#all of the possible applications of abilities make me go !!

[silverislander]

idk if it's genuine excitement or the energy drink i had earlier that's actually letting me focus and work but dude. i am CRUSHING this essay. this is Fun To Write. i think i'm actually doing a really good job here. wtf. i love my major man

[mostlysignssomeportents]

AI’s “human in the loop” isn’t

I'll be in TUCSON, AZ from November 8-10: I'm the GUEST OF HONOR at the TUSCON SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION.

AI's ability to make – or assist with – important decisions is fraught: on the one hand, AI can often classify things very well, at a speed and scale that outstrips the ability of any reasonably resourced group of humans. On the other hand, AI is sometimes very wrong, in ways that can be terribly harmful.

Bureaucracies and the AI pitchmen who hope to sell them algorithms are very excited about the cost-savings they could realize if algorithms could be turned loose on thorny, labor-intensive processes. Some of these are relatively low-stakes and make for an easy call: Brewster Kahle recently told me about the Internet Archive's project to scan a ton of journals on microfiche they bought as a library discard. It's pretty easy to have a high-res scanner auto-detect the positions of each page on the fiche and to run the text through OCR, but a human would still need to go through all those pages, marking the first and last page of each journal and identifying the table of contents and indexing it to the scanned pages. This is something AI apparently does very well, and instead of scrolling through endless pages, the Archive's human operator now just checks whether the first/last/index pages the AI identified are the right ones. A project that could have taken years is being tackled with never-seen swiftness.

The operator checking those fiche indices is something AI people like to call a "human in the loop" – a human operator who assesses each judgment made by the AI and overrides it should the AI have made a mistake. "Humans in the loop" present a tantalizing solution to algorithmic misfires, bias, and unexpected errors, and so "we'll put a human in the loop" is the cure-all response to any objection to putting an imperfect AI in charge of a high-stakes application.

But it's not just AIs that are imperfect. Humans are wildly imperfect, and one thing they turn out to be very bad at is supervising AIs. In a 2022 paper for Computer Law & Security Review, the mathematician and public policy expert Ben Green investigates the empirical limits on human oversight of algorithms:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3921216

Green situates public sector algorithms as the latest salvo in an age-old battle in public enforcement. Bureaucracies have two conflicting, irreconcilable imperatives: on the one hand, they want to be fair, and treat everyone the same. On the other hand, they want to exercise discretion, and take account of individual circumstances when administering justice. There's no way to do both of these things at the same time, obviously.

But algorithmic decision tools, overseen by humans, seem to hold out the possibility of doing the impossible and having both objective fairness and subjective discretion. Because it is grounded in computable mathematics, an algorithm is said to be "objective": given two equivalent reports of a parent who may be neglectful, the algorithm will make the same recommendation as to whether to take their children away. But because those recommendations are then reviewed by a human in the loop, there's a chance to take account of special circumstances that the algorithm missed. Finally, a cake that can be both had, and eaten!

For the paper, Green reviewed a long list of policies – local, national, and supra-national – for putting humans in the loop and found several common ways of mandating human oversight of AI.

First, policies specify that algorithms must have human oversight. Many jurisdictions set out long lists of decisions that must be reviewed by human beings, banning "fire and forget" systems that chug along in the background, blithely making consequential decisions without anyone ever reviewing them.

Second, policies specify that humans can exercise discretion when they override the AI. They aren't just there to catch instances in which the AI misinterprets a rule, but rather to apply human judgment to the rules' applications.

Next, policies require human oversight to be "meaningful" – to be more than a rubber stamp. For high-stakes decisions, a human has to do a thorough review of the AI's inputs and output before greenlighting it.

Finally, policies specify that humans can override the AI. This is key: we've all encountered instances in which "computer says no" and the hapless person operating the computer just shrugs their shoulders apologetically. Nothing I can do, sorry!

All of this sounds good, but unfortunately, it doesn't work. The question of how humans in the loop actually behave has been thoroughly studied, published in peer-reviewed, reputable journals, and replicated by other researchers. The measures for using humans to prevent algorithmic harms represent theories, and those theories are testable, and they have been tested, and they are wrong.

For example, people (including experts) are highly susceptible to "automation bias." They defer to automated systems, even when those systems produce outputs that conflict with their own expert experience and knowledge. A study of London cops found that they "overwhelmingly overestimated the credibility" of facial recognition and assessed its accuracy at 300% better than its actual performance.

Experts who are put in charge of overseeing an automated system get out of practice, because they no longer engage in the routine steps that lead up to the conclusion. Presented with conclusions, rather than problems to solve, experts lose the facility and familiarity with how all the factors that need to be weighed to produce a conclusion fit together. Far from being the easiest step of coming to a decision, reviewing the final step of that decision without doing the underlying work can be much harder to do reliably.

Worse: when algorithms are made "transparent" by presenting their chain of reasoning to expert reviewers, those reviewers become more deferential to the algorithm's conclusion, not less – after all, now the expert has to review not just one final conclusion, but several sub-conclusions.

Even worse: when humans do exercise discretion to override an algorithm, it's often to inject the very bias that the algorithm is there to prevent. Sure, the algorithm might give the same recommendation about two similar parents who are facing having their children taken away, but the judge who reviews the recommendations is more likely to override it for a white parent than for a Black one.

Humans in the loop experience "a diminished sense of control, responsibility, and moral agency." That means that they feel less able to override an algorithm – and they feel less morally culpable when they sit by and let the algorithm do its thing.

All of these effects are persistent even when people know about them, are trained to avoid them, and are given explicit instructions to do so. Remember, the whole reason to introduce AI is because of human imperfection. Designing an AI to correct human imperfection that only works when its human overseer is perfect produces predictably bad outcomes.

As Green writes, putting an AI in charge of a high-stakes decision, and using humans in the loop to prevent its harms, produces a "perverse effect": "alleviating scrutiny of government algorithms without actually addressing the underlying concerns." The human in the loop creates "a false sense of security" that sees algorithms deployed for high-stakes domains, and it shifts the responsibility for algorithmic failures to the human, creating what Dan Davies calls an "accountability sink":

https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

The human in the loop is a false promise, a "salve that enables governments to obtain the benefits of algorithms without incurring the associated harms."

So why are we still talking about how AI is going to replace government and corporate bureaucracies, making decisions at machine speed, overseen by humans in the loop?

Well, what if the accountability sink is a feature and not a bug. What if governments, under enormous pressure to cut costs, figure out how to also cut corners, at the expense of people with very little social capital, and blame it all on human operators? The operators become, in the phrase of Madeleine Clare Elish, "moral crumple zones":

https://estsjournal.org/index.php/ests/article/view/260

As Green writes:

The emphasis on human oversight as a protective mechanism allows governments and vendors to have it both ways: they can promote an algorithm by proclaiming how its capabilities exceed those of humans, while simultaneously defending the algorithm and those responsible for it from scrutiny by pointing to the security (supposedly) provided by human oversight.

Tor Books as just published two new, free LITTLE BROTHER stories: VIGILANT, about creepy surveillance in distance education; and SPILL, about oil pipelines and indigenous landback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/30/a-neck-in-a-noose/#is-also-a-human-in-the-loop

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en ==

[soaringwide]

PAC: How to enhance your personal allure and beauty? • Glamour Reading

This reading is meant to dive into your own personal glamour and find ways to magnify the way you appear to others, privately or publicly.

Beauty is about weaving illusions in some ways, but the best lies contain a part of truth. How to weave lies and truths to enhance your expression of beauty is what I'm going to try to uncover today, which is why we're going to look both at your natural abilities and untapped potential.

It's something I've wanted to do for a long time since it's a subject that fascinates me, and wanted to test it out in a tarot spread, so a pick a pile readings seems like a good starting point.

If you'd like a personal reading, I'm in the process of opening my website but in the meantime I'm available through DMs.

As always, this is a general reading meant for multiple people so it might not apply 100% to you. Take what resonates and leave out the rest.

If you liked the reading and want to tip me, I have a ko-fi.

PILE 1

Cards: The Hanged Man, Death, The Chariot, Knight of Cups, The Fool, 7 of Cups, Queen of Pentacles, 10 of Swords, Ace of Pentacles, Page of Pentacles

First, let's look into your natural beauty and talents, if you will. This is easy to tap into and you might already do it to some extent, and is what people perceive from you at first glance.

I see someone with a strong, magnetic presence that might be intimidating to some people, giving the vibe of someone who is confident and knows what impression they want to give off. You have a very deliberate style and strong personal allure that might lean into darker types of aesthetic, but it would definitely be ornate, romantic (in the true, dramatic sense of the word) and as far away from minimalism as possible. I see you choosing little elements that others might not notice but that are full of meaning and symbolism for you, like a piece of jewellery, or swapping the color of your shoelace or socks to fit into a vision you have in your head. Wearing hats or headpieces might also be something significant for you. You see your clothes and other visual upgrades as some type of armor you wear to feel stronger, more confident, and make a great impression on people around you. You like being noticed and want people to find you beautiful or stylish, but at the same time have very little regard for established rules and like to bring a twist of change in the way you appear to others. It's like you're already practicing glamour naturally, funnily enough, because I see you magnifying your natural talents already and you definitely are shrouded in some type of glamourized, attractive mystery.

When it comes to your ideal archetypal beauty, what you can draw inspiration from to push yourself even further, i see you as someone who embodies the characteristics of going against expectations when it comes to style and appearances. I get the idea of playing around with gender expression (might not apply to all or be applicable to varying degrees), going against what's commonly assumed to be fitting for your perceived gender to create something unique and different, but it could also simply be about going against common taste. It's about carving out your own path, inspired by yourself and your unique perspective on life, and by extension, on your style and appearance. This is not someone who follows trends and style guides mindlessly, but someone who is not afraid of calling everything into question, in order to incorporate what they choose and add their own unique flair to it. Taste is subjective and it's something you can learn to lean even more into.

Now, for the untapped qualities, or raw power you can learn to incorporate, I see strong Uranus influence, which was already highlighted in your ideal archetypal influence.

There is an elements to finding joy and pleasure in shocking others a little bit. Letting yourself be completely free with your style expression, but keeping personal enjoyment in mind. The goal is not to shock for the sake of being an obnoxious eccentric, but going to the core of what makes you feel empowered and free and fining the graceful pleasure in it. There is also the idea of weaving some type of illusion so that people can never guess what you're going to do next. I think you have an untapped natural talent for manipulating how others see you a little bit. Right now you focus on your personal magnetism, but you could push that even further and endow yourself in whatever illusion you see fit for the time or situation. I see you being able to work on your appearance like a beautiful work of art, following the vision you have in mind.

For how you can magnify everything I mentioned, here is what I see.

First of all, it seems that despite all the great things I said about you, deep down, you feel quite inadequate and vulnerable, which is perhaps why you put so much effort into your ''armor''. I've got to tell you that these doubts are only in your mind and that the powers I describe are felt very strongly by others, they might just never say it or only give you a light compliment, which you don't even take into account. You seem to keep these worry very private and assume everyone can sense that when it's not the case. So yeah I definitely see you are already doing sooo much but it's just in your mind you don't see it, which is the first thing you need to focus on. Because I think that these doubts might influence your stylistic choices to some extent, which would be self-sabotaging your natural and ideal strengths. Therefore, you first need to clear out these thoughts and hurts in order to see yourself as others see you, in your highest potential.

Secondly and once you've done that, you definitely are advised to invest further in your appearance, and by that it could be money but also time, effort and energy. I feel like there is a new direction that is available to you, perhaps to switch things up a little or express some things more intensely. In both cases, the very strong message is to be deliberate in your vision and keep your eyes on this. I think you already do it to some extent, but here we're talking about Glamour, glamour, like, it's not enough to pick a pair of earrings or the color of your top, you need to focus on what it is the impact you want to have on others is, and how to best achieve that, keeping in mind the strong Uranian influences about being your own Icon and breaking boundaries along the way. Really, the next step involves planning and deliberate steps. Don't just throw whatever in your cart but be mindful of what story it's telling and if it aligns with your vision.

If you liked the reading and want to tip me, I have a ko-fi.

PILE 2

Cards: Queen of Cups, 8 of Swords, The Star, The World, The Lovers, The High Priestess, Knight of Cups, The Hanged Man, Ace of Wands, 9 of Cups

First, let's look into your natural beauty and talents, if you will. This is easy to tap into and you might already do it to some extent, and is what people perceive from you at first glance.

What's actually really interesting is that there seem to be an opposition between constriction vs liberation, as embodied by Saturn in Aquarius qualities. It seems being in touch with your imagination and ideals is natural to you, you appear dreamy but in a melancholic way, a loner that people don't approach easily. People might get the sense that you are lost in your thoughts and that something else is taking your attention. You don't project a strong sun-like charisma, but rather, charm people when they get close to you and get a feel for your rich inner world. You are very authentic in the way you approach your appearance, as in, you don't seek to appear as someone you are not, up to a fault I'd say. Like, if you don't hold a high opinion of yourself that might stop you from dressing how you like because it doesn't feel true in some way. It's also like you feel constricted when you have to follow a dress code and would rather be able to wear whatever puts you at ease in the given situation, but then again it's a problem is you feel weak or stuck because it influences your choices. On top of that, I'm again getting strong ideals, so I would not be surprised if your social or political ideals influence the way your present yourself. Perhaps you have an inclination towards sustainable fashion or cruelty free beauty and it helps you feel more aligned with your inner world.

When it comes to your ideal archetypal beauty, what you can draw inspiration from revolves around the idea to let your idealistic and creative nature run free, like the waves on the ocean's shore. This hints at a poetic approach to your style and appearance, with the desire to evoke gentle feelings. Your archetypal beauty is one of a siren, enchanting and mysterious. You might benefit from beautifully ornate jewelry, nacre, pearls and shells come to mind, and I'm also getting renaissance inspired aesthetic like cherubs imagery and dramatic silhouettes, rosy cheeks and braided hairstyles. The ocean is wide and mysterious, fascinating and unknowable, and that's definitely an allure you can harness at your highest potential. Even in that configuration, you're still highly focused on your inner world but it appears on the outside as well.

Now, for the untapped qualities, or raw power you can learn to incorporate, I see a few messages.

The thing is that, despite the saturnine influences, you do have raw potential for a more radiant and inviting, shall we say, energy to you. With the Lovers which is connected to Gemini, you can really learn to actually express your rich inner world and come across as communicative and adaptable regardless of the social situation. Balancing out the coldness with warmth and being more inviting if you will. Someone people can't stop looking at, which implies you actually have to get out of your comfort zone and accept being seen by others.

Paired with you natural characteristics, this has the potential to increase your magnetism and make you mysteriously seductive because people will tap into both layers, sensing an inviting and charming first impression but also getting a feel of your deep inner world. There is also the potential to truly express your emotions through your clothes and appearance and thus sticking true to your desire for authenticity. Don't shy away from being creative and even artistic with your appearance. You have a natural inclination toward romantic styles and flowyness (sheer fabrics or silk-like textures) which can make you stand out in a crowd. Approach your style like a dream, something that is felt intensely and that you can get lost in. Play around with color combinations, and I would suggest having fun creating color palettes that evoke specific feelings rather than being minimal because you want to blend in. You can really project a striking vibe with your newfound confidence, with the help of your clothes and beauty care.

For how you can magnify everything I mentioned, here is what I see.

First of all there is a need to change you ways drastically. As we saw, there seem to be an opposition with how people currently see you vs what your potential is. Don't get me wrong, everything is present within you but it's like it's dormant. I sense you being somewhat stuck in your routine and stylistic habits and reluctant to change anything. You are being called to step up and take actions toward change. Dare to wear what makes you feel like your creative and dreamy self. You know yourself well but if you truly want to change the way people see you you have to take deliberate actions towards that. Not by wearing what you think people want but by going to the highest vision you have of yourself.

You would also benefit greatly from a more optimistic outlook on yourself and learn to communicate happiness, ease and expansion. Be more generous with your energy, which means that you don't have to hold everything in in fear of being judged or disliked, but rather learning to stand strong in your individuality and communicate it to others. Not everyone will like it obviously but those who do will be enchanted by your presence.

If you liked the reading and want to tip me, I have a ko-fi.

PILE 3

Cards: Ace of Cups, The Magician, 3 of Pentacles, The Hermit, 9 of Swords, 5 of Pentacles, King of Cups rx, the Fool, 7 of Cups, 3 of Swords

First, let's look into your natural beauty and talents, if you will. This is easy to tap into and you might already do it to some extent, and is what people perceive from you at first glance.

I get strong Mercury qualities when it comes to how you naturally appear to others. You manage to seduce others with your quick wit and knowledge on many different subjects. It's like, there is nothing you don't have a smart or funny opinion on and people love that about you. You are highly intellectual and I think you like mirroring that in your appearance, favoring established aesthetics and proven formulas, relaying more on your personality than your clothes so to speak. And if clothes you chooses to put the accent on, I see a more traditional and refined approach. Modest and put together. You are meticulous in your choices and don't like appearing messy. Nothing comes in excess, you pay attention to color and texture harmony and like a balanced, classic look. As a result you appear serious and put together to others.

When it comes to your ideal archetypal beauty, what you could embody when pushed to your highest degree, with the Ace of Cups, it is quite abstract than a given aesthetic. I see you having the power to initiate strong positive emotions towards others. Perhaps they admire you or have fond feelings for you, or they may fall in love or become friends with you easily. You make them feel easily connected to you by you presence and allure, you energy having that color that drives people in. It's like, a very friendly and gently type of charisma.

Now, for the untapped qualities, or raw power you can learn to incorporate, I'm not sure why but I feel a strong rag to riches vibe here. As in, it is possible that you have experienced mental and financial hardship in the past, a situation might have improved to some extent, but that probably isn't fixed completely yet. That left you scarred and you try your best to hide it, which is why it's in the raw power position. I see the potential to use that as a strength to add depth to your character. With the King of Cups reversed, you feel inadequate and undeserving. I'm getting the sense that when it comes to glamour, you can fake it till you make it so to speak. Don't forget we are talking about magnifying your allure and I think there's definitely an air of like, you know who you are and you are aware of your situation, but you don't want to appear that way to others. It's strange because for all pile I got strong impression and aesthetics here, but for you it looks more like something that's dragging you down, which means there's a potential to turn it into a strength in some way. You got the Ace of Cups as ideal archetype and the King of Cups is nothing but the Lord of this Ace, so if you manage to flip it you can embody its quality and empathetic, abundant authority and trigger positive feelings in others. There is also this idea that, even when you make that shift, you won't forget where you come from and will keep being highly empathetic and kind, and that will be part of your charm.

For how you can magnify everything I mentioned, I notice a strong idea of starting fresh and stepping away from the heartache that plagues you. There is a youthful carelessness to it as well, the idea of opening yourself to the world and see the richness you have within with your larger than life personality. You would benefit from letting that aspect of you loose a bit. You are a bit chaotic at heart and this is so so endearing to many.

Furthermore, don't get too focused on glimmers, as all that shines is not gold. I think you may have a tendency to seek material things to counter or hide your difficulties with money, but here it's all about character expression when it comes to charm people. But be mindful of how you interact with others as to not to appear aloof or unapproachable.

If you liked the reading and want to tip me, I have a ko-fi.

[akirathedramaqueen]

The Five Stages Of Grief: Verosika vs. Stolas

Alright, guys, it's time to play the complete denial card and ignore for a moment what we've just seen in the last short Viv dropped like a fucking nuke on our heads (seriously, this woman makes me swear more than a sailor).

Are we going to talk about something light? Ha-ha, you are looking at the angstiest person out here. Sorry. No relief for you.

But maybe some bits of analysis will do? Let's go.

The setup

Some time ago, I discussed how differently Stolas and Verosika react to their breakup with Blitz in response to one of my previous posts (it might be useful to read that to have the whole picture, but it's not crucial—here).

S2EP9, Apology Tour, 8:05

If we recap that reblog, I find that Stolas deals with his emotions much better and processes them in a more mature manner than Verosika does.

We could stop there, really, but I wanted to explore the situation from a different angle. Using the Kübler-Ross five stages of grief model, we can pull out more nuance from their actions and words.

They both went through a similar traumatic event—Blitzø hurt them in arguably one of the worst ways possible. The circumstances, Blitzø's intentions, and the outcomes are slightly different, but at their core, they are both left broken and deeply wounded.

Left: S2EP8, The Full Moon, 22:00 Right: S2EP9, Apology Tour, 18:03

So, what about their personalities makes their responses to trauma so contrasting?

Disclaimer about the model's credibility

This is probably me being overly pedantic, but I want to point out that this model is deemed to be popularized by the media, and professionals’ opinions are conflicted—some say it is accurate while others criticize it for its lack of flexibility or go as far as to say it has no application in real life. The studies are also inconclusive—there are papers both in favor of and against this model.

What am I trying to say here? This is a silly analysis about silly demons from a silly show, and if you do happen to unfortunately experience grief in any way (I am so sorry you have to go through this!), it is essentially experienced by all people differently. You should not feel bad if you skip stages or if their order is messed up.

Okay? <3 Okay. You’ve got this in your own way.

Tomorrow will be better than today.

Stolas: A Classic Way

One of the things I noted in my previous post is that Stolas immediately recognizes the pettiness of the party, and I praised his remarkable ability to see through the issues with such events.

The one day a year the spirits can rise amongst the living and it's spent celebrating mutual pettiness. S2EP9, Apology Tour, 6:55

And don’t get me wrong—his own way of dealing with problems is just drinking them away, and that’s not healthy. That’s why he actually belongs at this party.

But emotionally, Stolas is much more aware of what’s going on with him and the people around him. I think that despite his drinking problem, this awareness helps him process his own grief faster and find resolution—or at least an outlet—in just one night.

Let’s apply the five stages of grief model to him and see what’s going on.

Denial

You can see the denial seeping through during their morning conversation—there are moments when he clearly hopes Blitzø will suddenly listen to him and change his demeanor, despite Blitzø being consistent in his brashness and hostility.

Left: S2EP9, Apology Tour, 3:56 Right: S2EP9, Apology Tour, 4:23

Can you see the hope in his eyes? Can you see how ready he would be to brush off the whole shitshow happened between them just for Blitzø to take at least a bit of accountability or accept his feelings?

Additionally, although it doesn’t fit the term perfectly, we could stretch the concept a bit and say that the following lyrics below are somewhat denialish. Notice, by the way, that it’s not linear to the suggested model—you’ll see why later.

But I, I keep on waiting Waiting to want you less than I do And I do, oh, I do, yes I still do want you S2EP9, Apology Tour, 11:08

'Cause I am not a thief, but you were mine to earn S2EP9, Apology Tour, 11:42

He struggles to accept that the relationship has ended (we struggle too, baby owl, and we're not accepting it… but it gets worse before it gets better), and he still waits for Blitzø to return, maintaining a possessive feeling—“you were mine to earn.”

Anger

Stolas's anger is vastly different from Verosika's—I promise to elaborate on it later.

He uses his anger throughout the morning confrontation with Blitzø to protect himself from Blitzø's attacks and futile attempts to retain the status quo. His anger serves to assert that he is done with the transactional arrangement and Blitzø's behavior.

As shocking as this might seem, Blitzø, I don't think I'm in the mood to "do sex" with you. In fact, I don't think I'm even in the mood to do words with you! So, how about you respect that? S2EP9, Apology Tour, 0:57

[Stolas]: Get out. Right now! [Blitzø]: What?! [Stolas]: I'm tired of this! I'm uncomfortable how you're speaking to me now! S2EP9, Apology Tour, 2:24

And all of this happens just the night after that disastrous full moon meeting! Stolas is pissed off, and rightfully so. But he still gives Blitzø the chance to correct his behavior, explain, and apologize. He asks Blitzø to leave him in peace but stays to hear him out until it becomes clear that Blitzø is not going to relent or give in.

His anger is not used to destroy those he is angry with; rather, it is directed toward keeping himself whole—at least as much as possible.

Bargaining

The whole verse of All 2 U, where Stolas contemplates what went wrong and if there's something they could still do, represents him trying to bargain for a better future.

Maybe there's something here for us to glean? For you to teach and me to try and learn? S2EP9, Apology Tour, 11:32

Of course, this is also something very useful for when they come back together (not if!). Despite Blitzø being the focus in the Apology Tour episode, Stolas has a lot of work to do, too. And him realizing that is a positive step.

But for now, from the perspective we’re looking at, this is a clear sign of him trying to trade anything he can for their relationship to flourish.

Depression

Eventually, Stolas breaks down publicly. He can’t hold the mask on anymore; seeing Blitzø is unbearable, as it reminds him too much of everything that happened and everything that could’ve been.

You! Why are you here? I don't want you here, go home, please! Let me not feel so sad! S2EP9, Apology Tour, 15:50

And he manages to compose himself incredibly quickly…

S2EP9, Apology Tour, 16:07

It takes him just 17 seconds to fall into crying and calm himself. But there was more brewing beneath the surface—he just didn’t show it.

Calm yourself, young prince. You know excitement is unbecoming of a Goetia. S2EP1, The Circus, 00:20

Acceptance...?

Then there's the guy who received more hate than he (allegedly) deserved—Better Than Blitzo guy. He asks Stolas for a dance, and Stolas accepts. He seems to quite enjoy himself there, actually… maybe even a tad too much (arguably).

Well, I just wanted to see if... Maybe... I dunno... You'd wanna... Dance? S2EP9, Apology Tour, 16:16

S2EP9, Apology Tour, 19:08

S2EP9, Apology Tour, 20:08

Did he move on? Did he get over Blitzø? We don’t know. I don’t think so. But that dance was certainly an outlet. A relief he was ready to accept. He was ready not to dwell on negative emotions and allow himself to feel something good for a change.

Verosika: A scorched earth way

Now, let’s see how Verosika is doing after all these years post-breakup. Surely she can’t care less about Blitzø now, right?

Anger

Right… No petty feelings at all.

S1EP3, Spring Break, 8:13

There's still resentment...

A selfish imp in the sheets And just as bad in the streets A reckless, heartbreaking freak! S1EP7, Ozzie's, 11:54

Anger… to the murderous degree, actually…

Fuck Blitzo in the fucking ass! S2EP9, Apology Tour, 8:14

Disrespect...

That cock-sucking motherfucker! S2EP9, Apology Tour, 9:36

Remember when I said their anger is different?

She uses hers to fuel her determination to destroy Blitzø’s reputation. She uses her fame and all her resources to humiliate him.

She never moved past anger. Never really processed it.

But wait…

Acceptance?!

S2EP9, Apology Tour, 18:55

All it took was just one long-overdue genuine talk. The moment she saw Blitzø's remorse and let her feelings out, she immediately warmed up, stopped using his dead name, and even gave advice—it’s debatable whether it was the best one, but I believe she meant well for both Blitzø and Stolas.

Hold it, Blitzø. Y’know, if you wanna change, it just starts with saying: “Good for him, hope he gets laid.” S2EP9, Apology Tour, 19:18

You know, I feel there’s a good chance that the next anti-Blitzo party might not ever happen again.

Because she leaped through all the stages in one night, and, maybe not at that exact moment, but she is on the path to acceptance. Finally letting it go.

Baby, I'm not over it, but I'm over you.

Could've saved many years of simmering in rage and destructing herself over Blitzø though.

Conclusions

Oh shit, now I need to somehow connect all the dots, don’t I?

Well... *chuckles nervously* I guess I gotta put on my nerd glasses and pretend I knew what I was doing here and not just threw shit at the wall and saw what stuck.

What I really wanted to say is that Stolas is much more self-aware and was able to work through all his feelings and process them in one day. He went through the complete journey and made immense progress. We don’t know how it will go further, but from what we’ve seen, his emotional intelligence helps him, if not to avoid problematic behaviors like binge-drinking, then at least not to burn bridges behind him, leaving space for understanding, forgiveness, and acceptance.

It’s not to say that Verosika’s way of doing things was wrong because she was angry and skipped through some stages. It was wrong because she made her entire personality revolve around it, turning bringing Blitzø down in any way possible into her ultimate life goal. It was wrong because she never processed it.

And it shows why, even after the break-up, #stolitz can still work, given that Blitzø is open about how he feels and Stolas is open to listening to it.

AGAIN! There’s no right way to process grief. But there should be a priority to heal and accept instead of doubling down and ruining yourself and everything you cared for.

(I am watching you, Blitzø hater. Don’t you dare to shit on my poor lizard. He has his own heap of issues and has had enough after that fucking penguin slur short. So don’t. >:()

[iamatinydinosaur]

Hello! I really liked the wording of my application and thank you very much :DSomething I hadn't considered until I read it is thatThe brother reader will have unconsciously seen Ramón on a couple of occasions as a father figure since he was the only one who took care of the reader for 20 years. Thinking of Ramón as a “papá luchon” seems adorable to me (in my country we refer to single fathers and mothers who support their children with their own work, without any other presence to help them, therefore, they have to fight against the adversities) If possible, can you write something related to this topic about Ramón and the reader? (gender neutral)

🐾Branch🐾

Through the Years

You were 3 and Branch was 5 when Grandma died. It was just you two. You watched as your older brother lost his colors. You were so scared. Branch saw this and promised he would never let anything happen to you. You were all he had left. Grandma's death effected you a lot, just not to the extent that it effected Branch. You were afraid of everything, never wanting to leave Branch's side. He preferred this anyways.

You Age 7 and Branch age 9

You ran into the bunker crying. Branch ran into the main room. "Y/N what's wrong?!" He exclaimed seeing you covered in scratches, dirt and slightly bleeding. "I w-as col-lecting berries and some sp-id-ers attac-ked me." You hiccuped. Branch got a napkin and wiped your tears away. "I told you to wait for me before you went to go get the berries." He whispered grabbing a warm bowl of water with a rag and a first aid kit. He rung out the rag and started wiping the wet rag over your face to get rid of the dirt. "I wanted to surprise you and show I'm getting big and help you." You pouted, sniffling. "You do so much. Maybe if I helped more maybe your colors would come back..." You looked down. Branch's heart swelled. He kissed your forehead. You looked at him shocked. "You're growing up too quickly. Stop it." He said smiling as he cleaned your scrapes. You giggled.

You age 10 Branch age 12

Branch laughed. You had made a dance number to your favourite song. You wore a silly outfit and danced horribly. Branch knew he had to help your dancing ability. You stroked your ending pose.

Branch fell on the floor laughing his hardest. "Did you like it?!" You exclaimed jumping up and down. Branch wiped his tears getting up. "It was amazing. But let me help you improve the dancing. Your voice is amazing but your moves..." He teased. The rest of the day Branch showed you to do the moves better. This was the first time in 5 years you had seen him dance again. "Just like that see." He said turning to you. However, he froze seeing tears in your eyes. "What's wrong! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.!" He exclaimed hugging you. "No, no. You used to dance and sing all the time before Grandma... I just missed this." You mumbled hugging him.

You age 14 Branch age 16

It was Branch's 16th birthday. You had gotten up at 4. Branch gets up at 6 am everyday so you wanted his birthday breakfast ready before he got up. You had been practicing this breakfast for the past month after he's gone the bed to make sure it's perfect. It was about 5:55 when you had finished. You made for the both of you eggs Benedict, blueberry scones, fresh apple juice and bagels with an assortment of jams. "Morning Y/N, why are yo-" He stopped mid sentence when he saw the dining room table. His eyes watered and looked at you. "Happy Birthday Branch!"

You age 18 and Branch age 20

You layed on your bed, covers over your head. You sniffled. You had just got back from what was supposed to be your 1 year anniversary date with your partner. "Hey." Branch said softly holding two cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream. He placed them on your bedside table. You curled into a tighter ball. Branch sighed sitting on your bed. You slowly pulled the blanket off your face. Your cheeks were puffy, tear marks ran down your face and your eyes were bloodshot. "What happened?" He asked pulling your head onto his lap. "They broke up with me. They love someone else." You whispered burying your head into his stomach. This irked Branch. This low life scum hurting his baby sibling. "When I see this punk again I swear." He grumbled rubbing your back. This made you giggle slightly. "I made your favorite, hot chocolate." He whispered brushing your hair. You rolled over and sat up. You smiled taking it. You knew you'd always be able to count on your big brother.

A/N: I loved writing this. When I got this request I always thought Branch would only show you things he never did in the first movie (just not singing) I hope you like it!! ✨✨

[septembersung]

@citadelofthestars You are in luck because I just overhauled our entire chore system for the new school year so this is all fresh on my mind.

Context: this was from the post about making chores fair for kids and not requiring more domestic labor of girls than boys or having sisters clean up after brothers but never vice versa.

The following sounds complicated but it’s not? It evolved organically based on what our house needs and fits into how I organize the rest of my life. And, ymmv based on kids’ ages, temperament, and varieties of neurodivergence. My kids are all under 11 and we homeschool and half of us are probably adhd, so we’re still learning skills and also in our space making messes a lot. I would also like to emphasize that I am so bad about chores. Hence the system. When we follow through… it’s amazing. And then we don’t and we start over again (distant screaming.)

We do chores 2-3 times a day on school weekdays (or… sometimes once… but that’s a rough day for cleanliness) and everybody helps at mealtimes. Everybody gives me an hour or a set number of chores on Saturday. We aim to have the house “Sunday ready” by dinnertime Saturday.

Morning chores: this is their chance to take care of their personal space: bed, desk, laundry tidy, that sort of thing. It’s part of general getting ready. After this, the big 3-4 kids help with animal chores (and gardens when applicable) except when they’ve fractured a bone like kid 4 currently has. In some seasons the big 3 will each have an easy first thing kitchen chore like “empty the dishwasher” but not usually during the first part of school year. Mornings are hard for us so we have to get into school routine fir a whole first.

Afternoon chores: By age and ability. Mostly, one-off jobs like change out laundry, put away your laundry, take out trash, entertain a little for 20 minutes so I can have free hands for a separate task, help make the afternoon snack, etc. (Our lives run in 20 minute increments it feels like. I have a timer for everything. It’s what keeps me on task.) I expect big kids (7+) to do 2-4 tasks in this time depending on what the tasks are and under 7s to do one or two things tops, with me. Laundry is a coveted job but the rule is you have to be able to read the label on the knob and reach the bottom of the washer. We’re always behind so I decide as we go what the next load is, and if it’s your basket you’ll be called to help me load even if you’re not big enough to do it independently. Everybody folds (except the 1yo. Because she thinks it’s a keepaway game.)

We have a basic laminated grid on the wall with a column for each kid and little chore stickers with Velcro buttons on the back. (Well, we will when I print and hang the updated version.) Stuff no one likes doing I assign in 2 month increments or more (for habit and technique building) like scrubbing the bathroom; things everyone wants to do, like dust mop, they trade off each week or so. My oldest is so possessive of his sweeping job it’s possible no one else will ever sweep that bit of floor again. But there’s so much else to sweep I’m not too worried tbh.

I try to reset the chart for changeable chores every weekend. In my new and improved version there’s a section for each chore time, and separate for meals, instead of one long column under your name, and you have two columns!, so you move your little chore sticker from “undone” to “done.” Also contemplating have a little sack of random chores to draw from, like a scrabble tile bag, because “contribute positively to the family” is our go to consequence for misbehavior.

Evening chores: This is when we “get in the zone”. Your zone is one specific area of the house you are responsible for. You can do it on your own as you like to stay on top of it or wait til during the fast zone tidy which comes right before or after dinner. And it is fast, like maximum 20 minutes and 10 is better. Big 3 kids rotate between dining room, living room, and main bathroom. Little kids share the playroom. Everybody helps in their own bedroom at the end for 5-10 minutes. I cycle through and help everybody as needed unless something urgent calls me.

Meal time jobs include: table, chairs, floor, dishes (load up or wash by hand.) We’re working up to include kitchen floor and counters as the big kids take on more responsibility for cooking. Again the big 3 kids rotate among the more skilled jobs, while the little 3 trade out what they help scrub and sweep and carry.

Saturdays the kids will do a more irregular job, like “clean out the van” (which is all hands on deck together) or a periodic job like “mop or vacuum your zone” or “scrub cabinets.” We mostly discuss these jobs each week depending on what seems most needed instead of having a specific thing on the chart. (In my improved version the Velcro buttons say “Saturday chore time” in the little Saturday section at the bottom.)

This is probably way more detail than you ever needed in your life, but here we are. Happy planning!

[donascozylivingroom]

HOW TO SHIFT PARALLEL REALITIES.

This is if u struggle to understand the concept.

I'm an old lady of 30 yo and I found out about shifting parallel realities when I was 22 so I've had quite some time to simmer on it and even some success with its application.

We are definitely in the era of shifting parallel realities, finally, now.

People talk about it much more, so I decided to make a logical written explanation of it.

For those of you that struggle with affirmations and mental diet, meditation is definitely important. it's a way of knowing urself and ur mind better.

The ability to silence ur mind at will or focus it on a "mantra" comes with a lot of mindfulness - observing ur mind and what it does w/o judgement.

To be smart and get to the age of 30, you start accumulating a lot of knowledge and kinda have a mental toolkit for a lot of things. So me posting this sh@# is from tried and tested things, not just my musings of the day.

ok so parallel realities.

i learned this from Bentinho Massaro in 2015, i don't really follow the guy anymore or would suggest u do it necessarily, i just wanna give him credit.

So he explained basically that when u get to tomorrow, u will be in the present moment, even though in ur mind it was the future. And yesterday you were in the present moment, too, although u call it past. One second ago and one second after are still in their own present moment. so there is no time, there is only the One present moment.

So basically because the Universe is infinite, all possibilities already exist.

In this reality, you can make choices, u could go to the grocery store today or stay home and play video games. You have free will. You could basically start those things you know would help you achieve your dreams, or not. It is a choice. Every second of the day you have choices. You could speak now or not speak.

But all these choices are parallel realities that already exist.

i believe the universe still creates by combining things/realities that were not combined before based on us, and our free will choices, so being infinite and mathematical it keeps on creating through us, free will agents of consciousness/gods.

Anyways, he explained parallel realities like this: imagine u are watching a movie on ur laptop/device. You could stop it at 1:06, print the picture, and then stop it again at 1:07, print that image too, and send one pic to China and one to Austria. Same way you could print pictures hours apart and place the screenshots one after another.

That's kinda how parallel realities work, u could "print" ur desired reality and bring it to ur next nanosecond.

Just moving ur hand up and down, u are going through thousands, possibly tens of thousands of parallel realities.

What brings your desire closer is focus on it, so affirming and visualizing for example are tools.

But just know, ur desire is one nanosecond close!

I personally first shifted when i affirmed that whatever I visualize becomes my reality in 3 seconds. And it was incredible, I shifted from my mom's studio apartment to a beautiful penthouse in NYC! But I shifted back really fast because I got scared.

I shifted a few times more, but this one was the most incredible!

Anyways be careful with this if you can't control ur mind to not visualize scary things or affirm bad things, but yea you could counteract that with a really good self concept that whatever negativity u affirm or visualize doesn t manifest.

Basically you shift all the time, getting ur desire in time is still shifting, shifting is always the case, we are always shifting through parallel realities. But be careful out there peeps!

[would-you-punt-them]

I don't know how you do it, but I haven't recognized any of these characters (except having a very vague idea of who William Afton is) and just looking at the pictures, I almost always decide to punt. Something about the pictures you choose (I think it's their typical facial expressions combined with the angle of their heads but idk) makes my go my foot is ready. Special shout outs go to the two falling anime girls, who were coming down at the most optimal punting trajectory possible, and the Kirby dude, who was soccerball shaped for my convenience. Also, turns out I can't bring myself to kick a cat, no matter how evil he(?) might be.

actually, the truth is i also don't recognise the vast majority of the characters you guys submit

honestly, sometimes i think you guys are speaking in tongues

the thing is, even though i sometimes joke that i literally have no applicable skills other than tumblr polls, that's not entirely true

turns out, after 7 months of running @hot-take-tournament i have developed exactly one applicable skill

i've never once received a take on a fandom i'm familiar with, so when i make polls and puns and personalised yes/no responses i always do it from scratch

as a result, i've gained the ability to scour the internet for information on pretty much anything extremely quickly

and i am able to use that in real life, it genuinely really helps at college

to give you an idea of how fast i am, when i get a lot of punting submissions all at once, sometimes i like to set myself a time limit of 15 minutes and then see how many characters i can research and poll within that time

not to brag, but my current personal best is 16

that's a poll on a character i know nothing about, complete with a picture and popular fandom tags, queued every 52 seconds

so basically, i don't recognise the characters, but give me a dedicated half hour and i'll know all your blorbos better than you do

[meepmeep19]

Yk one thing the BSD fandom hasn’t really realized yet is that Suegiku have actually known each other just as, if not LONGER than Soukoku. Seriously. Ik that sounds crazy, but just hear me out:

First of all, we know Jouno joined the Hunting Dogs 6 years ago. That means he’s known Tetchou for at LEAST six years now

Now you may think it’s a little bit of leap to just assume that they knew each other for all those 6 years. After all it’s entirely possible that Tetchou joined after Jouno did, and so the two could’ve only known each other for as little as a year. However, I honestly don’t think that’s the case, and Tetchou did in fact join BEFORE Jouno.

Admittedly, this is just ultimately HC but it makes sense when u think about it. Out of all the Hunting Dogs. Tetchou is easily the MOST committed to justice and his job. He has passion for it almost unlike any of the other members. I think that he (unlike Tachihara, for instance) actually TRAINED and maybe actually applied to become a Hunting Dog the normal way, kinda like how u can apply to become a cop. In other words, based on his very evident dedication, you can tell that this was a career he CHOSE to go into. And considering that career planning requires, well, a PLAN, one that doesn’t necessarily have to take that many years (depending on the career), and the fact that current Tetchou seems like he’s already in his early to mid 20s max (most of the young adult characters in BSD tend to be in that range- Kunikida, Dazai, Ranpo), then 6 years ago (when Jouno joined) he would’ve most likely have almost completed or already completed his training and become a HD member

Ofc, u can argue that his training could’ve taken longer, so he still could’ve joined after than Jouno. But considering the fact that they took in Tachihara when he was like only 15 (I think?) mostly because of his ability, I don’t think the official training and application process actually takes THAT long. Or if does, then you can easily speedrun all that time by having an OP ability, regardless of ur actual age. (They’re kinda like ADA and PM in that sense; age literally does not matter if u have a broken power lol that can make up for that lol) And considering the fact that Tetchou HAS an OP ability and is literally the strongest Hunting Dog, I feel like he would’ve been accepted for the job sooner rather than later. So yeah, he would’ve already been a HD by the time Jouno joined.

But 6 years ago is just when Jouno OFFICIALLY joined the HD. That’s not even mentioning the time it must’ve took to find and arrest him in the first place. So considering Jouno was an executive of an infamous mafia group, I bet it would’ve taken more than just Fukuchi to capture him. Other HD members, like Tetchou and Teruko would’ve most likely been on the mission as well.

Especially because (while this is mostly HC territory again) it rly seems the HD took down, not just Jouno, but most likely his entire mafia group. We never hear any mentions of them in the present and it just doesn’t make sense that a group as ruthless and THOROUGH as the HD would capture Jouno,(someone who can literally hear them coming MILES away and literally disappear into thin air!) but somehow not anyone else in the mafia group. So if they rly did take down everyone, then that definitely would’ve been a job for more than just one person. Meaning Tetchou definitely would’ve been involved in Jouno’s arrest. Which is how they might’ve actually known each other for even longer than those 6 years, depending on how long it took to arrest Jouno. (Btw, SKK have known each other for 7 years)

I think the reason we’ve never actually realized this is because unlike SKK, SGK aren’t freaks that constantly bring up how long they’ve known each other every five minutes

Also, you could argue that SGK understand each other almost as well as SKK, considering Jouno can literally read Techou’s body like a book and that Tetchou is capable of perfectly describing Jouno to an absolute T.

[eelfuneral]

Some of the discussion that happens within the Star Wars fandom, particularly discussion of the Jedi, can be really upsetting to observe if you have certain disabilities. In fact, I’m having a hard time even liking the Jedi right now because I can’t help but associate them with some really ableist takes that I’ve seen in their defense.

Let me explain: a lot of people with certain disabilities (such as autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and C-PTSD) deal with something called emotion dysregulation, which means that you feel emotions more intensely than the average person and that this strong emotional state sticks around for far longer than it should. When you have emotional regulation issues, an event that might make somebody else a bit sad or mildly frustrated has the ability to put you out of commission for hours or even an entire day. Emotion dysregulation is very stigmatized, even in people who go out of their way to avoid harming people or lashing out while dealing with an episode. People with this specific issue are often told that they are “dramatic”, “attention seeking”, or “future abusers” for what amounts to an automatic emotional response that a person cannot control. This constant pushback forms a metaphorical blister that can easily be popped back open when you see anything that reminds you of what caused it in the first place.

Now, let’s move on to the Jedi. While it can be argued that their teachings were intended to instruct people to reign in their BEHAVIOR as a result of their emotions, several lines in the fist six movies sound an awful lot like they are condemning having negative emotions at all. Yoda literally tells both Luke and Anakin that emotions like fear and anger BY THEMSELVES are of the Dark Side, and these lines were very difficult for a lot of people who have dealt with trauma, neurodivergence, or other issues that cause “big emotions”. These lines, intentionally or not, mirror a lot of the things that real people have said to those of us dealing with emotion dysregulation, and people have every right to talk about this in their own spaces unmolested.

Some of the defenses of the Jedi in the context of how they are instructed to deal with their emotions come off as dismissive at best and ableist at worst. Yes, if you dig through Star Wars canon enough, you can find portrayals of the Jedi and emotions that point to a more nuanced view where choices and actions are the source of evil rather than the emotions, but this does not change the fact that the Yoda lines and other emotionally repressive applications of the Jedi Code very much exist in parts of canon. A person who found the emotionally repressive variant of Jedi teachings to be upsetting due to a disability will likely feel as though you are trying to dismiss their feelings and belittle them if you “correct” them for “misinterpretation of the Jedi”. I get that it sucks to see people bash your blorbos, but if someone is doing it because they are dealing with something IRL like trauma or ableism, then it’s best not to engage and just let that person work through it.

I have also seen people who are defending the Jedi make statements that outright attack people for having intense emotions. I remember a take that basically said that you were a baby or a psychopath if you found the Jedi code regarding emotions to be “too hard”. I’ve seen people dismiss the trauma that Anakin went through and its possible effect on how he reacted to some aspects of the Jedi order in a way that mirrors the invalidation that those of us with emotional regulation issues have experienced for being “too much” for all of our lives. Yes, it is important to avoid harming others when you are in a bad place, and no Anakin was not a great person, but so many of these takes are devoid enough of nuance that they read as if they are just trashing people who have “too many”emotions.

Feel free to defend your favorite characters all that you would like, but please spare a thought for those of us who might not dig everything about them for reasons connected to disability and trauma. The Jedi aren’t real, but we very much are.

[meeblo]

One thing I'm perplexed on when it comes to Lone Trail, and can only conclude is a retcon or a continuity error, is Muelsyse's age.

Dorothy's Vision:

They have seen too many mountains fall and too many rivers dry up over the centuries. They have seen too many loved ones die.

It's pretty clearly stated that Muelsyse's age is in the centuries as she's trapped inside the power armor, unable to even force herself to cry because of how long she's had to try and stifle her emotions to survive.

But then in Lone Trail, you learn Muelsyse's backstory, with her adoption, and how she went to university with Saria and Kirsten. The tweet with the Rhine Lab timeline and brief in-universe newspaper clippings outright states that Muelsyse was "still underage" when Rhine was founded. So which is it?

Is Muelsyse a centuries old elf who has watched those she cares about die over time as she outlives them all, who has watched as nature is desecrated and destroyed by industrialization and catastrophe over decades? Did she have parents knowledgeable about her abilities, "Mother always said tears were powerful weapons"? Or is Muelsyse even younger than Saria and Kirsten, who didn't know her elf parents and was adopted by other Columbians, and is young to the point of being "underage" when Rhine Lab was founded?

It's possible I guess that those in-universe newspaper articles are incorrect about her age, but I don't see why Muelsyse would lie on an official government application and act as though she was underage at Rhine's founding if she wasn't. It seems like Lone Trail is just saying that she's actually that young.

Frankly, I'm just going to continue to headcanon based off the Dorothy's Vision information that came first. It feels, to me at least, more consistent with her characterization through Mansfield Break and the Manhua, and honestly having her be centuries old makes her desire in Lone Trail for exploring the possibility of Elves finding a safe land outside Terra without Originium's influence much more impactful than if she was only like 36 (16 years between founding of Rhine Lab and the events of Lone Trail, and assuming "underage" means below drinking age in the U.S. and not outright being a minor the most generous possible age assessment under Lone Trail's assertions is 20 years old at the time of Rhine's founding).

[victoriadallonfan]

Mistborn: Well of Ascension Review

Is It Good: Yes

Does It Have Flaws: A lot

Is It Problematic: Sometimes

Would You Reread: No

Would You Recommend: Yes

Spoilers below

I’ve listened to positive and negative reviews of this book to help formulate my thoughts

So overall, I think there’s a great book buried underneath a slog of really repetitive material.

Brandon is great at writing a mystery, but it’s hindered by the fact that we get incredibly uninteresting scenes that just have Elend, Vin, Zane doing the same song and dance over and over again.

I was 200% more invested in Sazed investigating the Hero of Ages compared to the political drama Elend and Vin dealt with. Or Vin dealing with “wanting to wear a dress” (more on that later).

I really love how Eldritch and Sinister the cosmology is, even as I knew from Stormlight Archives what it would be. It’s handled far more horrific here in a good way compared to Stormlight, which was a letdown imo, so this was enjoyable.

I also really love Sazed’s magical abilities. Allomancy is neat, but the story points out that Mistborn are just.. so powerful they make other Allomancers feel pointless, worldbuilding wise. But Sazed’s powers are more limited while also being far more interesting in applications, so I loved that we got to see that more in depth.

Most of the characters are good, and enjoyable, even Breeze.

Now for the bad.

Breeze and Allrianne relationship is just… disgusting. I really don’t understand the purpose of having a near 40 year old man having sex with a barely legal woman who just recently turned legal iirc. Why was this added as a story beat? Why are some of the characters that aren’t Vin and OreSeur not more grossed out by it?

And no, having the “she seduces me!” reveal does not help.

Secondly, none of the antagonists are good. Sure, they are hateable, but they all lack any sort of impact. Zane is the worst because he is quite possibly the most cookie-cutter CW Bad Boy stereotype in existence, monologuing like a bad anime character about how “we are different”/“why do we listen to them?”/“they just don’t understand us” ala Lysanderoth. And he dies from the worst “reveal” I’ve ever seen; it was so cool how Vin used pewter dust to blind the Inquisitors and improvised weaponry to bypass the skill gap. Here it’s just: “Lmao I just wait to attack bypass your precog, get good”, which I’m pretty sure does not track at all with what we see in the first book (or this one).

Despite Lord Ruler having little presence in the first book, he at least had PRESENCE

Finally, the way this book handles women and skaa is just so odd. It feels as if the story/characters/Brandon treat women as having a hive mind for being obsessed with fashion; in fact, it’s part of Vins struggle that she loves dresses but can’t find the “strength” to wear them. Meanwhile, no male character obsessed over fashion nearly as much, even Breeze who admits part of his design is an act for others. Likewise, there’s no woman who thinks fashion is stupid or just indifferent.

I don’t hate the idea of Vin struggling with newfound femininity vs her own biases, but it’s just so blandly set up that I can’t feel invested.

And I will lose my damned mind if I have to hear one more “you can never understand a woman”/“teenage girls aren’t rational” comment, even from other women characters!

Also, besides Tyndl and Vin, there aren’t any really any women in power nor is that explored. Even Allrianne - who is just… meh as a character over all - has no political power without her father and she’s basically a femme fatale cliche as well. None of the Skaa have female leaders, for example.

And speaking of Skaa, those poor guys. Going from brave freedom fighters and rebellions, even prior to Kelsier, to idiots who are treated as fools who need the privileged Elend and his like to guide them all to the right answer (or they become manipulated or are in fact corrupt). I don’t even hate Elend, but the way Brandon puts him in this position is just such a shame. The story doesn’t even let him explore his ingrained classism or racism/specism for the Skaa or Kandra

Like I said, there’s a great book under all this stuff. But it’s pulled down by - in my opinion - a lot of faults that verge on problematic.

Good but it could be better

[laurasimonsdaughter]

Dear @catwingsathena,

Thank you for sending in an application to be matched with one of our service dragons! Your needs and preferences suggest that a slightly older dragon would probably suit you best. A juvenile is easier to train for specific tasks, but a little less predictable and would also be more work for you. Right now we have two dragons in our training program that might be a good match:

Philly, a very steady, flightless dragon that weighs about 5 kilo's. She ended up in our shelter because her wings are no longer able to support her and we started training her when we noticed how clever and social she is. We are confident that she will be able to give all the assistance you need, including guarding the showers while you are in it. But while she is also very cuddly, she's not really playful. She's rather serious for a dragon and tends to ignore other animals.

Bagel, a rare crossbreed between what we guess must have been a common pocket dragon and a freshwater dragon. She adores water and is very curious and affectionate, also towards other pets. None of your requirements should give her any trouble, but we do think you might need to give her her own bracelet to hoard for herself, or she might try to keep yours.

If either or both of those sound like a good fit to you, we'd love for you to come to the shelter some day soon to meet them. It's a cliché, but the dragon really does pick the owner, and it's hard to tell what personality suits you best until you're face to shout with them!

~ The Domestic Dragon Trust

PS. We have enclosed your application form below.

Service Dragon Application Form

Size: I would prefer a dragon on the larger side of the pocket dragon size range—large enough to cuddle properly and be a pleasant weight on my lap (if I’m sitting up) or chest (if I’m lying down), but not so heavy that walking around with them in a cross-body messenger bag would be cumbersome or hard on my shoulders. Maybe roughly rabbit-sized?

Skills: the primary supports I would need from a service dragon are self-care reminders and light assistance, primarily with meals, meds, and showers. I struggle enough with showers that it might be useful for me to have a dragon who enjoys playing in water enough to want to get in the shower with me, but if that’s not possible, hanging out just outside the curtain and making reassuring sounds would be more than satisfactory. It would also be very helpful if my dragon could bring my migraine rescue meds when needed, encourage me to get up and stretch my legs if I’ve been at the computer too long, and/or pester me into eating and drinking water if I haven’t in a while. I don’t have nightmares terribly often (maybe twice a month on average, these days), but when I do I would greatly appreciate it if my dragon could wake me up. I’d also appreciate if they could grab my medical ID bracelet if I leave it on my bed or try to leave the house without it.

Personality: as I mentioned before, a cuddly dragon is a must. An ability to tolerate or even enjoyment of water would be helpful, for both shower purposes and because I live in an area with a lot of rain and like to go walking in it. Still, while playfulness is nice and an interest in finding things would be very helpful, I think I would do better with a fairly calm, laid-back dragon. My sleep schedule is very erratic (not because of when I go to bed or get up, just insomnia), so I would need a dragon who won’t be bothered by me being awake for hours in the middle of the night and getting up or turning on lights—the ability to nap when an opportunity presents itself might help, and I’d like it if they could sometimes hang out on my bed with me while I’m writing or resting (preferably without interfering with my typing too much).

Living Situation: I go back and forth between two houses approximately every other week. Both houses have at least one cat, and one of the houses also has a small dog (who is never allowed in my room, where I spend most of my indoor time). I spend long stretches of time walking around the block or going on the swingset at the park, and I love being outside in the rain. I also spend a lot of time sitting in my bed—it’s where I do most of my reading and writing, as well as resting. I have a part-time job to which I probably couldn’t bring my dragon for a variety of reasons, but my shifts are 4 hours, so I won’t be away too long.

[script-a-world]

Submitted via Google Form:

I have no idea if any religious texts explain this or not but when I have a world that has reincarnation in it, how does it explain increases in population and where all the new people come from if they aren't a reincarnation of a previous dead person? Obviously any religion never explains everything and clearly so many things are contradictive, but it might be a bit more important in my story when there is a lot of science that explains things. In my story, reincarnations are also a science and one important invention they have is a high-tech machine that can probe someone's mind/soul that can identify many of someone's previous lives. I'm not sure how to go about though with explanations. Obviously it will need a lot of handwaving. Now, this only happens with humans. I understand that real life religion people reincarnate as animals and so many other realms of existence but this is not true of my world. A part of my story focuses on researching to find the earliest known reincarnation.

Tex: How do they define a soul? How is this defined in relation to consciousness? If there’s the belief that there can only be one soul per body, does this inform their cultural norms on reproduction? Do certain people and their families have a higher priority on who’s allowed to reproduce, because of this? How restrictive would this be, and who and how actually enforce these rules?

Both religion and science are means of communicating to a culture on a mass scale, and because of that there will be inconsistencies in how this information is conveyed and the ability for the average lay person to understand what this information is, and its finer nuances.

Because of this, simply replacing one mode of communication about How The World Works ™ is not going to magically increase literacy on a subject, nor make anyone more likely to adhere to something. It’s the reason why religion leverages indoctrination tactics as a core part of its message - obtaining loyal followers requires a lot of work, and a risk/reward ratio to ensure compliance to a particular ideology. Filing off the identifying words and replacing them with different ones does not change the underlying perception of a “new” message.

Science, historically, has been just as politically-aligned as religion, because both have been deeply connected to money. How your world will define a soul, and consciousness, and how it ranks who gets to have what, will inevitably follow the papertrail that is money - it’s up to you how much of an economy to include, and what concepts like equality and egalitarianism look like in your world.

Licorice: This sounds to me like a question the scientists in your world would be busy exploring. In fact, from a narrative perspective, I think it would be more interesting if this were an aspect of reincarnation that they themselves did not understand yet. They could have many different theories floating around, different schools of thought endorsed by rival academic cliques. 

In our world it is often the case that scientists devise practical applications for natural phenomena that they don’t yet fully understand. They’re not sure why it works yet, but they know that it does. So it would be perfectly possible for your scientists to have plenty of unanswered questions about reincarnation, while at the same time inventing a machine that can read people’s past lives. 

For example, does reincarnation in their world operate like a parking garage, where no new cars can enter until a space becomes available? No new babies can be born until a body dies and frees up a soul? If this were the case, how would human beings deal with it? Would people remain pregnant for months or even years, waiting for a newly-liberated soul to enter the foetus so it can become a person and be born? Or would it not be possible to get pregnant at all unless a soul was available? In that case, might people who were desperate to have a child go out and murder randos? Would older members of the community be encouraged to hurry up and recycle their souls? 

Or maybe we can go the Philip Pullman route and argue that souls are made of Dust - space dust, star dust, magic dust, what have you - free-floating in the universe, which can be attracted to your earth by a variety of means. 

Or maybe they have actual gods in this world who simply create more souls as required. 

It would also be interesting to know what social distinctions - classes, if you will - might be created based on one’s soul level. For example, do souls that have undergone a certain number of reincarnations enjoy higher social status? More rights? Or maybe more responsibilities?

Another possibility is that souls can split, like amoebas, if they cultivate enough mana or whatever. Perhaps society is structured around ways of encouraging people to do this?

And finally, in your world, is there any end to the cycle of reincarnation? And is this something to be desired, or avoided?

I think you have a really neat idea there with a huge amount of potential. 

[ceterisparibus116]

Hi DD fandom, I don’t usually do this (never have, actually), but I just want to...address this post real quick. I’m NOT trying to put anyone on blast here (and if anyone sees the original post, please be kind), but as a visually impaired person, there’s a lot I want to say.

1. Logic Games

Let’s address the logic games section of the LSAT. I might be misinterpreting, but it sounds to me like OP is saying Matt would struggle with the logic games, such that even with near-perfect scores on the other sections, he’d only net a 160-ish over all.

Now to be fair to OP, the LSAT is definitely not the most accessible thing in the world. And the logic games specifically are solved, generally, by diagramming things. That’s obviously difficult if you’re blind.

However, there are workarounds. “Blind LSAT-takers have historically used tactile mats, raised-line drawing apparatuses or Excel spreadsheets to tackle Logic Games.” Source. Now, I’m not saying those accommodations are easy to get, and maybe Matt wasn’t able to get them. But it’s certainly possible that he was.

Now let’s assume he wasn’t able to get any accommodations.

Even without those accommodations, the LSAT is a skills-based exam. This is key. The LSAT doesn’t test natural ability; it tests your ability to perform specific skills. And there are only a handful of possible types of logic games. You can only see so many “arrange the people sitting in the bus,” “arrange the flowers/trees growing in a garden,” “arrange the order of songs on a playlist,” and “arrange the order of speakers and which room they’ll occupy” prompts before you start to identify the patterns. Some are harder than others, with more variables to consider, but there are not that many variants overall.

Because the LSAT is a skills-based exam, all Matt needs to do, even without accommodations, is figure out a way to organize the information in his head. Now, it’s easier to organize the information in a diagram vs in your head, but all that matters is that the information is organized. It doesn’t matter whether it’s organized on paper or mentally. So saying logic games are “easier” with diagrams than without doesn’t mean that someone who uses diagrams will always score higher than someone who doesn’t; instead, it’s a question of time. It will take Matt more time to learn the harder skill of organizing the information in his head than it would take someone else to learn the easier skill of organizing the information in a diagram. But both skills (organizing mentally vs on paper) are sufficient to get a good score on the LSAT if you just put in the time.

And given that Matt has apparently wanted to be a lawyer since childhood, I have no doubt that he put in the time to master that skill enough to get the score he knew he’d need to go to the school he wanted.

2. Matt’s Personal Statement

This is the slightly more concerning issue. Personal statements are a chance for applicants to show why, aside from LSAT scores and GPAs and letters of recommendation, they would make a good lawyer. They are not the place for a personal sob story, except for two reasons:

a) using the “sob story” to demonstrate how the individual has persevered through hardship; and

b) using the “sob story” to explain certain less-than-outstanding aspects of the application.

In other words, Matt could say: “I’m exceptionally devoted to my studies and motivated by my desire to help others in need, as proven by the fact that even blindness failed to stop me from pursuing law school, despite the fact that law is a vision-intensive profession.”

It’s also possible that Matt could try to artfully say, “My LSAT score wasn’t stellar [if that’s true, which I question, but never mind for now] but that’s only because I’m visually impaired and lacked appropriate accommodations - not because the score actually reflects any deficiency in my reading or logic skills.”

Personally, I find it much more in-character to headcanon that Matt would go the first route rather than the second.

But what is not an option (at least, not a respectable option) is for a person to use their sob story to attempt to manipulate the school into using them as a diversity poster child despite having an inadequate application.

Do some people do that? Maybe, sure. Is that an appropriate thing to do? Absolutely not. Law school, beginning with the application process, is about being a good advocate for other people - it’s not about manipulating the system so you can get a “spot” to which you are not actually entitled. And how do you become entitled to having a “spot”? By having the skills good advocacy requires.*

Ultimately, attempting to shortcut the system to accept a person who is not a good advocate (but who has a great sob story) is depriving future clients of adequate representation.

Not to be dramatic, but Matt would rather die.

*I’m not saying that the application process is the perfect measure of the skills that will make you a good lawyer. But it’s sure better than letting people in based on how compelling their sob story is rather than based on their actual relevant skills.

3. Diversity Poster Boy

Now let’s address the broader concerns with the idea of a diversity poster boy. These concerns relate to society as a whole, not to any particular headcanon or to Matt as a fictional character, so I’m stepping out of the DD world for this part of the discussion.

What happens when we talk about diversity poster kids? What happens when we talk about people using hardship (including disabilities) to get an edge over people with more privilege? What happens when we talk about institutions like law schools accepting candidates not based on their qualifications but based instead on meeting some kind of diversity quota?

The result is that when people do overcome hardship and even oppression to get a spot at the table, everyone else says, “Oh, you’re the diversity hire.” People refuse to consider that maybe you’re there on your own merits, because the first thing they see about you is your diversity, and they assume that the only way you got to where you are is via manipulation.

Think about what it’s like, as a disabled person or any person of a “diverse” background, to live with that day after day. Where every accomplishment is tainted by people whispering, “But you didn’t really earn that, did you? You just flaunted your disability.”

I hope I don’t have to spell out how exhausting that is.

Now if there is hard evidence that people who are otherwise unqualified for a position are being accepted purely to meet some kind of quota...that’s one thing. We should absolutely be talking about that, especially in the legal profession - because it doesn’t do a client any good to have a lawyer who’s “diverse” if that lawyer doesn’t know how to actually help them.

But just throwing these terms around, detached from any statistical analysis, like this is just A Thing That Happens All The Time...we need to stop. It’s not helpful or funny. It’s harmful.

So please, let’s be careful.

[celestial-specter]

Once more, it’s time for:

Aftermath’s battle simulation: How one scene reintroduces us to Clone Force 99, and possibly foreshadows later events in the series.

(Part 3)

Following the realization that their training blasters are useless against the live-fire droids, Hunter instructs the group to improvise, as is their talent.

This moment is an interesting contradiction to how Hunter behaves over the remaining course if the first and second seasons - once Omega joins their group and Crosshair leaves it, he becomes intensely focused on protecting the family he has left, thinking through and intensely questioning each decision he makes. This first becomes obvious in the very next episode, Cut and Run, when Hunter doubts his ability to provide for Omega and believes it is best to leave her with Cut’s family.

As the squd leader, Hunter likely feels individually responsible for the loss of Crosshair, and we see him become increasingly risk-averse in an attempt to prevent losing anyone else. He believes the best way to keep his family safe and together is to stay out of Rex’s clone rebellion, a decision which brings about further fallout after Echo chooses to leave anyway.

Hunter, despite his care and trust for his family, has become very individualistic, attempting to take sole responsibility for his family and shouldering all the blame when things go wrong. He has become very wary of the influence of outsiders, as shown by the early stages of his friendship with Phee. He has seemingly forgotten that the core strength of his squad is their unique ability to adapt to changing circumstances, and the trust they have in each other to improvise and work in sync.

Hunter then says ‘If Tarkin wants to test us, let’s not disappoint him.’ While this statement is obviously applicable to the very real test that Tarkin is putting the group through in this scene, I believe that this statement also applies to the batch’s continuing story arc. As genetically defective clones, they have always been separate from their fellow brothers, and have developed a very close bond as a result. The real ‘test’ that the batch undergoes throughout the show is their relationships with each other coming under intense strain, and their squad splitting apart as a result.

Hunter once again lifts his helmet, and whistles to gain the attention of Wrecker and Tech from across the training ground. He could have caught their attention through a number of other ways, but chooses this method specifically. To me, this references how Hunter’s best leadership quality is his human nature - he is naturally caring and unafraid of his squads differences, including the differences he himself exhibits - they are a strength, and not a weakness.

Moving on to Wrecker and Tech, Hunter’s use of hand signals here highlights the key difference between the pair. Tech easily understands the complex signals which Wrecker struggles to learn. This shows that Tech is far more comfortable with a different style of communication than speech - he prefers gestures which clearly indicate what he is required to do, with no room for misunderstanding.

In contrast, Wrecker struggles to understand these gestures. He prefers to keep things simple, preferring a method of communication which is universal for all. While Tech’s intelligence wins out in this scene, the opposite is true when the audience see each of the brothers try to form bonds with other characters. Wrecker quickly forms a close relationship with Omega, while she and Tech struggle to find a common ground due to their alternating attachment and communication styles. Wrecker becomes fast friends with Shep, while Tech struggles to connect with Phee. Even Tech’s interactions with Romar in Ruins of War are an example of how he has to put in more work to find meaningful connection with those outside of his brothers.

However, in this scene, Tech clearly exhibits care and understanding of Wrecker, simplifying Hunter’s plan down to ‘What we did on Felucia’.

When they begin their new battle strategy, Echo splits off from Hunter and Crosshair, running along the outside of the training ground. As his training blaster is useless against the droids, it can be assumed he is only doing this to distract them. This change in position shows that Echo has his own path, separate from the rest of the batch. This movement puts him out in the open at an increased risk of being hit, and running along tilted, uneven ground, representing the danger of his choice to join Rex’s rebellion.

Due to Echo’s distraction, Wrecker is able to take down one of the droids, and Echo returns to take down another. Tech then arrives, utilizing his own skills to begin reprogramming one of the droids. This could foreshadow Tech, Echo, and Wrecker being the three members of the team focused on fixing the Eriadu railcar once it sustains damage. In that moment, Echo uses his scomp arm to try and override the system, Tech climbs on top of the railcar to fix it from above, and Wrecker attempts to physically hold the railcar together when it begins to fall apart.

In my opinion, Tech climbing on top of the reprogrammed droid is also direct foreshadowing of him climbing atop the railcar - both are instances of him attempting to use his own skillset to reprogram imperial technology to save his family.

During this time, Hunter and Crosshair have remained together, but are pinned down behind a barrier taking heavy fire from the droids. To me, this moment represents not physical closeness, but a shared desperation as they realize the severity of their circumstances by the end of series two. They are both trapped in their own situations - Crosshair in Mount Tantiss, and Hunter on the outside with no way to get to him or to Omega. By the beginning of season three, I believe both of them will have reached a state of despondency in their respective fights - Crosshair definitely seems to be exhibiting this in the few clips we have seen of him in the trailer, but I believe Hunter may deal with his emotional fallout internally, and refuse to accept help from others. Either way, they are both stuck, with no ideas on how to move forward.