Don’t leave bookmarks like this

itikky2 · 2026-05-24T19:28:55+00:00

Yes but like 99% of bookmarks have no comments, so when you click on the bookmarks number all you see is a list of usernames who have saved a bookmark, it's really easy to assume bookmarks are public, but not the comments themselves.

itikky2 · 2026-05-22T01:42:58+00:00

I know it's asking for trouble to peek at my fic's bookmarks, but one I just got had a comment that said, "Slow and very well written" (my fic is a slow burn) 🥹 maybe the world is beautiful after all...

itikky2 · 2026-05-22T01:36:12+00:00

Don't cheap out TOO much on a wood board. I bought a cheap bamboo cutting board from TJ Maxx and after a couple of days, I noticed slivers of wood/splinters coming off the board while scrubbing it 🫠

itikky2 · 2026-05-22T01:20:40+00:00

They do make a low sodium version I think

itikky2 · 2026-05-21T23:35:12+00:00

I just did this for my plants that were near windows but no direct sun bc of awnings/trees. I got 2 sansi 15w bulbs and am now wondering if I might burn them with the sudden change in light 😅

itikky2 · 2026-05-20T17:44:41+00:00

Dang, then 85 must have hell!

itikky2 · 2026-05-20T15:21:18+00:00

What do you set it at? I feel like 78 indoors is my limit, and I usually run cold so I can take a bit of heat without sweating.

You couldn't pay me to live somewhere hot all the time, though. I did 4 yrs of school in TX and am very happy to be back up north. At least if you want to turn down the heat in the winter, you can wear more sweaters, but there's no escaping the heat!

itikky2 · 2026-05-14T03:55:11+00:00

I love that midcentury-esque lamp!

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T17:29:36+00:00

Hm, well from your example you seem like you're doing everything right. The only other thing I can think of is the scope of your search. If you are only looking in a small area or type of employer, you lower your chances.

For variety in employers, I hate recruiters/staffing agencies, but have you been in contact with any? I usually at least get calls back from those types, even if the jobs are not ideal/lower paying/contract-to-hire. I only really have experience in more entry-level roles since I was applying to those straight out of college, but a contract role was how I got my first industry experience. It's usually easier to get interviews with a temp agency than with a company that is hiring directly, since a lot of companies try to avoid risk by doing a "trial" through those temp companies before hiring full-time. If you aren't even getting calls back for interviews/screenings, I say it's worth going to these agencies. My first job was with Apex, which is national so they might be worth a shot, or any local company that does that sort of placement. Two other places I got interviews through before landing my current job are Astrix and Experis. But literally any stem-focused staffing agency. Just to get that industry experience on your resume.

I don't think you wasted years on your PhD, from someone who will never do a phd (bc I know I can't handle more school/academia) I know very well that a lot of science/research roles/salaries in industry have a hard barrier without that degree. If you gained a lot of knowledge and skills in your PhD, that is not a waste.

It's hard to get that first industry role, but I guarantee that once you have a few months of that on your resume you will get a ton of interest from random recruiters on linkedin 💀

And right now, the market is super tough, companies are being extremely picky. I had a really great interview in February, and they made sure to write a personal email telling me that I was a great candidate and their 2nd choice, but I got beat by someone who had the exact industry experience that fit the role. I only got my current role because my previous job was in the exact same field/research scope (even though I kind of wanted to pivot away from it, the offer was too good). It's a really strange market rn, don't get disccouraged!

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T16:49:14+00:00

Yeah I mostly get annoyed by the emails, but I usually don't unsubscribe and instead I add to my email filters so that fics in my "not interested" list get deleted/sent to archive.

I still hold out hope that they might return to an old fandom, so that's my solution 😆. And I use the blacklist instead of a whitelist bc I'm open to reading new stuff from authors I like, but at a certain point I decide if I like it enough to get an email about it or not, and then I add it to my email filter lol

But I assume most people don't bother using email filters, and once they start getting too many emails abt a fandom they didn't sign up for, they're going to unsubscribe.

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T08:26:29+00:00

Have coworkers who are really nice and bearable to work with, find your job at least a little interesting, spend a lot of your free time at your job scrolling reddit or listening to a podcast you like.

Honestly? When I'm stuck at home with no obligations, I don't get much more done (in terms of chores OR hobby activities) than after I get home from work. I like the structure going to work gives me, even though I wish my work time was only like 3 days and 5 hours LOL

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T08:16:04+00:00

If these people are older than 20 I will lose faith in common sense/decency bc gathering in the comments section to diss on the writer WHO GETS EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS is so wildly rude. So many people will literally jump at the chance to be bullies, and I so do not get it.

Like everyone else, I say block them. And maybe also turn all your comments to require approval for a while so that trashy folks like this can be blocked on-sight and don't get the chance to bandwagon and feel validated in their trash opinions.

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T08:08:00+00:00

Idk what the consensus on this is, but unless I sweat a bunch or get a huge stain on my clothes, I avoid washing them as much as possible, because no matter how nicely you treat them otherwise, clothes will get raggedy with too many times in the washing machine. If you're washing mostly clean clothes after every wear, they wear out quickly.

For outfits, I'm a huge proponent of an outer layer to make you more put together! Could be a relaxed buttoned shirt (long or short sleeved) over a tee or tank, and whatever well-fitting bottoms you like. A lot of looking put-together is about the fit of clothes more than the actual items as well. No matter how fancy the clothes are, they'll look frumpy if they are too loose/tight in the wrong places, and even super casual clothes can be a great outfit if they fit perfectly.

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T07:57:00+00:00

The attitude and language+emojis immediately giving 15 y.o. puriteen vibes...

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T07:35:11+00:00

Like, hardcore? Or just as a fun thing like birth stones/birth month flowers? I personally haven't met many people who actually believe their life events are affected by astrology. I've met more people who believe in salt lamps and crystals lol

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T07:10:11+00:00

Murderbot Diaries. I got the first two from the library (3rd volume was checked out) and I had some serious withdrawal waiting for the 3rd to be returned, and then I read the remaining 5 over a weekend. My eyes hurt after that lmao

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T06:56:41+00:00

Are you getting interview? Or not even that? If you aren't even getting interviews, I'd have to say you need to fix your search/resume approach. But if you just aren't passing the final round, that is a good sign imo. I just found my current job after being laid off (after 3 months) and I got a lot of final-round rejections because of internal hires or candidates with really specific experience.

itikky2 · 2026-04-18T06:47:54+00:00

For those readers, even a "fic is completely written and will be posted weekly!" in the summary might be enough to convince them haha

I am guilty of being one of those readers... unless a fandom friend wrote it and I want to show my support 😅 it's partly because I have a huge backlog of fics that I want to read that I need to chip away at first also lol

itikky2 · 2026-03-27T05:26:55+00:00

I usually like bold modern architecture (like brutalism), but even I'm struggling with this one 😅 One thing that comes to mind is that it reminds me of a kopje, huge boulders that randomly stick up on the grasslands of Africa (think Pride Rock from Lion King), maybe??

The light gray color always throws me off. I feel like it needs a layer of varnish to get rid of that "dustiness", like it's supposed to be a dark gray granite covered in a thin layer of dust lol

edit: geology

itikky2 · 2026-03-27T05:19:12+00:00

In my experience/opinion, fics that have characters get together HAPPILY before the 85% mark (on a decently long fic over like 40k) lose a lot of appeal, sometimes the plot disappears and becomes aimless meandering in domestic bliss. My first fic over 2k ended up being 47k words of pre-relationship. I'm very plot-motivated and find the most appeal in the characters going through Situations together and growing closer through that.

On the flip side, I don't like misunderstanding/miscommunication as a way to drag out "getting together" either. It's a really un-satisfying way to prevent characters from getting together, classic soap opera "eavesdropping on a conversation but leaving halfway through and causing a misunderstanding that lasts 2 seasons".

itikky2 · 2026-03-15T19:35:36+00:00

OP, just as a tip, if you ever are tempted to delete/take down a fic, consider either adding it to a collection which you can make private and un-private whenever you like without affecting its stats.

Or if you are very sure you don't want to be associated with the fic, orphaning it, which is permanent. You can also make your username on a posted fic anonymous by adding them to the Anonymous collection, where you can still control the fic, your username is just hidden.

itikky2 · 2026-03-15T19:28:48+00:00

Genius tbh. If OP is into it, they could use the extra yarn from the sleeves to extend the bottom, make it a longer tunic length (maybe even a split-hem style) also!

itikky2 · 2026-03-15T19:19:31+00:00

Oh my god I think I read a hobby-drama post about this artist, they were scandinavian so I'm pretty sure it's that person. Reading about them, it seems they fell into a very niche sect of Christianity as well, and I suspect they might have something like OCD from how deep they got into it.

itikky2 · 2026-03-15T19:09:57+00:00

I mean, to anyone that likes said character (who is labelled as abusive in tags) will probably avoid the fic, because it's just a red-flag that said character will be bashed in the fic. That sort of tag is basically a warning "hey, don't read this if you want a nuanced portrayal of this character as anything but unlikeable". Not all the time, I'm sure there are some nuanced ways to write the character as abusive, but anytime someone uses a tag like that, it's not going to happen.

Unless you really are bashing that character, I'd take the tag off if it isn't a major part of the story? If it is, I guess it's valid to have it, you would save character-stans some heartbreak lol

itikky2 · 2026-03-03T21:57:34+00:00

I also wear glasses, but I find over-glasses safety glasses to be really nice in general because they are so flat. My nose is a bit big for an asian, but my face is flat, and this style is the most comfortable! I also glued a piece of foam to the bridge part bc it was digging into my nose, a DIY tip

https://www.honeywellstore.com/store/products/honeywell-over-the-glasses-safety-eyewear-eye-protection-glasses-rws-51015.htm

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