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jocrude · 11 months ago

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SKETCH FOR A BALLARDESQUE RE:DYSPHORIA

God, I can just see it. I can’t write it at the moment, but if Beat becomes En Vogue and has a revival in this Serpent-eating-its-tail we must for lack of a better meaning call Contemporary Culture…

(Author’s Note: First as tragedy, then as farce, then as farce, ad nauseum...The serpent of culture has been eating its tail until it has become sick, and irony/post-irony is our collective acid reflux, “as a dog returns to his vomit”[1] joyously hollow, exhaling from the nostrils with more oomph than usual, we do not holler with glee anymore but are now hollow with glee “like the bizarre euphoria after an hour’s vomiting”[2], but this too is a topic I must think on at an unspecified later…)

Anyways, the story I would’ve wrote went like this:

(Hang on, I should just note to you real quick that this sketch is, well, a sketch—as much for the artist’s future use as for the public’s consumption.)

Ahem. Anyways anyways, the story I would’ve wrote went like this:

You’ve read Deleuze, haven’t you? Postscript on Societies of Control?[3](If you haven’t I can’t blame you, he’s terminally French and not in the good way.) The whole inspiration for this thing was that a transgender mate of mine sent a link to a news article on a Discord server I (also transgender, and fresh from the Dandenong Mental Health Care Unit with Wellbutrin and a grudge,) was on. It was from Gamesradar, about an Autistic Savant for hacking being hospitalised for life after he leaked something or other related to Grand Theft Auto Six.[4] The text, unaltered, from my transgender mate, is as follows:

The autistic 18 year old responsible for the GTA 6 leaks will be locked away in a secure hospital for an indefinite period of time Because he wants to continually commit cybercrimes as soon as possible

He's an autistic savant of hacking and cybercrime

I reposted it to another Discord server, with the following commentary:

So apparently there's an 18 year old autistic savant for hacking who has hacked Nvidia and Microsoft in the past and he's being hospitalised for life after leaking GTA 6 stuff. This is so bizarre it's funny but it's also shit like this that perfectly outlined why I'm anti-psychiatry. It's a prison system for crimethink. Also, read Deleuze's "Postscript on Societies of Control", I know he has a reputation for being incomprehensible but this is a short and easy-to- understand read. Dividuals being punished in anticipation of crimes they may possibly commit related to unauthorised transmission of information. [Link to said text on The Anarchist Library.]

(Author’s note: We’re pretentious! Yes, haha! Young and irritating! I’m noting this with glee as I write.)

Now, enter a third transgender online mate:

he's friends with maia of hacking the no-fly-list fame[5]

i think i once joked that congress will put us all in mental hospitals if this keeps happening, so this tracks

And, Quoth I, like some fateful Cassandra: (the thought that started all this bother you’re now reading about, drumroll please…)

God I can see a dystopian future where the Republicans are like "trans people need to be killed" and the democrats are like "God that's too far, but look at the correlations between gender dysphoria and autism, depression, adhd, anxiety, etc.. Let's just hospitalise them." Trans people crowded into sanatoriums working on a shoestring budget, those few who wear the mask well enough to become outpatients too disillusioned to have hope of getting well and unsure if the answers they give are a mask or their real face, new neuroses springing from that... And a society of very concerned moderates debating to what extent the hospitalisation scheme could be improved.

I’ll need to develop that! That’s a very golden idea! I’m a good writer because I am developing this idea, and you’re not. But I’m not that good of a writer. So! I make sketches, so as to help me practice and that.[6] Our hero is a Transgender just like me. She’s the wrong type of transgender (unlike me), the cringey type, not so much Bigger Thomas as Blahaj Thomas[7], painful as the pun just there. She will be an outpatient in this stratified system of liberal compromise, one of the shining examples of the Utopian Solution to the Transgender Question.

(Author’s Note: As I’m writing this, I think back to how I told the psychiatrist at the Dandenong Mental Hospital that I couldn’t quite remember if I was diagnosed Schizoaffective. I think back to when I watched “Conspiracy”, a BBC docudrama made using the actual minutes from the Wannsee Conference[8]. I think of Croissants, another French invention with too many layers. I think of watching a video on my phone at Marie Bashir[9], another hospital, Plastic Pills (a youtuber) on Deleuze and Schizoanalysis[10]. Lines of flight between layers. I think of pretentiousness, using words and concepts you don’t have a right to know. I think of when I learned about Zen Koans, riddles you unravel to a solution you know but can’t explain because it just feels right.)

Anyways, anyways, what was I saying again? Oh yeah. In this dystopia our heroine will inhabit, the Republicans and Democrats have worked together rather like a Caduceus[11] to create a society of control, of prevention, of compromise, for the Transgender infection. The Transgender,(Capital T,) whom Nick Land rather astutely called the “jews of gender,” presents an exciting new problematic in the deaf-dumb-and-blind machine of Capital’s social controls. I vaguely remember Wallerstein talking about a “fuzzy border” theory.[12] Jews, in Wallerstein’s analysis of Antisemitism as-I-vaguely-remember-it, are capable of being absorbed into the “White” racial category when societally convenient. Yet there are signifiers remaining upon them that mark them as an “eternal outsider” ready to be scapegoated in times of social distress. I remember Wallerstein or Balibar or one of those bloody Continentals furthermore saying that the sociological function of bigotry is more or less to rank and stratify class society into a more modular, flexible, “fuzzy” collection of groups that can be ejected or absorbed; as ballast for the floating, headless, decomposing corpse of Capital and the blind and desperate ecosystem that feeds upon the corpse-wax. I might have added that last bit myself.

But Jews beget jews. There is a clear, unbroken line of matrilineal descent. The reason this problematic is so exciting is that nobody really knows what causes one to become transgender. It is abhorrent to say, but, in theory, “the jews” as an ethnic group could be wiped out. “Exterminate all the brutes”[13], the Nazis hoped, in theory if they were able to sever that line of matrilineal descent the jewish race would cease to be. (Reality interjects of course and says that genocide on such scale is so anti-human as to not be feasible, but genocidaires don’t really care much about what Reality says.) The Transgender cannot be wiped out permanently, pulled out at the root, it is an enemy/ally/thing-to-cry-over that has various manifestations and suppressions throughout the history of gender expression but always exists, at least as far as we know. A perfect enemy, a punching bag that always pops back up.

Anyways, anyways. The Republicans wanted to kill all Transgenders but this, like most genocides or genocide-adjacent-things, was unfeasible. The Democrats, concerned moderates that they are, saved the day and created a social welfare scheme. Recognising the correlation between Gender Dysphoria and things like Autism, Depression, Suicide Attempts (41%!), and maybe Schizo-spectrum disorders that the author is not quite sure she has, the Democrats set up a Bureau of Psychiatry that, in that typical strange American way, was instated for the good of the Gender-Diverse. I remember a fourth online transgender mate of mine sent me a copy of Fanon’s Wretched Of The Earth, and Black Skin, White Masks, as a Christmas present, that I read while staying at Marie Bashir Hospital and sadly left behind when I moved to Melbourne. I think I remember Fanon talking about how re-education was a particularly nasty form of torture, because one would be left unsure whether what they were saying was what they needed to say to get out of the torture, or what they honestly believed.

We observe things from the point of view of a concerned moderate looking in. Like an odd ant in a terrarium, our heroine has been detected to be infected with gender dysphoria, and autism, and is funnelled into the Bureau Of Psychiatry. They talk in a despicable and cringeworthy way about bits of very online transgender culture that they have absorbed; they are a simulacrum of woman, not woman itself. But as they are funnelled through the Bureau of Psychiatry they learn to answer various questions in so accurate a manner as to move to the top levels of the sorting algorithm of mental deficiency, and learn to put on an act to be as close to an ideal functioning human being as someone who has been marked with a mental disorder can be. Along the way, they become more and more removed from the vague psychic-emotional signifiers of womanhood that implanted their dysphoria to begin with. They wear the mask; the mask wears them.

[1]Proverbs 26:11

[2]A quotation appropriated from the TV series “Brass Eye”(1997)

[3]Gilles Deleuze, “Postscript on Societies of Control”(1990)

[4]https://www.gamesradar.com/hacker-behind-gta-6-leak-will-be-confined-to-a-secure-hospital-for-life-due-to-his-intent-to-return-to-cybercrime-as-soon-as-possible/

[5]Maia Arson Crimew, high-profile transgender hacker who was put on trial for cyber-crimes; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maia_arson_crimew

[6]Pronounced “An’nat”, an affected Commonwealth vocal tic. Useless Information.

[7]Bigger Thomas, the thuggish, antisocial black protagonist of Richard Wright’s anti-racist novel “Native Son.” Blahaj, a blue plush shark sold by Ikea, stereotypically associated with “femboys” and a certain very online milieu of gender-diverse people that other transsexuals regard as “cringeworthy.”

[8]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wannsee_Conference

[9]The Professor Marie Bashir Centre, containing a mental health unit where the author was confined for a period of four months because they lacked a home to return to.

[10]Refer to the YouTube playlist Deleuze by Plastic Pills “All of the main Deleuze content from creator Plasticpills assembled in one place. Alongside the video intros, listen to some of the world's foremost experts in Deleuze studies advise how to approach these difficult texts. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx5jMl5-m5ZSyaYg7hTBynO6iDFlrDUtr

[11]Not to be confused with a Rod of Asclepius, the symbol of medicine. Quoth Wikipedia: “Although the Rod of Asclepius, which has only one snake and no wings, is the traditional and more widely used symbol of medicine, the Caduceus is sometimes used by healthcare organizations. Given that the caduceus is primarily a symbol of commerce and other non-medical symbology, many healthcare professionals disapprove of this use.”

[12]Etienne Balibar and Immanuel Wallerstein, “Race, Nation, Class:Ambiguous Identities”(1991)

[13]Joseph Conrad, “Heart of Darkness.” The Unlucky number.

#poems on tumblr #original poem #avant garde #lgbtqia #neurodivergent #antipsychiatry #schizoposting #schizo spectrum #mental health #mental illness #mentally fucked

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prohibitionprincesses · 5 years ago

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Country Doll

Hicktown, Illinois

No one is happier than Belle LeBeau to see the 19th Amendment ratified in August of 1920. Perhaps her being a staunch suffragist is what makes Gaston Hunt, a ruthless hit man and misogynist, so dead set on subduing her.

While not a Prohibitionist per se, and certainly a feminist, Belle has little interest, at the moment, in speakeasies or being a flapper. Indeed, she is extremely frustrated to see that most of the new freedoms women have gained are still limited to looks and marriage. Everyone in the small Illinois town Belle and her father live in thinks she's "odd," for her lack of interest in pearls and the Charleston. Belle currently doesn't have a specific career goal. She's open to most anything that allows for lots of reading--teacher, editor, even housewife, provided her husband isn't a pig like Gaston. While her shelf is largely packed with fantastical adventures from the previous century, she's also a fan of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. But she's open to current literature as well. Although Hemingway bores her, she enjoys the works of a new mystery author named Agatha Christie, and that F. Scott Fitzgerald really seems to speak Belle's language when with his commentaries on the shallow society they live in. She enjoys the whimsical "Voyagers of Dr. Doolittle" (1923), and fantasizes about someday having an adventure in a strange place with a crew of things that shouldn't talk but do. She'll jump off the Golden Gate Bridge before opening a Vogue, but she's addicted to a horror magazine called Weird Tales; in particular, a recurring short-story writer named H.P. Lovecraft. Perhaps a bit more sheepishly, Belle also enjoys the risque romance novels of Elinor Glyn, who is one of the first successful authors to aim for a specifically female readership. It is from Glyn that Belle learned that a romantic attraction does not have to begin with a physical one. Although she is not African American, Belle has also read a few of the works coming out of the Harlem Renaissance. Belle is as interested in outside perspectives of the world as she is in human rights. Belle's eccentric father tries to support the two of them as an inventor. Maurice is currently working to invent the "talking picture camera," which will capture film and audio simultaneously, and lead to a revolution in film, one that might render Belle's beloved books obsolete. So far, no luck. AN: Yes, Belle is getting two entries in this series, because she has two outfits that are so iconic. I considered something similar for Cinderella, but dismissed the idea, as her rags would make a bland, unrecognizable outfit, and her pink dress would be redundant, since I'm planning to do Kristina Van Tassel this October. Anyway, Belle's pre-flapper look was inspired a bit by the roommate character in "It" (1927). She came out looking an awful lot like Anita from "101 Dalmatians" as well, though. Gold-dress Belle will be up a bit later. Maybe further into spring, when thinks are looking up more.

The rose is clipart because life is too short.

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texanredrose · 6 years ago

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I want to preface this by saying that you will not like what I'm about to say, but I do want to know your honest opinion. I somehow stumbled upon posts discussing how Winter is actually a terrible person since she never unlearned the abusive tendencies present within the Schnee household. What are your thoughts on this?

Oh, I think they have a valid point! Because of the tonal shift between Winter’s appearances in V3 and what we learn about the Schnee household in V4, I can definitely see where people are coming from in that regard, and it’s one of my criticisms in how that shift was handled; it muddles the waters, so to speak. However, I have a different take because I have different life experiences and I take a step back to look at the show overall rather than specific points out-of-context.

This got much longer than I anticipated, so I’m putting it under a cut, but the bottom line is: I totally understand why some people might be critical of Winter’s actions and character. I just don’t think that’s the whole story, more of a reaction to a specific part, and that the entirety paints a much different picture.

If we take Brawl in the Family and Lessons Learned on their own, it paints a certain picture of Winter. She’s obviously still young and impulsive, in the same way we see Weiss act in V1. She’s harsh, she’s strict, and she’s an idiot- it’s why I’ve always believed Winter was only 1-2 years past graduating, if that; she acts like a dumb Private or a green officer. No question. However, beneath that, she does genuinely care about Weiss’ well being, being more concerned with her health, hobbies, and friends than her grades. She cares about Weiss as a person, as her sister, above her status as the next in the Schnee line. One will note that she sends away the Knights accompanying her during their initial conversation; everything before that moment is some variation of negative or cold and what follows is positive. It’s almost as if she’s not to publicly praise her sister; even the cadence of her speech is different. The negative and cold stuff? All direct, to the point, no superfluous words. The positive stuff? A bit more language- I wouldn’t call it flowery, but certainly more than needed to get the point across. However, Ruby’s standing right there the whole time, so it wasn’t the presence of others that separates this shift; it’s the presence of the Atlesian tech. It’s a small detail but one that feels like it has some weight to it. She’s a conflicted character, obviously in the process of unlearning bad habits but also not breaking them quite yet. And, in the context of the episodes, the first smack she delivers to Weiss is played off as a comedic moment, what with Ruby’s nonchalant reaction and physically pushing in the… whatever you call that animation trope where an injury gets a ridiculously big knot that disappears almost immediately. At a time when the show was trying to become more serious, this was… a really confusing moment to witness; frankly, I didn’t find it funny but I do recognize that, in a world where they’ve made it clear what actual injuries look like, this isn’t meant to be taken seriously. On the other hand, I can see where some might, especially with the second slap in Lessons Learned. A more serious moment, no comedic knot, but following behind the previous instance so closely, one could argue it was some manner of maintaining a consistent characterization while others could say it’s a sign of abusive behavior. The fact it’s to the back of the head, which… was considered a lot less bad a decade ago than it would be today, also makes it difficult to read, purely because of the animation trope used previously; people say “tropes are tools” but tropes do pass in and out of vogue as time goes on, and the physical abuse that was commonly seen as comical during the time when that animation trope was used is recognized as abuse today, and for good reason. Ultimately, she’s portrayed as a big sister who genuinely cares about her little sister and wants to see her succeed but hasn’t quite learned how to do that most effectively. She’s a complicated character who hasn’t quite broken free from the mold, though she does have the potential and encourages Weiss to break free as well.

However, with V4 and V5 came a few complications. The scene where Jacques slaps Weiss and Weiss’ short add a lot more context to their relationship, but people tend to focus on the former because, obviously, it happened first and has a lot more weight within the story. With the confirmation that physical abuse is present in the Schnee household- as well as emotional abuse- Winter’s previous characterization is skewed a bit. It definitely looks like she’s more a product of her raising and she abuses Weiss in the same manner as they experienced growing up. However, the fact that the following episode also includes a slap which is played off as comedic just puts the whole thing into this confusing territory of four instances where some manner of physical abuse is used, and the question of which are genuinely comedic and which are used to show abuse is never really addressed. Seeing as three scenes involve Weiss, and one could see the progression from comedic action to serious action, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that this was intended to show how even well meaning abuse is still abuse. That could as much be a commentary in general because, again, ten or so years ago, there’s no way Winter’s actions would’ve been read as abusive- not saying that that’s right, of course, but remarking on the culture change- or it could be specific to the show, we don’t know. But then, we see Winter very clearly hold back in the V5 short. Winter has multiple beowolves summoned and is obviously testing Weiss’ fledgling combat abilities; the fact that Weiss disarming herself was immediately met with a potentially deadly situation could be read as Winter being unnecessarily harsh. However, take a step back and we see that that isn’t the case; Winter’s other summons could’ve attacked at the same time and genuinely injured Weiss, as a means of ‘teaching a lesson’, which is a similar context to how Jacques’ abuse is portrayed- or even the fight against the knight from the White trailer, where Weiss actually bleeds because of the fight- but she didn’t. Instead, a single beowolf overpowered Weiss until she, essentially, cried mercy. Winter’s lines warning Weiss that she must develop quickly in order to fight for her freedom show that the beowolf attacking was a means of proving to Weiss the dire consequences of miscalculating in a combat scenario in a safe manner. A scare tactic, yes, but this is a teaching moment; like learning how to swim, there will be panic that something genuinely bad could happen to the student, but Weiss wasn’t drowning, yet. Just scared she might, and instantly aided when she acknowledged that. Winter’s dialogue in Lessons Learned indicate that Weiss acknowledging her limits is important to pushing past them and further developing- not only as a Huntress but as a person, too. This call back ties together the moments when Winter is acting as a teacher to Weiss, and we can see very clearly that Winter has much more empathy in Lessons Learned and addresses Weiss in a softer manner. Not quite the softest, of course, because she’s still a bit harsh for normal standards, but as far as she’s been characterized, she’s a lot nicer in V3 than she used to be.

So, overall, we have Winter, a character who can be cold and harsh but also warm and caring, though the latter is less frequent than the former. Every action she’s taken has been for the express purpose of motivating Weiss to seek her own path and arming her with the skills and knowledge to do so. She’s flawed, yes, but also clearly attempting to help Weiss in whatever way she can. This obviously resonates with me, as someone who is an older sibling. Now, I’d like to say I’ve never been abusive towards my little sister- and for someone who calls me out for being an idiot as often as she does, I’m pretty sure she would’ve told me by now if I had- but I know damn well there were times I wasn’t supportive enough or was too supportive- and by that I mean, I covered for her in instances where I absolutely should’ve confronted her, for her sake. In those times, I failed as an older sibling to look out for my sister; I wasn’t the teacher she needed me to be. I remember those moments keenly; she does, too. Ergo, I have a bit of empathy for an older sibling who is trying to be the best she can be but, ultimately, falls short of that, either in her own estimations or to an outside observer.

In the end, I can get why people would say she’s terrible. There are some aspects of her character that are either muddled or outright bad from an objective standpoint, and those aspects could remind a person of someone in their life, someone who didn’t have their best interests at heart and were genuinely abusive. There’s nothing wrong with disliking a character for personal reasons or pointing out behavior that could be potentially harmful. Again, even though the first slap was obviously intended to be comical, I didn’t find it funny or excusable; just because I was raised on that sort of slapstick humor doesn’t mean I enjoy it or justify it.

But looking from the other side, I can also see where she’s obviously trying to do better, trying to be a better older sibling, trying to connect with Weiss and encourage her. The method she does that might seem harsh but, after seeing what they had to contend with growing up, I’d argue it shows just how far Winter’s come to be a genuinely good person and sibling rather than a bad one. Yeah, she’s obviously not there quite yet, she’s got a long way to go, but, really, don’t we all? And in the times that Weiss needed someone to help her grow, Winter was there to help her accomplish that- except for in V5 with the whole getting captured thing, which, we can’t really hold against Winter, since we have little idea where she is or if she’s even aware Weiss left Schnee manor.

And, I think it’s significant to note that while the crew has outright stated that Adam is abusive- and I think they commented on Jacques being abusive, too- they’ve not made the same statements on Winter. As someone who grew up in a time when physical abuse between family members was pretty common in sitcoms and the like, I can recognize that some tropes simply don’t age well or were absolutely wrong in the first place, and this could be as much a result of that as just a simple misfire of intent. Not every joke lands, as the saying goes, and this one never did.

In conclusion, there is no perfect character, and that some people are critical of Winter, in and of itself, isn’t bad. As with the whole cast, I love these characters because of the potential they all have- the potential to grow past their troubles, to overcome their flaws, and to rise up. But, for a character to grow, a character must first have flaws, and the nonlinear telling of Winter’s small section of the story somewhat makes it difficult to see how much she has grown. I do hope that we see more growth in the vein of Winter being warmer and more compassionate when next she appears- (if ever, seriously, another volume with no Winter, yet plenty of snow, what fives)- and I would love for a conversation between Weiss and Winter where they are supportive towards each other and worry over each other and just… get to be sisters. At this point, I’m pretty firmly attached to my characterization of Winter- where I do acknowledge, usually more than once per universe, that Winter and Weiss didn’t have the best relationship but Winter worked to improve it, and reached the point of being a genuinely good big sis- so what happens in canon doesn’t concern me, but if there’s any manner of physical abuse when Winter and Weiss cross paths again that isn’t immediately addressed then, yeah, that’s definitely a move in the wrong direction. As much as I love Winter as a character, I know damn well when she’s being a shithead. I’m just in the corner of believing she’s learning how to not be one.

#TRR asks #TRR Opinion

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drawingconclusions · 3 years ago

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BRIEF COMMENTARY ON CURRENT EVENTS

(I'm sorry this is taking so long. Apparently my firewall sees fit to suddenly block my access to this site, and my antivirus is also engaging in uncalled-for system restarts. It's clear I have to write a future post detailing some of these things. Not out of vindictiveness, but in order for people to recognize some of the things to look out for...)

TECH I read a tech article recently stating that cyber-criminals have a practice now of attempting to steal your log-in cookies from an active account session. Does that render two-factor authentication almost useless?

CORONAVIRUS VACCINES Again we have another coronavirus variant in the wild and vaccine mandates & lockdowns are already being instituted in countries around the world as a result. This is despite the fact that some scientists are stating that although this omicron variant appears to be highly transmissible, it doesn't appear to be as deadly as feared. And again, we're finding that even people who have been vaccinated are contracting covid-19. I heard a report that Pfizer's two-dose vaccine efficacy is reduced to as low as 33% with this new strain. And yet the powers that be continue to push mRNA vaccines & booster shots with an unusual fervency. Yes, our current vaccines may prevent death & hospitalization (though not in all cases) if you're infected with coronavirus. But as I mentioned last year, we're likely going to continue to run into these questions of whether mRNA jabs can protect us every time there's a new coronavirus variant. My 2020 post on this is here: https://drawingconclusions.tumblr.com/post/637425583968616448/the-coronavirus-vaccines-late-last-week-it-was I heard omicron has more than two-dozen mutations in the S or spike protein, which is exactly what the mRNA vaccines target. So I'm wondering why we aren't putting more funding towards vaccines that target the more stable inner N-protein of the coronavirus. Perhaps those types of vaccines take longer to develop, but according to those brilliant scientists (who will remain unnamed in light of the violent threats such dissidents receive), those vaccines would need less modification even if the S-proteins mutate in the wild. So what is this really about if it isn't about finding & implementing the best methods & medicines to protect the lives of the people?

INCREASE IN SUCIDES & VIOLENT BEHAVIOR It's unsettling how reports tell of a considerable increase in depression & suicides, especially among youth. I don't have a quick turn-key solution to this, but I still continue to implore communities and families alike to address all aspects of an individual, which especially includes the spiritual component. Youth are being told what to do, especially in regards to the pandemic, some are having their in-person classes reverted back to online sessions, many are dealing with incredible financial difficulties resulting from high gas prices and record-breaking inflation, and others are devastated by the break-up of their divorced families in 2020 and 2021. While I will never condone violence or threats of violence, you'd think some people would realize that the recent spate of copycat threats against schools is a reaction by young people grasping for some sense of control in their lives, however misguided that is. I'll tell you right now, wielding a gun doesn't make you more of a man or woman, and killing people in a violent spree will never be the solution to your hurt and problems. Only Jesus Christ can cure what ails you inside.

ON CLIMATE CHANGE Of course it's still in vogue to rally for mother earth, and despite the fact that some late night hosts think I can trash the planet because I view the afterlife as an "out" or "escape", as a Christian I'm called to be a good steward of what I'm entrusted with, and that includes the environment. Nevertheless, I was slightly horrified when I heard the Biden administration was considering closing a gas line that supplies America, simply out of environmental concerns. And this despite the fact that many lower and middle-class families already face huge spikes in heating costs this winter! Look, when I was back in school, I built a solar car for a science fair project. In retrospect, I knew very little about designing a low-weight & aerodynamic vehicle to reduce drag, or maximimizing the effectiveness of the solar panels, or choosing the most appropriate motors to power the model-size car. In the end, the project worked, but most days it required a little push to overcome the friction of the concrete surface I was testing it on. In other words, I wasn't there yet in terms of scientific know-how or skill. Most modern-day companies are light years ahead of where I was back then (or even where I'm at now, LOL!), but what I'm trying to say is this: Yes, most of us want more efficient cars, lighting, homes, and energy sources, but in most cases, we're not there yet. By all means, let's keep forging ahead, but please don't place the lives or livelihoods of innocent people on the line out of the desire for instant results.

THE JANUARY 6TH COMMISSION I've only kept up with portions of the January 6th Commission's findings, so I'll only say this: If this is to be a true and unbiased investigation, the American people deserve to know why riot gear was locked up in a bus somewhere on the day of, why the military refused to send any troops to help the Capitol police, why one FBI office only posted an online memo warning about the potential threat, and why apparently other members of the FBI were among the crowd encouraging people to storm the Capitol.

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metamodel · 5 years ago

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Death and Revival Revisited

The End is the Beginning is the End, as Billy Corgan suggests on the soundtrack to (what I feel is the unjustly maligned) Batman Forever. I had way too much “decline and rebirth” material to fit in the last issue, so I'll continue to follow that seam for a while. (You'll find that downturn and revival is a recurring, uh, theme here at Recurring Thing.)

After returning to design after a year away, I find that Everything Now Looks Very Strange Indeed™. This is another one of my updates on restarting a creative practice (which I’m calling Studio Thing), plus a dose of cultural and design commentary.

(If someone’s forwarded this thing to you in the hope you’ll find it interesting, you can subscribe here to secure my everlasting love. And please, pass it on if you think it might be of interest to anyone.)

🔂🧟‍♀️ The eternal return of zombie-centred design

Some follow-up on that evergreen topic of what comes after human-centred design: at TEDxSydney I delightedly crossed paths with fellow innovation veteran Carli Leimbach, who’s been thinking about “earth-centred design” as a corrective to anthropocentrism. I’m intrigued. She’s run an initial workshop with some like-minded people, and I’ll keep tabs on her progress.

In other more-than-human news, Anne Galloway recently posted her talk at IndiaHCI 2018, “Designing with, and for, the more-than human”. I’ve been following Anne’s work for a long time, from when the Internet of Things was called “pervasive computing”, to her more recent work in Aotearoa about sheep. For Anne, more-than-human-centred design means:

“Acknowledging that human beings are not the be-all and end-all.”

“Accepting our vulnerability, acting with humility and valuing our interdependency.”

“Living with the world, not against it.”

Recommended. Also interesting is the “more-than-human design research roll-call” she recently initiated on Twitter. Follow this link if you want to get in touch with people who are active on the topic, at least in academic circles — some familiar names pop up.

🥪🤮 The alternative to curiosity is… hard to swallow

I’ve just wrapped up my NEIS coursework, and to celebrate I want to recount a story about my teacher Jason that also demonstrates why I’m so glad I decided to sign up for this microbusiness training and mentoring program.

A few years ago, Jason was the director of training at a large catering company which had a significant focus on healthcare facilities such as nursing homes. To get a feel for the training needs of his workforce, he decided to tour their workplaces, immersing himself in their day-to-day work. (His CEO was frankly a little surprised by this — as is the case with many sectors, it was uncommon for management to visit the frontlines. In fact, when he urged the Head of Care at one aged care facility to tour the frontlines of her own operation with him, the staff didn't recognise her, and assumed she was a visitor. Yikes.)

While working with kitchen staff in one nursing home, Jason noticed that one resident, a lone old woman, always ordered the same dish: a single salmon sandwich. Intrigued, he asked the staff about this, and they shrugged. “She must like it,” was the reply.

The next day, Jason decided to have lunch with her. After a pleasant meal together, he couldn't contain himself.

“Betty, I've noticed that you always order a salmon sandwich,” he said. (I love that he still remembers her name.) “I don't mean to pry, but, uh, why is that?”

She looked at him for a second.

“It's because I'm afraid,” Betty whispered.

It turned out that Betty had dysphagia — a problem with her pharynx or oesophagus that made swallowing difficult — and was terrified that if she admitted this, she would be placed on the puréed diet of an invalid. Over time, she'd gotten used to salmon sandwiches as the one meal she knew could swallow without issue. And because of her fears, that's all she ate.

“Betty, how long have you been eating salmon sandwiches as your only meal?” Jason asked.

“Two years.” So basically, a resident had been potentially malnourishing herself for years because the systems around providing and talking about choices under this regime of care were broken.

After setting her up with a more appropriate (and still chewable) set of diet choices, Jason decided to consult with dysphagia experts and patients like Betty to create a unit of training about these kinds of patient needs, aimed at preventing such system breakdowns. Everyone at their client nursing homes could attend. The aged-care nurses who came were flummoxed, telling their Head of Care, “Why are we only hearing about these kinds of problems and solutions from the catering guy? No offence, Jason, but seriously, WTF?”

In the midst of such regimented systems, where industrial efficiency often erases the possibility of supple action or even humane behaviour, I’m grateful that compassionate minds like Jason’s exist. When curiosity seems like it's at death’s door, people like him arrive to revive it.

The reveal: I was initially pretty skeptical about doing the course under Jason because before classes started, I'd gleaned that he’d spent most of his career managing McDonald’s restaurants. It turns out that my fears were misplaced, because I got a lot out of his teaching. While I really don't share his interest in large food systems, either in experiencing them as a customer nor in their general industrial impact on the world, I'm glad there are people like him enmeshed in such forbidding places, trying to make them more sensitive, responsive and just.

👹👽 First and Last Men

When’s the right time to write a requiem for the human species?

The other night I had the pleasure of experiencing the late Jóhann Jóhannsson’s First and Last Men, a live symphonic and film adaptation of Olaf Stapledon’s seminal 1930 sf novel of future history, narrated by that alien god who lives among us, Tilda Swinton.

(I only knew the Stapledon novel by reputation, and Jóhannsson from his film scores, but was recently prodded to see this production when I watched Philip Kaufmann’s excellent 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In a passing exchange that you’d easily miss, two characters chat about their reading habits, and Stapledon’s work is mentioned. More on this later. Intrigued, I pounced on the Jóhannsson version when it arrived in Sydney as part of the Vivid Festival.)

Jóhannsson only uses the last part of Stapledon’s immense story, which starts in the 20th Century and spans the next two billion years. This focus on the last of eighteen successive human species summons a particularly elegiac mood. Responding to the eventual extinction of life on Earth, humans have genetically re-engineered themselves for life on Neptune, and it is these highly advanced Neptunian humans, astonishing in their animalistic diversity, 20-year pregnancies and 2000-year childhoods, for whom Swinton speaks with such characteristically icy dignity. (My god: that voice.)

[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]

[/caption]

As the camera slowly pans across a series of Yugoslavian Stalinist monuments (you probably know the ones — they recently came into vogue online in the last wave of ruin porn), we cycle through glassy sheets of what anticipatory mourning sounds like: slow arpeggios, and vocals that alternate between the wonderful anonymity of wind instruments and the mewling of cats. (I want to celebrate the two vocalists precisely because they didn’t call attention to themselves: they were exemplary orchestral players.)

The mood is well-earned: despite all the ingenuity and adaptability of these far-future humans, we discover that a cascade of supernovas has triggered our final extinction. Manned interstellar spaceflight — that mainstay of most sf — is revealed as madness, reducing humans at their technological, technological and ethical peak to nihilistic despair. And as the ever-warming climate of Neptune slowly wreaks havoc on their awesome civilisation, the only thing these “Last Men” can do is make telepathic contact with the past — the conceit that enables Tilda Swinton to narrate the tale for us — as they wait for the end.

It’s uncanny how much this story from 1930 resonates with our slowly unfolding climate change disaster. And now that the worst seems inevitable, the intense melancholy of Jóhannsson’s First and Last Men feels fitting — a necessary alternative to either denial or relentless panic. But beyond this, I’m impressed by the supreme ambivalence of Jóhannsson’s take. He makes the Last Men as dignified and magisterial as they are aloof, and their vaunted supremacy is a mixture of authentic maturity and our own sneaking suspicion that in their immortal, genetically-designed perfection, these final humans have lost the capacity to take unexpected action. It’s profoundly sympathetic.

This suggests to me that having a post-human-centred design orientation is very far from being misanthropic. Perhaps we just need to stop pretending that empathy is ever completely possible — who can truly pretend to empathise with a post-human species two billion years in the future, let alone our strange and often unknowable fellow lifeforms, be they vertebrate, invertebrate or botanical? — and instead extend a generalised (and non-paternalistic) sympathy to our neighbours and ourselves. Sympathy is okay. Yes, our situation can be pegged to a combination of pathetic ignorance, shortsighted greed and genuine moustache-twirling villainy. And we are not the centre of the universe. But like others, we are still a species that deserves a dignified mourning.

🦸🏼‍♂️☄️ Can only a God save us now?

Stapledon’s 1930s future-superhumans continue to haunt me.

When I was teaching art to six-year-olds last year, I did a unit on comics, tracing the emergence of costumed superheroes to the ’30s.

[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]

No comment.[/caption]

“Why do you think superheroes appeared then?” I asked the class. “What was going on?”

“IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD WARS!” said one student. “MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WERE DYING!” called out another. “My great-grandmother met my great-grandfather in a Spanish flu hospital during World War I!” came another, very-relevant non-sequitur. (It’s easily forgotten that the 1918 influenza outbreak killed at least 50 million people. And yes, these kids are amazing, and publicly funded education is the fucking best.)

Out of the despair of modernity — mechanised mass slaughter and earth shattering pandemics enabled by the globalisation of capitalist industry — we cried out for salvation. Yes, there are many reactionary underpinnings to our superheroic imaginaries (the above image is just the most obvious), but their basis in real trauma behooves us to at least be sympathetic their emergence. We need to take fantasies of supermen seriously (and critically), rather than simply dismissing them as misguided or ridiculous because they’re rather obviously dodgy as fuck. And similarly, we need to take populism seriously.

Make no mistake: while I’m fascinated by downturn and revival narratives, they’re more often than not pretty terrifying: “Make America Great Again” is the clearest contemporary example. And when famed philosopher Martin Heidegger looked forward to “a spiritual renewal of life in its entirety,” he was talking about Adolf Hitler. Don’t look away. Stay and fight in the mud.

🚀🌎 Refuge

Besides talking to the past, the final act of desperation of the Last Men was to transmit proto-organic matter into space, designing it to reassemble on favourable ground in a direction towards intelligent life. (Listening to Tilda Swinton intone gravely about “the Great Dissemination” was just too deliciously weird.) Of course, this is the plot of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the story that prompted me to explore First and Last Men in the first place: we are being invaded by relentless pod-people, growing out of seeds assembled from “living threads that float on the stellar winds.”

[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]

Not just taking our jobs — they're stealing Jeff Goldblum's life![/caption]

Too delicious.

Yours in ambivalence,

Ben

0 notes

doctortdesigns · 7 years ago

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The latest pattern collection from McCall’s is here! The ruffle and cold shoulder continue to exist as trends, but are somewhat less ubiquitous than they’ve been in earlier releases. Styling seems to be trending towards a mash up of late 70s and (gag me) early 90s. Sigh. I suppose it has been a while (ooh, look, another grey hair), but, really, of all the style periods that NEVER need to be revisited, I’m pretty sure the early 1990s is near the top of the list. Typically I can look past the fabric choices and tend to focus more on the pattern lines and design styles, but you may be hearing a bit more snarky side commentary on these pattern releases until this inane period of idealizing the 90s has passed. Luckily, I’ve been reading Elizabeth L. Cline’s Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion (yes, yes, I’m aware that I’m several years behind everyone else), so I’m going to take solace in the fact that nothing stays trendy in the fashion industry for long in the hopes that drab florals and icky looking crushed velvet don’t hang around too long. Anyway, enough rambling, let’s look at the release:

M7624 – Ok, so this is a style that’s been pretty around (and looks quite similar to the growingly popular Vogue 9253), but let’s face it – it’s a good look. Chic, elegant, effortless. Great way to mix prints, and a perfect use for lovely soft drapey fabrics. I’m predicting this will be a popular pattern.

M7620 – The ruffles have not completely faded, and this dress is actually pretty cute. I’m thinking it would look better on a younger crowd than on me, but there are definitely a few sewing bloggers I could imagine rocking this look, so I’ll reserve judgement and see if it hits the blog-o-sphere.

M7621 – Simple looking knit dress. While I’m less than impressed with the fabric use for the model photo, I’m a bit enamored with the sketch of the blue solid dress. Simple, quick to sew, but it would be a cute dress to serve as a backdrop for fun accessories.

M7622 – I’ve been seeing a lot of style bloggers rocking the t-shirt dress of late. I prefer things with a fitted waist, but I’m actually expecting this to be a popular make.

M7628 – Melissa Watson for Palmer/Pletsch. Loving the back detail on the top, and the zig-zag seam on the waist of the dress is pretty cool.

M7627 – I should focus on the positive (the dress has a nice silhouette), but I kind of can’t get over the Cuban Pete ruffle sleeve top (chit-chitty-boom chit-chitty-boom). Imagine it with color blocked sleeves and tell me you aren’t shaking your maracas too.

M7623 – This is a pretty classic shirt dress, with is nice but not too exciting. The one novel feature (the handkerchief hem) is actually my least favorite design element of this pattern. Go figure.

M7626 – I am, however, really liking this jumpsuit/dress pattern. I really like how this is all about the fabric choice – denim makes it a total low key playsuit, but velvet makes it an instant party look.

M7632 – I’m also digging the asymmetric jumpsuit. Probably not in a stiff satin, but, I do like the top and length options here.

M7625 – The Archive Collection (1955). Normally I’m really excited by vintage reprints, but I’m thinking this style wouldn’t look that great on me. It’ll probably be a pass, but the seam and dart detail on the waist is really nice.

M7636 – Beaute’J’Adore. I’m so excited that bomber jackets are still going to be a trend this fall. I’ve been wanting to sew one for months.

M7637 – See! More hoodie bombers! I mean, not exactly but it’d be easy to mix views A and D. It’s going to be a thing! In my experience unisex patterns like this tend to not fit as well as patterns designed for women, but, I’d venture that this would be a nice fit on a guy.

M7619 – Everyone gets a bomber jacket this fall!

M7635 – Khaliah Ali. Very simple top, pants, and dress, with a very voluminous jacket. I’ve got similar patterns in the stash, but it’s always good to have a basic knit tee pattern.

M7630 – The ruffles haven’t completely gone yet. I’m not really excited about this pattern, but I do like how McCall’s styled it.

M7629 – Again, not overly excited about this look either. A bit box and a bit short – I can tell from the line drawing it isn’t going to work for my proportions. It does have nice details on the collar and sleeve options if this boxy look is a bit more your style.

M7437 – Asymmetric draped tops. Probably a pass, but they do look comfortable and roomy.

M7631 – Learn to Sew. I don’t need a basic skirt pattern, but if you do then this has just enough features so as not to be intimidating.

M7633 – Designer Joi. I’m seeing bad 90s Jazzercise clothes and I kind of can’t get over that. Not loving the fabric choices either. Even though I know I do better in a high waisted pant, I can’t bring myself to like this pattern.

M7634 – I’m not really that impressed with the fabrication, but, I actually do like this pattern. I’d totally live in that hoodie at home during the winter. Like, live in it, never take it off to the point of grossness live in it.

M7618 – The kids workout clothes are cuter than the adult ones. Though, to be fair, I’d not want to wear giant circles on my hips. I mean, perhaps metaphorically to say “target zone” but, no. On kids though, its an interesting feature.

M7638 – The hood is going to be a trend this fall methinks. McCall’s has put it on everything.

M7617 – UGH WHY. This looks exactly like what I had to wear in pictures when I was 3. It was terrible then. It is terrible now. The 90s do not need to come back. Ever.

M7642 – Ah, a refreshing palette cleanser. I’ll just look at the pretty instead of whatever that kids pattern was.

M7641 – Sort of loving the dramatic peplum on the short coat. Though, to be honest, I’d just go full length drama if you are going to go for it anyway.

M7643 – Hats! Fun addition to the Yaya Han pattern line.

M7644 – Also love this! Obviously this is intended for cosplay, but I’m pretty sure you could get away with wearing this on the daily, if, you know, your core style is “total badass.”

M7645 – Also liking this Yaya Han costume pattern. It’s been fun watching McCall’s expand their cosplay line to include things that expand beyond the traditional movie references.

M7646 – Also love how Yaya Han’s line includes men’s costumes. I’m predicting this will be a popular pattern.

M7639 – Doll clothes are pretty simple, but the fabric choices are lovely.

M7640 – This Artful Offerings bag is a bit crafty for my personal style, but at least it has some interesting detail.

And that’s it. To be honest, I’m not that excited by a lot of the pieces here. It really does feel like a transitional release, with the waning of some trends and the onset of others. I feel like I’ve got a lot of patterns that have similar features, and that there isn’t a lot I’m excited about with the 90s styling direction that seems to be growing in popularity. I’m definitely still excited that bomber jackets are going to be on trend, and I’m still wanting to make a jumpsuit, but otherwise I’m not overwhelmed by this release. What do you all think? See anything that gets you super excited? Or is this release a bit of a miss? Feel free to discuss in the comments!

McCall's Early Fall 2017 #McCalls #patterns #sewing #fallsewing The latest pattern collection from McCall's is here! The ruffle and cold shoulder continue to exist as trends, but are somewhat less ubiquitous than they've been in earlier releases.

#McCall&039;s #pattern #sewing

0 notes

jones573 · 8 years ago

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Post Log, St. George’s

Winona had begun walking away, and Alex hurried to follow her as she climbed the front stairs, presumably to bypass their friends sneaking up the back. "Win, c'mon, we aren't supposed to try and listen in, it's rude," he protested. "May is," she retorted- He wasn't sure if that somehow meant it /wasn't/ rude, or if she meant the rudeness could thus be overlooked, or perhaps just a general commentary on May's level of boldness in comparison to Alex's, so he didn't reply.

They were back on the third floor now, and instead of heading through the broken door back into Alex's room, she turned the handle to a room across the way, apparently unperturbed by the woman sitting up in the bed. She smelled like Deno a bit, but also like Maria, and showed no aggression, so Winona assumed she could be ignored and turned to examine the wood paneling that covered the lower half of the walls.

"Um- Hi, Mags," he greeted as he followed Win, tugging at her sleeve.

“Alex," the woman replied, her face a mixture of amus.ement and disappointment that he was unsure how to read. "There's another werewolf here, isn't there?"

Alex looked sheepish, especially once Winona found what she was looking for and removed a portion of the wall to reveal the fireplace that had once been connected to the house's principal chimney, but admitted, "Yeah, sorry- Maria said I couldn't tell you." They both watched as Winona stuck her head into the cavity and then reappeared, looking disappointed.

“Yeah, I bet she did. If that's got sound-proofing, the ones below probably do, too," Mags suggested as she climbed out of bed and threw a robe on over her tshirt and sweats, looking at the heavily padded piece of wall Winona had removed before tying her short orange hair back.

‘I think they're done anyways,' Winona signed to Alex in annoyance. That would teach her to dilly dally over his morals. "Better luck next time," Mags told the girl, leaving the room and hurrying down the stairs, especially at the sound of Deno's muffled shout.

“Maria, who are you- Denatro!," she exclaimed when she got halfway down the flight and could identify him amongst the others. She surveyed the others with brief interest, hazel eyes focusing on his hand, and Locke's across his mouth. "You got /marri.ed!," she said with surprise, and a bit of delight. Maria was a bit surprised that her comments had not resulted in unkind words- It had been part of the reason she had said them, after all. If Vlad wanted to have it out with a Councilor, she'd rather he found an outlet that wasn't Von Batts. Annabelle seemed to suspect that and said to Bram, "And I'm sure it's annoying to have someone cling to that story, especially when it continues to dictate their actions and cause undesirable repercussions for all involved. I imagine Maria hoped the chance to yell at someone he disliked would relieve a fraction of Vlad's stress." She looked surprised when Scarlet took no issue with her order, and a wide grin broke across her face. "Oh, I /like/ her, maybe she can stay, I do so enjoy having people around who actually listen," she told Maria as Scarlet and her father left. "What threat level do you feel she warrants?" Maria looked very unimpressed and said, "Absolutely not," before Annabelle even finished the question.

“You want to play with fire," Maria warned her sister-in-law, "Fine. But only so many fires at once, please." Annabelle rolled her eyes. "Well, it's hardly fair to Gabriel- The stress you lot have put on his relationships, I swear. You better be paying him for this," she chastised Bram. "Annabelle- Stay out of this," Maria warned, but she suddenly started at the sound of Mags' voice out in the hall, a panic dawning behind her eyes. Yes, pay closer attention to your /own/ fires, Annabelle thought with enjoyment before turning back to Bram. "I hope she at least /pretended/ to be of assistance," Annabelle said of Maria. "Is there anything Matt or I can do to help?" Gabriel looked just a little bit haggard as Mags appeared, and had he been anyone else he probably would have groaned aloud. At least it distracted Deno from his angry tirade, and he startled as he spun around to face her. Locke blinked owlishly like a deer caught in the headlights, and he quickly removed his hand, running his fingers over the wedding ring sheepishly. It wasn't exactly fancy, considering their budget. ."Mags! Hi!" Deno exclaimed, snapping to attention and looking just a little bit guilty. "I was gonna check in on you, in a bit, but they mentioned you were resting, so..." He trailed off, his cheeks a bit red. "Y-yeah, five years ago. Not that I deliberately kept you out of the loop or anything! I haven't really told anyone back home, you know how Joseph gets about celebration and family..." Locke, for his part, kept mostly quiet, bowing his head politely with a muttered 'nice to meet you'. May had taken a step back towards the wall, but as soon as Alex and Win appeared he rushed over to join them. Gabriel glanced at Devon, pursing his lips as he considered just how much information to divulge. ."There's been a slight... mishap. It might be safer for-c you two to stay here with your guardian in the meantime, while things are sorted out," he said finally, giving as little of an actual answer as he could, but it seemed enough to snap Deno's attention back over to him. ."Yeah, why are you taking her? And why are you sending us back?! We only come down here twice a year to see you, you--" Locke grabbed him by the shoulder to cut off his tirade, interrupting him with a quiet grunt of 'language'. Gabriel glowered at him, but when Annabelle spoke up he cleared his throat, trying to regain control of his composure and the situation. ."It's quite alright, I'd like to speak to Miss Scarlet further about her situation anyways--" He froze when she grabbed his arm, eyes widening, but May seemed to perk up then, grinning. ."Right? He's either all scowly or doing that prim proper rich business smile. I don't think he actually knows how to have fun."

Bram rolled his eyes and shook his head. Maria and her emotional meddling. Like Vlad would show his true emotions to someone he didn't trust. Vampires. Why were they even a thing? "No, that would just make him angrier. Leave the talking him down to me.” He set his hands on his hips and glanced at Annabelle. "She's not listening to you. I think she thinks messing with Gabe would be fun."

Bram shrugged. He had no idea if they were even paying Gabriel. Probably. Vlad might pretend not to use money, but he certainly did a lot of shuffling of accounts behind the scenes. He sighed. "Nah. Letting us stay is trespassing on your hospitality enough, I think. Thanks, though."- Devon frowned and turned to his shorter guardian. "A mishap?"- -"We will discuss it later."-c-

The elder vampire sighed, giving Scarlet a tired look. "Do not torment him."-

Scarlet grinned at Denatro and Locke and practically dangled off of Gabriel's arm—directly ignoring her sire. "Because I'm prettier than you two. Duh."- -"Scarlet," Vlad groaned. -"Maybe he just needs a teacher," Scarlet continued, turning the grin on May. "I like this Sugar Crystal. He is way more fun than all of you put together. Can he come too?"

"Well, I've kept myself out of the loop since I left, so- Wait," Mags said, her eyes narrowing as she caught up with what Deno was saying. Obviously she knew he hadn't been in contact with the pack /before/ she'd left, but she'd been promised that would /change/. "Are you not-? Joseph doesn't know- That stubborn idiot! He promised," she said, clearly frustrated. "The /one/ thing I asked of him before he exiled me, honestly…," she muttered, before sighing. "I'm sorry," she told Deno sadly. "I was so excited about the prospect of news from any of the packs- I hadn't considered you might not have any. But. He smells like a good man," she said with a soft smile in Locke's direction. Actually, he smelled like vampire, but she supposed that was a bit hypocritical of her to take issue with. Annabelle laughed lightly. "Oh, no one can /trespass/ on anything here- Why ever would you think I'd offer if didn't /want/ you here? You lot are the most fun I've had since I staged my dea.th in that car accident!". It was likely a very good thing Maria was fussing at Mags and did not hear- or at least pay much attention to- Annabelle's enthusiasm over the excitement. "/I/ could get you news, if you wanted it," she hissed, pressing the back of her hand to Mags' forehead. It was promptly smacked away, which Maria counted as a semi-win, as Mags was clearly feeling better. ."Uh- If it affects Devon and Winona, maybe they should know about it sooner, rather than later," Alex suggested from his position on the stair. Winona was hovering behind him, suddenly aware of the number of people in the hall, and wary of the two unknown redheads. Mags was still low threat, but not so much as she had been when she was tucked into bed and not slapping Maria's hand away. And Scarlet- Winona wasn't sure if she was a threat, and if so, to whom? Winona couldn't decide if she needed to get as many trusted people between the two of them as possible, or if she needed to get herself between Scarlet and as many trusted people as possible. ."Alex," Annabelle said with sudden delight. "Some of the guests are heading out now, why don't you see people off, goodness knows your father won't," she instructed. "Maria, you as well. ."But," Alex began to protest. ."Make sure to tell Dr. Vang we'll be keeping his mother in our thoughts. And I'm /sure/ Gwyneth will ask you to remind me about her Vogue problem- Tell her if I haven't settled it by the end of the week, /I'll/ contact her," she continued, and despite her cheerful tone, Alex knew wishing guests good night was not actually a 'suggestion'. He slunk down the stairs do as instructed and Maria followed with much less protest though she told Mags pointedly, "We're going to have to talk about this later. "You're dam.n right we will," Mags growled back angrily, and Alex idly wondered what sort of blackmail material his aunt's friend had that Maria allowed her to speak to her like that. Mostly he felt badly for leaving Winona alone- But she wasn't really alone, he figured, and if she felt she was in any danger she clearly had no problem running loose around the house, so.

#st georges #post log

0 notes

metamodel · 5 years ago

Text

Death and Revival Revisited

🔂🧟‍♀️ The eternal return of zombie-centred design

“Acknowledging that human beings are not the be-all and end-all.”

“Accepting our vulnerability, acting with humility and valuing our interdependency.”

“Living with the world, not against it.”

🥪🤮 The alternative to curiosity is… hard to swallow

The next day, Jason decided to have lunch with her. After a pleasant meal together, he couldn't contain himself.

“Betty, I've noticed that you always order a salmon sandwich,” he said. (I love that he still remembers her name.) “I don't mean to pry, but, uh, why is that?”

She looked at him for a second.

“It's because I'm afraid,” Betty whispered.

“Betty, how long have you been eating salmon sandwiches as your only meal?” Jason asked.

“Two years.” So basically, a resident had been potentially malnourishing herself for years because the systems around providing and talking about choices under this regime of care were broken.

👹👽 First and Last Men

When’s the right time to write a requiem for the human species?

[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]

[/caption]

🦸🏼‍♂️☄️ Can only a God save us now?

Stapledon’s 1930s future-superhumans continue to haunt me.

When I was teaching art to six-year-olds last year, I did a unit on comics, tracing the emergence of costumed superheroes to the ’30s.

[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]

No comment.[/caption]

“Why do you think superheroes appeared then?” I asked the class. “What was going on?”

🚀🌎 Refuge

[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]

Not just taking our jobs — they're stealing Jeff Goldblum's life![/caption]

Too delicious.

Yours in ambivalence,

Ben

0 notes

metamodel · 5 years ago

Text

Death and Revival Revisited

🔂🧟‍♀️ The eternal return of zombie-centred design

In other more-than-human news, Anne Galloway recently posted her talk at IndiaHCI 2018, “Designing with, and for, the more-than human”. I’ve been following Anne’s work for a long time, from when the Internet of Things was called pervasive computing, to her more recent work in Aotearoa about sheep. For Anne, more-than-human-centred design means:

“Acknowledging that human beings are not the be-all and end-all.”

“Accepting our vulnerability, acting with humility and valuing our interdependency.”

“Living with the world, not against it.”

🥪🤮 The alternative to curiosity is… hard to swallow

The next day, Jason decided to have lunch with her. After a pleasant meal together, he couldn't contain himself.

“Betty, I've noticed that you always order a salmon sandwich,” he said. (I love that he still remembers her name.) “I don't mean to pry, but, uh, why is that?”

She looked at him for a second.

“It's because I'm afraid,” Betty whispered.

“Betty, how long have you been eating salmon sandwiches as your only meal?” Jason asked.

“Two years.” So basically, a resident had been potentially malnourishing herself for years because the systems around providing and talking about choices in this system of care were broken.

After setting her up with a more appropriate (and still chewable) set of diet choices, Jason decided to consult with dysphagia experts and patients like Betty to create a unit of training about these kinds of patient needs, and aimed at preventing such system breakdowns. Everyone at the their client nursing homes could attend. The aged-care nurses who came were flummoxed, telling their Head of Care, “Why are we only hearing about these kinds of problems and solutions from the catering guy? No offence, Jason, but seriously, WTF?”

The reveal: I was initially pretty skeptical about doing the course under Jason because before classes started, I'd gleaned that he’d spent most of his career managing McDonald’s restaurants. It turns out that my fears were misplaced, because I got a lot out of his teaching. While I really don't share his interest in large food systems, either in their experience as a customer nor in their general industrial impact on the world, I'm glad there are people like him enmeshed in such forbidding places, trying to make them more sensitive, responsive and just.

👹👽 First and Last Men

When’s the right time to write a requiem for the human species?

[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]