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rosenotactuallyquartz · 6 days

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back to the barn

… is a very important episode, especially for pearl’s character. i’ve also noticed that, surprisingly, it says a lot about pearlrose.

pearl is a complex character & so is her relationship with the love of her life. as expected, her growth is nonlinear & complicated as well, and it’s not merely about “getting over" rose. heck, there are times when pearl’s love for her grows at the same time as significant moments in her personal development.

pearl + rose were rebels who rejected homeworld's society. pearl’s trauma from being seen as inferior & replaceable (i.e., ongoing self worth issues) complicated her relationship with rose (i.e, ongoing issue of pearl struggling to understand & truly believe she could be loved for who she was, not just what she could do).

nevertheless, back to the barn shows that pearl has trauma & struggles in general that are not directly caused by her relationship with rose.

after all, pearl is her own gem. a lot of her pain is her own too… it’s not about a relationship.

now, i love peridot, and when i quote some of the things she says, don’t see this as me saying, “this is what her character thinks of pearl.” this is no hate towards peridot, that’s not what this analysis is about. i adore everything about her.

the point is, peridot is still new to earth! she’s not quite a crystal gem yet (and, by the way, i love her character development too) and she’s still learning. she’s used to homeworld’s ideas about gems.

so, this reflects what homeworld thinks of pearls.

"pearls aren't for this. they're for standing around, looking nice, & holding your stuff... right?"

"you're an accessory, somebody’s shiny toy!"

when peridot asks pearl who she belongs to, pearl snaps, "nobody!" which reminds the audience of a playful exchange between her & bismuth—something that bismuth prompted the moment she left lion. this detail is important, because bismuth had been bubbled since the war.

it comes so naturally between them & implies that this exchange is something the crystal gems always did with pearl during the rebellion. someone says, “who do you belong to,” and she proudly, immediately responds with, “nobody!”

this ties into the times when garnet talked about meeting pearl during the war, describing her as the terrifying renegade & a pearl who belonged to no one. as the leader of the crystal gems who said, “we’ll both finally be free,” & “isn’t this exciting?” in a single pale rose, to which pearl’s cheeks turn blue & she says, “it is,” it’s likely that rose started this “who do you belong to” exchange with pearl and the other rebels caught on. but at the very least, we know that rose loved it… & so did pearl.

it’s ironic, as the leader of the rebellion was once a diamond who was expected to give orders to her sole confidant, who was once a pearl serving the great diamond authority. but there’s so much evidence that the “terrifying renegade” & “just rose” are their true selves. during the war, pearl was already becoming her own gem. she was arguing with rose & fighting & everyone around her saw her as a true rebel, belonging to no one.

i also think rose’s secret would have been much harder to hide if pearl had acted the way she did in their old, forced homeworld dynamic & they hadn’t made progress in redefining their relationship, making it their own relationship that very much goes against homeworld. and this was still very early in their time on earth, too!

and when she’s reminded of all the ideas homeworld gems have about pearls, here’s the thing:

pearl doesn’t shrink in response.

instead, she’s determined to prove peridot wrong. she is confident in her abilities, assertive, stands up for herself, & knows she's capable of more than homeworld allowed. this can be true even if she has moments where the trauma from homeworld gets to her & she feels insecure or struggles to know her true strength. those setbacks are expected after living in a society in which she’s seen as replaceable, a thing, made to serve. however, at the end of the day, it’s obvious that pearl has been fighting her own mind & the mindsets of homeworld gems, making progress for centuries… and she wants to make progress.

also, when pearl is first ordered around (i.e., “you can go now… how do you get her to leave?”), she’s confused. this is a sign of how far she's come since her days on homeworld when she would say, “i could imagine it, if you would like me to.” she fights back & insists that peridot listens to her and that they work together. just as pearl + rose worked together in their early days on earth, when rose would call pearl’s ideas brilliant, saying that she couldn’t have done certain things without her. “pearl! you’re so smart.”

pearl loves her independence & is still deeply in love with rose. it's only been fourteen years since rose's death, a short time for gems. pearl often talks about rose, especially the traits she cherished, like how rose saw the beauty in everything. they lived together for thousands of years and their major relationship issues that lacked closure were at the beginning & end, not in the middle, suggesting that they had a few thousand years in which they lived together comfortably & their relationship was healthier. since she was close to rose, she likely understood how much rose admired those around her, too.

& while there are many things that shaped peridot’s perception of the world and understanding of the crystal gems, this may have had a tiny influence:

“rose quartz believed all life was precious and worth protecting.” — pearl, it could’ve been great

“i can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting!” — peridot, message received

pearl’s love for rose doesn’t reinforce stereotypes & expectations about pearls on homeworld. their relationship may be difficult to understand at times because they keep a lot of secrets from the other gems, but it’s very clear that their dynamic, as well as their feelings for each other, are a form of rebellion rather than something that mirrors the homeworld dynamic between, for example, blue pearl & blue diamond.

“pearl and rose start fusing. a lot.” — steven universe, end of an era, page 77

imagine what the homeworld gems would think if they knew a pearl + a diamond not only fused, but that pearl initiated it. if they knew rose called her "my pearl,” a term for superiors, and pearl called her just.. rose? even the way pearl shouts “why won’t you just let me do this for you, rose?” is very different from gently saying, “well, i was… sort of thinking you were the priority here.” pearl, who wasn’t "supposed to" be bold or shameless, became exactly that, and rose loved her for it—she went from having a displeased expression when pearl followed the rules on homeworld to falling in love with everything that homeworld claims she isn’t supposed to be, being in awe of her true self.

pearl’s trauma isn’t tied just to one person but to an entire society. her relationship with rose wasn’t merely a continuation of the homeworld power dynamic. it was the opposite. rose said herself, earth is the place in which there are endless possibilities. pearl fell in love with her on earth & not on homeworld for a reason.

would pearl have been so deeply in love with rose, for such a long time, if she felt primarily devotion to a diamond or if rose treated her like homeworld’s idea of a pearl? would either of them live together for as long as they did… heck, would the other crystal gems want to live with them if this was the case?

the answer is really evident in back to the barn.

“now listen here, you tiny twerp! in case you've forgotten, you're on our turf now! and i didn't fight a thousand-year war for this planet's independence to take orders from the likes of you!”

“i’m as good at building things as you. better, even!”

she’s passionate about being a rebel, and this disproves any claim that pearl only became a crystal gem because of “devotion to a diamond” and “not being her own gem.” it’s difficult & there’s setbacks, but she wants to be her own gem, is genuinely in love with rose as an individual, & as i said, the terrifying renegade is very much her true self.

pearl’s character is often oversimplified, reduced to just a follower who needs to "get over" rose. but it’s not that simple & after all, she still loves her in the end. and personally, as a sapphic woman, this complexity resonates deeply. homeworld makes pearls feel incapable of certain things, inferior, and as if they must fit into certain stereotypes. they act like, “she can’t fight, she’s just made to serve someone and stand there and look pretty.” just as some folks may be told that they can’t do certain things, and that they’re supposed to serve the person they’re married to and that’s all (and this person is very often expected to be called a husband so the relationship feels forced in some cases, especially in environments where it feels unsafe to be your true self &/or form relationships based on choices and how you feel). but pearl is her own individual! she should be who she is, and gems are wrong to look at her with disapproval & expect her to fit into such specific boxes just because she has a certain gem. pearl’s character development is more layered and meaningful than just "moving on" from someone who died. there’s so many hidden messages, and this is one that i personally find meaningful as someone who’s feminine & sapphic. & her love for rose is something she only felt when she was on earth. she wanted to make her happy & they fused—a diamond & a pearl—which was all part of an understanding that they could form the relationship they want, even if society disapproves because of their gems.

that being said, i’m not ignoring the power imbalance that pearl + rose had to work through, especially at the start of their time on earth. on homeworld, they were forced into a specific dynamic, & all the other dynamics around them were also forced. yes, pink’s true self was just rose, and the terrifying renegade was pearl’s true self too. still, during their early years, they didn’t know anything other than homeworld’s society. this was further complicated by pink feeling powerless (which made her unaware of and unable to understand the powers she had), their responses to their personal and shared experiences, and the fact that they were each other’s first loves. my point is, there are many signs that pearl and rose made progress—during a war no less—in redefining their relationship, and they clearly both wanted the same thing. they allowed each other to be their true selves, and by the time they were living together, especially after seeing pearl proudly and shamelessly fusing with rose in front of a camera and not thinking twice about her gem and rose’s gem… it seems they had other complications in their relationship, and their original dynamic rarely caused issues for them by that point.

which is not easy to do. at all. the progress that they did make (even if their relationship was never perfect, and given the many difficult situations they were in, there would always be some ongoing work to do) prior to rose’s passing says so much about how strongly they both felt about the rebellion & each other. the dynamic that they both wanted from the start has always been one that homeworld would despise them for.

lastly, at the end of the episode, steven says something important:

"you’re wrong! if pearls are really like you say, then pearl isn’t common at all! she trained herself to fight! she learned how to build things! she works hard every day to be greater than she already is! that’s not common; that’s amazing!"

this is the pearl steven has always known. he knows her well, & although he may not know or understand everything about her past yet, he knows that she works hard to grow, to improve.

all while she’s in the early stages of grieving rose. all while she’s raising a child. this is a strong character, someone who’s strong in a realistic way (or dare i say, real way). she’s flawed & she has setbacks, but she grows & sets her mind to overcoming such complicated trauma from homeworld. falling out of love with rose? based on their relationship, that is not a step in her healing that needs to happen. instead, she needs to overcome many complicated problems, personally & in her relationships, to find closure after the loss and also continue to feel at peace with herself.

her growth didn’t happen overnight & it didn’t start after losing rose. it was ongoing while she was with rose, and that’s one of the reasons they loved each other.

then there's the way pearl looks at steven after he says that. it completely contrasts the way she reacts when homeworld gems tell her how pearls should act. she’s clearly touched, & it’s more than likely that this is the way rose would speak to her.

“sometimes, you even sound like her.” — pearl, rose’s scabbard

#pearlrose #steven universe #steven universe analysis #crystal gems #pink diamond #prose #pearl x rose #rose quartz #rosepearl #su pearl #su #meta su

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therentyoupay · 1 month

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TRYP thoughts on characterization

jack frost // elsa | characterization considerations

PART 4 | THEIR ICE POWERS (OR AU-EQUIVALENT) & SHARED CONNECTIONS:

ground rules + intro

overview: the tl;dr of my personality + dialogue choices

deep dive: characterization, personality, + identity

shared ice powers (or AU-equivalent) + shared connections

questions/points to consider as you write

PART 4 | THEIR ICE POWERS (OR AU-EQUIVALENT) & SHARED CONNECTIONS:

(STAY TUNED FOR AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF ❄️❄️❄️SNOWFLAKES, FROST, ICE, AND STRUCTURES❄️❄️❄️ [and more???] BY CALLI, @callimara, FORTHCOMING, but also initially explored in mtyk.)

you didn’t think i was going to not mention it, right?? but super honestly i almost forgot to write this section. 😂 i’ve written so many AUs, this point is not even always at the front of my mind anymore, but let’s dig in. ❄️❄️❄️

❄️❄️❄️❄️ this is usually how it goes, i feel, more or less:

a double-edged sword:

elsa’s ice powers are an integral part of her identity, initially a source of both immense strength and bone-deep, soul-wrenching fear. throughout much of her life, she has been taught to suppress her abilities (her emotions), leading her to associate her powers with danger and potential harm, especially to those she cares about. this repression has caused her to view her powers as something to be controlled, rather than fully embraced, leaving her constantly on guard, always fearing that she might lose control and hurt someone.

jack’s unique perspective and transformative influence:

however, as elsa’s relationship with jack develops (in whatever universe), she begins to see her powers in a new light. jack, who also wields ice magic—and is OFTEN the FIRST and ONLY other ice-wielder that she knows of—understands the intricacies and challenges that come with such abilities. unlike others who have only seen elsa’s powers as something to fear or control, jack sees them as a natural extension of who she is—a gift, rather than a curse.

this perspective is transformative for elsa. it allows her to slowly let go (👀) of the fear that has always accompanied her powers and begin to explore their full potential without the constant need to hold back.

liberation, trust, journey toward embracing her powers:

with jack by her side, elsa experiences—depending on the story—a newfound sense of security in using her powers. she no longer feels the need to restrain herself out of fear of causing harm (unless…….. it is angst. 👀). jack’s presence and his own mastery of ice magic provide her with a sense of understanding and acceptance that she has rarely experienced.

unique bond and understanding:

this shared connection through their powers creates a bond between them that goes beyond the physical—it’s in some ways a sort of spiritual trust that they are safe with each other (unless it’s angst, at the center readers, you remember the scene 👀), that they can fully be themselves without judgment or fear. (unless, of course: ANGST.)

eventually, gradually: empowerment and healing:

if/when this freedom does occur, for elsa, this new sense of safety and security in using her powers is a liberating experience. she begins to experiment with her powers in ways she never dared before, discovering new facets of her abilities and pushing the boundaries of what she thought was possible. the trust she feels in jack’s presence allows her to let go of her inhibitions and truly explore the extent of her magic.

it’s a process of self-discovery that is both empowering and healing, as she starts to view her powers not as something to be feared, but as an essential part of who she is.

cycle of growth and healing, strengthening their connection:

this newfound freedom also deepens her connection with jack, thereby pushing them into a cycle of growing and healing (unless: angst 😂, in which case, this cycle may still happen but SLOWLY and PAINFULLY, in stops and starts, in nonlinear patterns).

mutual understanding, support, and solidarity:

as they face challenges together, elsa finds that she can rely on jack not just as a partner in battle (or daily life, depending on the story, which could also be a “battle” 😂), but as someone who understands the unique burden of their shared powers (and, in the cases where they don’t share powers… their shared sense of Sacrifice 🥹 and their love for their younger sisters). this mutual understanding creates a sense of solidarity and, occasionally, camaraderie between them, making both of them feel less alone in their struggles.

growing confidence, deeper connection, shared purposes:

ultimately, elsa’s ice powers, once a source of fear and repression, become a symbol of her growing confidence and self-acceptance. through her relationship with jack, she learns to embrace her abilities without fear, finding strength in the trust and security they share. this transformation allows elsa to not only harness her powers more fully but also to connect with jack on a deeper level, creating a bond that is rooted in mutual understanding, trust, and a shared sense of purpose.

but what about the specific differences in features of their ice/snow/frost/powers?

for specific ice MAGIC features, patterns, habits, and geometrical dendrites (🤣 thanks calli), please note that @callimara will be dropping a DETAILED comparison analysis one day, so stay tuned!

in the meantime, you can see my quick takes in the woman in white, or in ch. 4 of more than you know.

#therentyoupay ask #therentyoupay advice #therentyoupay thoughts on characterization #jelsa

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lryghe · 1 year

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MXTX thoughts; conventions

The long awaited (not) analysis of MXTX conventions is here! I’ve literally been meaning to talk about this for months but it got sidelined in favour of vicious arguing on PDB about MBTI. Anyways! Obviously this post will contain spoilers, and something I wanted to touch on was 3rd person limited in MXTX, but I already have a post on that here, so feel free to check that out for a better explanation of it. Beware of mediocre analysis ahead, I’m a little rusty (also shoutout to the person who liked some of my posts this morning, you reminded me to actually write something!).

THE AGENDA since this post is long:

Non-linear storylines

Dying and resurrection

Colour symbolism

Character tropes

NON-LINEAR STORYLINES

An interesting thing that follows MXTX’s more thought out works, is the non-linear plotlines she follows in them. This itself is a really good convention of writing in general, especially if it’s done well, and I can safely say that MXTX did it astoundingly well in TGCF. The clear cuts between time periods in relation to each book is an incredible feat, and is something that easily trumps MXTX's other examples of non-linear storylines. Through the use of the jumping back and forth in time, specifically in TGCF, creates an excellent cause and effect, something that is definitely central to the novel. Everything done has an effect, whether that be on the continuation of the plot, or even as a characterisation point, so the non-linear narrative cements that sense of foreboding hanging over everything. A simple sentence said when Xie Lian 17 somehow amounts to a complete upheaval of the heavens 800 years later, unveiling a conspiracy well over 2000 years old. A friendship group dissolving due to difficult circumstances results in a really horrific friendship confession later in the novel. Shi Wudu trying to save his sibling ends his own demise, the crippling of said sibling, and a vengeful ghost with nothing to do anymore. This nonlinear storyline is definitely used in MDZS as well, but I found it a bit more complex, and actually, now that I think about it, is a really good reflection of Wei Wuxian in general. The thing with MXTX, is that all her novels are in 3rd person limited, so they follow our protagonist in 3rd person, but it’s tinged with their own personal views and biases that limit the omniscience of 3rd person. And with MDZS it would be a fair assessment to say that the unordered mess of time leaps in the novel are an excellent indication of Wei Wuxian’s bias leaking through the 3rd person. The incessant jumping is difficult to follow in places (don’t say otherwise), but it’s actually a genius idea because it’s an accurate assessment of the thought process that Wei Wuxian probably follows anyway. I wouldn’t say that this was definitely on purpose however, as MDZS was written before TGCF, so it could just be MXTX growing alongside her writing, but hey, maybe it is a stroke of complete and beautiful genius! Don’t bother mentioning SVSSS, it’s definitely an interesting novel, but it’s not non-linear, at least not as wholly as MDZS and TGCF are. The most you’ll get in SVSSS is like a two line flashback, plus the extra’s, but I think that’s a reflection of when MXTX wrote it.

DYING AND RESURRECTION

Moving on from serious conventions, MXTX’s trope with one of the main characters dying and then coming back later is a really funny kind of convention, because it’s not funny in the moment obviously, but the fact that it’s done at least once per novel is hilarious. Wei Wuxian’s initial resurrection after 13 years of being dead, Shen Qingqiu’s return in his plant body 5 years later, and then his return back to his ‘original’ body, and Hua Cheng’s little death defying stunt at the end of the novel. Then there’s the use of cliffs and such, like Binghe’s fall into the Abyss, Hua Cheng’s fall off that wall (forgive me its been like 3 years since I read TGCF), and if we’re being inclusive, then there’s always Wei Wuxian’s death in The Untamed. Maybe there’s a hidden meaning in there somewhere, but it’s fine to look at it from a surface level, which amounts to ‘MXTX got bored and needed some drama’. A perfectly reasonable deduction.

COLOUR SYMBOLISM

Another thing I wanted to touch on was the colour symbolism that MXTX uses because I think it’s pretty cool, AND it has the added benefits of adding symbolism and contrast to each novel's main character and their love interest. It’s mentioned in the novel’s obviously, but it really shines in fan content and fanarts. I like the symbolism of Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu’s robes both being green before the time-skip, because Luo Binghe was a disciple at the time and a little white lotus, so the green was used to directly align him with Shen Qingqiu. After the timeskip he’s obviously got his big boy pants on and swapped to a stunning black and red ensemble, fitting of the protagonist, and that itself contrasts Shen Qingqiu’s majestic and lofty green robes, because Binghe means business with this fit. A fun thought is how green and red fit together on the colour spectrum, because they don’t, they’re contrasting colours which is some real obvious symbolism. Do I really need to spell out Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian? I feel like this one is rudimentary. White equals noble and virtuous, pure and holy, and black is evil, demonic, cruel, and scary. Simple! And Hua Cheng and Xie Lian’s red and white are a very cute mixture, because although it gives them a Bingqiu style christmas tree vibe, it’s interesting in comparison to the previous two love interest and main character dynamics, considering red and white are a lot more complimentary than black and white or red and green. And it’s a testament to how similar Hualian are with their complimentary robes, how like-minded they are throughout the novel, especially considering their predecessors. Or maybe I’m overthinking it, who knows?

CHARACTER TROPES

In regards to tropes of MXTX, I think her character tropes are incredible and have the addition of being really funny. She’s consistent enough with her conventions that clear links can be drawn with her side characters across all 3 novels. To begin with, there’s Mr Angry. I think you can guess who that is, but it's Jiang Cheng, Liu Qingge, and Mu Qing. All have a really close relationship with their related main character, all are angry or harsh where they probably didn't need to be, and all three are good fighters. Then there’s the guy who’s always smiling, like Yue Qingyuan or Lan Xichen. Complacency is a key part of their characters, and excuses aside, it’s interesting how it played out. You could argue for Jun Wu to be a part of this circle, but I’ll keep that to myself. Finally, there’s the fodder characters, only useful to further the plot in a miniscule way. Gongyi Xiao (MAY HE REST WELL), Xiao Xingchen, and once again, I don’t have a very good TGCF equivalent. Gongyi Xiao dies after the events of the water prison, and Xiao Xingchen was really just there to highlight how fucked up Xue Yang was. Rest in peace our beloved fodder, especially Gongyi Xiao, MXTX should have treated you better…

I think I’ve typed myself out honestly. Kudos to whoever reached the end of this post, I haven’t written this much since my Team 7 analysis when I got back into my Naruto phase briefly.

Word count: 1271

Reading time: 4 ½ mins

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dipperdesperado · 1 year

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notes towards changing the world

i feel like the main way to change the world is to not think on a global scale. one of the coolest things about complex systems is how agents in the system, focusing on the local level and following simple rules while cooperating with other agents can create global behaviors. a vision of solarpunk could be the attempt at imagining and prefiguring a world that embraces complexity for the betterment of all of the agents in the system.

so, to change things, thankfully we don't have to figure out how to bring about worldwide upheaval. if we can change the local milieu, that can reverberate outward. this is not to say that it's easy, but it's possible. this is also not to say to never think globally. it's a dialogue between spheres of distance. you have to have a revolution internally to have a revolution interpersonally to have a revolution locally to have a revolution regionally and so on and so on.

now, we can finally talk about how to change things. the general (relatively nonlinear) phases of this process are analyzing and trying to understand the world, creating visions, goals, and values from that analysis, creating strategies to reach those goals, and enacting tactics birthed out of those strategies.

Analysis

Identify the social issue: figure out the bad thing. try to understand the bad thing using complexity theory/systems theory. in other words, understand what the system is, what are the agents/elements are within that system (people, institutions, environments, etc), where the resources flow, what feedback loops exist, and what the vulnerabilities are.

Set your goals: The goal is to promote systemic change that addresses the root causes of the social issue, rather than simply addressing individual symptoms or surface-level manifestations. The guiding principles may include holistic thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Visions, Goals, and Values

Visions: think about what you want the world to look like. put on your utopian lenses. what are the dreams that you have for the community (and maybe even the world at large)? Try to stretch your imagination as far as you can.

Goals: based on your visions, what are some more concrete targets to aim for? for ex., if one of the aspects of your visions is a city that is in harmony with nature, what are the material changes that need to happen?

Values: what are the guiding lights that will inform how you reach your goals? This can be thought of as the ethical/philosophical foundation of your praxis. these would also be points of unity for other folks. some good ones to include in this would be solidarity, free association, and a militant anti-oppressive orientation.

Strategy

Universal goals: make some specific goals for your specific context. ex. “everyone can access healthy, culturally relevant, and dietarily conscious food.”

Understand where the community is: how is the community, on average, doing at reaching this goal?

Understand the population: figure out the population segments in the given community, and discover their “distance” from the goal. take not of those differences.

explore the system: look at and make visible the structures that support or impede each group or community from achieving the universal goal.

create bespoke responses: develop and implement targeted strategies for each group to reach the universal goal. using our food example, rich folks in a community might not need any help reaching this goal, while unhoused neighbors might be furthest from this goal. this allows us to create responses that help each group in the ways that benefit them the most.

dismantle the system: while providing an equitable response to the issue through your bespoke responses, work towards removing the root causes of the issue. equity is good, but we want to move toward the abolition of oppressive systems and enter a space of liberation.

Tactics

tactics are the actions that we take, informed by our strategy, which stems from our goals, visions, and values. to organize specific tactics, a useful mental model is to think of “encircling” your goal. essentially, we want to try to reach our goal using multiple tactics in parallel (or relative parallel), attacking issues from multiple angles. I think that it’s ideal to have as many tactics deployed as is reasonable, but I like the idea of 2-4 campaigns of tactics going at the same time. I also like these tactics to be across the spectrum of commitment, from very simple, low-lift, and “reformist”, to more high-lift and “radical” or “revolutionary”. So, while our goal is to destroy the rule of authority (and all of its associated ills), actions that directly do that are the most extreme, and most folks don't start off ready for that level of commitment. To build that capacity in practice, this strategy could look like:

One campaign starts by making appeals to authority and getting more radical from there (foot in the door). Some examples are basically all of the things that liberals say to make changes: calling representatives, signing petitions, writing letters, op-eds, case studies, and things like that. Realistically, if the goal is widespread change, these things won’t really be able to cut it. You can’t vote a revolution in. So, we can use the more liberal actions as a gateway into more revolutionary actions. We also HAVE TO make sure we’re transparent about this so that people retain their ability to freely choose how they engage. In this campaign, we’re marching towards more and more radical action.

One or Two campaigns that start with civil disobedience (foot in the face). Some tactics here could be boycotts, strikes, sit-ins, and the like. Similar to the above action, we march towards more radical stuff but start from a more antagonistic position.

One campaign that starts with more directly confronting authority (door in the face). This campaign would start at as far of a place that the people would want to go. This would escalate into more radical action from a very radical place.

The purpose of formatting our tactics in this way is to be fighting on multiple fronts in ways that makes the movement harder to clamp down on, while having folks move in a more radical direction.

Note that all of these tactics are informed by what comes before them. Like everything else, it is useful to think of this as a dialogue. We don’t want tactics with no conception of a strategy and such, and by doing our tactics, we should and can reframe our strategy.

#activism #activist #direct action #solarpunks #solarpunk #praxis #socialism #sociology #social revolution #social justice #social relations #social ecology #organizing #complexity

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positively-knotted · 2 months

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Dissertationposting 3 - The Torus

Remember that last time, by taking f=1 in Lemma 1, we showed that ʃR_Σ ≥ ʃR for a stable minimal hypersurface Σ in a manifold (M, g). In particular, if R > 0 on M, so is ʃR_Σ. But if M is 3-dimensional, then Gauss-Bonnet says that Σ must be a union of spheres! Combining this with the fact that we can find a stable minimal hypersurface in each homology class of T³, this shows that T³ cannot have a geometry with positive curvature! Let's introduce some notation to make this easier - we'll say a topological manifold is PSC if it admits a metric with R > 0, and non-PSC else. Gauss-Bonnet says that the only closed PSC 2-manifolds are unions of spheres, and we've just shown that T³ is non-PSC.

How could we make this work for higher dimensions? Well, we can still write each torus as Tⁿ×S¹, so an induction argument feels sensible. In particular:

T² is non-PSC by Gauss-Bonnet

Every (Tⁿ, g) has a stable minimal T^{n-1} by taking the homology class of the meridian by Lemma 2

Stable minimal hypersurfaces in positively curved spaces are PSC?

By induction and contradiction, Tⁿ is non-PSC for all n.

So, what do we have and what do we need to prove Statement 3?

We need to allow (Σ, g) to not have R > 0 even if Σ is PSC. The easiest idea here is to find a function to scale g (ie distances) by to get a new metric.

If we scale by φ^{4/(n-2)}, then the new curvature is φ^{-(n+2)/(n-2)} Lφ, [1] where L is the conformal Laplacian

which is a reasonably well known operator that sometimes has nicer behaviour than the regular Laplacian.

To use the full power of Lemma 1, we want another result relating the integral of |∇f|² to Vf² for some other function V.

As if by magic, functional analysis gives us exactly the result we need.

Lemma 3.

Let (M, g) be a compact n-manifold, possibly with boundary, and V a smooth function on M. Then the infimum

is attained by some function φ. Furthermore, φ > 0 on int(M), and

The proof [2] is pretty technical, but if you've done a course on Fourier analysis, the term "first eigenfunction" for φ might ring a bell. If you've done any undergrad course on ODEs, you can try thinking about how this relates to the normal existence theorem and maximum principle for the Laplacian (set V=0).

But that's all we need! Letting V = -(n-2)/4(n-1) R, Lemma 3 gives a function φ > 0 and constant λ with Lφ = -λφ; Lemma 1 and being careful with compactness gives that λ > 0; so scaling by φ^{4/(n-2)} does the job! It's worth recording that separately I think.

Proposition 4.

Let (M, g) be a closed manifold with R > 0. Then any closed stable minimal hypersurface is PSC.

Next time, we'll see how far we can push this method - in particular, it will turn out that we only actually care about the cohomology ring of M! I might even drop my first novel result, the classification of so-called SYS 3-manifolds.

[1] I'm not gonna do this for you, it's a direct calculation. I even gave you nice coefficients! I also think it's an exercise in Lee.

[2] This time, we pass to the Sobolev space H¹, where a sequence of functions approximating the infimum converges to a continuous function attaining the infimum. Showing it's an eigenfunction is fairly standard (vary φ, differentiate, divergence theorem), but the argument that it's smooth is cute. If Vφ + λφ is continuous, so is Δφ. But then φ is twice differentiable, so by induction smooth. Thierry Aubin's "Some nonlinear problems in Riemannian geometry" has all of the painful details, and a sketch is below.

#dissertationposting #maths #math posting #topology #geometry #differential geometry #cognisance

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alexandrarosa · 1 year

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First love

First of all I don’t remember the last time I’ve loved something this much. I think it wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I said it was the best thing I’ve ever watched.

I absolutely loved the characters and their development. I loved how the plot was shown in nonlinear time – thanks to which we could really see the whole story from different perspectives.

I loved the ending and even though it was such a happy one, it kind of wrecked me. And I absolutely have to post my whole analysis of the show because ‘First Love’ is the only thing I’ve been able to think about for the past three days.

(spoiler alert!)

Yae Noguchi

The first character we meet seems like the nicest person in the world. Of course we don’t know her tragic backstory then but we can feel there is some mysterious lingering in her preception of the world around her. She’s a single mother, she works hard day and night. We slowly get to know everything about her life and honestly it’s all so sad. I mean her relationship with Harumichi is lovely. I adore how she sees him as the wild one compared to her. She has her dreams and she’s so invested in all the things she does. She’s courageous – she’s the one who confesses her feelings first (and my beloved dumbass Harumichi doesn’t even get it). She is ready to work hard to get what she wants. She got into university and I think she was really happy there. Of course then the worst happens. And I feel like that accident was the beginning of the most miserable period of her life. She’s always been ambitious, she had plans. And all of the sudden she’s reduced to being a stay-at-home mother and a housewife. Her husband, who seemed like a good guy, turns to be, well, an asshole. His mother treats her horribly. They have no respect for her. She’s kind of treated like housekeeper more than a part of the family. So she struggles, but becames herself again – and takes the control back. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, she has to work night and day. But she’s ready to do it. And she loves her son unconditionally, she’s ready to give him everything he needs. And when he needs to have better care – she’s ready to give him up even though it kills her. She gets back on her feet, she moves away from her mother.

I absolutely love Yae. I love how determined she is, I adore that she really tries, even though she has no hope for herself. And I love that she’s ready to do everything she feels she should.

Yae’s dreams

Something that makes me really sad is that she has to wait for so long to actually make her dreams come true. She has always known what she wanted to do in life, but couldn’t accomplish it for twenty years. She feels like a person with no past cannot have a future. And that’s how she sees herself –she lost so many precious things – not only love and memories, but also (or maybe mainly) the abilities to do what she wants. She didn’t graduate. She was a housewife so she had no experience in any kind of work. Yae from before the accident had the whole world standing open before herself. Yae after the accident has limited choices and no hope for a change.

But it’s so sad that she’s losing it all and her mother does nothing. She’s grieving after a perfect daughter she’s lost like she’s the actual victim. Yae’s mother let her own grief and pain hurt her daughter. She was blaming Harumichi for the accident, because he wasn’t able to protect her. And because of that she punished them both. She made Harumichi believe for so many years that he’s the responsible one. She forced him to dissapear from Yae’s life, she would let her know about him. She preferred the surgeon guy because he had more money. She’s hoping she made the right choice - but honestly she didn’t. She shouldn’t have been making the choices at all. They were not hers to made.

What makes me so angry is that Yae never got back to the university. I wonder why her mother never encouraged her. I’m angry that she had to through all that pain just because her mother decided what’s best for her.

But nothing makes me happier than those small parallels. Teenage Yae greeting imaginary passengers on their flight to Reykiavik and adult Yae being a flight attendant in Iceland. Teenage Harumichi saying that he’s going to be a pilot with a beautiful flight attendant as a wife and they ending up flying together at the end. Their dreams really did come true at the end.

Harumichi Namiki

The literal love of my life. I mean this is the guy who becomes your fictional crush and makes every guy in reality look sad. He’s the epiphany of taking control ovet your own life. And an exellent example of ‘you can’t change him but he will change for you if he cares’ and honestly, damn. Their origin story, their meet cute, whatever you want to call it – my dude was swept off his feet. He saw a girl reading a book and he decided to change his entire life for her. It was, as he stated, laughably easy. He went from a textbook badboy to learning nonstop for several weeks because of the chance he saw on the horizon. He would do absolutely everything for her. He became a pilot for her. His whole life was dedicated to her. She was the energy that fueled his life.

And then she got ripped away from his life completly abruptly. And then at the slightest chance of finding her again – he regained all hope.

I love how he always states that he believes in fate but at the same time he knows that he can’t just sit and wait for the good fings to happen. He uses any chance life throws at him. And everything he could control – he did.

Harumichi’s character development

What’s interesting about Harumichi is a long way he came during his life. From a badboy to a wild student to the military cadet and pilot to the security guard. I love how visible it is that his main reason of being is protecting others. From protecting his sister to protecting Yae and his country. But what’s also worth mentioning is his belief in love – or actually – the way he loves. We see him as a teenager, eager to give love, full of energy. Then, as an adult, we see him with Tsunemi – he’s more conscious, more careful. Less involved. I thought it’s just something that comes with age. But then he finds Yae again and all his energy and involvement come back. I feel like for those twenty years he was passive about his life and work and love. I’m sure he cared for Tsunemi but she couldn’t wake that flame inside of him. And then he became active again because he regained the hope for reuniting with Yae again. And I’m not even sure if it had a romantic purpose at the beginning. I don’t think he wanted to break up with Tsunemi just because he saw Yae. But then it turned out that he didn’t have a choice – Tsunemi wasn’t the one. Maybe in a world without Yae she would do, but not in this reality. That’s why I don’t think that Harumichi broke up with her to be with Yae. I think he thought he had to because he couldn’t love her as he should have.

Their love

I love how Yae’s and Harumichi’s relationship is actually so calm and peaceful. They don’t argue. They don’t have that will-they-won’t-they dynamic. They just love each other and it’s completly pure. I also love the scene after the end credits when they are shown together while walking. Notice how Harumichi constantly grabs her hand, touches her, kisses her. Like he’s afraid that if he doesn’t hold her she’ll disappear. And she’s so happy that he’s back in her life. That there is somebody that really actually loves her. Geeez, I’m so happy that they found each other.

The role of fate and the role of timing

Fate is a tricky thing – some people sit and wait for the good things to happen. But it seems like the characters from the ‘First Love’ know it doesn’t work that way. Yes, you can call it fate that Harumichi saw Yae on the train and then again in the exam room. But everything he did later came from him. He took care of everything that was in his control. And when there was nothing more to do, he had to let fate work again – and it did. They went to the same high school. Fate worked again twenty years later sending them both to Sapporo and making them, in a way, cross their paths. And yet again Harumichi didn’t wait for fate to reunite them. He was listening to the taxi announcements for hours for god’s sake! Life (or fate – whatever you want to call it) gave him the chance to rescue her this time and he did, hurting himself in the process.

The fate did it again with Uta finding Harumichi in Iceland, but Yae actively chose to find him. She made her own choice not waiting for a coincidence.

What’s also worth mentioning is that Harumichi actively played the role of ‘fate’ for Tsuzuru and Uta – he made it possible for them to meet.

The worst part of all that is timing. And we know that timing is a bitch.

So many important things happend in the wrong moment. Harumichi coming to Yae only to find out that she’s pregnant. Yae falling in love with him again when he was engaged. Her confessing her feelings after he decided to take a break and go away. Yae regaining her memories only after Harumichi left. Her deciding to take back control of her life and dreams and pandemic streaking.

But at the same time so many good things happened because of the bad timing – for example Harumichi’s leaving let Tsuzuru find the CD player that gave Yae her memories back. If he had never decided to leave she might have not get them back.

For such a long time I was trying to understand why he didn’t want to be with her when she confessed her feelings. But I think I get it now. He would have to live knowing she doesn’t remember a big part of their shared history. And I think it could be heart shattering. He had to actively choose to leave her again despite their shared love for each other because it would be more painful for him to be with her even though it’s the thing he wanted his whole adult life.

And then she regains her memories. And she comes after him. And my little heart is so happy and sad at the same time when I think of all the things they had to live through to find each other again. But at the same time all that happend – good or bad – made it possible.

The normal life shown in the series

I think it’s something worth mentioning. Every person in the show has their own normal life. And I think it’s so important that the role of the characters isn’t reduced to the love story only. We see them working, eating, partying, cooking, studying, even commuting to work. It seems so natural but at the same time I feel like the western fil/show makers sometimes forget that the normal life is also worth exploring and showing. Characters crying and then going to work in the morning like nothing happened. Cooking for loved ones. Sitting with a giant plushie (another reason for my love for that dude). The mention of living in the pandemic! Seeing it from perspective actually made me cry because I got reminded of that period that I actually struggled with. And so did Yae. It’s so precious to me to see characters being normal people.

The music

I feel like the song ‘First Love’ will always make me cry from now on. It always played in such moments in the show that it now gives me the lingering feeling of sadness and happiness at the same time anytime I hear it. And for that I am eternally grateful.

All in all, loved the show. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. If it was a book I would literally sleep with it underneath my pillow (like Alexander the Great with his copy of Illiad). I can’t believe I accidentally discovered such a treasure. If you didn’t watch it yet I cannot recomment it enough. If you did – you know what I mean.

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ellecdc · 3 months

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hello my sweet girl!!! how i've missed you! it seems we've both been frequent passengers on the struggle bus for the past couple weeks (hence my absence, this bus has shit wifi) :( i'm sorry that shit's been tough lately, and i hope you are being extra kind and loving to yourself, taking special care to listen to what you need <3. (this goes for everyone, all of you sexy beautiful people in this wonderful community).

anyways time for some random thoughts about our lovely wizards!! that's a need for sure lol.

it's so weird to me that prongsfoot/starbucks/whatever you wanna call james x sirius is such a rare ship? like i love strong male friendships (and also wolfstar b/c duh) but prongsfoot is right there in canon. like the inherent need to always be together. the i will literally die and kill for you mindset. yeah come live at my house please please please. james hates this dude? i do too. i get that they are both a lil hyper but as someone who is also pretty adhd (and also a little shit like they are) i feel like that kind of relationship works really well together, the other person is always able to keep up with your nonlinear train of thought. and sirius x james x lily would be an unstoppable throuple so... heehee (plus reader? ugh).

i also love this recent discussion at how smart all these freaks are. they are all lil geniuses and i would love to be in a room with all these insane brains and talk about nerd shit like physics and the universe and how the mauraders map works etc. dream friendgroup/polycule for real. you think there's a universe where the slytherins and gryffindoors have lil smoke seshes and socratic seminars because i can totally see that shit lol.

lastly, evan supremecy!! i love the slow but steady entrance he has been making (as opposed to the absolute bang of an entrance barty made, kinda fitting for their personalities lol).

anyways i loveee you baby girl! have a lovely rest of your day <33

-ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ

Hahaha hi baby!! Sorry to hear you’re not doing so hot rn.

Also re: prongsfoot, this is an interesting perspective I hadn’t thought of before! I have to admit I’m not sure why I struggle with them as a pair when I sit here and write poly!marauders fics lol! But I hadn’t considered this before that 1) Sirius is probably the only person who can keep up with James and 2) James is the only one Sirius was willing to accept love and help from! Maybe I need to do more playing around with prongsfoot……

Also, sunlilypad???? Love it; I’ve seen thoughts of them raising Harry together and it just melts me every time

The nerdiest bastards around, James is so intuitive and a strategist, Sirius is stupid smart for no good reason other than his brain just holds onto the most random information, Remus searches for knowledge like it’s a lost art like, Barty and his 12 fucking O.W.L’s, Evan looking at everything like it’s a puzzle and his analytic mind, Lily just being the smart beautiful goddess she is, ubdbajdnwisfbwks

Also you’re so right: barty just body slamming into my works and making himself present vs my careful constructive analysis of Evan as a person 😭🤣😭🤣😭🤣😭🤣😭🤣 idk why I’m so afraid of him! I think cuz there’s even less out there about him than there is Barty so I have less to go off, but I’m afraid to write for him cuz I don’t want to get him wrong!

Glad to have you back babes, hope things settle down for you 🫶

#elle’s ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ

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extremeloading11 · 25 days

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Enhancing Precision with Nonlinear Structural Analysis Tools

Engineers and architects seeking to elevate their structural designs can greatly benefit from nonlinear structural analysis tools. These advanced software solutions, such as those offered by Extreme Loading, allow professionals to simulate complex behaviors of materials under various load conditions, including dynamic and seismic events. By accurately predicting potential structural failures or deformations, engineers can optimize their designs for safety and efficiency. The Extreme Loading Structural Analysis Software stands out by providing intuitive interfaces and detailed visualizations, ensuring that even the most challenging projects are approached with confidence. Visit their website to learn more.

#nonlinear structural analysis

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3d-labs-blog · 7 months

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Basics of Finite Element Analysis

Fea Linear/Nonlinear Analysis Thermal Stress Fea Analysis Services https://3d-labs.com/fea-services/ Comprehensive FEA Services for Enhanced Engineering Design and Analysis 3d-labs is an engineering consulting firm that provides full analysis using state-of-the-art FEA , CFD, and CAD/CAE tools. Thermal Analysis: Understand how heat transfers and affects your product’s performance with our thermal analysis services. We can analyze temperature distribution, heat dissipation, and thermal stresses to ensure your designs can withstand extreme thermal conditions. we are dedicated to providing exceptional FEA services that empower you to make informed design decisions, reduce development cycles, and improve product performance. Whether you’re in aerospace, automotive, energy, or any other industry, our FEA expertise can help you stay ahead of the competition.

https://3d-labs.com/

#Fea Linear/Nonlinear Analysis

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csiespl · 6 months

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Why Nonlinear Analysis of Buildings and Bridges is Important?

Nowadays 3-Dimensional models are very important for big projects like in Construction of a building , in Building of dams and other in other construction works. The 3-d models give a good idea about how to start the project before working on it . While constructing a building its security is a matter of great importance like when tons of loads are applied, or we can say that Nonlinear analysis of Buildings and bridges is important because it describes the additional bending moments caused by the vertical loads , in this software we focus on the stability of the structure after the load is applied on the structure. Our organisation named CSI India provides highly developed software packages and programmes to examine the structure thoroughly and design of buildings.

#Nonlinear Analysis of Buildings

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amrass · 8 months

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RDR2 fanfic recommendations

I began this a month ago, then posted days ago, then realized marking posts as private makes me the only one who's can see them. Huh! So, I repost!

This is a spotlight with a handful of Ao3 RDR2 fanfics I enjoy. I got specific tastes, so this list has lots of Micah, and everything from gen fics to dead doves, randomly ordered. Please consider checking these out and give the writers some love. Chances are you have read a few already, but hey, you might find something new.

My Country has no Borders by Spacehat

You know the rare moment when a fic is so good it satisfies your whole need for a pairing or a character? Whenever I wanna read about Dutch, Hosea, a young Arthur, and Vandermorgan, I read this and boom, satisfaction. Literary level writing, masterful nonlinear time frame, and a spot on character analysis of Dutch.

Wagers of Sin by Spacehat

The first Morbell fic I read that made me go hallelujah. Power bottom Micah, confident and mischievous, a well endowed and hard ass Arthur. The humor and the smut work so well together, the banter is excellent, and it's less dark than MChnB, for a lighter taste. Many of my Morbell headcanons are from here, so if you like my work, you might like this, though I consider the style better than mine.

The Mule by jenny_of_oldstones

Funny oneshot with crack elements, about a race between Arthur on his trusty mule Rooster vs Micah on Baylock. A very good take on Lenny, intelligent and witty, potentially the future leader of the gang. Arthur is funny and cute. Micah is an asshole, and awful fun.

Vengeance is Hereby Mine by Delta_Meow

Crossovers do not get the attention they deserve, and this can be read without having seen the Dollars Trilogy (specifically A Few Dollars More, my personal favorite). There are three very strong leads - Arthur, Manco and Mortimer - with interesting relationships between each other, heaps of sexual tension, extensive horse knowledge, action, drama and a little American serial killer folklore! Also Micah owns the chapter he is in - very evil, very nice.

Red Dead Stuart Little AU by SourApplechips

This is a super cute and funny series, containing fics with the "everything is the same except one thing"; Micah is a rat, and John is a squirrel. There is an animated writing style that lends itself well to humor, a good eye for detail, a good grip on action and banter. I still seek these out when I am having a bad day. Also, it is interesting to note the connection between humor and horror, here: the writer masters both, which require a sense of timing and tension.

Here is a trio of dark fics within Morbell pairing, which are short or in their beginning, all ongoing. A lot of people only read complete fics, but supporting a writer in their journey can be so meaningful, so please give these a try: The World by SourApplechips (good take on the horror genre, top notch gore, excellent scenery details), Kindling Play by ohcmonjustdont (mythological, deeply poetic, and damn hot smut) and Idiotic Bull by zzzzzz01 (coiling dialogue and a good mix of violence and sensuality). I will not compare, but will rather point them out within a context of what honestly feels like a renaissance of Micah content. The characters feel like outlaws, the landscape - so clear in the game - is so present but conveyed differently, overall it is nice to see three unique voices emerge around the same time.

Nailed Her Pretty Good by SadomasochismTango

An unusual take on a Micah x random bathing girl fic, written from his perspective as an unreliable narrator with a strong dick game, making this deliciously dubious, but also is an excellent character study of him. This might be the piece on this list where the reader best feels Micah's age. He feels like a confident, creepy, forty year old outlaw. Also, the writer is a confirmed Tom Lehrer fan! Great!!!

Home in Damnation by SadomasochismTango

This is might be the darkest story on this list, so I'm hiding it at the bottom. This contains non-descriptive forced noncon incest in the Bell family, between grandfather and grandson. Still, this is tastefully done, direct but not crude, mixing extreme emotions beautifully. This is my favorite fanfic about Micah because it is so well written. If you can stomach the warnings I cannot recommend this enough.

(PS: If a writer for ever which reason wants me to remove their work from here, I will do it no questions asked and with no bad feelings. I think most authors are okay with being recommended, but it is completely okay not to be!)

#amras writes #amras recommends

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