#Eastern philosophy videos

[fadingclub]

I understand that Psychopomp was born out of necessity due to the policies put in place by Unity, but alot of the story and designs for environments and characters are incredibly thought out. Were these ideas retooled from previously scrapped projects or ones you worked on before the Unity debacle (Mechana/Dreamwild)? What are your influences on some of the more esoteric concepts/mystical oddities within the stories of your games? Also, why is the moon's design one of the main unifying factors in your games? (Atleast that i know of, I only played Dashbored, Dreamwild, and Psychopomp.)

I had the idea for Psychopomp a few months before the Unity policy debacle, so when that all happened, it ended up being more of an opportunity to revisit that character and idea again (though at that point it was really just the one character design and the idea of the helmet)

For the most part, the ideas from Psychopomp weren't borrowed from my other games. There are a few however. In the 2014 early development version of DashBored (Then called "Drive") the second level was a factory run by a giant severed head. You would have to mercy kill the head to continue on. This was removed pretty quickly from the game, but I wanted to revisit it, because it made one of my highschool friends really uncomfortable. The head came back ten years later for Psychopomp, and the design is even taken from Drive.

(The old sprites. I didn't really know how to make digital art at this point)

The King of Mercury and King of all Dogs were originally from an idea for a separate video game. However, I really liked them, and I didn't want to wait to have to wait for years to be able to potentially make something with them in it, so I worked them into the story of Psychopomp.

(The original drawings that would become the King of all Dogs and King of Mercury. The King of All Dogs inner face here is inspired by traditional Haida art. This influence was dropped for Psychopomp because it didn't fit the grimy artstyle, but I'd like to bring it back in the future.)

I grew up in a household surrounded by a lot of spiritualism and various eastern philosophies. A lot of my youth was spent in spiritual shops and various shrines of different denominations. I ended up with a lot of esoteric concepts in my head and came to really appreciate a lot of the various spiritual aesthetics of the world. It's hard to come to terms with a world that's brimming with so many concepts, many of which contradict and attack each other, and that spiritual anxiety makes up a lot of my feelings in Psychopomp.

As for the moon, all I can say is: Note who it appears to, and when and where it appears. The moon is watching.

Thanks for the ask! This is a really great question! I hope you enjoyed the games, and I hope you'll enjoy what I have in store for the future!

[srisrisriddd]

Joke Eastern Spiritual Arguments - Fireworks Video

Q: Why Eastern Spiritualists Don't Argue? A: Because arguing is a form of duality - Dr Devang H Dattani

Good Morning

See Video For Fireworks

Happy Diwali / Deepavali and Prosperous New Year

Quote / Poem / Poetry / Quotes Of 

Bhagwan Sri Sri Sri

Doctor Devang H Dattani

Infinite SriSriSri DDD

Posted By TheBlissCity DDD Team

See The Media Photo Video For

Quoteoftheday

God Morning

#Diwali , #firework , #bliss , #TheBlissCity , #philosophy , #mindfulness , #DrDevangHDattani , #nature , #awareness , #InfiniteSriSriSriDDD , #quotes , #life , #art , #zen , #awakening , #quote , #spiritual , #photography , #Video , #meditation , #psychology , #poem , #poetry , #motivation , #inspiration , #quoteoftheday , #love , #words , #thoughts , #joy , #pun , #enlightenment , #health , #mental health , #consciousness , #good , #god , #landscape , #life , #video , #nirvana , #tantra , #yoga , #halloween , #light , #photooftheday , #music , #fireworks , #show , #joke , #humor , #lake , #argument , #eastern , #duality , #Diwali , #deepavali , #new year

[housewilson]

A MASTERLIST OF ALL THE BOOKS I COULD FIND IN TIM'S BOOKSHELVES

As someone who basically sees Tim Laughlin as my own version of Jesus Christ (I kind of wish I was lying but I have a 'beyond measure' tattoo branding my skin so perhaps I'm entirely serious), I simply needed to know what was on those shelves of his. And this was a hard task to achieve, believe me... but I got much farther than I initially thought I would.

(I've got so much to say about all of these books and how they might string together to create a deeper understanding of Tim as a character but I won't go into it here... maybe in a future post or video essay, who knows).

If you wish to help a girl out and attempt to figure out any of the other books I simply can not crack no matter how I look at the screenshots and mess with the adjustments... here's a folder full of 2k sized screenshots of those shelves.

Before I list the books one by one, I want to make a couple observations:

1) Almost all of the books I was able to pinpoint are non-fiction. The ones that aren't are children's books.

2) Topically, we see an interdisciplinary interest in:

History: from a book on a king in 4BC, to a survey of landholding in England in the 11th century.

Somewhat current historical events: books on World War I and II.

Western Philosophers: specially from the 16th to the 18th century.

Aesthetics: there's at least 2 books on the subject matter, but I couldn't find the second one, sadly.

Spirituality: not only christian/catholic; some of these books touch on Eastern practices such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

Fairy tales / children's books.

Psychology: specially in regards to mysticism and sexuality.

Science and scientific discovery/research.

3) A lot of the history, current events, and spirituality books are autobiographies/memoirs.

4) A lot of books (specially those on sciences and philosophy) tend to be more so anthologies or overviews on a subject matter rather than a book written by one specific author on one very concrete topic.

Overall, this all reflects very well an idea Jonathan Bailey himself expressed in a brilliant interview you can watch here if you haven't yet:

"Tim has buddhist flags in his 1980s flat in San Francisco, he has crystals, he is someone who is always seeking other ways to understand human experience. Which is probably tiring for him. Throughout the decades, he sort of appears as completely different people. At the crux of it there's this extreme grinding, contrasting, aggressive duality between feeling lovable and not feeling lovable. There's such shame in Tim. But it's the push and the pull which keeps him alive.”

This desire to understand human psychology, spirituality, and the ways of the universe through as many diverse lenses as possible, as well as a predilection for non-fiction, expresses very much to me that insatiable thirst for truth that defines his character so strongly.

OKAY, THAT BEING SAID. Here's the list in chronological order of publication.

PS. if you decided to click on any of the following titles it'd definitely not take you to a google drive link of the pdf file where you could download and read these books for yourself. Because that would be illegal and wrong.

Journeys through Bookland by Charles H. Sylvester (1901?) (1922 Edition)

I don't know which specific volume he owns, sorry, I tried my best but the number is not discernible (hell, the title barely is). If anyone wants the download link to these hmu because I'm not about to individually download all 10 right now.

10 volumes of poems, myths, Bible stories, fairy tales, and excerpts from children's novels, as well as a guide to the series. It has been lauded as ‘a new and original plan for reading, applied to the world’s best literature for children.’

Pilgrimage by Graham Seton Hutchison (1936)

This book provides a view of the battlefields of WW I through the eyes of the average fighting man. 

One curious thing about this book is that it's author, a British First World War army officer and military theorist, went on to become a fascist activist later in his life. Straight from Wikipedia:

"Seton Hutchison became a celebrated figure in military circles for his tactical innovations during the First World War but would later become associated with a series of fringe fascist movements which failed to capture much support even by the standards of the far right in Britain in the interbellum period." He made a contribution to First World War fiction with his espionage novel, The W Plan."

The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton (1948) 

The Seven Storey Mountain tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man, who at the age of twenty-six, takes vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders—the Trappist monks. At the Abbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," Thomas Merton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he has fully immersed himself in it. At the abbey, he wrote this extraordinary testament, a unique spiritual autobiography that has been recognized as one of the most influential religious works of our time. Translated into more than twenty languages, it has touched millions of lives.

This book requires no introduction. It's the one he keeps the Fire Island's postcard in and the one we see him re-reading in episode 8 after Hawk brings it to the hospital with him at the end of episode 7.

Just a little detail I noticed:

Apparently he liked the book so much he visited Gethsemani, which was the home of its author all the way up till 1968.

For all we know, he might have even met its author!

Sexual Behavior in the Human Male by Alfred Charles Kinsey, Wardell B. Pomeroy (1948)

When published in 1948 this volume encountered a storm of condemnation and acclaim. It is, however, a milestone on the path toward a scientific approach to the understanding of human sexual behavior. Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey and his fellow researchers sought to accumulate an objective body of facts regarding sex. They employed first hand interviews to gather this data. This volume is based upon histories of approximately 5,300 males which were collected during a fifteen year period. This text describes the methodology, sampling, coding, interviewing, statistical analyses, and then examines factors and sources of sexual outlet.

Yes, Charles Kinsey is indeed behind the Kinsey scale that has done so much for the LGBTQ+ community.

Their Finest Hour (1949), The Grand Alliance (1950), and Closing the Ring (1951) by Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill's six-volume history of the cataclysm that swept the world remains the definitive history of the Second World War. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable both for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent reconstruction and is an enduring, compelling work that led to his being awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953. 

The European Philosophers from Descartes to Nietzsche by Monroe C. Beardsley (1960)

In so far as we reflect upon ourselves and our world, and what we are doing in it, says the editor of this anthology, we are all philosophers. And therefore we are very much concerned with what the twelve men represented in this book--the major philosophers on the Continent of Europe--have to say to us, to help us build our own philosophy, to think things out in our own way. For the issues that we face today are partly determined by the work of thinkers of earlier generations, and no other time is more important to the development of Western thought than is the 250-year period covered by this anthology. Monroe. C. Beardsley, Professor of Philosophy at Swarthmore College, has chosen major works, or large selections from them, by each man, with supplementary passages to amplify or clarify important points. These include: Descartes - Discourse on Method (Descartes), Thoughts (Pascal), The Nature of Evil (Spinoza), The Relation Between Soul and Body (Leibniz), The Social Construct (Rousseau), Critique of Pure Reason (Kant), The Vocation of Man (Fichte), Introducciton to the Philosophy of History (Hegel), The World as Will and Idea (Schopenhauer), A General View of Positivism (Comte), The Analysis of Sensations and the Relation of the Physical to the Psychical (Mach), Beyond Good and Evil (Nietzsche).

The New Intelligent Man's Guide to Science by Isaac Asimov (1965)

Asimov tells the stories behind the science: the men and women who made the important discoveries and how they did it. Ranging from Galilei, Achimedes, Newton and Einstein, he takes the most complex concepts and explains it in such a way that a first-time reader on the subject feels confident on his/her understanding. Assists today's readers in keeping abreast of all recent discoveries and advances in physics, the biological sciences, astronomy, computer technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and other sciences.

The Heavenly City of the 18th Philosophers by Carl L. Becker (1932) (1962 reprint)

Here a distinguished American historian challenges the belief that the eighteenth century was essentially modern in its temper. In crystalline prose Carl Becker demonstrates that the period commonly described as the Age of Reason was, in fact, very far from that; that Voltaire, Hume, Diderot, and Locke were living in a medieval world, and that these philosophers “demolished the Heavenly City of St. Augustine only to rebuild it with more up-to-date materials.” In a new foreword, Johnson Kent Wright looks at the book’s continuing relevance within the context of current discussion about the Enlightenment.

I find the particular choice of adding this book very curious and on brand, since it explores the idea that philosophers of the Enlightenment very much resembled religious dogma/faith in their structure and purpose. Just... A+ of the props department to not just add any kind of book on philosophy anthology.

Herod The Great by Michael Grant (1971)

The Herod of popular tradition is the tyrannical King of Judaea who ordered the Massacre of the Innocents and died a terrible death in 4 BC as the judgment of God. But this biography paints a much more complex picture of this contemporary of Mark Antony, Cleopatra, and the Emperor Augustus. Herod devoted his life to the task of keeping the Jews prosperous and racially intact. To judge by the two disastrous Jewish rebellions that occurred within a hundred and fifty years of his death -- those the Jews called the First and Second Roman Wars -- he was not, in the long run, completely successful. For forty years Herod walked the most precarious of political tightropes. For he had to be enough of a Jew to retain control of his Jewish subjects, and enough of a pro-Roman to preserve the confidence of Rome, within whose territory his kingdom fell. For more than a quarter of a century he was one of the chief bulwarks of Augustus' empire in the east. He made Judaea a large and prosperous country. He founded cities and built public works on a scale never seen before: of these, recently excavated Masada is a spectacular example. And he did all this in spite of a continuous undercurrent of protest and underground resistance. The numerous illustrations presents portraits and coins, buildings and articles of everyday use, landscapes and fortresses, and subsequent generations' interpretations of the more famous events, actual and mythical, of Herod's career.

Readings in the Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics compiled by Milton Charles Nahm (1975)

A college level comprehensive anthology of essays written on the arts and the field of aesthetic philosophy.

The Mustard Seed: Discourses on the Sayings of Jesus Taken from the Gospel According to Thomas by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (1975)

This timely book explores the wisdom of the Gnostic Jesus, who challenges our preconceptions about the world and ourselves. Based on the Gospel of Thomas, the book recounts the missing years in Jesus’ life and his time in Egypt and India, learning from Egyptian secret societies, then Buddhist schools, then Hindu Vedanta. Each of Jesus' original sayings is the "seed" for a chapter of the book; each examines one aspect of life — birth, death, love, fear, anger, and more — counterpointed by Osho’s penetrating comments and responses to questions from his audience.

(You don't know how fulfilling it was to find some of these books and just sit there like "oh my god, yessss, he'd SO read that".)

A Third Testament by Malcolm Muggeridge (1976)

A modern pilgrim explores the spiritual wanderings of Augustine, Pascal, Blake, Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Bonhoeffer. A Third Testament brings to life seven men whose names are familiar enough, but whose iconoclastic spiritual wanderings make for unforgettable reading. Muggeridge's concise biographies are an accessible and manageable introduction to these spiritual giants who carried on the testament to the reality of God begun in the Old and New Testaments. - St. Augustine, a headstrong young hedonist and speechwriter who turned his back on money and prestige in order to serve Christ - Blaise Pascal, a brilliant mathematician who pursued scientific knowledge but warned people against thinking they could live without God - William Blake, a magnificent artist-poet who pled passionately for the life of the spirit and warned of the blight that materialism would usher in - Soren Kierkegaard, a renegade philosopher who spent most of his life at odds with the church, and insisted that every person must find his own way to God - Fyodor Dostoevsky, a debt-ridden writer and sometime prisoner who found, in the midst of squalor and political turmoil, the still small voice of God - Leo Tolstoy, a grand old novelist who swung between idealism and depression, loneliness and fame and a duel awareness of his sinfulness and God s grace - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor whose writings and agonized involvement in a plot to kill Hitler cost him his life, but continue to inspire millions

Portraits: The photography of Carl Van Vechten (1978)

Can't find a file but you can borrow it from archive.com in the link provided.

During his career as a photographer, Carl Van Vechten’s subjects, many of whom were his friends and social acquaintances, included dancers, actors, writers, artists, activists, singers, costumiers, photographers, social critics, educators, journalists, and aesthetes. [...] As a promoter of literary talent and a critic of dance, theater, and opera, Carl Van Vechten was as interested in the cultural margin as he was in the day’s most acclaimed and successful people. His diverse subjects give a sense of both Carl Van Vechten’s interests and his considerable role in defining the cultural landscape of the twentieth century; among his many sitters one finds the leading lights of the Harlem Renaissance, the premier actors and writers of the American stage, the world’s greatest opera stars and ballerinas, the most important and influential writers of the day, among many others.

Report of the Shroud of Turin by John H Heller (1983)

Heller, while a man of science, was nevertheless a devout man (Southern Baptist). He viewed his task concerning The Shroud with great scepticism; there have been far too many hoaxes in the world of religion. The book describes in great detail the events leading up to the team's conviction that the Shroud was genuine; last - not least - being Heller and Adler's verification of "heme" (blood) and the inexplicable "burned image" of the crucified man. Although carbon dating indicates that the image is not 2000 years old and that the cloth is from the Middle Ages, there is not enough evidence to disprove Heller's assertion that the Shroud is indeed genuine.

Context for those who may not know (though I doubt it's necessary): The shroud of Turin "is a length of linen cloth that bears a faint image of the front and back of a man. It has been venerated for centuries, especially by members of the Catholic Church, as the actual burial shroud used to wrap the body of Jesus of Nazareth after his crucifixion, and upon which Jesus's bodily image is miraculously imprinted."

It is a very controversial subject matter and I definitely don't know that from going to an Opus Dei school since the day I was born till the day I graduated high school.

Mysticism, Psychology and Oedipus by Israel Regardie (1985)

I've tried my hardest but despite many Israel Regardie books being on the world wide web, I can't find a copy of this specific one.

Mysticism, Psychology and Oedipus, from the Small Gems series is one of these mysterious alchemys which Regardie and Spiegelman crafted for the serious student of mysticism. Mysticism, Psychology and Oedipus by Dr. Israel Regardie and his friend, world renowned Jungian Psychologist, J. Marvin Spiegelman, Ph.D. was created to reach the serious student at the intersecting paths of magic, mysticism and psychology. While each area of study overlaps they also maintain their own individual paths of truth. One of Regardie’s greatest gifts was his rare ability to combine these difficult and diverse subjects and make them understandable.

Domesday Book Through Nine Centuries by Elizabeth M. Hallam (1986)

In 1086 a great survey of landholding in England was carried out on the orders of William the Conqueror, and its results were recorded in the two volumes, which, within less than a century, were to acquire the name of Domesday, or the Book of Judgment 'because its decisions, like those of the last Judgment, are unalterable'. This detailed survey of the kingdom, unprecedented at that time in its scope, gives us an extraordinarily vivid impression of the life of the eleventh century.

The following two are a fuck up on the props department part because they were published after 1987 but we'll forgive them because they were not expecting for me to do all this to figure out the titles of these books, I'm sure:

The One Who Set Out to Study Fear by Peter Redgrove (1989)

This book barely exists physically, rest assured it does not exist online... LOL.

The author of The Wise Wound presents here a re-telling of Grimm's famous fairy tales, written in a manner and spirit more suited to the present day. Each story is rooted in the original, but cast in an energetic style that is both disrespectful and humorous. 

Essential Papers on Masochism by Margaret Ann Fitzpatrick Hanly (1995)

The contested psychoanalytic concept of masochism has served to open up pathways into less-explored regions of the human mind and behavior. Here, rituals of pain and sexual abusiveness prevail, and sometimes gruesome details of unconscious fantasies are constructed out of psychological pain, desperate need, and sexually excited, self- destructive violence. In this significant addition to the "Essential Papers in Psychoanalysis" series, Margaret Ann Fitzpatrick Hanly presents an anthology of the most outstanding writings in the psychoanalytic study of masochism. In bringing these essays together, Dr. Fitzpatrick Hanly expertly combines classic and contemporary theories by the most respected scholars in the field to create a varied and integrated volume. This collection features papers by S. Nacht, R. Loewenstein, Victor Smirnoff, Sigmund Freud, Jacques Laplanche, Robert Bak, Leonard Shengold, K. Novick, J. Novick, S. Coen, Margaret Brenman, Esther Menaker, S. Lorand, M. Balint, Bernhard Berliner, Charles Brenner, Helene Deutsch, Annie Reich, Marie Bonaparte, Jessica Benjamin, S.L. Olinick, Arnold Modell, Betty Joseph, and Janine Chasseguet-Smirgel.

Let's not forget another book we know has been present in his shelves at some point:

Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe (1929)

It is Wolfe's first novel, and is considered a highly autobiographical American coming-of-age story. The character of Eugene Gant is generally believed to be a depiction of Wolfe himself. The novel briefly recounts Eugene's father's early life, but primarily covers the span of time from Eugene's birth in 1900 to his definitive departure from home at the age of 19. The setting is a fictionalization of his home town of Asheville, North Carolina, called Altamont in the novel.

And Ron Nyswaner mentioned in a podcast (might be this one? I'm not sure) that he scrapped from the script a line where Tim recommends this poem at some point:

He specially emphasized the line "If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me".

And lastly, if anyone wanted to know:

His copy of the bible is the Revised Standard Version by Thomas Nelson from either 1952 or 1953.

Because why the hell not figure out what specific translation of the holy bible a fictional character was basing his beliefs on — as if the set designers cared nearly as much as I do.

[homochampagne]

quinn’s in love and death stream summary: all of the lore

he described the way bert’s voice sounds towards the ending of i caught fire as “cute and sweet”

he said he has synesthesia and gave us a color for a lot of the songs. the only ones i remember are: i caught fire is red and yesterdays feelings is green

at the beginning of yesterdays feelings, quinn’s voice can be heard saying “creaks and cracks”. it turns out he was talking about a really old guitar he was playing that wasn’t very good for recording because it made noises as you played

regarding the meaning of yesterdays feelings, quinn said he couldn’t describe it.

a lot of the songs on this album were from ideas quinn came up with. he said he did background vocals on about 75% of the songs

light with a sharpened edge was a title bert came up with, quinn said he really liked that title

in 2004, while the used was working on in love and death and mcr was working on revenge, the two bands lived in the same apartment building in la and would hang out a lot. gerard would come over to quinn’s place and quinn told a story about gerard playing 3 songs from revenge for quinn in his bedroom. quinn said he remembered thinking revenge sounded very cohesive and in love and death was a lot different; it was kind of all over the place and he worried it was too pop and that they were getting too far away from the used’s original sound. he played some songs for gerard as well

quinn talked really positively about mcr, he described them as having a “vampire motorcycle gang” aesthetic back in the day. around 2003 i believe the used took mcr on tour in europe with them; quinn said he’d often film them/take pics of them from the side stage, at one point he was thinking about maybe making a music video for them of liveshow clips but that never happened. he remembers being sure that mcr would become a really huge band (they were still in bullets era at this time)

in 2004 during the writing and recording of in love and death quinn was doing mushrooms and smoking weed and he was reading a lot of philosophy books. i forget the authors name, but chapter 8 of a book he was reading that was about transferring the perspectives/teachings of eastern philosophy into a western lens was called “how to be a genuine fake”. at this time, tensions between him and bert were high, they were butting heads a lot and quinn was sick of his behaviour. he noted how bert would act around people/treat people completely differently; he’d be great to some people and horrible to others. in quinn’s room at the apartment, he handed bert the philosophy book opened to the “how to be a genuine fake” chapter and told him to read it. bert read one page and then threw it on the bed and was like “whatever”. a few days later, bert had written lyrics to a song and said it was titled “i’m a fake”

someone asked about blue and yellow and he said “yes that song’s about me”; he gave us the exact meaning of the “your hands were shaking” line. feldy and bert have both told a story about how during the recording of the first album, bert disappeared for ~2 weeks. bert said he met some girl and was gonna quit the band and whatever. (<- when he’s talking about blue and yellow in that interview, it’s one of those half-truths where like, it did happen, yes, but it’s like the irrelevant part of the larger story, which he obvs doesn’t want to talk about now. gina is a convenient fake inspiration. this section of this interview is so eyeroll inducing because he literally admits to lying about the song in the kirsten dunst part. bert has talked about quinn being the subject of blue and yellow so many times; i have very thorough citations & proof for all of the blue and yellow stuff in my fic masterguide). REGARDLESS, when bert finally showed up at feldy’s again, quinn said that he was so mad and upset that his hands were shaking. (when i say disappeared i mean DISAPPEARED like they couldn’t contact him at all). quinn said that feldy just hugged bert and was like “you can’t do that”. quinn said that at times, feldy was kind of like their dad.

as we all know, all that i’ve got is about bert’s dog david bowie that passed away by getting hit by a car, which in some roundabout way was due to the wrong plane ticket being booked for him meaning he couldn’t take bowie, so he left him with someone who was going to drive him out to wherever the band was heading. quinn said that the line “so deep that it didn’t even bleed” is a reference to the phonecall bert received from his dad who broke the news to him that bowie died, saying “it was quick, there wasn’t even any blood”

the line “i couldn’t come/you couldn’t come” in cut up angels means cum, like orgasm

sound effects and overdramatics is about sex, relationships, and drugs/addiction

feldy told quinn to listen to the beatles entire discography around this time, which he did. he said that there were definitely beatles and nirvana influences on this album. he specifically mentioned territorial pissings, and he mentioned playing a beatles riff backwards on one of the songs but i can’t remember which one :( sorry

quinn likes thursday, and he listened to full collapse a lot

when asked, he said he likes fall out boy

he still talks to mikey sometimes

someone asked if his kids know the used songs and he basically said no, and then he started talking about how his son says “skibidi” and “rizz” and “ohio” and “brainrot” and he like knew all of the lingo???? NDSJSKAKKS and then he was like “back in my day the cringe stuff we would quote was pauly shore” (i’m paraphrasing) and then he did a pauly shore impression

off-tour he would just live out of his backpack, and he rented a spare bedroom at his friends house (im assuming this was like late 2002-early 2004 because in summer 2004 they had the la apartment). he built a bed out of bricks with planks of wood on top. (……this info combined with him just sleeping on the floor of his bedroom at his parents place because there was no bed makes me think he was just used to sleeping on hard surfaces????)

he confirmed that hard to say is about kate, bert’s girlfriend who passed away during the recording of in love and death. it was a song that was added in right at the end of recording and they weren’t sure if they would keep it in. quinn said that he and his family were close to kate, because back at the beginning of the band when bert joined and quinn said he could move in with him, kate lived with them for a period of time too. quinn said that bert and kate were recovering addicts and that he left home for a while at this point because they were staying in his bedroom and sometimes it was “hard to be around them”. we know for sure that quinn sometimes did stay there with bert, because of the whole story where they were sleeping on his bedroom floor together when feldy called from norway in the summer of 2001 and blah blah blah (which he told on branden’s podcast)

towards the end of the recording of in love and death, quinn said that he and bert were not speaking to each other. finding album cover artwork became his responsibility, quinn found alex pardee and basically organized/chose all of the album artwork working with alex (who was the artist)

because we would never figure it out, he told us a secret about ocean of the sky. put on the film 2001: a space odyssey, skip to 20 minutes and 1 second from the ending and play the song tethys and it’s supposed to line up exactly to what happens on-screen. he was inspired by those rumors that you could do the same thing with the original wizard of oz and pink floyd’s dark side of the moon. the guys had been talking about 2001: a space odyssey in regards to ocean of the sky, the “ocean of the sky” meaning outer space. he said he created the song tethys in one sitting, from 9pm - 6am and his computer crashed twice. he digitally mixed it and then sent it off at 9am that morning and that was the last song on that ep.

quinn said that he’s happy bert’s sober now, but it’s “too little, too late” (his exact words)

he confirmed that bert’s struggle with addiction and his behaviour for the majority of the time quinn was in the band was what lead to quinn’s departure. it was draining, exhausting, and the 23 hours a day that they were not on stage was a “nightmare”. he says very confidently that he’s happier now. (side note: if you haven’t listened to this interview with bert about addiction/sobriety i think you should, because he gives details regarding the severity of what was happening. tw: discussion of self-harm)

when asked if there’s any chance he’ll ever play a show with the used again, he said “no”

re: the band and quinn’s frustrations about bert, quinn said he found himself “sitting on his hands” (exact words) a lot of the time and just going along with whatever was happening because he had no other means of enacting change that would actually work (paraphrased). he used a really good metaphor of letting bert “drive”, but quinn would always have “one hand on the wheel”… i feel like that’s self-explanatory

during part of this section of the stream, he got emotional and teary-eyed and said that some of it is hard to talk about

regarding some of the meaning behind quinn’s song i digress, quinn said that it’s about the difficult experience of trying to help a friend who struggles with severe depression and persistent suicidal thoughts, and how he felt that all of his efforts were futile. this seemed to be a recent experience of his. he also spoke about a similarity between this situation and being in the band, which he described as very negative and emotionally taxing when you continually try to help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves. for his emotional wellbeing he needed to step away (in both situations). he also clarified that the lyric is “i’m hanging by your thread” which i got wrong in my transcription. he compared the “i’m hanging by your thread” line to the heart noose.

quinn showed us the physical prototype for his book which is completely finished. he is hopeful that pre-orders will be available in mid-october through kickstarter, he is planning to make a signed book and cassette tape ep bundle which he wants us to receive before christmas (this is all tentative).

he is apparently filming a music video for his second single today (yesterday he spent building the set for it). physical versions of his ep will only be available in cassette tape form because that’s what he grew up with, he likes that they’re small and easy to display

the book has A LOT of exclusive photos in it. he showed us some pages of the book. he said that he started writing it/working on it back when he left the band as a therapeutic, cathartic hobby. aside from the written chapters, there are a lot of pages he created in photoshop that have photo collages that he would draw little pictures on and organize. he said he would work on this to process his emotions, he would cry and let himself feel angry or upset, but it ended up being a very healing project

someone mentioned that they gave him a scrapbook in 2012 (he remembered it) and he said that he still has all of the stuff that the fans gave him/the band. he would box all of it up after their tours and ship it to his house. some of this fan stuff is featured in the book

he really enjoyed the stream and he will likely do another one sometime in the near future (no date is set yet). he’d like to do a listening party for the first album and talk about the songs/behind the scenes lore like he did for this one. he’d also be open to doing a stream just about guitars. people were requesting for him to put out official guitar tabs for the used songs and he said he’ll definitely work on it now that he knows there is interest

he had literally stacks of old photos and showed us some of them which i’ll make a separate post for. at one point he was like “ohhh i can’t show you those” and skipped through a bunch which is just the most infuriatingly intriguing thing like…… i can only imagine.

this was all just written from memory bc for some insane reason recording desktop audio on obs if you have a mac is literally impossible which is crazy in 2024 but regardless i think the livestreams are more special if they aren’t recorded because you have to be there to witness it. i got the vibe that he doesn’t want them to be saved (he said “i can’t” but that’s not true), so instead of asking him in chat next time and you really really want to save it, just record it for your own personal viewing and keep it on the down low. (i’m not telling anyone what to do but i feel like re-uploading to youtube would be against his wishes (he never said this, it’s just my inference)).

if anyone who watched feels like i missed a crucial piece of lore, feel free to add XD

[system-of-a-feather]

hi!! back on my bullshit (asking for some resources if you have them and are willing to share)

would you mayhaps have some resources on non-western plurality? especially spiritual plurality but I'm curious about anything and everything

books, video essays, and other medias are very welcome too along with papers/scientific research !!

oop sorry it's a lot. also I'm 99% sure you replied to these kinds of asks multiple times I'm just not tumblr savvy (despite having been on tumblr 10+ years now)

thank you <3

@seasidewanderers

@seasidewanderers

God relatable about the "been on tumblr for 10+ years but still dont know how to use it well". I actually haven't really answered too many asks like this, at least not asking for resources and what not.

I do want to put a bit of a disclaimer about "non-western plurality" - at least from what I know from a more eastern perspective - a lot of "non-western plurality" does not actually really call itself plurality.

The concept of "plurality" in its self is a heavily western / european kind of concept, not because it only exists in those spaces, but because a lot of other spaces don't really make anything special of it so a name, community, label, etc is not exactly necessary or even particularly sensical. It's kind of like looking for "western singularity" or more accurately "western individualism". It's a bit redundant - at least in my personal perspective.

In a number of non-western cultures, the idea of having multiple selves and having that deep internal relationship isn't really anything too odd and I've heard a number of systems raised in those cultures or around cultures rooted in eastern philosophy that the people they mentioned having alters / parts / headmates to often responded POSITIVELY and casually to the concept because its generally just considered relatively normal if not a positive thing to engage with. The real question then becomes whether or not it counts as plurality or not and that's really up to the individual themselves.

It's a very western thing to really make a huge deal, spectacle and oddity out of experiencing oneself as multiple and honestly I think that can be kind of really well seen in a lot of eastern media with how much plural-adjacent themes are seen in non-DID and not-trying-to-be-DID ways. There is a large aspect of an external self and an internal self, a balancing of good and bad and opposing forces in a lot of Eastern Cultures both on religious, spiritual, philosophical, and just plain old cultural levels. Yin and Yang, Non-dualism, "Face", the general collectivist culture, Buddhism as a whole and deity yoga in particular.

Partially due to the social norms that tend to come with a highly collectivist culture and just the prominent foundational philosophies and spiritualities that are generally native to the area and the lack of a strong sense of individualism as seen in the west, it's extremely common to have strictly different modes for different situations and places as there is a strong level of conformity and respect that needs to be provided to specific locations in order to uphold the strong value of harmony that is valued heavily in collectivist cultures. People in these more collectivist cultures tend to really have to balance and make amends between these highly varied versions of themselves and so it isn't all too weird to be juggling notably different, changing and sometimes conflicting versions of selves; the version of you who is shaped to meet the communal needs and appeal / participate in sustaining harmony and the you that really fucking hates everyone here.

From talking with others who come from more eastern backgrounds, a thing we tend to kind of sigh and giggle at in the system community in terms of it being "extremely white / western" is just how overtly a lot of discussions on self, parts, and what not is EXTREMELY individualist and very much fundamentally built with a strong attachment to differentiation, defining yourself, labeling yourself, and drawing clear boxes around who you are to help understand, explore, and define your own identity. It's hard to really explain to those that are really deep into the western concept of individualism and haven't really looked into it and analyzed it, but as someone who is not exactly a fan of individualism and individualist perspectives, it's EXTREMELY loud and obvious in system communities.

And this is all a lot of preamble to really say there isn't going to really be "resources for non-western plurality" because its not anything particularly special in Eastern Cultures and cultures not built largely from a long running history of Christian / Catholic and maybe Abrahamic Roots (I don't know enough of about Islam or Judaism to say for sure but a lot of individualism does tend to stem from a cultural history and background with at least Christianity / Catholicism). Because it's not exactly special or anything particularly unique of a concept, most don't really label it or name it something or even really discuss it (also a symptom of collectivism and general Eastern cultures is not really discussing mental health or internal experiences, most of your experiences in these cultures are kept internally and dealt within yourself rather than with others) unless directly brought up by someone who DOES find it odd; ie usually a westerner or someone like me who is a first generation American from an eastern background.

So if you want "resources on non-western plurality" you won't find it looking for "plurality" as much as you would by looking into individualism vs collectivism and the cultural roots connecting to those concepts.

Of course there are also the more overt ones that talk about it, like Buddhism does because Buddhism largely serves as a way to try to teach people to find harmony within themselves AND the world to find and instill a sense of peace and serenity overall. That's added onto the fact that a lot of Buddhism is based on talking and discussing things so its an odd card out in a lot of eastern cultures in the sense they ACTIVELY like talking about how people experience themselves.

A lot of what I know comes from life experience, what I've been taught by my family and peers, and discussions with people who come from their own backgrounds; ie, most of what I know comes from anecdotal personal experience. Some I also know from some formal cultural responsivity / sensitivity / trauma informed care modules for work and during school, but most of it is honestly from personal experience and anecdotes.

Even so, I can provide some starting points to assist someone unfamiliar with the territory in investigating and learning a bit on topics relating to the normalization of plural-esque experiences in non-western cultures.

"The Concept of Self in Eastern and Western Philosophy" by Petar Radoev Dimkov is just an interesting run down of major philosophical branches of thought's perception of self

General Reading of Collectivism VS Individualism; I suggest searching up things regarding the clinical significance of understanding and acknowledging collectivism vs individualism when working with clients as well as the impact of those cultures on how one's self concept is experienced, developed and understood

General readings on the history of prominent eastern philosophies / religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Shintoism, etc) and their impacts on eastern culture / their ideas and values on the self, particularly in relation to others

And honestly? I'd suggest on actually searching and reading into the Western views of self and reading where those views and values come from as well because it will 1) likely bring up juxapositions to eastern views and 2) Its hard to truly learn and understand ANOTHER perspective if you don't first really sit and consider your OWN perspective

A lot of people think the idea that "we are one person, a unique self" is a scientific fact and in heavily white / western spaces, the way that statement is treated as fact is a very frustrating thing to see. "We are one person, a unique self" is a BELIEF that is ingrained deeply into Western Society that its treated and considered a fact despite there not really being scientific evidence to support it. (I think it also has something to do with how much "belief" is associated with religion, at least in America, rather than an opinion on something that has little scientific backing)

A lot of western psychology is also built with the assumption of a single unique self, so genuinely I think the best starting point for a white / western person to start trying to learn and understand eastern views is to first do a DEEP dive into Individualism and the Philosophy and Belief that everyone is their singular unique self.

Cause it's only when you acknowledge your own beliefs and cultural background can you actually appreciate, respect, and acknowledge another's beliefs and cultural background.

(Also just in general, learning about philosophy and following some people who just enjoy discussing philosophy can really help as well. Philosophy is the father of Science for a reason afterall. I don't know too much about him as I don't really actively follow him so he might have some bad takes or some bad history that I don't know about so take this recommendation with a grain of salt, but I really have enjoyed listening to Alex O'Connor on youtube talk about philosophy. I'm pretty sure he also engages in a lot of philosophy and religion-related debates and I think hes an Atheist? But I don't watch those so I dont know. I've only really watched his "Taking Trolley Problems Too Seriously" videos and a few one offs when I just needed something in the background while drawing, but he does know a lot of philosophical perspectives and does juggle them well enough that I honestly don't know his personal beliefs and lowkey don't really want to XD Ps: Im always hesitant to recommend youtubers cause almost all youtubers are assumed probably assholes, dicks, or Into Weird Things until proven otherwise)

[room-surprise]

EXTERNAL FICTIONAL INFLUENCES IN DUNGEON MESHI

We know that Ryoko Kui spent considerable time at the beginning of working on Dungeon Meshi doing research and planning the series. Kui constantly references real world culture, history and mythology, but she also occasionally references other fictional works and fantasy genre staples, as well as real-world philosophy.

FICTIONAL INFLUENCES: FANTASY, RPGS AND VIDEO GAMES

There are three major fictional influences on Dungeon Meshi that Kui cites: the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Dungeons & Dragons, and the Wizardry video game series.

All of these works borrow heavily from the real world themselves (and both D&D and Wizardry borrow from Tolkien), so in many cases similarities between them and Dungeon Meshi are simply the result of Kui going back to the same ancient source material as her predecessors. Other times the ideas Kui is influenced by are things that have become so entrenched in pop culture they are ubiquitous in the fantasy genre, so though the idea may technically originate in Tolkien, D&D, or Wizardry, Kui may not be purposefully borrowing from them.

J.R.R. TOLKIEN

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was an English writer and philologist, a scholar of linguistics. He was the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s work has had such a huge impact on culture that most fantasy fiction created after him borrows either intentionally or unintentionally from his work. Kui stated in a Q&A in Korea that Lord of the Rings is one of her favorite fantasy stories.

Elements in Dungeon Meshi that originate in Tolkein are: Hobbits (halflings) and how they are depicted, the idea that elves and dwarves are two distinct races in conflict with each other as well as some of their identifying traits, and the fictional metal, mithril.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974. The game was derived from miniature wargames, and was heavily influenced by the work of Tolkien and other Western fantasy authors such as Jack Vance. D&D was the beginning of modern role-playing games, and had a huge impact on video games and fantasy fiction in all media.

Because of this, obviously D&D came up a lot when Kui was researching the history of fantasy, so she read the rule books, replay novels, and studied some other games inspired by D&D.

The biggest single contributions D&D has made to pop culture is the concept of a dungeon as a place where characters in a story go to explore, fight enemies, find treasure, and gain power or glory, and that a group of people with different specialized skills will join each other as a “party” in order to traverse a dungeon.

The important thing to note here is that “dungeon” only exists in the title of Dungeon Meshi in Japanese, and using the word “dungeon” in the main text of the story is a change made in translation. In Japanese, the characters only refer to the dungeons as labyrinths, which is a word with a specific historic and mythological meaning, completely different from what fantasy fiction dungeons have come to mean.

So although Kui takes advantage of the word “dungeon,” and the unique connotations it’s grown due to D&D, it’s usage is completely external to the world and culture of Dungeon Meshi, it is a title for readers outside of the Dungeon Meshi world, not the characters within it.

Elements in Dungeon Meshi that originate in D&D are: the word and concept of “dungeon”, some monster concepts, such as different colored dragons having different magical/elemental abilities, and having eastern archetypes such as samurai, ninja and martial artists existing alongside western archetypes like knights and wizards. Kui mentions “dark elves”, which are something that D&D invented, however Kui states that they don’t exist in Dungeon Meshi, and that “dark elf” is just a slur non-elves use for elves they think are bad.

WIZARDRY

The computer role-playing game named Wizardry was released in 1981. Heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons, Wizardry in turn influenced many other games, and fantasy fiction in general. The series is particularly popular in Japan, to the point where many Wizardry games were made for the Japanese market exclusively, and many modern Japanese fantasy works can directly trace their roots to Wizardry.

Kui watched her father play the original Wizardry when she was a child, and she cites Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge specifically as a major source of inspiration for Dungeon Meshi.

Elements in Dungeon Meshi that originate in Wizardry are: kobolds being dog-men (I’ll provide a more detailed explanation in Chapter 8), the idea of returning to the dungeon to revive someone who had died on a previous journey, and the difficulty and danger of teleportation magic.

Although many of the concepts that inspired Kui are not unique to Wizardry, Wizardry is most likely where Kui first encountered them. For example, there is a plotline in Wizardry VI that has some elements in common with Dungeon Meshi: a lost/abandoned kingdom run by immortals driven insane by their immortality, including a wizard who is controlling the kingdom with the infinite knowledge he gained from the Cosmic Forge pen. The Cosmic Forge pen is also similar to the demon in Dungeon Meshi, since both can grant wishes, and they both have a secret price for using them.

However, I think the most interesting things Wizardry inspired in Dungeon Meshi are less concrete, for example the game mechanics involved in teleportation, or returning to the dungeon to revive a dead party member.

The first Wizardry game was infamous for its extreme difficulty. In the event of their entire party being killed, gameplay could not be resumed; however, players could create a new party, start the game over, and use their new party to recover the bodies and items of their previous one, and revive their old characters if they wished. Doing this was extremely tedious and difficult, but it was also a common part of gameplay, so it’s easy to imagine a young Kui watching her father do it at least once, and that it left a strong impression on her.

Another thing that would have left a strong impression is the way teleportation worked in the original Wizardry. The game lacked an automap feature, which forced players to manually draw a map for every level on graph paper while they played, this was so essential that the publishers included graph paper in the game box. In order to successfully teleport, the player had to enter both the level and target coordinates from their self-drawn map, and so it was easy to get killed by accidentally teleporting into a trap or into a wall.

This sort of careful observation and planning seems like something Kui is fascinated by, as she often shows this kind of attention to detail in Dungeon Meshi, and she repeatedly addresses the risk of teleportation magic, and the value of making maps and carefully documenting your surroundings and experiences in the dungeon.

(This is an excerpt from my essay on cultural and linguistic references in Dungeon Meshi)

[queencolondarkwing]

AngelicaASMR’s current change

This post only about any info posted as of 7/25/2023 (will update in future if needed).

Ok so I’ve been following the Angelica Asmr shit pretty closely (don’t expect me to comment on gwen gwiz too because that girl is a grifter from the start). And as a mental health worker it REALLY freaks me out for her. I worked in a rehab for awhile. For people quitting drugs, but many of them also had bipolar, ptsd, schizophrenia, and similar diagnosises (some people also had the behavior due to being in crisis as well due to loss, recent homelessness, police brutality, etc.). So I know what psychotic breaks look like. I won’t armchair diagnose anything specific because I am not her medical provider, but while I can’t say she has anything for certain - she has a history of manic episodes in the past.

As someone with ADHD, a history of sexual and religious trauma, and c-ptsd like Angelica, I can honestly see how she fell into this. As someone who is also anti-capitalist, I can see why she thinks finding community would be beneficial (not sure why she would choose the Catholic Church instead of something from less individualistic, Eastern philosophy doesn’t make sense to me personally though...) to finding growth in an online era of isolation following a personal loss in her life. It seems weird how she went from talking about her Jehovahs Witness trauma from her youth...to going full on Orthodox, but I’ll get into details on why mentally this is actually super common in a minute.

I can also see how she would become a SWERF after having done OF, since as a former sex worker myself (camming, porn, fssw) who quit doing it after being raped - I can safely say that I myself am neither pro or anti sex work. I’m pro-decriminalization to keep workers safe, but also do feel a bit sick sometimes that MOST fssw on the streets are marginalized people. It is a complicated issue with nuance that non-sex workers have no business taking a side on. However, she is very hateful recently and anti-sex in general. Which is an issue.

She originally joined OnlyFans during a manic episode. So she HAS a history of mental illness and making major life decisions during mania. 

She went from pro-lgbtq to anti-lgbtq. Deleted her old progressive videos. Claimed to be a victim of MKUltra. Started making up delusions around the Catholic Church being anti-capitalist (Catholics individually can 100% be leftists, but the Church itself is VERY Capitalist). She posted homophobic and transphobic tiktoks where she would yell practically incoherently. Lots of staring. Inability to talk without looking away and laughing (she is normally a skilled actress).  Posting WAY more frequently than ever(she reposted 3 deleted videos last night and deleted them by this morning). She posted a video and lots of shorts and is way more active on Instagram. 

 The worst breakdowns I saw working rehab mostly always cycled through 4 topics: fame/self importance, inconsistent political and religious rambling, and sex. Always. Angelica has shown inconsistent spiritual beliefs (she has been mixing up Catholic, Orthodox, politics, and other religions). She has been focusing on sex in the context of trauma and posted a short of her in a bathtub on youtube again. She has been posting and immediately deleting content that has even positive comments on it.

Some medical signs of possible mania and/or psychosis that she is exhibiting:

Paranoia, trouble talking in a clear way/rambling, withdrawing socially (posting more often/online more but also alienating from her former fans), Confused speech, trailing off/lack of focus in videos, Generally disorganized way of thinking, no sign of restraint in expressing self, racing speech, goal-directed activity (seems to have a new anti-sex work goal), distractable/trails off topic, random giggling at nothing at camera like it is a person she is conversing with...etc. Tbh the amount of red flags I’ve seen are alarming.

I hope she gets support and help. And it is one reason I can’t blame her as hard as I would most, because she seems clearly unwell.  It isn’t an excuse. At all. And I don’t blame people for not supporting her going forward, but I plan to keep an eye on the situation for now and am hoping that somehow she can pull out of this shit, because I’ve seen this shit happen to a LOT of people with hard lives. Hell, I’ve even lashed out in smaller degrees and been delusional during my own ptsd breakdowns too, but when people are as far gone as Angelica is...I don’t usually see them come back again to the same state they were in previously. I’m hoping for the best, as a former fan and as a social worker, but Idk.

[baby-girl-aaron-dessner]

If you don’t mind me sharing my opinion on the celebrity boycott conversation. And I hope you hear me out till the end because I think you will not like my option but I hope you respect it.

I don’t think the celebrity boycott is effective or even necessary, and not because it taking away focus from the actual cause. I have two reasons why I think it’s unimportant

First I think this will only generate performative activism and that’s why I am again it.

As a Palestinian I don’t want someone sharing sympathy and support because they don’t want to lose followers over it.

I don’t care that it brings attention to the cause, in my opinion that’s attention w don’t need. Just like mentioned Lizzo made a video after the campaign started and to me she should have stayed quiet that would have been a better choice to me. Because the cause will be forgot as soon as she hit share. Why would I want a celebrity to post one time and then forget about me until I am a trend again. What good does that get me.

The second thing is this is more becoming personal, many are putting names on the lists just because they personally do not like them.

The other side of this is harassment. I just saw a video of an Egyptian influencer who received death threats for her and her daughter because of this campaign. And the person who sent it had a picture of the kufiya and the watermelon. And to me that disgusting. I don’t care that you are an ally you do not wish someone death in my name. Even though this influencer did post about the situation and stopped posting normal content for a way in solidarity but still she received death threats.

This is the same for many Arabic celebrities at the moment. While many posted in solidarity at the beginning they are still receiving death threats and being harassed.

Which also brings up the other part of the conversation as who gets to be on the list and what qualifies as solidarity. Because some might have made one post since October 7 and they would have been exempt while others who did the same are on the list.

I was on board with this at the beginning, blocking all those who have come out as Zionist and supported the Zionist government. But this has reached a petty point, especially when it comes to middle eastern artist or artist from countries were freedom or speech can get them killed. People forget that many middle eastern governments are complicit in this genocide and these artist can lose their lives if they took a step the government don’t like. And if people argue otherwise then they are living in la la land.

Not everyone gets the freedom western celebrities have.

I think the campaign started out as very good idea and good way to spreading the word however it has turned into a a childish petty endeavour to get back at people you don’t like.

I get where many are coming from, but this is just not it for me

This is a safe space for you anon and your opinion is valid.

You are justified in your criticism of this activism being performative. For me, the intention doesn’t diminish the effect. Because at this point, the situation is so dire and so severe that the intention behind an Instagram post raising awareness doesn’t really matter. Within altruism philosophy discourse, there’s even an argument made about how all activism is inherently performative. The idea is that we do good things to feel good and thus, doing good social work is intrinsically self serving; these actions fulfil our sense of morality. However, I’m not interested in discussing the philosophy of the self-serving nature of activism.

It’s also important to look at the net effect and evaluate whether the downside of this movement is actually worth sacrificing the whole movement.

I’ve seen many people bring up this point about how some people are using this as an opportunity to get back at influencers or celebrities they don’t like. However, this can be a tricky argument to make because of two reasons. Firstly, celebrity worship culture is a disease on our society. Who cares if people are hating on the ultra privileged elites of our society? They have mansions and private jets to cry on while most people are hungry and face insecurity of various types. Secondly, sure, maybe smaller influencers also receive hate, but is it to the extent where the whole movement should be sacrificed? I have also been called out and attacked during this movement and even prior. However, it’s not about me. And I’m not going to make it about me. This is about thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians being buried alive, losing limbs, getting blown up or dying in other tortuous ways.

However, you raise an extremely valid and understated point about intersectionality. You argue that not everyone has the privilege that western celebrities and influencers have. As someone who is from a war-torn and oppressed area in the Middle East, I can confirm this is true. We can’t speak out for fear of death, punishment, torture or having our loved ones punished. This is what makes it even more admirable when a courageous person from these areas speaks out on issues that matter. We should not be harassing people who live in oppressed regions of the world. The standards are obviously NOT equal across the board. It’s disappointing that this even has to be said.

When we evaluate decisions, it’s important to use relevant frame-works such as a cost-benefit analysis. Personally, I don’t believe these criticisms justify the discontinuation of a movement that punishes celebrities for remaining silent on genocide. But this doesn’t mean your criticism isn’t valid.

Additionally, here are some infographics that illustrate the movement and the goals and sentiments behind it:

[helloofromthewired]

No Matter Where You Go, Everyone's Connected

At its very core, SEL is about connection, I think.

SEL was originally created by aBe to appeal to both Western and Eastern audiences, but for Western and Eastern fans to have very different views on it. It was kind of meant as an attempt to show how different West and East (specifically America and Japan) are, but I think it kind of backfired for the exact same reason it succeeded at the same time. Contradictory, I know, but stay with me here.

Lain has many connections across the series: some personal, but the vast, vast, vast, vast majority are impersonal. They're connections that exist, but that she doesn't necessarily feel connected to; they're the billions of people in and connecting with the Wired, which thanks to Protocol 7 has implanted itself in the subconscious mind of humanity as a whole. These connections aren't as important to Lain as her personal connections are; or, to expand on that a bit, the connections she wants to have.

Alice is a key example of this, and I think that she's Lain's most important relationship: Lain loves Alice from the bottom of her heart. It's a very deep and very important love for Lain; it's the only thing that could've realistically broken her from Masami's control, and we see it happen. Likewise, Alice loves Lain; if not loves, then at least has incredibly deep, caring, and complex feelings for her. Throughout the entire series, Alice is the only person we see actually care for Lain Iwakura: not Lain of the Wired, or Lain-as-God, or "Lain". Even her own father kind of kind of haphazardly dismisses her, her mother downright hates her, and Mika couldn't care less about her. Taro is interested in Lain, primarily for the Lain of the Wired as well as his role as a servant of the Knights, but I can't say he actually cares about her. Alice's friends more or less hang out with Lain because Alice does. Masami doesn't care about Lain in the same way that Alice does; his "care" is incredibly selfish, incredibly toxic, and incredibly abusive.

(TL;DR: they're lesbians, your honor)

At the same time, though, is the connection that Lain has with the rest of the world not important? In that vein, not potentially more important? We can comprehend Dunbar's Number: we can maintain social relationships with about 150 people. We can't comprehend the millions of people we connect with every day; we watch the same videos, we look at the same images, read the same books, watch/read the same news, laugh at the same jokes, play the same games, and so on. Even since the beginning of widespread international... well, connection after the Agricultural Revolution, humanity has been interconnected in some way or form.

It's not a direct connection. I know jack shit about any random 30 year old living in Jakarta or a 13 year old living in Tehran, aside from the fact that they live in Indonesia and Iran. But it's still a connection: it's a connection across time, across borders, across nations. When I'm reading, say, Marx, I'm reading the same books that people in the 1800s read; that inspired Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Luxemburg, Foster, and others (some of whom weren't even socialists, like Ataturk or Mussolini); that changed western philosophy in the last two centuries. I'm connecting with the millions, if not billions of people who have also read Marx; be they from 1856, 1917, or 2024. When I watch a video with 30 million views, I'm connecting with 30 million people; it's an indirect and impersonal connection, but we're all connected through watching that video.

The internet connects billions of people simply by its very existence. When you log into an internet connection, you are connecting to 5.35 billion other people. SEL understands that. Everybody in SEL is connected to the Wired; not just through hooking into it, but through Protocol 7 connecting all of humanity subconsciously, as well. Lain herself is the amalgam of that; she is not just a product of the Wired, or the God of the Wired, or God at all: she is the output, the child of that connection. In a sense, the connection itself.

That's what "Let's all love Lain!" really means, I think. It's a meme; an idea spreading from person to person in a culture. Or, contrary to what aBe might've expected, multiple cultures. It took over MAL about a year back, and it's become popular in both Japan and the States. "Let's all love Lain!" is the ultimate meme in SEL; it is the connection point, ultimately what connects everybody together in the end; their connection to the Wired, their love for Lain, their link to all other 8 billion people in the world.

"Protocol 7 is expected to allow the seamless transfer of information between the Wired and the real world." The message immediately after that?

[razistoricharka]

Agree about the fan thing, I have to admit that I am very annoyed that people do not intellectually engage with the game and just meme-ify it and draw ship art because that's seemingly the way western young adults engage with everything. I'd love to see more historical and ideological parallels and real-life concepts applied to the game. Its breakdown of fate and the restrictions of video games is still better than most "meta" games made today because it actually has something to say for itself and its world rather than relying on a shock value ending. Please do talk about the endings and their implications or characters if you'd like. Also, have you played or considered playing The Void i.e. Turgor? It's another IPL game, even more difficult than Pathologic and absolutely loaded with subtext and philosophy that never gets discussed because it flew under most people's radars.

I've not played Turgor, I ought to get on it once I have time.

And yes, while the explosive popularity it has achieved in recent years has lead to a few analytical skimmings I've never seen as much as a video essay get into interpreting the subtext and worldbuilding. What's much overlooked is that the characters and their fates are the way they are because of the way the world is - and vice versa. The Town is an anachronous construct, lost in history much like the wider eastern block at the time. It's failing to reconcile its past and future, both industrial, colonial, and entangled in a parochial social contract, both mystical and demystified, trapped in an indeterminate past. This is exemplified by the visuals of the world, the reactionary and revolutionary relations between the three groups of the bound.

In short, the social and political landscape of the town is the Russian Empire - an industrialized colonial hellscape of serfdom - but it is also the Soviet Union - a visionary state that sought to turn the former into a coherent, progressive reality, but remained bent and dwindled into, well, you know. The town is subdivided into triptychs, the triptych of chronology, the fractions of the bound and ideologically opposed doctors, and of the town itself. There's a healer for every side, trying to save this disjointed slice of the world, but in the end, it's completely out of our control.

This may come across as a very unorthodox interpretation, but the *true* ending, the revelation that the town was but a game and the efforts and ideological struggle between the healers meaningless is part of a wider political and philosophical critique everyone seems to overlook. It's a criticism of a parochial, inward and in-group focused society that is afraid of death, personal death and the death of narratives.

You see this a lot in the approach to religion and conservatism in this social sphere (a remote town in east europe, for one). The people have no faith in God, but zealously upholds religion to preserve social norms. The people avoid tragedy, any attempt at a deeper insight is mocked, "philosophizing" is frowned upon, the in-group must remain static and timeless in a chaotic world to avert the fear of revelations, of death. A narrative must be upheld.

The town is a closed circle, and the world outside is heard of only in whispers and chatter.

The ending is your first meeting with the real agents of the outside world, The Powers That Be. You find out this closed circle was a sham. It's not a shock-twist, it's mocking the player, the town, the townspeople for believing their bubble mattered, for deluding themselves into intrigue and self-importance trying to avoid the human condition and unpredictable nature of the world - for trying to adhere to a single narrative.

This could be phrased much, much, much better. I'm tired after work though.

[emilococo]

This is it, after many years of mixing toons with tunes. It has finally come to this. As I’ve stated in my last video, this will be my final Cramp Twins video.

I always thought that if I ever stopped making these videos, I would close out with a very special kind of project, one that hasn't been done before. I’ve always wanted to push the boundaries of what can be achieved in the field of AMVs. After all, there’s somewhat an art to making them. Considering I made AMVs with songs that never had an official video, why not make one with a b-side? (One of those songs musicians include in addition to a single).

This time around, Soap City is in its darkest hour. It’s up to Wayne, Lucien and Tony to protect the swampland. Despite their efforts, it continues to be consumed by toxicity. Things can never be the same. But when it seems all hope is lost, will they ever find finality to their story?

Now this is one of my more plot driven videos, in which I would put certain scenes and parts together to form a story of its own. With this, I wanted to take it in an epic direction. I figured that my final AMV should be my grandest. Keeping with the theme of the song, I would incorporate these filters to evoke the look and feel of a martial arts film, As to homage eastern philosophy and lore as inspiration. I also wanted to show how much of our modern media has taken aspects from older stories and legends to form new ones. Which isn’t any different from what AMVs are. I’ve always set out to make more ambitious videos, and this was no exception. In my years of making videos, I can say that this is one of my biggest accomplishments (in terms of cartoon videos that is) and I’m proud of how it turned out.

When I had the idea for this AMV, I knew it would be my swan song (so to speak). I wanted to finish off on a high note, to achieve what I set out to do. And I hope the same will happen for the show itself. Because when I say that The Cramp Twins needs to have a proper conclusion, I mean it! You may have noticed I’ve been campaigning for this revival to come to fruition, yet it seems my suggestion has fallen on deaf ears. In an age where these entertainment companies are relying on nostalgia and old properties, I don’t see why these troublesome, technicoloured twins should be the exception. I realise I may be in the minority who like this show, but I think there’s so much good about it that deserves more than its given credit for. Not liking Cramp Twins is fine, but condemning people who have the opposite opinion or worked on it is not. Even if you don’t like the TV series, surely you would sympathise with fans who want to see a conclusion; considering the makers pulled a ‘Hail Mary’. I’m not ashamed to say that I stand by it, I see the best that it could be.

Personally, this was a series that really spoke to me, yet no one else remembers it. We all had that kind of series as children. Whether it be this or 'Snailsbury Tales'. I don't know, I'm sure somebody watched that!

No matter what some self-entitled people say, I’ll never stop adoring Wayne and Lucien’s ecological escapades. As long as the fans stick together, we can make a difference. As long as we never give up on demanding for that ending the show deserves, then maybe we’ll have closure. And maybe, creator Brian Wood will return in some form. This show will always have a place in my heart, and that making these videos got me much exposure. I also mean it when I said I had a wonderful experience making them. I thank you for sticking by me and my work, but now I must move onto bigger pastures. For a wise man once said, he who moves a mountain, begins by lifting smaller stones. So to all my friends, supporters and watchers, I say thank you, merci, gracias, obrigado, arigatō, xièxiè, gamsahabnida, danke, grazie, sas efcharistó and spasibo.

Cramp Twins belongs to it's respected owners and creators.

[phantalgia]

"Just Do It!" And Reflections on Wu Wei

If only it were that simple to just do it. There's this difference amongst people that is just so vast and unique that you can't expect things to be that simple. Telling people to just do things would be great if it worked consistently. As we can see all around us this isnt the case.

We always get this idea that people can snap their fingers and problems disappear for people. Like a magician just comes about and makes you a functioning person. It's all just toxic positivity...

Hustle Culture and Self Care Mini-Rant

There is this very stressful ethic of working hard, reaching maximum effeciency, competitive edges, and so on amidst the culture. There's a video by 1Dime delving into hustle culture and new age self help of bastardized versions of eastern philosophy and religion.

Essentially these concepts such as self-help, and hustle culture are just a new form of social control and auto-exploitation. That we can both be exploiting and exploited.

"Now, under the neoliberal regime of auto-exploitation, people are turning their aggression against themselves. This auto-aggressivity means that the exploited are not inclined to revolution so much as depression" - Byung-Chul Han

This culture hustle/self care industrial complex claims to be non-idealogical. But it's easy to detatch ideology and depoliticize many things under neoliberalism and Inverted Totalitarism. But it's 100% idealogical as many things are. The biggest hallmark of being idealogical is something that claims to be non-idealogical.

It serves a purpose to turn political apathy into economic engagment. Decentralized social control to maintain status quo and managed democracy. It's not hard to see how this emphasis on self help and hustling requires the decoupling of full human emotions and nuances and feelings in favor of a narcissistic and dissasoiative one.

A system in which you can effeciently control your emotions well enough to have the highest work ethic, and least emotional burdens. Supression of trauma, feeling, and other things that make up being human. It's practically eugeneics...and is unrealistic, bad for the species. We need variety of people, not copy and paste.

These movements do nothing but further alienation, take the responsibility of community into imaginary ideas of "self love" and individual responsibility. If you can't meet those expectations then it's no wonder we have such high amounts of anxiety, depression, burnout. Or even narcissim, outsourcing of human connection to for-sale self help books and courses.

I cant believe people are this oblivious to such obvious propaganda made to further alienate us. Especially more sensitively attuned individuals or the neurodivergent. Or the indeginous who have different values and cultures.

Alternative To Self-Care and Hustle Culture

Something to keep in mind about change to yourself is that it takes constant back and forth dialouge between your environment and yourself. It's iterative. You’re constantly doing small things. Refining your approach and reflecting. This has been my experience and I have gotten greater insights into what bothers me.

My problems are not the same as someone else. Mine manifest differently because of my own biology, environment, context, etc. These conditions are different from someone else. So any work I do need to do needs to be tailored into the direction for what works with me and how far I can push it until it hurts and I need to rethink it through and strategize.

Once these are setup, the proper baby steps and positive environmental stimuli are set change can happen. It's not overnight and there's still things that get in the way that aren't understood well. This is a constant dialouge by myself and between other groups with similar experience or therapists.

Daoist Influence

Part of my philosophy of individual (maybe even collective) change comes from Daosim. Wu Wei, translated along the lines of action through non-action. In the West it's been interpreted as the "flow state" athletes get. Of course, I have my own bastardized Western interpretation of it.

Wu Wei makes me think of acceptance of the reality you face. What youre capable of. And to neither force nor be idle of change. When you recognize something is wrong in your life you don’t force anything. But you must respond. Little pushes as you float down stream build up over time.

I think wu wei is a much more realistic approach to problems and challenges people face. It's more human and acknowledges differences among people that are different. It's the antithesis of the eugeneics-like system of capitalism. Often times jumping into things can cause more trauma but can also make you realize it wasn't that bad.

Perhaps you need the right mindset for wu wei to work. You need to be aware that you’re taking action but not forcing anything. That you must be reflective and thinking about the thing in question, how you feel about the thing, and when you can do more and repeat. Be in tune with your body and the task or hobby while directly or indirectly interacting with it. Turn productive procrastination into something productivity. However, I want to be careful of using such charged language like "productivity".

Instead maybe we need to think of hobbies, interests, books we want to read, goals as something else. Something that doesn't align with the capitalist hegemony over culture and language. What are they? Experiences? Elements of you? Something else? Perhaps we need to rethink how we talk, name, and word about those things to make them less overwhelming. Need a new name for these things. Forget goals and hobbies. Experiences, intentions?

We need to try and set our environments up in such a way that reinforces a positive atmosphere. If you can, get some plants, create an environment around you that makes you get good stimuli. Surround yourself with friends and family for support if you can or other communities. Again, use wu wei if you have a hard time. Let the process happen. These little things, material things will compound. Get you to seek new things to try. Little by little.

Perhaps we could refine the practice of wu wei to further encapsulate a full way (Dao) of being contrary to that capitalist hegemony over culture I spoke of. I’m sick and tired of motivational speakers and self help gurus telling me how to live. They WONT help you. Capitalism and government won’t.

We need a new culture of imperfect perfection. But, again, that language still implies a certain expectation in society that exists to be aware of. If we had never invented the concept and word "perfection" perhaps 99-100% of us would be MUCH BETTER OFF. We need to move away from this dystopian newspeak or double speak.

We need something that matches the process, the flow, and acceptance of things as is and to "enjoy the ride". This isnt just with language. But in our thinking too.

I am not sure how to adjust thinking with wu wei. There are parts of me that struggle. I’m unsure how much of it is physical or mental or both. But I cant be expected to be anyone else but me. Any expectations otherwise is idealistic. Here comes my favorite word! Reconciliation. And iteration!

Using Wu Wei to Get Wu Wei (Compounding Wu Wei)

I thought of the achievment of being in that wu wei state as a challenge in of itself. But I haven't seen wu wei be applied to getting into a wu wei state of mind. As in, acceptance of your mind as is to achieve a new state of mind.

I think this starts with an acknowledgement of what your mind does. If you can play with the things your mind does. Leave a note. Write your thoughts in a journal.

Expose yourself to more wu wei concepts. Let it play around in your mind, mingle with your existing chaotic mind. Don’t try to replace thoughts, introduce new thoughts that can play nice with your current ones. So if you’re an obsessive perfectionist, let those thoughts exist. But introduce counteracting thoughts that slowly introduce you to wu wei. "I’m worried about this thing, but I accept I feel that way and myself" "I feel worried and anxious. I gotta do this. But that's ok to feel like this. It's part of the process". Let your thoughts exist. But conclude that you feel that way at least!

Get Creative and Even Indirect With Your Personal Change!

Ideally, we'd need a world in which we have solid community foundations and sense of solidarity and care to enhance human growth and potential. But I think Daoist philosophy and wu wei, especially taken to its extreme can be great and better ways to achieve alternatives to the self help industrial complex. And for what comes after revolution.

Also be sure to keep yourself open to getting a support group or community of shared struggles and interests. This can be very helpful!

But be creative with your own growth, don’t be attatched to the outcome or the "proper" and "effecient" way to get where you "need to be". You are who you are now. It probably won’t be possible to change everything at once. So instead find new creative ways to change through "non-action". These can be direct or indirect. They can be subtle or substantial.

Perhaps explore and research creative ways to change thinking patterns. This will get creative juices flowing. Write down in a journal or diary. Have a public diary where you go through scenerios of action and non-action. Or how you feel about something and challenge it.

Perhaps spend time to practice intentional imperfection and feel that experience. Listen to music to let your thoughts dance around and introduce new challenging perspectives or feelings of the song, have them dance together.

Contridict yourself on purpose! Let yourself be contridictory and practice that back and forth a few times. Accepting both possibilities. Do some non-thinking or imperfect scribbling/doodling. Use "what if" when stressful thoughts come up. Keep a log of imperfect actions and how you acted.

Ask non-action questions like leaving something be. Journal in paradoxes or open-ended questions, like "How do I physically read this book without reading it?" And be reflective of any acceptance or change or growth in tbis area.

Celebrate imperfections, and non-actions. Write them down, how they made you feel and how you can reconcile with change. Environmental settings that remind you of wu wei. Sounds or sights. Reduce effort on things. Choose something to let go of like a typo. Paradoxical affirmations like "I grow by letting myself be still".

The point is, to embrace your own functioning mentally and the potential freedom of action through non-action.

Concluding Thoughts

Journaling for me helps a lot. And this entry made me explore things I didnt think of before like really taking wu wei to an extreme, mentally. And finding creative, direct, indirect ways of slowly accustoming myself to this shift. Perhaps I will take these ideas seriously and turn them into actual diary entries! "Today I read a little bit and picked up my guitar and plucked one string and here is how I feel" or "Today I looked at my guitar and felt nervous here is how I feel, it feels hard to explain but that's ok I can accept that too" and ending with those paradoxical affirmations "I didnt pick up my guitar today but I played with the idea of it and here is how it makes me feel".

These shifts and slowly pushing myself towards more and more action as long as I can tolerate it is great. Cultivate the environment for these changes. The MINDSET is also important to have. All you need is acceptance and a possibility of change. Maybe more I don’t know.

I’m sick of these tough love and hard ass "self care" and hustle culture advice. You don’t need it. Nobody does! Be free with yourself! Adjust yourself as you go! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Have agency! Autonomy!

[alexiaexnihilo]

Calico👹🔗😸🔪 Yeah uh, this took WAY too long to design, in fact it took a week or so only to plan out that short backstory I wrote for him and decide on certain design details.

One important fact about him: remember my last character from the last post? Wasit? I said Wasit found a video going around of an ass@ ssination of a middle eastern group of politicians…? Well yeah, this is who did it unfortunately!

Calico’s philosophy is very hard to define at least for now when i only have core ideas about his character but he is more of a loner and his principles are based on his safety and keeping the system going only if its a benefit for him.

Despite it all, he does have a few morals but he’s not quite reedemable either. He was raised in an abusive environment from a young age in a mormon family then later on completely gave up on his initial beliefs in God. After doing his 2 years of misionary work he joined the us marines or navy (haven’t decited yet) then did in his later life served in the special forces, and eventually opened his iwn pmc by the time of his activity in iraq.

[littlequeenies]

Why do we Love...

Pattie Boyd

Pattie Boyd came into our life during our teen years, my sis and me always loved The Beatles and we knew first about Yoko and Linda, and some time later about Cynthia. We found Cyn very beautiful and lovely and we start collecting photos of her from a Southamerican website. At this website there were photos of all the Beatlegirls and then I came across Pattie, I found her very beautiful, young and fresh looking girl, but as my favourite Beatle was John, I had to stick with Cynthia, until I saw The Beatles Something video...

[Pattie Boyd in Something video, 1969]

I remember it well, I was with my sis for a New Year's Day lunch in a friends home and this video came across TV as The Beatles 1 was just launched, and I fell in love with that beautiful young blonde woman on TV. That day I decided I would search for her over the internet and see what I could find.

[Pattie Boyd pictured by Barry Lategan, 1964]

At home we start searching for Pattie and we found, besides this Southamerican great site, lots of other sites like "It's Only Love", "Pretty Blue Eyes" and "Dollyrocker". Thanks to these sites we saw that Pattie was a successful model in the 60s, she had a great style and she looked beautiful and funny. In these sites there was always a "very special thanks" feature and there was always a girl called Lynn mentioned there and my sis ans me were just curious, and in one of these sites there were the Yahoo Groups linked so we thought that it could be great to join them, but we weren't sure because we need to had a yahoo mail and we didn't have one back then...

[Pattie Boyd pictured for UK Vogue magazine, 1st October 1970]

When finally my sis and me had our yahoo mails, we joined the yahoo groups for the beatlegirls, there were lots of them, but in the end we just stayed at the ones that provided best information, best pictures and there was no spam. In those groups we met lots of interesting people who collect photos, we shared them and it was great fun.

[Pattie Boyd pictured in Trafalgar Square the 27th July 1969 for a March for Peace]

As we were in these groups, we started collecting more and more pics that we kept in floppy discs (do you remember them?) and our dream was to build a great website for them, so we started using the picso platform and we were quite satisfyed, then we moved our collection to webs, and finally to facebook. We bought lots of magazines (overall Vogue from 1969 as it was my favourite Pattie era) and we wanted to share them without tags and with great quality scans as everybody deserved to see the greatest quality pic of their idols.

[Pattie Boyd at the peak of her modelling carrer having 4 Vogue covers in 1969!]

Yahoo groups were shut down and I had a facebook page for Pattie, Jenny and Paula that had lots of likes, comments, shares... it was a real success, so big that I had to close it down because I couldn't manage, it was sad for me because Pattie was my favourite beatlegirl and I wanted to have a proper site for her, but then they came facebook groups with great collections so I just joined them having in mind to share my great collection of scans and screencaps, a thing I still have to do...

[Pattie Boyd for UK Vogue, 15th April 1969]

As we were saving, sharing and making our site for Pattie and her sisters, we discovered she was more than just a muse, she was behind Something, but also from some other Beatles song; she was a model and did some acting, she didn't gave up her modelling carrer as her husband wanted her to do; she discovered Eastern philosophy by 1967 and she encouraged George Harrison and the rest of the Beatles to follow... George Harrison is aknowledged to have brought Eastern music to pop music, this has been a cultural revolution in the 60s and it's great four young musicians wer part of it, but it happened thanks to Pattie, and I would like that everybody aknowledges her for that, as this was a great change in the 20th century and she was in the middle of it, and sometimes she is refered just as "THE muse" of two great rock icons, but she was more than that.

[Pattie Boyd in Bangor, Wales, August 1967]

Today, on Pattie's 79th birthday we want to remember her for what we like and admire her.

Here we share:

OUR BIOGRAPHY FOR HER WITH LINKS TO GREAT SITES

HER POSTS IN OUR BLOG

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET DOLLYROCKER!!

[sweetescapeartist]

What motivated me to make my post that explains Krillin's power up in DBS EP 76 was how nobody with a big name in the fandom took the effort to dive deep into it. But the key motivation was an interaction I had with Kendamu on Twitter back in 2020.

The response is deleted now, but the answer was something along the lines that they believed it was simply a reference to the Namekian Grand Elder unlocking Krillin's power and thats it. They said it was nothing significant about it. As most peopl have said & still say.

With Kendamu having knowledge of Eastern philosophies & martial arts, I thought they would give a more deeper answer. But, it just goes to show that not a lot of research is done for human characters even by the most knowledgeable people. Most in the fandom would rather focus soley on the Saiyans & often end up dismissing the human characters and don't do any research on them.

And that's not to make Kendamu look bad in any way. They just didn't have any interest information about Krillin. Which is why I spent half a year studying Buddhism and did other research before I made my post about Krillin's Non-Self State power. And I have continued to do more research to this day, occasionally updating the post where needed.

I still haven't seen 1 YouTube video that explains Krillin's power-up in detail.

I was hoping maybe MasakoX would do a color theory video about, but he doesn't do those kinds of videos anymore. Those were my favorite kinds of videos he made. He mainly does what-ifs and Raditz stuff now.

The other who I hoped would do an in-depth video about it was Geekdom101. Maybe in a Transformation Guide (since Non-Self State is a spiritual transformation) or a Technique Guide (since Non-Self State requires a specific kind of mindset similar to Ultra Instinct). But, I doubt he will make a video about Krillin's power soon or ever. Those guides are mainly filled with physical transformations from Saiyans and other aliens or mainly techniques from Saiyans.

So... the most in-depth content about Krillin's power-up so far is from me lol. 😅 Too bad my reach & influence isn't very far. 😓

[ryttu3k]

Youtuber AUs? Is that a thing?

Beckett: Has a channel all about history, mythology, anthropology, and the interactions within. Generally pretty well-researched and presented, aside from his habit of getting into arguments (or flirting) with commenters... and sometimes Smash Or Pass videos for historical figures with a particularly high percentage of ‘smash’.

Sascha: Exclusively posts ASMR ‘POV: I perform amateur surgery on you while chatting amicably about history’-type videos. Sometimes it’s presented as a ‘doing your makeup’ video until they whip out the scalpels and the ice picks and the like. Trolls Beckett’s videos a lot but never replies to comments on their own videos.

Ilias: Has a wide variety of topics! Some particular favourites include Paganism (especially Eastern European Paganism), sex and body positivity, nature, art history (a recent interest), and, occasionally, dance tutorials. Generally Soft(tm) vibes and happily chats away with people in the comments. Wears those cat ear headphones, and his icon is fanart a subscriber made of him as a catboy :3

Anatole: Talks about religion and apocalypse-adjacent stuff, including some material that sounds, uh, vaguely doomsday cult-leaning. Which is. Concerning. Also, history-related stuff, including a lot of collabs with Beckett and Lucita, and mental health-related content, both informative and positivity.

Lucita: Another history-based channel who collaborates with Anatole and Beckett, she also has a side channel about physical and combat training and collaborates with her girlfriend Fatima on those, including exhibition combat matches. Has a small following of people who would like her to snap them in half like a twig. She ignores them.

Fatima: Largely a physical and combat training channel, both solo and with Lucita. She also vlogs regularly about the importance of integrity and being true to your own beliefs, including being queer and Muslim, breaking ties with abusive family members, and the like.

Nines: Lots of leftist political stuff, generally leaning into direct action, and quite a few videos have been taken down after complaints from conservatives. Particular focus on wealth inequality and poverty. Very intense demeanor, although he’s usually pretty friendly (albeit direct!) with people who seem well-intended and who want to learn more. Gets into a lot of arguments with LaCroix, both in the comments and in call-out videos.

LaCroix: One of those extremely polished-looking ‘rich trust fund kid’-vibe channels, with content on business and wealth, the history and philosophy of power and politics, and occasional luxury product reviews. Fascinated by military history, especially the Napoleanic era, and is very... very French (even though he speaks English with a British accent, claiming that since he learned English in the UK, it just stuck). Gets into a lot of arguments with Nines, both in the comments and in call-out videos. Enjoys a good unboxing video.

Roger: Very active video maker who posts about history and culture (with a special interest in both English and Zoroastrian mythology), philosophical videos about death and the afterlife, medicine and medical history, ancient religions and archeology (with an ongoing series on the London Mithraeum and the Mithraic Mysteries), and, for some reason, dealing with troublesome family members. Very calm voice. Despite the fact that he has never once worn a sweater vest, he somehow gives off immense sweater vest vibes.

Mithras: Roleplaying as an ancient Zoroastrian god living in the modern age. Refers to his fanbase as his cultists. Has never once broken character.