phantomrose96:

FMA has a lot of subtle symbolism but the least subtle is probably the “Ed has a lot of issues with his father” symbolism. The FMA manga starts on the Leore arc and ends on the Promises Day arc so what I mean is Ed started and ended the series by pummeling the shit out of someone named “Father”

I love all the FMA arcs in fact

Father Cornello arc – bad dad tries to cultivate religious army. Ed punches.

Shou Tucker arc – bad dad is the worst dad. Ed punches.

Hughes dies arc – good dad is dead dad :(. Ed punches himself emotionally.

Greed arc – Greed dad bad dad.

Ling and Mei arc – These two share a bad dad. They fight about it.

Hohenheim returns arc – bad dad, source of all Ed’s bad dad problems, returns. Ed punches eventually.

King Bradley reveal arc – Bradley is bad dad. Ed doesn’t punch but he did fake-assassinate him once.

Ishval backstory arc – Riza’s dad is bad dad. Ed’s not available for punching.

Promised Day arc – Boy Does Ed Sure Punch This Bad Dad

babyanimalgifs:

That thing where you have so much to do and your body decides you need a nap.

How to read unnecessarily long papers by stuffy academics

thewriterslament:

As a cognitive neuroscience major, I read a lot of lengthy academic papers. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from having done so many damn readings, it’s that you don’t actually need to read every single word in the paper to understand it. A lot of times, the author will repeat themselves over and over, or offer evidence/explanations that aren’t essential to understanding their argument. Instead, I recommend using the first/last method, which is essentially a guideline to what you should read in order to understand the main gist of an academic paper.

Any academic paper consists of three structural units: the paper as a whole, the sections/subsections that make up the paper, and the paragraphs that make up each section. The paper as a whole typically follows a certain form: intro/abstract, main argument separated into sections, conclusion. The sections cover one facet of the main argument. The paragraphs provide specific details or explanations for the topic currently under discussion.

The first/last method is exactly what it says on the tin: you only need to read the first and last bit of every structural unit. This means you will read the following as they are presented in the paper:

abstract, intro, and conclusion

definition of terms, if provided

first and last paragraph of each middle section

first and last 1-2 sentences of each paragraph

The main argument is typically summarized in the intro/abstract, conclusion, or both. The main claim of each section is usually presented in the first paragraph, and the conclusion of the section typically expresses the implications of that claim. Finally, paragraphs will usually start with some kind of topic sentence and end with a conclusion. By reading only these things, you’ll pick up at least 70% of the meaning of the paper, and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and frustration.

If you’d like to bump that comprehension up to 95%, I recommend skimming the paper for italics, lists, and descriptions/summaries of other arguments and reading those things when you encounter them

in addition to the things mentioned above. The key to this is to skim for certain cues, and not read every single word. Italics serve as a visual cue, lists are cued by indicators like “first”/”second” or “1)”/”2)”, and summaries of other arguments are typically indicated by copious citations or usage of another author’s name.

This method helped me get through a 26-page reading in a little over an hour with around 95% comprehension of the author’s argument. Hopefully it’ll help you in your studies as well.

ykana:

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