#Pyramide Distribution

[thefirstknife]

BEL?!???

NIGHTMARES? HAUNTING?? ROOT?!!

HHELLO NEZAREC?!?? HI HELLO HI?!?!

My best friend?? my pal, my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good time boy, my nightmare manipulatior?!?!!

HELLO?!?!

(low key sad hes not a fair weather ally but a raid boss but hey! who knows? maybe he'll have dialogue and this is just him having a grand time and seeing if we're up to snuff? coping so hard please 🥺)

Just now saw that you also sent me this, oops. Actually a good opportunity because I re-read my other reply to an ask and thought I sounded way too convinced about stuff we know nothing about. Things are rarely super clear to the point where we can be confident about new expansion story and raid.

The point about the nightmares not being exclusively his still stands (that we know of!), but as I mentioned back then, we still don't know if the nightmares are inherently tied to Pyramids originally or if the Pyramids are making them by using a resource they acquired from someone or somewhere. That's one of the things I hope we'll find out! Because it is absolutely possible that Nezarec did originate the nightmares and then distributed the source for that power to other Pyramid ships.

Looking back at the previous ask and all of this and the insisting on the "nightmare" and "dreams" stuff (which can be seen in the soundtrack names), it might be possible that they're attempting to consolidate certain aspects of the Darkness lore. It's definitely easier to tie a few things together and give us a banger raid than to leave it open. Cleaning up loose ends and all.

NO clue how this could possibly tie into what appears to be a beam of Light and plants overtaking a Pyramid and why the nightmares would be related and why Nezarec would be there and in what form. Like, there's definitely a ton of absolutely WILD shit going down in Lightfall and predicting anything is basically impossible so pretty much any theory might be right.

For all we know, he could even be in the form of an ally due to the Light beam perhaps? What got me re-thinking things is something I've noticed in the video Bungie posted about their process of making the soundtrack no less. So, in the vidoc (0:50-0:55) I saw this bit and noticed the statue with a scythe in the right side of the screen.

It intriguied me immediately because of the scythe, but you can't see much of it so there's no point thinking about it. But in the music video today? Immediately caught my attention because they showed more of it (at 4:50):

That's a whole ass creature. It looks less like a statue also. It looks kinda like a Tormentor? But not really: it has a head. At first I didn't want to bother with it more because there's literally no way to know, but then later all this stuff with the raid was revealed and it got me thinking now. Especially with your ask!

This is also presumably the Pyramid that gets hit by the beam, since we later see the cutscene with the Witness going through plants and there's a long corridor in the background which looks like this one. We have no clue what the beam actually does, but from looking at the raid image, it very clearly is in some way overtaking the Pyramid. Which is also the vibe I'm getting from the scene itself, as the plants are bursting in:

Anyway, I am losing my mind now with overthinking every single piece of footage. I would still love something new and wild in the raid, but honestly with how this stuff is set up, even Nezarec would be new and wild. Because like, how. Is this why the Witness wanted his body parts? But then again, it didn't get them because we stole them. But then again, they're on the HELM and we're heading into battle with it, unless we secured them somewhere before.

This raid image is absolutely wild to me. Nezarec could very well be a boss or a character. At least parts of him. Don't get super excited (I'm trying to keep not too excited), but at this point I simply have no clue. Well done Bungie, you have bamboozled me. For all we know, maybe the Traveler is a raid boss at this point (that's a joke. I hope).

I'll always mention something that I never see Nezarec fans mentioning and I talked about it in this post which is also your ask and also about Nezarec (😂). That he was known to the Hive, or at least to Sylok, as Nastareth, and worshipped through pain. Just for good measure.

Anyway, be prepared to be surprised as I have genuinely no idea what might be going on here or in Lightfall in general. We're truly in the wildest territory now. Forfeiting any predictions and theories and any strong opinions about what the raid will be about. It could genuinely be anything.

[chronicbitchsyndrome]

so: masking: good, unequivocally. please mask and please educate others on why they should mask to make the world safer for immune compromised people to participate in.

however: masking is not my policy focus and it shouldn't be yours, either. masking is a very good mitigation against droplet-born illnesses and a slightly less effective (but still very good) mitigation against airborne illnesses, but its place in the pyramid of mitigation demands is pretty low, for several reasons:

it's an individual mitigation, not a systemic one. the best mitigations to make public life more accessible affect everyone without distributing the majority of the effort among individuals (who may not be able to comply, may not have access to education on how to comply, or may be actively malicious).

it's a post-hoc mitigation, or to put it another way, it's a band-aid over the underlying problem. even if it was possible to enforce, universal masking still wouldn't address the underlying problem that it is dangerous for sick people and immune compromised people to be in the same public locations to begin with. this is a solvable problem! we have created the societal conditions for this problem!

here are my policy focuses:

upgraded air filtration and ventilation systems for all public buildings. appropriate ventilation should be just as bog-standard as appropriately clean running water. an indoor venue without a ventilation system capable of performing 5 complete air changes per hour should be like encountering a public restroom without any sinks or hand sanitizer stations whatsoever.

enforced paid sick leave for all employees until 3-5 days without symptoms. the vast majority of respiratory and food-borne illnesses circulate through industry sectors where employees come into work while experiencing symptoms. a taco bell worker should never be making food while experiencing strep throat symptoms, even without a strep diagnosis.

enforced virtual schooling options for sick students. the other vast majority of respiratory and food-borne illnesses circulate through schools. the proximity of so many kids and teenagers together indoors (with little to no proper ventilation and high levels of physical activity) means that if even one person comes to school sick, hundreds will be infected in the following few days. those students will most likely infect their parents as well. allowing students to complete all readings and coursework through sites like blackboard or compass while sick will cut down massively on disease transmission.

accessible testing for everyone. not just for COVID; if there's a test for any contagious illness capable of being performed outside of lab conditions, there should be a regulated option for performing that test at home (similar to COVID rapid tests). if a test can only be performed under lab conditions, there should be a government-subsidized program to provide free of charge testing to anyone who needs it, through urgent cares and pharmacies.

the last thing to note is that these things stack; upgraded ventilation systems in all public buildings mean that students and employees get sick less often to begin with, making it less burdensome for students and employees to be absent due to sickness, and making it more likely that sick individuals will choose to stay home themselves (since it's not so costly for them).

masking is great! keep masking! please use masking as a rhetorical "this is what we can do as individuals to make public life safer while we're pushing for drastic policy changes," and don't get complacent in either direction--don't assume that masking is all you need to do or an acceptable forever-solution, and equally, don't fall prey to thinking that pushing for policy change "makes up" for not masking in public. it's not a game with scores and sides; masking is a material thing you can do to help the individual people you interact with one by one, and policy changes are what's going to make the entirety of public life safer for all immune compromised people.

[1eoness]

CHANGE.

cw: re4remake leon... just a lil more rude than usual. covers very sensitive topics: theft and surrogate prostitution (not mentioned), SUPERRR NOT CANON.

nsfw cw: DUBCON i think? (always practice safe and consensual sex) (slight-enemy smut idfk) dom!re4remake leon kennedy x sub! fem/afab-reader. size kink, creampie?? spit kink?? squirting?? mild degradation, pet names, feminine terms... straight up porn tbh i dont even know BRUHH WTFI DONT EVEN KNOW THE THINGS I WRITE

[to clarify, i am a minor (17). anyone <17 and anyone >17 uncomfortable with interacting pls dni]

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ ♡ ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ ♡ ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

synopsis :

your job is simple. as long as you exploit and delude the men at the top of the social pyramid, ada sponsored you with her safety and training. though, your naivete made it easy for ada to convince you that you weren't just some dirty pawn stationed in a particular estate—which happens to be leon's next mission area.

when he encounters you to perform your arrest, leon prays to any god up there that he has the patience not to mess you over for turning into the person you've become today.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ ♡ ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ ♡ ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿

"— just listen to me, damn it!" leon scolded as he tugged onto the metal that strung your cuffed wrists together, cutting your retorts off with your abrupt grit of pain. your insistence of denying his chances without hearing him out made you more irritable than you already were. "you have no idea what you're carrying. you're gonna start a fucking epidemic if you take that anywhere near ada, you understand?"

it was understandable. you were carrying a formula. some unethical, potent 'opium' derived from a variant of the t-virus. freshly baked by some ex-umbrella geeks, it was marketed to be an effective drug, planned to be distributed to some sort of paramilitary in spain to modify their strength to inexplicable heights (which was proved to be false, yet some arrogant virologists insisted it had potential, so unethical 'scientists' wanted to get their hands on improving it). that's all you know about it, anyway.

leon's true nature behind his words rooted from the fact that he was fucking worried for you and it's not only because of the position that ada put you in right now. that enigmatic woman, treating you like some guinea pig and you couldn't even see it. it surprised leon that you were even alive.

leon knew you way before ada discovered you in that dark junction, before you dropped out of police academy without a word and went back to your old ways of 'getting through life'.

leon was your role model. he was the first one to make friends with you while you stood 'incompetent' in that academy.

but people dug their eyes in you because of your history. all it takes is a few facebook searches and some names for the other fellow cadets to define you using your past. and when the awareness rose to leon, he was the first one to defend you.

the eidetic memory of you; you were sat on a hall bench with his jacket hung loosely over your dropping shoulders, gripping an unopened water bottle that turned lukewarm. your fingers felt numb from the tremors of anxiety, and the broodingly saddened look in your eyes.

he was knelt in front of his dear friend, trying to reassure you that people can change, and you were already making those efforts. his thumbs held your palms when with a serious tone, encouraged you into promising him that you will never change; because you are a sweet girl and you never deserved to be shamed for something you thought was your survival. within this promise, he also promised you that as long as you kept your self-faith you will never go back to what you hated being. you should've seen how genuine his smile look when you chuckled sheepishly, the flush on your cheeks earning a double reasoning.

and now, it pained him more to realize that he regrets not making another promise, one he held back from saying that night. don't leave him.

a very selfish, unwarranted yet passionate part of him believes that you'd been so cruel to him, abandoning him like that. and now you want to leave again?

now you're being reprimanded by the cop who you looked at like he was a hero.

where was the bright cadet in those eyes, the one that looked up to him?

and it was just great of you to articulate further on how much he underestimated your stubbornness."i'm slowing you down. if it's not me (who will escort the sample), it's gonna be ada. you thought she was a one-man job? that you can somehow negotiate with her because you guys fucked once? my god, have you ever changed?-" out of being so naive? but the words don't follow because he knows you were going to say it.

leon's hand slid from your back to grip harshly at the back collar of your shirt, lifting your chest up from the table abruptly. he locked eyes with you, hidden tension bubbling the air like odorless toxins. he scoffs, and his low voice turned deliberate as he tried to spell the irony out for you. "ada. doesn't. work with people. she uses them, and you're not some 'special exception'."

and it's true, he knows it all too well..

"she uses... people like you." you were quick to correct him indignantly with a struggling breath. leon knew nothing about you and ada. ada was like a big sister to you. she taught you what you couldn't learn at police academy. she understood where you came from, and she knows the lowest moments in your life. but leon knew all of that too, didn't he?

"you know why?"

he scoffs. "enlighten me." and there was a subtle increase of tightness in his grip, eyes narrowing down at your bent-over body in anticipation.

"'cause you're a fuck up, kennedy."

upon hearing your quips, he thought maybe he should add a small noise of pain to it, because he flushed you further against the surface with a force that hinted irritation. he had enough of this pointless hissing. "listen, y'little bitch..." he gruffed with the mere frustration surging his voice. he's probably never addressed a woman like that, but oh, how people can shift within the span of their emotion. "you have the sample, now tell me where it is. and if you have it, then you know what to do."

leon wasn't confident that you had the item on you, knowing ada was most likely using you as a decoy. he didn't want to hurt you. even if you've looked like you've changed; to him, you haven't..

of course you were holding the "formula", leon was just dumb enough to think you actually had it on you. your eyes fluttered before you laughed emptily in heavy breaths, peeking over your shoulder whilst he did not let up on you. your torso was starting to fucking hurt. but so was your pride. "then come get it, rookie." you baited.

you ignited an internal burn he didn't even know he had. one that reached the peak of its abrasion.

"..fuck you." he growled inaudibly before you yelped, feet off the ground. and fuck ada, too.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ ♡ ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ ♡ ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿

if you were gonna keep acting like a brat, he was going to fuck you like one.

his hand came behind your head, locking your hair in a tight grip while you felt his tongue glide against yours in a messy kiss. an overwhelming amount of affectionate frustration surged as he propped you up firmer on that desk. he ate your whines as he tired your damp mouth out, the rising feeling of grudge-rooted sexual frustration pining somewhere inside him hotly.

"why do you hate me so much, mmm?" he gasped quietly for a breath, his hand letting go of your hair and holding both sides of your hips, hastily pulling your pants up mid-thigh. he needed to be inside you, he just needed it so bad..

"cause you're .. hhah.. y-you've become too cocky f'your own good, kennedy-" leon scoffs at the sight of you drooled up with the trails of mixed saliva. you're sure that's not you? you could've fooled him, you were fucking sopping—trails of your essence sticking to your underwear. it made him moan low in desperation. he wanted to lick it all up. "is that right.." he muttered with utter lack of amusement as his cold thumb glided over your fluids absentmindedly, spreading one fold apart slightly to get a better look. his eyes soften, breath hitching knowing it's gonna feel so good inside you.

"d-definitely too cocky!-" you insisted with a contrast whine that emitted from your sweet voice, expecting him to start off with letting you adjust to his tip first. but you're hopeless for thinking leon would ever go soft on you just because you only remember the "naive" version of him years ago. people change, right?

you were suddenly squirming when you felt him fill and thrust into you thickly, humbling your little cunny as it pulsated. dumb little bunny, leon thinks to himself, watching you start to fluster and retort weakly beneath him with your ankles on his shoulders.

his hand comes up to your head, smacking your cheek swiftly. "shut up. shut the fuck up." he growls, eyes narrowing mildly, holding your cheeks with one hand as he pried your little mouth open. his thoughts were so guiltily dirty, wondering how cute your throat would look filled with his cock. he'll have to try another time, though, wouldn't he? for now his ring and middle finger deliberately slide into your tongue, savoring the minor 'hhnnn' that lolled out of your sticky tongue as your eyes peered up at him glassily.

the words 'fuck me' were written all over your eyes when his gaze locks down to yours. and could he resist such a pretty baby?- why were you so pretty?

it's a shame that you made so much effort to treat him indifferently, calling him by his last name and all...

your vision felt cloudy given that you were full of leon. but you catch glimpse of the way he smirks at himself before he leans down much closer to your face, folding your legs over and not giving a fuck if it hurts. the simple shift in angle had you crying out as his tip grazed over the right spots.

he spits a string of saliva down into your forced-open mouth, hoping it would furtherly aid in getting you to shut up over something so trivial. "so fucking dirty..." his fingers gently traced your bottom lip while he whispers with mock-disgust, yet it's laced with affection- a twisted pair of feelings that has him needing you at incalculable rates.

his hands come down to the exposed flesh of your hips, fingers dipping into your skin as he holds you still on his girth. it felt even better when you could feel his bulging size rub up inside you hastily— the way he was fucking you fervently and not letting you get away. you're never fucking leaving his sight, or his mind.

"h-how's this for.. uhh-..nngh.. being cocky? huh?" he groaned roughly after stammering with the embers of his frustration. leon's frustrated that he can't speak without stammering, so he takes it out on you with punishing thrusts that have you sobbing louder, mending his ego by ruining yours. he's stripping your pride away with each push into your sweet spots.

you gave in, vulnerable as you started to blabber from the way you were getting your breath knocked up. "hnggghh.... ahh!-.. l-leon!~ n-not there!-"

"there it is.." he mutters to himself sweetly mid-fucking-you-full. you're finally talking to him properly, how cute.. "more, baby?" he taunts with a struggling moan but he doesn't let you react; the only reaction he wants is you reducing beneath him, proving it by his fingers bruising your skin as he rammed into you in a desperate pace. "ngghh uhh.. fuck-" he whines loudly, your hole squelching uncontrollably as he fucks the juices out of you with every sweet drag of his sensitive shaft.

you turn him so soft he hates you for it.. he has such a soft spot for you, doesn't he?

"fuuck, this pussy's.. so good.." his eyes were half-lidded, moaning adorably before whining about the fact that he's about to spill a load inside you. "f-fuck, 'so good, please- mnnnnghh- aahh!~" his voice wavered, still driving his cock into you as he breaks through his limits and makes himself whimper gently, tears softening his eyes.

oh but his poor baby, creaming around his shaft so quickly and relentlessly, only to continue being rutted into like a little toy ♡. he coats your sweet little hole with his cum, flooding and painting it all over as his tip poured deep inside of you with a thick, milky warmth that pooled on the varnished wood.

you weren't even speaking anymore, your words melting on your tongue. he doesn't understand a damn thing you're saying but he doesn't need you to speak, he just needs you to feel good.

"fuck... uhhhnn!~.. fuck me, please, baby.." he blathers before he found himself whining at the way your cunt pulsates, eyes teasing at you subtly while he holds your cheeks together in his domineering hand. he doesn't even pull out much, just shoving and grinding his girth into your creamed-up cunny and making you endure the crushing pleasure. his hands scramble to push against the back of your thighs, folding them to let him fully fill up into your already deflowered, milky vulva.

"n-no, g'nna- leon!" your mind goes into total shudder as your back arched, having him hold your hips in place as you started to gush all over his stuffy girth.

"ohh, mhmm.. that's it, sweet girl.." leon knows you feel good, seeing you cry flusteredly while he still thrusted in you to lengthen the feeling of you cumming. he tore at your pride, pulling out the vulnerable version of yourself he hasn't seen in a long time. especially when you reach up for him like you wanted a hug. that did it for him.

he leans down to pick you up, your legs dangle tiredly around his waist. he's sorry to whoever's bed it was that he laid you down on. he whimpered softly into the fabric of your shoulder while trying to regain his stability. you could faintly feel him pepper tame, short kisses on it mindlessly.

he nuzzles into your skin. "you wanna be a good girl f'me?" he murmurs into your neck breathily.

"mhmm.."

"then get on your knees." leon lets go from holding you—letting you scramble onto all fours.

he stuffs himself back inside your sensitive hole like he's aching for it, making you wail with struggle. with your legs aimlessly sprawled on either side of him, he makes sure you don't stray from him by holding your hips again. the flesh spilling between his fingers as he pulls you closer like he's scared you'll run away. his hips move irrationally, wanting to make sure he's hitting it good, all the right spots again, just for his baby. he's so sensitive it starts to throb, masochistic urges as he overstimulates himself ceaselessly.

"hhhngh... you can't just.. come around- and then leave- like it's nothing!-" leon babbled whiningly between his forceful thrusts, his pace increasing with incessant speed. you could feel his fingers nimbly moving through your scalp, leon's hand holding the back of your head down onto the fluff surface where your cute little cries of pleasure went in vain.

you couldn't take it but leon made you, his constant rutting inside you even after cumming doesn't pause. he's suffocating this way but he doesn't even care. he's so loud behind you, fucking into your messy cunt like it hurts real good.

his attention is divulged slightly when he sees a little glow on the pocket of your shirt. how didn't he spot that? his hand snakes over your breast, fingertips swiftly snagging the high-tech vial and shoving it somewhere in his remaining clothing.

you yelped. ada was going to kill you. "h-hey!-" he notices you trying to look behind you but his hand is quicker, turning your head forwards with a gentle grip of his hand. he muffled your face into the sheets with the force of his hand holding your head, and he snaps his hips faster just to have you all adorable and crying for him again. "y'c-can't take tha-" oh, but what were you going to do about it?

he starts deliberately making up mistranslations of what you wanted to say. "mm, what's that, sweet girl? you want more?... oh, i know, baby, oh shh.. i got'chu, you're so good, huh? uhhuh.." he encouraged amidst fucking you back into a state of distraction, a hazy smile to himself while he considers his mission accomplished.

[wht-am-i-doin]

Driver's Ranked by Year

Ok, this is going to be a long one because I don't want to spam, so everybody buckle up

Disclaimer: This is not my personal ranking of the ships, this is purely based on how I view the historical event that takes place in the year that the numbers make up. I will happily further explain any of the events, my analysis of the events with the ship, and why I ranked them that way if anybody is interested. I tried to get a variety, but I am better with western history so there is more of skew towards western history. I have used both CE and BCE years to create more variety. As with everything with RPF, I do not believe any of these drivers are together and this is all in good fun, if you don't want to view it as ships view them as teammates! All images are pulled from google.

okie dokie here we go, Hope you enjoy!!

*means that it is in the area of that time period and do not have exact date or may occur over multiple years

1. Maxiel - 31 BCE

Jesus was crucified in 31 BCE

2. Simi - 75 BCE

Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and demanded a higher ransom in order to be saved

3. Lestappen - 1633 CE

Galileo was convicted of Heresy for saying the earth goes around the sun

4. Brocedes - 644 CE

Zenkoji temple is built by Empress Kogyoku

5. Zhou + Mick - *4724 BCE

Earliest form of photo-writing in history

6. Yukierre - ~2210 BCE

Hale Bopp comet is seen and won't be seen again until 1997 CE, about 4,000 years later

7. Landoscar - ~814 BCE

Homer was born

8. Fernando + Esteban - 1431 CE

Joan of Arc is burned at the stake

9. Zhou + Valtteri - ~7724 BCE

Tollmann's hypothetical bolide which led to global cataclysm, i.e. the great flood

10. Loscar - ~812 BCE

Olmecs began to build their pyramids, earliest pyramids from mesoamerica

11. Lewis + Charles - 1644 CE

one of eight years to contain each roman numeral once- MDCLXIV

12. Oscar + Zhou - ~2481 BCE

Construction of Stonehenge

13. Esteban + Pierre - ~3110 BCE

Narmer reigns and unifies Egypt for the first time

14. Carlos + Max - 551 BCE

Confucius was born

15. Sewis - 544 BCE

Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War, was born

16. Esteban + Lance - 1831 CE

Victor Hugo publishes the Hunchback of Notre Dame in Paris

17. George + Lewis - ~6344 BCE

Great Britain and Ireland separated from the main land and became Islands

18. Oscar + Max - 181 CE

Lake Taupo Volcano erupts in New Zealand and is seen in both China and Rome

19. Max + Lewis - 441 BCE

Sophocles writes Antigone, one of the first greek tragedies

20. Lewis + Valtteri - ~7744 BCE

Agriculture starts to develop in the Americas

21. Fernando + Lance - 1814 CE

The Great Stock exchange fraud is exposed in London

22. Logan + Alex - 232 BCE

Gaius Flaminius distributes land to Plebians after the Punic Wars in the North

23. Lando + Daniel - 43 CE

Roman conquest of Britain

24. Lando + Max - 41 BCE

Mark Antony meets Cleopatra VII

25. Charles + Pierre - 1610 CE

Tragedy of Macbeth's first performance

26. Nico + Kevin - ~2027 BCE

The Epic of Gilgamesh is written

27. Galex - ~2363 BCE

Hekla 4 eruption with a VEI 5, explosive eruptions, but nobody was hurt

28. Charles + Lando - 164 BCE

Halley's Comet makes its appearance, occurs once every 75 years

29. Checo + Max - 111 BCE

Spartacus was born

30. George + Lando - 634 CE

The Siege of Damascus

31. Carlando - 455 CE

King Generic sacks Rome

32. Charles + Carlos - 1655 CE

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered

33. Charles + Sebastian - 165 CE

Antonine plague decimated the Roman Empire and China

[talonabraxas]

“In each of us there is another whom we do not know. He speaks to us in dreams and tells us how differently he sees us from the way we see ourselves.” — Carl Jung

Pyramid of Ascension Talon Abraxas

The pyramids are not only architectural marvels but also repositories of deep mathematical and geometric knowledge that continue to intrigue us. One fascinating aspect is how the ratios of 3/4 and 3/1 appear to be embedded within their design and proportions.

3/4 and the Pyramid's Proportions

When studying the pyramids, particularly the Great Pyramid of Giza, we find that the ratio of 3/4 can be observed in various ways. For instance, if you consider the pyramid's height and the length of the base's side, you might discover that the side length of the base relates to the pyramid's height in a 3/4 ratio. The interesting thing about this ratio is that when you divide 3 by 4, it results in an exact division without decimals, indicating a precise and intentional design. This relationship reflects a harmony that recurs in nature and mathematics, where ratios often represent the balance between different elements.

3/1 and the Pyramid's Angles

Similarly, the 3/1 ratio can be found in the pyramid's angles and the height relative to certain other dimensions. The 3/1 ratio, for example, can be observed in the relationship between the pyramid's total height and the height at which the sloping surface intersects an imagined horizontal line inside the structure. This relationship may also reflect certain geometric principles regarding the distribution of forces and the stability of the structure.

Pi and the Secrets of the Pyramids

Beyond these proportions, it's also noteworthy that the number π (Pi) is often associated with the design of the pyramids. Several researchers and theorists have pointed out that if you divide the pyramid's perimeter by its height, you obtain a number very close to 2π. This suggests that the ancient Egyptians might have understood and utilized this irrational number long before it was formally defined, making the pyramids possible sources for our modern understanding of π.

The Symbolism of Thirds

The exactness and observability of both 3/4 and 3/1 ratios in the pyramids suggest that the ancient Egyptians had a profound understanding of these proportions and their significance. The numbers three and four, as well as their combinations, hold symbolic meaning in many cultures, and their precise divisibility could reflect an awareness of how these relationships function in both practical and spiritual contexts.

Thus, the pyramids are not just masterpieces of engineering but also manifestations of a deep mathematical and geometric understanding. The ratios of 3/4 and 3/1, along with the mysterious number π, are examples of how these ancient monuments can be seen as encoded representations of universal truths, continuing to influence our understanding of mathematics and architecture even today.

[dont-blink63]

So, I had a little rewatch of Pyramids of Mars because it’s been a minute since the last time and here’s what I believe transpired with Sutekh.

At the end of the episode, he’s trapped in a time corridor that the Doctor sends into the future to essentially speed through the remainder of his lifespan. Because the Doctor chose to destroy Sutekh in this way, there is a 7,000 year time period where Sutekh is trapped and still alive.

Now, let’s say that invoking superstition at the end of the universe broke that time corridor, Sutekh would be set free and because the eye of Horus was destroyed, there’s nothing left to hold Sutekh back.

That also could be how he was able to distribute Susan throughout the Doctor’s timeline.

And it makes sense that if Sutekh was released, he would immediately hunt down the Doctor because as far as he knows, the Doctor is the only one who had the power to kill him.

What I can’t decide is whether Mrs. Flood was already a servant of Sutekh before Ruby and the Doctor met or if he took over her mind to get close to the Doctor.

[tepot]

Of course, museums do not produce art; neither do they distribute art. They sacralize it. It’s important to underline the connection between property and the sacred. To sacralize is to exclude; it’s to set something apart from the world, whether because it is sacred to an individual (“private property”) or sacred to something more abstract (“art,” “God,” “humanity,” “the nation”). Any revolutionary regime changes existing forms of property, and the organization or reorganization of museums plays a crucial role in this process, since the forms of property that exist within museums represent the summit of the pyramid. They are the ultimate wealth that police protect, and that the industrious poor can only see on weekends.

Virtually all museums today operate in a way that produces and maintains hierarchy. By archiving, cataloging, and reorganizing the museum’s space, they draw a line between “museum” quality and “non-museum” quality objects. But there is no ultimate contradiction between commoditized art and art considered inalienable and not to be sold, because they are simply two variations of the sacred as radical exclusion. The fact that these objects are surrounded by armed security and high-tech surveillance simply serves to underline to any visitor how much their own creative acts (songs, jokes, hobbies, diary entries, care for loved ones, and precious mementos) are of no particular significance, and therefore, that visitor will need to return to their non-museum life and continue to carry on their “non-inessential” job producing and maintaining the structure of relations that makes museums possible. Much like the cathedrals they were meant to replace, museums are there to teach one one’s place.

In the same way, the art world—as the apparatus for the production of objects, performances, or ideas that might someday merit being sacralized— is based on the artificial creation of scarcity. In the way that police guarantee material poverty, the existence of the art world—in its current form—could be said to guarantee spiritual poverty. What, then, would an abolitionist project directed at the art world actually look like?

David Graeber and Nika Dubrovsky, "Another Art World, Part 3: Policing and Symbolic Order" (2020)

[reality-detective]

💥💰 Revealed: The Secret Empire of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Morgans 💰💥

Prepare to uncover the shocking truth about the world's most influential families and their iron grip on the global economy. The Federal Reserve Cartel, comprised of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Morgans, holds unparalleled power that extends far beyond the realm of oil.

Picture this: The Four Horsemen of Banking, including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, join forces with the Four Horsemen of Oil, such as Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, BP, and Chevron Texaco. But their domination doesn't stop there. They have extended their reach to encompass the music industry through an intricate network of private banks. These behemoths, along with Deutsche Bank, BNP, Barclays, and other European old money giants, control the strings of the music industry, enabling them to dictate its direction and influence.

The nefarious deeds of the Rockefeller dynasty are far-reaching, starting with their military-commercialization of music in the early 1900s. They orchestrated a diabolical plan to shift the world's standard tuning of music to 440 pitch. This insidious frequency was known to provoke greater aggression, psychosocial agitation, emotional distress, and even physical illnesses. Behind the scenes, this manipulation led to financial gains for those complicit in the monopoly, including agents, agencies, and companies connected to the North American Rockefeller crime cartel and elite organizations.

Fast forward to the late 1980s, when the Rockefellers summoned the top music executives and talent to a highly secretive meeting in Los Angeles. Their sinister agenda? To usher in the era of Controlled Rap Music, tightly linked to the privatization of U.S. prisons. These privately owned prisons, operated by the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Bush family, and other influential figures, served as money laundering operations, tax exemption schemes, and pyramid scheme operations.

The Rockefellers devised a cunning plan to control the rap industry and target black communities by promoting violent music that fueled oppression and civil unrest. They brought together top executives and leading black artists, binding them with confidentiality agreements. Their objective was clear: coordinate the violence within the rap music movement, while major record labels gained exclusive rights for production and distribution across the United States. As a reward, they would receive shares and points within the private prison systems.

The Masonic plan unfolded with precision, resulting in over 1,500 private prison systems housing more than 1 million black teenagers by 1990. These vulnerable youths, expressing the generational trauma imposed upon them, unknowingly contributed to the Rockefellers' malevolent scheme. The private prison systems reaped billions annually from the government, creating a vast money laundering network through inflated products, such as ramen noodles priced 8 times higher than their actual value. The flow of hundreds of billions from government funding, pyramid schemes, and insurance companies transformed the privatization of prisons into a multi-trillion-dollar venture.

Local courts and judges mercilessly sentenced petty criminals and first-time offenders, filling the ever-expanding private prisons. As a result, the United States now holds the dubious record for the highest number of incarcerated individuals in the world, with an unprecedented number of prisons. This was not an accident—it was a meticulously orchestrated plan by the Rockefellers.

But their influence doesn't end there. These silent thieves also manipulate elections, ensuring their grip on power remains unbroken.

Unmasking the true face of those who control the world, the Rothschilds and Rockefellers find themselves in the crosshairs of military alliance operations aimed at dismantling the Rothschilds' deep state power in Europe, the UK, Russia, and China.

Are you connecting the DOTS? 🤔

[phoenixyfriend]

Ko-Fi prompt from @kayasurin:

Economy topic - Trickle Down Economics, why they work/don't work

HI it's been two months since I got this prompt, so. Sorry about that. been a lot going on in my personal life, so let's hope this makes up for the wait.

(To anyone who was considering doing a ko-fi prompt... I promise to get to them, but I cannot promise a reasonable time frame, sorry.)

So, Trickle-down economics, and if they work.

Short answer: They absolutely don't.

Longer answer that you actually paid for:

Trickle-down is basically a propaganda-driven hustle that rich people run against the working class. It's an economic theory that is known to not function, but since it serves the people up top to keep pushing it, we still have to deal with people pretending it's a real thing.

The basic concept of it is that if the capitalists at the top are allowed to retain more money (less taxes), then that money will naturally find its way lower down the pyramid through natural market forces. If a wealthy individual is allowed to keep an extra 50% of their marginal income, then the bulk of that 50% will go into their businesses, reinvested to generate more wealth by purchasing new equipment, running R&D, and paying more money to more workers. By not paying the taxes, they wealthiest classes can direct their money as they see fit, so really they don't end up with any more money than they would have if they paid their taxes!

As you can guess, this is not what actually happens in almost every possible application of the theory.

First, let's address the concept of marginal tax rates. They get a lot of hate, but I find this infographic explains the reality best:

(source: This post, but originally from Kasia Babis on The Nib/@thenib)

To summarize for those using a screen reader:

Let's say you earn 50k every year, and we're not going to bother with currency, because this is a simplified explanation. In this scenario, there is a national/federal income tax of approximately 20%. With that, you give 10k to the government, and retain 40k for your own purposes.

You have a neighbor who makes 500k every year. In this hypothetical, a marginal tax rate applies to earnings over 100k. The marginal tax rate is 70%. What does that mean for your neighbor?

They pay 20% on the 100k, which is 20k. Then they pay 70% on the remaining 400k, which is 280k. Combining the base tax and marginal, they are taxed 300k. At the end of the day, they are left with 200k. The total tax on their income is 60%. If you're following along, you can tell that regardless of the final percentage, anyone that the marginal tax applies to is always going to get to keep at least 80k, the amount left of the pay that is taxed at the base rate.

The more you earn, the more you are taxed. Again, this is super simplified, but this is the most basic way marginal taxation works. (Tax brackets are related but not entirely the same thing.)

With a marginal tax, exorbitant wealth is curtailed by forcing that wealth back into the system. The understanding is that nobody can actually perform hundreds of times more labor than their lowest-paid worker, and so all that surplus income was in some way not distributed properly. They get to keep enough to live on, quite comfortably, but not all of it.

There may be some companies that are willing to cap their highest wages in relation to their lowest, but those are far and few between. There's a reason the average ratio of CEO to entry level worker in the US is nearly 400:1... up from 1965's 20:1. (source)

Trickle-down theorizes that, if allowed to keep that exorbitant wealth, the Capitalists will distribute that wealth back to their workers or reinvest it into productive enterprise, and do so in response to market forces or out of fear of a return of the marginal tax.

This is not what happens, basically ever. People do not earn that much money if they are already paying a living wage and distributing wealth properly. You cannot get exorbitantly wealthy through anything other than wage theft, system abuse, or capital-based market manipulation (see: hedge funds, housing market).

I suppose you could inherit the money, or win the lottery, but the latter is actually taxed higher than the former, believe it or not. The United States federal government doesn't have an inheritance tax, and most states also don't. There might be various legal fees and such, but not any actual taxes.

Where we end up is that those taxes the rich don't have to pay go instead towards 'passive income' schemes and market manipulation like the housing market.

(That is an entire separate rant, but yeah, most of the housing market at that income bracket is, to some degree, deliberately manipulated by those involved in it. We are all 100% watching for that bubble burst that is inevitably heading our way.)

The wealth does not trickle down to the workers. It is guided by those who have it, and they are significantly more likely to put it in foreign bank accounts, liquid assets, and real estate that they hope will gain value for a capital gain at sale.

Trickle-down economics relies on the goodwill of the wealthy, but almost nobody gets that wealthy by having goodwill to spare.

(Prompt me on ko-fi!)

[dailypolyhedra]

Polyhedron of the Day #76: Square orthobicupola

The square orthobicupola is a Johnson solid (J28). It has 18 faces, 32 edges, and 16 vertices. It is constructed by attaching two square cupolae at their bases, with like faces adjacent to one another. This shape forms space-filling honeycombs with a host of other polyhedra, including tetrahedra, cubes and cuboctahedra, square pyramids, and others. Its Bowers style acronym is squobcu. Its dual is the deltotrapezohedral hexadecahedron.

Square orthobicupola image created by AndrewKepert using Cyp's povray macros, distributed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Square orthobicupola image created using Robert Webb's Stella 4D software (https://www.software3d.com/Stella.php).

[bandzboy]

it’s boggling my mind that instead of putting this drama on a streaming platform or distributing it somewhere they put on app that is powered by nfts and that has a mlm/pyramid scheme type system in it like this company never seizes to amaze me in the worst ways

[shamandrummer]

Archaeoacoustics: The Archaeology of Sound

Archaeoacoustics, a burgeoning field within archaeology, combines the study of ancient sites and artifacts with the science of sound. By examining how sound was used and experienced in historical contexts, researchers can gain unique insights into the lives, cultures, and environments of ancient peoples. This post will delve into the principles of archaeoacoustics, its methodologies, significant findings, and the implications of these discoveries for our understanding of history.

What is Archaeoacoustics?

Archaeoacoustics is the interdisciplinary study that merges archaeology, acoustics, and sometimes anthropology, to understand the role of sound in past human activities. This field investigates how ancient peoples produced, manipulated, and perceived sound, whether in rituals, communication, or daily life. By reconstructing these soundscapes, archaeoacoustics offers a sensory dimension to historical inquiry, enriching our interpretation of archaeological sites and artifacts.

Methodologies in Archaeoacoustics

Acoustic Measurements and Simulations

One of the primary methods in archaeoacoustics involves acoustic measurements and simulations. Researchers use modern technology to analyze the acoustics of ancient structures such as theaters, temples, and caves. Tools like sound level meters, directional microphones, and computer simulations help in understanding how sound behaves in these environments. By measuring reverberation times, frequency responses, and sound distribution, archaeologists can infer the acoustic properties and possible uses of these spaces.

Sound Mapping

Sound mapping is another critical technique, where the distribution of sound within a particular area is documented. This involves creating detailed maps that illustrate how sound travels and is experienced at different locations within a site. These maps can reveal areas of optimal acoustics that may have been used for specific activities, such as speech, music, or ritual practices.

Experimental Archaeology

Experimental archaeology also plays a role in archaeoacoustics. By recreating ancient instruments or sound-producing devices, researchers can explore how these tools might have been used and what kind of sounds they produced. This hands-on approach provides tangible insights into the auditory experiences of ancient peoples.

Significant Discoveries in Archaeoacoustics

The Acoustics of Stonehenge

One of the most fascinating studies in archaeoacoustics involves Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in England. Researchers have used acoustic modeling to understand how sound would have behaved within this stone circle. Findings suggest that the stones could have amplified speech and musical sounds, creating an immersive auditory experience. This has led to speculation that Stonehenge may have been used for rituals or gatherings where sound played a crucial role.

The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni

The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni in Malta, an underground temple complex, is another site of interest. Acoustic studies have shown that certain chambers within the Hypogeum have unique resonance frequencies that enhance the human voice. This has led researchers to believe that the temple may have been designed with acoustic properties in mind, possibly for chanting or other vocal rituals.

Chavin de Huantar

At the ancient site of Chavin de Huantar in Peru, archaeoacoustics has revealed that the temple complex was built with sophisticated sound manipulation in mind. Researchers discovered that the architecture of the site, including its network of tunnels and chambers, could have been used to create disorienting and awe-inspiring auditory effects during religious ceremonies. The use of conch shell trumpets and other sound devices would have added to these effects, enhancing the spiritual and psychological impact on participants.

The Maya Pyramid of Kukulkan

At the Maya ceremonial center of Chichen Itza in Mexico, an incredible acoustic phenomenon can be heard at the Pyramid of Kukulkan. If you clap your hands directly in front of the pyramid's main staircase, it echoes back an almost mechanical bird-like chirping sound. Handclaps from different positions along the base of the staircase likewise trigger the echo, but with different musical tones spanning half an octave. Recordings of the hand-clap echoes match the chirp of the nearly extinct Quetzal, the sacred bird associated with both the name of the pyramid and its plumed serpent deity Kukulkan.

The Maya Ruins of Palenque

Archaeologists discovered that the temples and public squares in Palenque, Mexico could clearly project the sounds of a human speaker and musical instruments of the time across at least a hundred meters, or about the length of a football field. The investigation identified rooms that could have been used by musicians, speakers or priests to amplify the frequency, quality and volume of sound, allowing the music or the message to travel further and reach more people. The findings strongly suggest the design and structures at Palenque involved a great deal of knowledge about acoustics and the behavior of sound.

Implications and Insights

Understanding Rituals and Ceremonies

Archaeoacoustics provides valuable insights into the rituals and ceremonies of ancient cultures. By reconstructing the soundscapes of these events, researchers can better understand the sensory experiences of participants and the role of sound in these practices. This can shed light on the spiritual and cultural significance of sound in ancient societies.

Reinterpreting Archaeological Sites

The study of sound can lead to new interpretations of archaeological sites. Structures that were previously thought to serve purely functional purposes may be re-evaluated in light of their acoustic properties. For example, a room that was assumed to be a storage area might be reconsidered as a space for ritual chanting if it has unique acoustic characteristics.

Enhancing Public Engagement

Archaeoacoustics also has the potential to enhance public engagement with archaeology. By recreating the sounds of the past, museums and heritage sites can offer immersive experiences that bring history to life. This sensory approach can make historical sites more accessible and engaging for visitors, fostering a deeper connection with the past.

Conclusion

Archaeoacoustics offers a fascinating and innovative approach to the study of ancient cultures. By exploring the acoustic properties of archaeological sites and artifacts, researchers can uncover new dimensions of historical experience and gain deeper insights into the lives of ancient peoples. Despite its challenges, the field holds great promise for enhancing our understanding of the past and engaging the public with history in new and exciting ways. As technology advances and interdisciplinary collaboration continues, the future of archaeoacoustics looks both promising and intriguing, inviting us to listen to the echoes of history in ever more profound ways.

[fantasyfantasygames]

Amazons

Amazons, Warrior Women Games, 2006

As one would expect, you play Amazons in this game - women from out of Greek myth.* You're warriors, hunters, scouts, sailors, and sages. There's only one supernatural power involved (which I'll get into later), so no witches or demigods or anything.

Your characters are defined by a fairly standard set of attributes and skills - Strength, Agility, Wisdom, Spear, Archery, Stealth, etc. All of them are done with a pyramidal cost scheme. As a result, it's easy to build a group where your characters overlap too much. It costs the same number of points to buy a 10-point skill (rolling 1d10x10) as it does to buy two skills at 8 and 6 (1d10x8 and 1d10x6), and the 8 and 6 are generally high enough to hit the typical target numbers. I think what I'm trying to say is that the game could really use a better approach to handling character archetypes, both for flavor purposes and for niche protection.

As mentioned, the game uses multiplication, which you'll either be fine with or will really bother you. Since it's dice-times-stat instead of dice-times-dice, the probability distribution is fairly flat, and you don't have weird statistics stuff going on. You do get margin-of-success effects from rolling higher, but you don't actually have to do two-digit subtraction. Instead, you get one "rank" of success for every point by which the tens place in your result is higher than the tens in your opponent's result. You roll a 25 and they have a 48? They have a rank-2 success. Same if you roll a 28 and they have a 40. Ranks get you damage, but also duration and effectiveness for other types of roll. It's a little weird at low values - a 12 and an 18 get you a tie even though one is 50% higher than the other - but it works well for higher values.

The particularly cool part of the game is that you play in two time periods simultaneously: ancient Greece and modern-day Athens. Your characters went "through" the Oracle at Delphi (is that how that works??) and are experiencing parallel events. When they run into a businessman in the modern day, they meet a merchant in ancient Greece. A Spartan warrior might become a rich but violent criminal. They see both things happening at once, and the GM is encouraged to mix the two in their descriptions. Philosophers arguing in the shadow of concrete and steel. Ocean liners passing by sailing vessels. It's an interesting conceit, and it gives you some cool ways to solve problems in one time by approaching them i the other.

Typical antagonists are "cruel people in positions of power" - slavers, price-gouging traders, sadistic princes, petty senators, etc. Several examples are statted up, along with their entourages. There isn't much discussion of what the backlash is going to be from your characters going after those people and their well-trained bodyguards. Like a lot of this game, the surface level is presented and any implications are left to the GM and their table.

As we leave this review, it may be interesting to know that Warrior Women Games was two cis men in their twenties. The game is written with respect, but without personal experience. There's no major misogyny here, no particular fetishization or anti-feminist rhetoric involved. There's also no real punch to the fact that you're actually playing women. On the one hand - awesome! The game treats your women characters just like it would treat men characters. Straight-up equality. On the other hand, there's a missed opportunity to dig into how your ancient women experience the modern world. There's no discussion of what has changed and what has not since the (admittedly fictional*) time of the Amazons. I think a game written by someone able to delve into that experience more might be more compelling. But I'll at least give it credit for not having fallen into a number of traps that plague other men-written-women-centric games. You're not going to cringe reading this.

*Edit to add, March 2024: Maybe the Amazons are not as fictional as I thought! https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/mar/24/truth-behind-the-myths-amazon-warrior-women-of-greek-legend-may-really-have-existed

[therealvinelle]

When the dome happens to the Volterra, do the vampires make and efforr to "politick" with human leaders and set up a functioning self-government? Or does Caius finally get to be barbarian king and reinstate arena death matches

(Anon is referring to this post.)

I imagine the human leaders are quickly stripped of rank, as the point of Aro taking charge of Volterra is that he won't allocate human resources to himself.

The governing that happens in Volterra is resource distribution, which Aro will want to optimise in terms of human survival (the women below forty-five and the children are the priority, second tier is the healthy men, third and food tier falls to the seniors and the sick), policing (if the humans hurt one another, try to game the system, or god forbid kill one another it hurts the entire city and Aro can't tolerate any of it), and city maintenance (someone has to put new shingle on the rooftops).

Then there's the public relations, which will be "HAVE KIDS EVERYBODY. FILL THE STREETS WITH CHILDREN! (but not past the sustainability threshold or we won't be able to feed them all. There is a chart for how many children are expected per year, please consult with it before having sex and come to your vampire overlords if you have any questions.)"

In other words, the work that will need doing in Volterra will be best done by vampires, and the humans get to enjoy a strange post-capitalist society where there is no need to work but the price they pay is that they must reproduce constantly and the population pyramid looks like a pyramid.

[nateconnolly]

As a direct result of large language models, over the next decade we'll see more "literary" thrillers and detective novels in American publishing solely because those genres emphasize twists, foreshadowing, and extremely specific character motivations--the tropes that AI storytelling (currently) struggles with the most. They also require internal consistency, something AI can't pull off in longer stories.

There have been some prestige thriller/mysteries (No Country for Old Men, The Goldfinch, The Yiddish Policeman's Union) but they're rare, and even those examples tend to get a lot of flak. Every single review I've ever read of Yiddish Policeman's Union points out how bizarre it is for someone with an MFA to write *clutches pearls* A Detective Story???

Many, many writers have had successful careers in these genres within this century (Sue Grafton, Stephen King), but they aren't regarded as "serious" by the American "literary" community. Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Umberto Eco tend to be regarded as "serious," but they also tend to be regarded as "dead."

If my tone hasn't already made it clear, I'm not invested in the pyramid of aesthetic values that puts "genre" on the bottom, "prestige genre" in the middle, and "literary" on the top. I don't even regard it as a series of legitimate distinctions.

But I do think it's worth paying attention to this model because it directly influences journals, small presses, MFA programs, and big publishers. The "literary" community has a stranglehold on our world of small independent publishing for short stories/essays, and it's Very difficult to attract a large publisher with a wide distribution network without a few publications in small journals. I'm not saying you can't attain popularity or financial success without kowtowing to these institutions, but it's certainly harder to make a living without their support (not that it's easy to make a living as a writer WITH their support, but that's a different post).

And I really do think their aesthetic values will rapidly shift to prioritize things that AI can't do well. Especially among the types that want to be seen as prestigious. I'm not saying that today's hard genre writers are less financially or emotionally affected by AI competition, but by and large they seem less... insecure. And I think the "literary" community will deal with that insecurity by flaunting skills that AI doesn't have.

Now, obviously, there's a huge difference between a book that's just generated by AI vs. a book that AI generates but which a human then edits. I do think an AI could conceivably provide a sound basis for a detective story that a human might then shape into something with hard-hitting twists. But I'm also not sure anti-AI reactionaries will agree with me on that. The prevailing sentiment seems to be that anything AI breathes on is both permanently and obviously tainted. Reminds me a lot of people who think it's 100% of the time easy to detect "fanfiction with the serial numbers scraped off".

(Please note I have never once said in this post AI is cool, good, or ethical. If you want those opinions come back with a warrant.)

Anyways, if you're an indie author, small press, or journal that publishes "genre" (prestige or otherwise), please feel free to hijack this post for self-promotion. There's a 99% chance I'll reblog.