#... and yet in the end this clusterfuck of incoherent thought ramblings still make sense

[art-of-mathematics]

The task I wanted to do:

- task 1: Visualize the fourth dedekind number

What I needed to do in order to do task 1:

- task 1.1: Draw a hypercube and

- task 1.2: then give each of the 16 vertices a name - which is the 16 different "cells" (I dunno which word to use, sorry) of a venn diagram with 4 overlapping sets plus a circle around that 4-venn diagram.

- - -- ---

//additional info: For the 3rd dedekind number visualization I already posted I needed to use 20 cubes. Each of the 8 vertices of a cube was related to 3 sets - A, B and C - and the intersections of these sets. (AB, AC, BC, ABC)

You remember this post:

... and these details:

...and now back to the 4th dedekind number, which follows the same principle, - but in 4 dimensions.

- So we need a hypercube - and a 4th set/letter:

Now we have 4 letters - alias 4 sets

- and 11 combinations of these sets:

AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD, (6)

ABC, ABD, ACD, BCD, (4)

ABCD (1)

=> 11 different intersections + 4 "pure" sets. (sorry for ignorant wording)

So, we have 15 of these now. What is with the 16th (as the hypercube has 16 vertices)? Yeah, that one is the circle you imagine around the 4-set venn diagram.

- - -- ---

This is a 4-set venn diagramm btw:

--- -- - -

So, back to me attempting to do the 4th dedekind-number visualization:

So I started to draw that venn diagram using ellipses, but I slightly altered it, because I wanted to use my isometric grid paper. (The angles of my drawing are different than in the picture depicted above.)

I started to draw the 4 ellipses, and I somehow started to see two intertwined/interlocked tubes due to the additional helplines I used for drawing.

Then I started to use my thicker black pen to make this effect of these two interlocked tubes more visible:

Now I plan to write the sets/letters at the backside of that piece of paper - in mirrored, so I can hold this piece of paper (with the tube drawing in front) against the light - and see the letters of the set names shining through.

i might also add some details to the tubes.

[widgenstain]

Ok, thoughts on Split, all still very fresh and a little scrambled.

Just so you know, when the trailer came out I was one of the people who went “Fuck, no!”. I did not like the premise, thought it was tediously overdone and quite a bit offensive too. No need for another horror movie where crazy people are scaaaary. I asked some people who saw it though and they convinced me that I should give it a try. Split got marketed as a horror movie but it really isn't. There are definitely horror elements and tropes in it but it isn't a movie that is out to scare you. Instead it works with a growing feeling of anxiety and uncomfortableness.  It's a thriller with supernatural components mixed in, a bit of drama too, and it touches some pretty heavy and dark topics. I was actually surprised how sensible it was (on some topics) since I did not expect that from M.Night Airbender.

Spoilers and incoherent rambling under the cut

First things first: James was freaking amazing. It shouldn't come as a surprise but he really was in best form (physically too, oh yes, but I digress). I didn't read many reviews but one of them criticised him for the characters being too much of a caricature. Well, I hope that person goes fuck a cactus soon. The characters have very distinctive behaviours between he switches flawlessly, yes, but it's not about the mannerism he adopted for each of them - which btw, he did amazingly, trust me I have become very familiar with his mannerisms and he used them SO well for the characters – it's about how he makes the characters WORK! Imagine any other actor in that role; Imagine Joaquin Phoenix. He is a great actor too but he would have been so wrong for Hedwig for example. Imagine him going for that sweet, creepy, petulant innocence. One of James' biggest strengths is that he's so immediately likeable, that he can look so non-threatening and harmless, which makes it ten times scarier when he isn't. Also, each and every character has depth, their emotions are raw and so visible to the audience which is SO important for this movie to work the way it does. All those close-ups of his face, he isn't emoting or putting on some “acting” expressions, he's leading you to the emotions the characters go through, making you understand. You're compelled to feel with them, understand that clusterfuck they're navigating and have sympathy for them; And yes, disgust and condemnation too. OMG, a mentally ill person being shown as a fucking complex being, how offensive  And there is no one who could have done that movie better than James did. That's an objective fact, I'm sorry.

He isn't the only great actor in this, Betty Buckley is so wonderful here. Her character really is the one that mutes the boycott criticism. She's so warm, understanding, supportive and willing to help, yet at the same time it probably was her input that led to The Beast. Ahhhh her demise was so freaking tragic! I really liked the younger girls too, Anya Taylor Joy was a very relatable lead and Jessica Sula and Haley Lou Richardson were far better than your typical horror movie sacrificial lambs.

Which leads me to another thing I loved: the playing with the tropes. Yes there are some teenage nymphs in their underwear kept captive in a dark cellar, but none of them behaves like the typical horror movie character. Their actions make sense in the position they're in and they're not shown as stupid or weak. In fact, Casey is pretty amazingly yet still realistically handling the situation. And it all is in accord with what she went through. That part... the abuse and how they dealt with the effects of abuse was just so arrghhh. That's the sensible part I was talking about. I did not expect to feel this empowered and (positively?) weirded out at the same time by a Syhamalan approach. Both Kevin and and Casey went through horrible things. He used his alters to deal with it and the result is this broken, powerful, dangerous, lovable, brutal, tragic, magnificent being. She used her experience to deal with her abductor, and the ordeal she went through to free herself. Quite subtly too. Well, shotgun subtly, but tell me it didn't feel great to see her in the end. Depressingly great. I don't know. It's a mixed bag of feelings, all of which I like.

Another played with trope was the sexualisation and the rape threat. As mentioned, the girls wore flimsy clothes and the bit with Dennis in the beginning could have taken a really bad turn but then they stopped. And subverted it in the kiss between Hedwig and Casey. So creepily endearing and probably the funniest moment of the movie too. Loved.It. More of this!

Anyway, the movie isn't perfect, the dialogue is clunky at points, you can tell that it wasn't very expensive to make and if you're not prepared for the violence and the slight cheesiness of the supernatural elements they might distract you, but it still is a great great movie. Well shot, VERY well acted and just the right amount of dark and sad in a story that's actually more sensible and meaningful than I expected.

Also Shirtless!James in powerlifting shape. Very hairy. I made the strangest sounds at the sight of it.