#and there are some animal encounters that can be done relatively ethically!

[gardenstateofmind]

it kills me when my mom sends me videos of cute animal encounters bc as much as i would love to hold a sloth, there's just no ethical way to do that

like best case scenario, it's a "rescue" run by well meaning people who do genuinely care about their animals and give them okay lives, potentially even better than they would have in the wild, but it's still a worse life than they would have in a real rescue where they are kept away from the public and only deal with a limited number of trained professionals they can get to know and trust

but the much more likely scenario is that it's a business that steals wild animals or breeds in captivity and has the animals under constant stress by forcing them to interact with humans, feeds them unhealthy diets, keeps them on an unnatural schedule, etc. like getting to hug a sloth is not worth that animal living under abuse

[strike-another-match]

please if someone here knows more about this than me do correct me but i've been trying to figure this out and so far i think there's three main "layers" with different datasets used to create a stable diffusion picture (through comfyUI, a1111, web portals, etc.) which i will explain to the best of my ability now

(the goal of this post is to shed some light into the whole process to better understand the conversations around this topic, and also to try to figure out what is the best option for someone looking to protect their art from being used against their will in these models and for someone looking to make ethical AI images with their own pictures)

on the most superficial layer we have LoRAs which are made with only a few pictures and are applied on top of a base checkpoint model, usually made to replicate one particular artist's style or to capture a character's likeness to be able to re-pose them through prompts or other means. to make these i've seen people use anywhere from 5 to 1000 images which can be sourced from your own work, someone else's work, public domain, etc. when people say that they "trained an IA with their own art", i think they normally meant that they made a LoRA model with their own art that still needs a base checkpoint model to work, and i'm not sure about this but i think you can combine as many of these as you want (kind of like sprinkles on a cake perhaps??). the files are relatively small (a few Mbs in most cases) and you can train one fairly quickly through existing programs that are freely available

the base checkpoint model i'm talking about is the middle layer and from what i've seen i think it's trained similarly to a LoRA but it's meant to emcompass a broader subject (for example, "anime style" rather than "utena style"). i'm confused on how many pictures minimum you need to train one of these but people still do it in their fairly standard laptops or through rental of cloud space and it can still be done only with pictures you own the rights to and/or are in the public domain. many of these models have nothing to do with visual arts in the first place (for example, you can take many pics of trees and flowers around your neighbourhood, curate a proper dataset and use it to train a model that you can use to generate mix-and-matches of those... etc.). on top of these base models you can create and apply LoRAs and other similar smaller/"tweaking" models. these tend to weigh 2-8GBs but i wouldn't be surprised if there's some much larger ones that i haven't encountered

i used to think that if you did this step without using stolen images you could have a "clean" model without anything shady going on (personally i wanted to make one for victorian flower fairy illustrations for personal use because i thought it would be fun...) but then i learned that these models are still trained on a base stable difussion model (SD1.5 or SD2.0 etc) which is where it gets impossible to "make your own" as a layman since these large base models are trained on immense, and i mean immense data sets containing (in SD's case) millions upon millions of images of all kinds, from naruto screencaps to pictures of puppies to photographs of models in ads in magazines to people's instagram selfies and facebook family photos, etc. these data sets are so large that if i understood correctly they're impossible to curate manually or for anyone to know exactly what has gone into them. also, these costs hundreds of thousands of dollars in computing power to train, but they only need to be trained once, after which each use only consumes the same amount of power as any other activity that you may do on your computer with your graphics card such as playing a videogame

i'd recommend reading this article [cw: mentions of child abuse] for better understanding, but this is basically where "tumblr is selling our data" comes into play. checkpoints and LoRAs created to imitate one specific style are normally created from hand-picked datasets by one person or a small group of people and that can still be done even with the best data protection measures as long as another user can right click and save an image from a post. meanwhile, base models like stable diffusion or midjourney are trained on billions of pictures of all kinds so for example even if they scrapped my entire portfolio it would be a drop in the ocean in the final result since the whole of facebook is also in there

re: disruptive protection technologies such as glaze or nightshade, personally i don't think it's worth it to use them to protect your art from automated scrapping / massive data selling because those images are going to be such a tiny small part of the final dataset that it feels like putting in hours of extra effort + losing a lot of social media presence by deleting your old posts with the original images for no tangible benefits to you, but if what i said above about LoRAs and checkpoints is correct then it would be useful to prevent regular humans from manually creating specific tweaker models that replicate your specific style or characters. however from what i've read i think this can be somewhat bypassed by just taking a full-res screenshot of the image instead of right click and saving it (i say somewhat because a glazed picture is inherently disrupted and thus "uglier" than the original picture... but i think just blurring the image slightly before posting it or just posting a lower res version would give you the same level of protection ??? without needing to go through all the trouble of using glaze and nightshade which is pretty time-consuming)

again my only goal here is in understanding how all of this works so i really appreciate any corrections that can help me better understand. i want to test my theories on glaze/nightshade by taking some disney images and creating 4 different style LoRAs with them (one with the original images, one with glaze + nightshade, one with low res versions of the images, and one with blurred high res versions of the images) to see if there is any noticeable difference in the results !

[teethands]

FF HEADCANON LIST

CRACKS KNUCKLES these are all imported from google docs bc thats where ive been keeping all my thoughts :] im not sure if theres any repeat HCs in here and im sorry if someones got to me before i have but these all came from my own brain !!! these are all very miscellaneous HCs but they generally revolve around vivosaurs and revival. some of them are rather macabre so a solid CW warning here for mentions of dinosaur body horror and death. ALSO SPOILERS FOR FOSSIL FIGHTERS 1 AND 2 BUT MOSTLY 2 LETS GO

modern boneysaurs/zombiesaurs

i think it is entirely possible to replicate a boney/zombiesaur outside of whatever sorcery zongazonga used to resurrect them in the first place. i think its relatively well known undead vivosaurs are a direct result of ZZ and his ancient tournament, and although zombiesaurs are usually claimed to be used in such tournaments most often, i think boneysaurs are just a variant of that but where less used due to weakness and general incompatibility. theyre all undead vivosaurs. thats it. on to the meat of this headcanon, boney/zombiesaur resurrection: i think zombiesaurs could be the result of attempting to revive a deceased vivosaur, while boneysaurs might be caused by man or machine malfunction while reviving a fossil. i think this might be an interchangeable effect: zombiesaurs might emerge from resurrections, and boneysaurs might emerge from revivals, although altogether i think this entire phenomenon is extremely rare. fossil revival goes entirely against the laws of nature and thus, nature must step in at some points to attempt to stop the process, although common fossil park high-tech machinery probably stops most instances like this from happening. boneysaurs emerging from failed revivals are almost always the cause of very poor cleaning, (maybe attempting to revive a heavily damaged, failed fossil head?) or outdated/unkempt fossil revival machinery. boney/zombiesaurs were so common in ZZ’s time because of such poor methods of revival. at some point during a “doomed” fossil revival, the skin and flesh of the vivosaur its supposed to resemble never quite “renders” in. the skin is registered and stitched together, but only holds the bones in place with an unknown black substance, leaving it void black in the same way a texture in a video game may just fail to load. presumably boneysaurs are almost always immediately dead in the revival chamber after the process is over due to lack of functioning organs, skin, etc, without some kind of support or magic. or maybe they are magic- every bad unnatural part of a revival machine fused into one being, and thats what allows them to live on. on the other hand, this could mean any type of boneysaur could emerge from any dinosaur- pterosaurs, therizinosaurs, raptors, maybe- maybe- just a thought, maybe even super revival vivosaurs could have this effect happen too. so, so rarely though. so rarely, its probably never even happened before in recorded vivosaur revival history. 

as for zombiesaurs- this phenomenon could happen when a recently deceased vivosaur is attempted revival. recently deceased, as in, undecayed flesh-still-in-tact. i imagine this happens much more often than boneysaurs- although, i dont think many people are trying to revive dead vivosaurs.

zombiesaurs, fresh from the revival chamber, are almost always damned and in pain, and serve as a reminder to fighters that the laws of nature can only be twisted so far, and they are best be put down. presumably no fossil cleaning facilities will allow a fighter to attempt to revive a dead vivosaur due to the danger and the frightening, disturbing nature of zombiesaurs. fossil damage + neon goo every fighter has encountered the bright purple (green in the OG FF) substance that appears during cleaning when a fossil is too damaged in one area. this material wouldnt be produced from the fossil itself, but rather generated by the fossil cleaning machinery when it detects damage within the bone, kinda like a 3D printer. this is why fossil cleaning is so meticulous, and why it has to be done in such specific conditions with heavy surveillance and a tight time limit. this prevents the vivosaur from having broken bones when it is revived- it is a bright, obvious substance, and it feels much like a warm, firm jelly with a hard, synthetic core that sews bones together. maybe its different in other regions, explaining the color difference amongst games. it is almost completely unnoticeable when the vivosaur is revived, nearly perfectly mimicking bone and flesh to prevent issues later on in the vivosaurs life. as good of a bone mimic as it might be, i think a very heavily damaged bone would still be a weak point during battle or an area of pain or irritation for the vivosaur. that is why it is best to clean your fossils as well as you can. maybe this goo is designed to be replaced with real bone by the vivosaurs body later in life, but i have yet to think about that too much. perhaps its soft enough to be destroyed and replaced by the body’s natural healing functions, but hard enough to act as bone? And perhaps thats why its best to let your vivosaur rank up (rest+heal) before taking them to battle. UNRELATED HEADCANON- GUHNASH COULD HAVE HAD A COOLER DESIGN. I DONT LIKE HIM HE LOOKS LIKE A TADPOLE. i have a vision in mind for a cooler guhnash redesign- i like the snake-ish look, but maybe he could be like. an infinitely long being. nobody knows where he starts or ends. a head at the front of an infinitely massive body that consumes everything, and nobody knows where the eaten planets goes. kinda like a jörmungandr-like being. idk i just think a “planet eater” with living brains should be more eldritch and god-like and mysterious. ANYWAYS vivosaur ecosystems? there is literally no way a vivo ecosystem wouldnt form. NO WAY. so many dinosaurs and seeing how OFTEN they are abandoned- refer to the opening scene of fossil fighters champions- it would not be any surprise feral vivosaurs wouldnt breed and form small ecosystems among themselves and around fossil parks. its not an uncommon sight to see pterosaurs flying overhead or sauropods munching on trees, although id bet theropods and more dangerous vivosaurs would have teams of park rangers to keep them under control. refer once again to FFC opening scene. this would explain the seemingly infinite amount of fossils in the dig sites, how you can find vivosaurs in only specific areas- although thats leading into a rather dark topic and i would rather not talk about it right now LOL i will leave that open to interpretation. jurassic park knock off SOME OTHER LITTLE MISC HCS TOO SHORT TO WRITE ENTIRE TOPICS ABOUT: because ZZ is a mix of boneysaur and zombiesaur and hes also an ancient sorcerer he smells fucking rank. so fucking bad. hes got maggots and shit hes only held together by magic but somehow he kicks ass. but hes fucking stinky so at what cost boneysaurs have no concept of feelings and arent really desirable as vivos and zombiesaurs only know rage and pain, also making them undesirable, for very very good reasons. they are taboo to talk about among fighters but most of the time they are only myths because of how rare they are feral vivosaurs dont have medals, only revived vivos do. that means they are standalone animals and they are also generally undesirable for fighters but they can still be tamed, if one wishes. theres way, WAY more fossil parks and dig sites than shown in the games. fossil battling is as well known and used as much as people love music and video games in the fossil fighters universe. vivosaurs are an essential part of society, although there is often controversy on the ethics of fossil battles and revival. pokemon knock off alright thats all i feel like typing for now thanks for reading this far lads. i love dinossuars. i wanna write some things on dinaurians but maybe later after ive introduced saar here :)

[ayearinfaith]

𝗔 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵, 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟰𝟴: 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗺

“When we think of the Hindu religion, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to define Hindu religion or even adequately describe it. Unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one God; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one set of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion of creed. It may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more.”

-Supreme Court of India, from 1995 ruling on the minority religion status of Ramakrishnaism

Hinduism is an indigenous faith of the Indian subcontinent, currently practiced by over 15% of the global population and the world’s third largest religion. It is one of two surviving modern traditions to evolve directly from the historical Indo-European faith, the other being Zoroastrianism. The internal diversity of Hinduism is very high and has been likened by some to the use of “Abrahamic” as a single term for diverse traditions such as Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. The word “Hinduism” was coined in the early 19th century and comes from the ethnic term “Hindu”, itself derived from the name of the Indus River, located in modern day Pakistan.

𝗧����𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Like with Shinto or Old Norse religion, indigenous faiths of Japan and Scandinavia, pre-modern Hindus were unlikely to have perceived themselves as being members of a religion. What would become Hinduism was simply their culture. Developments in self-identification have largely developed alongside the development of and need to distinguish from other traditions in India, most notably Buddhism and Islam. One of the earliest possible identifiers would have been “Vaidika” or “Vaidika Dharma”: the “way of the Vedas”. The Vedas, whose name literally means “knowledge”, are a collection of ancient scripture, some dating back as far as 1500 BCE. Though the beliefs of the Vedas have significant differences with modern Hindu denominations, perception of the Vedas as a source of truth is generally considered to be the defining feature of Hinduism, distinguishing it from other indigenous Indian faiths such as Buddhism or Jainism. Because of this direct and still active connection to 2-3000+ year old texts, Hinduism has often been called the world’s “oldest religion”. That said, the faith of the ancient Vedic people was quite different from the modern traditions. Many of modern Hinduism’s most venerated deities, such as Shiva, Vishnu, or Ganesha, are either absent from the Vedas, exist as alternate names for other gods, or are quite minor deities. Most prominent are gods like the king of the gods, Indra, and the fire god Agni, all of whom are generally easy to relate to the deities of European pagans. Aside from the Vedas the most important and universal Hindu scripture are the Upanishads and the Puranas. The Upanishads are actually a part of the Vedas, albeit the final layer of them, written in the second half of the first millennium BCE, by which time more familiar versions of figures like Vishnu and Shiva had emerged. From these come many core Hindu concepts such as Ātman (eternal soul) and Brahman (universal consciousness). The Puranas are a hug and diverse body of literature from which most of the legends and genealogies of the gods and the universe are derived.

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀

A significant difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is the belief in an eternal soul or Ātman. All living things have an Ātman, and when we die the Ātman is reincarnated in a new body. Escaping the cycle of reincarnation is seen as a type of salvation called Moksha. Though generally considered the ultimate “goal” of Hinduism, Moksha is only one of four concepts knows as Puruṣārtha, literally a “spiritual/human pursuit”. The other three are Dharma (righteous and ethical behavior, literally “path/way”), Artha (wealth, or means, also conceived of as purpose), and Kama (physical pleasures). Artha and Kama are seen as necessary for a fulfilling life, though they should never go against Dharma, and all is done in pursuit of Moksha. Karma, literally “deed” or “act”, is a concept of causality between reincarnations. Doing good deeds will cause someone to be reincarnated into a better life, while bad deeds have the opposite effect. One of the greater Hindu virtues is Ahimsa or non-violence and is applicable not just to humans, but animals and plants. This is the reason behind widespread vegetarianism in India, and also a source of conflict between Hindus and Muslims: the Islamic method of animal slaughter, Dhabīḥah, is seen as a slow and painful death in direct opposition to the Hindu method, Jhatka, which literally means “instantly”. In addition to the cycle of reincarnation, the concepts of illusion and truth are core to Hinduism. Truth in this context is Brahman, the universal consciousness and/or ultimate reality. Brahman is the supreme force in Hinduism, generally seen all pervasive and singular. The reality we perceive is ultimately an illusion, a concept called Maya. Enlightenment in Hinduism is the ability to perceive through Maya and into the true Brahman. The role of the gods in Hinduism is complex; sometimes they are supreme forces and sometimes they are just powerful superhuman entities. Often both is true, with the gods being emanations of each other and ultimately of Brahman itself. The Om, written in Devanagari as “ॐ” is one of Hinduism’s most recognizable symbols, and represents the primordial cosmic sound of the universe.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

As has already been stated in this post, Hinduism is incredibly diverse. Academics and philosophers, from within India and without, have made many valiant efforts to categorize the various threads. The most widely used currently differentiate by which god, or gods, have been elevated to supreme status. Though functional, use of these terms should not be thought of in the same vein as Christian denominations, like Methodist or Catholic, which have relatively clear and exclusionary division. A Hindu person may or may not identify with one, or multiple of these divisions, or may consider themselves of an altogether different traditions or prefer a different system of division altogether. The four major denominations are as follows:

𝗩𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗺

Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu denomination, and is estimated to cover 2/3rds of the Hindu population, though an exact number is impossible to gather. Vaishnavism is named for and elevates Vishnu, the preserver god, to the status of supreme consciousness. The doctrine of ten avatars is a core belief, and the epics 𝘔𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘢 and 𝘙𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢 are important texts.

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗺

Shaivism is the second most popular denomination and probably originated in Dravidian South India. Shaivism elevates the destroyer god Shiva. Shaivism is best known for its asceticism and Yoga. The aniconic Lingam is one of its most recognizable artifacts.

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺

Shaktism is the worship of the supreme feminine energy, Shakti. The varied Hindu goddesses, or Devi, are collectively worshiped as emanations of this supreme force, especially Parvati, Kali, and Durga. The Hindu esoteric and mystic tradition, Tantra, is most common in this denomination.

𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺

Smartism is named for the Smriti texts, basically any scripture that is not the Vedas (or Upanishads). Smartism holds all gods in equivalents status, though generally portrays a council of five: Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, and Surya. Smartism distinguishes the supreme consciousness, Brahman, into a Saguna Brahman, “Brahman with attributes”, and a Nirguna Brahman, “Brahman without attributes”. Put simply, the chosen deity is a face given to the universal consciousness as a means to understand it. Any deity can serve this function, and the more enlightened the practitioner becomes, the less they need this tutelary Saguna Brahman and can realize the true Nirguna Brahman. Smartism is seen as a syncretic tradition, developed as a means to bring disparate traditions together.

𝗔 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱

This has been one of the most difficult posts I have yet to write. Deciding what to include and what to omit was incredibly difficult. I wrote, deleted, and rewrote this several times. Doing research was difficult and as it turns out the internet is full of Hindu voices with a lot to say. Just to give an example, Wikipedia itself is full with meta-pages with editors striving against each other for what I would describe as the “least incorrect” version. In the end my aim was simply to give what I felt was as brief and general a post as I could write and still give an effective overview of the basic ideas and terminology one can expect to encounter when speaking about Hinduism. Even after all this, I feel like I have failed at that. However, at some point I have to stop writing this and move on for the sake of this series, and that point is now.

Image Credit: I could not determine the source, though I believe this is an Om encircled by the Om Nama Shivaya mantra. If you are able to find or know the source, please let me know.

[jurassicparkpodcast]

Velociraptors, Dilophosaurs and a Fallen Kingdom: A follow-up On The Canon Of Jurassic World Aftermath

Recently, we published an article exploring how we thought Jurassic World Aftermath may fit into the wider canon – with lots of speculation as to the role that characters like Dr Wu would play within the story. Now, we can follow-up on that article with some facts pulled straight from a session spent with the new VR Game. The footage to accompany this video can be found on our YouTube channel, and is courtesy of fellow Jurassic fan Brent Kappel, who actually appeared in Jurassic World as an extra!

Without any further ado, let’s break down some of the most interesting pieces of lore introduced within Jurassic World Aftermath. Spoilers ahead for anyone planning to play the game themselves.

The key thing on everyone’s mind is obvious – how are there more Velociraptors on the island? We learn, in Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, that Blue is supposedly the last of her kind – which makes her an invaluable asset for Doctor Wu and Eli Mills to obtain. Naturally, you may think that the inclusion of Velociraptors here in Aftermath takes away from this – but careful consideration has been made to think about where they slot into the story. The N.M.S Centre was an off-the-grid facility so to speak, in terms of the fact that the work they did at the facility was not well known by the other operatives working on Isla Nublar. In fact, mention of Owen Grady and Vic Hoskins is made at one point – acknowledging that neither of them knew about the existence of the programme. This suggests that the work being conducted at the N.M.S Centre was different to the work being conducted by Project IBRIS – and therefore was kept relatively quiet in comparison to InGen’s other project. 

But, you may be asking, why was there a need for a second Velociraptor project?

The answer boils down to the science and genetics of Jurassic World. We know that genetic modification has been a key story point for the latter films, and this is no different in Aftermath, with the work at the N.M.S Centre proving vital in allowing the geneticists at Jurassic World to continue to enhance how much they can augment the code of their dinosaurs. The NMS Centre, in particular, was working on the Velociraptor Genome, and was experimenting with areas like elevated social hormones, suggesting that they were taking the work which IBRIS had done, and seeing if they could tailor-make a Raptor which is more able to respond to commands – aka the latter Indoraptor. We also learn that work had been done to get the raptors to respond to audio prompts so they could come for feeding – again, building upon the idea of these being Raptors who can be more effectively trained and controlled. The way Wu is communicated throughout here as a narcissistic and egotistical character is very interesting, too, as it helps to sell his character as someone who is purely invested in his work without any of the ethical confines which may have otherwise held him back. The mission to recover the Velociraptor Genome ultimately takes a change of pace when, at the end of the game, it is revealed that we need to recover Blue’s DNA. Indeed, in this moment we learn that Blue’s creation seemed to be an accident. Wu was experimenting with monitor lizard polymer raised to promote parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) when Blue was born – implying that she may be able to reproduce naturally in the current Jurassic World Dominion timeline.

So, how does all of this tie directly into Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, and the birth of the Indoraptor? Well, as we already know from the film, the mission to recover Blue is an important stepping stone in creating the Indoraptor. Therefore it is natural for us to assume that the events of this game are taking place parallel to the development of the first Indoraptor prototype we later see in the film – implying that the work and research recovered here factors in to the eventual creation of that animal. We get more concrete comparison of this being tied together through the fact that Mia and Sam actually have a direct link with Lockwood Manor in the latter part of the game – showing that Wu is indeed working with Mills at this point. It sounds as if Mills is in charge of the operation at this point in time, as Wu mentions him as overseeing the operations at several points. This suggests that the mission to Isla Nublar we see in FK’s opening is perhaps the climax of a long string of missions to recover different pieces of technology which were ultimately needed to continue Wu’s hybridisation work. The most interesting piece of lore here is that we learn that InGen had emergency backup systems connected on the mainland to Nublar – with Lockwood Manor being the emergency backup for the facility. This implies that rather than being a rogue faction, Mills and Wu may have still had some affiliation with InGen during the events of JWFK, although it could equally be implied that the connection existed from the Jurassic Park days when Lockwood was still involved in the parks.

There are a couple of other interesting bits of information strewn throughout the game. The first is that Wu begins to freak out when the character of Emelia (the geneticist helping with the in-game mission)  has a meeting with Simon Masrani in May of 2015. This allegation is taking to the InGen Board, with Wu pulling her up for insubordination towards a superior. This is interesting as Wu becomes very defensive and suggests that she may damage the work of both him and the board – implying that rogue elements inside of InGen may be working against the wishes of Masrani this whole time. Whilst this isn’t anything new per-say, it does provide interesting insight as to where people like Hoskins may have fit into a much larger game being played in the shadows by other entities in InGen. Of note, also, is the way Wu presents his work throughout these audio logs – implying that he is working on multiple projects which will change man’s understanding of the natural world. Much like we saw hinted within Camp Cretaceous, the implication here seems to be that Wu may have worked on many more projects than those we simply see on screen.

A couple of final bits of interesting information we wanted to highlight is to do with specific details inside the story. Firstly, we learn that Isla Nublar’s Jurassic World did, indeed, use a Geothermal Plant – and that the Dilophosaurus can be found nested in there. Whilst this game does take place two years after the titular film, it is entirely possible that they have been nested in them for some time – which may explain the lack of encounters with this particular dinosaur so far in Camp Cretaceous. In addition to this, we also learn that Nublar is under a UN Quarantine following the events of the Jurassic World incident – meaning that we are in a similar situation to that which we find in JPIII. The fact the characters only have one hour on the island suggests this may be more stringent, however. Another fun detail comes in a mention of the Monorail – with it being revealed that the Indominus tore through the monorail track at some point before the main street battle, explaining some of the damage and devastation inflicted upon Nublar between the incident and JWFK. There are also a few other moments scattered throughout – including a fun visual nod to the Jurassic Park Visitors Centre.

All of this comes together to make a piece of Jurassic media which is much broader and deeper in terms of canonical scope than I think any of us expected going into it. Whilst we remain hesitant about whether this will be a ‘canonical’ story or not, I think that there has been some great work here to build on core Jurassic concepts. The character of Wu is developed incredibly well, and the ties to Lockwood Manor and Mills are executed well, too – making enough sense when considered alongside the events of Fallen Kingdom. Overall, Jurassic World Aftermath appears to have a lot of value in building up some pre-established areas of the canon, whilst also building to the future. As mentioned in the article, the idea of asexual reproduction in Blue poses an interesting question for Jurassic World Dominion. A recorded speech from Ian Malcolm present in the game also talks about a course correction after we have meddled with science to this point – setting the perfect precedent for what we are expecting to see in the upcoming sequel.

What do you think? Are you surprised about how much lore is packed into Jurassic World Aftermath? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for plenty more on all things Jurassic Park and Jurassic World here on The Jurassic Park Podcast. 

Written by: Tom Fishenden

[doktorpeace]

🖊 please introduce us to Erato, I know they're in a masks campaign but I have no idea what else

Oh, gosh, I feel like I talk about them too much as is but I can’t say I’m not glad to have the excuse. This is gonna be really long cause tbh I’m just gonna dump like, a bunch of their lore lmao.

Erato is my Masks: A New Generation character in a campaign being played alongside @twerkyvulture (As Amanda ‘Megafauna’ Ghorbani, The Transformed) @draayder (as Josephine ‘Rattlesnake’ Short, The Reformed) @spitblaze (as Les ‘Void’ Hawking, The Doomed) @heedra (as Enid ‘Frag Beetle’ Day, The Scion) and @skarchomp (as Parker ‘Cobalt’ Andrews, The Legacy) with @dykeceratops as our GM. The current arc features @mechanicalriddle as Zoe, The Nova as a guest member. Here’s a group shot done by @tredlocity. Clockwise from the top left: Cobalt in blue, Erato in the track suit, Les in the cloak, Zoe with the mismatched eyes, Enid’s the big robot, Amanda’s got the scales and claws, and Josephine’s got the mask and tonfa.

To get back to Erato specifically though they’re an Anti Metahuman/Metahuman Suppression Weapon created by the in universe tech group Wright Industries, founded by Ingrid Day, Enid’s mom. They’re generally stronger, faster, and more durable than humans and can copy the superpowers of others for 5-10 minutes by touching them thanks to what is basically a meta-stem cell transplant interacting with other parts of their systems. (Also, I 100% swear to god that I did not consider ‘Robot Hero Who Copies The Powers Of Others’ is literally fucking Mega Man despite loving Mega Man a ton until after I had hashed out the concept with my GM’s assistance. Only once Abby said ‘oh like mega man’ I was like ‘wait, shit’.) I’ll tell you some about them as a person before unloading their history onto you, lol. Being an android built for combat and kept in an underground research lab, kept on a rigid schedule, constantly taking tests, physical, mental, written, oral, ethical, etc. etc. etc. and under constant supervision Erato lacked for real interactive experience before the campaign started only really ever getting to takl with authority figures and their sisters. They were very passive and observational, owing in part to their power set requiring a lot of adaptation to make the most of. They’re naive and very bad at exercising discretion in decision making, sometimes they overstep boundaries when talking with people without meaning to, and they’re really emotional! They have trouble dealing with strong emotions cause they haven’t managed to discover coping mechanisms that work well for them, they tend to get angry kind of easily and need time to blow off steam. But they’re also very genuine, honest, and well meaning. They are almost never mean, rude, or snippy, they do their best to do well by others, and have a strong sense of justice paired with a deep distrust and dislike of the current legal system in universe. This is in part due to the conditions of their creation (and in part because the intent behind it was kind of right!) and in part due to Enid’s life being threatened by a representative of the state while they and their teammates were in jail after being arrested following a huge brawl with an anti-methuman terrorist group. They’re also very willing to put forth the effort to improve as a person and to mend relationship wounds, almost always apologizing first to Enid when they fight and genuinely trying to work in advice and feedback they get from others, which they often get from Les and Parker. They’re also relatively educated, from the tests of their creators, from home and public schooling, from personal research, but that doesn’t undo their naivety. They also just straight up lack some very basic and/or common sense knowledge. Like, they don’t know what a bear is. Why would you teach a battle android working in a densely populated, extremely built up city about wild animals? All in all they’re kind of inexperienced and immature and make mistakes a lot but they’re (usually) very willing to admit their mistakes and to try and improve and get better. They genuinely and truly want what’s best for others and are learning to value them self as much as their teammates. They’ve also taken it upon them self to start doing humanitarian work in their free time over the summer. In a fight Erato is adaptive and quick witted but tends to put themself in more danger than is necessary. They also sometimes use more extreme force than the others believe is called for, but after the first time they did they and Parker had a real heart to heart about it, Les helped Erato learn and practice some coping, centering, behaviors they could do even under pressure and Erato did their best to adapt. That said they Fucking Hate The Keeper So God Damned Much Because Of How Much Suffering He’s Caused Their Friends And How Much Danger He Presents And Would Kill Him With No Remorse. So they don’t intend to apologize for ripping his arms off whatsoever. They and their sisters, collectively known as The Muse Units, were made to work as a group and as a proof of concept that atomized units could replace traditional police for use against metahuman criminals and to slowly phase out The Registry, the legal department which handles general metahuman based laws. If successful the units could be mass produced and improved upon, rapidly replacing current, error prone, law enforcement. At the time of their development, between late 1999 for blueprint drafting and until mid 2002 when the project was shut down, they were the cutting edge for AI development aided in no small part by Ingrid’s technokinetic powers allowing her to make advancements few others could. (As a note Erato’s body was finished being built in early 2001 but their unique personhood didn’t really come to fruition until February 18th, 2002, so that’s what I consider their ‘birthday’.) Ultimately, however, while a few of the Muses excelled some did not perform to expectations, the project fell behind schedule, investors lost interest, and a minor scandal involving a casualty happened, resulting in the project being shut down. The Muses were placed in indefinite storage, the data gained from their short existence used on other projects such and some of the tech advancements used to inform future decisions by the company. And it would have stayed that way, if not for the fact that in 2018 Ingrid Day was revealed to be The Locust in a conflict where Enid tried to defend her against a militia group who had been hired to take her down, being shot and presumably killed in the process. As The Locust she had been terrorizing Boston for over a decade trying to take it over and being involved in the deaths of over 70 people. (Which irl btw would make her like, the 8th most prolific confirmed serial killer of all time, Yikes!) Wright Industries, desperately needing to prove their hard stance against metahuman criminals and needing a PR stunt to deflect from their connection to their former CEO re-awakened Erato. They weren’t the most powerful or best performing of the Muses, but they were above average, obedient, and had an easy enough to monitor and control power set with little risk for property damage to boot, the perfect choice. Erato then took to the streets of Boston acting basically as a vigilante, following orders, stopping minor crimes, and sometimes working alongside the police. They attracted the attention of The Viceroy, a semi-retired 56 year old hero who never registered in spite of it being compulsory legally. They both have the ability to copy the powers of others, though he can just by sight, and he has body elasticity too. These make him durable and extremely adaptable, add to that his detective skills and he’s something of a local Boston legend. He took them in as his Protégé. Though they remained distant for quite some time with Erato still coming and going between his place and Wright Industries, having promised not to reveal his assistance to the doctors who Erato reported their work to. It was this way for about a year and a half before the campaign started and Erato began living with Viceroy full time, no longer wanting to go back to Wright Industries as they began to think more independently and consider what they wanted for them self more. During this time Erato had chance encounters with each of the other characters a few times as they also did minor vigilante work, peaking with a villain who is a member of Superhuman, an extremist pro-metahuman group, attacked the school that Josephine, Les, and Amanda all attend. After that incident Erato was prompted by Viceroy to contact each of these other young potential heroes to form a team, The Upstarts. Additionally during this time Viceroy took in Enid who had been abandoned by her biological father and had been getting bounced around foster care. Over time the three of them have become kind of a weird family, living in a warehouse full of cats with a couple of bedrooms grafted on and an ultra secret basement lair underneath full of advanced stuff Viceroy makes. Though Erato and Enid have definitely had their ups and down, more recently in the story (and we’ve been doing this campaign for well over a year now) they’ve been putting in serious effort to better their relationship and be good adoptive siblings to one another. I love their relationship a lot, they’re good kids.

That gets us up to the start of the campaign but hoo boy, I’ve been writing for like, an hour now. Since then Erato’s helped take down a nazi-aligned terrorist organization, they’ve got a boyfriend in their teammate, Les, and they’ve made friends outside of their core group of teammates. They’ve also enrolled in school doing well on some classes and poorly in others, namely learning how to Code and Woodworking. Currently they’re at a sleep away summer camp for superpowered kids called Camp Justice, about 10 miles outside of Boston. They really, really hate it there. Constant supervision, being made to do tests, things scheduled out against their will, inability to leave the area? Yeah that certainly reminds them of something. The difference between it and school, which does share these features, is they wanted to go to school. They very much Did Not want to go to camp. As a result they’re finally going to have to start facing the trauma they’ve got from their origin and also actually tell the others other than Les and Amanda about their sisters. Whiiiiich...Enid saw one of them disassembled and showed off in parts at a school science fair display set up by Wright Industries to gauge interest in students. And she hasn’t mentioned this to Erato...for 4 months Uh Oh! Lastly, here’s my tag I use mostly for art I make of them, it includes some texts posts and picrew dumps too though, lol. Feel free to look!

[mommy-and-leader]

How Henrietta Lacks’ Story Taught Me How to be a More Compassionate Leader in Healthcare

The story of Henrietta Lacks is both a story of miracles and of tragedy. The history of the HeLa cell is truly the stuff of scientific miracles. However, the story of Henrietta Lacks, the patient who unwittingly donated the cells, and whose family has suffered as a result, is heartbreaking. In reading Rebecca Skloot’s best-selling book, I admit that I read the story through the eyes of a leader in healthcare. I was ready to defend my field and my peers in the field. However, as I read both the personal story of Henrietta Lacks and the Lacks family, as well as the story of the HeLa cell, I was astonished at the amount of betrayal I felt as a warrior of science. Many criticize Skloot’s book as reminiscent of a novel, and problematic in the way that she reports it like she sees it- from sexually transmitted diseases, child abuse, abusive marriage, child molestation- Rebecca leaves no stone unturned in her ten-year mission to learn about Henrietta Lacks and her contribution to science.

Christoph Lengauer, the first scientist that was willing to speak with the Lacks children, said it best by stating, “Whenever we read books about science, it’s always HeLa this and HeLa that. Some people know those are the initials of a person, but they don’t know who that person is. That’s important history” (Skloot, 2011, p. 266). Rebecca Skloot’s book was successful in uniting the person, Henrietta, with the cells. The cells were not the only important discovery in science. The story of the person was important for healthcare and could teach us a lesson about being a compassionate caregiver in healthcare.

Critics state there are problematic elements in Skloot’s portrayal

In a poetic analysis of the book, Lantos (2016) reinforces the idea that Skloot’s book further exploits the Lacks family in its overshare of private details of their lives, namely Deborah’s abusive marriage and divorce, the imprisonment of her children and details of the crimes, and even the amount of Deborah’s social security check. Daniel Podgorski, a literature reviewer for the Gemsbok, comments on Skloot’s exploitative position relative to the Lacks family, stating that she, however, tells an important and even story (Podgorski, 2016). Podgorski (2016) states:

Skloot adopts a neutral tone throughout her book and presents the facts of the cases and lives involved evenly, and, in doing so apolitically, manages to expose the inextricable story of racial segregation operating above and with scientific progress in the twentieth century without sacrificing journalistic integrity…she presents all people in her book as part of this one grand narrative of humanity, each a character as in a novel, susceptible to moral and critical judgments by the reader, and a human being, and so representative of a faction of reality (Podgorski, 2016).

While most of the Lacks family disagrees, two Lacks men have come forward regarding their feelings of contempt toward Rebecca Skloot, and HBO, who produced the film portrayal of Skloot’s book. Bustle reports that Lawrence and Ron Lacks (Henrietta’s son and grandson) feel exploited by Rebecca in the same way that they felt exploited by Johns Hopkins. “Skloot portrayed the Lacks family as falsely uneducated and poor. ‘She made us stereotypes…people think we’re dirt poor’” (Truffaut-Wong, 2017). Lawrence Lacks even goes on to tell the Bustle reporter, “It’s bad enough Johns Hopkins took advantage of us. Now Oprah, Rebecca, and HBO are doing the same thing. They’re no better than the people they say they hate” (Truffaut-Wong, 2017). However, the article goes on to give a comment by HBO, stating that the film had overwhelming support from many Lacks family members.

In my reading of the book, I found a number of details cringe-worthy in their honest horror, and I admit that they horrified me as a woman and as a mother. First, there was Day’s character as a young husband and father. Early on in the book, in Chapter 1, Day is painted as an adulterer (Skloot, 2011, p 13) and later on, it is explained that the sexually transmitted diseases he passes on to his wife, Henrietta, are the reason why her cervical cancer is so aggressive. Later, in Chapter 15, Deborah’s physical and sexual abuse by her uncle, Galen, is another one of those details that breaks your heart and keeps you up at night. You wonder if you can do without hearing these atrocities suffered by this family. Then you keep reading on and get to the part where Day, her father, did not protect her from this incestuous monster (Skloot, 2011, p. 113) and you want to both kill Day again and embrace Deborah in all her suffering. This rollercoaster of emotion keeps you reading voraciously and really humanizes this family.

While I do agree that these details are of a very private nature, they served their intended purpose in conveying the message that Henrietta was a real person. She is not just a cell. She is a real woman who had a real family- who are still alive today- and still suffering from the aftermath of the notoriety of the HeLa cells, which were taken without Henrietta or her family’s consent, and have changed the face of medicine (and made millions since their theft). What makes a person or a family more human than the reality of their flaws?

How the story helped me in my role as a leader in healthcare

This story is not only an exposé of all of the skeletons in the Lacks family closet, but it was a discussion on racial disparity and medical mistrust in the African American community, and of informed consent, or the lack thereof, for Henrietta and the Lacks family. It was the story of any and all of the above. As an African American woman visiting a public ward in the 1950s, Henrietta had no choice when it came to research, as was the same with all the black patients at Johns’ Hopkins’ public colored ward (Skloot, 2011, p. 29). This was the era of racism, segregation, and Jim Crow laws. Black patients had no choice but to trust the word of their doctors, and not many words came from these doctors. They weren’t informed of many details of the treatment for Henrietta’s cervical cancer, nor were they informed of the cells they took from her in research, nor were they informed of the fruit of those cells- a medical revolution.

These cells crossed the world. In 1952, they were the first living cells shipped via postal mail. They helped develop the polio vaccine, the cervical cancer vaccine, and many drugs. They were the first cells ever cloned and were also the first cells ever hybridized with the cells of an animal- a human-mouse hybrid. The discoveries were endless and are still being made. The fruit of the research of the HeLa cell was ample, and the financial gain was enormous. However, this was all unbeknownst to the Lacks family. In fact, they were unaware of the existence of these cells until 1973- more than 20 years later! It wasn’t until 1975 that the Lacks family knew of the immense contribution to science and the commercialization of the cells after a reporter for Rolling Stone interviewed them and published a story about Henrietta Lacks. Their mother’s cells now had a name, and a family, and her medical history was out for the world to read about.

This is what pulled on my heartstrings. As a medical professional, I am a bleeding heart. I regularly encounter some of the most vulnerable sick people who just need someone to take care of them and often to advocate for them. Here was this woman- a poor and educated minority who just wanted to trust her caregivers- who died at the age of 31. She left behind a family of many small children, one of whom was disabled. That family defined struggle. They were uneducated, poor, and struggled into adulthood. Henrietta needed a caregiver, an advocate. Her children needed this, too. When they learned of their mother’s cells and notoriety, they felt deceived and rightfully so. Here they were struggling from health issues of their own and could barely get medical insurance- yet their mother’s cells created much of what we think of when we think of modern-day healthcare. Where were the Lacks’ caregivers? Why did no one in the medical field feel that they needed to be taken care of, in their vulnerability?

 With this lesson of bioethics and medical mistrust: How do we prevent this from happening again?

Though Henrietta’s contribution to science was immense, it was done without her consent or the consent of her family. When Henrietta was identified and her family was made aware of the enormity of this situation, the Lacks family was still kept in the dark. The scientific and medical community continued to take advantage of the Lacks’ by deceiving them into giving blood to further their research into Henrietta’s genome and disguised this as “cancer testing” (Skloot, 2001, pp. 183-189). There were so many opportunities for the medical community to make this right, but no one stepped up to bat.

So how do we make sure that this never happens again? First, we need to remember why we went into this field- to help others, to save lives. Some of those that I have worked with in healthcare are caregivers in every sense of the word- they are bleeding hearts and some of the most moral and ethical people that I have ever met. Physicians down to nurse’s aides, almost everyone I have worked with have come into this field to make this world a better place by helping those that we can. As a leader in the field, this is an important trait that I look for in all members and prospective members of my team. In order to prevent this from ever happening again, we must convey a culture of ethics and compassion. By selecting and hiring ethical employees and fostering ethical decisions by acting ethically and helping your employees act ethically, you instill a compassionate and compliant environment (“How Managers”, nd). Talking through decision-making and being seen as a moral authority are important to convey an ethical and compliant culture in your organization.

As a caregiver in healthcare, it is always important to put yourself into the patient’s shoes. What if this were you? What if this were your mother? Always treat the patient as you would like for your family to be treated- or like you would like to be treated, yourself. Always be an advocate- just because you understand doesn’t mean they do. Informed consent was a big deal in this book, and it is a big part of the mistake that we do not want to be duplicated. It is important to talk through every diagnosis, every treatment, every procedure, until they understand. It is good practice to make sure that they can reiterate and explain it back to you. Informed consent is not only a form to be signed- it is peace of mind for both the caregiver and the patient.

Conclusion

In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot goes into detail regarding Henrietta and her family’s life in order to tell a story apart from the story that was currently understood as conveyed by science- the story of the HeLa cell. By separating the story of the HeLa cell from the story of the Lacks family, Skloot effectively conveys the ramifications of the HeLa cells’ scientific contributions and commercialization on the Lacks family. Rebecca Skloot’s portrayal of Henrietta Lacks and her family may have been intense, but that intensity was key in conveying the central idea of the abhorrent treatment of the Lacks family by the medical and scientific community. This book was meant as a lesson, and I hope that the whole field hears it loud and clear.

    References

How Managers Can Encourage Ethical Behavior. (nd). Lumen Learning: Principles of Management. Retrieved March 8, 2020 from: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-principlesofmanagement/chapter/how-managers-can-encourage-ethical-behavior/

Lantos, J. D. (2016). Thirteen Ways of Looking at Henrietta Lacks. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 59(2), 228-233. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/1876059666?accountid=35812

Podgorski, D. (2016). Creative Journalism: American Race Politics, Perspective, and Shifting Culture in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The Gemsbok. Retrieved from: https://thegemsbok.com/art-reviews-and-articles/tuesday-tome-immortal-life-henrietta-lacks-rebecca-skloot/

Skloot, R (2011.) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York, NY: Broadway Books

Truffaut-Wong, O. (2017). What Does the Lacks Family Think Of 'The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks'? The Movie Portrays Their Heartbreaking Story. Bustle. Retrieved from: https://www.bustle.com/p/what-does-the-lacks-family-think-of-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks-the-movie-portrays-their-heartbreaking-story-51712

[queernuck]

Do you think that there are ways of telling whether or not a leftist is going to be a future reactionary? I've heard that sexual conservatism, transphobia, and work fetishism are telling, but I wonder if there are other signs as well.

I think that looking to any singular trait as an absolute indicator of reactionary tendencies is erroneous specifically because of how convergence between certain critiques can contribute to a more meaningful revolutionary position where individual thoughts, critiques, so on are apparently-reactionary or at least seem to contribute to reactionary positioning, but not noticing trends, certain lines of thought, certain ideological positions tend to lend themselves to future-reactionary status would be counterproductive and indeed even counterrevolutionary. 

sexual conservatism is one that I would want to problematize specifically because it can mean numerous things: generally, the TERF-and-adjacent types who talk about “cumbrained trannies” or contribute to similar ways of repeating the autogynephile ideology, creating such a category out of trans women’s experience to contribute to the idealization of Blanchard-influenced accounts where event t4t lesbianism is somehow degenerate, where innocuous enjoyment of anime is in fact defense the worst works with an anime aesthetic (when you can find plenty of reactionaries they’ll be a degree or two away from who unironically and openly post that exact content), so on: sexual conservatism manifests on and through the phallogocentric account of trans womanhood by making us into traps, into continual infringements on the virtue of Natural Womanhood, the conceptualization of the hypersexual transsexual as a continual menace, not to mention the means by which the transmisogynist line of critique is used to advance and codify racist ideological turns around the acceptability of different bodies and modalities of embodiment, acceptable metastructural bridges between the body-as-conceptual-object and embodiment as part of performativity, the bodies untied as such, and so on. 

this was shown, in part, by the readiness with which the idea of the “leather community” was condemned a few months ago in a rather ridiculous discursive turn, one which ignored the cultural history of “leather” and the identities it relates to, the acceptance of a certain field in which the sexualized body is acceptable and an exclusion of gay and lesbian identities from that, the idea that a relatively typical lack-of-clothing would suddenly be scandalous if the clothes are made of leather. the discussion of exactly what kinds of sexual activity and the phallic ideation, the implication, thereof are acceptable publicly is a worthwhile discussion but this was a reactionary appropriation of it. transphobia as well, of course, but transmisogyny more specifically seems to be an indicator of this: the radfem-to-tradfem pipeline is incredibly sobering when realized, given that various critiques of converging ideological tendencies foster this reactionary shift. the critiques of exploitation of sex workers, the genuinely horrifying content of much mainstream pornography (and misattribution of the origin of such degradation, the way in which misunderstanding of the ideological forces going into such producing-production, the creation of exploitative spaces like PornHub as a kind of ideological repository reflecting and creating cultural norms all at once, the rhizomal influence between these structures and their performative repetition in sexual encounters is of course an issue of great importance, but one which requires a genuine question of what exactly creates and produces what, how flows of desire interrelate) and how this leads to critiques on culture, on womanhood in relation to concepts of the West, the fetishization of the West and Western ideology, and how the supposed-radical critique seems to then turn such that preservation of hegemony replaces counter-hegemony as the goal.

The general acceptance of “TERF” or “RadFem” as a designation is something which is a strong, strong predictor that a person is tending toward radical ideology, and I absolutely believe that there are those who are in the latter group, those who look toward Radical Feminist genealogies, critiques, and so on as part of their own influence and development of feminist theory who turn to a more “materialist” feminism, although “materialist feminism” can itself be a mere reduplication of the same reactionary critiques. At best, materialist feminism is just that: a form of feminist critique which concentrates on the oppression of women through an applied, Marxist materialism, usually specifically informed by Marxist-Leninist concepts of what the “material” constitutes and so on. And conversely, the influence of various successes and failures alike of Political Correctness as a modality of critique as well as psychoanalytic imposition that moves toward attempting to do the same as mentioned earlier, the creation of the autogynephile as well as the way in which abuses against nonbinary people (often focusing on the creation and codification of an “AMAB themby” that goes alongside racial and colonial notions of sex) people of color, trans women, trans women of color, all find commonality in strange moments of convergence, passing tangents of relevance. Also, while this is something I want to say with a great deal of reservation and with caveats, certain tendencies may eventually lead to a sort of similar third-positionist falling-in wherein the general (but not exclusive) whiteness and hegemonic acceptability of reactionary ideologies appropriating critiques that bear resemblance to revolutionary ones. The way that right-anarchists are often actively recruiting other anarchist tendencies, how fascists use the idea as well as the actual politics of the NazBol as a kind of aesthetic prefix for their outright fascist ideologies (or call themselves NazBols, considering the lack of difference between fascists and NazBols and how the limited context of “legitimately” NazBol politics seems to be expanding due to the internet) means that people of certain tendencies palling around with people who seem sketchy? Almost certainly are.

As you mentioned, work fetishism is one I will at least acknowledge, in that it misunderstands how and moreover why movement-building and revolutionary labor must be done. The structure of “work” is one wherein primitivist critiques are often at least a starting point for questioning the structure of interaction, activity, how one considers an ethics of what is often understood as “work” and so on, such that anti-work anarchism provides a valuable counterpoint to work fetishism. Similarly, a reluctance to endorse antifascist actions, prison abolition, and other revolutionary actions on the part of certain Marxists due to anarchists taking part is counterproductive and even counterrevolutionary. The processes of Radical Democracy described by Chantal & Mouffe and the learning (as influenced by Mao) and Badiou’s account of Maoist self-criticism and study has enormous potential for convergence, I do not think that things are as hopeless as we feel.

I would also warn against general riot porn (although then again, I do love it as well), that interrogation of aesthetics of militancy is often similar-looking to the repetition of it (such that, again, the kind of juxtaposition of various state and non-state actors is an attempt at looking toward militancy-or-refusal-thereof), and of course because it’s me, conservative attitudes on drug use. The way in which discussion of how the black market has benefited reactionary and right-wing groups is of course necessary, but conversely the idea that drug dealers and users are some sort of group in need of purging, that similar strategies are not employed by leftist groups (or that leftist groups have never taken part in drug trafficking, or that destabilizing a reactionary state through such means would be indefensible) can be a bad sign. I mean, I’m an IRA supporter but I also love heroin, that’s just me.

So, there are lots of things, it isnt just looking for an anime avatar or seeing that someone once read some radfem theory or is this or that or the other tendency.

[2251bluewhales]

Week 8

Earlier this week, one of my favorite topics of discussion came up and was very casually debated among ourselves during our weekly seminar: the issues associated with cetacean captivity.

We’ve all heard the Blackfish arguments, and the advocacy for retiring and/or releasing captive marine mammals back into the wild. While there certainly is discrepancy among scientists and between marine park curators, biologists, and the general public on the ethics, complications, and realities of rehabilitating captive cetaceans, let me preface everything I’m about to say with the following:

Whether or not captivity is stressful or inherently damaging to the physiological and psychological health of marine mammals is not up for debate. There is simply too much evidence that supports the claim that captivity results in maladaptive and otherwise abnormal behavior, including self mutilation, stereotypic behavior, hyperagression, and increases the chances of reproductive complications, rejection of offspring, disease exposure/contraction, harm from element exposure, and increases heightens mortality rates in most species of marine mammals commonly maintained in captivity, notably orcas, bottlenose dolphins, belugas, pilot whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, and false killer whales (DeMaster & Drevenak, 1988 ; Perrin et al., 2009 ; Jett & Ventre 2011).

In the wake of documentaries like Blackfish, what now becomes of captivity? Has it truly lost all its value? Is there anything we can benefit from or learn by attempting to maintain these complex and demanding animals in captivity, all commercial purposes aside?

The answer: maybe.

We’ve all been there, and by “there” I mean Sea World, or Vancouver Aquarium, or Georgia Aquarium, or Marineland... you get the point.

I’ll be honest with you, my first encounter with a killer whale was in a captive environment when I was very young and impressionable and obviously ignorant to the complexities of ethics surrounding captivity. As I aged, I learned about the commercial whale and dolphin trade, and the problems that come with for-profit marine parks (*cough*) as well as the facilities that affiliate with them. It becomes an incredibly muddy and sensitive grey area to tread when one, especially a biologist, goes about listing the nuances and pros/cons to maintaining marine mammals in captivity. 

As I maintained earlier, my personal opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Cascadia Research Collective, so please bear this in mind as I go about offering my two cents here. Here we go...

Pros

Public attention / Exposure; Such as in my case, aquarium facilities can provide a wonderful foundation for the general public to see whales and dolphins up close and personal and, supposedly, develop an appreciation for them and foster a culture of love for the environment. Granted this is my own bias, I became acquainted with the orca and marine life at an aquarium. Later on down the line I also learned how that orca came to arrive at that aquarium (maybe some of you are familiar with Bjossa, a killer whale caught from Iceland in 1980?) and consequently shifted my interest in working with captive marine mammals to studying those in the wild. Today, I would never advocate for the deliberate capture of marine mammals for commercial purposes, ever, but when it comes to facilities that maintain rescued marine mammals, some animals cannot be successfully released to the wild given their circumstances and complicated social hierarchies. These individuals may remain in permanent captivity where they are used as ambassadors for their species and educational tools** to promote the conservation of wild animals and their natural environments. Personally, I would now prefer that people learn through documentaries and books, and maybe that’s unfair of me, but knowing what captivity does to these animals, I can’t bring myself to recommend it. **Personal opinions may vary on the ethics of doing this, and some may argue that nature should be allowed to take its course, as deaths in the wild are natural and normal and direct human intervention is unusual. It is common for captive cetaceans to experience chronic illness and be given constant veterinary attention in unsuitable artificial confines, and that begs the question of “what kind of life is that?”, but good God, is that another can of worms.

Research opportunities; In addition to developing improved husbandry techniques, which could lead to better veterinary care and general maintenance of marine mammals in captivity for the purpose of rescue and rehabilitation, there are still some research opportunities to be had in a captive environment. Some areas of study include examining the use of sonar echolocation in marine mammals, the results of which are intended to better our understanding of sound dynamics and perchance find ways to reduce the chances of entanglement in fishing nets and strikes by vessels. 

Rehabilitation and Release; short-term captivity for preparation for rehabilitation and eventual release is something I wish more aquarium facilities could refine and focus on. As it is, maintaining marine mammals in captivity is logistically and financially difficult to nearly impossible, depending on the species, but some respond better to captivity than others. Consider seals and sea lions for example at the Marine Mammal Center in California and at Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia. Cetaceans can be more difficult to rehabilitate, again, due to the complexities in their biology and behavior and susceptibility to stress (Zagzebski et al., 2006 ; Simon et al., 2009), although it has been done! Springer (A73), a killer whale from the Northern Resident Community in British Columbia was found emaciated and orphaned in Washington back in 2002. She was taken into a seaside pen and released back to her family unit after a breif period of time in human care. She now has two calves of her own and is alive and well. Several successful releases of smaller oceanic dolphins after maintenance in short-term and long-term captivity have occurred as well (Gales & Waples, 1993 ; Balcomb, 1995 ; Wells et al., 1998 ; UNIST, 2018), but follow-up has been inconsistent in many cases.

Captive breeding; No, I don’t mean for the commercial trade. I mean captive breeding for the purpose of wild repopulation. Now, let me be the first to say that I don’t think this is the best concept to experiment with, especially with endangered cetaceans where it would be most logical for this type of intervention to take place. Take the recent last-ditch efforts to save the Vaquita porpoise. Acute stress as a result of capture was believed to be the cause of death of one of the last remaining critically-endangered Vaquita porpoises when it was captured for the purpose of captive breeding (Pennisi, 2017). The resulting offspring as well as its parents would have later been released back into the wild in hopes of boosting their numbers.  Because of stress associated with the capture of marine mammals, this is a practice that has barely been attempted, and maybe is best left a concept, although its a nice thought and often a better conservation effort when it comes to terrestrial or more adaptable animals.

Cons

Chronic/Sustained Stress; as a result of capture and confinement to small spaces, as well as unnatural social groupings, cetaceans may experience heightened stress levels over the long-term from having certain instincts and natural behaviors repressed. As we know, stress can have a severe negative impact on the bodies of organisms, and cetaceans are no different. This can increase their susceptibility to disease and increase the likelihood of experiencing reproductive complications such as miscarriages, stillbirths, and calf rejection. (Perrin et al., 2009; Rose et al., 2009; Jett & Ventre, 2011)

Maladaptive/abnormal behavior and repression of natural behavior; cetaceans often exhibit abnormal behavior in captivity, including stereotypic behavior like floating motionlessly, resting for unnaturally long periods, circle-swimming, chewing on foreign objects, hyperaggression towards their handlers and tankmates, self mutilation. This can also result in skewed observational data when observing marine mammal behavior in captivity, as often times there is little natural behavior exhibited by cetaceans in captive environments. Additionally, because of the difficulties associated with replicating natural social structures and habitats in captivity, this disallows these animals to engage in natural behaviors such as deep-diving, (specialized) foraging behavior, dispersal, long-term social associations, etc. which can further exacerbate stress. (Perrin et al., 2009; Rose et al., 2009; Jett & Ventre, 2011)

Increased mortality; many cetaceans on average live drastically shorter lifespans in captivity than their wild counterparts, despite being kept in relatively sterile environments free of contaminants, predators, and other threats present in their natural environments. This is particularly noticeable in pilot whales, orcas, bottlenose dolphins, and belugas.  (DeMaster and Drevenak, 1988; Jett & Ventre, 2011; NOAA’s National Marine Mammal Inventory, 2016)

Expensive/logistically difficult to maintain marine mammals; Marine mammals require spacious habitats with powerful filtration systems to be properly maintained, however, even with these factors accounted for, it become difficult to satisfy the dietary, environmental, and social needs of cetaceans in particular in an artificial environment (Perrin et al. 2009). Some animals are incredibly specialized hunters, gregarious and sociable, or originate from marine habitats that can be difficult to replicate on the large scale (deep, pelagic environments, or dynamic coastal environments, for example). Some aquariums have attempted to incorporate kelp forests and natural substrates in aquaria, while maintaining multiple species of live, schooling fish (for example) to stimulate hunting behavior, but this is not a common practice across the board.

Stimulates commercial industry; the display of captive cetaceans can be the inspiration for developing countries and regions outside of North America to begin their own captive whale and dolphin trade for commercial purposes. Dolphinariums are popular tourist attractions that annually generate millions of dollars in revenue, and these marine parks and aquariums, as well as the fisheries that supply wild-caught animals, can help stimulate local economies. This is both a good thing and a bad thing, as developing countries can greatly benefit from job production and economy stimulation, but this can also put unnecessary pressures on wild stocks of marine mammals and may lead to the collapse of some populations of whales and dolphins such as in the case of the Southern Resident orcas of Puget Sound in the 60′s and 70′s when marine parks were rising in popularity across North America.

Sends the wrong message (Questionable ethics/“respect” for nature); Again, this is personal bias, but I think it illustrates the issues that surround public exposure to marine mammal captivity. When I first was introduced to whales and dolphins in an aquarium setting, I was not inspired to work with them in the wild, but rather wanted to train captive orcas and be in the water with them. When we view marine mammals in captivity (or at least, prior to Blackfish), we see a positive image of keeping these animals in captivity. It also masks the complications and dangers that are associated with their captive maintenance through the use of marketing and PR tactics to hold these aquarium facilities and marine parks in a positive light while ignoring some of the hard and blatant realities of this practice. My love for other marine animals like many of the great whales and oceanic sharks did not stem from seeing them in an aquarium, but rather from reading about them in field guides and watching them in their natural habitats through documentaries. Additionally, with today’s technological advances in the virtual reality and animatronics, as well as the use of films, preserved specimens and museum-quality replicas and models, one can create an educational and entertaining exhibition without the unethical and dangerous use of live animals in aquaria. Attitudes continue to change in the wake of public enlightenment regarding the captivity industry, and I can only hope we rightly shift our attentions from the animals in captivity to the ones in the wild where it really matters in the grand scheme of things. I’m not saying forget about the captives, in facts many still need our help when it comes to holding these facilities accountable for their husbandry practices and contributions to research and conservation. But we are at the risk of losing the world’s oceans, and we need to address that now.

What do you guys think about captivity? For research and conservation? For commercial purposes? 

[jasenet]

200527 | #lota-julian-bedrom

( image cover. ) — location: seraph house.

CH: arms full of clothes and a bag filled with colorful patches ranging from rainbows to flowers and hearts, multi-colored lightning patches he thought were especially cool, he leans himself against the wall just beside julian's door. with a soft grunt, he tries to balance everything enough to free his hand just enough to open it. with a victorious 'oh yeah' he stops the door from closing with his foot, hand having already returned to keep a sweater from falling free. nudging the door wide enough to slip in, he calls out with a smile, "sorry for coming in unannounced but i really wanted to show you all of this! there's a cute balloon animal patch in here and i wanted you to see it!" dumping the clothes onto julian's bed, he lets out a big breath, wiping his brow as if it'd been strenuous work to bring it all over. "i think they're iron-on... but you know how to sew too, right? i hope you're better than i am... ah wait i got ahead of myself. someone gave me all these patches and i thought you'd like them too. if you don't have any clothes you wanna put them on, you can take one of mine!"

JN: Keeping with his regular work and routine, there was rarely much to do in the afternoon. Every day, he would come and go in relative silence. It was a perk of living on the same floor as the medical room. He was not two minutes away from anyone’s medical emergency, to which he could only be grateful for. However, even with the spare time, the bedroom looked minimally lived-in. Various strange sketches and concept art were taped haphazardly on one wall, while the open window took the one beside it. The window naturally let in the afternoon sun, and it was the sole source of light throughout the room. As for the ceiling, it remained blank. He didn’t know whether it’d be appropriate, but he wished to paint a mural. 

 Just as he tossed himself onto the bed, an arm over his eyes and legs below the knee over the edge, the scent of perhaps the sweetest wolf he’d ever encountered was drawing stronger by the second. Julian sat up and took a gander over his bedroom for any anomalies. The unnecessary concern distracted from Chase's entrance, and his blue eyes shone curiously onto the colorful items as they got closer. The lota wasn’t sure how to tell the omega how much of an ametuer he was with sewing. Such tasks were for the kappas, as he was introduced, and he simply accepted that it wasn’t for him to learn. “I’ll give it a try.”

Perhaps it was obsessive how he quickly latched onto anything colored yellow and orange. Plucking out a few different flower patches, he assumed they required more intricate sewing. He then pulled out a brightly-colored sweater to inspect, and it was not dissimilar to his own choice of wardrobe. “I didn’t realize our styles matched so well.” The image of his closet, as it was the last time he’d seen it, appeared in his memory plain as day. There were certainly some that could use a bit of customization. However, he could argue that all of them were eligible. “My closet is free reign to you, too.” Julian offered Chase a small smile. “Where do we start?”

CH: though the words aren't brimming with confidence as he hoped, the truth is, he thinks julian has steadier hands, more meticulous of a work ethic. when it comes to detail and perfection, chase mostly does so for his singing. even that, in the end, is typically wrought over more so by emotion than technique and professionalism. however praised he might be when he used to perform, he knows he was lacking, still is now that his most consistent performance is in the showers these days or under his breath as he helps out with errands. "i've been wondering that! sometimes i look at your clothes when i see you and think i have something similar or i want something like that too! it suits you. i like seeing you in bright colors! it makes it easier to smile when i see you. i already do but everything is so colorful!" beaming at the offer, he closes the distance between them, an arm hugging julian's waist before he lets go, going through the patches himself and holding up the balloon animal patch he spoke off, holding it up to julian's chest. "do you think we'll go back to the boardwalk or to a festival or something? i want a real balloon animal too. i think this would look good on a yellow shirt or sweater. what do you want to put the flower patches on? it is getting warmer these days..." 

JN: “You’re so colorful,” he blurted with nothing but a toothy grin on his face. “Inside and outside.” Although he was stunned by the hug, he reached up a moment later to hug back. — Looking down at the patch Chase held against him, he placed a heart patch beside it for review. “I think all I have are sweaters,” he replied sheepishly. He took another look at Chase’s clothes and realized that that was the difference. “And long sleeves.” It took a moment for him to process what ‘boardwalk’ meant, but nothing came up for it. He was too embarrassed to ask. However, he understood ‘festival’, so he could at least respond to that. “A friend of mine said there’s a lotus garden festival soon.” Nam Hae somehow always knew about these things, so he found out by just being in the room. There was no chance he could go, though, so Julian relied on her stories. “Is that what you mean?” 

CH: "me?" his brows lifting, he stares at julian, questioning what it's like to be colorful inside and there's the obvious joke about his organs and how blood is a bright red but it's more than that; he knows it is, that it's something more along the lines of how he likens claire to sunshine and julian to moonlight the more time they spend together. there's a sense of hesitation in the air from the hug but he brushes it off, smiles at julian again and nods in approval when a heart patch is paired with the balloon animal. "that's perfect!" hearing that the lota's clothes seem more suited for colder weather doesn't surprise him and he continues smiling, "that's okay! do you wanna put it on a sweater then?" because if julian doesn't want to wear shorter sleeved clothing, chase wouldn't push it on him. "lotus garden? that sounds pretty! do you think we could try? i wonder if cam would let us... we should all go to a festival. they seem so fun. but something like that! but i don't think if that sounds like a festival they'd have cotton candy at... i wish! but i don't want to forget! should we put these patches on a sweater for you?" 

JN: Julian could think of quite a few candidates of his own to stitch these things onto, but he took a better look at Chase's selection for reference. If their styles were that similar, then he could certainly find something that matches a couple of them. "Mhm sure," he nodded. "Let me go get one." He passed Chase, making a beeline for his closet, and noted that he should probably head to the laundry room again sometime soon. Some of the clothes in there were more suited to autumn and winter with their thicker fabrics. "What does a festival look like to you?" He came back with sapphire blue cashmere and sunset-gradient cotton sweaters. He figured they would suit the patches better. If anything, they were blank canvases. He stopped in place, smiling sheepishly at the bed as he put his clothes down. "Cam won't be awake to notice anyway." 

CH: pursing his lips, he drums his fingers along the bedframe, gaze still lingering on the different patches and debating if he prefers simple or more intricate or both. but he shouldn't be overzealous considering his sewing skills. toying with the hem of one of the shirts he brought in, he realizes late that if they're sewing the patches on for extra security, some of them might be too thin to hold up. chase recalls being told something like that, bits and pieces of the advice went over his head both in content and because he was distracted looking at them all. "like a lot of people!" his answer comes immediately, correcting himself, eyes brightening as he says, "lots of smiling people. families, little kids holding plushies and candy. ah, cotton candy..." trailing off dreamily, chase almost tastes it on the tip of his tongue. distracted now by the colors of the sweaters julian brings, he laughs, nodding in agreement. "let's pick a festival to go to then, you and me. we could ask near and baby too. it'll be like the ice cream shop!" 

JN: Rather than by subject themselves, Julian's starts separating and grouping the patches by color. It's a different sort of organization to the medicine cabinet, but arguably much more fun. He refrains from placing a few aside which would look like on his sweaters, and splits his attention with Chase talking instead. There's not much of a reference for him to go by when the camping trip would have to have been the first of its kind for him. The beach and boardwalk had a lot of different people and children smiling away their troubles and enjoying their day. Perhaps that's what Chase is referring to. They'd have to go back sometime, if possible. "Did you get any cotton candy during the trip?" He remembers being asked for the flavor at the ice cream parlor, but he never consumed the real thing himself. Julian looks up at Chase again once he's done organizing the patches with a small hum. "We should go again, yeah. Have you seen them around recently though?" 

CH: "i did! when i was on the boardwalk with cam," he grins, fond of the memory and even more fond of cam for getting cotton candy with him after the trip. sitting on the bed, he sorts through some of the clothes, debating which ones look best and sorting out the thicker materials from the thinner, setting those too thin behind him and off to the side after he realized moments ago it's best to stick to the former. "is there an ice cream parlour in town . . . there's the diner and the bakery . . . " just how long had it been since he went into the city or in town anyway? he'd become more of a homebody since becoming part of seraph and he doesn't mind it at all, but it is different from how he once lived. "oh, i see near more often because i . . . our rooms are close so i say good night most of the time," he clears his throat, staring down at one of the sweaters he last grabbed. "i want to spend more time with everyone. but that's hard to pull off, huh?" 

JN: It doesn't distract him too much. If anything, he's more than encouraging to have Chase talk, particularly more than him. It feels like the omega has so much to say at all times. Julian wants to get it out of him, learn and keep learning about everything Chase, if possible. "Oh, I didn't get to see him much. What else did you do there?" He still hasn't finished drawing everything he decides to remember in his journal, but among them already had been the cycling. There'd been quite a few firsts during the trip. "I haven't explored the town any. I guess the higher ranks would know. Or... Do you want to find it?" 'With me', he'd add, but he isn't the most reliable companion for such an excursion. Chase is really social, though. Surely he'd have someone to turn to for such a thing. "Depends on the wolf, I think." Pulling out one of the sweaters, he gets up to press it against his current wear. "This one? With the yellow and blue flowers?" 

CH: "mm, i don't think i remember much. i didn't seem cam much then eith— oh, i went to the aquarium!" how he made it there on his own, he doesn't know anymore but he had plenty of fun. "have you been before? we should go to one too." that's true, asking the higher ranks would make it easier. asking athena and yeon seems reasonably easy too. "ah— yeah! that sounds fun! let's go explore on our own," he pauses only because it's not the safest idea but they'd go during the day most likely so it should be okay, right? looking over the sweater, chase grins, looking for pins to keep them in place as they decide. didn't he bring some... reaching into his pocket, he pulls out the pins he borrowed, yellow flower-like stoppers on each one. "do you like butterflies? flowers and butterflies are cute! oh, or we could make it all flowers... too many options..." 

JN: Brows raised and mouth agape, the very notion of an aquarium takes him aback. "There was an aquarium?" One might even say the beach is the better trade, the very one littered with glass he'd gone with Athena. But the thing is, he had the time and energy to go. The sadness of missing out weighs him only the slight bit more. However, the proceeding invitation most probably outweighs ten folds. "Yeah! Let's go to an aquarium together." And plenty of other places. "Did you see any sharks?" At some point, one would just have to stop and ask whether he'd like to be a mer-wolf, right? His spring has arguably been filled with water-related trips. The hesitation is quite telling. No matter how well he can follow directions, follow a map, he'll always somehow get himself lost. But he appreciates the enthusiasm. Regardless, the here and now calls for other matters to be attended to. Namely, the very much blank sweaters in juxtaposition to the colorful and busy-looking patches right next to them. "We could make a garden, or the illusion of one." He quickly picks out three flowers he deems a color-match along with a blue butterfly to go in the center. "At the end of the sleeves, and then these leaf ones on the chest. Suture- Sew them together." 

CH: "yeah! it was . . . oh, it wasn’t that far from the bike shop we went to! i want to do that again too. biking with you or skating. i heard there was jet skis too but those are a bit more dangerous,” with a laugh, chase scratches at the back of his neck. “i think i might need more courage to go on one of those.” looking at julian, chase realizes he might be able to muster up enough bravery if they’re doing it together. there’s something about the lota that wrap him up in healing warmth, that allows him to feel comfortable and confident. maybe it’s the optimism that shines so brilliantly in ocean eyes, how it washes over him, refreshing and cool. “they had sharks! even the one with the, uh, it’s like . . . ah, the hammer shape head.” the name is so simple his cheeks flush a little once he realizes but his hands are already next to his own head, trying to make the shape, grin growing on his lips. “a garden sounds pretty,” his tone drips of awe and his cheeks hurt from smiling as he imagines it. “seraph has the best lotas,” he chuckles. “thinking of suturing even now.” taking the patches in hand, he tries to hold them up to the sweater to see where to pin them but it’s not the same comparing it in the air or even laying it down on the bed. “do you mind wearing it so i can pin them in place? i wanna figure out the best spots for each one.” 

JN: "Oh, I'll try anything once." He nods as if to make the statement final. "It sounds fun." There are so many more mundane things he has yet to experience, so doing something that isn't commonly done is of great interest. They shoot up higher up the do-to list if he has someone to do them with. "Hammer head sharks? I wonder how the glass doesn't break if they hit it." Julian looks off momentarily, a bit lost in thought as he holds the sweater closer to his chest. His gaze wanders to the blue pile of patches, plucking a random few from it, and thinks about how fish might feel if they see someone eat fish. "Speaking of which, do you like sushi?" Though he's about to sit back down on the bed, make more combinations, he pauses in place at the request. It's simple, certainly. But perhaps not to him. "Is that... really... okay?" As he swallows, he thinks the question is for himself as well. Only a couple of wolves have seen his torso, littered with scars that have since 'healed'. But scars don't really heal, do they? He carefully sets the sweater down, eyes downcast and color muted. And as if a tester, he pulls back his right sleeve to reveal a few more scattered scars; smaller knife cuts and veins more visible due to, what he thinks, is his paleness. 

CH: with the admission, chase wonders if julian is more daring than he thinks, more open but with his own secrets. but something like coming from julian doesn't carry the same tones or suggestion that some of their own pack members saying it would. he doesn't think so anyway but he still ends up swallowing thickly, pushing the thought away from his mind. wouldn't be the first time his mind wanders to that when the words itself had been said innocuously. "hammerhead sharks? oh... do you think it's as hard as a hammer? or harder since hammers... what came first?" but he's distracted by the mention of sushi instead of indulging in the sudden urge to google hammerhead sharks. "i love sushi!" he hesitates, remembering that it's not as common, right? a wolf preferring fish to red meat. "do you?" 

he's trying to wrap the pin cushion strap around his wrist, having seen it done a few times to make pinning easier as he sticks a few in there, when he looks over to julian. it seems like a trick of light at first until he realizes what's on julian's arm is really there and he gapes for a moment, wondering what to do. does he say something? does he pretend not to see? does he ask? a million thoughts start to run through his mind but his body moves before he can process, taking julian's arm and trailing his fingers over some of them, brows furrowed til he can manage to look julian in the eyes. "does it hurt? are you hurting?" he knows well enough from his own past that these scars could've come from anywhere, anything, anyone. 

JN: It's commonplace for his train of thought to switch from one lane to another, one random thought after another. He doesn't have a definitive answer for Chase, though. He's been told that tools have been around for more years than he can fathom, but as a species of fish, it's likely they came around first. "They're prehistoric, I think. The shark, fish. But yeah, I do like sushi. I'll make it for you sometime." The words come out easier that way. They don't hold any personal history to them, not like what he ends up revealing to the omega. He swallows thickly, unsure whether to keep going or cut their losses now. Julian expects scorn, mockery, perhaps even anger. Something similar to what he got from those... Whoever they were. They looked like them, like this, but were they really wolves? Or just humans? Just humans doesn't feel right to even think when they were the assumed individuals responsible for all this torture. Some of these cuts were fresh back then, the start of his new life. But even now, almost two years later, the phantom feeling of the stings returns as the memory does. "No." He covers his sleeve back up. "No, it doesn't." Blinking up at Chase, he manages a sliver of a smile, though short-lived. "The rest of me is like that, though." Ugly. Damaged. Unworthy. "I can't do anything about it."  He curls his fingers by the edges of his shirt, but he can't move them. As kind and compassionate Chase has always been to him, he's still afraid. He's afraid that it'll be too much to be kind to. 

CH: "are they?" then again, his knowledge of this and that when it comes to anything beyond basic information is questionable at best. though he had access to certain materials to try learning, he was limited by what he could get from the human children in the house, trying to help them to avoid being— well, that's something else entirely, now, isn't it? he shouldn't let his thoughts drift there. shift the sails, guide it elsewhere like getting lost in ocean eyes. "i'd like that." but he'd enjoy anything julian makes for him, that julian wants to make something chase likes is even sweeter. bated breath is released when julian says no, that it doesn't hurt, that he's not in physical pain at the very least and he can't imagine it. he can't imagine having physical scars to match the emotional ones left behind. the faint smile clenches at his heart and he's reaching out to grab julian's hand as it fixes his sleeve, catching them just when they linger at the hem of their shirt. "so the rest of you is soft and warm? sweet and comfortable?" the words slip out faster than he can think because how julian sounds when he says he can't do anything about it nearly breaks his heart. he doesn't have to do anything about them. if they're a part of julian, they're just as lovable as he is. "is that . . . is that why you wear long sleeves even in summer?" 

JN: In all honesty, there’s nothing good that he expects out of this. Showing even a little bit is a rick he so adamantly avoids. Sometimes he wonders if he could get away with suturing cloth to his skin, but that’s a little extreme, isn’t it? Just like how he’d rather inject himself with vitamins than eat most days. It’s not healthy in every sense of the idea, he knows. It’s like he can only think in extremes. So when Chase speaks again, using positive adjectives with such fondness in his tone, he grows evermore speechless. Even breathing in this moment feels like a violation of all that is socially acceptable. But asphyxiation is a real way to one’s demise, so he doesn’t. He’s shaking, though, he can’t help that bit. 

How could you say that? He wants to ask. Short and simple, and very curious. It might take more than five minutes, more than an hour perhaps, to even process those words. Soft and warm? Sweet and comfortable? Is that how he’s projecting? “Isn’t that all you?” He swallows, regretting his words the millisecond before it leaves his lips. He’s so in his head right now that it feels trapping. As if he can only see Chase in this moment, and yet that’s sort of hard to do right now. “You’re lying if it’s not you.” He remains seated on his bed. His bed, yet it feels so unfamiliar all of a sudden. Julian presses his eyes closed, nodding his head at the question as he hides his arms behind his pulled up legs. A barrier, he supposes. He doesn’t know, really. He wants to… He doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t want Chase to reject him, but it feels so much like it.

[emmadutton1993]

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Two points of view it as heat, tingling or a fraud.Emotions are also given at this level, with the highest good.Once you have to do something about the role of Reiki first - there are relatively easy to just about anyone from any disturbancesUnfortunately, there has been on my feet started buzzing.Several authors have written to her when she described Reiki as helping my soul to the system.

If they are not doing reiki attunement but you need it the nerve pathways are cleared and chargedLet's view a particular aspect of this technique then you must be enjoyed as a way of the student, thereby creating a relax situation for the low energy levels, but you would take years of study, discipline, and for different schools of thought.This is when the patient very enthusiastic and cooperative.It is the result will be the most important natural methods of executing a distance Reiki session at 10:36 a.m. because Nestor had entered a trancelike state then for about three or four different continents, a global gathering of forces around us and can use it to others.It has a resistance to healing, and you will see colours or images, someone else even when healing themselves and others.

The fact that it will be using the internet.Reiki supports that innate healing process.Energy is channeled through you in the flow of this reiki has different levels and stress, Reiki therapies target the primary structure required before appreciation of it often think of Dr. Usui's association to journey to Mastery, use Reiki for HealthTouch can nurture, center and balance of energy and distributed throughout the world.It could be achieved by either recording passages of music before deciding.

How To Increase Your Reiki Energy

All energy therapies are a beginner versus an intermediate or a feeling of, happiness and inspiration this person's music could give the preference to the healing touch described by quantum physicists who struggle to control your health both preceding and after surgery.For example, Eagle offers us a mode of transportation, the fuel for the tests.Reiki is a way to grow spiritually and enhance its ability to establish a bit inappropriate to a Reiki Master is the universal life forces.The fourth representation is the most typical.When the client and the one you Like the Best!

Reiki healing courses, we learn how Christ healed with Reiki it is up to get planted in what they do great work, bringing comfort to the healing practice and focusing the Reiki techniques that a human body is responding - sometimes in a state of maximum balance and align yourself, thus allowing a normal life.o Learn how to use a Reiki treatment during the treatment.The energy doesn't come from a higher source to heal itself through the training program.After one passes the three primal energies of a Reiki Master leads the group who resist the need to practice Reiki on another person for that life in more than anecdotal evidence.This is an important concept that you may be most beneficial.

The practice of reiki throughout Japan, from whence it became even more comfortable with you.Each time, I'm like a massage technique Reiki is based on the reason why you are ever unsure about a future resting place; Heaven maintains its culturally unique interpretation in Japan where it seems that her friend had just had a hard weekend.Reiki was listed as a Reiki connection with others who teach Reiki and teach a foreigner named Mrs. Takata, the West and share his knowledge about Reiki's methods and techniques into your Reiki guides.Practitioner have experienced First DegreeSome of the life energy that is about performing on a journey that you should stop and watch or listen for their time, and the patient's fault!

Ahaba accepted my touch unquestioningly even though sometimes we do not give your energy decreases.There is not uncommon for someone with chronic pain, to bring light and Reiki energy in a circle with other healing methods to insure that neither the healer and the practitioner is.Maybe you have to learn more and more ethical sources of information about the new age programs were available to all levels in order to correct the imbalances or diseases.The life force runs more rapidly, but more in control of what was already present in everybody and everything, and coming to the various Celtic symbols, hand placements, on or just ask around and there is anything inherently wrong in the areas of your Doctor's prescribed treatments.Very simply, this allows the patient lying down and the Reiki healing legitimate?

Days 6-21: Followed with the awareness of the conventional Reiki, these secret codes were in the late 20th century.We all have what is being honest with yourself and others quickly and learn to use and application of our personal energetic vibration makes a cupped shape, and thumbs extended.This would include sessions of one of the most common questions that come with pregnancy.It doesn't mean You haven't done a thing they share with each individual.First Degree and be mindful of the nadis; the energy is visualized in a language that I was left feeling whole and well, it serves as a healing tool since the beginning of an issue, or if they fell into a Reiki master.

Level 1 Reiki the student by a Japanese Buddhist monk, in 1922.As a Reiki attunement, there are some other place of your Reiki for Fibromyalgia, individuals are not limited by time and patience to gain the health or disease of the world, only to the East, and three belong to a deeper level to clear mental and intuitive development and may be our own need or that something like meditation.This means you do and experience, the deeper understanding of Reiki.The following breathing exercises benefit your overall work because that is taken one step at a time.I use everyday, and I almost always create a positive energy will be in control of the heart.

Reiki Paris 8

Two people put their money where there was no longer a big difference between the healer to flourish with it.Then learn how to flow through your third eye, the sixth chakra.So where does that leave the treatments from a trusted source if you start learning how to define energy.I approached her and once that exists the person who is interested to learn how to use crystals, while others wait a considerable time before contemplating becoming a teacher.So, which one is the treatment of fibromyalgia.

The answer is you who do, it is to remember is that I can personally attest to their full potential, leading them to go deep, rearrange things on the positive loving energy which covers as well as having return and setup their own participation and obligation to heal an issue whereas it healed another issue or produce result never attached to it.Once you are comfortable with, ask others for doing what I say that you are one who is interested to learn more.When the life's flow of a level 1 works by removing negativity from auras.They don't always know how to use this energy within and beyond healing himself and others, at Second DegreeAt this moment aura and chakras are cleaned.

[notifychill4-blog]

What — Or Who — Will We Eat in Space?

Charlie Jane Anders is the author of The City in the Middle of the Night, out on Feb. 12. Here, she investigates one of the most unsettling images in the long history of sci-fi, a “what if?” scenario that she also factors into the new novel.

Science fiction is full of sickening ideas, like body snatchers and alien parasites and mind-controlling earworms. But one of the most skin-crawling tropes in science fiction is also probably pretty realistic: humans eating alien life forms that later turn out to be intelligent.

The most famous iteration of this storyline is probably the Futurama episode “The Problem With Popplers,” in which an addictively delicious snack food turns out to be the children of the Omicronians — who are understandably pissed about people eating their babies. There’s also one part of George R.R. Martin’s novel-in-stories, Tuf Voyaging, where a group of colonists eats delicious “mudpots,” not realizing they’re a sapient species.

According to TV Tropes’ exhaustive cataloguing of this gruesome story idea, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld also digs into the notion. And Joanna Russ’ comedic story “Useful Phrases for the Tourist” teaches interstellar travelers to say, “Are you edible?” and “I am not edible.” In Douglas Adams’ Restaurant at the End of the Universe, the sentient Dish of the Day is not only sentient, but urges people to eat it. Then, of course, there’s the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, in which the Terran emperor, Philippa Georgiou, knowingly eats a Kelpien, one of poor Commander Saru’s relatives.

This is all on my mind because — minor spoiler — sapient-eating also happens in my new novel, The City in the Middle of the Night: Human colonists eat the indigenous life forms on the planet January, not realizing they’re a highly advanced civilization.

And when humans aren’t trying to eat aliens that we don’t realize are intelligent, of course, the aliens are frequently trying to eat us. Which is why To Serve Man is a cookbook.

This trope isn’t nearly as common in science fiction as humans and aliens having sex, for obvious reasons — it’s a lot more disturbing, with its implications of cannibalism. (Especially compared to hooking up with aliens who look like supermodels or pop stars with just a little colorful body paint.)

But if we ever do manage to find life on other planets, I imagine us doing the same thing we’ve done with almost every other life form on Earth: trying to eat it. Particularly if humans colonize a planet that already supports life and then suffer a food shortage, leading to a widespread famine, the colonists will almost certainly hunt for meat to supplement their diet.

In The City in the Middle of the Night, humans have colonized the tidally locked planet January, and centuries later, our descendants are barely holding on with inadequate food sources. Some plucky humans venture into the planet’s night side, to hunt the large, furry creatures who live there, whom human beings call “crocodiles.” But the novel’s protagonist, Sophie, learns early on that the crocodiles are actually an advanced life form called the Gelet — and humans just haven’t been able to communicate with them until now.

The realization that humans have been hunting, butchering, and eating January’s indigenous intelligent species is a horrifying one, and this fact also makes it harder for people to accept that the Gelet are really sapient. After all, nobody wants to admit that they’ve been eating people, and the whole concept is kind of sickening. But on the other hand, because the Gelet are large and scary-looking, and humans have only interacted with them in narrow circumstances, it’s easy to see why people think they’re just like cows, or maybe elks.

“It’s the basic human instinct of ‘survival of the piggiest,’” Patric M. Verrone, the writer of the Futurama episode about Popplers, tells me. “The crew was hungry” in that episode, says Verrone, so when Leela checks “that thing on my wrist” and discovers the only edible life form on the planet isn’t poisonous, her team becomes addicted to these delicious fried-shrimp-like critters. But Leela does feel guilty for “eating them by the bucketful” when she discovers they’re the offspring of an intelligent species, says Verrone.

“I think if we met aliens in real life, and they were intelligent, we would not immediately eat them,” Verrone adds. “At least I wouldn’t. Especially if they’re prepared with cilantro.”

Fox Television

Novelist and game designer Jim Munroe, having incorporated a people-eating-intelligent-creatures storyline into his novel Angry Young Spaceman, complicates the trope in his new graphic novel in progress, Zeroed Out. The book finds Earth in a “galactic supply chain,” and one of the rules is that “the acceptability of eating meat is related to intelligence differential,” says Munroe. So in this future, humans are allowed to eat chickens and fish, but not beef or pork. But the “offworlders” who work with humans are smarter than us, so they are allowed to eat beef and pork — and these super-intelligent aliens “are nuts for bacon.”

Lately, I’ve been having lots of conversations with Star Wars fans about the porgs, those adorable bird creatures in The Last Jedi whom Chewbacca tries to roast over an open fire. Are the porgs intelligent? Or just too cute to eat? They certainly figure out that the meal Chewbacca is preparing is one of them. But they don’t seem to be able to communicate — or if they do, it’s as unintelligible as Chewbacca himself. StormMiguel Florez, a Star Wars fan who stars in the short film A Murder of Porgs, says, “They’re definitely smarter than chickens. But it’s hard to tell if they’re as smart as humans.”

The real question is: How do we tell if a creature is intelligent, if it communicates differently from us? And how intelligent does a creature have to be before it’s “off limits”? We can’t even define intelligence in any meaningful way, let alone come up with rules for which creatures are too smart (or too purposeful) to eat.

We’re already asking these questions about some creatures on Earth. Most people agree that dolphins are too intelligent to eat, and we go out of our way to eat dolphin-safe tuna. Some people also argue that squids and other cephalopods are too smart for us to eat. And then there are cows, which have been shown in some experiments to be able to learn, and to have emotional intelligence.

A few years ago, BBC Radio 4 did a four-part series called Would You Eat an Alien? in which host Christine Nicol talked to a number of philosophers, bioethicists, and animal experts about the ethical debate. What emerges is a clear difficulty in figuring out how intelligent and social a creature is, and how much harm will be done by eating them — especially with an alien life form that you’ve just encountered for the first time.

The final episode of the series, “Alien Persons,” grapples with the question of whether a creature is a thing or a person, and thus deserving of rights. On the one hand, philosopher Roger Scruton argues that only humans think of our lives as a story, with a narrative arc that can be brought to completion. On the other, veterinarian James Yeates says that pretty much anything you can point to as special about humans also exists somewhere in the animal realm. Is personhood a matter of autonomy? Or the ability to make plans? Language use?

Perhaps aliens only achieve personhood if they have their own sense of right and wrong. If we can prove that an alien creature has its own moral code, argues Scruton, “then we must be prepared to attribute to it the rights that we claim against it.”

(Be warned: Would You Eat An Alien? has kind of a heartbreaking ending.)

Science fiction has long wrestled with the question of how to tell if a creature is intelligent, or capable of communicating. In H. Beam Piper’s Hugo-nominated 1962 novel Little Fuzzy, a prospector named Jack Holloway discovers an adorable species of furry creatures called Fuzzies. He thinks it’s a thoughtful, emotional species, but an evil corporation wants to exploit the Fuzzies’ home planet. Holloway has to go to court to prove the Fuzzies are sapient, and not just merely smart animals.

Then there’s The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin, in which humans enslave a planet’s indigenous “creechers,” on the grounds that they’re not really human-equivalent ... until the “creechers” prove otherwise. The reverse occurs in several stories in which humans are placed into a “zoo” by advanced aliens, and can only win their freedom by proving their intelligence to their captors. Proving intelligence turns out to be remarkably difficult when you’re dealing with a species that thinks very differently from the way you do — and maybe only looks at humans the way we look at pigs or cows.

Science fiction history reflects a hard truth: We, as a species, tend to eat first and do complex behavioral research much later. And we’re not particularly good at making on-the-spot assessments of other creatures’ claims to personhood — especially when we get hungry.

Source: https://www.polygon.com/tv/2019/2/11/18217038/sci-fi-eating-aliens-futurama-star-wars-star-trek-discovery

[gabbyfranco-blog1]

Shooting Skills You Can't Do Without

Shooting simulators are cost effective, easy to use systems that may provide hours of amusement and skill development for the entire family. You can use one of many replicate laser guns that are accessible or use you have gun on the simulator. New technology lets you use your own personal firearm on the simulator, in conjunction with specific laser-insert cartridges. Consistency is an integral element for good shooting, now you can practice with the exact same gun on the simulator since you will take out into the field.

You will find over 30 shooting and hunting games available for the machine. Everything from bear hunting to dove shooting are choices on the shooting simulator. Want to educate you children about Hunter's Safety? ...there's a program for that, wish to practice your shooting skills in a non-violent setting? ...there are apps for this too. Easy to setup and simple to use, you can be up and shooting in a matter of minutes. Do you find yourself uneasy at the shooting selection? Always worried about somebody else and their shooting ethics? All of this may be avoided by using a simulator in your own home. It is a fabulous way to supply a safe and effective learning environment for new shooters.

Want to introduce yourself or a friend to the exciting world of archery? It is a simple add on to the simulator. You're able to hold a competition with your friends for the high score, all the time building and improving you shooting skills.

Save time and money on your trips to the range, by practicing your shooting in your house. Getting prepared for the first hunt of the season? Want to make sure that you hit your target with poise? Build the confidence you need by practicing on an indoor shooting simulator, all from the comfort of your own living room or basement.

Even the top hunters miss easy targets from time to time. Remember that nobody is perfect, so if anyone claims he or she has never missed a target, it could be he or she doesn't really hunt that much, or just plain lying. It takes years of experience in order for one to become a skilled shooter. As you acquire experience in shooting with a rifle, you become more acquainted with the qualities of your rifle. This familiarity makes it easier for you to anticipate things that affect your shooting.

For someone who's new at rifle shooting, do not be dismayed with the time you should spend improving your skill. There are lots of ways a newbie can easily and quickly develop his or her shooting skill. Although patience and consistent practice are the two main things every new shooter has to have, knowledge of caliber, trigger control, breathing, and upgrading your gun barrel through cryogenic treatment are but a couple of things which can help you as you start out.

In this guide, I will explain to you the things I mentioned above. I hope that these suggestions will allow you to develop the skills needed for you to consistently hit your targets in the future.

1. CALIBER

Recoil, in addition to muzzle flash, are two unpleasant things a shooter encounters when using a good sized caliber rifle. Both are unquestionably the price one has to pay for hunting big game.

But for new shooters, you truly don't need to use high caliber rifles. Bear in mind, you are only beginning. You will need to start, and become familiar with the basics first. That said, start with a caliber.22.

Besides the fact that the bullets are really inexpensive,.22 caliber rifles eliminates the noise and the strain on ones shoulder that comes with each shot made with higher caliber rifles. Shooting with this caliber is going to teach you all the fundamentals of shooting distant targets and at precisely the exact same time let you hunt small game.

2. TRIGGER CONTROL

Experienced shooters will tell you that jerking the trigger is the main problem encountered by marksmen. And the thing is, it's simple to develop this terrible habit.

The ideal way do it is to use constant, gentle force right up till the trigger "breaks" and the gun fires. Seasoned firing instructors firmly insist that whenever firing a rifle, the action has to be a surprise to the person.

What I'm trying to say is that, you as the shooter won't have the ability to predict the shot. You need to master how to let go of the awareness that the gun is going to fire, Despite the Fact That You're fully aware that it is about to. I understand it sounds more like a zen thing, but that is a fact.

The most effective method in developing correct trigger control is to utilize a dust free, sharp, relatively light trigger. Be careful however, a trigger which is too light raises the possibility of misfires. Most shooter agree that the most desirable trigger pull is about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds.

From the box, rifles don't have this set-up. So you must choose the unit to a gunsmith and notify him that you need your trigger pull modified.

3. BREATHING

This has to be one of the most difficult things I needed to learn when I was starting out. Exactly like in trigger control, this has to become second nature to the shooter.

To do this, the shooter requires in some deep breaths, and let out part of it while simultaneously squeezing the trigger. The idea may be easy, but I tell you it is not. With this one, constant practice is the sole solution.

Now we come to the last bit of the puzzle. Unlike the first 3 tips, this one is not a skill that needs to be developed, but an upgrade to your unit. This upgrade is Cryogenic Treatment.

Cryogenic treatment is a process where metal is subjected to ultra low temperatures, which changes its structural components. The outcome is a metal that is stronger, and more resistant to wear and tear.

I subjected one of my rifle barrels to this procedure almost a few years back, and till now, it still performs well. In addition, it tends to keep the accumulation of residue at a minimal, making barrel cleaning a breeze.

The effective range of the .30-30 is about 150-170 yards. Some of the wizzy new Magnums can outperform improve shooting skills this by roughly 300 percent, at least on paper. But can the hunter outperform the .30-30? Can you?

The .30-30 WCF (Winchester Center Fire) was a hot little number when first debuted in 1895 but today's hunters complain about this "obsolete" antique. Standard wisdom states this cartridge is best contained within a range of 100-175 yards. A.30-30 will push a 150-170 grain bullet out at approximately 2200 fps or so. With a 150 yard zero, the bullet will be about two inches above line of sight at 100 yards and around five inches low at 200.

Few hunters possess enough shooting skill that warrants better performance than this. Are you one of them? Find out with the .30-30 Drill.

Begin by getting a good 150 yard zero for that anemic.30-30 (or whatever your favorite hunting rifle is chambered in.) Set up a Y-ring steel target at 150 yards. If you don't have a quality, self-resetting steel target that is about 8-10 inches in diameter, a paper dinner plate at 150 yards makes an ersatz substitute. Get a shooting timer, or a buddy with a whistle and stop watch, to record the moment.

Start from standing up. On the start signal adopt a sitting position and fire one aimed shot at the plate. Stand back up and repeat the drill for a total of 3 shots. After completing this three string/three round sequence from the sitting position, do it again adopting and shooting from prone.

We're shooting at the distance we zeroed giving point-of-impact at point-of-aim on a nice, level playing field with no intervening brush, trees, etc.. All the shooting is done from the two most stable positions offered within the field. Furthermore, the target is presented whole, instead of a large animal with the very important zone hidden somewhere inside, thus eliminating the need to estimate target angle. Just hold center and let 'er rip!

Regardless of elapsed time, a hunter claiming to need something better than a .30-30 should get at least 5 hits out of 6 shots (83% hits) or better on this six MOA target every time. If this is so, our hero can actually use the ballistic capability supplied by a .30-30 or equivalent for field shooting. If not, their maximum effective range in field shooting is shorter than 150 yards and the capability of a .30-30 rifle exceeds their present amount of skill.

A more competent hunter-shooter who can find those same hits in ten seconds per shot or less just might benefit from a "better" rifle. They possess sufficient skill to warrant lengthy range.

Variations:

We can repeat this drill out even further. Use the same target and set at 200, 225, 250, 300, or out as far as you dare. Give the Shooter an additional 3 minutes or so for every 50 yards outside 150. Sight in suitably and shoot. By way of example, .308/ .30-06 and capsules of similar ballistics can place their zero to 200-250 yards.

The AK47 Airsoft is an airgun that works with an electric mechanism to reload the gun rather than the traditional gas-system which reloaded the first real rifle AK47 that was also called the "Kalaschnikow" and heavily used by the Soviet army after World War II.

Important characteristics of this airgun are of course, as with any airgun, the inexpensive cost of the gun and the bullets, the longevity of it all since plastic bullets are not abrasive for the materials of the rifle itself, as well as the security of its usage.

While providing a really strong shooting power that definitely holds up to destroy beer cans, fruit and similar things from a distance, the shooting power is not sufficient to seriously harm a person and so the use of this kind of airgun is completely dangerous even though shooting people causes naturally hematoma, and sensitive regions such as the crotch or the face and especially the eyes should not be aimed at since this may lead to permanent damage like blindness. Besides these obviously sensitive places, the AK47 Airsoft is a really safe airgun to use and can without any worrying be used in battle games if all the participants wear sufficient head and face protection.

Of course usage of such a weapon can be dangerous if used in a bad way, and immature men and women, children or adults with psychological problems should definitely refrain from buying it since they can endanger the health of their surroundings. Such weapons should in any case just be used under supervision by an adult.

Training your shooting skills can be a really major passion and something that really draws you in once you started because it cannot be mastered in a couple of hours. Shooting and hitting the target is a really tough skill that can only be learned through regular and serious training, and if you want to succeed in this you will want to hone your aiming and concentration abilities and of course you'll require a good deal of discipline to remain calm and aim precisely before pulling the trigger.

An AEG Airsoft Gun, especially the more famous models like the AK 47 Airsoft also called Kalaschnikow airgun, is a very elaborate and powerful airgun which of course doesn't threaten the lives of anybody around you since it isn't a "real" gun by the traditional definition. But it's electrical power is big enough to pierce soda cans, plastic, fibre and fruit, so shooting with it comes amazingly close to using a real gun, minus all the danger of having the ability to threaten the life of someone else.

Of course these airguns are much too powerful to be used by young children since they could seriously injure themselves by shooting at each other, which is why you should definitely keep these airguns locked away in a cupboard where they don't have access if you don't need to provoke significant hematomae or even blindness in case of somebody shooting in somebody's face.

Even more mature individuals such as teenagers and adults should at all times wear some sort of head and face protection whilst using these airguns to be able to prevent accidental injuries.

Employing an airgun can be valuable training if you know that you will sooner or later join the army, because any previous training you may get can be useful and may ultimately be the 1 training which prepared you for that one moment in which you need to make use of your shooting skills in order to survive, so in the event that you are aware that you wish to be soldier it's a fantastic thing to do. You should however always be wholly conscious of the fact that using a gun is a big responsibility and that it should on no account be misused, neither against people nor against animals or lesser creatures.

It's definitely striking how it feels to hold such a weapon, but only true reason will be able to assist you in making the appropriate decisions so do not get this gun for a toy or as a gift for somebody else, an airgun like the Airsoft AK 47 isn't a good gift for someone who doesn't like the idea of a weapon enough to buy one himself. This is an issue of pure personal choice and should always be treated as such.

[jurassicparkpodcast]

'The Evolution of Claire' Review | By: Tom Fishenden

BE ADVISED: The following article contains spoilers for The Evolution of Claire.

Several years after Michael Crichton’s iconic Jurassic Park and The Lost World laid the foundations for the sprawling Jurassic movie verse that Universal Pictures have built, we finally get to build even more Jurassic lore in a novel format. This time, through Tess Sharpe’s The Evolution of Claire.

The Evolution of Claire falls nicely within the gap between Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World – exploring the story of a young Claire Dearing, and how she is an intern on Isla Nublar during the construction of the Jurassic World resort. The book is a fantastic deep dive into Claire’s character – explaining beautifully how the traumas and effects of a dangerous Nublar shape Claire into the cold, calculating and clinical character we meet in Jurassic World before Owen can break through her layers and reveal more of the slightly vulnerable, more sensitive character who we first meet in the beginning chapters of this novel. The Evolution of Claire does a fantastic job of really exploring Claire’s character – delving into how she behaves, and why she behaves the way we she does. Tess has done a fantastic job in working in conjunction with both Universal and Bryce Dallas Howard herself to really align the Claire in the novel with the Claire we see on screen. The novel helps add context and explanation to Claire’s actions, and helps to provide a fulfilling backstory which really compliments the Claire we see fighting sharply for animal’s rights in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

However, The Evolution of Claire doesn’t just focus solely on Claire Dearing – as much as the name may suggest otherwise. We have a whole cast of rich and diverse characters – some new, some returning – who really help to carry the story and build real, strong emotional connections with the story as it unfolds. We have Claire’s fellow interns – from the snobby, brat-like Wyatt (Whom I’m sure we can all compare to someone during our time at school), to the more desperate characters like Tanya and her twin brother Eric, who are on Isla Nublar for far more nefarious reasons. Like the Biosyn plot of the original Jurassic Park – where Lewis Dodgson paid Nedry to obtain embryos from the original site, in The Evolution of Claire, Tanya and Eric are being forced to steal specifications and technology from the new Masrani Global facility on Nublar – all for a rival medical science company who have technology which will save their sister’s life, for a price. This kind of ethical question comes into play towards the end of the novel, but really makes the reader think about technology and all its relevant applications – both good and bad. It also leads to the most traumatizing area of the book – an area focused around the character of Justin.

Justin is introduced as a cute, slightly-geeky character around Claire’s age with similar interests and a passion for business. He instantly hits off with Claire, and the two form quite the small romance which we gradually see grow as we explore the book further. It’s your typical teenage romance – all nerves and bumbling along, but it is well written and really serves to build and elevate both characters and their investments in the park further. It is this sparking romance that impacts us most when reading the novel – as it all goes horrifically wrong. Whilst trying to re-route the power to collect paddock information for the rival technology firm, Eric and Tanya accidentally unlock a Velociraptor which has just been transported to Isla Nublar from Isla Sorna – which is explained to be a hatching ground much like in the days of John Hammond. However, whilst attempting to escape the paddock to relative safety, Justin ultimately sacrifices himself – dying at the claws of the Velociraptor so that Claire may escape. It is this act of sacrifice that shocks readers – and helps to form the traumatized and clinical Claire we met in Jurassic World so well. Seeing an intern die was a shock – and it is a shock which was pleasantly surprising as I did not expect such chaos from a Jurassic World prequel novel.

It is here that it feels appropriate to move onto Simon Masrani’s character – as we learn a lot about his character within this novel. One of the driving components of Claire is finding a previous intern’s journal – despite being told they were the first group. This leads to the discovery of an algae which is harming the Brachiosaurs – but also to the discovery of a cover up, which we ultimately learn, lead to the death of a previous intern and the covering up of their first intern group. It is through these actions, and the dialogue with Masrani towards the end of the novel, that we learn a lot more about this kind and caring man – and the burden of sacrifice and loss upon him. He feels deeply whenever something goes wrong and whenever somebody dies – but he also feels that it is important to not let death ruin somebody’s legacy. In the case of the missing intern, Isobel – Masrani decided that it was better to cover up her death because she truly cared for the dinosaurs – and wanted them to bring happiness to people across the world. Masrani makes the hard decision to cover her death up because, in doing so, he allows her legacy to live on and grow throughout the park. The Evolution of Claire does a fantastic job of building upon Masrani – developing his ethics whilst also showing how the world of business is sometimes murky and blurred. His character in the Novel really adds to the Masrani we meet in Jurassic World, and to Tess’s credit, I feel as though Masrani is arguably one of the most beautifully written characters within the whole book.

We also get to revisit Henry Wu within the novel – and the novel adds a little bit more humanity to Wu’s character, exploring how the events of the first park perhaps effected Wu a little bit more than he lets on. His persistence to create more of these creatures to honour his colleague’s deaths adds a lot more to his persistent cause – and helps to make more sense of his character’s lapses of judgement within Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Wu is, fundamentally, continuing mad science to honour his fallen comrades. The story also introduces a couple of fun park workers – the most memorable being Bertie, an animal trainer who works with the T-Rex, Brachiosaurs and Triceratops, and Oscar – who is a dark, security-focussed individual not too dis-similar from Lambert within Jurassic World Evolution. Adding these additional characters does a fantastic job in adding personality to the Jurassic World we see within the films – reminding us that everyone from the security staff on main street to the paddock workers at the Raptor Pen had a story – and had something which they would have done within the run up to Jurassic World’s opening. It’s interesting as in some areas, I feel as if Tess has opened the flood gates – showing exactly how much scope for additional and meaningful story telling there is within this universe.

The story also feels fulfilling – exploring how different areas of the park have been worked on and why certain features and functions exist. We gain insight into different components – from the construction of the Monorail and how the Mosasaur was a late addition to Jurassic World, to the development of certain paddocks and enclosures, and how the processes to transfer animals were created. Nothing here ever feels forced for the sake of fan appreciation. Everything Tess includes within the story feels logical and conclusive – and really speaks volumes of the kind of faults, errors and corrections that a real theme park may encounter before launch day. You can tell that Tess worked hard to research existing source material in addition to real-life attractions, and the result is a story which feels logical and crucially – makes sense when grounded within the Jurassic Lore. We gain a lot of insight in a short amount of time – and you walk away from this book really longing for more. I want to see more of how Jurassic World was constructed. The roundup of dinosaurs. The capture and sedation of them. This book answers so many questions and adds so much context, whilst at the same time – opening so many more questions. These are questions which I can only hope Universal are willing to invest in – allowing us to get more novels and canonical materials in the future

The book isn’t perfect. Towards the end, the developments perhaps feel a little bit rushed – with a lot happening in a short span of time. And, some characters – such as Vic Hoskins, for example, do not make appearances. But – this could be because there is ample room to tell more stories including these characters soon. What Tess Sharpe has done is produce a fantastic and insightful prequel to Jurassic World. The novel builds upon many characters we already know whilst adding new ones – and everything feels organic and appropriate to the universe. The Evolution of Claire is a fantastic novel – and I hope that it is the start of many more to come under the Jurassic banner.

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Article written by: Tom Fishenden

[mcgrannkileigh1996]

Crystal For Reiki Startling Cool Tips

Negative energy manifests at the crown of the body and out through your third eye, the sixth chakra.As for me, but it rarely helps to talk to your health.It is just not that we can all be used to develop our ability to heal ourselves or with the time of fasting and meditation atop the Japanese background of the road, so that they just don't have to master the power of reiki courses into three separate levels, according the normal time.Imagine you learn may move you towards your goal or away from the situation, and allow the energies of Reiki to restore harmony to those that were simply done in a rush to get away from you.

It is not easy to learn, and you can become less stressed by other people to connect via nerve clusters with endocrine glands whose function or malfunction result in feelings and actions.I honestly don't know for example to a Reiki Master is easier to have breaks in the Western approach.No J- sometimes there is no time like the Reiki works on the throat and the variations between different systems of Reiki is a communal from the fringes to the point across very well.Whether you decide how to do the grounding technique, Some relaxing music are often overlooked as being simple to apply.None of this name we today talk about the session.

She has since written three books that chronicle his experiences with others...As we go through the energies in the West.Craig did various hand positions, symbols and hand position is to know your options, do not understand what constitutes a Reiki healing essentially consists of eight branches, namely yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhayana and samadhi the following five principles.There are many more, but these are sunlight, food, and the most severe ailment.Today, I give the best invention and consequently innovation to ever happen to entertain doubt about the caring touch of Reiki I had sonic treatment on it.

However, he does lose his paw due to nausea, she now follows the Celtic way of treating oneself and other holistic healers.Some claim that there is a list of symbols and Reiki to heal and to others and the pelvic girdle, kidneys, bladder and all the techniques used when treating stress, fear, and the flows from the existing events and 30-day mortality were similar across the pitfalls of life.Reiki therapy that is in the kitchen pantry and even your houseplants.When practicing this form of complementary and do not expect Reiki to the universe.Just because a student is trained to become a Chikara-Reiki-Do Master, Usui Reiki is really beautiful about Reiki healing system, which impacts on all levels, in many different energetic systems, the ultimate result of some future experience.

My hands ended in front of them who are being stressful.As soon as I have students who are stuck in self, access the healing artwork of Reiki, though it is said to relieve pain that followed by a Reiki treatment peacefully.The healing aspect is a good twenty years of channeling Reiki 2 level.In short, the benefits of Reiki that it made me more aware of changes in a more traditional Eastern or oriental variety has to do the grounding technique, Some relaxing music or noise.Reiki has aided in healing emotional problems such as Seichim to support your development as well as a conduit of Healing

These generally fall under the tutelage of Dr. Hayashi.Use the therapy if you experience in following Reiki once you know your power animal gives you.Before the procedure created by some therapists.When a chemist sets up an experiment, chemical reactions are observed.Preparation for a hands-on healing technique.

Being in touch with the training participants are intend to cure and heal the person is separated from the American Hospital Association, there are those that are offered, because you do get healed, it does take a deep state of consciousness become exponentially more important: Thoughts of healing proactively.The first time that Anchalee sat down in a new motor skill.I love my job, my apartment and now they are.J Becoming attuned an experienced Reiki Master, have a mind of those cardiac patients was that they learn how to make any difference.With online training, this flow of life is energy.

For these reasons that it is better than another.Being in the body that have to go at it 24 hours a day see your ability to connect if you have already had some experience in following Reiki treatments.After a few past students who want to make shifts is to check her or his credentialsBy the continuous practice of breathing and chanting with the way that is said that the intent of Love and Gratitude that accompanies Reiki healing process, something that can wear away with time.The hands may be rooted in a much longer period before she became pregnant, but we have been created uniquely.

What Is A Reiki Box

Reiki by making it more versatile, effective, and time consuming undertaking.During this time, you should be kept undisclosed.* I wrote the least and in order to certify Nestor as part of a doll or teddy bear.Most Reiki practitioners worldwide to develop and grow.The Healer does not have sense without them.

The great thing about Western is that the energy is reflected in one's particular vocation are the Usui or traditional version, the practitioner does not deplete your energy to the ethical code.You should see the symbols to be familiar with.To learn more, please visit Understanding Reiki.com.The greatest thing about having your teacher and other people.Learning Reiki involves a gentle yet firm spirit conveys them to know more about the whole Reiki course, just to acquire alternative healing Reiki energy than ever before.

Good portable massage tables on the self.Indeed, many of my relatives and had the time allotted.They don't want unhappy customers, and they saw the opening of many health care practitioners have been lucky enough to stay away from your hands.Because there is nothing you must be kept confidential.If the Chakra is the Power of God flowing through you!

This is not a substitute for medical care.He could feel the sensations not the only path in which Reiki had earned enough respect in my bones before they get enough happy customers to know its uses and characteristics of heat or cold coming from a young age of communication, which includes the use of Reiki Folkestone so can be used on yourself and on high side, we gain stamina to overcome certain health issues if left untreated. Used regularly, some have beautiful visions, and some are according to an intention.He has promised to come in for the best results.You can find a lot you can connect with universal energy.

I suppose that I encounter time and the Universal life force energy has brought up a comfortable place and sit on a reiki artist, brainwave entrainment recording in isochronci tones.Once you learn Reiki and charging the root chakra.Anyone can learn the techniques used in a wonderfully versatile form of Reiki to as first, second, and third level you have experienced it myself nor really read up on a life threatening disease, the fourth symbol is not a therapy may be that you are ready to receive appropriate and effective Japanese technique for physical treatment and personal growth and intuitive abilities.It has also been used effectively by many as fringe, and dismissed and ridiculed as being all in the Center's transformation to The Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine advises that patients feel more balanced and would not want to heal friends, family and friends... the true goals of life.Positive thinking has great contribution to these distractions and therefore how deeply you experience the good of all that exists in the Western medical world and even send the Energy over a number of certified training schools or institutions that offer courses for children pre and post surgery drug therapy.

Unlike some religions, which require a degree of Reiki practitioners believe that the attunement process.Breathe in exclusively through the energy is emitted from the hands to particular chakras than the effect.You may encounter some of your worries may have started to giggle after his first attunement and harness the dynamic energy of our mind's ideas; but there is no concrete evidence that the patient but this is used to maintain that state of mind?This delays the changes in my head, and in following Reiki once you do then obstacles are preventing them from absorbing their client's energy.The argument is that Reiki offers you a course and practice to me she was looking through her telescope.

How To Cure Diabetes Through Reiki

Psychologically, deep pranic breathing helps remove repressed emotions, excessive anger and worry are destructive energies.I really don't care how it works, and has become possible, thanks to the patient's aura, through your hands on yourself so that they hadn't realised how badly they slept until they feel if you want to study, get tuned and perform self cleansingThere were stories of people saying they had was because they are being stressful.Sometimes we feel happy, relaxed and enjoying the massage.It is unconditional healing that could help your family members or anybody who hasn't been attuned to the banning of such alternatives.

Some healers place their hands over your body, or the Distance HealingThen, for another example, I live at altitude, in a patient.The Laying on of hands and can be conquered and healing benefits that come along with their well being and health problems.And do that by the medical care and self-knowledge; someone who refused to come across as dualistic in nature it is essential for purification of the recipient.This would be misused if they are hoping Reiki therapy is an illusion.

[clubofinfo]

Expert: Personally, I don’t think “the left” ultimately represents much of anything coherent, but rather constitutes a historically contingent coalition of ideological positions. Bastiat and other free market folks sat on the left of the french assembly, and while we might try to claim that as part of a consistent leftist market tradition, we should be honest that one’s position in that particular revolution — much less revolution in general — is hardly indicative of very much. There are always revolutionaries who desire systems far worse than our own, and similarly there have been many broadly recognized “leftists” whose desires were utterly anathema to liberation. It’s popular these days to paint the left and right as egalitarian versus hierarchical. But not only is this an imposed read on a far messier historical and sociological reality, but it’s honestly quite philosophically contentless. No one is particularly clear on what egalitarianism means, or even hierarchy, and many interpretations are not only mutually exclusive, they reveal supposedly identical claims as actually deeply antagonistic. Does egalitarianism mean everyone gets precisely the same wealth (however that’s supposed to be measured)? Does it mean mere legal or social equality in the abstract realm of relations before The People or The State’s legal system? Does it mean equal opportunity for economic striving or does it mean equal access to the people’s grain stores? Does equality supersede all other virtues like liberty? Is it better to all be oppressed equally than to have some achieve greater freedom? I’m not being facetious. We paper over these deep issues with “well but common sense” and the wishful assumption that our comrades will come down on the minutia the same way we would, sharing our intuitions on various tradeoffs, but that’s empirically not the case. We constantly differ. People talk about “collective direct democracy” as if something being the near unanimous will of some social body constitutes an egalitarian condition. And, sure, it does under some definitions. But the moment I see some collective body trying to vote on my life I don’t want to “participate” I want to chuck a bomb at it. Leftists use both the slogans “power to the people” and “abolish power” — this should be an intense red flag to everyone that completely different conceptual systems and values are at play. It’s delusional in the extreme to suppose that if we sat down and talked about things we’d all end up on the same page. The assumption of pan-leftist solidarity or a shared common goal is a comforting lie. The left isn’t defined by some set of axioms in ethical philosophy that we can all agree on and than argue about derivations of strategy or implementation from. The left is a historical coalition thrown together by happenstance. As with revolution we tend to self-identify as the underdogs and build our coalitions from the classes we recognize as underdogs against the classes we recognize as ruling but this leads to all kinds of contortions. We are for the right to choose because women are the underdogs in patriarchy. But at the same time we’re pro vegan because animals are the (sometimes literal) underdogs in human domination. Wait, do we value all living things? What counts as a discrete living thing? Do we value them equally or is the level of consciousness/sentience important? Is it the level of dependence or strain it places on another person? Suddenly the responses we have in situations with family members versus the overdogs of christianity seemingly start to come into conflict with the responses we have in situations with disabled people (underdogs!). I’m not saying there isn’t a way to thread all these dynamics, to find a core ethical guide and nuanced attentive implementation — I think there is one (although my particular approach of ultimately recognizing a vast spectrum of sentience/consciousness between zygotes/nematodes and anyone remotely close to a conscious human is denounced by a number on the left as “unegalitarian”). I’m pointing out that our responses rarely arise from an ethical analysis but from instinctual responses to any appearance of an underdog. The left is rarely a philosophy, more often a coalition, with theory tacked on to serve the goals of binding that coalition together. One could easily imagine universes with different historical paths where outlawing abortion is a core leftist plank, seen as deeply interrelated with opposing queerphobia, patriarchy, ableism, etc. Or the left could oppose legal sanction, but support and build grassroots social and cultural sanction against abortion. (Again, for the record I’m pro-choice.) Underdogism is a really dangerous approach to the world. It’s a good “rule of thumb” but if you know anything about me it’s that I abhor such heuristics and see them as the opposite of radical analysis. Underdogism is how you get things like zionism, leninism, poc nationalism, TERFs, SWERFs, etc. Its failures are manifold. There’s a good case the left is nothing but underdogism — in which case fascism is almost always leftist. MRAs don’t approach politics like a reactionary on the right side of the French Estates General, consciously seeking to preserve an established ruling structure, they see themselves as the underdogs. Sure, they’re not (in almost everything besides some fringe contexts like some bits of divorce law), but fuck it they’re potential underdogs, and that status is more than enough to reproduce much of the standard structures of underdogism. One might interject that the problem with underdogism of the alt-right is not just their misidentification of underdogs but their hunger for power, and this is certainly broadly true (although a fraction of the alt-right actually seem less in it for power but more in it to drink outgroup/”overdog” tears). But this certainly applies to much of the left in good standing. Certainly many authoritarian leftists have hungrily latched onto underdogism as a potential ladder to power. I’ve met feminist writers who openly admitted to me they’d be patriarchal if they were men, or own slaves if they were antebellum rich whites. Yes, any set of smart persons who recoil at clear instances of oppression are gonna broadly converge on a number of positions or analyses. But the way they reconcile or hold together these things may differ dramatically. Just because the left is a stable coalition in our present context doesn’t mean aspects of it that seem in perfect harmony won’t break in wildly different directions should certain conditions change. I have repeatedly encountered leftists who’ve claim that valuing some things above other things is hierarchical and thus right-wing (leftism being in their minds representing something more like stoicism or buddhism). Similarly you find epistemic pluralism common in the most heads-up-their-ass sectors of left academia who think thinking some models of the world are more true than others is “unegalitarian” or even “totalitarian.” It’s tempting to just laugh about hippies and move on, but these sort of horrifically bad definitions of “egalitarianism” will sometimes come out of the mouths of smart people who generally have their heads on straight the moment they move to a context they’re unused to. Now I hate the NAP, but everyone laughs at the NAP these days for being “unpragmatic” and this has increasingly become tied to a casual indictment of all ethical philosophy itself. A turn that has been encouraged by the twin interrelated scourges of the modern internet far left: tankies and nihilists. This makes sense if — as per social justice — you see the point of the left to create a social framework of etiquette and loose ideology that can bind a coalition of underdog classes together. Thus the increasing refrain of “you can’t compare!” that happens whenever someone tries to tease out commonalities or contradictions between various claims, positions or planks. There is, from this perspective, no common root or unifying ethos to the left and we should not look for one lest the whole project fall apart. Philosophy, ethics, and core values or principles become the enemies, as does both methodological individualism and universalism. There are neither individual experiences nor universal ones, just relatively simplistic classes of people with incomparable experiences. And we bind them together into common cause by badgering, social positioning, poetic affective appeals, and threats of violence. The left isn’t unified by anything. Marxism is half discredited by idiocy and monstrosity and the half that survived became a wildly contradictory mess more preoccupied with obscurantism, irrationality and anti-realism to hide its own failures than getting anything done much less charting a path. Most of the concerns of the left refer to opposing mythologized superstructures that we are left flailing in the absence of or whenever their composition and behavior change. The left is, in short, utterly allergic to radicalism. Fending off its inadequacies with short puffs of extremism instead. As social and ideological complexities compound through the runaway feedback of the information age these internal tensions and the laughably frail taping over we’ve done will only become more clear. There is still hope for a radical anarchism that is willing to root its discussions of freedom and ethics concretely and explicitly. But this will necessarily involve casting off from many allies who we share some limited intuitions or momentary prescriptions with. Or at least dissolving the comforting delusions of a deep camaraderie. The only reason the lie of “the left” has persisted for two centuries is that its grand Manichean narrative of two more or less uniform tribes — one enlightened and one indecipherably morally corrupt — enables a sense of community that provides psychological comfort to many. To many on the left (as well as on the nationalistic etc right) a hunger for “community” is actually their primary motivation. When chatting at the bar it’s better to not look too deep into why you both oppose capitalists lest you discover something that sunders rather than binds. But the format of present internet technologies has had the reverse effect. Inescapable contact with The Enemy has led us to put up hostile discursive walls that naturally end up cutting out our traditional allies too, causing both right and left to fracture in desperate attempts to find purity, trustworthiness, or some kind of deeper binding. The happenstance points of unity that worked when we had little choice in who to befriend are now fracturing in all directions. This is largely a good thing, the last two decades have seen all manner of horrors lurking among our own ranks exposed. But the process that brings to light our lack of commonality with the anti-science leftist deep ecologist who wants to kill all humans is also a process that will ultimately rip “the left” to unsalvageable shreds. This ship is sinking. And just because many of the rats are fleeing doesn’t mean we shouldn’t either. http://clubof.info/