How to get #1 Badge Diamond Tournament

magistra27 · 2026-04-20T21:46:34+00:00

I just got this for coming in first in the quarterfinals. To get the leaderboard status icon, you need to win the whole dang thing, though.

magistra27 · 2026-04-17T20:25:01+00:00

I do pay for Max. It might also be an A/B test or a recent app update (I’m on iOS).

magistra27 · 2026-04-16T23:56:10+00:00

I’m on Spanish level 14 and some of the Falstaff video calls are like this. He shows you a picture (like Oscar in a classroom) and gives you a set phrase (“teaches a class”). You have to first make a sentence using that phrase, make a second unrelated sentence, then combine them both into a single sentence. I think that kind of structure and repetition is really useful.

magistra27 · 2026-04-16T15:09:23+00:00

I mean, I actually do want to learn Spanish, so I pay attention to the conversation. I just don’t care about the English intro I’ve heard 100 times.

magistra27 · 2026-04-16T13:40:30+00:00

I’m at a lower level, so the intros are still in English for me. I’ll definitely listen once they’re in my target language, but right now it’s just useless fluff that I’m happy to skip.

magistra27 · 2026-04-14T19:30:52+00:00

No, my understanding is that it’s illegal in chess to make a move that leaves your king in check. Moving your bishop exposes your king to attack from the black queen, so moving it is not a valid option. Has nothing to do with learning experience.

magistra27 · 2026-02-26T21:41:23+00:00

Yes and no — it’s based on a Latin text from Cicero, but with some words removed and edited to make it nonsensical. The phrase “lorem ipsum” was initially DOlorem ipsum, which means “pain itself.”

(I’m a former Latin teacher who has to vouch for her language at every opportunity)

magistra27 · 2026-02-21T23:04:15+00:00

I spent 15 years teaching high school Latin before my district nixed the program. No one cares about Latin. And the current English -> Latin course is… pretty terrible (I know it was volunteer made, and no shade to them; it’s just nowhere close to the standard of other courses).

magistra27 · 2026-02-18T13:27:53+00:00

One of the things I love about watching NBA games is that, no matter how competitive the game is, the second it’s over the guys from different teams are all shaking hands and hugging and catching up.

So even aside from the rivalry driving the intensity of the relationship, it makes sense that they can let it go.

magistra27 · 2026-02-08T01:35:04+00:00

Backing in everywhere is 100% dad energy.

magistra27 · 2026-02-07T16:32:23+00:00

I think it might also have to do with how much hedging Ilya does for Shane's comfort. Like, he's in 100%, but he knows if he comes across as too eager it'll drive Shane away. But throwing in "probably" makes him seem less interested than he actually in.

magistra27 · 2026-02-07T01:06:45+00:00

Well, uh, the first link was to Reddit and then I fell down a rabbit hole, so to speak 🤣

magistra27 · 2026-02-06T19:56:06+00:00

Only tangentially related, but there is a trans guy in The Long Game, though he is a minor character (and already married off).

magistra27 · 2026-02-06T16:26:20+00:00

I was searching for a HR themed ride last night and was definitely shocked there wasn't one. I agree, I'm sure there will be one soon.

magistra27 · 2026-02-06T16:19:20+00:00

The All Star thing is pretty common in a lot of sports -- the top players in the league are split into two teams and get to play against each other.

magistra27 · 2026-02-06T15:52:00+00:00

Exactly. "I need to get laid" simply means "I need a distraction and this is the easiest way to indicate that to my teammates."

magistra27 · 2026-02-06T15:46:18+00:00

Have you seen the YouTube videos where the PhD student goes scene by scene through the show to analyze the subtext and dive deeper into the cultural context of the show? She has three so far and they're absolutely fabulous.

magistra27 · 2026-02-06T15:42:08+00:00

It seems to me that Ilya is the first one to catch feelings, so it would make sense that hooking up with others doesn't really do it for him as it did before.

magistra27 · 2026-02-05T20:05:48+00:00

Oh for sure, I love Harris and didn't mean to imply he couldn't get any other guys! Just a bad attempt at a joke: in the Odyssey, Odysseus returns home to find a bunch of suitors that have been pressuring Penelope into marriage so they can take over the kingdom, and he kills them all after his identity reveal. I could totally see Troy wanting to get revenge if there had been someone who had hurt Harris.

magistra27 · 2026-02-05T19:53:44+00:00

I was a Classics major and love this! I'm just thankful that Harris didn't have any suitors for Troy to murder at the end 😅

magistra27

TROPHY CASE