Latest Posts by thought-ventions - Page 5

My only goal in life is to be disgustingly overeducated.

I can't stop thinking about the relationship between the body structure of Centaurs and Anterior pelvic tilt. . .

An alien called and told me I had to pay my taxes with starbucks gift cards or the IRS would take away my driver's license.

I told it that first of all, that's ridiculous, second, I'm a Canadian, and third, I don't drive.

The alien apologized and said it couldn't help itself... it's a silly-con-based life form.

for 2024:

read a lot and read everything

film and art and music are what builds ur soul

be outside

love and romance will not come to you any quicker if you are focused on it constantly

possessions don't improve things

movement does improve things

university is <4 years of the rest of your life - make the most of it

find the pleasure in hard work

lose the pleasure in scrolling

creation is essential

joy, love & intelligence are the tenets of life

stagnation isn't inevitable. no person is in a fixed state. you can always change

Hey, I’m a law student and I’m also autistic and ADHD and I was wondering if you have any tips for working in law as a neurodivergent person? I love my course and I can’t wait to work but the 85% unemployment statistic really scares me.

This is a long answer, so I'm going to cut it for the sake of mobile users. I do link some products below; I'm not getting paid, and I'm only linking them because they honestly work for me. Also, as a caveat, a lot of this advice assumes that you're American and/or working in-person at a private law firm; unfortunately, that's my only experience other than a month doing part-time intake for my regional legal aid service.

The biggest hurdle you will meet is the bar exam*: you need a study buddy who does not have ADHD and can help keep you on track. Don't study separately then meet up; do things like watching lecture videos together and keeping pace with one another in person. I'm not ADHD myself, but my best friend and forever study partner is, and she struggled to self-start.

Buy a bar prep course. This is not the time to be a scrooge; don't buy Kaplan just because it's cheaper (it also sucks). Barbri and Themis are both good - of these, use whichever you can get for cheapest or, if the costs are comparable, use Barbri if structure gives you comfort and use Themis if you need some control over the order in which you do things. Also use Themis if humor engages you; the Property and Contracts lecturers are hilarious. Stick to your bar prep program, but be gentle with yourself if you fall behind pace - realistically, you need to get through all the topics at least once, but you don't have to do every practice MPT, every practice essay, and every practice MBE quiz. Use the same study techniques that got you through law school. IMO, useful supplemental tools include the Critical Pass flashcards (get them used if possible, or get a referral code from somebody) and the Finz Multistate Method guide. Do your best to treat the bar exam as a game - because it is one.

There's a strategy for every section, and you should practice these strategies. For the MBE, use the Finz method - it works. For the MEE, or any other essay exam, use IRAC - and make up the R if you need to. The UBE, and most state bar exams, are graded such that you do get more points for knowing the rule, but you can still get points if you make up a reasonable-sounding rule and then apply it correctly. For the MPT, just throw in as many case and rule cites as possible. Try to cite every document you're given.

Join a bar prep FB group if you use FB; I was in Themis Memes for Should-Be-Studying Teens, but I know there's a Barbri group too. I found that being able to laugh at my bar prep course made it less miserable to do it. Don't be afraid to turn the videos on 2x or 0.5x speed - or faster or slower as needed. Some of the Themis lecturers talk to slowly that we went up to 3x; one of them talks so fast I had to slow him down.

Practice for the test in as many different environments as you can. I took the 2020 Pandemic Bar, so my bar was different than standard (I took it in a hotel room with my back to the door and proctors patrolling the hallways, it was mildly traumatizing fun), but I highly recommend getting used to noise while you're taking the test. Your ADHD/Autism hyperfocus will help here - make the bar exam your hyperfixation to the extent possible.

Once you pass the bar exam, your next hurdle will be the job search. You are going to have to mask for interviews, there's just no getting around it, but how much you mask will depend on your area of law. Big Law firms and intense, litigation-focused practice areas (e.g., business lit or criminal law) will expect you to be gregarious, friendly, and charming from the get-go; less litigation-focused practice areas (e.g., probate or family law) will often have more tolerance for quieter, less aggressive types.

Do not panic if you wind up at a less-than-favorable firm on your first or even your second job; a lateral shift between firms won't kill your resume as long as you can give a tactful reason you left (e.g., "I found that I prefer to focus on X instead of Y," or "I found that I had more opportunities to explore X at Y firm, and I am interested in focusing on X"). It is not normal to cry every day after work. It is not normal to routinely have panic attacks in the bathroom.

Once you have a job, billing is going to be difficult unless you gamify it. I use the Finch self-care app, so I have a task at the end of every week to make sure I have billed my time. My friend rewards herself for every day she bills by buying herself a new pen. Some people thrive off of timers (MyCase and Clio are popular case management software programs; both have timers built-in), but if nothing else, simply note when you start tasks and when you finish them by sending e-mails to yourself (or others, if relevant) at the end of every task. If your case management software can integrate with your e-mail (MyCase can integrate with Outlook, for instance), then use that to tag outgoing e-mails so you can be sure each one gets billed.

Outside of Big Law or intense practice areas, very few people bill 8 hours per day - a lot of the work you do will be non-billable, but also you will suffer from exhaustion or burnout if you try to bill 8 hours per day (my minimum is 20 hours per week, which is just 4 hours a day). You also will usually have some discretion in billing - use that to make yourself feel better if inattention issues make something take longer than you feel is fair. As for billing enough, if you find that you are most productive outside of work hours, find a firm that will let you access client files offsite - work at home if they'll let you.

I do a lot of my best billing either in the mornings right when I get to work or at 10:00 at night. That's okay so long as you take breaks during the workday (I watch a lot of TikTok during my breaks, but I also fiddle with various online games and such); you'll need mental rest to reset between cases. If you struggle with task-switching, use a break to help reset your focus. I strongly recommend setting an alarm for yourself during breaks so that time blindness doesn't derail you. Make your alarm kind of annoying; something you won't just mindlessly ignore.

Let yourself hyperfocus on things; all of that time you spend researching and drafting and correcting and perfecting that motion or brief is billable, and it's also good practice of law - your client and your partner will appreciate your thoroughness, and the judge will almost never hate it (some judges prefer brevity, but I've never had a judge upset at me for wordiness).

I also recommend getting apps that can automate things for you; I use Espanso to make my life easier by having easy-to-type shortcuts for common phrases and information (e.g., the current date, my bar card number, my work e-mail address, etc.). You can customize these things to make sense to your own brain - your process doesn't have to work for anyone but you. Similarly, I use macros in Word to make drafting go faster by letting buttons do all my formatting for me.

Excel sheets make excellent task lists because you can split them up by case, and set them up to highlight things (e.g., today's date) automatically. Most firms will have some kind of "docket meeting" where everyone goes over the status on each case - some people prefer handwritten notes (my best friend does), some people prefer digital notes (I have an excel workbook I use). Find a method that reduces distractions but lets you keep up with the flow of conversation.

On the topic of technology, if your firm provides a computer for you, or if your firm will provide accessories to supplement your own computer, push to have multiple monitors - I use my own laptop, but my boss provides monitors and I have two plus my laptop screen. It is WAY easier to keep up with billing if you can keep your time entry software open and visible on one of your screens.

You will be spending a lot of time in your office; make it comfortable. Once you are making enough to get by, invest in a good office chair (that you own, so you can take it with you if you leave the firm) and some basic office supplies that you like, such as a post-it note dispenser (mine is a cat!). My office chair is designed to let me sit cross-legged - I highly recommend having an office chair that matches your most comfortable sitting style. Having some things that are yours will make any future moves less awkward. I also strongly, strongly recommend getting some simple and quietish fidget toys - I have several spinners, wacky tracks, tangles, and clicky fidgets in one of my desk drawers, amongst others, to help me self-stim, as well as a sensory sticker on my desk pad (on the linked set, I have the rough version of the bottom middle sticker, the rainbow finger labyrinth one).

For me, I find that actual litigation requires scripting. Whether it's an oral argument or just a temporary orders hearing, I typically have every word I intend to say written down as much as I can (re-direct examination or re-cross examination can't be scripted before the day of, but I usually at least scrawl a summary of the question I need to ask as I'm taking notes). I don't necessarily read from it, and sometimes I veer off-script, but there is a specific comfort in having the words scripted out. On the few occasions I have ad-libbed things, I find that I come off less authoritative and confident, which gives the judge the impression that I am guessing. I also find comfort in having a copy of the code I need (which is always the Texas Family Code for me) on-hand at the counsel table. You are allowed to tell the judge you'd like to consult the statute when the judge asks you a question.

I also find that, for courtroom litigation, it's worthwhile to make sure your court clothes are comfortable. Courtrooms in my area are universally a little too warm, so I have a linen blazer that breathes and a variety of shell tops that don't have sleeves. I also have bad ankles, so I wear exclusively flats despite the fact that I am less than 5 feet tall. For me, heat sensitivity is a part of my sensory issues so I am all about setting myself up for success. It's also worthwhile to bring extra water bottles; at my firm (we are almost all ND in some regard), the standard is 2 per attorney and 1 for each support staff, then 1 for the client.

For out-of-court days, even "business" can be comfortable if you're a creative shopper. My last firm required business attire, though not necessarily courtroom attire. I wore a lot of dresses to stay cool, and a solid-color dress in a modest cut paired with a black blazer (which you can remove when you're just working in your office) almost always makes the cut. For those who don't like or can't wear dresses, comfortable slacks and a modest blouse or dress shirt, paired with a blazer, also works. My current firm only requires business casual for client meetings, courtroom attire for court, and otherwise as long as we cover our shoulders and don't wear shorts, we're good to go. I use a cardigan to cover my shoulders when I'm outside my office, as most of my blouses are sleeveless. It's worthwhile to invest in a good office sweater anyway; I like a thin t-shirt material cardigan for me, but my officemate uses a pullover knit sweater. Do what's comfortable.

Office meetings, or even court hearings, can sometimes get loud and overstimulating - buy you some Flare Audio Calmer ear inserts, they really do help take some of the 'sharpness' off of the noise. I also recommend a playlist that contains binaural beats (assuming you like them) or colored (white, brown, pink, etc) noise and a solid pair of ANC headphones or earbud, depending on your preference (the linked products are far from the only options, they're just reasonably-priced options that I know work; I personally use first-gen Airpod Pros). If you don't like binaural beats or white noise, instrumentals of pop songs are also excellent.

You can also get phone apps that layer binaural beats over your music - I find that it sometimes helps me calm down when I'm close to a meltdown, though I personally feel worse at the lower frequencies (I usually stay around the alpha-beta frequency line, but ymmv). I think there are probably also some apps for colored noise over your music, but I haven't looked. If you haven't before, I recommend experimenting with binaural beats and/or colored noise - I find that they can help calm down some of the staticky feeling I get from overstimulation.

Offices also sometimes involve other sensory dangers - like, for instance, food texture issues (another big one for me). You can often get out of things like that by simply explaining that the food doesn't agree with you, or that you're not very hungry - or, if your boss knows that you have sensory issues (mine knows I'm autistic), you can just quietly explain that it's a sensory problem and you have it under control. Keep some safe snacks in your office. You can avoid alcohol, if you're picky about it or just don't like it, by explaining that you're not in the mood to drink (or that you don't drink, period) and that you'll stick to soda/tea/water/whatever. Only major assholes will push past that.

Most coping mechanisms for sensory issues can be justified with "I don't feel good" or "I have a headache."

If your office chair hurts your back, get up and walk around. You are not in elementary school; at most firms, you can step out and just let your coworkers know where'/how to find you, and when you'll be back.

For intra-office and extra-office communications, if you have any doubts about the quality of the communication, you can put it in writing afterwards. A quick e-mail saying, "Okay, so this is my understanding of X, please let me know if I've misunderstood anything or if anything changes" is a good CYA to cover any communication difficulties; don't use idioms or shorthand in these e-mails - actually spell out exactly what you think happened, or what you think you've been asked to do.

If you're worried about your tone in written communications, Chat GPT is good at doing a first draft. It can also do a first draft of your attorney bio, if you're asked to write it yourself. Tell it the message you want to convey, and the tone in which you need it said. For instance, if you need to convey to a pro se opposing party that your world does not revolve around them, but you want to do it professionally, you might tell Chat GPT, "Write a professional e-mail to my opposing party conveying that my world does not revolve around them and that I will get to them when I get to them." That won't give you a perfect e-mail, but it gives you an idea of how to set the tone. Never trust any citation the thing gives you, but you can also use it to simplify complex thoughts for motions that you need to be simpler.

Law practice is also emotionally draining. Take the time to cry if you need to, or to go outside or into a breakroom and breathe.

Essentially, working in law when you're ND means finding tools to help you. It's definitely doable (as I said, most of my current firm is ND), but you'll need to find coping mechanisms to soothe yourself. If you've gotten into law school, I think it's clear that you're competent enough to work. The trick is not burning yourself out entirely, which I hope the above can help with.

* - This is not and never will be an endorsement of bar exams as a measure of competence for new attorneys. The bar exam is a racist and classist institution born from the desire of old white men to keep their good-ol'-boys club exclusive. Fuck the NCBE and abolish bar exams nationwide.

i wish ads felt pain when you skipped them

'you wouldn't pirate a-' i would steal anything from any company. anything in the world. i dont even want it i just hate you

Want to learn something new in 2022??

Absolute beginner adult ballet series (fabulous beginning teacher)

40 piano lessons for beginners (some of the best explanations for piano I’ve ever seen)

Excellent basic crochet video series

Basic knitting (probably the best how to knit video out there)

Pre-Free Figure Skate Levels A-D guides and practice activities (each video builds up with exercises to the actual moves!)

How to draw character faces video (very funny, surprisingly instructive?)

Another drawing character faces video

Literally my favorite art pose hack

Tutorial of how to make a whole ass Stardew Valley esque farming game in Gamemaker Studios 2??

Introduction to flying small aircrafts

French/Dutch/Fishtail braiding

Playing the guitar for beginners (well paced and excellent instructor)

Playing the violin for beginners (really good practical tips mixed in)

Color theory in digital art (not of the children’s hospital variety)

Retake classes you hated but now there’s zero stakes:

Calculus 1 (full semester class)

Learn basic statistics (free textbook)

Introduction to college physics (free textbook)

Introduction to accounting (free textbook)

Learn a language:

Ancient Greek

Latin

Spanish

German

Japanese (grammar guide) (for dummies)

French

Russian (pretty good cyrillic guide!)

I was born in the right generation, i love talking to people on the internet and rotting in bed

don’t get obsessed w someone you’re not dating

Israel just murdered another journalist's, Muhamoud Abu-Hasira's, whole family including his wife and children as punishment for showing what they're doing

The total number of journalists targeted and murdered is approaching 40 at this time (11/5/2023). If you count the total number of journalists or their families that have been murdered it's approaching 100. Multiple journalists have had their whole families wiped out and are still reporting and working to expose the genocide.

Keep talking, keep posting their work. They've been forced to sacrifice everything for every scrap of information hat makes it out of Palestine

@stvksn on ig

My father was in Auschwitz, my mother in Majdanek concentration camp, every single member of my family on both sides was exterminated, both of my parents were in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and it is precisely because the lessons they taught me and my two siblings that I will not be silent when Israel commits its crimes against the Palestinians, and I consider nothing more despicable than to use their suffering to try to justify the torture and brutalisation against Palestinians! I refuse to be intimidated by your crocodile tears, if you had a heart you would be crying for the Palestinians!

everyone who has supported israel, without exception, is aiding and abetting genocide. this is indisputable and undeniable. if you are currently in support of israel, if you do not unconditionally speak up for gaza and the palestinian people, you are aiding and fully announcing your allegiance to genocide. no exceptions and no special cases. i am sickened and disgusted by how many people i have seen this week either passively or actively encourage and excuse genocide, ethnic cleansing, and settler colonization. deep down, you know what you have done. i hope this fucking haunts you.

“Take the worst thing you can say about Hamas, multiply it by a thousand times, and it still will not meet the Israeli repression, and killing and dispossession of Palestinians.” - Gabor Maté, Holocaust Survivor

I stand with the civilians.

How To Develop Self Respect ✨

Understand your strengths, weaknesses, what you believe, and what you want. This is like the starting point for respecting yourself.

Decide how you want others to treat you. Say "no" when you need to and think about what's best for you.

Stop saying bad things about yourself. Say nice things instead, just like you would to a friend.

Eat healthy food, sleep well, and do things that make you happy and relaxed.

Set things you want to do and finish. When you do them, you'll feel really good about yourself.

When you mess up, don't be too hard on yourself. Think about what you can learn and do better next time.

Be with people who make you feel good and avoid people who make you feel bad.

Say what you want or how you feel in a strong but nice way.

If you do something wrong, don't be mad at yourself forever. Everybody makes mistakes.

Sometimes, think about the things you do and why you do them. This helps you stay true to yourself.

When you do something good, even if it's small, give yourself a pat on the back.

Think about the good things in your life. This can make you feel happier and better about yourself.

I needed to be somewhere different. Maybe I needed to be someone different, too.

Heather Davis

Farewell online privacy

there are only so many world leaders, right? and they’re all beholden to sokka in some major way…

the avatar: will be 35 years old and still have a pavlovian response to sokka saying “all right everyone, time for bed!” 

the firelord: so ride or die it’s honestly concerning

the earth king: owes to sokka his newfound knowledge of basic critical thinking skills

chief of the northern water tribe: his daughter seemed to think he was pretty dope before she turned into the moon

chief of the southern water tribe: thinks her brother is an idiot but has good ideas sometimes, and appreciates the fact that he doesn’t care whether or not he gets credit for them as long as they’re implemented 

not to mention that toph is basically a one-woman weapon of mass destruction who does not listen to anyone—with the crucial exception of one person—and guess who that is!

and he’s basically an honorary member of the white lotus???

basically what I’m saying is sokka secretly rules the world

Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Life lessons from anime:

Grand Blue: Alcoholism is funny.

Kakegurui: Gambling addiction is sexy.

Psycho-Pass: Giving the police unlimited power is not fun.

Ace Attorney: A legal system that is deliberately unfair to the defendant is not fun.

Violet Evergarden: Support the troops, thank them for their service.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War: Introverts suck at romance.

Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It: Introverts REALLY suck at romance.

Daily Lives of High School Boys: Teenage boys are a menace to society.

Asobi Asobase: Teenage girls are a menace to society.

Danganronpa: Teenagers in general are a menace to society.

Demon Slayer: Little sisters are the best.

The Promised Neverland: Never trust anyone, not even your friends.

Jujutsu Kaisen: When in doubt, eat your problems away.

Food Wars: Food is better than sex.

Sword Art Online: Online gaming is better than sex.

Doctor Stone: Without smart people, we're doomed.

Usagi Drop: Sometimes, the manga is not as good as the anime.

Don’t you hate it when people answer their own questions? I do.

tumblr needs a “not for you” page where it just has things that you disagree with and make you angry

Sometimes you apply to almost 50 jobs in under two hours and feel like you've accomplished Nothing because the job market is just That Bad

Curated Spotify playlists to liven up your D&D sessions!

I have always loved playing D&D with background music that fits the location, mood, or type of combat, so I created several playlists on Spotify. This project is something I've been working on since December 2019, and something I want to share with you all! You can find the list below.

If you have suggestions for songs/tracks to include, or if you want a specific playlist that is not in this list yet, please let me know! And most of all, have fun!

Locations

Astral Plane

Ball/Masquerade

Bazaar

Castle/Court

City

Desert

Dungeon

Festival

Forest

Jungle

Monastery

Mountains

Schools of the Arcane

Ship

Tavern

Temple

Town/Village

Underwater

Moods

Creepy/Eerie

Dramatic

Enchanted

Energetic/Adventurous

Heroic

Grand

Intrigue

Menacing

Mysterious

Night

Peaceful

Sad/Mourning

Silly

Tender/Emotional

Combat

Small Battle

Big Battle

Boss Battle

Tavern Brawl

Chase

Themes/settings

Ancient Greece

Bard songs

Patrons/Visions

Visions/Dreams

I am out of trust

And also out of fucks, to give

Please someone refill my heart

Not romantic not platonic but a secret third thing (drift compatible)