#Brain-mappers

[thatspacepirate]

Help an Ultrakill dev recover from acute parietal haematoma

"Hello, my name is Lois and I have created this GoFundMe to assist in my twin brother's recovery from an acute parietal haematoma. This massive brain bleed has resulted in paralysis of the right side of the body, extreme weakness in the rest of his body, and the inability to speak. Current cognitive status is still been evaluated. There is a long road to recovery ahead, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology."

The quake mapper and 3d modeler Samuel2213 recently suffered a Parietal Haematoma. It happened a few days ago and he's stable, but he has a long road to recovery, and is lucky to be alive. He's a lead 3d modeler for Ultrakill and Wrath Aeon of Ruin, he did the models for gabriel, v1, and many of the other enemies. if you love those games please help out. Here's some of his work you might know.

Please reblog to help.

[carionto]

So uhh... we found something really, REALLY strange

As the tectonic activity continues to shift ever more chaotically across the globe, randomly elevating or crumbling parts of mountains, opening up fissures and expanding fault lines, not to mention all the volcanic eruptions, to say it is important to monitor the inner workings of Earth would be a criminal understatement.

On the remains of what used to be Hawaii, now a singular landmass, lies a monitoring station closest to the epicenter of the Fusion Detonation Event, some 400km away. Seismographer and tectonics expert Joannie du'Preeste was finalizing this months deep level mapping of the area of detonation and directly below to give the algorithm-driven disaster prediction model at least an above 50% accuracy rate for this month.

Typical readings, increase in magma outflow, collapses of internal caverns, formation of new ones, and irregular shifts from the various efforts to stymie and direct the disastrous plate movements. Now that Humanity and Earth were properly back in dimensional space instead of in-between, some additional hectic activity in the form of directional nuclear detonation had been performed for the upcoming plan of "plug the hole with a large piece of another planet or moon".

They've selected Sycorax by the way, just waiting for it to get further away from Uranus in its irregular orbit, hook it up to several Dreadnoughts and haul it over to Earth and gently plop it in the hole. It is about the right size and nobody will miss it if it doesn't work.

Anyway, as she pondered the likely inevitable yet another calamitous event we'll be willingly conducting, the mapper finished its work.

At first, more of the same chaos as usual, but something at the back of her mind said to glance closer at the density readings from the deepest level measurements. With not much else to do today before the work day ends, she highlighted the appropriate levels, and as she started to remove clutter data, a shape began to emerge.

A tendril.

While scans and maps often show things that our minds interpret as something already familiar to us, once you look at each individual part, you see that it is just a coincidence. The brain wants to see what it knows to make sense of the unknown, life would be too complicated and overstimulating otherwise.

No mistake, however. As she removed more of the clutter and focused in on the object, there was no mistaking its resemblance to a biological structure. Hints of veins, pores, hairs, scales, needles, eyes... seemingly everything you could find on the surface layer of a creature was there, or parts of it anyway. Composition-wise it was more of the same silicates and such compounds found within the mantle. But... denser, more concentrated, almost deliberately shaped.

She quickly loaded up older data and after a bit of filtering and comparing, sure enough, the same tendril-like structure is there, just a little closer to the regular density levels of the surrounding. Even years old data provided similar results, though you could only find the shape if you already knew it was there.

Loading up the oldest records she had access to from around 300 years ago revealed the same, just even less distinguishable from the surrounding materials.

The scans don't go deep enough to show what the tendril leads to, if anything, but what is it? How did it get there? Why is something clearly biological in structure within the mantle layer? And if it does continue, how far? Does the core of the planet itself house some impossible creature? If so... what does that mean? For Earth? For Humanity? For the Universe? This is way above Joannie's pay grade and expertise, way past her regular waking hours as well at this point, and way too big to know how or if to reveal any information to the public. Some higher ups can have a headache instead.

Maybe the Coalition aliens know something similar.

Maybe this is all a big load of nothing and she just imagined it all.

Yeah.

That'd be nice.

Wouldn't it be nice if Cthulu wasn't potentially real?

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2005): Congestion 1024

As of writing these words, I’m done with my indefinite hiatus. After playing the rest of the WADs spoiler-tagged by Dean of Doom, checking out the ones that might mind-fuck your brain, and watching some stuff not related to Doom, I am confident to come back and take care of the rest of the WADs from the 2005 roster. And considering what WAD I’m about to review, it will probably help me even further.

G6: Congestion 1024

Main author(s): Various (project kickstarted by Rachel Schmitz (Negatronica) and led by Thomas Lutrov (Lutrov71))

Release date: November 25th, 2005 (original release)/ December 2nd, 2005 (database upload)

Version played: ???

Required port compatibility: Boom (the text file recommends ZDoom and PRBoom)

Levels: 32 (standard 30 + 2)

Congestion 1024 is the second WAD on this shitshow that has restricted rules after 10 Sectors; this time making the playable parts of a map no larger than the size 1024*1024 (going larger when it comes to backgrounds was fine). It was inspired by Exquisite Corpse, a map with a similar gimmick but instead of one big map stitched together with twelve smaller maps, this WAD is basically structured like a regular MegaWAD.

Now the maps with 1024^2 size tend to be small (supposedly smaller than Dead Simple), so we will see what the mappers have to offer when it comes to the limited size.

The restriction definitely didn’t tarnish how the maps look. While most of the time the maps look just fine, some of them look incredible like Garden of the Descent and A Jagged Stroll, both maps taking place in a canyon-like area. There is also Nullspace Junior, a condensed version of the original map, and yes, it was created by the same person. There might be other maps with stunning visuals but these three are the ones that I can think of the most.

Without counting MIDIs from other WADs, rendition of songs/music tracks from other games, and Bantam (which has an unchanged track), the soundtrack was created by Rachel Schmitz, who we met earlier due to her Happy Time Circus map (she was also a founder of the WAD project). These tracks were good to listen to. Other tracks were (almost all the time) also good.

What’s funny is that this version of Death Bells (played in A Bridge Too Far), is the same, scuffed one from Alien Vendetta, missing bell noises. I don’t know if the track broke while this map was created, or was it from some rare version of Final Doom that I don’t know about.

I don’t really think this MegaWAD is convoluted (asides from Bantam during my first playthrough). Despite being small, these maps have something to offer to differentiate themselves from each other.

While you will encounter maps that are nothing more but a bunch of squares and rectangles squished together to fit the restriction, some maps like Claustrophobic Sting try to make something more uniquely shaped rather than introducing another squared arena/arenas.

House of Shadows is probably the worst example of squishing as many tight corridors as possible. Not to mention shitty chess stairs.

I guess some individuals still thought that such a thing was a good idea back in 2005.

There are three instances where you end up forced to Pistol-start the next map. The exits where you die happen in Gothika 1024, the previously mentioned Claustrophobic Sting, and Magus.

Caco District has a fun moment where some of the buildings in the background start to go down as you progress, implicating that these are crumbling down due to demons destroying them.

There is also another Dead Simple copy with barely any changes. And yes, this WAD does end up on another shitty Icon of Sin map. And this time you are forced to wait God knows how long before finally being able to press the switch that will end the last map.

Speaking of waiting, some of the maps think that stagnating the progress by shoving really long platforms to lower is a good idea. Well, here’s a spoiler for you: it’s not. It makes playing the map boring; not as much when fighting monsters but when there is nothing else to do... well, bring some snacks, pal. You are going to wait for a few moments.

Congestion 1024 is rather challenging, especially its last third; although I question the fairness of the difficulty since there are maps that tend to forget their sizes and shove as many monsters as possible to these already cramped maps, with the previously mentioned Magus being the worst case of being too cramped with monsters.

This WAD project isn’t really that buggy from what I’ve encountered, but there are at least a couple of these described on Doomwiki if you are interested in reading that. The worst case I encountered is definitely with Close Quarters, to the point of not being able to finish this map properly unless you noclip through a door that acts like an invisible wall for some reason. How did this was even greenlit to this project, is a complete enigma to me.

Congestion 1024 is a fine WAD, I guess. I would say that it’s good at best. Some of the maps are great, some are the opposite of great, and most of the time it was... eh.

Honestly, if I could choose between this WAD and 10 Sectors, I would still prefer Congestion 1024 because while it has bad maps, none of these come close to the awfulness of 10 Sectors’ MAP21.

Thankfully (for me), this is the last megaWAD with over 30 maps from the 2005 roster. The next one has seven of these, so hopefully I won’t spend that much time finding secrets for the second playthrough for the lack of better words.

I’ll see you then.

Bye!

[solarapplejuice]

there are so many bad beat saber maps that are actively harder than just charting to the song for exactly this reason, including the "easy" difficulties. every easy chart in the game looks like a single note on the 1st beat of every other bar over and over and when that's being played over a camellia song it's not actually as easy or as fun a it sounds but there's no other way to simplify a track that much to fit it inside of said category. especially in a game like beat saber when each note requires a snappy and quick hit, it makes slow songs just not work in the game as well as high BPM songs with strong percussion. sliders were added very recently though, so that's likely changing. and of course on the other side is any song that has a certain threshold of energy that a lot of mappers turn their brain off and use the same 4/4 alternating cross note pattern that trivializes what could have been an interesting expert/expert+ chart. if it were me personally and i made charts for beat saber id probably only do no more than 2 difficulties that would still be pretty close to each other (normal-medium or medium-expert, etc.) just because when you legitimately try to make the easiest possible version and hardest possible version of a particular chart you can't actually get super varied without abandoning the original feel of the song and ending up with a chart that feels very same-y with every other super easy or super hard chart.

rhythm game charts shouldnt have multiple difficulties, why do i need to feel out which level will have the chart adequately represent the music without adding shit in or leaving awkward empty space?

[rennyji]

is this the end...hold your breath and count to 10...

Some random whispering/low tone conversations between 10:29 AM - 10:33 AM in kitchen between mom and dad. In 18 yr delusional situation snowballing, it’s hard not to wonder if it’s about you. Both of the them & false gods they worship deserve slap their parents should’ve given.

I am an Indian Hindu. I “want” my marriage 2B arranged 2DecentGirls like princesses from good family’s. After this, I’d never touch 1 of your blacks, whites, browns, or yellows. stick2urOwn, u devils. I am the embodiment of BJP itya hasa & Congress’s acceptanceOfAll. Jai Mahadev.

- enjoy jerking off 2 me & my ummm gentle gentle gentle touch…have some pride & look to ur own rather than stealing the embodiment of Indian culture so that u can prostitute him 4 fake USA Christian values in a land of agnostics & atheists and those using f*word w/their Christ.

Conversation between mom and me, while in my bedroom, somewhere between 12:55 PM and 1:01 PM. A conversation lacking in foundation, where - I hate to use this word-premise or basis, for the discussion makes no sense. Phones on us, eyes/ears on us.

Look at this from my Apple Card transactions. Nothing extravagant. Worst of it “looks like” repeat Amazon charges. But 3rd pictures shows Amazon purchases which could be bathroom essentials or groceries-Instacart is groceries from ShopRite/Costco w/up to $7 tip. Like $650 total.

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1777383732141326461

So a doctors office just acted rather rigidly/stubbornly w/me. They’d prefer no weight loss assistance w/o assessing risk/harm, than straying from an injectable that causes reduction of gastric motility or amidst absence of injectable.-

- Point is, while I’m addressing ins/outs w/terms, I’m depicted as know it all looking 2 go on pills…paradox in it?! I hope u get…how much longer do I have to bow my head 2 these interactions I’m averse to.-

- Part of it has 2 do w/every1 thinking I’m their friend and they know everything to me. Not ur lovable brother/friend. I don’t know you. Probably wouldn’t. All effects of libel and slander amidst idiots thinking it’s the effect of churning sh*t from a head-world’s biggest fools.

-Paradoxes?-Im writing on social media AsWarning-theySedateMe fearingAggression, but b/c orchestrators/whoreKids=sex obsessed&continue making things cute/cuddly amidstPropaganda ImStern, druggedOrNot, urCreatingSituation w/potential4violence irrespective of tranquilized muscles.-

-nonsense said: guilt him 2 this/that, pressure him 2 this/that, blackmail him in2 this/that-overall?take advantage while we sedate him & paint him according 2 our will. I’m my parents, my family, my country. Sh*t on my life in USA all U want, don’t come2me w/expectations after.

Ur f*g old men in police/army/schools like 2 use their Being John Malkovich, get in head powers, 2 fondle my balls, whore females from school make fun of my Indian background & want me 2 set them up w/myself or other Indian men,-

- all while ur elite condition me in2 blondes over my own. In my life, for the brain mappers, I have never once fantasized myself with an American, blonde or whatever. I think that can be verified with their tech, or injectable truth serum, lie detectors.-

- Why ur people, whites/blacks, have such a hard time, w/my Indian family/me just going 2 work, & back 2 each other & our food/our tv everyday…Is it our responsibility 2 forgo wat we want 2 give a leg up 2 an American randomly hoping 2 marry rich in situation unacknowledged2me?-

- Y are ur people so h*ll bent on praising me in random, even sexual ways when 18 years of our lives have been stolen from my family/me? When ur people treat us as something 2 use & abuse at end of this, wat is it with u not letting us just crawl back in2 the holes of our homes?

If ur seeing me write tweet from my iPhones twitter app, w/front camera facing, my face, b4/after mean nothing, esp. when something can twitch muscles2disguise asSpeakingOutOfAnger, 2fuel libel of troubled kids 2not take me seriously. Watching my culture, just had an epiphany.-

- people whose interest PeakedBy, my recent tweets…after 18 years, wat the h*ll u expecting me2do? Strip naked&break in2 a dance giving meaninglessPhilosophy? Those my age R married w/kids. Ive been trying 2get h*ll away from u, while libel cr*p again goes in2 noAge4some things.

A clip from 2023 Hulu movie, “Assassin.” Gets into perils of brain mapping: that is, This is someone brain mapping their mind to, perhaps, yours, and as a result, control you, with or without a lapse in your memory.-could’ve already happened. #mindcontrol #mind #Awareness

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1748532128898285642

-so retards from Albany do this being in head/eyes, being like John malkovich type movie thing. Then next layer amidst multi layer, of USA stupidity is mapping some1 they C as nasty 2my brain. Some kind of irony&discrimination 4 saying kids stalk,school hacks,govmt does nothing.-

- apparently when going to fbi offices, school vps, the suny system, telling my phone im going to talk. Ow, talking and writing where mics social media available, my point wasn’t getting across.-

-Somehow after believing a gang of whites and blacks for 18yrs w/no direct contact w/me, I’m the racist. I definitely hate this country, I expected nothing of it and it makes ridiculous demands of me. -

What is it that I want at this stage and since then beginning? The money for the harassment done to me against my wishes (harassment by nature and duration), cancelling of my citizenship,-

-and while I’m here, don’t interact with me unless I ask you a question. Don’t nod, don’t friend, don’t wave, don’t purposely smile at me, don’t try to date me. In life I never sought a cup of coffee from a stranger. Return the sentiment.-

- if last tweet gets under ur f*in skin, take it up w/me in person. We’ll have a Nice heart 2 heart. It may not be nice. It’s been 1 hr since last tweet, where I watch some tv in between, and it’s 2 am. I think, it can be interpreted at least now, I’m saying this w/a level head.-

whatever special gifts/augments, aside from money, that get bestowed on me-in whatever form-from this situation, take it, turn it around, and shove it up ur a*s, and never come near me. if you don't, ill sell it to the highest bidder.

- if Ive made any juicy point in person or in writing or in f*thought, it’s ultimately 2 get rid of all of u w/a nice ending. I mean it in most polite please/thank u American way.-

- My life/day won’t stop cuz u hate me. Ur part of nice/ugly scenery in a blink or head turn. Move on. End this Jerry springer sh*t making U feel better about ur day & makes u think ur better off than me.Thanks/take care.That’s what I want. I hope no loose ends 4 the demented.

[jayextee]

DOOM - Green, Brown, and Blue

Randomly, a single-level WAD posted about on the DOOMworld forums which is exactly what it purports to be; a ten-minute (or thereabouts) DOOM 1 vanilla-compatible WAD themed around the colours green, brown, and blue.

As an aside, I thought it dutiful for me to give this WAD a try. Over on le DW forums I make a minor nuisance of myself pointing out when something is described as 'vanilla' DOOM when it does not, in fact, target or work with the original DOS executable (or the modern stand-in, Chocolate DOOM, is acceptable). I could let these people be wrong and move along home, but there's something about the scenario and context that makes my autistic brain just itch, y'know? So yeah, as penance for this I do look up and play the odd vanilla map posted there. Most aren't so noteworthy really.

Anywho, GBB is. It's a fun time. Most of the action is constrained to nigh-subterranean corridors with tight E2-roster combat (although, mercifully, I don't recall lost souls?) and a great atmosphere which is only ameliorated by a well-chosen midi soundtrack. The author describes this as 'reaching Plutonia levels of challenge' and I'd agree there in part thanks to the "surprise! Now deal with it!" nature of some of the encounters.

The claustrophobia doesn't last though, as the action caps off with an area fight featuring an onlooking Cyberdemon that is, in fact, largely optional thanks to the curious usage of a player-death exit (which, I suppose, could be triggered by taking a cybie rocket to the face in the right spot?). Also optional is the yellow key 'half' of the leadup, granting a bonus soulsphere before this elective climax.

One final note though, and this is a biggie for me as a (currently) DOOM 1 mapper; a very pleasing rockets-to-barons ratio. They're walls of meat, basically, and with this many of them in a map, it's amazing to see the author letting the purse-strings loose with rockets. Hell, the map starts with the rocket launcher and enough supplies to make short work of a pretty exciting opening.

This is worth a play. 4/5

[flowing-memories]

It all started with Rage. No shadows, tones or lighting. Just pointy lines that cuts pierce and stabs the eye, a sword that's mostly sheathed. And there was no background. Because the source of the emotion was unknown. However,As time went, the blood stopped spilling. Instead of looking far they looked near and within. Call it awakening.

Call it the artists mind

or just right brain at work.

Call it Spiritus Mundi...

whatever it is,the pencil went on its own path.

And then like intuition the source was found within. Sorrow turned anger, and a heart once lost that can not be found again?

A light that went out within the crowd of an uncountable carpet of stars.

And now what only remains is the silhouette. The rest is smoke and mirrors.

The only thing they remember is that the eyes were blue.

It's the mapper's desperate struggle to capture the passing moment. A moment that constantly shifts every passing millisecond, no.

It changes every conscious and unconscious moment of one's existence.

That's how the shading came with the colours, the tones and the frantic lighting that has no logic whatsoever

. No more pointy clean lies.

But Lots of imperfect smudging, shading of black and white.

It's a struggle to preserve the image that died many years ago.

[a-wartime-paradox]

(#9) The Two Auteurs

In this story it's made clear that each incarnation of Auteur after his initial death (that is, after his skin was flared off by Life), Auteur considers each iterative death-and-renewal to be a separate incarnation, leading to the Goddess (the twelfth incarnation, immediately before the one who was flayed by Life) "killing" (they were doing a mind-battle like in The Brain of Morbius, but we see them fight in a mindscape and each time they die they roll back an incarnation) the skeletal Auteur four times, only for him to come back almost exactly as before. The Monochrome Auteur (black cloak, as was born in The Cactus and the Corpse), the Retconned Auteur (purple cloak, as was reborn in Resurrection of the Author by the Collective of Retconning Crocodiles), the Remembered Auteur (as born in.... wait and see), and Godfather Auteur (the initial skeleton of Jayce Black's two Obverse short stories, A Bloody (and Public) Domaine and Going Once, Going Twice). I think this is truly ingenious and fits with Auteur's characterisation - of course he'd know that having more incarnations would help him at some point, so of course he willed himself to believe it.

But the twist isn't there. What happens next, when the Goddess kills her successor once more... he bifurcates, splitting into all the possible origins of Godfather Auteur. The Astral Mapper (clearly Astralabus of DWM comics), the Astrologer (Astralabus's supposed human identity from DWM), Bateleur (a new origin for Auteur, nabbed due to the temporal instability of originating in a non-existent culture, Gallifrey), Hastur/The King in Yellow (I don't think this is meant to imply Fenric becomes Auteur, but honestly i dont know. edit: it's not), some Nosferatu fictional version of Auteur (i have No IDEA what this is referencing), and a shaman.

I love this, having all of these guys - well, psychic echoes of them, of course - turn up to torture their predecessor. Oh, didn't I mention? they were trying to sacrifice the Goddess of Gendar. But wouldn't that erase them from existence? you ask. But no. That's where the initial genius comes from: this isn't actually the Goddess, this is some post-War remembered echo of her (related to the Remembered Auteur, perhaps...?). So there's no metatime issues.

Finally, the Gendar are shown to worship three incarnations of Auteur: The Goddess, the Father, and the Godfather. We've covered the first and last, but the Father...? Well, the original DWM comic implied that Auteur had subsumed/impersonated Santa Claus, and this story reveals that Auteur (likely in his thirteenth incarnation, just before the flaying but after joining Faction Paradox) visited Gendar, and introduced it's people to Christmas, as (the) Father (of) Christmas

And so, by the end, the girl who had initially summoned the two Auteurs (skelly, Goddess) - after the Monochrome Auteur is tied up on a Christmas tree by the Father of Christmas - she affirms the fact that as he is Monochrome, not the Godfather, she doesn't have faith in him, and so he disappears, back to the Outside. And the Goddess and the Father decree the name "Auteur" shall never be spoken again on Gendar, and they remain as guardians.

Review time! For The Book of the Snowstorm

Disclaimer: I am a contributor for this anthology, and am off varying acquaintance with other contributors

First up, I should outline the format of these reviews. I shall do a short review of each story as I read it, barring the framing narrative which I shall review every third-of-the-book (that is, I shall review Scenes 1-7 together, Scenes 8-14 together, and scenes 15-22 together). Each review shall be posted as a reblog to this initial post, and on the Doctor Who Discord Server (in #book-n-comic)

(#1) Magic Bird of Fire

I liked the character of Aoife, I feel like I'm getting more and more acquainted with her family since reading Hervoken Halloween in Horrors of Arcbeatle . Pieter, a time-traveller of the future in the pocket of unreality which was the localised 1980s bar, was very fun. I've got to say, though, I didn't actually catch the fact that "the plague" was meant to be HIV/AIDS until I checked the wiki, but that's probably just my bad.

They all die in the end, but for now, they dance

[brain-mappers-dmit-blog]

With the DMIT analysis, our analysts are able to discover the inborn intelligence of each child and the best way to learn. Moreover, professional advice and suggestions will also be given to help solve problems in both short and long term. We also provide training to Dermatoglyphics Consultants in advanced and innovative research methods, undertakes high-quality interdisciplinary research, and disseminates research findings that address significant global challenges.

You’ve made the right decision in considering DMIT franchise in India best business opportunity.

We’re offering a good fit to help expand the DMIT Franchise In India franchise brand. We are offering a worldwide business opportunity to enterprising, enthusiastic and qualified persons to take various educational programs for children from four years old to fourteen and Professional Training programs for adults.

Brain-Mappers

[shinjishazaki]

Okay, of all the things I was not at all expecting to make me emotional today, watching an in-game replay of me getting a full count and third place rank on the leaderboards for a song in Beat Saber is at the top of the list.

[theramseyloft]

Cognitive and social information to make selecting, bonding with, and training your pigeon easier:

There are lots of things I can go into more detail on, but here are the hows and whys of pigeon cognition and sociology that form the basis of our research into communication and Therapy work, laid out as a guide to building your relationship with your bird, starting with generalities universal to the species, and ending with an in depth look at the mechanics behind the typical behaviors and temperaments of cocks vs hens and what to expect.

Though they are extremely social outside nest space, Pigeons, whether cock or hen, are life-or-death viciously territorial of their specific nest space.

For reference: 

A free flying bird with no cage considers nest space to consist of the actual nest and about their own body length around it. 

Because they are crevice nesters, a pigeon with an enclosure considers the entire enclosure to be nest space.

Only a pigeon's mate is allowed to enter their nest, and that's exclusively by invitation.

Peeps are hatched into it, and once they wean, they are not allowed to re-enter.

Anything entering their nest space that is not that bird's mate is instinctively considered to be either a predator, or a rival.

 A rival won't eat them, but is coming explicitly to attack them to drive them out of a good nest, which will involve killing their nestlings if they have any.

So, to avoid triggering the predator/rival defensive response, it's important to open your bird's enclosure to invite them to come out on their own terms when you want to spend social time with them. 

This rewards their natural curiosity and  makes you feel more like a cohabitant/potential flock mate than a potential predator or attacker.

While your bird is out exploring, you can strengthen your bond with them by treat priming; Address them by name, ask "Want a treat?" and toss a safflower seed in front of them, but not straight at them. Praise them when they eat it with something along the lines of "Yes, that is for you! Good bird!" in a pleased tone of voice. (even birds who hate handling and refuse treats respond positively to a pleased tone of voice.)

Calling their name every time primes them to look at you when you address them.

Little by little, as they get comfortable with the distance, you should be able to toss treats less and less far from yourself.

The end goal is for your bird to come into willing physical contact with you.

From there, you can start offering a treat on the tip of one or two fingers.

Once the bird is reliably accepting that, offer the treat held by the narrow end between your thumb and index finger. 

This makes your hand more similarly shaped to the head of a bird than the scary giant talon with extra toes or giant snake it usually looks like to a bird.

In every flock of pigeons, there are at least one or two teen or older birds that will feed any weaned baby that cries. 

I call these "Flock Aunties/Unkles", and this is the mantle you take up for your bird once they get they hang of hand feeding.

It's best to start having out times in the evenings, so that bed time is after dark. Lights Out training makes returning them to the enclosure less stressful for both you and your bird.

When you want to put the bird away, address them to get their attention, and say "Lights Out or Bed Time soon!", wait about 10 seconds, Then walk over to the light switch, make a note of where your bird is, repeat "Lights Out/Bed Time now", and flick off the lights.

Pigeons are diurnal and non-migratory. They can't see in the dark, and just sort of turn off. 

This differs from the learned helplessness shut down in being instinctively  associated with sleep, rather than inescapable distress.

In the dark, you can pick up your bird and gently return them to the enclosure without the stress of having to chase and catch them.

After a few repetitions, birds that don't enjoy being carried to bed will use the ten or so seconds between "soon" and "now" to fly back to their enclosure on their own. Birds that do like being carried will assume the position and wait for you to turn off the light and carry them.

There is no getting around the fact that feeding, watering, and cleaning require you to reach into your pigeon's enclosure, and if you can't do that while they are out (for example, if you feed in the morning before leaving for work) you can help them overcome their defensive response by talking them through what you are doing without reaching for the bird themself.

"It's food time. I need your dish." while reaching in only as far as needed to remove the dish, and withdrawing with it as quickly and unobtrusively as possible. Same for the water dish, and talking them through cleaning.

For example, the floor of my hospital cages slide out, so I tell the birds "I need your floor." and then repeat "Back up, back up, back up" in a soft, encouraging tone until they are off, then praising with "Thank you!" to signify they have done what I asked and I will not bother them now until time to put the floor back in.

When the floor is cleaned and repapered, I tell them "Here's your floor back." and repeat "Step up." as I slide it in until they have both feet on the floor. 

When I have finished cleaning, watering, and feeding (All three get done at once for the hospital cages) I signify to the bird that it's over by "Ok! We're done now!" and then praising "Good bird! Thank you."

It's important to talk them through EVERYTHING because they are literally five-year-old-child intelligent.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212141143.htm

Pigeons and baboons have similarly high cognition.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171204144805.htm

Pigeons have an innate understanding of the concepts of space and time.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140402095107.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070220131646.htm

They categorize like we do.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130717095336.htm

Their brains are wired similarly to ours.

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/s13295-014-0057-5/html

So much so that they are considered an excellent model in the study of cognitive neuroscience

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197458019304270

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432814007554

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432820306471

With TONS of alzheimer-specific research

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110411171847.htm

Their facial recognition is similar to ours.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110703132527.htm

They recognize humans as individuals.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120622163056.htm

By both face, and voice.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613145535.htm

They surpass the ability of human children up to three years old to recognize that their reflection in a mirror is their own reflection, and not another bird.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150204184447.htm

They can learn the equivalent of words by the same mechanic as human children.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160919111535.htm

They can learn to differentiate a written word from an acronym with the same number of letters.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170418094512.htm

And flocks build what can legitimately be called a culture by building knowledge across generations.

The take away from this is that pigeons are intelligent enough to learn what your communication means, and can be taught by the same mechanic as a human toddler.

Language is a pattern of matching words to objects, actions, individuals, places, and concepts. Pigeons are pattern mappers, hard wired to latch onto stable patterns.

It is vitally important that you talk a pigeon that you are training through absolutely everything, the way you would a toddler who hasn't quite gotten that word down yet.

They can eventually learn to answer yes and no questions, if you give them a template. (this is already going to be enough of a novella, I can go into detail about that later.

A pigeon flock is basically one gigantic extended family living together in their equivalent of an ancestral apartment complex.

Pigeons only join a flock by hatching or marrying into it.

Pigeons are one of extremely few species that remain year round in the same breeding colony AND cooperatively forage; not just all going the same place, but actively voting on what to look for, how to best get there, and how to best get back.

Babies only rarely leave the flock. 

When they leave the nest, they are taught by their fathers to be pigeons for the first month or so. Where safe food and water are, how to find nest materials, how to defer to a higher ranking flock member. 

The rest of the flock line up to each teach the peep that they are higher ranking than the peep. (Peeps instinctively expect this hazing and are very skittish from five to eight weeks of age)

At about eight weeks, the peep is as big as it will get, and starts to earn their place in the hierarchy by experimentally pushing back against the older birds to see who gives and who won't.

 By four or five months, the young bird has a solid place in the hierarchy, has found out what it's good at, and has usually won a mate.

At this point, a cock earns the right to claim a nest space among his parents, grand kin, aunts, unkles, cousins, and so-on.

Young pigeons only leave their flock to form a new one if there aren't enough nest spaces or isn't enough food to support every one.

So stability and finding a place in the social dynamic are EXTREMELY important to them.

Pigeon Flocks are democratic meritocracies.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100416214045.htm

They vote on everything they do as a group

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061106145043.htm

Parties with differing opinions compromise.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150609213053.htm

Because they need to be able to depend on the support of their flock mates to cooperatively find resources, watch out for predators, and navigate home.

https://www.audubon.org/news/in-homing-pigeon-flocks-bad-bosses-quickly-get-demoted

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160914143044.htm

Pigeons will not follow a leader they can't depend on, be that due to a loss of capability, or an unwillingness to heed cast votes or attempt to compromise.

This adds up to a bird that is hard wired to expect a say in everything they are involved in and be keenly, my-life-depends-on-this aware when their say is being ignored.

Pigeons do not have a concept of “Reasons I could not discern”.

If they can’t discern a reason you ignored their vote or any attempt to compromise with them, they just think there wasn’t one, and you're either incompetent or being an ass hole. 

And Pigeons consider themselves to be well within their rights to refuse to cooperate with an incompetent ass hole.

This is a BIG part of why talking them through everything is so vitally important.

Pigeons are EXTREMELY communicative.

Once they trust you as a flock mate, The more they understand about what you are doing, what you want them to do, and how that affects them, the more willing they are to cooperate with you.

Those are the cognitive universals.

When selecting a companion or therapy animal, it’s important to know what temperament to expect, and the typical temperaments of Cocks and Hens differ pretty drastically!

We touched briefly on mate behaviors earlier, and now we need to go into that to explain sex-typical behaviors, by which I mean the instinctive behavioral and base line personality differences between typical cocks and hens.

To explain sex-typical behaviors, I have to walk you through the pigeon courtship ritual called Driving, which has three phases.

It starts with the Chase phase.

The cock struts up to a hen he'd interested in and alternately chest-bumps and bites her until she runs away.

He continues to strut after her, occasionally charging with a sweeping tail to push or bite her until she bursts into flight.

Hens will initiate for a cock they are EXTREMELY interested in, but in pigeon society, the hen having to initiate means the cock just is not remotely interested in her. 

This is less than ideal for the hen, and she will divorce him for the first cock that shows enough interest to initiate the chase.

Once they are in the air, the hen is trying to break away and flee, and the cock is trying to herd her towards the nest area he's picked out.

Ideally, she crashes into it, too exhausted to keep flying.

To a human, this looks really violently aggressive.

But the Rock Dove, from which our domestic pigeons descend, evolved in a Thompson's Gazelle vs. Cheetah style arms race with the Peregrine goddamn Falcon.

If the cock cannot out pace and out maneuver the hen, and his stamina is lower than hers, then her children by him will be slower and less maneuverable than she is, with lower stamina.

This all adds up, to her, as her peeps by this cock being easier than she is for a falcon to catch.

If she can get away from him, he is an inferior potential sire, and she will reject him.

The Wrestling phase begins after the hen has recovered her breath.

As soon as she can, she will try to blow past the cock and vanish into the sky.

He has to body block her to prevent her from leaving, grab her by the scruff if she tries to push past, and fight her until she stops trying to get up.

Again, this looks REALLY violently abusive to a human!

But nest location is a status symbol in pigeon society.

A good nest is high up, wide enough for two adult birds side by side, with an entrance ideally narrow enough for only one at a time to get in.

This also makes it really hard for a hawk, rodent, or snake to get in after the eggs, peeps, or parent defending them.

Other cocks will want a good, safe, defensible nest for their wife, and absolutely will kill nestlings to drive out a less fit pair, hoping to impress a (usually specific and very picky) potential mate.

If the cock cannot fight the generally smaller, weaker hen who just recovered from the Chase phase to prevent her getting out, he hasn't got a snowball's chance in hell of defending her from a healthy rival who wants that nest for his wife and peeps.

It's only after he's completed the Chase and Wrestling phases that she allows him to prove that he's an excellent forager by offering to feed her from his crop. (the kissing behavior that immediately precedes the act of treading.)

This translates VERY poorly to a human partner, and is what makes bottle raised baby boys such a monumental pain in the ass.

Pigeons are INTENSELY social.

The drive to bond is stronger than the drive to actually reproduce, so your bonded pigeon will treat you like a mate.

Which means that a cock will be compelled to attempt the initiation, chase, and wrestling phases of Driving.

Imprinting does not just make a specific person a baby bird's mommy.

It tells the bird what species it is and sets Mommy as the ideal mate.

A pigeon that thinks they are human expects their human to understand these instinctive pigeon behaviors.

Their human's failure to respond as expected comes across as ignoring them.

Which leads to human-imprinted pigeons going from trying to court their caretaker, to feeling intentionally ignored for no reason and attacking out of furious frustration.

This is why I don't hand raise nestlings unless the peep will die if I don't step in.

Pigeons who are parent-raised, but socialized by humans the way you would nursing puppies or kittens, understand that a human is not a pigeon.

Instead of expecting their caretaker to understand them by default and getting overwhelmed with frustration when they can't, a parent-raised, human-social pigeon tries to work out how to bridge the communication gap.

If your human-social cock approaches you and tries to start a fight out of the blue, he doesn't hate you.

He loves you, and is pulling out all stops to prove to a freaking KAIJU, via hand to hand combat, that he's strong enough to protect them and their nest.

I tell people that "Cock love is pinchy."

This is what I'm talking about.

Physical contact is a mate/baby-exclusive privilege for cocks.  Only his mate allopreens him, and he only allopreens his mate and their peeps.

Flock mates other than his mate only attempt to make physical contact with a cock to start a fight or ask for sex. 

So all associations for a cock, aside from mate and peeps, are rivalries and side-chicks.

Pigeon bites can't break the skin (all they can do is pinch), unless it's just a massive monster of a pigeon, but the tenacity sexually selected for by hens makes cocks relentless until they are satisfied that they have suitably impressed you.

Hens, in contrast, are approached by flock mates to proposition for sex, to engage in allopreening, or to invite to feed, bathe, or loaf together.

They are generally more cuddly, more forgiving of restraint (Joke's on you, she's into that shit!), and more accepting of other family members making contact with her.

Cocks who are satisfied with their relationship can be a lot of fun, but their nippiness can be an anxiety trigger if you don't know to expect it.

In order to consider himself bonded to his person, a cock has to feel he has impressed you, like he would be expected to impress a hen. 

It is much easier to convince a parent raised cock that you really are impressed and don't just see him as beneath your notice than it is to convince an Imprint.

Parent raised cocks will be more gentle when they initiate driving, as the drive is more like a compulsive need to complete a symbolic gesture for them than the actual hand to hand combat to manually overpower a titan that these matches are to an imprinted cock.

To convince a cock that he really has won your admiration fair and square, Start by putting up some resistance when he initiates. 

Push him back, shake your hand, ruffle and wrestle with him like you would a very small kitten.

You will need to do this WAY longer for an imprint than a parent raised bird, but when you want to wind down the match, pay attention to what he's doing.

He is never just biting.

He is trying to maneuver your hand either by tugging or shoving. 

Follow where he directs until he stops either pulling or pushing, and just pushes down. That is where he wants your hand to be. 

Relax it there until he turns away, then go about your business.

It will take a few sessions, but once he's satisfied he's impressed you, he'll have no need to go all out like that anymore.

Ankhou (an imprint who is extremely satisfied with a now five year long extremely stable relationship) doesn't engage in driving fights with me anymore, but we do have lots of brief, very gentle wrestling sessions.

Hens don't need human mates to impress them in hand to hand combat like they require a cock to.

They are intelligent enough to assume that nothing her size is going to stand a chance against something your size.

The peaceful simplicity of bonding with a hen tends to make them more desired as therapy and companion animals.

Bonded cocks are just as cuddly and sweet, but you have to go through his Driving impulse to get to that point with him.

This doesn't make cocks bad pets or therapy prospects, but they are definitely not the ideal match for everyone.

@tinysaurus-rex ‘s Battar is an excellent example of a bonded hen.

If you would like to see how his owner applies the constant biting of a feral Imprint towards physical therapy for nerve pain flair ups, check out the blog @homeofhousechickens and search for Loki.

They also have a parent raised, human social emotional support cock named Fluffernutter and have made a lot of great posts illustrating the contrast between imprinted pigeons and pigeons who were raised by their parents, but socialized with lots of gentle handling.

I hope this helps the people who have their bird’s physical needs planned out to pick the bird whose emotional needs they can best meet, and whose personality will best match their emotional needs. <3

[andromeda1023]

Scientists want to build a new, very different Arecibo Telescope to replace fallen icon.

Arecibo Observatory's massive radio dish was many things to many people: pulsar finder, broadcaster to aliens, asteroid mapper, Bond villain's hidden satellite dish, Puerto Rican icon, birthplace of future scientists. Until seven months ago, that is, when gravity got the best of an engineering marvel that had endured everything thrown its way for decades and the entire platform crashed down.

Since that fateful day, plenty of eyes have turned to analyzing what went wrong, while many hands have gotten to work sorting through and cleaning up the wreckage. And the brains have been doing what brains do best: dreaming of what science might come next for the site. For one group of scientists with deep ties to Arecibo, that meant dreaming up an entirely new type of telescope: one that would fill the gap left by the iconic instrument, then go much further.

"I personally think that this was the first cut; this was done in the wake of the collapse just to show that there are viable options of continuing the legacy of fantastic science at the telescope," Tracy Becker, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio and co-author on a white paper describing the design, told Space.com.

"I don't think that this version has to necessarily be what a new, built version will look like," she added. "It could end up looking more like the original telescope, or it could look completely different from anything that we've imagined so far. The primary goal was to show that we could use that space and continue that legacy of really powerful science."

The design, dubbed the Next Generation Arecibo Telescope, is perhaps better approached as a statement than a blueprint. Right now, scientists aren't even sure this particular design can be built. But the project was meant to paint a picture of what the next 60 years of science at Arecibo could perhaps look like — if institutions are willing to show up for the facility, and to do so with ambition.

Video, pictures, read further: https://www.space.com/arecibo-telescope-replacement-process-and-designs

[homeofhousechickens]

Saw your post about wanting questions! Do you have any basic tips for chicken behavior and husbandry? And i mean BASIC basic.

I always suggest new owners to do their own research but chickens are actually really simple to keep and care for

Outside Chickens need:

-A secure and safe coop and run. Free ranging doesnt replace a good coop and run size and sometimes you will have to confine chickens due to quarantines,predators, or weather so its just better to have a good sized coop and run for those times. This will be the biggest expense but a well build coop should last a lifetime.

-Water, needs to be clean and changed daily depending on set up

-Food, I dont recommend layer feed but instead recommend feeding a complete All Flock Feed or keep the birds on good grower feed (18% or 20% protein). If you have only hens you may be able to get away with feeding Layer Pellets but keep in mind layer pellets are designed as a bare minimum food for battery hens.

-Good Bedding and Cleaning. People hate the farm chore of mucking stalls or cleaning coop. I suggest spot cleaning the run and coop often and do cleaning every 2-3 weeks depending on the bedding and set up. I use pine pellet bedding as it smells nice, is phenomenal at keeping ammonia down, and is very good at absorbing moisture.

-Free choice Oyster Shell and Grit. Oyster Shell is how chickens should get their calicum. It will sit in the crop or gizzard and slowly be absorbed over a period of time which is important for laying hens who need calicum during the ENTIRE egg laying process. Grit is how they break down food and get trace minerals that arent in their feed. So its important chickens have constant access to both.

-A vet, doesnt even have to be a poultry,avain,livestock, or exotic vet. Any vet who is willing to do a fecal or examination for you is a vet you should know because even if a vet doesnt know much about chickens you can help them learn. Outdoor Chickens like outdoor dogs need to be wormed regularly so taking in a fecal every 4-6 months to determine if your birds are healthy is very helpful especially if you live in a humid or muddy area.

Indoor chickens are pretty much the same as outdoor chickens other then for 1 or 2 chickens you dont need a huge coop just a dog crate or cage

Simple chicken behavior

-The Egg Song:

This is when chickens do their famous "buck buck buck bucawk" its technically chickens contact call but you will normally hear it after a bird lays eggs or gets spooked by something.

-Warning Call:

a really grating high pitched loud "braaaaaw" that will send most birds looking for cover. This is the hawk call and anything can make a chicken do it. There is a softer version of the sound which is used for smaller threats Young birds are known for constant warning crying about new things

-Scratching and digging:

Chickens are very instinctually inclined to scratch and dig. Chickens who have survived decapitation and only have their brain stem left show scratching and forage behaviors. Scratching is how they find tasty bugs,plant seeds, and anything else they can get their beak on.

-Preening:

This is what chickens are going to be doing most of the time. They are like a cat in terms of keeping themselves clean. Preening helps them maintain feather quailty and get rid of parasites. They have a oil gland at the base of their tail that looks like a nipple and they use that to spread oils on their feathers to help waterproofing and other stuff.

Dust batheing:

Chickens do not naturally clean themselves with water, instead they use dirt or dust. This is another way they can dislodge parasites but its also good for getting rid of access oils and the abrasiveness of the dust is good for cleaning grime off as well.

Sun batheing:

Chickens need the sun to help with vitamin and calcium regulation. They show of their similarities to lizards by laying down and stretching out to catch more sun. This can very alarming if you are far away and have never seen it before.

Yelling and other noises directed at you:

Chickens are pattern mappers and social animals, friendly birds will more then likely act more like a tiny angry toddler then angry dinosaur. A bird standing next to you and screaming is probably a bird who wants something from you or is complaining to you. Chickens will even growl at their owners or tell them off. Chickens have very distinctive documented noises that have important meaning to each, the best way to learn is by observation :)

There is definitely more stuff i could talk about but i think all of this is pretty basic and a good place to start.

[patricia-taxxon]

After replaying vanilla Celeste 50 times, I realized that the best thing about it was its ability to impart setting with design. That's what saves it, beyond all the gripes I have with its general flavor & underbaked story. Golden Ridge is the best chapter in the game by a lot for this reason, naturalistic architecture combined with purposeful design with hints of friction for flavor. Flipside Cliffside is a fresh take on Golden Ridge, so I'm already biased in favor of it, but it also maintains that same sense of setting. Plus, it's novel for doing so in the context of fanmod difficulty. The naturalistic friction is gnarly spike tech, and it works. I do think the vision falls apart a little in the few rooms where Cookie took over, and I wasn't going to put it in S tier for this reason, but then I got the second berry & i bumped it right back up to S tier. Finding an odd space in the corner of the map where the hostility ratchets even further up, out of bounds, it's just the exact thing that makes my brain fire off.

I'd heard about Garden of Khu'tara way before I reached it, it was exclusively muttered in the same breath as Paint, the two maps that the celeste mapping community points to like "see? look at how far we've come!" After finally getting to it, I see this as a grave insult to Paint, which actually exhibited excellence in technical visual design that managed to be detailed and immersive while also maintaining functionality through stunning use of value/contrast. Garden of Khu'tara is garish and ugly, detail for the sake of detail, not even managing to emulate the scrumptiousness of its main inspiration.

Like, there's a clear difference here. Hyper Light Drifter is detailed but also has large fields of solid color to break up the scenes & create a macro-image that persists if you blur your eyes. Hyper Light Celeste is busy, uniformly detailed and exhausting to actually play. That blob of blue shit at the bottom is an important gameplay element, those dull triangles kill you, that little screen with an arrow on it is telling you to dash in that direction at that point because the mapper does not have faith that their design could communicate such a thing.

It is not only ugly, it is unmotivated. The level is constrictive and stiff, it doesn't evoke anything close to what the visuals suggest. "Madeline, The Bubble" at least took its verdant setting as motivation to have the gameplay feel like a graceful unconstrained jaunt through a lush forest, so even if it looks a lot uglier it still managed to accomplish so much more aesthetically.

Having both Paint and Garden of Khu'tara be so roundly cited as simultaneously valid examples for how polished and game-like Strawberry Jam is, it just speaks to a profound deficiency in the community. Like Paint is actually excellent, in terms of its visuals, its design and how these things both intersect. Lumping it in with Khu'tara as being just "good deco looks like real game :)" makes me wonder if this community would ever actually know what they had if a genuine talent arose there. My guess is no, because in their eagerness to prove that they aren't fanfiction writers, they've written off the genuine excellence that existed in Spring Collab simply because it's often jank and human in the way fandom art often is.

heya! i just rewatched your sc2020 video…again… and then found out you're on tumblr and, of course, immediately went to look if you've posted anything about sj aswell and found that post from *checks notes* 1.5 months ago - so, i guess what im here to ask is, would you mind elaborating on that?

im unfamiliar with marble blast (im so sorry i do not have the brainpower to watch your essay on that...yet) so the comparison you make is not particularly useful to me :v

also for context, i did contribute to sj, specifically playtesting and programming, so i do have Opinions™ (that im gonna keep to myself due to lack of anon ask (not a bad thing! i understand why you have it off)) and i wonder if those happen to bleed through to the player experience or if your gripes with it are something different entirely.

well, firstly, i have developed such a deep seated hatred of the celeste community that i haven't opened the game in months and i've considered just deleting my spring collab video multiple times, I'm not finishing any more of my maps because I don't want to make anything for these people. so i didn't actually finish SJ, I did everything up to & including the easy half of the grandmaster lobby though, and my take is that even with the few miracles I found within the map list, it would not have inspired a video essay on the level of the spring collab one if I'd played it first. it's just not as interesting, and not as rewarding to study. it represents a horrible misattribution of priorities that permeates the entire community.

in that video, i confidently say that spring collab is ALWAYS interesting, because modding culture is interesting even if it's interesting for being a little bad or revealing something about the author's proclivities. strawberry jam represents a near unanimous drive to remove authorship and make levels that are impartially agreeable, to make Celeste 2. it's only interesting when the mapper does something interesting on purpose, like Paint, Pointless Machines, Undergrowth, Summit Down-Side or Flipside Cliffside. a path of least resistance emerged in the time between SC2020 and Strawberry Jam, and experiencing it in this quantity made me forget what I liked about this game or this modding scene in the first place. the volume of creative gimmicks and varied aesthetics is huge, but each one starts to feel identical after being ground through this particular jank-averse process. I still have strong opinions about every map in SC2020, even the ones that might seem unremarkable, I can only barely begin to quantify the entire fucking C tier of my SJ tierlist. it's diverse on the surface but the substance is homogenous, especially intermediate through expert.

also in my SC2020 video, I talked about a certain tension that arrives once you get to the expert lobby, where the mappers had to create uncommercial levels of difficulty that rubbed against a similar apparent drive to make the player feel like they're actually doing the challenge & not just watching it. strawberry jam arrives at this conflict far earlier, the INTERMEDIATE maps and onwards are the ones that seem to pull between making interesting challenges while also having the player be an agent in those challenges. they want the intermediate levels to feel hard, look cool, and the solution is to just make them ridiculously constrained so the only way is the ~satisfying~ way. that's why I won't make a video about strawberry jam, because many segments in my spring collab video already serve as criticism for strawberry jam. it made the same mistakes again, but worse, and with far less of the things that made me love spring collab in spite of its flaws.

here's my tierlist, if there are any questions i'll try and qualify any of these takes with what i can remember from playing it. however, for reasons stated previously I won't be playing more so this is probably gonna be it.

[rennyji]

remaining tweets part 1 (01/25/2024)

Desire is not a bad thing. It's about how you go about carrying out that desire that makes it good or bad. Intentions or best of intentions aren't bad. But evil things can be done w/the best of intentions. God gave man free will. Its the key theme in the Adam/Eve story.

Star Signs like Aquarius ( #Aquarius ) R suggested 2 predict future. But on a more useful level, they describe personalities of people associated w/those corresponding months. Can be used 2 be #mindful of pros/flaws 2 ur personality. Finders of astrology were 1st brain mappers. -

compatible potential friends/relationships, thru compatible star sign matching, maps/connects personalities. It’s like #Superman or something from #Krypton , where people are matched based on genetics.-

-U shouldnt depend on it; it’s flaw of current brain mappers. Cats/dogs R matched w/cats/dogs 2 click. But humans have #freewill , &ability 2 be #mindful &learn 2harness strengths/overcome weakness &use speech 2 better bonds instead of relying on genetics/brain-type-matching.

interesting Im only inanimate object in zodiac, aka #Libra ( Libra ): scale of #justice. Interesting b/c Im facing #Injustice lasting decade plus. Nice 2 think theres magic 2 world. Usually, we’re lawyers/diplomats; BUT, talking it 2 solve my situation hasn’t worked yet.

B/c of #COVID (Im guessing), not enough new releases of tv shows/movies. 2024 doesn’t seem like it has a lot 2 look forward 2, beyond #deadpool3 (Deadpool 3) & Spider-man 4 ( #SpiderMan4 ) . Ryan Reynolds is always great like in “ Free Guy or “ The Adam Project ”.

Whats happening 2 me: like something from a parallel universe where Nazis won World War II, instead. Its like an #anime ( anime ) . Maybe not Naruto ( #Naruto ), but something close 2 #DeathNote or #CodeGeass . Personally wouldve preferred #DragonBall or #TheSevenDeadlySins .

“Smooth Criminal” by #MichaelJackson & #AlienAntFarm ( Alien Ant Farm ), says u’ve been “hit by, u’ve been struck by…a smooth criminal…” On idea of a smooth criminal, no one smoother than mind readers/controllers. So smooth, u might not even know they’re in ur life.

Hindus ( Hindus ) or a #Hindu ( Hindu ), from #Hinduism, do something explicit, other religions hint at:disciplining mind thru meditation/yoga. Other religions, thru rituals or parables, train mind, ultimately 2 give us focus. If we focus w/o distraction, we can do anything.

I wonder: if I didnt go 2 state university, like Albany,&instead: Jesuit college like Boston College or 1 run by Irish Christian Brothers: Iona University, or private university like ManhattanCollege, i’d’ve been w/more disciplined/ambitious people w/exposure 2 better resources.

Everybody but the center of attention is aware of situation, 4 more than 3650+ days! How insane is my situation?! Young&old, not 1 noble person can open mouths w/proof needed 2 stop this. But, on a more primitive level, people like “community” stemming from a common goal.

Living #AmericanNightmare or #Nightmare like things #Voldemort , in @jk_rowling 's " Harry Potter ",put victims thru. USA not 2 visit, unlike #Ayodhya or any place else. Americans could cure #Ebola , #Diabetes , or simple #HairLoss ,but instead put funds/effort 2 harassing minds.

I look forward 2 day where I say strange kids who? Or #DoctorWho ( DoctorsWho ) or UAlbanyWho? Orchestrators who? whatever person or group is your #BiggBoss ( Bigg Boss ) , to get to say 2 them: ummm who R U? The day I get my freedom…the day they face consequences…cannot wait…

Really anyone, absolutely anyone can help me get a reservation as the “fighter” of a decade, who gets “advanced booking”/“pre advanced booking” to freedom … just say what you know #FighterAdvanceBooking

Adele 's ( #Adele ), song "Skyfall", played in recent Bond films, has a line resonating w/me: "this is the end, holdUr breath&count to 10." Gives me sensation of sky falling as I remember myself realizing Im going 2 be enslaved for yrs, despite best efforts, @ onset of this.

Newest chapter of #Marvel 's #Spiderman , connected w/Thanos &Avengers, was incredible w/its connection b/w PeterParker &TonyStark &Peter's access 2 tech like enhanced Spider-Man suit. Then,in " Multiverse of Madness ", storyline is reset w/all forgetting Peter-wasnt fan of that

The Flash ( #Flash ) w/access 2 Jedi ( #Jedi ) like force 4 speed, makes him 1 of the greatest conceived heroes, particularly w/his ability 2 travel alternateTimelines ¶llelWorlds. His good nature also adds up 2 a greatStory. The CW ( #CW ) should bring back super hero shows.

Best laptop lap desk, something with a flare to make you want to use it, but something as simple as this costs $60 plus tax. Associated screenshot:

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749175516228124716?s=20

Best under desk keyboard attachment, below. But, another $60 It swivels, it rotates,& stows under desk, giving more desk space, & if u get a phone call & want 2 leave your desk, just rotate under desk. Something as simple as this, no one conceives except the innovative Chinese. Associated screenshot:

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749176551462334699?s=20

A decent bag of pre ground coffee? $14. You may think coffee is coffee. But some coffee work better than others. You want to get, what starts off your day, right…

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749177064324772202?s=20

I just went to #ShopRite and came back. Look what I bought on the left (a handful of items). This much costs $51, as you can see from my receipt on the right. All below. #prices #grocery #groceryprices

Associated screenshot:

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749177737363808629?s=20

U wanna know how 2 have crash-free coffee experience, that won’t make U feel sleepy/like cr*p shortly after drinking coffee? Mix it w/Lions Mane & other such related legal everyday mushroom ingredients-not 2 be confused w/“shrooms.” But a tsp. from this small jar? That’s $30.

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749179475860791402?s=20

U wanna get jacked like Wolverine ( #Wolverine )? Membership @ #24HourFitness w/small swimming pools?Costs $40. #LAFitness in Yonkers area?

After charging $40 4 membership, they deemed it wise 2 put in mall where no normal parking (mall garage instead) &after 2 hrs U need 2 pay. Netflix for an ad free experience? Costs $23. That’s without paying for cable tv. It’s probably easier to catch a Pokémon ( #Pokemon )than catch a price that makes sense…I was a kid when the series 1st started…I feel there have been too many iterations of show…

TaylorSwift ( Taylor Swift ) … a truly talented singer, with personality … timeless people like #MichaelJackson ( Michael Jackson ) … an icon …

I agree with the news channels that addresses this: u should invest in a house … it’s part of the AmericanDream ( American Dream ). But this is the age of high prices leading to people living together 4 affordability.-

-But theres other hurdles like addressing basement flooding, shoveling sidewalks/footpaths 2 avoid legalBurdens, property tax up2 $10,000 4 small patch ofYard, heatingExpenses according 2 homeSize- it just seems sensible 2 buy luxuryFlat in suburbs like in Valhalla, NY vs NY, NY.

Floridians ( Floridians ) luck out with not having income tax, at least at the state level.

DeSantis ( DeSantis ) reported as dropping out of race..days after nominal victory over #NikkiHaley ( #Haley - Nikki Haley) in Iowa..all after spending 50 million in ads in Iowa - U gotta wonder Y so much 4 something integral like elections..-

-mySight limited2 #Haley ( #NikkiHaley )&

DonaldTrump (Donald Trump - #Trump )-months of migrants crossingBorder, getting, ofAllThings, freeSexChanges inMaine, freeHealthCare in-I think-California, freeHomes inNortheasternState I cant remember-currentAdmnstratn doesntMakeSense-

it doesnt make sense b/c you're accomplishing benefits for illegal immigrants while cutting budgets 4 citizens & legal immigrants in USA. Id like free housing & Im a U.S. citizen. I just don't get how current administration is prioritizing. Id like free health care w/o a job..

there are issues that pose problems with the other side … like abortion … there something clearly wrong when you're debating something like that for 50+ years. We're in the age of mind reading/mind control … and you still don't know when consciousness begins?-

-world mayNot B 5000 yrs old as Creationists say. But maybe answer is 2 let religion give guiding light 2science.W/something like abortion, mayB should B nationally allowed until point, where brainWaves detected, or when baby getting oxygen-like God giving breath of life 2 Adam..

and regarding current administration and the amount of time the current party has been in control, while this chapter of my life; situation has been occurring, I gotta wonder, would a party that hasn't been in power for as long a time, save me from my situation…

Maybe stars and how astrology influences personalities, is something that lays a foundation for how relationships progress or worsen. But it comes down to choice. -

-First you have to choose to sit down and think about, or listen to someone who shines a light on, a flaw, so that then, you can choose to make a correction.-

-In some Churches, they say a prayer of Confession: "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grevious fault…and then they ask to pray for themselves… What is that prayer saying? Be mindful: recognize your fault.-

-This is a fundamental tenet of Christianity. Yet so many are too bothered to think. To ask for forgiveness of sin, you need to recognize sin, or another word for it: mistake. -

-You need to recognize mistake, remember mistake, ask for strength overcoming the mistake and not repeating the mistake.-

-people need to realize what they're saying, what they're thinking, what they're doing. I was watching Thor: Ragnarok. The character #Loki ( Loki ), the god of mischief, Thor's brother, is an interesting character.-

-#Loki ( Loki ) is bent on causing chaos. It takes losing, getting beaten over and over, for him to stop and think: "Why am I such a bad egg?" -

Loki ( Loki ) realizes hes upset he was lied 2 on adoption, has inferiority/superiority complex where he needs2 show hes destined 4glory, even though adopted. He realizes pointlessness hisAmbitionIs. Once realized, heRose 2 trulyBeing "burdened w/glorious purpose," as heSays.-

It signifies something scary about most people. You're so glued to what you want to do and have to do, in going to bed and waking up, that you never stop to realize the things you think, say, do. No correction occurs.-

-Learn to consciously think, speak, perform actions. Now, from my situation, what you can get is that, if you fail at the above or are lazy about mindfulness, you may never realize that you were possibly mind read/mind controlled.

Donald Trump said he was going 2 be like a dictator on Day 1 of the office. Now U can read into that literally or understand the meaning behind what's he's saying: whether drilling into Alaska or something else, he's going 2 get some things done ASAP, regardless of opposition.

I'd like 2 be a dictator of this country, in terms of leadership power 2 enact some possibly time consuming changes. On Education, in college, we tackle 4 subjects, 'completely', in a semester. It's clear from existence of a GED for dropouts, high school shouldn't take 4years.-

coming from a guy who had a 4.0 gpa at a private college preparatory school, school structure needs to be organized. Children should learn to focus. Be it meditation or getting on the right ADD drugs, its something that should be beaten to death.-

I remember in school, there were the "smart kids." there were their peers who didn't get why they couldn't get good grades and doubted their ability to go to college. It's simply because they're not mentally strong yet. It can be remedied.-

early years should be directed to learning breathing techniques like alternate nostril breathing or box breathing. Sounds ridiculously corny, but children should see how long they can focus on a candle flame without distraction of intrusive thoughts -

if you can't even sit still to see only a candle flame in front of you, how can you be leaders, doctors, lawyers, engineers? how can you be policeman, fireman when you don't have the discipline to endure difficult schedules and people?-

gradeSchoolStructure needs2 B limited 2semester rather than yr.-It works in college regarding semester long course.HighSchool, if GEDs R possible, should B <2 yrs. Children shouldHave luxuryOfTime 2 play, haveFun, butAlso learn usefulTrades like woodwork, or wiringElectronics. Real world skills…

retardedBooks they make U read like Catcher in the Rye or The Stranger & its focus on existentialism, should B replaced w/books of children's choices. I'm not going 2 be an avid reader thru reading books of non interest. If its something I like, Ill B encouraged 2 do it more.-

life is short, life should be rewarding. Teach kids how 2 learn, how 2 focus. Get their heads in order w/o confusing them @ young age about gender options & sexuality options. Let them B free, let them make most of their lives b4 being expected hard working adults.

Regarding immigration, its been said a lot of those claiming asylum R facing political or financial turmoil in their countries. Rather than influxing all of them 2 the states, the United Nations should send people 2 make it better 2 live in places of origin. #maketheworldbetter

you want jobs that fuel the economy? That big beautiful wall Trump was talking about? Hire people to build one out of stone or bricks and make it into a tourist attraction like Great Wall of China. Start projects that need workers. Provide training to those workers.

Deku ( Deku) from #MyHeroAcademia makes me think how much #anime creators put out, a good number of which has amazing story lines. -

Following in relation 2 Betz Sphere , - something raising lots of conversation decades ago. I post this not b/c of controversial sphere, but b/c of how woman owning sphere denies the government & sets strict terms if they go against her-difference b/w Indian parents & American:

Associated clip: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749294429620334849?s=20

lady in prev. clip basically tells government 2 f* off. When govt. becomes insistent over whats in possession, she sets terms&has govmt. sign contract-I mean USA people especially from decade ago-feisty!They commandRespect w/govt., as they should, afterall Govt. serves people.-

as it’s…ummm…u know…been at least a decade?! I cannot help but think, unlike lady in last 2 weeks, my parents are letting orchestrators in youth/school/govt/army, just walk all over them…fearful of me, I can’t talk about situation, family can’t talk 2 me, i have no rights.

The company #Seen from Helloseen dot com, makes this amazing hair cream that restores oil to ur hair after shampooing everyday. 1 brush w/ hands, works like hair gel. A second, makes it look natural and full without the hard hair gel feeling. But like everything, $30

My main reason for it? Its noncomedogenic. If I ruffle my hair with hands and then my face, or clap my hands or something random, there's no weird feeling or grease that I'm getting in places.

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749297398726238266?s=20

Next pricy thing? If you shave and keep bleeding, or if soap becomes too much for your face, it could be because you need a barrier repair cream. This one is non oily from La Roche Posay. Great stuff, just wish it was bigger and not $22

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749297817091280918?s=20

A lip firming/hydrating alternative to chapstick, or vaseline (which make people think you're wearing lip gloss)? You go for Clarins Extra-Firming Lip & Contour Balm. How much is this thing that generally lasts 2 months? $50 This lasts between washes of your mouth after eating.

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/clarins-extra-firming-hydrating-lip-contour-balm-0.5-oz.?ID=328684

This one is good, and preferred, but it washes off too easily between eating…and it's $95, but it also lasts like 2 months.

"Chanel Smoothing and Firming Lip and Contour Care" https://www.macys.com/shop/product/smoothing-firming-lip-contour-care?ID=13124701

Wanna know how much a replacement head cover costs for an electric shaver? Shaver costs $80 and the foil cover, when torn from frequent use is $25

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749298134084165668?s=20

I have a Nescafé Dolce Gusto pod coffee machine. It’s what’s commonly used in Europe and Asia vs maybe Nespresso, although both are under Nestle. Can get pods and pods for reasonable price. Bought reusable. 2 reusable pods? $50

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749298494454501614?s=20

This manual coffee maker, the aeropress, not even electric. I think it’s $50 and the cover with the spout that outputs coffee better is an extra accessory that costs $25-33

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749298808863727715?s=20

If u’ve seen #Netflix ’s #StrangerThings , u no main character, #El aka #Eleven aka Jane, has thing 4 #Kellogs #Eggo#Waffles . Me? not a fan of their plain/regular waffle. But their Belgian strawberry flavor below?-Amazing. But 4 waffles are $6.- 1 Waffle costs more than a $1.

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749300474967204112?s=20 I just went to #ShopRite and came back. Look what I bought on the left (a handful of items). This much costs $51, as you can see from my receipt on the right. All below. #prices #grocery #groceryprices

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749177737363808629?s=20

Four donuts at, from the bakery section at ShopRite? Costs $8.99. Three 8 packs of Gatorade is $19.99, but one pack costs $8.99 … I guess that's a deal…

U realize with frozen pizza being $6+, U might as well have real pizza? or if a movie ticket costs $15 on #Fandango, Y not wait a month more and buy the movie for $19 on #GooglePlay or the #iTunes Store. If ice cream costs $5 at grocery store, why not do #Carvel or #Coldstone ?

FantasticFour sounds like good idea as part of new set of tv series 4 the #CW. I mean for years, we had weekly episodes 2 #Arrow , #TheFlash , #BlackLightning , #Supergirl , #Batgirl , #Stargirl , #SupermanAndLois, #LegendsOfTomorrow…w/o these weeklyUpdates, life feels empty.

on a similar note #HBOMax or #Max (as its called now), should update/replace the #Titans (from Teen Titans), #DoomPatrol, & #Peacemaker with new episodes/or new super hero tv series. There used to be so much to catch up on, on a weekly basis- now nothing…

did anyone else know there is a 9th planet or possibly an additional sun in our solar system? its curious how much more there is, in our own neighborhood, if and when we can see farther than now…

U gotta wonder if situation lasted long b/c of disdain/hesitancy 2 lawsuit,by supposed representatives ofMe. Can it get more public/uglier than this?Maybe cuz spotlight, now, isOnMe. Probably deluding those inMyLife w/clearing this/that. -night/day, orchestrators still criminals

The Avengers ( TheAvengers) with #ChrisEvans , Sebastian Stan ( #SebastianStan ), Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and of course: Scarlett Johansson (an immaculate name), was a good run-hated how sequels took years…hope #Marvel outputs more w/shorter intervals.

I hope #Nintendo ( Nintendo ) & #Apple come out with their new consoles and VR glasses (respectively) before summer. It’s a hope, for both, as both are much anticipated. #AppleVision #AppleVisionPro

You know a movie will have a good storyline when it has actors like #AliaBhatt or @ameesha_patel … or on the male side: one of the Khans or Hrithik Roshan…

Original Digimon ( #Digimon ), aired on Fox 5, b/w 3-5 PM weekdays as well as Saturday mornings. Warp digivolving? Great idea, but sad digimon couldn’t digivolve. Whatever happened 2 #SaturdayMorningCartoons & b4 school/after school cartoons! Everything stopped coinciding, immediately, after 9/11/01…something happened to broadcasting.

Invincible ( Invincible on Amazon Prime) is an answer to the cartoons of old…we’ve been reusing Superman and Batman stories for at least 50 years. New heroes like Atom Eve and their stories? Great stuff.

Anyone else remember #Nickelodeon ’s Doug ( #Doug )? Classic cartoons for those of us from the 90s … kinda like #Jetsons or #Flintstones . ABC7 had another iteration of Doug on #OneSaturdayMorning. Nickelodeon aired it w/ #StickSticklyWithNickInTheAfternoon

IDontWantToOverreactBUT my reaction is justified and under, with my situation occurring for more than decade, without my say or rights factoring in yet, to finally ending it …

IDontWantToOverreactBUT how is there not a cure 2 hairLoss, 4 men &women? I think a scalp massager increasing circulation in pattern of male pattern baldness&a sourceOf adenosine (insteadOf minoxidil) is or part of answer. Stress/age/badDiets/meds usually decrease circulation.

How many of things we purchase R up-2 standards? #MoreRegulation ?! U spend arm & leg 4 something u’re waiting 4. & then, if it’s delivered from Amazon or wherever, U find out pole holding ur table is bent, making the tabletop crooked…then hassle of returns…#TheBadBatch

When long awaited & just announced ( #JustAnnounced ) movies like a new Thor movie or a Deadpool 3 movie come along, I realize that many more years have passed & I’m that much older. The 1st Iron Man came out when I was starting college. Now close to 40 &The Avengers story ended.

They need to make another #Hulk (Hulk) movie that’s connected with #MarkRuffalo ( Mark Ruffalo ) and The Avengers universe. A better origin story at the very least. They connected the #Xmen ( X-Men ) with one of the #Marvels in ( The Marvels ) movie after its credits…

If nothing else The Rock ( #TheRock ) becoming president would be iconic of the #AmericanDream , kinda like model turned actor turned governor: Arnold Schwarzenegger…from humble beginnings to being a world leader…

If #Pokemon , can have so many iterations, so should #DragonBall . Tie it in with the #multiverse . Ive heard its fans might like #OnePiece  . #CartoonNetwork , #Boomerang , #Nickelodeon need 2 up their game w/ series like #AvatarTheLastAirbender . Use 2 be so much tv-wise…

Margot Robbie … the perfect woman with so much personality … thank you Australia for Margot Robbie and Hugh Jackman (someone to aspire to be like, through a gym session)… Regarding #BestPicture ( Best Picture ), there aren’t a lot of movies, in recent times, like Shawshank Redemption, Argo, or Meet Joe Black. We went from moving movies to still good, but silly? but funny movies like Bullet Train…

Israel deserves 2 livePeacefully w/o worrying over using bomb shelters. News coverage been repetitive there vs. minimalCoverage in #Palestine / #Gaza . W/Israel, its about Kibbutz Be Rei &concert, but after, deprived of electricity/shelter/food, Gazan cities been decimated.-

news doesnt seem 2 cover how many more died in #Palestine vs. #Israel. Bad group of people started fight in Israel. Israel defends self. But while talks shifted 2 rapes&abuse of kids in Israel, 13000+ innocent people died in #Gaza, 2 eradicate 1000 terrorizers.-

Humanitarian efforts need 2 get in #Gaza. How can level of destruction B compared 2 #Israel. & Israel 4 some reason controls electricity in Gaza&they turned it off. Israel is sandwiched b/w Gaza. Needs 2 B reorganizing of territory like Israel against sea,&all Gaza near river.-

this results in anger from #Palestine ian protest groups, but they need better discretion 2 when & where protests held…like shouldn’t go to Rockefeller center @ tree lighting. #Israel has right mentality of organizing concerts & speeches, at least from perspective of media.

By being overlyAware of gender pronouns&being politicallyPolite inAll otherRegards, I think we, asPeople, drain our tiredMinds on prioritizingOur limitedAttention 2 forgivableThings vs our jobs&responsibilities. Heard teacher gotFired @ Fordham 4 mixingNames of 2 black students. I think minimum age 4 becoming President is 35. Idea is let person get some life experience. If there is a minimum age, why isn’t there a maximum age? I’ve heard 1st impression is best impression. Imagine predicting biases building over time. Invites idea of fresh perspective.-

but b/w #Trump & #Biden , though close 2 each others age, Trump definitely has more energy, a stronger voice, more pronounced movements when walking around…we need more active and mentally sharp people leading as well as carrying us (wrt non explicit leaders), whoever they R.

DarciLynne ( Darcy Lynne ) from #AGT ( #AmericasGotTalent ) should be encouraged for progressing from ventriloquism to new highs for that golden voice, like singing. She’s clearly talented and should be singing in higher notes.

So they cut off razor wire in relation 2 border control…Im sure there are other work arounds 4 whatever justification they projected. On tv, u see asylum seekers say Thank you Joe Biden. I think they also get ability 2 vote. Is this some elaborate plan to get more supporters?-

inRelation 2PastTweet, I think most people have RepublicanValues but its less cool 2B whats associated w/elderly caucasians or seeminglyHighMorals.-

Like when myParents emigrated here, they were of impression Democrats r “4 the people” Or average person, probably because the word Democrat alludes to that. But their values seem synonymous w/Republicans.

Barbie is a fun movie with mature characters like Margot Robbie and Ryan Gossling. It gives the same casual feel good sense like probably darker, but amusing Bullet Train movie with Brad Pitt.

So it’s ( National Pie Day) #NationalPieDay . #KrispyKreme donuts or donuts in general, and warm, as well as cold, apple pies fit every mood. Like there’s a mood or a day to chips and danishes, but donuts and pies are all day every day.

NewHampshirePrimary in #NewHampshire ( New Hampshire ) is going to decide as the clincher or game changer between #Nikki and #Trump … #HistoricMoments

U gotta wonder if situation lasted long b/c of disdain/hesitancy 2 lawsuit,by supposed representatives ofMe. Can it get more public/uglier than this?Maybe cuz spotlight, now, isOnMe. Probably deluding those inMyLife w/clearing this/that. -night/day, orchestrators still criminals

The sequel to Spider-Man: Across The Spider-verse ( #AcrossTheSpiderverse ) or volume/chapter2 , had the let-down ending of having 2 wait till volume/chapter3(very next sequel) 2 know how story ends. It sucks b/c thats at least another year, another year of getting older.

Anyone else notice, in like, the 2nd #Aquaman movie, or #BrothersSun on #Netflix , older siblings tend to be heavier/beefier, more loose, maybe more likely to have facial hair, than their depicted younger siblings?

So Im hearing in news a hint 2 school attendance. On college level, I remember people skipping classes b/c lectures were just too theoretical/ReadingsNotSimplified…it’s not like #LessonsInChemistry or #Oppenheimer where students learning/“debating” concepts w/worldClassFaculty.

Another #BestPicture ( Best Picture ) type movie is #TheAdjustmentBureau with EmilyBlunt ( Emily Blunt ) and Matt Damon , as well as #TheMartian (meaning filled/moving movies) . The Adjustment Bureau is a great #LoveStory with some magic & determination.

Last #FamilyGuy of 2023 made valid point. Cable TV is not dead-it’s still good 4 tuning in2, at end of long day, where U watch what’s on, whether or not it’s reruns of #ILoveLucy / #IndianaJones / #TombRaider / #StarWars ( Star Wars ). Takes away hassle ofSearching 4 something. . More than decade ago, after telling my suspicions 2 an FBI office and UAlbany officials in Albany, Probably w/hope Ill write, I got directed 2 unlimited complaint form: the IC3. 1st few updates: my suspicion, then a self bio so I’m not on FBIs radar, the rest? Just to get info.-

-when I wroteOn, ages ago, an unlimited IC3 form,Id write&look from atop aHill my apt. was on. Theyre able 2 see enough 2want2 lookUp,while looking@ phone. SameReaction in oldHouse atopHill, behind woods& parkingLot. That input/sounds/“vicinitySpeaking”/themes all paint a pic.-

while writing on IC3 complaint form, no one was acknowledging my situation to me. I don’t want to be on FBIs radar (who on earth does?) from input received, I wrote a short philosophy/parable conveying my point, hoping gist would be delivered and problem end.-

on IC3 complaint form, which last time checked is now only 3 updates vs unlimited, I kept saying I want attention of intended recipient of form, my apologies for troubling them, and please tell family/me what’s going on. Never happened.-

IC3 word soup complaint form, from ages ago (sorry if U tried 2 decipher it/but then no 1 understands intent or talking 2 me), was clarified as such, & a streamlined version, was sent as a series of crime tips (as 1 update per web page submission ), identified as such, 2 FBI.-

-when I submitted crime tips on FBI crime tip page, I submitted times/dates/call records/IC3explanation&usernames…& emailed all of it in a Word Doc 2 FBI after walking 2 federal plaza location-if memory serves me right-on visit. orchestrators should have email @ least I also called the Department of Defense, and it may sound funny, but I got their answering machine, and left a message. I complained to the Federal Trade Commission over hacked communications. I complained to the CIA, who investigate the FBI, when they're not investigating. I sent two complaints to the Attorney General, but on one occasion, got a letter saying I should contact a Pro Bono Lawyer. If the NY Attorney General isn't going to acknowledge my situation, why would someone working for free do it? I complained to the FCC. The Federal FAFSA site used to display social security numbers, without asterisks/plainly, while I think something is showing my computer screen contents as part of a show for other people. I contacted the SUNY system about what was happening at SUNY Albany and they kept redirecting me to the VPs at SUNY Albany, who put me on disciplinary probation and threatened that I cannot talk about my situation.

[stevensavage]

Creative Paths And Conspiracy

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve's Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

Last post, I stated that conspiracy theories are creative acts, even if they have malicious or pathological motivation. It's essential to realize this because seeing them as such helps us identify and counter them. In this post, I'd like to digress on a bit of history because this will let us look at a useful diagnostic tool.

I had followed conspiracy theories for decades, first out of an interest in the paranormal, then to understand politics and the human condition. From 2015 onward, it became necessary for sheer survival in chaotic times. Over the years, I began to see Conspiracy theories fit specific patterns, and in 2020 I realized the patterns fit my Five Forms of Creativity.

My Five Forms of creativity were a system I'd made to classify the different ways people create. The Five Forms were a tool derived from my work on Seventh Sanctum and had proven useful professionally. I wrote them up in their own book, The Power of Creative Paths, and they appear again in Chance's Muse.

Seeing conspiracy theories slot into this simple system confirmed to me that there was a vital element of creativity in conspiracy thinking.  It also meant analyzing them as such might provide useful insights. This column is a dignified brain-dump of my attempts to do that.

I realize that this is dangerously close to me having a corkboard with random articles connected by red string. I am staying aware of that, and as I've noted, the Five Forms are just a tool for classifying messy reality. But any skepticism isn't merely acknowledged; it's appreciated.

So let's get to the theory.

THE FIVE FORMS OF CREATIVITY:

The five forms of creativity I identified are:

The Combiner – Combiners shuffle familiar ideas around in familiar patterns. This is "madlibs creativity" and the opposite of the Fuser.

The Fuser - Merges ideas, blurring lines and creating something new. Fuser creativity spawns stories of "Time-Travelling Art Thieves," and the opposite of the pattern-driven Combiner.

The Expander - Expanders pile ideas on top of each other in wild yet surprisingly stable structures. You'll see this in parodies and life sim games, and it's the opposite of The Reducer.

The Reducer - Reducers streamline ideas, strip them down, and even create new ideas by removing parts of others. Minimalist music like Devo or The White Stripes are good examples. The opposite of The Expander.

The Mapper - Mappers create by symbolism and metaphor, strange and profound-seeming connections and relations spun together. They are a unique form of creativity and have no opposite.  Grant Morrison's run on The Doom Patrol is a good example.

Now, with a system for classifying creativity, I'd like to attempt to explore what forms of conspiracy theorization appear in each form. With that, we may spot such thinking better and analyze the source or whom the source is imitating.

On to the Brain-dump.

COMBINER

Combiner creativity is madlibs, shuffling words into common patterns to create meaning. It's both syntax and semantics, putting various "trigger" words in distinct orders that lead people to interpret things in certain ways.

In the conspiracy theory world, this is the world of headlines and pithy quotes. "Obama attacks heterosexuality with help of UN" is a joke headline where you could easily swap around a few words to have "Hillary attacks freedom with help of Dr. Fauci." Any time pursuing a trash conspiracy news site exposes you to these headlines, as will breathless tweets.

Combiner creativity usually only speaks to those likely to respond to the patterns and the words invoked. If you see Combiner Conspiracy talk, it's talking to the faithful - probably to manipulate them or show affinity. Except for clumsy efforts to fit in, when you see this kind of creativity used for conspiracy talk, it's by someone who knows what they're doing.

Where I've seen it: Years ago when I jokingly said I could make a conspiracy headline generator. That has haunted me since, as all it would take would be a simple Combiner generator.

FUSER

Fuser creativity is when you combine two ideas into one. It's the novelist that creates a book about "Legal Dramas And AI Lawyers." It's the cook that finds harmony between Indian and Mexican cuisine.

When it comes to conspiracy theories, Fuser creativity is the world of "everything is one." This is when UFOs are vehicles of the Illuminati, or every Lawyer is also part of the Church of Satan. Fuser creativity is a stock in trade of conspiracy thought, and you've probably seen it many times.

Fuser creativity with a conspiratorial bent is usually a good sign you're seeing conspiracy thought. Multiple unrelated elements are said to be the facets of one dark gem of evil. A sign of an active conspiracist - a grifter - is when The Latest Thing In The News gets incorporated into being a facet of the conspiracy theory.

This is similar to the Expander approach, but it's not a "pile on." Instead it's "this is one facet we haven't seen before." It's more nuanced in an area often lacking said nuance.

Where I've seen it: Propagandist news and bottom-feeding grifters, always working the story of the day into a larger theory - and not letting it go.

EXPANDER

Expander creativity is the big pile-on of ideas. This is where you start with "fantasy adventure" and soon have a road trip with two wizards, one of which has a drinking problem, going cross-country to . . . you get the idea. Expander creativity is about distinct ideas cramming together to make wild connections - but you can identify them still.

In conspiracy-land this is common, and more so in the internet age. It's what I've heard called "yes, and" conspiracy thought - where you hear a new idea and toss it into your pile of beliefs. Those giant flowcharts on the internet connecting everything are Expander creativity in action.

It's also the "starter" conspiracy style of belief - also easily witnessed on the internet where you can watch ideas get joined together on Twitter or message boards.

Expander creativity in use is usually the sign of someone either believing anything or trying to control a narrative and incorporate other ideas - to "win" or gain allies or avoid cognitive dissonance.

Where I've seen it: For decades, but I've seen a lot more in the internet age.

REDUCER

Reducer creativity is a rarer creative form, and it's often paired with other types to "reign them in." Reducer creatives can take ideas and remove parts or strip them down to their essence. Though it can seem dull, consider the joy of a precise film that's focused like "Versus" or minimalist music.

In the world of conspiracy, the Reducer approach simplifies ideas to justify conspiracy thought. Middlemen get cut out, inconvenient facts "forgotten," degrees of separation less separated. The messiness of the world gets refined outward for a simpler - and wrong- viewpoint.

Reducer creativity takes talent, and in the conspiracy world, it's used by people who know what they're doing. They ignore inconvenient facts and streamline beliefs. They can take complex headlines and create half-facts. When you see this, someone's probably good at this - and grifting.

Where I've seen it:  In the time of Covid I'd watch conspiracists claim relations among people and groups that existed only if you ignored multiple steps. Seeing simplified worldviews - that were wrong - became obvious to me.

MAPPER

FInally, we get to Mappers. These are the creatives of metaphor and symbolism, and rethinking. It's "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" and the Odyssey, or characters who represent the Seven Deadly Sins, or a book loaded with iconography. It's unusual, mystical -and surprising.

In the conspiracy world, this is the symbol-hunters' creativity, always looking for hidden meanings. They'll become concerned about the color of a star's shoes or that the sign on a pizza restaurant looks Satanic. They'll see connections among the unrelated as they're able to bring symbols and metaphors together to explain the nonexistent.

Mapping creativity doesn't stand out one way or another because it is a standard part of conspiracy thought. I usually see it everywhere - it varies more by degree than anything else. Worries about the symbolism of gold fringe on a flag may seem simple, but it's not much different than finding Moloch in toy advertisements.  

Where I've seen it: Well, everywhere.

CONCLUSIONS

That's my attempt to see if my Forms of Creativity provide a useful way to identify conspiracy theories and thoughts. And honestly, I think there's something there. It's easy to map them, the mappings are distinct, and there's some diagnostic advantage.

Because this maps so well, this strengthens my belief that conspiratorial thinking can be seen as a creative act. It's likely I'll explore this more in the future.

But next, I'd like to discuss motivations and creativity - taking the view that conspiracy thinking is a creative act, it what it means for common motivations.

Steven Savage

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com