#Empiria

[marcogiovenale]

oggi, 28 novembre, presso la libreria empiria (roma): presentazione di "tempo, soltanto tempo", di fabio ciriachi

_

[drobna-empiria]

Dzień dobry Maktub,

minęło dość sporo czasu od naszej rozmowy, nie uważasz? Chciałabym Ci opowiedzieć kilka anegdot z mojego życia. Moi rodzice ciągle rozpowiadali, że moje mieszkanie będzie w ciągłym nieładzie. Powtarzali, że potrafię przypalić nawet wodę na kawę a co dopiero coś ugotować, pamiętasz? Otóż wiele zmieniło się od tamtego momentu. Potrafię przygotować wiele dań, nawet ostatnio zrobiłam leniwe kluski! A przecież dobrze wiesz, że nie lubię zbyt długiego siedzenia w kuchni. Dom jest w nienagannym stanie, nie jest perfekcyjnie, ale „skarpetki zawsze trafiają do kosza na pranie”. Zazwyczaj myje okna Twój kawaler, ale nadmienię, że też to robiłam (albo starałam się to robić?). Tęsknie jednak za Twoją zupą jarzynową. Do tej pory jej nie przygotowałam, bo w głębi serca wiem, że Twojej nikt nie jest w stanie zastąpić. Tak, wyprzedzę Twoje pytanie, nie jadłam jej od 4 lat. Ostatnio nieświadomie pomyliłam garnki i wsypałam łyżkę stołową soli do zupy grzybowej! Jednak kawalerowi to nie przeszkadzało, bo wiedział, że za mną był ciężki dzień. Wciąż się uczę Maktub, jak żyć po Twoim odejściu. Czasami wiatr otula moją twarz a ja myślę o Tobie. Mijają dni, kiedy nie myślę o tym co się stało, nie pamiętam tych chwil otulonych rozpaczą. Lata mijają i zastanawiam się czy polubiłabyś nową wersję mnie, tę bardziej dojrzalszą. Podchodzę do życia trochę inaczej niż poprzednio. Nie staram się przystosowywać. Potrafię się postawić, walczyć do ostatniego tchu i nie bać się ponoszenia konsekwencji. Nie paraliżuje mnie już życie Maktub, bo odchodząc nauczyłaś mnie tego czego nie były w stanie nauczyć mnie żadne książki. Dałaś mi „lekcję życia”, ponieważ kiedy odchodziłaś, przestałam chcieć umierać.

Pamiętasz co powiedziałam Ci w przeddzień kiedy odchodziłaś? Moje płuca są dość wystarczające, aby mogły oddychać za nas obie. I tak też się stało.

Kocham Cię,

a moje serce nieustannie woła Twoje imię.

Do zobaczenia Maktub,

Twoja SJ♥️🥀

[sushmagroupprojects]

Sushma Empiria Commercial Project in Zirakpur, Mohali

Sushma Empiria one of the best commercial projects I Zirakpur, Mohali. Word-class amenities, the project offering Business Spaces, Soho Suits, Showrooms, office spaces and food court space in the prime location of Zirakpur, Mohali near Chandigarh with assured returns call now! 9779393200 for Eushma Empiria Zirakpur floor plan and price plans.

[francesca-70]

Ed è qui il paradiso

dove è dato abitare

ed è caro e tremendo.

Qui si confonde il sintomo

del presente e dell'essere col sogno,

qui nutre e affama amore.

Elio Pecora,

poeta e saggista italiano,

Interludio, Empiria Editore

[beardedmrbean]

Argentina Scrapped Its Rent Controls. Now the Market Is Thriving.

BUENOS AIRES—For years, Argentina imposed one of the world’s strictest rent-control laws. It was meant to keep homes such as the stately belle epoque apartments of Buenos Aires affordable, but instead, officials here say, rents soared.

Now, the country’s new president, Javier Milei, has scrapped the rental law, along with most government price controls, in a fiscal experiment that he is conducting to revive South America’s second-biggest economy.

The result: The Argentine capital is undergoing a rental-market boom. Landlords are rushing to put their properties back on the market, with Buenos Aires rental supplies increasing by over 170%. While rents are still up in nominal terms, many renters are getting better deals than ever, with a 40% decline in the real price of rental properties when adjusted for inflation since last October, said Federico González Rouco, an economist at Buenos Aires-based Empiria Consultores.

Milei’s move to undo rent-control regulations has resulted in one of the clearest-cut victories for what he calls “economic shock therapy.” He is methodically taking apart a system of price controls, closing government agencies and lifting trade restrictions built up over eight decades of socialist and military rule in an effort that has upended the lives of many Argentines.

In Buenos Aires—a city dubbed the Paris of the South for its broad avenues and cafe culture—many apartments long sat empty, with landlords preferring to keep them vacant, or lease them as vacation rentals, rather than comply with the government’s rent law.

In 2022, there were some 200,000 empty properties in Buenos Aires, up 45% from 2018, according to a report by Cedesu, a Buenos Aires-based policy group that focuses on urban development. Finding an affordable apartment under the rent-control law was difficult.

Aldana Oliver spent about 18 months looking for a place to rent when she left home for the city of La Plata to study dentistry.

“There were few places to rent and those available were very expensive,” said Oliver. After rent control was scrapped, she quickly found a studio apartment for about $200 a month. “I found something really nice. And I got a good price,” she said.

Many new contracts—now permitted in dollars as well as pesos—stipulate rent increases every three months, real-estate agents and tenants say. That has made housing costs unaffordable for some people already struggling to pay higher food and utility prices, said Gervasio Muñoz, who represents an association of tenants in Buenos Aires.

Romina Misenta, a 40-year-old teacher, said rent on her small apartment increased almost threefold when her previous contract ended.

“My situation has worsened a lot,” she said. “I would be paying a lot less in rent if the previous law was still in effect.”

Still, rental prices appear to be stabilizing. Monthly price increases are now at their lowest rate since 2021 as more apartments become available, according to Zonaprop, Argentina’s largest real-estate website.

The Milei administration has also scrapped price controls on staples such as milk and sugar. The president lifted controls on cooking gas, removed export controls on beef and cut government requirements to import steel, hoping to ease construction costs.

And he ditched the restrictions he said made renting an apartment an odyssey that hurt those it was trying to help.

Critics of Milei say he is deepening the economic pain of the working class. And while he remains popular, some polls show his support eroding. In August, he had a 45% approval rating, down from nearly 60% earlier this year, according to pollster Giacobbe Consultores.

“By freeing up prices, it’s very difficult for all these people, including us, to get to the end of the month,” said Amalia Roggero, whose soup kitchen in La Plata has experienced a surge in people seeking food.

Milei, a libertarian economist, long warned Argentines that his free-market changes would initially make conditions worse before they got better as he slashed public spending to tame inflation. He said it was necessary to unravel tight economic controls he inherited from the previous, left-wing Peronist government, which implemented price controls on some 50,000 products from food to clothing as part of its Fair Prices program.

Milei says his measures are delivering results. He is projecting annual inflation of 18% next year, down from the current 237%, one of the world’s highest rates, as he works to tame the never-ending fiscal deficits at the root of Argentina’s decadeslong economic turmoil.

But the government still faces substantial challenges. Bringing inflation down even further after being stuck at roughly 4% a month in recent months will be difficult, with little room for more spending cuts amid demands to restart public works and increase pensions and wages, economists say.

“They inherited a disastrous economic situation, and getting out of this mess will take time,” said Alberto Cavallo, a professor at Harvard Business School who has studied Argentina’s price controls.

At least for now, the housing market is thriving. Opponents of price controls say Argentina is a cautionary lesson for officials from the U.S. to Europe who have looked to curb surging housing costs with rent controls.

President Biden recently called for some rent increases to be capped at 5% annually. And Vice President Kamala Harris said that if elected president she “will take on corporate landlords and cap unfair rent increases.”

González Rouco, the economist, warned against such plans. “With good intentions or a law,” he said, “you can’t modify how markets work. They have their own dynamic.”

In Argentina, the national rental law approved in 2020 during the left-wing government of President Alberto Fernández required a minimum three-year contract. The rents had to be paid in pesos, the country’s volatile currency, which lost about 90% of its value against the dollar on the black market during Fernández’s 2019-to-2023 term. Rental prices could be increased annually but at a rate set by the central bank, which took into account inflation and worker salaries.

With Argentina’s history of high and volatile inflation, property owners took steps to protect themselves from inflation that would quickly eat into the rents if they were forced to wait 12 months before raising prices.

They instead jacked up the starting price for new leases, making it far too expensive for many people to sign a new contract. That resulted in the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Buenos Aires costing 27 times the price of 2019, according to Zonaprop.

Some landlords tried to sell. Others listed them on short-term rental sites such as Airbnb, where tourists paid in dollars. Landlords also focused on renting to people within their social circle, resulting in a big black market with informal rental deals that skirted government rules, economists say. Many apartment owners simply mothballed their properties.

“You’d never see rental signs in windows,” said Mariano García Malbrán, the president of the chamber of real-estate companies, describing how rent controls led to shortages. “And properties that were listed with real-estate companies would be gone in a day or two.”

[hmshermitcraft]

The tunnels.

They stretch on and on for miles under the earth, corridors upon corridors of frozen memories, lost in time.

Tango knows them like his own ten fingers. He has been stuck there for years. Ever since that research expedition gone wrong.

Pearl,Zedaph,Doc,Etho,Ren. All gone. He was the only one that survived.

He knows how to find food, how to avoid the dangers. He looks at the photograph he keeps in his pocket. A tear drop falls from his eye as he looks at himself in the picture. So happy,exited to do something in the name of good science. He misses the warm laughter of his friends. He misses the sun.

A noise snaps him out of it. His ears perk up, realising that the noise came from nearby. Then he looks down at his feet. There’s a footprint. It’s not a ravager’s or his own. It’s a bird’s. His breath gets caught in his throat.

“Hello?” A voice calls

Tango looks around, and finds that in one of the spaces under him there’s an avian. He’s blond, and his wings are a warm yellow, contrasting the cold blue ice.

“Hello!” Tango calls back, flinching at how rusty he sounds. He hadn’t spoken to anyone in so long. “Give me a moment!”

He jumps down, making the avian yelp. “It’s okay! I won’t hurt you” he said.

“You live here?” The avian asked

“Kinda” Tango chuckled sadly “I was from a research expedition. And it kind of went south”

“Oh.” The avian nodded “I just fell into the entrance by accident while looking for a lost cow and then it closed and now I’m stuck”

“I’m Tango, by the way”

“I’m Jimmy”

“Nice to meet you. Now let’s try to get us out of this hell”

—-

And so, they became friends. Tango taught Jimmy how to survive, everything he learned himself. Jimmy was thankfully a fast learner, and revealed that he was from a place called “Empiria”, and that he was the local so called sheriff, and that he had a sister, Lizzie.

Tango liked having company. After so many years, it felt so good.

He told Jimmy his story. He cried.Jimmy didn’t judge him. He just held Tango closer.

Then there was the feather. Jimmy said it was a tradition, but didn’t explain further. He just plucked out one of his feathers and tied it to a rope and gave it to Tango. Tango accepted the gift.

——

And they found an exit. It was a nether portal.

“I think you can find your way from here” Tango said “you go through the portal and fly as fast as you can”

“Aren’t you coming?” Jimmy’s voice trembled slightly

Tango paused. He looked into Jimmy’s chocolate brown eyes

“I don’t think the tunnels will let me go. I mean, look at me, I’m not myself anymore.” He pointed at his hair, blue with frost, and his now pale bluish purple eyes.

“I don’t care. I want you to be free as well.” There were now tears in Jimmy’s eyes.

Tango put a hand on Jimmy’s cheek, pulled him close.

It was a sad, sweet kiss.

“Go.” Tango whispered, now crying as well “Please.”

Jimmy hugged him one last time.

Then he went trough.

Tango just watched for a few seconds. Then, shrugging off his coat, jumped in as well.

The spirits watched them in silence, disappearing with relief, finally capable of moving on.

In that split second of emptiness in the space Jimmy once filled, Tango realised: 'what does he have to lose?' His friends are gone. He's hardly living down in the tunnels.

With Jimmy, he felt emotions he thought he'd never feel again. He was actually living, not just focused on his survival. Sure, it had been harder fending for the two of them instead of him alone, but it was worth the effort.

Why shouldn't be take this risk? He never used to be afraid of them before. (That's how he got into this mess after all.)

He doesn't feel the comforting blanket of spirits over his shoulders, protecting him from the tunnels as he leaves. He doesn't need to. He'll always carry them with him.

He should've known Jimmy wouldn't take his advice too. He's still standing before the portal, staring at it like he's mourning. He startles when Tango steps out. Then gasps. Then flings his arms around him in a hug.

Tango jokes they won't be able to travel as fast on Tango's stumpy legs. Jimmy hits him in the arm and pulls him even closer.

[caprin-fishie]

New designs for the knights of Empiria ✨

Knight of ♠️ Julian and Candelabra

Knight of ♣️ King Shastican

Knight of ♥️ Empress Orchandria

Knight of ♦️ king of thieves, fools and gold

[jvrpvz]

Emmanuel Lévinas, Secularización y hambre (trad. j. p) [...] el sentido práctico de los hombres que, en un mundo en reposo, piensan positivamente, a partir del ser, y reconducen toda significación a la posición –es decir, a la positividad del mundo donde se encuentra lo dado para ser tomado, el pan de cada día, los bienes para ser acumulados, para ser depositados como reserva o para ser exhibidos como mercancías–, ¿es la sabiduría universal de las naciones reducida a los efectos de la coyuntura empírica del organismo necesitado del hombre, a la contingente aparición de una animalidad razonable? ¿No es la empiria animal delhumanotambién el estallido del “gesto” del ser que conduce a todos los seres? ¿Un estallido donde se abre una brecha o una fisura –una salida o su apariencia, ¡qué importa!– sino una dirección hacia el más allá de otro Dios? ¿Se han medido las profundidades del hambre? Profundidades donde, ciertamente, a primera vista, lo Mismo no busca sino confirmar su identidad, donde el ser-mundo pone fin a los juegos sin reglas ni apuestas, a la libertad liberada de sus consecuencias –donde el Yo humano se tensa sobre sí mismo y, sordo al lenguaje (“el vientre hambriento no tiene oídos”), se cierra a toda serenidad, es decir, a toda ideología tranquilizadora, a todo equilibrio que sería más el de la totalidad–. El hambre es, en sí misma, la necesidad o la privación[9] constitutiva –si se puede decir así– de la materialidad y la gran franqueza de la materia. Pero una privación cuya agudeza consiste en desesperar esta misma privación y en no poder consolarse con un mundo “espiritualmente ordenado” en el que los historiadores –de pasados reales o utópicos– encuentran a los miserables saciados con el olor de la carne asada, pagados con el sonido de las monedas y consolados por la conciencia que tenían de la armonía del conjunto del cuerpo social y de la perfecta definición de su estatus. El hambre, que música alguna puede aplacar, seculariza a toda esta eternidad romántica. Privación cuya agudeza consiste en la desesperación de esta misma privación, como dijimos: la desesperación no puede ser descrita como un estado. Es un recomienzo incesante del hambre que se debate contra la misma superficie pétrea, cabeza que se golpea contra la pared, pero así, como apelando a algún reverso de la Nada. Una llamada sin oración. Ni visión, ni siquiera objetivo, ni tematización, ni interpelación. Ciertamente. Pero como una versión pre-intencional, como una deportación fuera del cosmos; plegaria, petición o ruego anterior a la oración. Sin ninguna posición o afirmación –pregunta; pregunta sin datos; pregunta que no es siquiera posición de esta pregunta, pregunta más allá, pero no hacia algún tras-mundo; pregunta en la oscilación de los términos de una alternativa– ambigüedad de la muerte o de Dios. Es una cuestión irreductible a una simple modalidad problemática hacia la que se derivaría alguna doxa asertórica o apodíctica. Para-dojal, se debate en la profundidad de su interés. La trascendencia es, pues, un afuera no espacial, estallido, en el seno de lo Mismo, de la pregunta al otro y sobre el otro, según un cuestionamiento anterior a toda ontología. 

[ihardblack]

En el fondo del mar, cayó con fuerza la libertad.

La fauna abisal que se encontraba festejando junto con las algas, dejaron de bailar.

Las medusas se dispersaron ocultándose tras los corales y arrecifes con rapidez.

Los microorganismos gritaban con sus ojos haciendo que estos se desprendieran y rodearan sobre la arena.

Sin embargo, los seres vivos más grandes, la miraban con repudio.

Un largo y tenso silencio bombardeó el lugar.

Atada de pies y manos con una cinta en su boca, gemía de llanto, miedo y desesperación.

Intentaba zafarse.

Intentaba pedir auxilio.

Sus lágrimas comenzaron a brotar y escurrir por su rostro.

Cuidadosamente, las especies salieron con temor de sus escondites para verla.

No entendían lo que trataba de decir pero entre ellos murmuraban que había mucho dolor.

De pronto, un cardumen de diablos negros decidió acercarse siendo los más valientes de la fauna y le pidieron a Neptuno que la ayudara.

Rápidamente, la figura mitológica concedió sus plegarias y este les pidió que no saliera lastimada.

Luego de eso, la fauna se puso de acuerdo y entre todos comenzaron a desplazarse de un lado a otro.

Nadaron con fuerza creándose poco a poco un gran torbellino con una fuerza sobrenatural jamás antes vista.

“Esta es mi oportunidad de salir a flote”, murmuró la libertad.

En medio del huracán, se creó un enorme tsunami.

Todos juntos la empujaron y la arrastraron hacia arriba abandonando la zona abisal, pasando por la zona batial, la zona mesopelágica hasta finalmente llegar al piélago.

La libertad después de encontrarse aterrada por su traumática empiria se percató de que estos seres no querían hacerle daño sino que querían que fuese libre y feliz y que a pesar de sus horrorosas y espeluznantes apariencias, no eran tan malos como la gente decía.

Ella se despidió y les agradeció a todos ellos.

Emocionada y dichosa, el sol nuevamente le dio la oportunidad de abrazarla deslizando sus perlas y jugando con sus hermosos ojos verdes.

Los delfines y las gaviotas la acompañaron hasta las orillas de la playa.

Encantada y maravillada por el hermoso paisaje, la libertad desembarcó en las costas de Sicilia del mar mediterráneo.

Esta sacudió su cuerpo.

Estrujó su enorme cabellera y sentó sobre una roca.

Quienes la llamaban la libertad, era una hermosa sirena.

Autor: Valentina Neira Yáñez. ✅ Publicado bajo el Registro de Propiedad Intelectual. Todos los derechos reservados.

[bioerin]

was tagged by @thegreatwhynot thank youuu love to see Florence stans

Rules: Shuffle your ‘Repeat’ playlist and post the first 10 songs that come up.

tagging @empiria-caterima @frost0wl @cookiesandcontemplation @faslaidir @drearywhispers @bumblebee-bea and everyone else who wants to

[aurabird]

A Search For Belonging

Chapter 10: Shenanigans

In which Xornoth finds himself roped into more pranks and activities

Ao3 Link | Masterpost

---------------  

The next few days were mostly uneventful for Xornoth aside from the occasional antics going on in Boatem that he bore witness to.

There was now a dirt structure Scar had built spiraling into the sky and ending right above the Boatem Hole and a strange-but-nevertheless-mind-blowing flying machine in the sky between Mumbo’s base and Midnight Alley. Both new additions being the result of messing with Grian while the avian was in a meditative state.

On top of that, Xornoth had watched Grian remove several black banners placed by the Big Eye’s crew advertising their iron shop, an establishment apparently sponsored by Mumbo himself.

There really was never a dull moment in Boatem.

Today, however, would hopefully be more eventful for Xornoth personally as he made his way over to the Swaggon by Scar’s request. Apparently, his fellow Hermit had something for him, a hat to be specific.

“So I didn’t exactly know what you’d like but given what you have told us and the plans for your base I managed to make something that I really hope you enjoy.” Scar explained as they entered the hat shop.

“If it’s anything like the hats I’ve seen on the others I’m sure it’s amazing, Scar.”

It was true, the hats that every other member of Boatem now wore had been beautifully made and Xornoth was excited to see what Scar had made for him.

“Well, if there’s anything about it that you don’t like I’m perfectly fine with changing it. Are you ready to see?”

“I am.”

At the confirmation Scar grabbed something off a hook behind him and turned around with a dramatic flourish, presenting the hat in question.

Xornoth had expected it to be a crown of some sort as a throwback to the fact Empiria was a land of monarchs. Instead, it was modeled after a sheep wearing a silver circlet on its head, a dopey look in its beady eyes that made it absolutely adorable.

A smile crossed his face at the sight, “Scar…I love it.” 

“Oh thank goodness!” Scar sighed in relief as Xornoth took the hat from him to get a closer look, “I was so nervous that I would trigger a bad memory or something with the crown on its head and all! I hope it fits, it's a bit hard to design something for a person with antlers, you know?”

“Only one way to find out.” Xornoth said before turning to a mirror on the wall and putting the hat on, finding it fit perfectly between the growths on his head and making his smile grow even wider at just how perfect it seemed to match him.

After leaving the Hat Shop and making his way back to the central area of Boatem Xornoth noticed the giant sign that read ‘Octagon’ that was now a part of the long-legged monstrosity that was selling things on Boatem’s coast.

The voices of Grian and Impulse then reached his ears, the former sounding very annoyed compared to usual.

As the two Hermits in question came into view Xornoth was able to see why. The Octagon sign wasn’t the only advertisement in Boatem, every other establishment with the exception of Horse-Head Farms had left something in the village square.

“...advertise and bring people here. Oh look, it's Xornoth!”

“Hey you guys. What are you two up to?”

“First off, I love your hat.” Grian began with a smile, “And secondly, I’ve got a really good idea for marketing! We just have to decide who we’re going to do it to”

“Is this…aggressive marketing?” Impulse asked.

“It is very in-your-face marketing.”

“Oh I love it.”

“Oooh, so we just have to pick someone then right?” Xornoth questioned.

Grian nodded, “Well we’ve got Octagon, Rons, the Evil Emporium, and Cleo who all think its fine to advertise here so we can definitely advertise there.”

After several minutes of back-and-forth chatter and Impulse darting off to gather several shulkers of logs Xornoth and Grian found themselves over at the Octagon atop a platform the latter Grian had constructed above the shop.

“I don’t exactly know if this is going to work the way I think it’s going to work.” Grian admitted as he began to build.

“Yeah, how exactly do you have this in your head?” Xornoth questioned.

“Redstone.” Grian finished as he placed two observers and a dispenser down; the latter component beginning to activate as it got a signal. “There. Stage one is complete.”

Impulse arrived with the shulkers of requested logs and Grian was quick to explain how his plan would work as he began to craft several boats, shrinking them to a smaller size and then tossing them into a hopper that had been placed above the firing dispenser.

Xornoth laughed with Impulse as he watched the component spit the boats back out at full size, instantly dropping them down into the shop below and causing several stacks to begin forming.

“Now we just take this to the extreme!” Grian cackled with devious glee at the flawless execution of his plan.

The trio went on to ‘boat bomb’ Big Eyes Bay, this time letting the boats all occupy the same spot as opposed to letting them spread out. Once finished, they settled down on the nearby mountainside and waited for one of the residents to investigate the prank. It wasn’t long before Tango showed up and proceeded to cause all the boats to explode in every direction.

Roaring laughter resounded from the three members of Boatem at the display, “That was SO MUCH faster than I expected it to be!” Grian exclaimed.

After they had managed to compose themselves they flew down to greet Tango, the half-blazeborn now thoroughly flustered. “Buy at Boatem!” Grian laughed before proceeding to hop around on the many boats in the water, Xornoth and Impulse following suit.

“I will remember this!” Tango threatened with a grin, caught up in laughing himself as he joined in on the boat-hopping antics, everyone getting stuck between the wooden vessels occasionally.

After a farewell to Tango the trio took off, returning to their original plans for the day. Xornoth landed in the center of New Rivendell with a massive smile on his face and was more than energized to build the storage building he had planned so that he could finally move all his resources from his house and various other random locations strewn about the mountain, into one dedicated place.

-

Xornoth had spent most of the following morning preparing for the long, arduous process of moving and sorting his items into the now-finished storage building and decided to take a break to check the Boatem group chat to see if he’d missed any messages while he had been working. Scrolling up to the last message he read, two Mumbo had sent earlier caught his eye. 

<MumboJumbo> errr guys

<MumboJumbo> the boatem hole has bedrock in it

Xornoth looked at the image sent in the chat and was confused. He knew bedrock didn’t simply regenerate, be it through magic or otherwise and it prompted him to go check it out for himself after putting all his gear and supplies into his enderchest.

Even if bedrock had once again sealed up the hole into the void, Xornoth wasn’t going to take any chances. He wasn’t procrastinating, that would be nonsense.

Upon his arrival to the scene Xornoth dared to look down into the Boatem Hole and, just like Mumbo had said, the area that normally led to the void was once again covered in bedrock.

Curious, he decided to descend into the depths to investigate the strange phenomenon, setting his feet down on the layer of bedrock…

…and falling through immediately after.

Xornoth let out a panicked yelp as he tried to stabilize, but to no avail as his wings did not react fast enough. The inky blackness of the void filled his lungs, suffocating him; waves of pain flaring through his entire body as he was pulled further down into the abyss.

Xornoth fell out of the world

He jolted awake in his bed with a gasp, panting heavily as he took in fresh air. His communicator pinged multiple times in quick succession as he recovered from the traumatic respawn, no doubt Hermits worried about him. He quickly shot a message in the chat saying he was fine and that he didn’t lose anything except a bit of pride.

Once the post-mortem effects had worn off Xornoth got out of bed and figured that he already decided that he would not actually move everything into his storage building today so, he may as well just fly around and see what the other Hermits were up to.

Again, definitely not procrastinating at all, he just needed to interact more with his fellow Hermits outside of Boatem.

His flight took him to various locations to try and find Hermits to interact with and Xornoth found himself roped up in a game he’d never heard of before known as Leaf Spleef with Cub, Joe, and Cleo, getting to know them better in the process. It was nice, to be able to just goof around and have fun without any real responsibility or a kingdom to eventually run.

The sun had begun to set by the time he had begun to make his way back to Boatem, flying over Big-Eyes bay and seeing it still covered in boats.

As Xornoth passed over the Evil Emporium, the one shop he never really visited often since most of his supplies were easy to harvest himself, he took notice of the individual pacing in front of the stairs, red armor contrasted against a deepslate and blackstone building with a glass orb atop it.

Curious to talk to the one Hermit he knew so little about, Xornoth descended, landing a bit away from Exiel before approaching.

“Um…hi?” He began in greeting, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I was just passing through on my way back to Boatem and saw you pacing; thought I might as well take the chance to speak with you since you’re like, the only Hermit I have had no interactions with at all.”

Exiel turned to him, red eyes meeting Xornoth’s own and causing the elf to freeze up. He could almost picture veins of crimson marring the voidkind’s skin under the armor, pulsating with dark power that drove the corrupted individual to madness and…

“Oh, you're the elf they recently adopted.”

The blunt remark snapped Xornoth from his spiraling thoughts and back to reality, “Uh….yeah. That’s me, I’m Xornoth.”

“Well, Xornoth. Welcome to my humble abode I suppose. And no, I’m just frustrated at my stupid brother installing a machine at Octagon that completely ruins the entire point of the Hermits buying derpcoin from the Emporium!”

Xornoth let out a chuckle, “Brothers, am I right?”

The comment made Exiel give him a quizzical look, “You have a brother too?”

“I do. We aren’t as close anymore though, not like we were before destiny and fate tore us apart for the sake of prophecy.”

“‘Suma and I weren’t as close as we are now, you know. I resented my brother and what he had so I found myself aligned with a malicious individual who convinced me that the solution to my problem was to embrace it and destroy everything that Xisuma knew. I tried for many years but deep down I had started to grow fond of the band of misfits and runaways he surrounded himself with and began to realize that what I was doing was wrong. After everything I’d done though, I felt I had no chance at forgiveness so I banished myself to wallow in my own pity. When I came crawling back to Xisuma I was desperate for purpose, I never expected forgiveness from him, let alone the invitation to join the Hermits…but here I am, I suppose. If there was hope for me to redeem myself, then there’s probably hope for you and your brother as well.”

Xornoth gave a bittersweet smile, “It’s a nice thought, but Scott probably thinks I’m dead and after everything I did to him and those he called his friends, redemption and forgiveness are no longer an option for me.” he paused a moment before continuing, “But it’s fine, I have all the Hermits now. After decades of being a pawn of destiny, I am finally free to do whatever I want, to be my own person with my own choices.”

A sly grin crossed Exiel’s face at Xornoth’s words, “Well, how about you use that freedom to make your own choices and buy something with that Derpcoin my brother gave you a while back?”

A laugh escaped Xornoth at the comment, “I blew it all buying wood at Octagon for the boat bomb prank we did there and at Big-Eyes Bay.”

“You realize that you buying the wood from them is a win in their eyes, right?”

“Yes, but it was hilarious all the same. Grian is debating hitting up this place next you know? Perhaps, if you give me some derpcoin I can convince him to spare you guys?~”

“You’ve been hanging around with Scar too much. You’re picking up on his marketing habits.”

Xornoth smiled, “I’m only joking, we will probably hit Big-Eyes bay for the bedrock fiasco next.” he tossed two of the diamonds he’d won from Leaf Spleef earlier to Exiel, “How much derpcoin will that get me?”

A few derpcoin richer, Xornoth bid farewell to Exiel and continued to make his way back to Boatem, landing on the balcony of his house and going inside to freshen up as the moon began to cast its glow on the land below. 

Before he settled down for the night he checked to see what he’d missed in the main and Boatem chats.

<Grian> Who’s up for getting back at Big-Eyes Bay tomorrow?

<ImpulseSV> I’m in!

<MumboJumbo> Same

<GoodTimeWithScar> Can’t, was invited to test the horse course with Bdubs and Etho.

<Grian> No worries. Xornoth, are you up for more pranking?

Xornoth, feeling bad he’d missed most of the conversation typed out his response

<Xornoth> Sorry for the late reply, I was busy most of today. Definitely in; dying to the void this morning was the worst.

With his message sent, Xornoth silenced his communicator and called it for the night, looking forward to the pranking of Big Eyes bay…

…and still denying that it was an excuse to get out of moving everything into his storage building.

[marcogiovenale]

28 novembre, empiria (roma): presentazione di "tempo, soltanto tempo", di fabio ciriachi

_

[committing-arson-suicidially]

I have an idea. A star wars au where the prequels are 80s earth and OT is 2000's earth.

80s prequels

Padme (Senior) is the mayor's daughter who is on the Empiria football team with Anakin (Junior) , Ben (Senior), Ahsoka (Sophomore), and the clones (Sophomores).

Principal Palpatine has a sister who is Principal of the opposing football team. Dooku is vice principal of the opposing football team after VP Maul mysteriously disappeared. Mace Windu is the VP to the highschool with Anakin (Empiria)

2000s OT

After Ani gets Padme preggers (during finals), Luke and Leia are separated at birth. Luke is adopted by an amazing Amish couple as Leia gets adopted by the Mayor of Republica

Ben becomes a full time teacher at Republica highschool and Mr. Yoda quits his job at Empiria to substitute at Republica.

Now, Han is a drug dealer under the bleachers while Mr. Wookie is his supplier in the science room. Luke originally met Han when his van broke down and was trying to hitchhike to school. Luckily, Luke knew mechanics and could fix the Falcon.

Anakin, who became Mr. Vader, went on and became the coach of Empiria football. Padme moved away and was never seen again after her birthing of Luke and Leia.

Bonus:

The Force is good grades.

[just-about-nothing]

tagged by @shark-myths! thank you <3

relationship status: single & psyched about it!

favorite colors: purple and blue! altho i've really been jamming with forest green recently.

song stuck in my head: i somehow don't have a song stuck in my head right now, very cash money of me lol

last song i listened to: some jazz song the dj was playing (listening to public radio). he realized he screwed up the back announcing on air & so i have no clue what the name is.

three favorite foods: chile rellenos, saag paneer, and huevos rancheros!

last thing googled: good econ podcasts -- i think! i don't use google very much. but the answer seems to be the new book economics one; it looks like there's a broad variety of economic thinking + it's recent economic thought, both of which are nice. there was also a marxist podcast i utterly forgot the name of lol.

dream trip: i really want to go to berlin so badly! i'd also love to go back to oxford & london but at this point, i'd be happier living there over visiting. ah! and i very much want to go to los angeles -- which is a much more doable trip than european jaunts

anything i want right now: i want my laptop fixed & to get into law school! please let me into law school ;-;

tagging: @an-odd-idea, @empiria-caterima, @hummerous, @purplethespian, & @esoomris!

[linyarguilera]

Hoje na aula de história e filosofia das ciências biológicas, eu aprendi que as ciências da natureza tem muito em comum com as religiões. O professor conseguiu demonstrar que a ciência tem credos ou dogmas tanto quanto a religião, é preciso existir uma realidade, e uma história que levou aquele momento, ou seja uma série de acontecimentos, no entanto as ciências da natureza não aceita revelações como nas religiões, é preciso provar, são conhecimentos parecidos, mas a ciência exige a empiria. Eu sempre separei estes dois termos, sempre larguei um longe do outro, nunca passara-me semelhanças entre ambas as ciências.

[teoriapoliticabrasileira]

Uma teoria feminista da política?

Notas sobre o artigo de Flávia Biroli, “Teorias Feministas da Política: empiria e normatividade”. Lua Nova, 2017. 

Há uma teoria política feminista que se distingue pelo seu objeto ou método? Em que a teoria política feminista se distingue das modalidades mais convencionais teoria política?

Flávia Biroli sustenta que a especificidade da teoria política feminista não é seu objeto ou campo temático, isto é, a mulher ou o gênero. A autora provoca que toda “teoria política é teoria de gênero”, pois mesmo quando não trata explicitamente do tema, suas perguntas de pesquisa, seus postulados e seus conceitos partem de uma dada hierarquia de gênero têm implicações nessas relações, seja para reproduzí-las, seja para questioná-las. 

Segundo a autora, a teoria feminista não se distingue pelo tema, já que o campo temático em que ela trabalha é o mesmo das teorias políticas convencionais: o poder, a definição do político, a justiça, a democracia. 

Em certo sentido, a teoria feminista é explicitamente normativa, ao tomar como meta a igualdade de gênero. Ela rejeita o ideal positivista de uma ciência “neutra” ou “isenta” de valores, à medida em que tal neutralidade tenderia a reforçar as hierarquias e formas dominação existentes.

O empírico não é autoevidente. Os dados não falam por si mesmos, mas dependem de “processos sletivos de valorização, que conferem saliência a determiados aspectos da realidade e a apreendem a partir de perspectivas enraizadas em contextos determinados de relações e de produção de conhecimento (Biroli, 2017, p. 176)

A despeito desse inequívoco componente normativo e crítico, seria um equívoco tomar o feminismo como expressão de uma recusa a toda ciência empírica. Há toda uma agenda de pesquisas empíricas propostas por autoras feministas que visam descortinar as relações concretas de exclusão e dominação de gênero:

“as teorias feministas têm colocado em xeque a diferenciação entre o normativo e o empírico, demonstrando que a realidade que emerge nos estudos empíricos e as referências e pressupostos que informam amplamente as abordagens teóricas são masculinas e androcêntricas” (Biroli, 2017 , p 184).

Portanto, a especificidade a teoria política feminista reside em sua perspectiva e não em seu objeto.Trata-se de modo de colocar questões e levantar problemas que adota o ponto de vista das mulheres, das situações experimentadas de desigualdade de gênero:

A rigor, as questões colocadas pelo feminismo podem ter um encaminhamento múltiplo, ora normativo, ora empírico, ora institucional, ora ideológico, para retomar as distinções de Andrew Vincent, em The Nature of Political Theory, com quem Biroli dialoga). 

O feminismo denuncia o silenciamento que as teorias convencionais relegam aos temas relativos às desigualdades de gênero. Ele contesta a própria base conceitual da ciência política baseada na distinção entre o público e o privado. A esfera do privado, do âmbito familiar ou doméstico assume uma dimensão política, isto é, passa a ser tematizada como uma esfera na qual operam relações de poder, com implicações na dinâmica das instituições políticas formais. Exemplo é o baixo número de parlamentares, ministras ou chefes de governo mulheres. Assim, uma das contribuições principais do feminismo à teoria política consiste na reconfiguração das fronteiras entre o público e o privado. 

Feminismo e Marxismo: forma de contestação da lingaugem formalismo liberal

Assim como a teoria política socialista reconfigurou a fronteira entre público e privado, colocando em xeque a exclusão liberal do mercado e das relações de trabalho da esfera pública, o feminismo atua como um desbravador de fronteiras. Trata-se de politizar e publicizar as relações de exploração que ocorrem nas relações entre homens e mulheres e sobretudo no âmbito doméstico, e não apenas, como no marxismo, nas relações de trabalho ou entre classe sociais. 

Feminismo e pluralismo da diferença 

Muitos críticos do feminismo (e a política da identidade em geral) o tratam como uma perspectiva particularista, que não daria conta das questões universais e comuns que importam à polis. Biroli rejeita essa leitura, afimmando que a problematização da ciência política a partir de uma perspectiava de gênero não é uma afirmaçaõ do particular sobre o geal ou do normativo sobre o empírico, mas uma forma de redefinição do universal e do empírico a partir do reconhecimento das dinâmicas de dominação da sociedade patriarcal. Trata-se em suas palavras de um “modo de revindicar o real-empírico”. 

Mulher e feminino: impasses e desafios conceituais

Um dos debates no interior das teorias feministas consiste na operacionalidade do conceito de mulher e de feminino. A experiência de gênero é recortada por outras marcadores, como a classe, raça e orientação sexual, que funcionam para potencializar ou amortecer os mecanismos de dominação patriarcal. Além disso, a própria hierarquia geopolítica entre Norte e Sul Global tem demandando um refinamento teórico e conceitual no sentido de lidar com as especificidades das relações de gêneros em países com grandes diferenças entre níveis de desenvolvimento socio-econômico. 

Ver debate sobre interssecionalidade. 

Um mapeamento da teoria política feminista 

Feminismo liberal

Mary Wolstonecraft. Denuncia do caráter machista da Declaração dos Direitos do Homem. Proposição de uma emancipação política que endosse a efetiva igualdade de gênero. 

Simone de Beauvoir. 

Carole Pateman, “O Contrato Sexual (1988)”. Teorias do contrato endossariam uma concepção de mundo patriarcal, em que a distinção entre público e privado funciona precisamente para legitimar as opressões no âmbito doméstico ou privado. 

Susan Moller Okin.  Incorpora o legado de Rawls na discussão sobre as relações de gênero. Obras: Justice, gender, and the family, de 1989, e Women in Western political thought, de 1979. 

Martha Nusbaum. Feminismo liberal. 

Nancy Chodorow, Carol Gilligan, Sara Ruddick e Jean Bethke Elshtain que  de diferentes perspectivas desenovlvem a chamada teoria do cuidado ou o feminismo maternal. 

Pluralismo da diferença

Kate Millett (na crítica ao patriarcado como produtor das diferenças),

Iris Marion Young

Bonnie Honig

Andrea Dworkin: “análise do estupro e da pornografia como expressões da visão de mundo masculina” 

Julia Kristeva, Hélène Cixous e Luce Irigaray (feminismo francôfono pós-moderno. 

Feminismo Marxista

Alexandra Kollontaĭ (Moscou, 1917-1952). 

Christine Delphy (Paris, França, 1941-)

Heleieth Saffioti (Ibirá-SP, Brasil, 1934-2010). 

Feminismo Negro 

Patrícia Hill Collins. Maternidade negra distinta da maternidae entre as mulheres brancas nos EUA. Enquanto essa se dá pelo reforço do isolamento e da alienaçaõ social nos subúrbios, aquela reforça os laços comunitários e de pertencimento cívico. Ver. Collins, P. H. 2009 [2000]. Black feminist thought: knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. New York: Routledge.1995). 

Sueli Carneiro: “experiências da maternidade se entrelaçam às do racismo e à da pobreza e a noção de “matriarcado da miséria” se impõe. Ver CARNEIRO, Sueli. 2011. Racismo, sexismo e desigualdade no Brasil. São Paulo: Selo Negro.