop, items, and events, accounts, currency, and inventory. not to mention the key word "coder" implies a single person was working on the site. thats a lot of work.

encryption, site registration requires 100% account privacy and that means from hackers. lorekeeper holds in a valuable encryption service so your data doesnt get hacked and your account can be bled dry. funny from a species full of fluffy lizards, but what should i say? people scam in this community. making a site requires a lot of paid time to focus on a good encryption service and one that can work without hackers breaking in.

account linking. sites like dA and TH require some sort of accessibility for other sites to give up the necessary data to link accounts between sites from what i recall. it requires some sort of legal agreement.

making a site isnt easy, neither is it cheap. all i hear is the constant "seel has enough money" argument. it isnt about the money, its about accessibility to what can be done. using another site is a good blueprint to grow the species. rather than complain be glad the site isnt going to take a year to be done.

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Considering how long it's taken to get this far I understand why they made the switch tbh

https://at.tumblr.com/lemonhemlock/why-aemond-alicent-rhaenyra-daemon-and-others/5f1o0o4b4rrn

I think this is because to the HotD writers/showrunners, Aegon is not the actual protagonist of the Greens the way Rhaenyra is for the Blacks; Alicent is. Alicent is the real center of the Green plotline, the most sympathetic, the one given the most character development and screentime, the one with the strongest ties to the opposing side. There's a reason why Rhaenicent is so strongly developed and so central to their arcs and the story at large while Aegon and Rhaenyra don't share a single word. The story isn't about the relationship (or lack thereof) between Aegon and Rhaenyra, it's about the former bond between Alicent and Rhaenyra. I think they even described Ep9 as being Alicent's episode? That's why Alicent is so heavily prioritized compared to Aegon despite not being the actual claimant, because she's essentially the main character of the Green faction of a whole.

You may feel one way or another, but tbh for the most part I like this change personally. I appreciate the show prioritizing the women and really putting them into the spotlight, and I really love Alicent as a character, so I'm still happy with what they did. The problem unfortunately comes that because of Alicent being focused on more AND because of the pacing of S1, Aegon sort of feels like a bit of an afterthought/not nearly as developed as he could have been. Ideally, Aegon should sorta occupy the same narrative space like Daemon for the Greens - the most prominent male co-lead to the leading ladies. Maybe that's why they gave Aegon the adaptational villain treatment, since they know Daemon isn't a good person and in some ways they made him even worse (having him kill Rhea when he wasn't even speculated to have done so in the book).

The issue is 1) the pacing. Time skips were necessary for this story because it takes place over many years; however the specific pacing of this season only gives Aegon sufficient screentime for character development in 4 episodes. Compare that with Daemon getting 9 episodes.

And 2) Aegon still comes across as worse than Daemon. Daemon grooms his niece, but it still comes across as less worse than Aegon raping Dyana because Rhaenyra was also ""into it.""

That might be way writers like Hess were surprised at the Greens being less popular. They thought that Alicent and other sympathetic Greens like Aemond would have been enough to balance out the worse of them like Aegon, to get people to still root for them. But I think they didn't realize that making Aegon do things as horrible as rape, and then having him be the guy they're trying to get on the throne ends up dragging everyone on his side down. If they're serious about making both sides equal in terms of sympathy, then I hope they can actually pull it off in s2.

Sorry for dumping a whole essay in your inbox. I just saw that ask of yours and had a lot of thoughts on it.

Thank you for your message, you make some very good points. I do actually like that they focused the Dance on the women's stories via Alicent and Rhaenyra. In truth, I wouldn't change that approach; it doesn't bother me per se that Aegon is a secondary character.

The issue here is the "morality" of each cause - Rhaenyra, at least, is fighting for herself and is framed (rightfully or not) in a feminist light; whereas Alicent's character suffers a lot because she is portrayed as trying to place her drunk rapist son on the throne at the expense of an exemplary woman (see how Rhaenys praises Rhaenyra to Corlys as "holding the realm together").

Alicent's character also suffers a lot because, by making Aegon such a rotten apple, her mothering skills are questioned, all the while Rhaenyra is shown to be a loving, perfect mother with likeable children. See how people are much more willing to excuse the crimes of Rhaenyra's husband, because she doesn't have as much influence on him, whereas they are so quick to blame Aegon's faults on Alicent for being a bad mother, since she was in charge of raising him and shaping him to rule. So Daemon's faults are not a reflection on Rhaenyra in the eyes of the viewer, whereas Aegon's faults reflect directly on Alicent.

This is why I feel that it would have made more sense to make Aemond the problematic child, since he is already a foil for Daemon, who occupies the main villain role for the blacks. I do not think that the audience's reaction to the greens would have been so unbalanced if they made Aegon the funny drunk a la Tyrion. People love and root for characters like that.

I love reading.

I frequently select novels which are just So Long it takes me weeks to months to finish them. Making speed reading through a couple a week (my dream) unobtainable. I mean, I like reading nonfiction too, and maybe because of old college cramming skills I can read 2-4 400 page nonfiction books a week if Im okay with feeling tired all week.

Which, I have some niche recs if you're into non fiction: Stalking the Wild Pendulum by Bentov, When the Body Says No by Gabor Mate, Peoples History of the United States by Howard Zinn, The Reality of ESP by Russel Targ if youre into remote viewing history, Psychic Discoveries beyond the Iron Curtain by Ostrander and Schroeder on archive.org if youre into parapsychology and looking for other names to look into further since tbh this book is more journalism-entertainment than nonfiction reference also this books fairly old now, Immortal Remains - from a philosophy angle it was okay but frustrating to me except i got some good sources for further reading mentoned... but I prefer the UVA youtube lectures and the research they do since i just tend to prefer reading collected information myself, The Emotion Code - not necessarily informational in a verified sense but if youve ever considered paying money for an emotion code practitioner i liked the book cause i could just Learn the method and try it myself... free... and test and decide for myself regardless of if ifs placebo if its actually helpful to me or not, The Ancient Science and Art of Pranic Healing - this book doesnt have studies sourced as its more about teach The technique but i like that it lists sources for further reading - and its another case of "well i can just learn, test it on myself, see if its helpful or not" also im an absolute nerd about older books and the considerations that went into X book at Their time compared to now... if you ever saw my language learning textbooks collection from 1800s books to 2023 books youd know.

Speaking of here are some Fascinating Language Learning books. If youre curious about the Nature Method as in learn a language IN the lamguage by comprehensible context I recommend Ayan Academy playlists on youtube and the books: English by the Nature Method, Lingua Latina, La Francais Par Le Methode Nature, L'Italiano Secondo il Metodo Natura, Poco a Poco. (I also have many a youtube channel lessons recommendation for this learning method as I prefer it). For textbooks to learn primarily with graded reading materials Ive got: Beginning Chinese, Intermediate Chinese, and Advanced Chinese by John DeFrancis, Spanish for beginners by Charles Duff, French for Beginners Charles Duff, A Japanese Reader: Graded Lessons for Mastering the Written Language by Roy Miller (steep learning curve but decent preparation for reading actual novels and news which is great because i find a lot of japanese textbooks hover at beginner-intermediate but dont bridge all the way to necessary skills to understand complex texts). Cool books: Chinese Self Taught by The Natural Method by John Darroch (old af and some information is outdated and the pinyin system Hurts so focus on actual hanzi - but the grammar explanations are the easiest ive read and enjoyed reading), Japanese in 30 Hours (its basic japanese but it explains basic grammar understandably and helps you get a basic mental framework for the language making further study, i felt, much easier to adjust to, and its a short quick Study Up Basics book - id especially recommend it to people planning to learn using immersion/comprehensible input asap as it will give them a little bit of a skeleton to lean on), japaneseaudiolessons.com is an interesting introduction to audio flashcard lessons (fun fact glossika is just an expensive version of audio flashcard study which are just... audio in target language then a language you understand so you comprehend the sentence meaning and can learn new words/grammar from it by listening) and the site has a free grammar book to accompany it AND the site makers made kanji teaching books that come the closest to providing prewritten mnemonics for meaning AND pronunciation of japanese kanji in book study form. Something i appreciate since heisig books make you Make Up Your Own mnemonics so i find his books useless, and many japanese kanji teaching books that use mnemonics focus on meaning and skip teaching pronunciations since its harder to include multiple pronunciations in a mnemonic. For Chinese hanzi study, my favorite book is Tuttle's Learning Chinese Characters: (HSK Levels 1-3) A Revolutionary New Way to Learn the 800 Most Basic Chinese Characters, the book provides mnemonic stories for pronunciation including tone, and meaning, and example words. Its the backbone of how i learned the first few hundred hanzi and Learned How to personally remember more which made continuing to learn hanzi much easier. Since that Hanzi book, ive been desperate for a similarly written book for japanese kanji and... japaneseaudiolessons.com has the most similar kind of kanji books, but theirs is a drier and therefore harder read.

Anyway wow I got lost ToT back to my older point ayy. I have no time to read these fucking long ass fiction books I keep wanting to read ;-; my focus can resolve to read a nonfiction book in a frantic 6 hours of Research Mode then burn out and lose focus until im up for the next book. But i pick these long ass fiction books, and oddly i seem to read fiction slower so maybe im like savoring it idk. But i took like 2 months to finish Silent Reading by priest so. Yeah i WISH i was getring through these novels a touch faster ;-; i have so many i wanna read. Perplexingly i also read manga super slow, so i guess any fiction i slow down and savor or something

Books im trying desperately to read, to finish, or to get to after finishing my current books: Observations by janon (a fanfic but a great one and im only 30% done after 1 week intensively reading), kamikaze girls (1/3 done then i forgot the book so its been a few months), Old Fashion Cupcake (1/4 thru and the single volume is LONG), Devilman (1/8 through maybe), Sudden Silence (this book is like 200 pages frankly i have no idea why i didnt manage to finish it in a few days), Game of Thrones book 1 (in my defense its an audiobook so im only in like chapter 3 theres a cool youtube guy who does different voices and music for the chapters), The Expanse (i just started), The Dark Forest (book 2 of three body problem series im half done then i forgot it), In The Dark book 1 (1/3 done and its just... not quite getting my attention as well as other stuff i recently read), Little Mushroom (likely to start more solidly once i finish Observations), 2ha (i got volume 4 babey!!), Can Ci Pin (id like to restart and read in earnest im in a sci fi mood lately so i think ill get obsessed with this once i start), Breaking Through the Clouds (my instincts tell me this is most likely the only crime mystery novel thats going to manage to catch my attention after Silent Reading by priest impressed me so damn much its like in my top 5 books i ever read now), discworld (im just reading little snippets as i have time), Final Girl Support Group (1/4 done then i got busy and forgot it - this is by Grady Hendrix and so far ive loved everything they write, I highly recommend My Best Friends Exorcism it was great), Guardian (i have the english translation but im... eternally chugging away at the chinese and at the end of the First Arc which ive reread in chinese like 4 times now i need to just GET PAST THAT PART TO NEW PARTS and i dont really wanna read the english translation until ive read the original so i can compare), so many fucking novels by priest in my to read list... sha po lang, jinse, huai dao, guomen, lord seventh, faraway wanderers, the blue seal, tai sui, liu yao, lhjc, and again Can Ci Pin... then I have Peach Blossom Debt and Imperial Uncle, and Golden Stage on the to read list too... and Thousand Autumns, Peerless. And Wu Chang Jie, and Nightfall (evernight). Oh I also started reading Vampire Hunter D omnibus and that fucker is like 800 pages. Frankly most books i buy are 400-1200 pages. Usually 600 at minimum. Oh i also started reading One Piece manga, got to Sanji's introduction arc, then like most things... i forgot i was reading it and havent picked it back up for weeks. Basically... i try to get through a book but if it takes me more than 3 days (nonfiction usually takes me 1-2 days) then i risk forgetting i was reading it, forgetting for months, picking it back up and having to start over cause i forgot it for too long -.-;

Anyway my point

Guys.

I went to a gastroenterologist a few weeks ago. Copay for the visit was $70. That doesn’t matter to the story, I just think everybody should know how obscene my co-pays are on my employer’s insurance.

Talked to the gastroenterologist. She was very businesslike, but listened. I’m sure she’s busy; I had to wait 3 months to get in to see her.

She’s not entirely sure what’s causing my digestive problems (which she diagnosed as borborygmus. Which... that’s not a diagnosis; that’s a symptom. Which is precisely the problem. Diagnosis unknown). So she “prescribed” a specific OTC probiotic and suggested I look for a cheap generic of it, which I did. No problem.

She also said, “I don’t know how much testing you want to do.” Because I had conveyed to her that I don’t have a ton of money, so she didn’t want to send me to do a lot of expensive testing. I asked her what she suggested. She said a pancreatic test (fecal sample) and a x-ray of my small intestine. She did not convey to me that either of these were SUPER necessary, but they might help. She gave me paper orders for both.

I have been attempting to do something about getting both of these tests for the last few weeks. By which I mean I have been writing it on my calendar for the next week, and then the next week comes, and I look at it and go, “....Nah.” And then write it on the calendar for the next week. 

The problem is that both of these tests require SO MUCH of me.

Pancreatic test:

Call the blood-testing place and get it all set up

Probably take time off work to drive over there and pick up the container

Go home and use the container

Drive the thing back over there

That doesn’t sound terrible. Annoying, but not terrible. But check out the x-ray:

Find the phone number for the scheduler for the local outpatient testing facility

Call them during business hours

Talk to them about my insurance and make sure they take it (if they don’t, repeat steps 1 through 3 with yet another local hospital)

Take time off work

On the day, be anxious af (because I always am when I have appointments)

Drive myself over there. Use their parking garage (ugggghhh)

Sign in (anxiously)

Get the x-ray done (the least painful part of the entire procedure tbh)

Deal with paying the stupid parking garage

Drive home

Go back to work

THAT’S ELEVEN STEPS. ELEVEN. 

It’s just too much work, guys. I just. No. Shan’t. The very thought of having to do these things fills me with anxiety and dread. I think I might just not do them. I could probably work up the gumption if they seemed urgent and terribly necessary, but they didn’t. I’m taking my probiotic religiously. I did that part. I think I’m just gonna skip this.

i'm subscribed to a fairly centrist national newsletter and every time i get it at least one of the articles is about how it's oh so hard for employers today

i'm really tired of hearing employers whine that 'oh no we have a labor shortage, we need to import more workers to compensate, baby boomers retiring is a big hit !!'

like sure generational trends are a factor, but a higher population is the cause of, and not the solution to, labor shortage since it causes increased requirements for expenses related to:

road & energy infrastructure

housing

public transit service expansions

childcare

healthcare

administration

social work

all of which then need to recruit more people, because, mysteriously, those that showed up don't have any of those skills. and of course, immigrants age too so it's a net zero at best on the pensions and retirement side, while an increasing population is a downward spiral of increased needs that - allegedly - can only be met by increasing the population.

frankly we'd be better off hiring seasonal workers for any temporary gaps related to boomer demographics, and that is it. switzerland doesn't need to hyperdensify anymore tbh

we reached 9Mio earlier than expected in 2022 (result of signing free movement of people with the EU). needless to say the land has not miraculously expanded. most cities have severe housing shortages and getting a good flat to rent is near impossible without sky high incomes and preferably, a contact working at the rental company. i have found it harder and more time consuming to land an apartment than a job in my hometown.

another prime example of employer whining is the following:

'these jobs the swiss don't want so it will be necessary to recruit outside the EU' aka 'we will absolutely not pay livable wages for unqualified work, let us trick foreigners who have no idea how much life costs here instead pleaaase'.

pregnancy tests and other early-stage things

going over the first things i did! mainly tests and japan's favorite pastime, paperwork.

when i first got the inkling that i might be pregnant, there are 2 kinds of pee-on-a-stick tests that i used. the first was an early detection pregnancy test (早期妊娠検査薬 soki ninshin kensayaku) and the other was a regular degular pregnancy test (妊娠検査薬 ninshin kensayaku).

the early detection test is only available directly from the pharmacist. you have to go and ask the person at the counter of the pharmacy for it, usually wherever they dispense prescriptions. it's a little expensive (i think i paid about 1500 yen for a pack of 2) but you can use it starting the first day of your missed period. i actually was anxious and used one 2-3 days before my missed period and got nothing, then on the day-of, got a very faint line that my spousal unit rolled his eyes at but turned out to very much be a positive.

here is what my early detection test stick looked like (beneath a read more lol):

the left, 判定 hantei, shows you the result, and the right 終了 shuryo, is the control and is filled in after the test has fully soaked up your pee. so you know, even a super faint line like mine might be a positive result!

the regular pregnancy test i used later to 100% confirm my pregnancy came in a pack of 3 for about 1000 yen from the drugstore. (i only ended up needing one though) the terminology is the same, 判定 shows the result and 終了 is the control. in my case, the 判定 line was there clear as day before the 終了 line even started to appear...

so now! after you have successfully peed on a stick and confirmed that there is indeed a zygote rolling around inside you, it's time to panic and/or celebrate and/or stress, idk it's up to you. before you can do anything else healthcare-wise though, you need to go to the gynecologist and confirm the pregnancy.

there are 2 ways of going about this: 1. if you know the hospital/clinic you want to give birth at, just go directly there, although a hospital might charge extra if you don't have a referral letter (紹介状 shokaijo) 2. go to a regular gynecologist (婦人科 fujin-ka), even one that might not offer obstetrics services, and confirm things there

to confirm the pregnancy, they do a transvaginal ultrasound, meaning you get to sit on the fun automatic swing chair and get a probe shoved up inside you from behind a curtain. if you're a bit too early (like i was) they won't be able to detect a heartbeat but will schedule a followup appointment to check again.

you also need to go to the local health center (保健所 hokensho) to fill out a pregnancy notification form (妊娠届 ninshin todoke) and get your mother and child health handbook (母子健康手帳 boshi kenko techo) and tickets to help cover the cost of your prenatal checkups (妊婦健診 ninpu kenshin) and tests. (tbh you can do this part before they confirm a heartbeat, like i did. but you will need to know some basics of your situation, like how many weeks along you are.) you'll also need to have an interview with the public health nurse at some point, either that day or another day.

from what i can remember, the interview is basically them making a profile on you and your situation so they can check in on you as necessary, and providing information about maternity/childcare leave, prenatal checkups, going over the basics of the health handbook, and introducing a few basic city-run services like special dental services, parenting classes, midwife consultation services, and what have you.

and that's it! all in all, not too difficult, just very procedural and they like to dump a truckload of information on you, so you'll probably forget a lot of it by the time you need it 8-9 months down the line. but most things are pretty easy to google if you know the japanese terminology.

uhhhh maybe next i will write about choosing a hospital/clinic to give birth at, since that is a pretty big topic of consideration that will affect your entire pregnancy life. especially if you want pain relief lol

Advice to Work on Yourself 💇🏽‍♂️in November 2022: Gemini

5 Swords - 6 Pentacles - 8 Wands

Regarding: 10 Wands

This is probably regarding someone you’re very on and off with, could be an ex that…are they really an ex, because you make up as fast as you break up - type of situation. Doesn’t have to be romantic, it just most likely is. Could be dealing with a Taurus, there’s a lot of that energy here. Your artist card nods toward an ex so I’ll read it in this way and you know you. You’re heavily burdened by this person’s happiness, which seems to apply whether you’re around or not. That’s the healthiest way to be tbh, and part of your own advice is along the levels of - do the same. You’re extremely bitter and vengeful towards this person for a new beginning in love, or if they’re trying to come back around expecting a new beginning with you.

Most of you are waiting around, expecting them to come back. They aren’t, so you’re losing your shit over it…they always have before. This could be someone that’s moving into a new relationship and getting serious almost overnight with The Hierophant here. Like they just met this person, now they’re getting married?? What?? You’ve had conversations with this person, acting like you’re totally fine and healed. But quietly you’re hoping they realize they’re making a mistake and start over with you. The advice here is to take a leap of faith yourself, into something brand new. Could be work related, could be travel, whatever it is will separate you from this person and start a new life for yourself…that’s what needs to happen. Even if you don’t want to go, 8 Cups is reluctantly leaving a situation because there’s no other choice. Karma will do it’s magic, it always does, if it’s deserved. You have a new beginning waiting for you somewhere else, and things will fall into place as you move in another (conscious) direction, setting new goals for yourself 🙏

Animal Oracle: Octopus 🐙

“Practice shapeshifting by altering your physical appearance and mannerisms.”

To become adept at shapeshifting, it’s necessary to remain flexible and resilient, and be willing to practice different identities by altering your way of dressing, hairstyle, your demeanor, and mannerisms. Particularly focus on your body language and voice qualities. Experiment by making small changes in any of these aspects and watch what happens. Everyone has numerous personas from which they operate, and you’re no exception. It’s a matter of being conscious of those personas and modifying them through the art of shapeshifting, just like actors do. Developing this ability can help you more readily adapt to various situations you encounter, and enable you to deal with them more effectively. Let yourself be an actor in everyday life, and have fun with it. Just remember who you are at your core.

Artist Oracle: FILIPPO MARINETTI

- Forward march. Looking backward ensures a broken neck.

- Your art should wage war.

- The only constant will always be contradiction.

Advice:

- Spend Your Money Wisely

- Make People Feel Seen

Charms:

Parfum 💅🏽 on Spend Money Wisely shows you not being the best with money, you tend to blow it on expensive things. Perfume could be literal, makeup, shoes, whatever your thing is that isn’t a necessity and probably needs to be cut out in order to move in the direction you’re needing to go.

Twitter Bird 🐦 on Make People Feel Seen can literally be social media, and you could be stalking this person with Page of Swords here. “Friends” but not. If you think there is a chance for a new beginning with this person, before they jump off the deep end, speak up. The Fool is here with 8 Cups, it could be an either/or situation. Make your presence noticed, and show them that you care. You two can try again, or it’s done and you’ve got other places to be, for some it could depend on you. For some it’s not going to work & some it could. For at least one of you, this is just a message that it’s time to move on & focus on other people instead of obsessing over this one.

can't blame him, his intuition is v v good~

yes yes as a wise and incredibly good-looking man once said, "every journey has its final day. there is no need to rush." 😌

hskdjskdj if you provide me with the art or video of your oc then most definitely!!! but also if you wanna do something similar just for a post or for a series for your blog, do lemme know, i can code it for you! i have the base code so creating something similar shouldn't take too much work! i don't mind doing it for my friends hehe c:

a walk alongside the harbor sounds so nice... sighhh oh to walk arm-in-arm with such a refined gentleman.... yes yes feel free to openly gush about your faves too, i love it when people get all excited talking about their favorite characters hehe

"a jar of expensive candied petals" i'm-- slfjsldkdl you're making me blush stoppp 🙈 ofc, let us release the plot bunnies into the wild!!! or, well, i'm holding back from releasing them in my blog for now bc tumblr put me in shadowban jail- BUT as soon as they release me i'm releasing a hoard of them and no one can stop me >:/

xiao do be like that... but i think it's good cause i get distracted too easily sometimes!! so he keeps my attention on the game hehe and my gosh kazuha is my first character for crowd control ( i mean ig jean is too but i like kazuha more oops sorry jean ;| ) and he's so good!!!

kazuha sees my simping and he's just like "nope" lol i love my anemo team it's so fun to have xiao-kazuha-jean <3 one day, i will build heizou... one day....

qiqi is so adorable i love her yes i'd like to adopt her thank you wait whatttt omg she's came home to me twice now... mona has yet to grace me with her presence... but tbh i played her on the gaa event and i... didn't really like her playstyle that much, so i'll take another qiqi if i lose another 50/50. or a diluc. i have his stupidly handsome outfit ready for him.

hubby is a good shielder and dps!!! try your luck and pull for him!!! i don't have him on my acc but i played him so much using my brother's acc where's he built as a dps- and hskdjsjdh he's so good ;w; oh is al haitham a 5-star character?? big oof, i thought he was gonna be a 4-star 😶 welp in that case he might not come home then... cause i'm prepared to spend whatever is necessary to bring zhongli home...... 🙃

also my day has been good so far!!! i hope yours has been great too <3

ty, zhongli, but we're like 12 minutes late and you're walking so slowly. (/lh) djwkkdkks ty, rin !! i don't have a genshin oc but if i ever need your help for similar things, i'll keep that in mind ;D

zhongli's voice is very calming, 100/10 would ask him to serenade me to sleep while he talks about cor lapis 🙏 aaaaa, me too !! when people talk about the things they love >>> nooooo, rin, have you seen the way i talk about those two??? i swear i word-vomit about them so much it's crazy 🏃 but ty tho! i'm terrible at holding back, hehe. just know you're always welcome to do the same about *cough* zhongli *cough*.

( discussions about banner leaks !! )

how dare tumblr put one of my fav writers in shadowban jail <//3 having to email them and then wait and then do a test post... it's definitely not a pleasant experience. please give rin's acc back and let her post more wonderful stuff??? i just saw that you moved blogs btw, so i'll follow real quick hehe! when you release new works, i'll be there to read and gush about them !!

ayato and al-haitham need company on my manifestation list, so i'll be adding xiao and zhongli to it >:) and oooo, if you build heizou, does this mean you'll be playing a mono anemo team??? 👀 that'd be super cool, people who build mono-element teams really have my respect 😭🤝

as a heizou main, the last part is so funny because i only recently got him to lvl 80 after maining at lvl 70 ever since i got him (but he still slays hilichurls like a pro) <//3 good luck with farming, rin !! go beat that ruin serpent to a pulp and as for the onikabuto's, i mostly search through the places we visited for the cleansing ritual, tatarasuna, and the thunder sakura trees! or you can search up farming routes~

the fact that you have no mona and c1 qiqi while i have no qiqi and c1 mona... ah yes, the contrasting destinies taste absolutely delicious here fjkwkdkskf mona is a good buff support, but i can understand why her playstyle isn't everybody's cup of tea !! at least, you got to a free trial for her from the event kfkwkkds >:)

DILUC <3 i have mine benched since i'm not much of a claymore enjoyer (maybe i should try to main him with klee artifacts for one day) but i'll be manifesting him for you !! his playstyle is super cool >:) i was busy fawning over his smile until i read kaeya's letters which was a cold angsty slap to the face <//3

from what i heard, al-haitham will be a five-star !! but dw, i think his banner is going to arrive later than zhongli's, so go all out for hubby !! hmm, maybe you might even have enough to pull al-haitham if you're not tempted by other banners??? 👀

"Simpleng tao"

I bust a gut to survive school because, unlike any other students, I came from a family that struggles financially. As a son of a tricycle driver and a scrap collector, John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University-Arevalo (JBLFMU) was never an option. It is expensive. It is prestigious. It is “John B.” But, I only have one choice to take to a future I want to make–makaahon sa hirap ng buhay.

I applied to JBLFMU without my mother’s knowledge. Not until the day of enrollment. Of course, she got mad at me because she knew, they can't afford to send me to JBLFMU, but I was persistent enough to convince her. I begged on my knees and promised to do good at school and make her proud, make them proud. Long story short, I was admitted as a student of John B.

I knew it would be tough but I never thought it was going to be tougher–as a student and as a student in straitened circumstances. There's never been a time when I didn't need to write a promissory note just to allow me to take the exams because my parents cannot afford to pay my tuition in full and on time. These circumstances pushed me to my limits to do better in what is expected of me. I dare myself to aim high.

During my Senior High School years at John B, I feel unfortunate not to be included in a star section where more opportunities are offered. It exists. But, I also believe that we make doors for opportunities. I take on a challenge to be a leader of my fellow Lacsonians and got elected as a Councilor of the University Student Council. With my persistence, I have handled the job on top of my academics.

During my college years, I am more driven by my passion and perseverance to be an outstanding student. I belong to the class of Polaris-1B, a star section and I told myself to never let this chance slip out of my hands. In the same year, I became the Vice President of the Student Council. I even dared to try becoming a part of a fraternity during my freshmen years. I had a handful of responsibilities as a student and as a leader, but my pockets were still empty, my promissory notes never stopped.

Suddenly, the pandemic happened. It was a challenging academic year for me. I was at the point of breaking down. I had a hard time adjusting to the online classes, especially during the times when I don't have the necessary equipment for the class. I don’t have a laptop. We don’t have an internet connection. I struggled.

From Polaris 1B to Bellatrix. I thought my dreams were crushed before me. It was a heartbreak. But, the promise I made to my mother kept me strong and thrived for more. I didn't let any uncertainties hinder me to keep going.

In my last year, unsurprisingly, I still write promissory notes. Yet, never undetermined. Back on track, I am again listed in the star section–Polaris 3A. It was my last year and I was a step closer to my dreams. I've met wonderful people throughout my college years. Friends, colleagues, peers, and acquiantances who helped me through my hardest times. Their encouragements and wisdom fueled my core and my spirit to give myself one last push.

I could not survive this endeavor without these people and my supportive parents.

I have had offered my hard work, but I was never the cream of the crop, never on the dean’s list, nor a scholar. Despite all these, what matters most is that I finished tha race I started–all with pride, honor, and dignity. Despite all the challenges I faced, my family faced, I am now a graduate.

All the promises I made–a promise to my mom, a promise I made to my school’s admissions, a promise to myself–were all met. There’s one last promise I just need to fullfil, I will never stop chasing what’s better beyond the horizon because we still have a future to work on.

To my parents who believed in me and my dreams, for providing everything I needed depsite the setbacks, and to my relatives who helped me in one way or another…Thank you is not enough but I am truly grateful, thank you!

To RPO, SEC, TBH, Corrector, Gunwale, Exam friends and classmates thank you for always there for me.

1st of the 15 grandchildren of my Lolo and Lola, finally, completed classroom instruction leading to a degree in Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation.

Joshua Malunes Germino, Simpleng tao