#//Human intelligence or more? Check. Can communicate that as such? Yes

[evilminji]

Actually? You know what would be darkly hilarious?

If, when the GIW can't get ghosts declared both malicious AND non-sapient/sentient? They push for "dumb animals" instead.

Which is accepted. Ghosts are animals. Checks out, says scientists everywhere.

HOW "dumb"?

What? Says the GIW, mid-victory high fives. They did not expect a follow up question. They SHOULD have, as this is the SCIENTIFIC community and that is literally their job, but here we are.

How. "Dumb"? The scientists repeate slower. What methodology did you use? What is your sample size? Are their different sub-species? Is this dimension like ours? Is Ghost the equivalent to Mammal? It says here their are humanoid ones.

What IQ are we talking about here and HOW DID YOU TEST??

A goldfish, parrot, and dolphin are all animals. WILDLY different levels of intelligence. You can't treat them the same. Technically speaking, WE are animals.

The GIW does not like where this conversation is going. Tries to shut it down.

.......well NOW the scientists are both offended AND invested. How DARE you try to push faulty science and hide the Truth from them! They're gonna do their OWN studies! *picks up the phone and dials that one embarrassing spiritualist friend they had in college* Hey! You still think you can summon ghosts? I'll pay you to try it for Science!

And like? As a Ghost? It's degrading as hell. But ALSO these fuckos just Whoopsie'd you into having both protections under the law, since animal abuse IS illegal, AND just put the ENTIRE planets scientific community on their asses.... by accident.

So you take a deeeeeeep breath you don't even need. Remember you're doing this for the little ghost babies and fluffy ghost animals. And show up at a research facility like "yes, hello, I am Ghost. Here for you to poke and prod at. Please ask me to name the object on the flash card or whatever IQ tests do these days."

Should you HAVE to prove your own fucking sentience? No. But? You do it. You're even polite about it. Ask for a copy of the study they plan to publish so you can BEAT some mother fuckers with it. The scientists nod in understanding and use the BIG font for your copy so it'll hurt more.

They've been there.

And just? Shitty people getting what they wanted only to have it blow up in their faces?? I see all these angst "but what if they were declared ANIMALS" prompts and I just?? Are we talking PARROT or goldfish!? One has the average intelligence of about a human 4yr old and the other is a FISH! People get RIGHTFULLY furious when you treat INTELLIGENT animals badly.

And would, in fact, adapt pretty easy to discovering one of said animal has become HUMAN lvl intelligent. It's easy to grasp the idea of human intelligence lvl dolphin or monkeys. Maybe there was some mutated strain, maybe in uetro tampering. Who knows. But if I tried to sell you a human intelligent housefly? Gold fish? Lizard?

You wouldn't believe me. There is some kind of trick at play.

So if GHOSTS are seen as animals? Everyone nods and then later? Someone comes in TV and very excitedly informs you "we found INTELLIGENT LIFE amongst the ghosts!" You'd believe it. Probably be really excited by your conversation starter for the day. Get a taco and move on with your life.

But? Having to willing sit for a barrage of testing? Is going to suuuuuuck so bad. Poor Danny. SATs all over again. For HOURS. At multiple facilities, just to be CERTAIN it's not a one off. All because he not certain he can insure good behavior from other ghosts and This Is IMPORTANT. He ALSO can't be certain it's even SAFE.

Might be a trap.

But if he has to do it again and again and again? Mexico to Bavaria to China to the Maldives? If this is what it takes for the scientific community to bitchslap the GIW into ORBIT before the UN? Hand him that pencil.

He has no where more important to be.

@hdgnj @nerdpoe @mutable-manifestation @ailithnight @the-witchhunter

[haroun31]

Down with the King (Y!Stanxeno xreader)

ACT II

Xeno remailed silent, observing your expression with a solemn look, however it wasn't difficult to catch it, the shine in his black pupils that betrayed his growing interest in you and your world "What do you say Gen? Do you sense any lie?"

Your breath hitched when, out of nowhere, a sweet laughter echoed through the whole room and two hands placed themselves on the back of your seat, scaring the shit out of you “My, oh my! What an interesting story! An unknown continent with such an advanced community? What a dream!” a new unknown man leaned closer behind you, popping his head near yours and flashing you a smile “Your majesty this sure does sound too good to be true!”

His eyes resembled those of a fox, a mark underneath his left run down his cheek like a tear. White and black locks entered your peripheral vision, making you instinctively lean away from the new boy. Not to mention, was he always behind you!?

“You are implying that they are lying?” Xeno lifted an eyebrow and you felt your blood run cold. Have they understood already that you just spat out bullshits?! Is this man a lie detector?! “Oh, no, no, my Majesty.” Gen laughed, leaning back “While they most likely just pumped this place with praises over praises I actually don’t think that they are lying about this. . .America” smirking, the man covered his mouth with a sleeve. “But if you are so suspicious why not put them under a test!”

Internally you let out a sigh of relief, feeling your hands clench and unclench from the stressful situation you were undergoing. “A test?” Xeno lifted an eyebrow, intrigued “Yes! A test your Majesty.” Gen repeated, making a blissful expression while making appear flowers hidden inside his sleeves. “Get to the point jester” Stanley grumbled, urging the mentalist to end this shit show.

“A scientific test” finally the young man got serious “Ask them something science related and make our dear Senku check its credibility. If they come from such an intelligent society then it's gonna be their knowledge. What is gonna be? Are they a true super human or simply an able liar?” The king reflected on his words before nodding his head “Alright, we can arrange that��� then he shifted his attention to you “Have you heard my advisor? Why don’t you show me your science? Of course for safety reason you are not permitted to use any type of chemical nor tools so I guess you will have to amaze me with just your words”

Showing him your science? What is that supposed to mean? How can you exactly amaze a king with just your words, or more like, what are you gonna share to amaze him. Something easy to start, preferably nothing that could have been seen as witchcraft and that it can be easily proven without difficulty. But what to say, what to share?

Ideas kept coming in your mind and instantly being rejected. Something easy, something logical. Your eyes snapped around the room, searching for anything that could help you but nothing, apart from floreal decorations and swirls caught your attention. . .off topic but they sure remind you of the swirl of the Fibonacci sequence. . .wait–that’s right!

“The golden ratio. . .” before you could realize it, words slipped out of your mouth, attracting the attention of everyone inside the room. “The golden ratio?” Stanley repeated, taking out a cigarette and placing it inside his mouth “What the hell is that?” this made you lift an eyebrow. Do they not know of Fibonacci? Wasn’t he born around 1200 in Italy? Maybe the Devs didn’t know about him and therefore didn’t add his character inside the game. And you can use this to your advantage.

“Tell me, your Majesty, do you like mathematical quizzes?” Xeno lifted his eyebrow in curiosity but nodded nonetheless “Go on” Seeing that shine in his pupils made you feel bolder as you straighten your back and a smile made its way on your lips “My Majesty, a man put a pair of rabbits, a male and a female, in a large cage. How many pairs of rabbits will be produced in that cage in a year, if each month each pair produces one and only one new pair, consisting of a male and a female, that are fertile from the second month of life onwards? Assume that none of the rabbits die during the year.”

The king listened to your quiz, with great attention, and remained silent for a couple of seconds. You waited for his words, ready to continue with the explanation of the quiz, when his suddenly opened his mouth “The first month they will be two, as they are not yet fertilized, and so the second month, the third will be three, then in april they will be five, in may eight, in june thirteen, in july twenty-one, in august thirty-four, in september fifty-five, in october eighty-nine, in november one hundred and forty-four and in december two hundred and thirty-three”

You remained silent, completely baffled by this man's ability to count so quickly and without making any error. Christ! You make mistakes even when using the calculator! “So?” his voice snapped you out of your shock and you quickly shook your head to get back on track “Yea. . .yea that’s right. Ahem. As you can see the next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it” you explained and Xeno nodded his head “Quite the fun trick, I must admit. But I presume this is not all, isn’t it?” 

You shook your head, confirming his suspicions “Here comes the interesting part. Do you have paper and a pen? It will be required” once a maid entered the room and placed down the tools required you went forward “Please draw a cube 1x1. Then near it draw another one” he did as you instructed “See the two sides? Use them as the side of a 2x2 cube and draw it attached to the two first cubes. Then take the addition of the sides and draw another cubes, and so on and so on”

Xeno did so, until you stopped him at the fifth cube “Alright, then, from the very first cube, take the compass and draw a curve from one corner to the other, and so on to all the cubes” you watched as the familiar spiral started forming “Eheh, this, Your Majesty, is the golden ratio. It’s defined as a divine number and the ideal proportion you can find all around nature! Think about the shells, if you compare the two of them you will definitely see a resemblance.”

“The golden ratio is everywhere, in the horns of goats, in hurricanes, in shells, in the seeds of sunflowers. Its sequence is also seen in the number of flowers’ petals. Pay attention next time when walking around your garden. Each flower has exactly either three, five, eight, thirteen and so on petals. Look at the buildings proportions and compare them with the golden ratio. Humanity has always unconsciously leaned toward perfection and harmony”

Xeno remained silent, hanging on every word that exited your mouth, his eyes shining brighter than the stars in the sky. The way you were talking, the passion you were unconsciously displaying while sharing that precious knowledge, it was oh so endearing. It made something stir inside the king’s stomach, that fire that you had inside you, he wanted to see it turn into a blaze, turning everything to ashes. And more than anything, he wanted that knowledge himself, he wanted to make it his.

“Also you can observe a curious fact. When applying the following equation ϕ = a/b = (a + b)/a we can find how it always will result the same number that is gonna be 1.61. Try it if you don’t believe me, your Majesty” you ended up, slightly feeling out of breath after your whole speech and rant. You are not sure if this is gonna sway the king’s heart, after all the Fibonacci sequence is not the most incredible thing science found out but it’s still an interesting knowledge.

A slow clap of hands attracted your attention, shifting your eyes forward as they landed on Xeno, who slowly stood up “So math is also important in the artistic sector? My, how elegant! What an interesting piece of knowledge, my dear” he smirked, his claps slowly coming to an halt, his black eyes bore into yours, the previous shine now completely gone. A couple of seconds passed in pure silence before the king turned around toward his knight and leaned in to whisper something in his ear.

Stanley nodded his head in understanding, his golden eyes stopping on your form briefly as a smink strenched on his lips, making a shiver run down your spine. You have no clue what the king said but you hoped it wasn't anything bad.

Then he walked over you and placed a metal finger under your chin, lifting it up."Someone go and fetch a doctor to make them take a check up. Make sure none of their wounds is infected" his finger slid off as he turned on his heels and made his way out of the room "Make sure to get their mesurement and a lab coat for them" he addressed Senku who simply sighed "What about the assassination attempts?

"What assassination attempts?"

-☆-

"Darling let me bask in your presence for a while" -♡

(You can find the whole fic either on Quotev or Wattpad under the same name as the title!)

[tossawary]

Watching a lot of "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" lately has me trying to articulate a personal rule of thumb for depicting competence. Very basically, if you want to convince me that characters and organizations are not incompetent, then they need backups.

So many of the episodes that we've been watching recently hinge too strongly on single points of failure. If this one element of a plan goes down, then everything collapses. Which is fine occasionally? Cascading failures from small mistakes happen. Shit gets weird sometimes. But the repeated absence of, like, more basic operating procedures like double-checks starts to get annoying fast if we the audience are meant to believe these people are very intelligent and good at their jobs.

After the first few times, Starfleet has got to stop beaming down away teams without a couple plans for what to do if the transporters and communications go down again. "But the chances of that happening on this routine mission are so low!" Don't care. Pick a nearby cave to hide from the ion storm in BEFORE you go. Beam down a little shelter pod with emergency supplies. Arrange a rendezvous with a shuttle. Check in every five minutes so that you know the instant you lose contact. Wear safety gear. Something! Anything!

Admittedly, "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" do this sometimes, which is nice to see when it happens, but not consistently enough. These characters should regularly be considering the worst case scenarios! They should be estimating their margins of error! And sure, unavoidable accidents happen sometimes, human error is definitely a thing, and maybe the backup plans will ALSO fall through for drama's sake, but I would be reassured by the indication that these people at least tried to prepare for things going to shit while exploring the mysterious pit.

"The Clone Wars" show has so far (first half-dozen episodes) been a nightmare of logistics and protocol. Okay, so you let Anakin make a flight plan / attack plan and then... no one checked it over first? Who signed off on this? Anakin: "We're taking X shortcut!" Supposedly more senior character who is on the same mission: "What? Anakin, X shortcut is dangerous because of Y!" And it's just like, "So, you guys just didn't do an actual mission briefing first, huh? Even if it was agreed upon that X shortcut was still the best way, it sure would have been nice to warn the poor background characters about the danger of Y before flying out..."

Yes, characters and organizations making plans at all is the first step of depicting any degree of competence. But the NEXT step as a basic rule of thumb should be them anticipating what can and will go wrong, and what to do about it. After the second time something goes wrong in a very predictable, easily avoidable way and the characters act all shocked about it, it's like, "Yeah, no, this is on you now. Please start making some backup plans in advance."

[theresattrpgforthat]

Alright, I have a weird one. Are there any TTRPGS that revolve around Coral? That, or have coral as an important element of the game?

Oh my gosh my ask box apparently ate this for MONTHS and finally decided to spit this back. Let's see what we've got!

THEME: Coral

Descent into Midnight, by Rich Howard, Taylor LaBresh, and Richard Kreutz-Landry.

At its heart, Descent into Midnight (DiM) is a game about community, family, and hope. It's a tabletop roleplaying game that takes place in a technologically advanced aquatic civilization whose culture has never been touched by humanity. Bioengineering and psionic, or mental, powers allow the strange and varied species to communicate and interact with their surroundings no matter their physiology.

In the game, players take on the roles of guardians, defending their community from a physical, emotional, and even existential threat. The game focuses on the relationships between the guardians, the inhabitants they protect, and their internal struggles and dreams in the face of a corruption that threatens to change their world.

You can play as whatever you like in Descent in to Midnight, including fish, plants, even abstract concepts - so a shelf of coral isn’t really that much of a stretch. The playbooks (yes, playbooks, this is a PbtA game) are centred more about your personality, and what you look like is secondary. The game is designed to take a turn for the darker before it pushes towards hope, so I think your game experience will be different depending on whether this is a one-shot or a long-form campaign.

Delve Deeper, by Maik.

A complete new game of under-oceanic adventuring and exploration. 

Play as intelligent oceanic folks such as the cephaliin octopoids, the crustaciin crab-folk and the fish-like merfolk and explore the coral reefs, open seas and abyssal trenches in search for adventure, pearls and treasure.

You don’t play as coral in this game, but you’re certainly exploring it! Taking nods from games such as Troika!, Electric Bastionland, and Brave Zenith, this game feels solidly inside the OSR camp, but with a special love for the wacky and weird. If you want to have a particular connection to the coral reefs, you’ll likely want to play as a Merfolk, who build cities from the coral and rule as a matriarchal society. This game is full of lore, but not extensively so - it’s only 33 pages long in total. But I think you’ll probably come away from reading Delve Deeper with a pretty strong sense of what this underwater kingdom is like.

Reefs of Despair, by Zaftikat

You are a sea anemone, stuck firm in an ocean that will soon be inhospitable to you. Grapple with climate change as you explore fatalism and ennui.

Sea anemones aren’t coral but they’re kind of close right?

Now this game is neat. It uses popcorn as a resolution mechanic - how cool is that? You have to pop the popcorn in a stove-top vessel, rather than a microwave, because you have to count how many popcorn kernels pop at first pop - the more there are, the better your outcome. Apart from that, your character has two stats: Ennui and Fatalism. These stats rise and fall similar to the way stats raise and fall in Honey Heist - with a similar outcome if you get too high or too low, by ending the game. There’s also a third end state for what happens once you’ve popped all the kernels, but I’ll leave that one for folks who decide to download this game and read it.

The game also is donating proceeds to the Coral Restoration Foundation, so in a roundabout way, I guess it was about coral all along.

Other Games You Should Check Out

Bones Deep, by Technical Grimoire. (You should really check this one out.)

[animentality]

It's weird how the Franc Peartree letter being altered has just caused some people to suddenly come out with the most godawful takes. I don't like that the letters were changed but it still feels like such a small change to have caused such a sudden divide in the gortash part of the fandom

Earlier I saw a post from one of the handful of people who were more supportive of the letter change(I think they may have even been one of the people you blocked) claim that default dark urge x gortash felt weird or wrong to them. They said it was because default dark urge is a dragonborn. And they compared dragonborn x human romances to beastiality. And it was a post replying to an ask that was from someone also arguing that, so there's at least two people who think that.

And I just had to stop for a moment after reading that because of how utterly confusing and insane that felt. Like, dragonborn are a humanoid race and are fully capable of communicating so it would definitely not be beastiality in any way

Sorry if I got a bit ranty there, especially since you're trying to distance yourself from bg3 discourse stuff for now. I just really felt the need to just at least mention it to someone because I'm just so dumbfounded by it and I guess just like, feel the need to check to see if this is just as much of a wtf kind of take to others as it is to me

you can tell they don't play DND.

people have been trying to fuck dragons and monsters since 1977.

where's that fucking Tumblr post about how if a creature is intelligent enough to consent, then it's not bestiality?

in a fantasy setting, yeah, as long as they're smart and talking and able to say yes or no and consent or not consent, and aren't being compromised by other forces, then no it's not bestiality in the way we understand it.

also there's no real world equivalent.

wanting to fuck a werewolf doesn't mean you're fucking chihuahuas in real life.

those people are just mad cuz they have bad taste and don't like durgetash.

nothing we can do about that, anon.

you're born with bad taste, you die with it too.

I was blessed with superior intellect and advanced taste, and since you clearly were too, I would advise neither of us be involved with that subspecies of Tumblr.

we have far more important things to discuss.

[obaewankenope]

In Absconding With Harry, what are all the characters' favourite sharks?

Cjftjri omg I need to answer this more than I do the others (sorry for taking so long to answer the others btw, I'm working on 'em)

Okay. Favourite sharks.

Warning: this is LONG so some will be under cut lol.

Hmmm... I have no knowledge of any magical sharks (which I shall be rectifying shortly) or if any exist in HP (unlikely with Terf-lady) so I may need to devise some for Reasons™ but I'll do only a handful of characters from the series, mainly the main ones for now:

Aziraphale

Impossible for him to have One (1) favourite as he is an Angel and loves all things.

However, he is rather fond of Bullsharks. Aziraphale thinks they're terribly misunderstood creatures. He absolutely understands feeling a little displeased with people invading their space and being impolite and inconsiderate when doing so. Alas, but Aziraphale cannot chomp the humans who invade his Bookshop so he lives somewhat vicariously through the Bullsharks that give humans in their homey shallows a warning (when Aziraphale is around and aware, those nips are painful but not lethal, unfortunately he is neither around nor aware all the time so misfortune still occurs).

[image source]

.

Crowley

Okay, so, there's several options I could list but, considering how Crowley is not a fan of dolphins (mood), there's only one shark I can think of that Crowley would consider his favourite and it's for several reasons you'd not think of initially.

The Great White Shark.

You would think Crowley likes them best because Big, Scary, Infamous (Jaws™) however, you'd be only slightly correct. Since Crowley claimed credit in hell for Jaws™ and the ensuing panic from humans and the cruelties they then inflicted upon animals just Being Animals™, Crowley has a soft spot for Great Whites because he feels somewhat responsible for the harm done unto them by panicking humans.+ However, Crowley also likes Great Whites because he actually considers them to be very chill animals and has swam alongside them as a cleaner fish (called Remora fish by the way) and had a devilishly go- evil time relaxing in-between temptings.++

Ultimately, however, the Real Reason that Crowley likes Great Whites so much is because of how they are perceived versus how they actually live.

Great White Sharks are targeted by Orcas (technically a dolphin: if you recall, Crowley is not a fan of dolphins) whom go after them for their livers and nothing else really. Great Whites will actively avoid areas where Orca attacks on them have occurred, including abandoning hunting and even potentially birthing grounds for a long, long time. Additionally, Great Whites are very intelligent and skilled predators that have a complex body language, methods of communication not fully understood by humans, and aren't actually vicious, bloodthirsty man-eating monsters as humans largely perceive them to be.

It is quite obvious, then, why Crowley is rather fond of Great Whites in particular, isn't it.

.

+ Crowley did not inspire Jaws™ nor the ensuing shark-fear that followed, however, he was in the right place at the right time for the movie release and the immediate response to the movie for him to claim credit for it with Hell. Did it make him feel bad when he realised the innocent fish in the sea ended up getting the genuinely shitty end of the whole situation? Yes. Did he terrorise his plants into Further Perfection in order to cope and screech at them to "accept the consequences of their actions and claiming credit for things they didn't actually do but are now responsible for"? Also yes.

++ Of course, Crowley swung his downtime as him checking in on the long-term fallout of his Jaws™ work with Hell and made a point of including in his report how he personally helped clean up the mess of several attacks by the Great White he was shadowing (whom Crowley learned was named 'Bruce' by the Great White theirself: sharks don't care about gender, but they do like names) and thus was still engaging in Hellish behaviour even when having a short break from directly tempting humans.

[image source]

.

Hermione

Hermione isn't the biggest fan of sharks. She does find them rather scary as she is a child of the 90s and the fear of sharks is still quite prevalent in that era. However, Hermione loves to learn and she enjoys reading and discovering new things. For Hermione, her fear of sharks slowly changed into a fascinating curiosity after she overheard Aziraphale and Crowley (in their roles as Hogwarts Librarian and Professor at the time) arguing which of their preferred shark was 'the best'. Listening to them argue (or flirt, but Hermione wasn't even 13 at this point so she didn't grasp that aspect of their 'conversation') it was at that moment that Hermione herself realised something rather shocking and world-changing. She had never come across a single book in the school library that referenced non-magical creatures except in the same vein as folklore books in a non-magical library or bookshop.+++ Once that issue was resolved, however, it left Hermione to wonder about her own favoured species of shark — something she later brought to Harry and Ron's attention, as well as the rest of the students of their year, which eventually led to the rest of the school becoming curious and causing some intense 'disagreements' regarding which shark was The Best Shark. But that is a different tale for a different time (preferably when The Author has more time).

Anyway, for Hermione, it took quite a long time for her to devise a list of characteristics with which to measure each shark species by (which I shall not elaborate upon, please do not ask me, mercy is requested by this poor Author) and it eventually led her to narrowing down her selection to five species, in no particular order (links to wiki for images bc 10 image limit on posts):

Silky shark

Mako shark

Whale shark

Thresher shark

Nurse shark

Galapagos shark

Of those five, Hermione is still uncertain as to which is her favourite and thus it changes depending on the specific context of the question when she is asked.

.

+++ Naturally, you can imagine how incensed this made Hermione and, once she brought it to aziraphale's attention the duo worked rather terrifyingly well together to ensure non-magical reference materials, educational texts, and fiction books quickly showed up on the shelves of the school library.

.

Ronald

Ronald, once Hermione brought the existence of sharks to his attention, was both fascinated and incredibly terrified (though he tried not to show it) of the existence of over five-hundred types of shark in the world's oceans (not including magical sharks of which Ronald had no knowledge of prior to, nor after, Hermione introducing him to the existence of sharks in general). He, naturally, was somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer number of shark species and thus, as was rather typical of Ronald prior to the age of fifteen, simply picked one of the most 'popular' shark species and has steadfastly refused to change his mind even after several years of steadily increasing exposure to the 'Best Shark Battles'™ in the halls of Hogwarts that Hermione, inadvertently, was the cause of.

So, simply put, Ronald's favourite shark is the Hammerhead. What specific species of Hammerhead, you ask? "Just Hammerhead," Ronald replies, every time he's asked that.

Why the Hammerhead, just the Hammerhead, you ask him? "Because they look wizard," Ronald answers, simply and in the tone that conveys how obvious he considers his choice of Hammerhead as the best shark to be the Correct Choice.

It's usually at that point that Hermione gives up, often throwing the Encyclopedia of Sharks at Ronald (who, most frustratingly for Hermione, always catches it deftly: once a Keeper, always a Keeper, no matter the point in the timeline) before storming away to her room to, most likely, vent her frustration with the other Gryffindor girls about how uninspired Ronald's shark choice is.

[image source]

.

Harry

Harry... Well. Harry was exposed to the non-magical world more than he would have been in another... Uh... story-line, and as he was also raised by Aziraphale and Crowley, Harry had the opportunity to learn about sharks much sooner than Ronald or other magical children save those raised in non-magical households. So, for Harry, he decided upon his favourite shark species not long after he was rescued (it's not kidnapping if he consents, right? Harry doesn't think so, but he hasn't consulted any legal books though, even without doing so, Harry doubts Aunt Petunia ever even bothered to report his 'kidnapping' to the police so it's a moot issue, really) and simply didn't make much fuss about it until Hermione came flying++++ into the common room and shared her discovery about the school library lacking non-magical books on a wide range of topics she considered fundamental to an educational foundation for any student.

So, yes, Harry had a favourite shark species before Hermione ever broached the topic with him and Ron.

Incidentally, Harry's favourite type of shark is the Basking Shark. He likes how very blasé (a word Harry learnt to irritate Uncle Aziraphale with French terms at Uncle Crowley's sly suggestion) it appears and how it isn't like other sharks with its preferred diet and the fact that, really, it's more like a whale than a shark (not really, of course, but Harry likes it for this reason also).

++++ Not literally flying, it's a figure of speech, Hermione doesn't like flying, but she can certainly move so quickly that it sometimes seems like her feet forget to touch the ground in her haste: maybe levitation? Harry makes a mental note to discuss it with Uncle Aziraphale).

[image source]

.

Dumbledore

Albus has no idea what a shark is and remains ignorant of their existence until Minerva corners him in his office and orders him to choose one. Had she not cornered him in the way she did — complete with the vibes of a feline intent on achieving her goals and not at all concerned with whether blood might be spilt in the process — Albus might have been able to avoid learning about Muggle fish but, alas.

So, in the end, Albus decided that his favourite shark is the Cobbler Wobbegong Shark. When asked why by a very distressed Minerva, Albus simply replied with a twinkle in his eye and a half-smile that he found "their manner of camouflage and general appearance is wonderfully reminiscent of my late aunt's decor, I find it quite delightful for that reason, dear Minerva."+++++

+++++ Yes, Minerva hit him with the scroll she used to keep track of the bets of the staff on which shark each faculty member picked as their favourite. Then she stormed off and handed ten galleons to Crowley without a word and ignored his smirk at her irritation with him guessing the shark family of Albus' favourite shark correctly.

[image source]

.

McGonagall

Minerva... Well. She learnt about sharks as a result of Miss Granger's determination to add Mug- non-magical material to the library shelves and came across her own favourite species not long after. She admits that it's somewhat cliche of her, however, Minerva also doesn't care because she truly adores this particular shark species and won't hear a word of criticism against it.

The Small-Spotted Catshark is clearly the best shark species out there.

[image source]

Snape

As a half-blood who grew up in a non-magical home, Snape did learn of the existence of sharks but, due to his hatred of his father (justified, this Author shall readily admit), he eschewed all things Muggle and thus learnt only the most basic of information about sharks. Snape did, however, watch Jaws™ when it was released; out of overwhelming curiosity more than any real desire to engage with the non-magical world. Although, he learnt from his mistakes and the foolishness of his youth, Snape remains a largely unpleasant individual who struggles to separate his past and the damage inflicted upon him during his childhood from the present and the adult responsibilities he has. Of course, Crowley assisted Snape in separating those quite efficiently but it still remains a challenge for Snape. Thus, it is only when Minerva becomes invested in the additions to the school library by Miss Granger and Mister Fell, that Snape has to set aside his distaste for Muggle things and seeks out a shark species to select as his 'favourite' if only so Minerva will stop giving him the Feline Murder looks every time he informs her that he has not decided upon a favourite shark species.

Snape's 'favourite' shark then, is the Goblin Shark. He chose it due to its appearance, the fact that it is monstrous to look upon, seemingly deformed and terrifying to witness, and also because, he feels a reluctant kinship with a shark species that is so harshly misunderstood based upon characteristics it did not choose to possess.

But that, dear reader, is not something this Author will dig any deeper into because they really, really don't have the time.

[image source]

...

Got any questions about my fics, my life, random requests for knowledge I may or may not have, or even if you're looking for some advice? Send an ask

[girlstinkgood]

I've decided to help scale reekgirl as is my duty. We'll use a couple scales for this so as to cover as many bases as possible.

Marvel Power Grid -

Intelligence 4 (Gifted): With power like hers, you need to get creative. It's the only way to succeed! I'm picturing her as brainstorming new ways to make the most of her abilities on her morning run, and Gifted tends toward that.

Strength 3 (Peak Human): This is called peak human, but goes up to 800lbs. Maybe later on she could reach strength 4, but I can't see it happening quickly.

Speed 2 (Normal): If her leotard got blown off, I can't imagine she was fast enough to dodge it and chose not to. Puts her at 2.

Durability 4 (Regenerative): Part of why people get smelly is dead skin, and a consequence of healing from scratches and stuff is dead skin. She's gotta be regenerating constantly if she's getting that stink on. 4.

Energy Projection 3 (Short Range and Duration): Her bad breath blast counts under this, but we have no reason she has a second type of energy. If she does, that puts her at 6 immediately.

Fighting Skills 4 (Experienced Fighter): She's putting people in her pits. That takes experience. It also gives me a boner, but that's me preaching to the choir.

. . .

DnD 5e Attributes -

Strength 17: I'd call her base probably 15 or 16, but if her stink enhances her strength she could easily be high 20s or low 30s. Good for her.

Dexterity 12: Again, her leotard flew off. Above average though as a result of fighting hand to hand.

Constitution 22: You don't get regenerative abilities and come out of there with nothing to show for it! You can make her sweat but good luck ever tiring her out.

Intelligence 15: A power like hers, she's gotta be smart to succeed. If she's getting keys to the city mailed to her cause she saves the city so often, she's a smart one.

Wisdom 9: Smart as she is, she had to be told not to decimate the local ecosystem. Oops!

Charisma 10: This one was tough! Her stink is both raising and lowering her charisma. Think a Spider-Man situation, where everyone can appreciate her saving the city but maybe really don't wanna be around when shit hits the fan and especially are sometimes put off a little more than they otherwise would be when the hero drops the ball.

. . .

While not a typical scale, I'm a big Magic fan and think it'd be fun to do my interpretation of her through Magic

Magic Colors -

White: Strong yes. Leaving her villain family to be a hero and save the city and uphold law? Oh yeah. That's white.

Blue: Strong yes. We go back to the same point I've been making, only for blue it's more about being crafty. She's crafty. She's blue.

Black: Strong no. Personal gain and means-to-an-end don't feel to be where everyone is going with this. Not black.

Red: Undecided. I think we need more personality on this girl before that can be decided. Is she rash, or just doesn't notice things sometimes? Is she impulsive, or just quick on her feet? Is she even quick on her feet? No data to support any which way.

Green: Weak no. Back to the environment thing, but green is also about the value of might and community. I could be pushed either way on this.

Magic Stats -

Power: 4+. She's very strong.

Toughness: Also 4+. She's very durable.

Abilities: I think Menace fits quite well, if not in name. While I would love to block her alone myself, most people would feel much more comfortable having a second person there with them.

. . .

Conclusion - Stinky......

Oh also I thought I'd be able to find more scales. I couldn't.

the lore grows... check out the reekgirl tag for more

[omeya]

A word or two about AI and our fandom

Over the last few months I've been noticing an increased presence of AIs in this fandom environment. Not that it's something new, they were already here for some time but, although maybe it's just my perception, I see them more and more often.

Being aware of the multitude of fields covered by this technology I would like to talk about what, as a lover of arts in general (not only graphics), makes me uneasy about this matter. 

I will start by saying that I am not writing this from a place of rejection towards artificial intelligence, I understand the value and the multiple utilities and advantages it can bring. I will even say that I am attracted to its potential and the promises of improvement that it can provide to certain aspects of life.

But not here, in art. In the most human work there is, it will never have a deserved place. 

I remember when, a few years ago, through social networks, we were beginning to see greater support towards artists. Many voices were talking about their visibility, about sharing their creations, commenting, criticizing, interacting with them. It seemed that everyone wanted to support their favorite artists, and who wouldn't? The art world is a hostile place, how could they not support them? It even seemed that the detractors, if there were any, were a bit more hesitant to steal art, leave hate comments etc. 

Now, however, I am deeply saddened to visit these same profiles and find "fanarts", "fanfics",... made by an algorithm where the public is full of flattery towards a work generated with, most likely, stolen art. Where has all that gone? 

The AI in this environment triumphs with its stunning images, full of colors, "details", "intricate shapes", lighting. Oh yes, they look very appealing and complex. Incredibly attractive (at least until you look at them in detail) and suspiciously similar to each other. As if they were taken from the same book. A part of the public no longer seems concerned about those artists who have their work stolen and amalgamated into an attempt at "art" by companies or individuals who are trying to break into this world with their dubious (to put it mildly) techniques. A painful part of them is content with simply seeing their favorite character in a new "work", no matter who or how they made it or its consequences. And I still hear from them that it is necessary to support the artists. But hear me out, it is not the public's fault, at least not entirely, they are not the ones who steal art nor the ones who are driven solely by the desire to have more interactions on social networks, whatever the price. It may be a false illusion but I prefer to think that there is a lack of information and not that we just don't care anymore.  

These days, interacting on networks, sharing what I do or just checking in is difficult. Not only for me, as I personally don't claim any artistic career and it's just one hobby among others, but for my more dedicated peers. I find the daily experience of many artists, being overtaken in numbers, visibility and support by an AI made of stolen art, heartbreaking.

Although I think that the use of these images and texts created by computer is equally ignoble in all art spaces, in particular for "fandoms" where most of us participate in a disinterested way, by and for the same community and with special affection, I feel it especially vile. Leaving aside (for now) the fact of the intentionality and the emotion the artist puts in and its appreciated in their works, I would like to emphasize that these communities are formed by small creators mostly that will feel in a more devastating way, if possible, the impact of this tendency. I would not want to see myself in the position of a small artist trying to carve out a niche in the community by competing against individuals or companies whose only goal is numbers and profit. Interactions, not art or the appreciation of a work. Just the generation of similar good-looking images that are known to do well in networks and collect numbers. And the artists, even if they manage to make a niche for themselves and get recognition for their work, how should they feel when they realize that what they had taken hours, days, weeks or months to create (among many other things), an algorithm can emulate in seconds, as many times as the person wants in the day, with little effort, even earning more recognition than them and, on top of that, based on stolen art? 

I won’t dare to call these crude attempts “art”. Not just because of its relation with effort, which is not entirely crucial, but for the absence of intentionality, conscious expression. To say that everything is art is to deny it, but in reverse, because if everything is art, it means that nothing really is it. 

A distinction must be made. As part of the community I will say that for me there is no comparison for a work made by a person who feels and loves what they do. All of them have something that cannot be emulated by an algorithm. Coherence, intention,... That's what I look for in these spaces and what I expect from them. Real people enjoying what they do, creating for themselves and gifting something for everyone else in this community. I won’t be praising a covetous individual or a company that steals art and writes prompts with the sole objective of clout. It would be an insult to myself and my peers' intentions and work.

I’d like to remind all artists that they have something incomparable and valuable in their hands and that they’re very much appreciated. To the vile individuals and companies stealing art and farming numbers I won’t bother to say anything since they’ve proven to be selective in what they listen to and my words will just fall into deaf ears. And to the "public" to inform themselves, if they want to. I’ll leave some links with guides on how to distinguish art from computer images.

Excuse my English since it's not my mother tongue.

Note that a lot more information is available on the internet and art communities for those who might be interested

Cited here: @gailynovelry @mdzsartreblogs

[petruswgstblog]

Blog Post #2 due 02/6

How can the internet, despite reproducing existing power hierarchies, be used as a tool for global feminist organizing and challenging repressive gender and sex norms? 

In speaking about the topic of digital technologies and how things are presented online, whether that is on social media, websites, or just the internet in general it can show a positive and uplifting motive for females and self identifying women. To help overthrow sex and gender oppression. It allows them to escape reality and harshful harassment they experience in real life, whether that is at home, school, or work, to something to engage with on the internet that allows them to, “...transform their embodied selves, not escape embodiment” (Daniels, 2009). Along with spreading activism globally. It lets females and self identifying women to go online and seek out spaces on the internet in where it can allow them to explore and, “...reaffirm the bodily selves in the presence of illness, surgery, recovery, and loss” (Daniels, 2009). 

2.How does the surveillance of marginalized communities through digital technology circulate their daily lives?

There are many factors and instances in how digital technology and its habit of surveilling marginalized communities such as people of color and the low-income working class, affect their everyday lives. These communities and people become such a high alert target rather than those who are White and high class, especially when it comes to finance, employment, politics, health, and human services. Back in the day these resources were offered to us by humans, but now that digital technology has become prioritized into our lives, humans aren’t helping us, machines and AI is. The problem with this is because of its “system” it has, “Automated eligibility systems, ranking algorithms, and predictive risk models control which neighborhoods get policed…” (Eubanks, 2018). This creates more unnecessary issues for these marginalized groups because sometimes they don’t even realize they are being targeted. I will add in my own personal experience in which my mother, who is a Mexican immigrant, once went to get her physical check-up with her doctor, that is until when she arrived they said they were “unable” to provide her this service because her health care insurance did not cover it so she had to switch it. She called several times for customer service to get it fixed and it had ended with giving her the wrong insurance, she then had to change it back to her original one but it could not be changed or fixed because the system said otherwise. 

3.Can artificial intelligence be considered racist and demonstrate biases in AI systems that reflect the prejudices of the humans who create them?

As we all know artificial intelligence has been increasingly developing in rapid ways throughout these years. Whether it goes from cars, machinery, or online digital technologies. But can there be severe unfixed issues in these systems? To put it short, yes. There are many undermining problems when it comes to using AI and how it can perform biases and have the potential to be racist. It is not that the “robot” itself is racist, but the people behind the creation of artificial intelligence. The biases behind this is how the human being appears, their face and skin tone. For example, when it comes to facial recognition it is to be said that, “Facial recognition technology is known to have flaws. In 2019, a national study of over 100 facial recognition algorithms found that they did not work as well on Black and Asian faces” (Hill, 2020). And of course even though this practice of AI is highly flawed it is still put into neighborhoods and communities to have them be surveillanced, because of “higher” crime rates appearing in these areas or as a precaution that will help lead clues to a crime case. Leading to more false arrests, just like how it happened to Mr.Parks. I find it quite odd and invading that these groups of people, such as law enforcement, put these cameras around cities that aren’t even set correctly to identify the perpetuated criminal, it appears to me they are just picking and choosing whatever seems “fit” to the description which is unlawful and discriminating because of the design and system of this AI that is awfully built on white standards. 

4.Can AI and algorithms perpetuate systemic inequalities, especially in a health care perspective? 

As seemingly before it is already known that digital technology has its way of surveilling marginalized communities, specifically minority ethnic groups. And that artificial intelligence is increasing that is leading to more systems being used in corporations and businesses. AI makes its way into health care resources that affect algorithms massively in which is taking a step into making people of color lose their access to health care. Since it is not so often that White people have trouble with their services, the rate increases and so does the algorithm that more health care is being provided to them, since they are able to use and access their insurance whenever is needed rather than other minority groups. “...since white people spent an average of eighteen hundred dollars more than black people on health care. The algorithm consistently deemed white people to be more ill and therefore recommended more health care. In other words because white people were higher healthcare consumers the algorithms determined they needed more” (Brown, 2020). Additionally, this is more than just false, these biases can affect healthcare resource distribution and insurance coverage when this systematic bias often overlooks the disproportionately that is affecting people of color.

Brown, Nicole. (2020, Sept.18). Race and Technology [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8uiAjigKy8. 

Hill, Kashmir. (2020, Dec. 29). Another Arrest, and Jail Time, Due to a Bad Facial Recognition Match. The New York Times. 

Daniels, Jessie. 2009. Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment. (Vol. 37). The Feminist Press.  Eubanks, Virginia. 2018. Automating Inequality-Introduction.

[kinitokisser]

🩷 Welcome to the Web World! 🩷

sir, we kiss sea creatures here.

Run by the person who made this poll, here you can vote on the "kissability" (or huggability, killability, etc...) of various designs based on the game KinitoPET!

🩷 General Blog Rules 🩷

ALL interactions and submissions should be safe for work! There's quite a few minors in this community and I'm not going to bar them from this blog! Keep it SFW or you WILL be blocked.

Discriminatory & predatory behavior is NOT welcome here! It should go without saying that TERFs/MAPs/proship aren't welcome here, or anywhere in this community honestly. If I ever accidentally post a design from someone breaking this rule, PLEASE let me know! I don't know everyone here, but I'll try my best to do a background check!

All submissions should be from the design's owner! This is to verify that they're alright with the design being posted, and to make sure all the details are right!

📊 Love data? Check out the stats page! 📊

✏️ Interested in submitting a design? See below! ✏️

In order to submit a design, please send in an ask or pm me!

When submitting a character, please fill out the following form:

Name: Your character's name/AU name here! Category: Kinito/Sam/Jade/Sonny/Mark/OC Age: Adult/Minor (Feel free to specify exact age if they have one! This blog considers 0-17 a minor. For created entities such as canon Kinito, please put their mental/intellectual age, not the years since creation.) Are they able to consent?: Yes/No (Are they able to make complex decisions? Select "No" for children/minors and animals without human-level intelligence. Non-consenting characters will have "Kiss 'Lips'" removed by default. Child characters will have "Kill" swapped for "Time Out". You can request swapping for "Time Out" for non-child characters.) Interactions: Kiss "Lips"/Kiss Head/Hug/None/Kill (Remove any you do not want. You won't be asked why, so feel free to remove any that you're uncomfortable with!) Extra Info: Anything you'd like to share? Lore, backstory, motives, hobbies, etc?

📝 Blank Version

Name: Category: Age: Are they able to consent?: Interactions: Kiss "Lips"/Kiss Head/Hug/None/Kill Extra Info:

Please attach an image as well. It doesn't have to be perfect, just give us an idea of what they look like! If the image was not drawn by you, please include the artist's name.

If your character has specific tags you'd like me to include, such as character tags, AU tags, or triggers, please let me know! You can also link an AU/ask blog, post on your blog, or story so people have a place to learn more about them!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send an ask or pm me!

[stephaniereddit]

PART 2. About the surname, magic, origin and other things

1. Who is Vendela in essence?

Vendy is a member of the race of Supernaturals, ancient cosmic beings. In addition to her, they include her brother Seraphim, her father Dizarey, her mother Concordia, her uncle Jormungand, etc.

Vendela's Family Tree (Before Rebirth)

At first glance, they might be mistaken for gods, but there are several key differences:

1. All Supernaturals are mortal. Even the Seraphim, like the phoenix, doomed to be reborn forever, must first die. Killing them is usually extremely difficult, but nevertheless, it is possible.

2. Supernaturals are not capable of creating life. They can create conditions for its origin, but they cannot create a living being or revive something that has long been dead.

3. Basically, Supernaturals are just beings from another brane (check out the "braneworld" theory to better understand the concept).

Vendy is a Supernatural by blood, but her powers and abilities are heavily distorted. It's worth starting with the fact that she died at the moment of birth. But her soul survived and went to look for a suitable world for rebirth. This is what the world of dragons became - an experiment by Jormungandr, which at the same time became a prison for its progenitor. There, Vendy, in spirit form, finds Sarah, an Asgardian banished by Odin and left alone on a planet full of predatory lizards with the beginnings of intelligence. But the Asgardian didn't just survive - by the time Vendela arrived, she had already begun to build her empire. The spirit decided to temporarily wait out the unfavorable conditions in the body of the future empress and went quiet for a long time.

2. Origin of the surname.

Vendela bears the surname Horrendous Haddock, like her father, Espen Horrendous Haddock. Yes, she is a descendant of Hiccup, but a very distant one, since there are more than 10 generations between them. All this time, Vendy, in spirit form, passed from one descendant of Hiccup along the Nuffink line to another, until one day she felt that the time had come to awaken (Hiccup received Vendy's spirit from Sarah when she left the planet to begin her revenge on Odin).

Unfortunately, Vendy was too big for her second mother, Grai, and she died shortly after birth. Espen raised his daughter with his longtime friend, Susan. At the time, her young son had recently died, so the widow and widower teamed up to raise Ven and Susan's eldest son, Rind.

3. Magic

Vendela, as far as her species goes, was a huge failure. Having to be reborn as a human and then evolve back into a Supernatural, she is small, weak, and unstable. She got the following abilities:

1. Telepathy is the most developed. By the age of 17, she had learned to read other creature's thoughts and broadcast her own, as well as create extensive channels of telepathic communication for dozens of participants. Due to telepathy, she has a well-developed intuition, but also a high pain threshold, and her skin is very sensitive, especially on her ears and right behind them, where the nerve nodes are located.

2. Healing. In the world of dragons, she is the only one who has this skill, so during the hottest periods of the war, hundreds of soldiers passed through her healing hands. Plus, thanks to "Healing", Vendy herself can more easily endure illnesses and injuries, and no scars remain on her body. By the way, she can heal with any part of her body.

3. "Oracle". Vendela is able to see dozens of possible futures. However, with the re-acquisition of a physical body, the ability began to do more harm than good. The visions always appear suddenly, the girl falls motionless, her pulse and breathing slow down to critical values - being sick, she can literally die in this state. She is completely defenseless. And the predictions are most often false. Fortunately, the calmer the environment, the less often moments of predictions arise.

4. Transformation: This is a fairly simple skill compared to the first three. Simply changing physical form from a near-human creature to a dragon and back. In the process, Vendy literally disintegrates herself and then rebuilds the necessary form from the surrounding molecules.

Dragon form. Donnie (193 cm) easily reaches her shoulder with his head. She is quite small compared to other dragons.

5. Matter Manipulation, in simple words - alchemy. Vendy has mastered this skill at the level of an average alchemist. It uses all 3 subtypes of alchemy: Elemental (prefers water and earth), Transformative (Classical alchemy) and even touches on Mixed (or Ritual) in a distorted form. Within Ritual Alchemy, she does not use spells, as any spell she casts will cause her to become unstable and put her life at risk.

[hologramcowboy]

Do you think Jensen reads your blog? asking because if I was famous I would tots google the gossip blogs about me so i wonder if Jensen ever has. 😶‍🌫️

Absolutely not.

Here's what most actors do online:

Look up industry professionals to learn about them and prep for auditions with them

Look up craft/industry information to soak up

Find new people to connect with that can level up their game (coaches, consultants, agencies etc)

Do character based research

Genre based research

Project based research

Target professionals who match said actor's goals intelligently

Join online communities of professionals to always learn more and perhaps even offer up information/help

Follow industry updates

Focus on building their online brand aimed at industry professionals

Focus on gaining a following to leverage

Check casting websites for breakdowns that match their type (yes, even if they have an agent)

Market themselves (this should be at the top because it is behind every post an actor makes)

Network within the industry to build connections (this should be second on the list.)

Create online content (reels, self tapes, pitches, etc)

Submit self tapes or attend online callbacks

Research production companies and the like to check credibility, credits, reach, etc.

Take online classes (scene study, script analysis, voiceover training, etc)

Attend online workshops

I'll stop here, my point is I highly doubt Jensen has time or interest to Google gossip.

Also, unless an actor is fully trained, I don't recommend doing "market research". You need a good filter to be able to sift the helpful feedback from less relevant things. Any actor can learn a ton and improve a ton by studying what people's impressions (good and bad) are but they need the inner stability to be able to do so without damaging their egos. They need to be able to recognize that they are a product and that their brand places them in certain brackets which, may or may not be what they wanted. (depending on how well trained they are branding wise.)

Most actors who are fully trained learn that feedback is highly important for their careers so they don't get jaded if they see less than stellar reviews or whatever, because they know that feedback is key to unlocking an even higher level of performance. They learn this mostly in acting class which includes very honest feedback regarding their presence, performance, choices, etc. However, at the end of the day, we're all human so if you're more sensitive to criticism and you don't have healthy boundaries in place, please avoid exposing yourself to content that may affect your mood. A solution could be to hire people to research the competition, industry professionals and audience opinions for you and sift through them to your benefit.

Sorry this turned out so long and probably super boring to you, I love talking about anything acting related and I get carried away.

[lucigoo]

For the word game: Raven 👀

So, the only fic of mine that reallly meantions ravens is: Dragon Rot Heres the snippet:

Bilbo swallowed back his sobs. Even if it did no good, they had friends and allies here under the mountain, trying to do whatever they could, in whatever way they could.

“The Line of Durin, and myself are Valar blessed that you are our friend Roack, thank you,” Bilbo said quietly, pouring as much gratitude as he could into his voice.

“Roack help, Roack and family help good hobbit. Happy Mountain, happy eerie.” Roack cackled at Bilbo, making him smile. “More?”

“Yes, a few more, but they are much closer, my friend. This is for Beorn, he may not make it, but if he can, his honey will be so helpful, I dont know how much he has in storage, but there should be at least enough to help the most at risk, even if it just makes the medicine taste better for the young ones. If you could send someone to ask him?”

“Bear man?” Roack asked to check.

“Yes,” Bilbo said with a small smile. “Bear man, tell him bunny asked for help,” he said with a soft laugh, Roack throwing his head back in laughter too.

“There’s two more Roack, much easier. I need help from Dale, the missive assures Bard that humans are immune. It’s a Dragon Rot that is only affecting dwarves. His children were here when it first started, and I’m sure we would have heard about it if they were no longer well.” Bilbo said, biting his bottom lip. They needed help immediately, hands on help. There weren’t enough able dwarves to go around at the moment. They needed extra care givers for one thing, and that was before you added all the other tasks that kept a community working.

“Dale. Roack Mate go,” Roack said as he cawed something up into the rafters. A beautiful female raven came down, one a similar age to Roack, with even more intelligence shining in her eyes if that was possible. “Solurm” Roack said, with a look that Bilbo had seen often on Thorin’s face when looking at him.

“Thank you Roack, Solurm.” Bilbo breathed out, in awe at the help Roack and his flock were willingly provided.

“Roack take to Elf king. Mountain elf want family, family good when sad,” Roack said, guessing perfectly well what Bilbo wanted for the last missive and why.

“Oh, thank you Roack. Thranduil needs to know, Tauriel needs the support, Yavanna bless her. And if he knows enough to help, well, I won’t sneeze at that opportunity.” Bilbo said as he handed Roack the final missive. Watching in relief as the ravens all flew away. Dale and Mirkwood, he expected answers by the next day at most. Beorn would probably be two or three. The Shire, as Roack said, would be maybe 10/11 days and Rivendell maybe 8 if he was lucky. All he had to do was keep as many dwarves as possible alive until then, he thought glumly as he wandered back into the mountain to do what he could with what he had on hand.

[vitos-ordination-song]

I’ve put my finger on something Le Guin gets wrong: throughout her work, there’s a clear conception that philosophical worldview shapes culture. This is right to some degree but I think she really overstates the case.

For instance, she was skeptical of monotheism in general because she believed that it was tied to various negative cultural traits (supremacy, patriarchy, etc.). Let’s use the main Abrahamic religions as an example. Their history/sacred texts indicate that, despite certain exceptions, the religions are generally patriarchal and warlike (don’t come for me on this, I know I’m making generalizations). On the other hand, Buddhist and Taoist sacred texts don’t promote war, and they’re more favorable to gender equality as well.

So… does this mean there’s actually a huge difference between religious populations in these terms? Yes and no I suppose. Plenty of Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities are peaceful and don’t treat women poorly. There’s differences based on religion, but as far as overall behavior, I honestly don’t think that the religious-philosophical outlook of a community is necessarily the deciding factor, but rather geopolitics and socioeconomics. Maybe none of this is coming across clearly, but let’s consider the proliferation of far-right Islam—it didn’t arise because people were just naturally changing their worldviews, but instead occurred as geopolitical/socioeconomic conditions severely worsened. Far-right Christianity in America is more or less driven by think tanks. I’m not denying that certain beliefs—say the belief in heaven—don’t have major impacts on the behavior of cultural groups. I’m just trying to point out some flaws in this way of thinking. It’s got to be a mix of both.

Returning to Le Guin, she obviously believed that Taoism provided guiding principles to living a good life and creating a good society. I’ve read the major Taoist texts and agree! It’s very beautiful writing. Sure, all religions have some beautiful writing, but I can see why Taoism (and Buddhism) are so appealing to open-minded, intelligent, decent people. However, in Le Guin’s imagining, a Taoist-inspired society is a paradise, essentially. The Telling portrays a mono-culture of people whose lives center on a thinly-veiled Taoist philosophy. There’s barely any murder, everyone gets along, is super healthy, super kind, and continues a tradition of oral storytelling. How wonderful! Yes, in theory, that’s how a society based on Taoism should turn out. But uh, there’s one problem: history. Unfortunately Taoism in China just didn’t play out like that. Lots of murder involved, to the point where some of the slaughters can be called genocide. I just got through a section of Chinese history where a Taoist minister got the emperor to murder upwards of 50,000 Buddhists. Similarly a lot of Westerners think of Buddhists as peaceful, but Buddhists around the world today are excitedly calling for/carrying out the extermination of Muslims.

It’s not like Le Guin didn’t understand hypocrisy, The Dispossessed is all about it, but her didacticism wrt philosophy starts to wear thin after a while. At the end of the day, there’s human nature, and there’s geopolitical/socioeconomic realities, and there’s random chance. Le Guin always wrote monotheistic societies as expansionist, violent, and patriarchal, while polytheists/animists are the good guys. Just a bit simplistic if you ask me. I mean, go check in on the Hindus to cure yourself of the idea that polytheism is somehow linked to a reduction in hierarchy.

[jamesmilleer2407]

Empowering Everyday Australians The Research Legacy of Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd.

Financial awareness is no longer limited to elite professionals in suits trading on busy floors. Today, Australians from all walks of life are engaging with markets—checking portfolios over coffee, scanning company announcements during commutes, and tuning into economic news before bed. In this era of increased public financial participation, Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. has emerged as a transformative force—bridging the gap between technical market analysis and the everyday investor’s need for reliable, relatable information.

The rise of mobile finance apps and digital brokerage platforms has made investing more accessible. However, access alone isn’t enough. What Australians truly need is trustworthy content that explains what’s happening, why it matters, and what data supports the story. This is where Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. excels.

Elevating the Standard of Financial Communication

Every investor, whether seasoned or new, faces the challenge of filtering quality from noise. The digital finance world is flooded with speculative headlines, conflicting forecasts, and recycled content. Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. counters this chaos with calm, evidence-based publishing. Its content doesn’t chase trends—it contextualizes them.

Through a clean editorial voice and structured formatting, the company delivers research that respects its audience’s time and intelligence. Instead of hyperbole, it offers careful evaluation. Instead of jargon, it offers clarity.

Whether covering a small-cap energy stock or offering a broader review of ASX performance, Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. makes sure its readers receive content they can trust and understand.

Building Tools, Not Just Reports

What sets the firm apart isn’t just what it publishes—but how that information becomes a tool for decision-making. Research is not just a document; it’s a utility. Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. develops reports that go beyond commentary. They act as frameworks for evaluating performance, spotting risk factors, and identifying emerging potential.

Its equity research often includes peer benchmarking, trend visuals, and key ratio summaries—making it easier for readers to compare companies or sectors at a glance. This isn’t just about knowing what’s happening, but also understanding what that means from a broader portfolio perspective.

Specialised Offerings for Niche Demands

Many investors are not looking for generic advice. They have specific goals—long-term dividends, high-growth exposure, or sector diversification. Recognizing this, Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. provides targeted report categories that cater to various market strategies.

Dividend Reliability Reports: For readers who prioritize income and payout stability over volatility.

IPO Spotlights: Focused on newly listed entities, exploring their roadshows, valuation metrics, and sector outlook.

Thematic Watchlists: Tailored collections of stocks tied to global themes like renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and urban mobility.

Small-Cap Briefings: Highlighting emerging players outside the ASX200 with high-research depth often lacking in mainstream coverage.

This level of customization means readers get what they’re looking for—without being overwhelmed by irrelevant information.

Blending Human Judgment with Smart Systems

The firm’s research process is far from mechanical. Yes, there are systems in place for data collection, charting, and metric analysis—but every publication is reviewed and refined by actual professionals with sector expertise. This marriage of technology and judgment helps ensure that context is never lost.

Digital distribution plays a key role. From early morning email alerts to dashboard updates, Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. delivers content at the right time, in the right format. Whether a user prefers PDF, mobile reading, or interactive formats, accessibility is built into the system.

More Than Research—A Knowledge Culture

Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. is its contribution to public financial awareness. Through its webinars, explainer series, and plain-language blogs, the company has positioned itself not just as a service provider—but as a cultural resource for Australians seeking greater financial understanding.

It's not about giving answers—it’s about helping people learn to ask better questions. That educational mission is what makes the company’s role in the finance ecosystem not only valuable, but vital.

Why Trust Matters More Than Ever

In a world where online misinformation can spread quickly, credibility is currency. Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. has earned its standing not through advertising, but through consistency. Each report is grounded in verified data, free from speculative tone, and transparent in its methods.

Its policies reflect that responsibility. Strict editorial standards, legal compliance, and continuous internal training ensure that integrity is more than a goal—it’s a daily practice.

In the crowded world of financial media, it’s easy to get lost in noise. But every now and then, a voice rises that doesn’t just add to the conversation—it elevates it. Kalkine’s Pty. Ltd. has become that voice in Australia. Through a blend of research depth, user-friendly design, and educational outreach, the firm offers a refreshing alternative to surface-level commentary.

[prakarshade]

Reclaiming Fitness in the Digital Age: How Online Training is Reshaping Our Health Journeys

The world of fitness has witnessed a dramatic turn, particularly after the pandemic made us realize the importance of flexibility and customization. Now, online fitness training is not merely a substitute—it's a way of life. One needs only a smartphone and a yoga mat to access live virtual classes or get on-demand fitness streaming from anywhere, at any time. If you're living in an urban apartment or a rural village, the day of "train anywhere, anytime" has never been truer. Tired professionals are fitting in small home workouts, and young parents are checking into equipment-free workouts during naptime. It's not about having time anymore—it's about fitting fitness into your life.

It's not just convenience that's attracting them, though. The increasing popularity of AI-based personal trainers and wearables-based workouts makes your workout not only customized—it's intelligent. Your heart rate, recovery rate, and even mood can guide your fitness program. Sites now provide personalized macros + workouts so that your nutrition and training are synchronized. And for those seeking a bit more interaction, gamified exercises and fitness app challenges make training an experience, not an obligation. These innovations maintain motivation levels high while offering a rich level of personalization we previously only anticipated from in-person coaching.

There's also a robust sense of community taking shape. Through fitness accountability groups and social fitness platforms, users are discovering real support and connection in a digital environment. Whether you’re part of a 30-day fitness challenge or a niche group like prenatal online fitness or senior fitness online, the experience feels far from isolating. Instead, it mirrors the camaraderie of traditional gyms—only now, it’s global. Influencers are leading fitness influencer programs, sharing routines and checking in with thousands of followers who rely on them for guidance and inspiration.

What makes all this truly special is the human element. The hybrid fitness regimens we now witness marry technology and compassion. An online fitness coach doesn't merely monitor your reps—they inquire about your stress levels. Classes in mindful movement, breathing, and holistic fitness are a constant reminder that fitness is not only for the body—it's for the mind, too. As we proceed in this fitness metaverse, perfection is no longer the aim but progress—driven by intelligent tech, yes, but fueled by actual human intention.