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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 month

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The unexpected upside of global monopoly capitalism

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TODAY (Apr 10) at UCLA, then Chicago (Apr 17), Torino (Apr 21) Marin County (Apr 27), Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

Here's a silver lining to global monopoly capitalism: it means we're all fighting the same enemy, who is using the same tactics everywhere. The same coordination tools that allow corporations to extend their tendrils to every corner of the Earth allows regulators and labor organizers to coordinate their resistance.

That's a lesson Mercedes is learning. In 2023, Germany's Supply Chain Act went into effect, which bans large corporations with a German presence from using child labor, violating health and safety standards, and (critically) interfering with union organizers:

https://www.bafa.de/EN/Supply_Chain_Act/Overview/overview_node.html

Across the ocean, in the USA, Mercedes has a preference for building its cars in the American South, the so-called "right to work" states where US labor law is routinely flouted and unions are thin on the ground. As The American Prospect's Harold Meyerson writes, the only non-union Mercedes factories in the world are in the US:

https://prospect.org/labor/2024-04-08-american-workers-german-law-uaw-unions/

But American workers – especially southern workers – are on an organizing tear, unionizing their workplaces at a rate not seen in generations. Their unprecedented success is down to their commitment, solidarity and shrewd tactics – all buoyed by a refreshingly pro-worker NLRB, who have workers' backs in ways also not seen since the Carter administration:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/14/prop-22-never-again/#norms-code-laws-markets

Workers at Mercedes' factory in Vance, Alabama are trying to join the UAW, and Mercedes is playing dirty, using the tried-and-true union-busting tactics that have held workplace democracy at bay for decades. The UAW has lodged a complaint with the NLRB, naturally:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/alabama-mercedes-benz

But the UAW has also filed a complaint with BAFA, the German regulator in charge of the Supply Chain Act, seeking penalties against Mercedes-Benz Group AG:

https://uaw.org/uaw-files-charges-in-germany-against-mercedes-benz-companys-anti-union-campaign-against-u-s-autoworkers-violates-new-german-law-on-global-supply-chain-practices/

That's a huge deal, because the German Supply Chain Act goes hard. If Mercedes is convicted of union-busting in Alabama, its German parent-company faces a fine of 2% of its global total revenue, and will no longer be eligible to sell products to the German government. Chomp.

Now, the German Supply Chain Act is new, and this is the first petition filed by a non-German union with BAFA, so it's not a slam dunk. But supermajorities of Mercedes workers at the Alabama factory have signed UAW cards, and the election is going to happen in May or June. And the UAW – under new leadership, thanks to a revolution that overthrew the corrupt old guard – has its sights set on all the auto-makers in the American south.

As Meyerson writes, the south is America's onshore offshore, a regulatory haven where corporations pay minimal or no tax and are free to abuse their workers, pollute, and corrupt local governments with a free hand (no wonder American industry is flocking to these states). Meyerson: "The economic impact of unionizing the South, in other words, could almost be placed in the same category as reshoring work that had gone to China."

The German Supply Chain Act was passed with the help of Germany's powerful labor unions, in an act of solidarity with workers employed by German companies all over the world. This is that unexpected benefit to globalism: the fact that Mercedes has extrusions into both the American and German political spheres means that both American and German workers can collaborate to bring it to heel.

The same is true for antitrust regulators. The multinational corporations that are in regulators' crosshairs in the US, the EU, the UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea and beyond use the same playbook in every country. That's doubly true of Big Tech companies, who literally run the same code – embodying the same illegal practices – on servers in every country.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has led the pack on convening summits where antitrust enforcers from all over the world gather to compare notes and collaborate on enforcement strategies:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cma-data-technology-and-analytics-conference-2022-registration-308678625077

And the CMA's Digital Markets Unit – which boasts the the largest tech staff of any competition regulator in the world – produces detailed market studies that turn out to be roadmaps for other territories' enforces to follow – like this mobile market study:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63f61bc0d3bf7f62e8c34a02/Mobile_Ecosystems_Final_Report_amended_2.pdf

Which was extensively referenced in the EU during the planning of the Digital Markets Act, and in the US Congress for similar legislation:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2710

It also helped enforcers in Japan:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japan-to-crack-down-on-Apple-and-Google-app-store-monopolies

And South Korea:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/skorea-considers-505-mln-fine-against-google-apple-over-app-market-practices-2023-10-06/

Just as Mercedes workers in Germany and the USA share a common enemy, allowing for coordinated action that takes advantage of vulnerable flanks wherever they are found, anti-monopoly enforcers are sharing notes, evidence, and tactics to strike at multinationals that are bigger than most countries – but not when those countries combine.

This is an unexpected upside to global monopolies: when we all share a common enemy, we've got endless opportunities for coordinated offenses and devastating pincer maneuvers.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/10/an-injury-to-one/#is-an-injury-to-all

#pluralistic #monopoly #labor #nlrb #germany #harold meyerson #supply chain act #right to work #onshore offshore #uaw #vance alabama #vance #alabama #bafa #mercedes #antitrust #trustbusting

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letters-to-lgbt-kids · 1 year

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My dear lgbt+ kids,

It's June, so it's time for a little history lesson:

You probably know that June is Pride Month, but do you know why this month was choosen? It's because of the Stonewall Riots that happened in June in the year 1969, in a bar called Stonewall Inn in New York (USA).

In the 60s, engaging in "gay behavior" in public (like holding hands, kissing or dancing) was illegal. Violent police raids of gay bars were common.

Especially trans women of color were regularly arrested and subjected to police brutality during those raids. Police officers would also sexually harrass them by taking them to the bathroom to “verify their sex”.

In the early hours of June 28, 1969 there was one of those (homophobic and transphobic) police raids happening in the bar mentioned above.

A police officer hit a woman (Stormé DeLarverie) on the head with a baton after she complained that her handcuffs were too tight. This sparked the crowd to fight back. They threw objects (such as pennies, bottles and stones) at the police, which ultimately led to serveral nights of rioting.

These riots are the event that paved the way for the modern gay rights movement. Within a few months, at least two organizations and three newspapers to promote lgbt+ rights were founded.

One year later, there was the first “Christoper Street Liberation Day” in New York (named after the street where the riots started). Their official chant was: “Say it loud, gay is proud.”

Eight years later, Sweden celebrated the first “Christoper Street Liberation Day”, the first Pride event in Europe. Nowadays, there are Pride Events all over the world.

Of course this is just a short and simplified overview. If you want to deepen your knowledge, there are plenty of ways online to learn more about the history of Pride Month! For example, here is an more in-depth article by history.com

With all my love,

Your Tumblr Dad

#lgbt #lgbt+

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nordic-language-love · 5 months

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IRL Japanese 2: Things the kids I teach say all the time

If you're planning to work as an ESL teacher in Japan working with kids, this vocab is gonna be super useful for you! You'll pick up a lot as you go along, but it's good to have an overview from the start.

できた = done, finished (whenever they finish an exercise I've set them. The older kids will use the ます-form, but kids under like age 8 will use this one)

かえる？= is it time to go home? (lit: go home?)

わかった = got it (again, the older kids will use the ます-form)

わからない / わかんない = I don't get it (idk if わかんない is just dialect or if it's common overall, but I hear it more than わからない. Usually from the kids who don't wanna be there and are making zero effort)

ちがう = wrong / different (when they give an answer but realise it's not correct. It's basically like "wait, no")

ばか = idiot (sometimes boys say this to their friends)

全部？（ぜんぶ）= everything?! (asked in disbelief when I ask them to write more than one word)

やめろ = stop it! (used with friends when they're teasing each other)

いたいよ = that actually hurts, you know! (used with friends when they're rough-housing)

よし (more like 'yoshhh') = right then (filler word indicating the start of an activity or a change of activity)

水筒（すいとう）= water bottle (most kids bring one to class and frequently forget to take them with them when they go home)

忘れた（わすれた）= I forgot (usually in reference to the text book they left at home)

トイレに行きたい = I want to go to the bathroom

先生、大好き！（せんせい、だいすき！）= I love you, Sensei!

Other useful classroom/school vocabulary:

サイコロ = dice

トランプ = playing cards

ごろごろ = onomatopeia for the sound for rolling (I found the kids got confused if I just mimed rolling a dice/ball and said "roll!" but if I did the gesture and said "gorogoro", they understood)

ビリビリ = onomatopeia for ripping (useful for when you have tear-apart crafts in class)

ケシケシ = onomatopeia for erasing something (useful when you try to explain to a kid they spelled something wrong. Because it's easier to just say "A kesh-kesh, E" than "Not A, E. Okay great you wrote E, but A needs to go. No no no not the whole word, just A. Oh my God. Okay. Let me write it and you copy.")

ちょっと = a little, soon, wait a little (useful if the kids are getting a bit antsy and ready to go home a bit too early/don't want to wait their turn. Don't use it with parents though!)

がんばれ = do your best / you can do it!

あぶない！= dangerous / look out! (useful if a kid unexpectedly runs in front of me while I'm carrying a table)

せえの！= Altogether now! (When I need the kids to repeat something after me)

だめだよ = Don't do that (for when the kids repeatedly do something I've asked them not to do)

少々お待ちください（しょうしょう　おまち　ください）= polite form of "please wait a moment". Useful if you have a parent talking to you and you need to go get something (e.g. a communication sheet for them to point at so you know what they're trying to say)

授業参観 (じゅぎょうさんかん) = parent observation (PO). A couple of times a year, parents are invited into the classroom to watch the lesson (absolutely not a thing in the UK, not sure about other countries). The past two months I've had POs at my various schools, and so the parents come to the door and ask me if it's PO week. I don't understand most of the question, but I can pick out this one word and a question particle and figure out what they're asking.

It's also obviously a good idea to learn vocabulary related to stationery (eraser, pencil, crayon, pen, notebook, textbook, pencil case etc) because kids forget/lose their stuff all the time and will inevitably ask you if they can borrow something.

#japanese #japanese langblr #learning japanese #japanese for beginners #esl #esl in japan

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deception-united · 26 days

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Hello! I've been enjoying your writing posts a lot. Here's my question: How do you exactly write a character profile? Getting one from the internet feels like feeling out a resume, but trying to create one myself leaves me hanging in with the question “what should I be putting here?”

Thanks for asking! Crafting a character profile can indeed feel like navigating a nebulous space, but it's a crucial step in fleshing out your characters and getting to know them better. Here's a breakdown of what you might include:

Basic Information: Start with the essentials - name, age, gender, and any other pertinent demographic details.

Physical Description: Provide a brief overview of what your character looks like. This could include height, build, hair color, eye color, distinguishing features (scars, tattoos, etc.), and typical clothing choices.

Personality Traits: Think about your character's temperament, quirks, strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, and any notable personality traits. Are they introverted or extroverted? Optimistic or pessimistic? Adventurous or cautious?

Background: Delve into your character's backstory. Where were they born? What was their upbringing like? Do they have any significant life events that have shaped who they are today?

Motivations and Goals: What does your character want? What are their ambitions, desires, and fears? Understanding what drives your character can add depth to their actions and decisions within your story.

Relationships: Explore your character's connections with others. Who are their family members, friends, enemies, or love interests? How do these relationships influence your character's actions and emotions?

Skills and Abilities: What is your character good at? What are their areas of expertise? Do they have any special talents or abilities that set them apart?

Character Arc: Consider how your character will change and grow throughout your story. What obstacles will they face, and how will they overcome them? What lessons will they learn along the way?

Internal Conflicts: What internal struggles does your character grapple with? These could be doubts, fears, moral dilemmas, or unresolved traumas.

External Conflicts: What external challenges does your character face? These could be adversaries, societal pressures, or environmental obstacles.

Another thing I like to do is find an online personality test, like 16Personalities or Truity, and fill it out on behalf of my character. Both the process and the results can give further insight. Websites such as Campfire have full character profiles that you can complete. Or try filling out this character ask game!

Remember, this is just a starting point, and you can tailor your character profile to fit your specific needs and preferences (e.g., fighting style, fantastical conditions, supernatural abilities, character archetypes, interpersonal values, leadership style, phobias, habits, etc.). Feel free to add or omit sections as necessary, and don't be afraid to let your characters surprise you as you write!

#writeblr #writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #writing resources #creative writing #character development #character description #character traits #character design #deception-united

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exhaslo · 3 months

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Corruption Ch9

(Villain!Miguel x F!Hero!Reader)

Ch1, Ch2, Ch3, Ch4, Ch5, Ch6, Ch7, Ch8

Warning: Minors DNI, mentions of sex, violence, blood, murder, twisted thoughts, experimentation, language, wannabe fluff, established friendship?

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

Three Months, One Day until D-Day

The weather was starting to get chilly. Winter was approaching faster than Fall even began. You had to let out a small whimper in protest since your body was getting colder than it normally would. The only reason you could think of was your new Spider DNA.

Shivering in your office as you waited for the IT guy to come up and fix your heater, you decided to read your health examination overview. Miguel had handed it to you personally, wanting to make sure you knew that he did act professionally.

"Ah! If only I could remember what happened. Hopefully I didn't act too much of a goof," You whined, opening the envelope.

As you read, you were relieved that everything was fine. Your new changes didn't cause any affect to your body...at least that the blood and overall examination could pick up. Your organic webs, ability to cling to walls and now sensitivity to the cold was something that wouldn't be noticed.

You sighed sadly, knowing that this secret was going to be buried with you. Finishing the letter, you noticed Miguel's handwriting on the bottom.

'Cancel your gym membership and start eating more.'

Your cheeks started to heat up and your smile grew wide. People can say what they will about Miguel, but deep down, he was still a caring man. It was just hard to find that kind spot.

Gasping, you felt your body tense from the cold. You reached for the blanket on your couch, wrapping yourself in it.

"L-Lyla...w-when...will the I-IT guy....c-come?" You stuttered from the cold.

---------

"Sir, it seems like (Y/N) is reacting poorly to the weather." Lyla stated as Miguel worked on DNA seperation.

"How so?"

"She's asking if spiders hibernate during the winter."

Miguel stopped what he was doing. Normally, he would chuckle at such a dumb question, but not when it came to you. Rushing out of his personal lab, Miguel hurried to your office. He had to make sure that you were okay. He couldn't allow anything to happen to you.

His blood was pumping with adrenaline. All of these special changes within you that Miguel could not pick up from your blood. It was all so fascinating. It made him wonder what else you could do, but he was not going to test those theories.

Not when it could harm you.

Finally arriving at your office, Miguel grunted at the sight of Aaron checking on you. Why did the IT agent have to be him of all people? Did he not learn his lesson from last time? Whatever the case, Miguel was not one to shy away from crushing other people.

"Isn't there a job you should be doing?" Miguel tone was harsher than normal.

"(Y/N) doesn't look too good. I was going to-"

"Fix the heater in here."

Miguel's glare was prominent as he hissed out the words. What good was a love sick puppy if he couldn't even do one little thing? At least you had proven again and again to Miguel your use. You were the only one who stood by his side for so long.

"M-Miguel? D-Did I m-miss an a-appointment?" You stuttered, shaking like a leaf on your couch.

Ah, how you still concerned yourself with him. Miguel was going to enjoy twisting you into his perfect little wife. Creating the perfect humans once he, himself, becomes just like you.

"No." Miguel said simply.

Picking you up with ease, Miguel made his way out of your office. He was unable to hide his smirk as Aaron glared daggers. What good was it to be jealous if he couldn't act on it? Miguel didn't care who he had to piss off, as long as he got his way.

"M-Miguel...I-It's cold," You whispered.

"I know,"

Ignoring the looks and stares he received, Miguel continued to his office. What good were others to do? They knew better than to say anything to him. Miguel's business was his own. Besides, this should clarify that you belonged to him.

Once Miguel reached his office, he had Lyla turn the heat up. It annoyed him, but he was going to have to wait on studying your blood any further today. Miguel's focus was on your health.

Sitting on his chair, Miguel had you sit on his lap. You cozied up quick, still shivering from the cold. Miguel took this time to catch up on some paperwork he had ignored on purpose. Miguel didn't want to admit it, but this was comfortable.

"(Y/n)'s temperature is slowly rising, along with yours. Shall I cool off the room?" Lyla asked. Miguel typed away,

"No. Not until (Y/N) is back to normal." Miguel grunted before pausing, "Lyla, order (Y/N) some heat forming clothing. I can't have her collapsing like his on her way home."

"And of her apartment?"

"Have extra heaters ordered and in place of each room. They will be of use until I take her for myself."

"Yes, sir."

Miguel exhaled softly as he leaned back in his heat. You were breathing softly against his neck as you slept. This sure was better than you grinding him and talking nonsense from when you were high from his drug. This was peaceful.

However, there was the still the threat of someone daring to steal you away from him. Miguel knew that you would never betray him, but he also knew that eventually you would have a limit. Someone could give you the affection you craved and sweep you off your feet.

The thought angered Miguel.

There was already a minor threat at his door. Miguel was going to have to go above and beyond in order to keep you. He knew that eventually this would happen, but to be forced to do it so soon? It was frustrating.

With another loud sigh, Miguel had to accept his fate. This will help in the future anyway. You were his precious little test subject. Everything about you belonged to Miguel.

And he was going to show you.

---------

You whimpered a soft grunt as you started to come to. Fluttering your eyes open, you recognized the room you were in. You couldn't help but cry softly, knowing that you probably burdened Miguel once again.

"Why are you whining? I'd thought you be happy in this situation." Miguel scoffed.

You flinched and immediately fixed yourself, finding Miguel under you. Your face turned bright red as his hands gripped your waist. How did you end up in this situation again? Your heart couldn't take such embarassment.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't cause you too much trouble, did I?"

You were panicking. Miguel was going to be annoyed now. Ready to get off his lap, you were surprised when Miguel kept you in place. His grip was firm against your waist.

"Miguel?"

"You had me worried, (Y/n)." Miguel grumbled, his hand now against your cheek, "I thought I told you to watch your health?"

"I-I'm sorry, but...I couldn't control how cold I got."

"Why a sudden change?" Miguel hummed, stroking your cheek.

You shuddered, leaning against him. You wanted to tell Miguel the truth, but you knew the consequences. It was too dangerous to tell him. Resting your head against his hand, you simply shrugged to his question.

"Then you had that guy come and fix your heater?" His tone was cruel as Miguel grabbed your chin, pulling you closer.

"I-I just called IT...I didn't know who would come."

"Don't care. You belong to me."

You felt a shiver run down your spine towards his words. You always knew that Miguel was a possessive man. Feeling your face getting closer to his, your heart rate started to increase. Your breathing hitched as Miguel placed his lips against yours.

Was this really happening?

His lips were rough and cold. Nothing like you imagined, but you still felt like you were in cloud nine. As the two of you parted, you closed your eyes as Miguel stroked your cheek once more.

"You...are...mine." He said firmly.

"Yes, Miguel," You hummed in response.

"You will remember to do as I say, right? Do so, and I shall keep giving you these treats you enjoy so much."

"You're making me sound like a pet. Surely, you must enjoy...just a little of this too....right?" You asked, frowning slightly. Miguel raised a brow,

"I suppose I wouldn't have done it otherwise," He stroked your lips next, "You know I like what's mine to do as I please."

"I know, but I'm a person too." You huffed.

Miguel let out a soft grunt before pulling you into another kiss. His hand trailed up your back, causing you to shiver and grab onto him. Perhaps you needed to give Miguel some leniency. This was the first time you had ever seen him so affectionate. Perhaps he knew nothing of love.

Which meant that you had to teach him.

"I know," Miguel finally replied back. You smiled, enjoying the kisses he was giving you,

"Hehe, but I'll still listen to you. You're still my boss."

--------

Your boss and soon to be owner. Oh, how dangerous of a combo that was. You were too naïve to see what Miguel had planned for you. Always seeing the good in others. You were such a good girl. Miguel was enjoying this slow corruption.

"Speaking of which, because of this...I am behind on work. I need you to complete some reports for me." Miguel requested, flipping you on his lap.

His arm was still tight around you waist, refusing to let you go. Miguel wanted to keep you in his embrace a little longer. Who knows when he was going to be able to steal you from your hero life. Miguel couldn't allow you to be free and get injured.

"Miguel, I wouldn't understand these. Are you sure you want me to fill them out for you?"

"Those are the easy ones."

"Easy for you," You huffed. Miguel furrowed his brows, leaning towards your ear,

"Be a good girl and help me." He whispered, watching you turn into putty. "Your office is still a frozen-"

"Sir, Doc Ock has been taken in. Would you like to start taking his blood sample?" Lyla appeared, interrupting Miguel.

"Huh? Doc Ock? What are you planning on doing with that super villain?" You asked, shocked. Miguel chuckled lowly as he got up and sat you in his chair,

"Wasn't he the one who hurt you that one time you got caught in the action? All I plan to do is question him...and run some tests." Miguel's smile turned wicked.

Doc Ock was going to regret ever laying a tentacle on you. Miguel was going to make his debut as the new villain in the city. No one was going to ever harm you again.

"B-but he's dangerous! Even Spider-Woman had a hard time-"

"Don't you trust me?" Miguel hummed, patting your head, "I'll be fine, you should be more worried about those reports."

Leaving his office, Miguel couldn't help but chuckle. You were such a good girl for him. This was truly a splendid day.

"Lyla, inform the workers that we'll be serving octopus for lunch today."

"Yes, sir~."

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Next Chapter

(Still on small hiatus, just managed to finish Persona 3 haha)

@tojishugetiddies @miguelsfavwife @foulsharkheart @club-danger-zone @ivkygirly @jollystrawberrycycle @amber-content @weirdothatwritess @smartyren @mangoslushcrush @nyxzoldyck6 @migueloharastruelove @chaoticlovingdreamer @sukioyakio @killjoy-nightshadow @heyohalie @the-pan-liquid @bokutosprettylittlebimbo @kpopscoups17130000 @pochapo @killerwendigo @barbiecrocs @miss-galaxy-turtle @oscarissac2099 @lazy-idate @lauraolar14 @migueloharacumslut @straw-berry-ghoul @daisy-artfield @sukunash0e @undf-stuff @iamperson12280 @nightingale1011 @reader-1290 @mcmiracles @keepghostly @marlyharper @jadeloverxd

#miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel spiderverse #spiderman 2099 #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel o'hara smut #miguel spiderman #atsv miguel #miguel x you #across the spiderverse #miguel x y/n #miguel x reader

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arminsumi · 9 months

Note

You have single-handedly restarted my eren obsession, how dare you be such a great writer 😔

accidentally calling Eren bro and he isn't having it- would 100% start fussing and be dramatic but you make that mistake infront of friends and he makes sure you *never* call him that again. 0-100 with this guy

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🍒꒱

EREN x f.reader

A/N: hehe no apologies 😈 mwa enjoy buttercup

♪ NOW PLAYING: streets

Overview; Eren hates it when you call him 'bro', especially around his friends. So he has a "talk" with you between the library aisles

Content; fluff, (very) spicy makeout

Warnings; 🔞mdni, Eren's a lil rough n mean, neck biting, marking

arminsumi's library

It was just a slip of the tongue. You and him were cooped up in his dorm room — that cramped, poorly-lit dorm room which had only one aspect you liked and that was the view from the window; you could see the stretch of city lights twinkling at night.

Eren was perched on the edge of his bed tuning his acoustic, and you laid comfortably spread-out. Occasional twangs filled the room as he tested his tuning abilities.

The two of you were knee-deep in a small debate about something you saw on social media the other day, you said something like "Bro, seriously?" and he stopped the whole debate, set down his guitar, and harped on that tiny nickname.

"What the hell?" he grimaced at you.

You looked at him dumbly, "What?"

"I'm not your 'bro'." he said disgustedly.

"Huh?" you laughed confusedly. "Uh, I'm sorry...?"

"Don't ever call me that again." he said seriously, as if you said something genuinely offensive.

He let out a heavy sigh and went back to tuning his guitar. The two of you continued debating like nothing happened, but Eren had an annoyed edge in his voice.

⁕⁕⁕

Now, that time in his dorm was just one minor incident of you calling him bro.

But one day in the library, you were sat with Armin, Jean, and Connie at the round white table in the corner, when that nickname slipped past your lips again.

Eren masqueraded an expressionless face in response, but you could tell he was pissed about something.

No one knew why, but Eren suddenly asked if he could have a "talk" with you in private. Armin amusedly raised his brows like oh, you in trouble-trouble.

You confusedly followed him, trailing in his tall shadow down to a quiet aisle.

The "talk" he wanted to have with you involved a lot of tongue. Between book-stuffed shelves of white, Eren grabbed a fistful of your hair and gently yanked it to tilt your head up, deepening his unexpected kiss.

"Erehn — " you gasped into his mouth. It was wet, warm, slippery, dizzying; it's like his lips were laced with drugs because your mind was transported into a hazy high state.

Between ragged breaths, Eren spoke in a deep, searing voice. "You call me that again in front of my friends, and 'm gonna make sure you regret it, understood?"

Eyes blazing with anger, one that teetered between being attractive and scary.

" 'sorryyy." you mumble through swollen lips.

He dove back in for more hotter, harder kisses. Eren's idea of teaching you a lesson involved less words and more actions; he kissed the hell out of you.

That might sound cute or cheesy, but no — no this is Eren we're talking about. When I say he kissed the hell out of you, I mean he kissed you until your lips felt hot, numb and swollen. Until you looked up at him erotically as if he just just gave you good dick.

He gave your hair another tug to expose your neck properly to his seeking lips. He latched onto a sweet spot just above your collarbone and bit down hard. Suckling, nipping, swirling his tongue, sinking his canines in as if he were a vampire. You almost moaned.

After he was satisfied with the "talk", he said something that stirred up something between your thighs.

"Baby learned her lesson yet? Yeah? Good. Now go show of that bite mark to my friends."

#🐦 freedom boy #eren #eren jaeger #eren x reader #eren x you #eren x y/n #aot #snk #eren yeager #eren aot #shingeki no kyojin #eren jaeger x reader #eren x fem!reader #eren jaeger x you #eren jaeger x y/n #aot x reader #attack on titan

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lurkingteapot · 1 year

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Free Thai language learning resources

I’ve been learning Thai for the past 20 months. This list is by no means complete or comprehensive, what works for me doesn’t have to work for you, etc etc. That said: I’ve used most of these and found them useful, I thought you might, too. Have fun!

Youtube channels with free video lessons:

There are tons of wonderful teachers on youtube; this is by no means an exhaustive list. The three channels listed here are comprehensive, long-running, and updated regularly; if you have other favourites, please reblog and append!

Comprehensible Thai is a channel that teaches Thai in Thai, from zero, via the comprehensible input method. They have videos from total beginner through upper intermediate/lower advanced levels available.

Learn Thai with Mod – Mod runs a language school that offers good, structured group classes; she and her co-teachers often upload short videos about specific aspects of Thai. The channel has been around for a long time and they cover a lot of topics, including grammar points.

Thai Lessons by New (Learn Thai one Word one Sentence) – lots of good vocabulary and situational phrases

Other channels I like:

Advanced Thai with Kruu Momm -- one of my favourites, Momm’s a star. Not included in the upper list only because this is definitely more of an intermediate-advanced resource.

Thai with Grace -- I knew of Grace via her polyglot channel and travel vlogs before I realised she also teaches Thai. Fun stuff.

Kat talks Thai -- I believe Kat is more active on instagram (@kattalksthai), but these are still really neat.

Perth Nakhun’s Basic Thai playlist

Honourable mentions because they’re interesting and can be nice supplements (yes, the video titles on these channels tend to be clickbaity, the content is useful, though):

Stu Jay Raj: Stu is a polyglot based in Thailand. His channel is a bit of a mixed bag, but he has a very interesting approach to languages and sometimes does foreign accent reduction / accent analysis sessions on his channel (with consent and participation of those whose speech he dissects).

Thai Talk with Paddy: Paddy is an Australian who learned Thai when he was a volunteer in Thailand, he’s kept it up. Fun things about language learning and culture

Listening comprehension

I’m assuming many folks on here who are interested in Thai already watch some Thai shows (yes I’m stereotyping but also this is tumblr), which means you’re spending time listening to Thai.

If you’re not:

Netflix, Youtube, WeTV, and Viki all have several Thai shows with English subtitles available. The Youtube channel of Thai broadcasting giant GMMTV has English subtitles on nearly all of their uploaded series, some series are also subtitled in languages other than English. one31 is another huge channel; they have English subtitles on some series and some series also have subtitles in Thai. There’s tons more – find a rec list and a Thai show that sounds like you’d enjoy it, chances are you’ll be able to watch it for free, legally, on youtube. You can use the youtube controls (or the ones on netflix) to turn the speed down to 75% —this can make it a lot easier to catch what’s being said. 50% gets so draggy that I personally find it almost harder to understand, but ymmv—give it a shot!

https://lingopolo.org/thai/ has real-life recordings for listening practice; sign-up is required but it’s literally just an e-mail-address, user name and password. Using the site is free.

https://www.activethai.com/ has a section dedicated to learning the tones (under “Overview of Thai Tones”) including a self-test for listening that I found very useful.

Learning to read

I will always, always, ALWAYS recommend learning to read the Thai script. All available romanisations for Thai have drawbacks, and besides, you learned to read English with its “though through thorough tough thought”, you can damn well learn to read Thai. I promise it will help you improve your pronunciation (yes, really) and overall understanding of how the language works.

Learn-to-Read-Thai resources that seem comprehensive and like they should do everything in one:

Anki decks “Read Thai PHASE 1 - The Consonants“, “Read Thai PHASE 2 - Thai Vowels“, “Read Thai PHASE 3 - Consonant Classes” and “Read Thai PHASE 4 - Tone Rules” by Khruu Gaan (ครูกานต์). Anki is probably the most powerful spaced repetition software I have ever used. It’s free on all desktops and android. These decks have sound.

Memrise course “Read Thai: A Complete Guide to Reading Thai“

Other resources I used (In hindsight, I feel like I should’ve picked one resource to learn to read from and stuck with it; I think I was rushing and made things more complicated than need be for myself with my hodgepodge mix-and-match approach. But hey, I can read now.)

https://www.activethai.com/ – the site I started with. Teaches the consonants separated by class and with sound. The only reason this is no longer my top recommendation is that I ended up using this alongside a resource that helped me memorise what the words used to represent the letters actually mean because the site itself didn’t tell me, and I wanted that easy way to have 44 vocabulary words ready as soon as you’re done learning your consonants, and it gives you access to neat mnemonics such as ไก่จิกเด็กตาย(เฎ็กฏาย)บนปากโอ่ง.

The chart on Wikipedia’s English article on the Thai Script

the reference section of Thai-Language.com

In order to better learn to read Thai written in different fonts (modern and handwriting fonts can be tough at first), the Thai Script typographical styles overview on Thai-language.com was a huge help, as was throwing simple phrases things into gdocs and messing around to see how different fonts made them look. This chart from sanukmaak.com also helped.

Speaking and pronunciation

The hardest one for any new language for most folks. For me personally, finding someone who speaks the language and is willing to correct me was an absolute necessity, but I know that’s not always an option. If you’re going it on your own, make sure you check out the resources above for learning to hear the tones and those sounds and sound clusters not present in your own language correctly first.

Things to try on your own:

shadowing: Whenever someone on a show utters a sentence you think might be useful, or provide a useful pattern, or something just sounds cool, rewind and try to speak along as they say it, trying to make it sound as close to their pronunciation as you can.

try to record yourself and listen back -- yes, it’s cringe af but it will HELP.

memorising short sentences and phrases: tying back to the section above, there's a ton of youtube videos that is "phrases to use in [situation]" that are great for targeted learning if you're up for it

self talk (cautiously! don't want to cement bad pronunciation habits)

if you’re linguistically inclined: looking up descriptions on how to make a sound correctly sometimes helps, as does watching videos of folks who’ve successfully learned the language.

once you’ve learned to read: find sentences to read somewhere (twitter, a textbook, whatever) and read them into your phone’s dictation engine. See if the software understands you correctly. Adjust as needed until it does.

Websites and apps to find language partners or (paid) tutors

Like any other app where you ‘meet people’, please exercise caution on these.

italki (mainly for finding tutors and teachers, but you can find language partners on the forums)

Preply (web/app) (for finding tutors/teachers)

hellotalk (app only, iOS/android) for finding language partners -- free to use basic features like messaging, voice rooms, etc; has annoying ads

tandem (app only, iOS/android) for finding language partners -- free to use basic features, has ads

any other app or website that’ll let you meet people, like local facebook groups (yes really), instagram, etc

(note: Neither hellotalk nor tandem allow users to sign up without selecting a binary gender. it sucks. I’ve seen people who managed to circumvent this on Hellotalk by signing up via apple ID (? I think), but it’s hearsay and I have not managed to do so myself.)

Books (a book) that are (is) worth spending money on imo

Higbie & Thinsan: Thai Reference Grammar. The Structure of Spoken Thai. Orchid Press: Bangkok, 2002. Yes, it’s ancient in textbook terms. It’s not perfect, but it’s still the best reference grammar for Thai I’ve come across so far, and I use it frequently.

Random bits and bobs

Stu Jay Raj has two videos in particular that I, as a phonetics-and-phonology-loving person, loved and found extremely useful and wished I’d watched before I started to try and learn the script: Thai Vowels for Dummies in 5 Min v2 - A System Impossible to Forget and Thai Bites Extended Edition - Transliterating Thai using IPA. I realise these may be overwhelming and less helpful for people with no prior phonetics or phonology training, but they helped me so much it’d feel amiss not to include them.

Resources I recommend AGAINST using when starting out

drops/hello words -- seems like their Thai courses have been created using machine translation that wasn’t sufficiently proofread. They will assign you nouns in places of the corresponding verb or false cognates, and that’s within the first 10 or so lessons. Might be useful once the level where a learner can tell “ah, yeah, that’s … not right” has been reached? idk.

transcription as generated by google translate: BURN IT WITH FIRE. it’s a transliteration, i.e. 1-to-1 representation of 1 Thai letter = 1 Latin letter (extended), it’s not phonemic, it’s not going to help ANYONE (and those who can make sense of it presumably already read Thai and would be better off with just Thai script). Just. Stop.

Google translate as a dictionary: still shitty but not AS bad as the transcription function. Still, for the love of all that you hold dear, please, save yourself the pain and confusion and just use thai2english or thai-language.com instead.

---

And that’s that from me, friends. Yeeting this into the void before I second-guess myself more. Please append additional resources!

Edited to fix a couple of typos and errors on 2023-06-15

#thai language #learning thai #ภาษาไทย #เรียนภาษาไทย #Thai from English #language learning #language resource #language learning resource #idk what the hell else to tag this #free education #don't get me started on 'creative' 'free-form' 'by-ear' romanisations; we'll be here all day #my nonsense

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callum-librrry · 1 year

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Stripes

Tom was sent to greet a new temporary crew member. Riggs provided him with a brief overview of the alien. They were a Chendro, some sort of insect-like species from a few systems away.

Tom greeted the alien in the same, boring, but safe way,

“Greetings. Welcome aboard the Starship Navis. My name is Tom, I am the human navigator sent to meet you and acquaint you with the ship before we leave.”

The alien let out a series of clicks which was translated moments later.

“Thank you, human Tom. I am quite pleased to be working with you for these next few cycles.” The alien followed with an intricate bow that Tom had no way of reciprocating. He settled for a respectful nod of the head.

The two wandered around the Navis, with Tom occasionally breaking the silence to point out a few key landmarks or an odd, obscure rule.

Eventually, Tom felt the Chendro’s gaze on him. In fact, he realised, he had felt it for quite a while now. He glanced over to see they’re mantis-like eyes locked on him.

“Hey man, I don’t want to sound rude or anything but staring is kinda considered rude to us,” Tom pointed out.

“Oh!” The alien quickly averted their gaze. “My apologies, I was simply admiring your wonderful patterning.”

“My... what?”

“Your stripes,” The Chendro clarified. “I think they’re quite stunning.”

Tom looked away, surprisingly flustered by the alien’s openness.

“Umm...Thanks...” He didn’t have the heart to ask the alien what they were talking about. Perhaps it was a human thing he wasn’t aware of. Having secret stripes wouldn’t be the weirdest thing he’d learnt about his species.

The rest of the tour went well after that. Tom noticed that the Chendro kept it’s eyes away from him; usually straight in front if them. He appreciated the alien’s willingness to adapt to what was probably to them, a weird social convention.

Later, once the tour was done and Tom was settled in his quarters he asked Constance the question that had been burning in his mind for a good portion of the cycle.

“Hey, Constance?”

“Yes Tom?”

“Do humans have stripes?”

“Humans do have what is called Blaschko's lines. They are only visible to humans in rare cases but are seen to those with vision in the ultraviolet range. Is that what you’d be referencing?”

“Huh. I guess...” Tom was surprised by the information. Why the hell had he never heard of humans having stripes? He felt like he would’ve picked up on that in biology. But yet again he could have been asleep for that particular lesson.

“Constance, are Chendro able to see UV?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, ok. That answers a lot actually. Thanks for the help.”

“It was my pleasure, Tom.”

Tom continued to sit there for a while contemplating this new information. He even found a few pictures of visible stripes. He could relate to the Chendro then. They were pretty cool. And to think that every human had patterns like that.

#HUMANS ARE WEIRD #humans are space orcs #humans are space australians #haso #haso writing #writing #writeblr #yet more JANK 2 universe not mentioned in the canon stroyline #alien names are hard #why is this getting so many notes

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