rebecca-lotto

[rebecca-lotto]

should you delete twitter and get bluesky? (or just get a bluesky in general)? here's what i've found:

yes. my answer was no before bc the former CEO of twitter who also sucked, jack dorsey, was on the board, but he left as of may 2024, and things have gotten a lot better. also a lot of japanese and korean artists have joined

don't delete your twitter. lock your account, use a service to delete all your tweets, delete the app off of your phone, and keep your account/handle so you can't be impersonated.

get a bluesky with the same handle, even if you won't use it, also so you won't be impersonated.

get the sky follower bridge extension for chrome or firefox. you can find everyone you follow on twitter AND everyone you blocked so you don't have to start fresh: https://skyfollowerbridge.com/

learn how to use its moderation tools (labelers, block lists, NSFW settings) so you can immediately cut out the grifters, fascists, t*rfs, AI freaks, have the NSFW content you want to see if you so choose, and moderate for triggers. here's a helpful thread with a lot of tools.

the bluesky phone app is pretty good, but there is also tweetdeck for bluesky, called https://deck.blue/ on desktop, if you miss tweetdeck.

bluesky has explicitly stated they do not use your data to train generative AI, which is nice to hear from an up and coming startup. obviously we can’t trust these companies and please use nightshade and glaze, but it’s good to hear.

[rebecca-lotto]

"The trick shot by Laura was actually made in one take. They had planned for a pool expert to make the shot after cutting away from showing Laura hitting the cue ball. But to everyone's surprise, she actually made the shot. Both Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke stayed in character and finished the take, thus the genuine look of surprise on their faces."

In the second gif, she's holding for applause before saying her line.

[rebecca-lotto]

"The trick shot by Laura was actually made in one take. They had planned for a pool expert to make the shot after cutting away from showing Laura hitting the cue ball. But to everyone's surprise, she actually made the shot. Both Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke stayed in character and finished the take, thus the genuine look of surprise on their faces."

In the second gif, she's holding for applause before saying her line.

[rebecca-lotto]

[rebecca-lotto]

[rebecca-lotto]

This is a Rako Hardeen arc idea with a sprinkling of Legends both canon and of my own creation. Things it is important to know going in:

Part of the Ruusan Reformation Treaty includes a requirement for all Jedi (from initiate to master) to swear oaths enforced by The Force (to obey the senate,  to report anything that could be detrimental to the Republic (including force sensitives in the Republic that do not belong to the Jedi order) to the appropriate body, To forsake any formal relationship ties without incredibly specific permission To accept being barred from seeing the actual Reformation treaty that binds them.)

There are checks and balances in place to ensure that the most egregious abuses do not happen, including a review committee and a way for Jedi to report such abuses.  It is moderately effective.  Complaints of abuse or misuse of power are believed and taken seriously, and the consequences include removal from the senate, so an abuser generally only offends once before they are caught. On the other hand, the type of people who would abuse such a power are good at manipulating the system.

One of the checks and balances was that all orders that must be followed must be in writing. 

Orders from the senate or a senator must be followed and the review committee is there to make sure those orders have justification.

This part of the Jedi oaths is not known to the public, or even all of the senate

As a consequence every Jedi raised in the order is taught from the creche Think Path thinking, the use of loopholes and assumed vs explicit knowledge to try and get around their restrictions. 

An example: Anakin, who came to the temple late, did not take the initiate vows.  Because he didn’t take the initiate vows, he didn’t know he needed to take the Padawan or knight vows. Obi Wan forced himself to assume that Qui Gon had gone over all this information with Anakin, so he did not have to. The entire Order has an actual conspiracy to hide this information from Anakin, because if they know for sure that he has no idea about these bindings they would be required to make him swear the oaths binding them, effectively enslaving him like they are enslaved. His battlefield knighting actually helped with that, as there was no ceremony and everyone could assume that someone else was present when he made the vows.

It starts with Nield of Melida/Daan coming to Coruscant just after Obi Wan Kenobi’s funeral in the Rako Hardeen arc. He asks to speak with Cody, Rex, Ashoka, and Anakin, officially because he promised to tell Obi Wan’s family several stories about his time on Melida/Daan if he outlived the Jedi. He is allowed to meet with them in a specific training room, one of the only rooms in the temple with both soundproofing and without video recording. Nield very firmly, and looking solely at Ashoka (the only one in the room under the Jedi Vows), that he does not know that any of what he is about to show them is true. 

He pulls out a recorded message from Obi Wan, just a few days old. This message says these thing:

He does not know for sure that this will even be watched, which is the only reason he is able to send it.

They (the Jedi Council) had been given a new mission with some specific requirements that they were discussing, but had not settled on any details. This mission would require one of the members of the council (most likely Obi Wan) to fake his own death and go undercover as his killer.

The Chancellor had included an order that Anakin Skywalker was not to be told, that his reaction would sell the falsehood, worded in such a way that no one who had met Anakin outside the council could be told. 

How much he loves Anakin and Ashoka as his son and daughter, Cody as the man he has fallen in love with (I am particularly partial to them having not gotten together, Cody is pining and sure that his amazing General could not possible want a clone like him so this part of the message just slowly causes a blush to rise), The entire clone army as part of his family.  

Reiterating that he has no idea if he will be chosen, or if he is that nothing would go wrong that would end in his death. 

That he could not possibly ask for Nield to find his family if he hears of Obi Wan’s death by a bounty hunter, to show them this message.

Not outright stated, but heavily implied the the entire council used Think Path reasoning (specifically: “The Healers insist that there be a break for a meal after a specified amount of time” combined with “We can and should discuss these minute details ad nauseum, to make sure that we understand exactly who should take on this most important mission”) to take a break before these become official orders (Which would mean that op spec would apply and they could tell no one) to give Obi an a chance to record and send this message

It is quickly made clear that Anakin has no idea about the Vows, which causes Ashoka to freak out (as she is bound to report the fact that he is not bound by the Jedi Vows). Nield helps her by suggesting that, as Anakin had come late with different experiences, Obi Wan must have explained the Vows in a different way,  he just doesn’t realize it’s the same thing. This let’s Ashoka satisfy the Vow without reporting anything. Rex suggests that Ashok a, to make sure she understands those concepts, explain “To Cody and Rex” what the vows are and how they came about. Obviously her Master would not be asking any questions or speaking because this was a test for her.  So she does, and explains about the Ruusan Reformation and the Vows (she only knows the Initiate and Padawan Vows, as another way of protecting the younglings; you do not know the Vow until you are expected to take them). 

Anakin is getting visibly distressed but manages to keep himself silent.  Cody asks about Count Dooku. Ashoka answers with something to the effect of: “I am bound from thinking poorly of the Senate and the Republic. I could not possibly wonder about how someone bound to obey the Senate ends up leading a war against the Senate” (The implications being he is in fact taking orders from someone in the Senate).

Nield gently suggests that Ahsoka leave the room for the rest of the discussion. Anakin begins to puff up, offended on Ahsoka’s behalf but Ahsoka agrees. Ahsoka straight up says to Anakin, “Remember Skyguy, I have to report anything that seems like it would go against the Senate, as I am a Padawan I don’t have the knowledge for anything but black and white” before leaving.

After Ahsoka leaves, Nield is able to speak more directly. He explains about Melida Daan (Qui Gon didn’t so much as abandon Obi Wan as much as he was trying to free him from the Jedi’s bonds. He was trying to do the same thing on Bandomeer, and had tried to do the same with Feemor and Xanatos. Qui Gon does love his padawans dearly, he is just trying to set them free and bad about it.). Nield, Cerasi, and Obi Wan had been moving toward a romantic relationship when Cerasi had died. Nields reaction had killed the romantic relationship between him and Obi Wan, even if they had managed to gain their friendship back. Nield talked about his temper, something that he saw in Anakin as well, and how he would have to live for the rest of his life with the knowledge that he was the reason that Obi Wan had been brought back into the Jedi Order. (If it hadn’t been for his reaction, Obi Wan wouldn’t have had to call the Jedi back which was why he had to leave with them).  He also tells them that he and his people had been tracking who in the senate knows about the Jedi vows.

Anakin hesitantly asks about Padme. Nield responds that they have had no sign of either of the two most common reactions to the Jedi vows (carefully worded to avoid any order or heavy handed with orders) but they know for a fact the former Senator for Naboo, Palpatine, definitely knows (there is an order on the books that boils down to the Jedi being required to provide him with the company of a small child, Anakin, that is worded in just the right way that the orders cannot be protested). 

Cody and Rex quietly inform the GAR of the restrictions the Jedi are under. The GAR is not happy that their Jedi are effectively enslaved. The 212th, in particular, has to be talked down from storming the senate multiple times in defense of their Jedi, who comes back from the dead tired and ready to accept any recrimations for faking his own death (he truly had to make himself believe that no one would know.)

Anakin and Padme work together to find an actual copy of the Ruusan treaty. They discover that there is an escape clause of some kind that can remove the power from the Vows all at once. It is a particular request that has to be made by a member in good standing of the Jedi Order using a very specific wording during a senate meeting.  It could only be enacted after 700 years. The best part is that the request being approved or denied is immaterial. It is making the request that is important. Because of the restrictions of the Vows, Anakin is the only one who can make the request. He and Padme work so that he can recite the words from memory. Then they conspire to have several members of the Jedi Council (Mace Windu, Yoda, and Obi Wan in particular) in the Senate that day. 

Anakin speaks the words and all hell breaks loose twice. Anakin does not know what he unleashed. The air around the Jedi pod ripples, the same ripples that reflect off of a few undercover jedi spread throughout the rotunda, and all of the clones.  Obi Wan Kenobi appears to be having some sort of out of body experience. Tears are pouring down Mace Windu’s face as he says the words ‘We’re free’ over and over.  Yoda is staring around as if he had never seen anything before. (There were some really old, near forgotten Jedi laws on the books that regulated emotions and power that the Jedi had access to.) Half a galaxy away Yan Dooku and Asajj Ventress were abruptly freed from the orders that dominated their lives (Ventress had been guided through the Padawan Vows by Ky Narec). 

Darth Sidious ignored the feeling that he should just cut his losses and attempted to activate Order 66. Except that the chips were a physical manifestation of the Clones own Vows (Not that they realized they were Vowing) and as all the Clones were Force Sensitive when the Jedi took command, they became part of the Jedi Order. The removal of the Vows from the Jedi removed the control aspects of the chips.  

Palpatine received a Yoda to the face, the little green troll had received a powerup a la Dragon Ball Z and was doing his best to tear an old man’s throat out with his teeth. Obi Wan stands from his existential experience to start making a list furiously. When he is asked he says that the Force has been keeping an accounting of every abuse of the Jedi (and the Clones), he’s making a list so they can start dealing with them (no one is really sure if being dealt with is dead or arrested and everyone is kind of afraid to ask.) A third of the Senate starts making plans to step down, for fear of being targeted. Half of the rest is exceedingly confused, and wondering if they should be doing something about the little green Jedi Master who is biting a politician.

[rebecca-lotto]

The reason the sith did their best to keep Mandos and Jedi from teaming up because if they did, then we would get Jedi hitting the Mandos on the head with their lightsabers to play crazy train while a mando plays the guitar.

[rebecca-lotto]

Pst pst, you know how I've said a few times that a surprising number of Jedi have Hebrew names (Ben, Yoda, Caleb/Kanan, Cal, Ezra - and his parents Ephraim and Mira)? Well I only just realized...

Dan (דָּן) (meaning "judgment" or "God is my judge" in its longer form 'Daniel') is a Hebrew name too!

That's right, that's one more Jedi boy with a Jewish name. (And it's especially fitting in his case because Ethiopian Jews are possibly descended from the tribe of Dan.)

And because at the time I couldn't think of a Jedi woman with a Jewish name, lemme correct my oversight and add Adi to the list!

Adi (עדִי) means "jewel" or "ornament." That soooo suits her.

I'm sure I'll find more.

[rebecca-lotto]

hey has anybody heard of wicked [youtube]

[rebecca-lotto]

Dinluke things that are very near and dear to my heart:

The shared burden of having the responsibility of rebuilding cultures through the scattered pieces that remain, and the battles that must be fought both literal and metaphorical to succeed at that, of children that need to be saved and raised.

Manic pixie dream girl Luke Skywalker

[rebecca-lotto]

Some Jedi seem to follow traditions of their birth culture and other don't. I haven't see any explanations to this, so I imagine that younglings are searching for their birth place in space google and deciding if it cool enough to follow its traditions.

[rebecca-lotto]

[rebecca-lotto]

i love truck stops in winter bc i love a little good old fashioned reconnaissance. i’m at a wyoming truck stop eating taco bell with a bunch of random truckers discussing road conditions like we’re in a high fantasy tavern & inn and we’re warning each other about monsters and highway men. everyone talking about where we’re coming from and going to and how bad it’ll be getting there.

THE tallest man i’ve ever seen in real life just stopped me in the hallway by the coin operated laundry apropos of nothing and asked “which direction are you going?” i said east and he said “good” and walked away.

i caught up with him and asked why and he said “west’s no good right now. i just came from there.”

apparently a truck jackknifed and has traffic backed up ten miles but he sounded for all the world like he just found his village raised to the ground by an evil mage’s army

[rebecca-lotto]

[rebecca-lotto]

More Jedi Traditions ft. Anakin Skywalker, age 10, and Obi-Wan Kenobi

Read on AO3

[rebecca-lotto]

Do you think the Jedi ever held bake sales?

Like they’re a religious order, they’re monks and all, and I know I’m thinking of the typical Church bake sale and they probably didn’t do those but…

Can you imagine Anakin and Ahsoka going to extreme lengths to outdo each other, Obi-Wan claiming he’s going to stay out of it - something happens so both Anakin and Ahsoka’s bakes get ruined, probably because of their own hijinks, and Obi-Wan then waltzes in and wins?

Can you imagine Yoda trying to get some Coruscant folks to buy his deep fried frogs on a stick?

Can you imagine pre-fall!Dooku stressing over intricate pipe work and making a cake worthy of a Bake Off finale?

Can you imagine Barriss and Luminara collaborating together on a dish, silently judging Ahsoka and Anakin’s shenanigans?

[rebecca-lotto]

Another thing I love about High Republic is that the Jedi are written as if they're Jedi that grew up in the Order.

They recognize other members of the Order as their own. The Master & Padawan relationships are not defined by or forced into nuclear family roles; they're written as Master & Padawan. There isn't any angst about their "real families" and it's shown pretty well how much the Jedi love each other and the Order.

The masters take care of and teach padawans that aren't their own because they're all Jedi. Padawans transition very well to following another master's orders and learning from their teachings. We're shown many examples of the specific Master & Padawan bond in addition to many examples of the larger community the Jedi have, including council members being very active in said community and that being very normal.

Which makes a lot of sense because they grew up in the structure of the Order and not the structure of a nuclear family. They wouldn't have the expectation that they need a mother and/or father. They would have the expectation that their master will be there to guide them. They would have the expectation that the rest of the Order will support them, that they can trust and look up to the council.