#but it means i need to consolidate my art energy for a bit and my brain is like nooo my blorbos

[grif-hawaiian-rolls]

Is this canon? Technically no.

Is it even In character? Absolutely not!

Do I care? Not really!

Locus is my blorbo and i can put him in annoying situations, like having a small squad of annoying but just-good-enough-to-not-kill-them Feds, if i want to

[biteyourcrush]

🏠 FOR RAVI.... i must make sacrifices for the wifes-

@royalreef asked: 🏠🏠 also for vera and vicky eheheheh :3c @chaosmultiverse asked: 🏠 Vicky & Zoe! :D

SBURB CLASSPECTS

Aaravi Mishra: The Knight of Doom

So. For those that remember- the original title for the blog (before I consolidated my sideblogs into a multimuse) was "preparetodie". A classic Ravi quote. That sort of ties into the doom aspect a little- though more as a funny haha bit than serious consideration. But I'm getting ahead of myself here- we'll start at the beginning with the Knight classification, which- I mean, look at Aaravi. She's got the whole facade she puts up to hide her true nature like the other knights, she's got a strong desire to protect, and- going off one of the interpretations- she's basically *weaponizing* video game logic to pull off most of her shit. Which leads into Doom- covering the rules of SBURB, so I think that would very easily tie into covering video game rules as well.

Vera Oberlin: The Thief of Mind

Vera's also very much obviously a Thief. Look at her and tell me she doesn't belong right up there with Meenah and Vriska. She IS the Vriska of Monster Prom, and I won't take any dissent there. As for the Mind aspect- a lot of it seems tied into the ideas and restrictions of how society acts upon a person- Terezi trapped by her own desire to live up to her caste's reputation as Legislacerators and all that. And my personal headcanon for the reason Vera does a lot of crime- is because she's got *beef* with society. So she's stealing the very selfsame tools it uses to fight back in her own way. Instead of Terezi's "Working within the system to change things", Vera's cutting out the pretentiousness and getting on the same, dirty level.

Vicky Schmidt: The Witch of Hope

Okay it's been a fucking long time since I came up with these, so I'm gonna talk my way through this again. So, Hope- there's quite a bit of delusion attached to that particular aspect, but also in a way it's about taking that fakeness and making something real from it. Vicky's got quite of a bit of "Fake it 'til you make it" energy, with lofty dreams of romance to cover up the mystery of her own origins (until recently, with the curtain pulled back from her). Hope players also tend to be like... stupid powerful, in a stubborn sort of way- Eridan with the angels, Jake's whole *everything*- and then the Witch is the most direct manipulator and changer of their aspect. Vicky's the metaphorical cheerleader of the color squad- she's the one there saying "Don't give up!", directly trying to keep folks cheered up. All in all, I think it fits.

Zoe: The Maid of Light

Zoe and the Light Aspect seem just to be the most OBVIOUS pairing- she wants to *know things* about other people- she wants the LORE, to use it to create something new and wonderful with her fanfiction and art. She gathers up the disparate little bits of it, cleans it up, and organizes it in boxes to be used or discarded as needed. She is the Maid of Light, and her styluskind specibus should be feared by all. Simple as that.

[anasticep]

Why Julie and the Phantoms is a masterpiece of a show. Part 2. Heroes and Villains or Let that foil shine

NOTE: Thanks again for your kind response to Part 1. I never expected that. It being my first tumblr post and a first meta in quite a long time I was blown away. I read all the tags, some were really hilarious. About having more than one brain cell xDDD I laughed so hard. It means a lot.

NOTE2: Please remember that the gifs are made by me, so don't crop, edit or give as yours.

Part 1.

Before diving into meta, I have to mention that the Villain of the story is actually one of the best in the decade. He’s cool, evil from the start, we understand his motives and we certainly are not supposed to love and make excuses for him. The writers made sure of that. So back to the main topic.

A foil is a character who contrasts with another character; typically, a character who contrasts with the protagonist, in order to better highlight or differentiate certain qualities of the protagonist

Foils in literature are not necessarily antagonists. A friend can be a foil or sometimes even a thing, a song. Whatever can make a good and real contrast to the protagonist. But it’s not very simple to use this author’s device and not fall down a deep hole. Because you have to make sure you did just the right amount of work to make it understandable for a reader, the things you want to contrast are definitely there and still you don't waste a character. On TV it can be even harder given limited air time. And, well, I don’t come across this device being used in full very often nowadays. It’s usually good and evil fighting for the plot. That’s why I personally appreciate JaTP so much.

Caleb is clearly a foil to Luke. As much as I’d love to say that Julie also has one, that’s not entirely true, at least not this season. Carrie is not her foil though it may seem so, and I really think that’s cool as Julie’s journey is being presented through her own demons and I'm going to cover that next. That being said, of course Caleb doubles as an antagonist plotwise, but I personally consider him being written more as a contract to Luke so we could see and appreciate his character and journey better.

1. Origins

Caleb and Luke have extremely similar backgrounds. They are both natural performers. They know how to deliver, because c’mon, “Now or Never” is something and so is “The other side of Hollywood”. Stage is their natural habitat, their element, power. Although they channel this power from completely different places.

Let’s start with our little ball of energy. It’s emphasized TWICE that he doesn’t care about the money aka the physical side of art.

All Luke wants is to make music. Connect with people. He is so happy just to be heard despite him loving to perform. Making music is what makes him feel alive and basically that’s enough. I think if there was no “hologram” magic at all, Luke would have still been extremely happy to make music with and for Julie. Because that’s the way he is.

But Caleb doesn’t know that. He knows, and I’m standing by that, right away that Luke is the one to aim at. Because we always feel the similarity in people. If Luke said yes, Reggie and Alex would have followed. So Caleb recognizes the passion and shoots at them what he thinks is appealing. And, oh boy, he delivers.

“The Other Side of Hollywood” is a perfect song to emphasize Luke and Caleb being foils for each other. Follow me here:

But these lines come from very different places. For Caleb the only thing that matters is himself. He owns the show, he IS the show. It’s about being famous, drowning in applause, admiration. Look at how he performs. Confident, yes, but still very much in control. He must keep his perfect face. No flaws, no real emotions, no real connection (Did you miss ME? I did too // This band is back). Whereas Luke is simply living the best time of his life each time he performs. Is it just jamming? Bring it on. Doing fun riffs? He’s all for it. He doesn’t care how he looks (though who could deny gorgeous sweaty Luke), he owns the show just because he is a natural.

So back to the business. Caleb immediately puts the boys in his own shoes:

On the other side we live like kings // Your soulprint on the walk of fame on the boulevard of your wildest dreams // I got your glamour, got your gold, got all you’ll ever need

And, I mean, he is not that wrong. You can see the appeal on the boys’ faces. They are young, passionate, handsome, talented musicians. Of course they wouldn’t deny fame. Of course they would want all that to some extent. And Caleb is very sure he pulled the right strings.

Watch me make a move, I’m your number one choice

Also I have to mention, as we are talking about TOSOH (IKEA name again) and it being a foil for Luke, thy lyrics still don’t forget about what is important for Reggie and Alex (we’ll talk about that just a bit later):

Welcome to the brotherhood -> Reggie

Where you won’t be misunderstood -> Alex

Then again, lots of foreshadowing in the song, if you listen carefully the lyrics are stressing the true colors of the offer:

A tomb with a view

Man, what a metaphor. I would have run out of there the minute I heard this line. But our boys share one brain cell (I can’t get over how funny this is) and it’s currently taken by Julie, so I don’t blame them.

Disappointment is huge. Caleb read it all wrong. So we are moving to the next point in our Heroes and Villains essay.

2. Recruitment

It’s very cool that Caleb offers the boys to join his band right after Luke offers Julie to join Sunset Curve. They both are going out of their ways to get that (although have different budgets apparently. But look, they live in a garage). Luke made a hit with a bunch of Julie’s not very well structured lines (I love Flying Solo with all my heart as a song, but as a poem it just looks weird to me) to impress her, and we all saw the show Caleb had thrown to impress the boys. Plus food. And fancy dancing. But here is where contrast comes again.

Caleb offers to join the band, yes, but only as backup singers. It’s his show, remember? It’s only about him. He doesn’t care if they are even good. He wants their magic under control.

Share the spotlight with ME / How do you like MY new band?!

Luke offering Julie a spot in the band is a completely different story. He saw what she is capable of. He instantly knows she must be the key to a new sound, a new level. And he, a natural performer, frontman, lead guitarist, steps back and gives the spotlight to Julie. To think about it, he could have just got her magic under control by giving her simple lines, incorporating piano in the songs and that’s all. They would be visible, he would still be a center of attention, and Julie herself wouldn't mind that much. But that’s not who Luke is. Yes, there is a funny scene of “Hey, I’m your lead singer” and “you don’t have to be mean”, but it’s just messing around. Because right after that he finishes Flying Solo, writes several other songs with Julie, seeks her approval of Sunset Curve songs and basically follows her around like an adorable excited puppy.

Moving on and back to the rejection. Again the writers are mirroring them. Julie quits the band & the boys decline the offer. What does Luke do? Well, he tries the way he knows: books a gig, makes Reggie and Alex sing in perfect harmonies and does his puppy eyes thing. And it doesn’t work. And Luke goes to reflect and then probably try to come up with a plan. But something tells me he would not have haunted Julie until she joined them.

What does Caleb do after the initial rejection? Puts a cursed stamp that leaves them no choice but to join HGC. You don’t need to say more.

But in fact the more I think about it, the more I suspect Caleb also not possessing enough mental capacity for a human being. Like, if it wasn’t for Willie, how would they even know? Has Caleb planned to simply show up one day and casually explain? Look, foils in everything.

“You’re in a tough spot… So, you wanna join the band?” | “Looked like it hurt… you know where to find me”

But we sidestepped a bit.

3. Pulling the strings

After the song Caleb comes out to consolidate his success. What he does is clever and, btw, that’s the only time he becomes Julie’s foil. They are stating basically the same thing.

Again, Julie is concerned about the band and the boys, while Caleb is only concerned about having them under control. But they both are pulling basically the right strings.

What is interesting, Caleb actually impressed the wrong person (and that person is our sweet Reggie). Luke follows the string Julie pulled. Although the offer is tempting, he insists twice that they are in a band already directly to Caleb and then in Eats&Beats he says "It's like Julie said, we have a new band, a new sound». No matter what Caleb promised, Luke is not affected at all although Caleb’s offer is a very-very safe choice.

Speaking about using friends as foils, Alex and Reggie also serve as contrast characters for Luke at some points. Luke’s indifference to money is first stressed through Alex who is clearly the chief accountant for the band. His lines about not getting tips, living in a garage and «it’s a little bit about the money» are waved aside by Luke. Reggie is clearly the most affected by the whole Bobbie thing. His lines «I don’t care what Julie said, I’m glad we scared Bobbie», «So we’re gonna forget about getting back at Trevor?» are getting a clear contrast by Luke’s «It’s what Julie said, we have a new band, a new sound» and «He has to live with that guilt».

While editing the article I realised a very cool thing I haven't noticed before. How badly Luke wants to go on tour. And again that's another thing Caleb offers as if reading his mind. That's actually brilliant, to think about it.

Caleb is a VERY good reader. He tests the waters with a speech about disappearing from stage and going around the world and all dreams coming true. Still he doesn’t know the boys and especially Luke, so his phrase “no real connection” doesn’t register that much.

But he learns. Remember the lines I’ve marked before?

Reggie is afraid they will not be together after they cross over. He is in desperate need of a family. So wouldn’t it be nice to spend the rest of your afterlife with your brothers? (Reggie's main insecurity is loneliness, feel of a broken family. That's why he is the most concerned about crossing over. Will his family stay intact?)

Alex is insecure, and not being understood by the people closest to him will always hit hard. So welcome to a place where you won’t be misunderstood. And actually we know there is a guy you like and find comfort in. (Alex's insecurity is growing up in times when he could not truly be himself even with his family and for sure not believing he would ever be able to find someone meant just for him)

That mirrors the whole Luke’s beach speech perfectly. Only comparing them we can truly appreciate why Luke is the leader. He shuts down his own demons to make Alex and Reggie remember that they are not alone (“and I believe in you”. sorry. Olicity fan).

Caleb makes them suffer to get what he wants. But this time he is careful with the words aimed at Luke. Yes, he repeats his words about vanishing and applauses BUT he makes sure that his words about CONNECTION are the key words for Luke. Intense look, calming voice, touching - these are all elements of hypnosis. And Luke is in a daze. (Continuing the parents' thing, for Luke the main insecurity is not managing to connect with his mom. Maybe that's such a big thing for him: through all these people he wanted to find that connection with her)

4. The Hero’s journey

That’s the best part actually but I won’t be saying anything new or that you don’t know. Luke is made of lyrics and music. That’s his soul, heart, that’s the feeling running through his veins. He doesn’t need anything other than that in his life. Playing for eternity is “a gift no musician would ever turn down”. But he actually does turn it down. As well as his dream to go see the world with his band (is there covid in jatp universe?). He is the one who resists the hardest to the pull. Luke, who always has a guitar in his hands, doesn't want to play. Because it’s not only about the music now. He has this amazing girl in his afterlife who was willing to accept them for who they were, helped Luke battle his own demons, eased his pain and made him open up. And it doesn’t make sense any longer without her anymore. “And you’re a part of me now till eternity”.

Caleb, being Luke’s foil, completely misses the whole point of connection. It’s not in his nature. His house band are just recruits (Just so happens you’re in luck we’ve got a vacancy). For Luke his band is his family (We are the only family we ever gonna need). The Connection theme is one of the main in the show. And it’s so cool to show it focused through Luke whose best way of interaction is a touch. But not being able to touch Julie Luke has to find other ways, although it’s not that simple for him. And Julie backs that up: We connect in so many other ways. They literally touched each other's souls. Without knowing she put a stamp of her own on Luke, Alex and Reggie. They’ve never felt loved enough, appreciated enough, supported enough. They’ve only had each other. And Julie’s stamp is love. And for Luke (as well as Reggie and Alex) from now on this girl is worth dying for all over again.

_______

So yeah. I hope you enjoyed it, as I for sure enjoyed writing. There is gonna be a part 3 about Julie and a few honorable mentions of parallels of the Pilot and the Finale (I hope at least to do all that). I’ve also figured very very cool connections in the songs and I can’t wait to share.

Also as I was heavily speaking about The Other side of Hollywood, @catty-words has a wonderful meta on rain metaphors here (sorry for tagging, if you don't want to be tagged), check it out if you somehow missed it. It's super clever.

[myrandomfandomramblings]

Arrowverse Science Fair AU

~2004 National Highschool (Gr. 8-12) Science Fair

Projects:

Felicity Smoak (Gr. 9) – Computer software to detect card counters. She may or may not have hacked into online card games to test it (this wasn’t included in/on her project.)

Cisco Ramon (Gr. 8 or 9) – Piano playing robot. He thought it played better than Dante. His parents didn’t agree.

Caitlin Snow (Gr. 9) – Analysis of physiological response to various stimuli. She wanted to find stimuli that would help kids cope with traumatic experiences (say crashing their bike or losing their father.) If she was able to find something that made her mom show some/any emotion that would be a bonus.

Barry Allen (Gr. 9) – Growing crystals (lots of different and cool ones). His project started out as an attempt to make something special for Iris for her birthday but turned into an elaborate project. It ended up being a good choice because 1) it reminded Barry of his parents (the first science experiment they did together was grow Borax crystals on pipecleaner and 2) it followed Joe’s ‘your science fair project must make, not destroy things’ rule instated after Barry’s Gr. 6 project.

Alex (Gr. 9) and Kara (Gr. 8) Danvers – Birds in my Backyard. Eliza had insisted on Alex getting Kara involved in her science fair project this year. Alex was excited to show Kara the science fair experience she enjoyed but wanted to pick a topic she knew more about that Kara (her knowledge of math and science was intimidating enough without the superpowers). Seeing Kara’s interest in birds they decided to study birds in their backyard. With Alex’s design and Kara’s powers they built tall post’s and attached bird houses and feeders with differing properties. They then monitored which kinds of birds built nests and ate from where (with some help from Kara’s flight and X-ray vision). Alex also picked 5 nests from different species to chronicle the embryo and chick development. Kara enjoyed doing the project and learning about birds from Alex. The actual science fairs, not so much but those were Alex’s favourite part. Note: Streaky was locked in the house for the duration of the project so he wouldn’t eat any of the birds.

Winn Schott (Gr. 11) – Pop-up room/ room in a suitcase. Being in the foster system for the last couple years inspired Winn to design a room that collapsed to the size of a suitcase for easy transport but could expand in less than a minute into a nice-sized, fully-furnished, sound-proof room, so no matter how many times a foster kid was moved around they always had their own space and stuff. Also good for camping, travel and special short-term events (like waiting in line at conventions).

Lena Luthor (Gr. 5) – Oxygen absorbing/releasing crystal that could allow breathing underwater. After her Mum drown when Lena was four, she was determined to develop a simple way for people to breath under water. She was able to do just that by synthesizing a substance that absorbed and stored large amounts of oxygen then released it slowly (so if someone held in in their mouth, they could breathe underwater). She was happy and excited that her mom and older brother were interested in her project but a little frustrated and concerned that they were so focused on its ability to absorb all the oxygen from a room (in a big enough amount). Although she supposed it could be used in that capacity to control/extinguish fires. Note: although in elementary school, Lena got to compete against the high schoolers since her project was so advanced for her age.

Sara Lance (Gr. 11) – The Biomechanics of Dance and Martial Arts. As punishment for skipping classes, then sassing her teacher and principal when they tried to discipline her for skipping classes, Sara had to complete a science fair project. To make the best of it Sara chose something that interested her. In hindsight she wished she hadn’t. Her project was so good she was chosen to represent her school at the state and national science fair.

Ronnie Raymond (Gr. 9-12?)- Structural design to minimize Superman related damage in Metropolis. Ronnie was proud of his project and had enjoyed analyzing the powers of Metropolis’ hero, but he lost any chance he had at winning when he decided to leave his project to go flirt with Caitlin. At least Kara, whose project was next to his, seemed interested.

Hartley Rathaway – something to do with sound waves

Lily Stein (Gr. 11) – designing and comparing different miniaturized forms of renewable energy sources. She had some help from her dad.

Patty Spivot – Recreation of crime scene evidence using food models. A bunch of her friends (her whole cabin actually) from her summer camp for those interested in law enforcement came to support her.

-       Maggie Sawyer – seemed really interested in the bird project

-       Ralph Dibny – found every project that said it was OK to touch. His favourite was slime. To Patty’s surprise he didn’t break anything.

-       Dinah Drake – hung out with Patty most of the time. Talked to Hartley, beside her, about his project on sound waves for a bit (seemed kinda interested). Patty joined her when she got into a conversation with Sara, across the way, and Laurel about the implications of her biomechanics project in fighting and self-defence. The rest of the time they talked about that Vince guy from camp Dinah thought was cute.

-       Eddie Thawne – he hung out with Patty most of the time too but did do a lap of the fair with Iris, who was there supporting Barry, when she accepted his offer to buy her something at the concession.

Notable events:

- Clark came to see Alex and Kara’s project and brought James and Lois with him. Kara and Clark (very subtly) tested the models on the project beside them that had been abandoned and were said to be superman proof/resistant. They were very impressed to discover the models did indeed stand-up to heat vison, freeze breath and super-strength leading Clark to believe the student had a bright future. James spent most of his time talking to Winn about his pop-up room project because, “Don’t you think these would be way better than cubicles, the Daily Planet should definitely purchase some.”

- Cat Grant, a young reporter from the National City Tribune pushing a stroller, came around and interviewed all the contestants because, “What better place to find the next world changing innovator or innovation” as she put it when she stopped to talk to Clark (more like flirt Kara thought). Alex used Clark distracting Cat as an opportunity to play with the baby in the stroller. This was the only time during the entire science fair Alex was distracted, except maybe when Maggie had come, but they mainly talked about the project like Alex did with everyone, which left Alex wondering why it felt different. During their entire interview Cat called Kara Kira, much to her annoyance. At least the baby seemed to like her. This interview sparked a conversation between Kara, Lois and Clark about journalism which Iris overhead while she was visiting Barry and joined in.

- Graduate students Ray Palmer and Curtis Holt were volunteer judges and ticket takers. Curtis wore a varsity jacket over his shirt and tie which covered his name tag, but at every project he judged he would describe every aspect as terrific, so the contestants started calling him Mr. Terrific. While judging Barry’s project they began a discussion about their favourite elements/minerals/gems. Barry couldn’t decide so joked he liked Barium. Ray shared his love for dwarf star alloy with a ‘quick’ lecture about its rumoured properties and potential uses. Curtis listed at least 10 compounds essential for modern tech as he flip-flopped back and forth trying to decide a favourite and Lex Luthor who was visiting his sister’s project beside them interjected that he favoured kryptonite. While taking tickets Curtis witnessed the following interaction. He asked Damian Darhk, who was carrying baby Nora, what brought him to the science fair. He responded with “These are the brightest young minds in the country and being young means they are malleable. So, there is nowhere better to recruit future talent for my enterprise.” Malcolm Merlyn, who was behind, him added “I know exactly what you mean with what the world’s coming to we’re going to need a bright mind to save it.” This led Tommy, who was accompanying him, to say “I thought we were just here to support the Queen’s.” Then one of the other judges, Dr. Harrison Wells aka Eobard Thawne in disguise, added “No your Dad is right. This world’s next HERO could be in this very room. I’ve already made a list of students to keep my eye on.” He pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket. On it Curtis saw four names: Hartley Rathaway, Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow and Ronnie Raymond. This led to a long conversation between the three men about numerous threats to society, the country and the world and the possible drastic solutions that would need to be employed to stop them. When they left Curtis turned to Ray and asked, “Was it just me or were those Doomsday Dudes really creepy?” “What” Ray replied his attention clearly being pulled from elsewhere. But before Curtis could answer a voice behind him said “Doomsday Dudes is a terrible nickname you should call them the Legion of Doom.” Curtis turned to find Cisco. “Just saying,” he continued, “anyway I heard there’s free Big Belly Burger for the contestants. When’s that coming?” Ray had missed the entire conversation Curtis was asking about because he had been making funny faces at baby Nora the whole time hoping to make her smile or laugh but she had just stared at him with her big blue eyes.

- Queen consolidated gave out a $1500 scholarship and a summer internship at the applied sciences division. This year Moira and Robert had made Oliver come and brought 9-year-old Thea. Oliver was tasked with watching Thea who ran around the entire science fair wanting to look at and touch all the projects even the ones with big ‘Do Not Touch’ signs on them. She spent at least an hour trying to get everybody around the robot pianist to sing and dance with her. Most people ignored her although she was able to get Cisco, Winn, Stein, Joe, Kara (who kept trying to get Alex to join) and to Oliver’s surprise Malcolm Merlyn all to sing with her and they were all surprisingly good. She also got many people to dance including the Lance girls. She even convinced Cisco to make the robot play some of her favourite songs from Disney movies. Barry was very happy that he was able to convince Iris to dance with him for a couple songs with just a little encouragement from Thea and despite Kara’s constant encouragement Alex only agreed to dance when Maggie asked. Oliver had to present his family’s award which went to Felicity. When her name was announced Donna yelled “Woohoo, that’s my daughter! Way to go sweetie!” which earned a whispered “Mom, ssshh” and accompanied eye roll from Felicity as she headed to the stage with her head down and cheeks flushed. When she got onstage Oliver presented her with her award and Felicity began to babble, “Thanks. This is so cool. I’m such a big fan of yours… well not yours… your company… your family’s company. But uh you seem cool too. I could be a fan of yours, but not like a creepy stalker fan just like a normal supportive fan, ya know. I’m sorry, I’m rambling, it’s just, I don’t know what to say. Your very handsome… and I just said that out loud. I’m so sorry.” She stops and whispers “come on Smoak, pull yourself together,” then takes a deep breath before addressing Oliver again, “Thank-you again for the award and I look forward to working with you, or for you. I’m just gonna go now.” Oliver couldn’t help smiling as she left and thinking that just maybe if she had been around when Thea was partnering everyone up to dance he may have just participated.

- Kara quickly got bored of standing by her project and started wandering around to talk to the other contestants. She spent a good chunk of time talking to Barry. Tried to join in on a heated debate between Felicity, Cisco and Winn about the best language to code in but quickly left when she had no idea what they were talking about. She ended up spending most of her time with Lena. They talked about their projects, their lives and interests and about dealing with new and scary situations especially when you feel different from everyone else and learnt that they were both adopted. However, the whole time they were talking Lena’s eyes kept scanning the room as if waiting for something to jump out and scare her. Kara learnt why when a woman Kara thought must be Lena’s mother showed up and menacingly questioned why she was distracting her daughter.

- J’onn came in disguise to check out the Danvers sister’s project

[blindrapture]

The Structure of Ulysses, plus Sonic, Part I

Ulysses is a big book. And I intend on adapting all of it at some point into a series I call Sonic Hamlet, where everyone is played by video game characters. I’m not going to explain why video game characters just yet, you’ve got to just accept them for now.

So far, I have not made much progress with the actual adaptation (I have the first third of the first episode done and on YouTube, click here for it). However, I have made progress in rereading and understanding Ulysses, I’ve made far more progress than I honestly thought I was capable of. And I think I might be ready to at least outline some things. I believe strongly that Ulysses will be of interest to many people alive today, and I do not accept language as a valid barrier to comprehension, only a temporary obstacle. But the onus is on those of us who have read Ulysses, we have to be the ones to clear those obstacles away, we cannot just expect people to read it, we have to help because those obstacles are very much there! Ulysses was hard to read even at its time, but there’s a difference between an intentional challenge and the changing of parlance over time. And the intentional challenge? Is wonderful. It in fact helps us embrace life, the big and the little things in it, the complicated cycles that overwhelm, the fast-paced sarcastic comedy of young people, the slow-paced enigmatic wit of those so ancient they perished long ago, the clash of cultures suggesting inevitable conflict and yet still hiding pathways to real diverse peace.

As an adaptation, my work is a sort of translation, this has to be. I don’t want to change any of the words, though-- Ulysses has a structure to it, a mathematical and logical and literary structure, and the specific words are a part of that. Translations into other languages, those naturally must deal with changing the words, but they try their best to still stick within the plan of the original’s intent. The only language I’m translating into is the extratextual-- I’m adding images, sounds, pauses for reflection. I’m realizing an interpretation of the original text, in the hopes that my audience might have a better foothold for comfortably examining and interpreting Ulysses themselves. The original words can still fit in that context. But character names? Sure. I can accept changing those.

So. So. Sonic Hamlet. As Ulysses is a book, so Sonic Hamlet is a show. As Ulysses is of three main parts with various Episodes in each, so Sonic Hamlet is of three seasons with various Episodes. Following me?

Part I, my Season 1, has three episodes. It is sometimes called the Telemachiad, as it deals with the Telemachus of the story, Stephen Dedalus (hereby Sonic Dedalus), as he goes through the motions of an increasingly despondent life without a trustworthy guide.

Part II, my Season 2, has twelve episodes. It is sometimes called the Odyssey, or the Wanderings of Ulysses, as it deals with the Odysseus of the story, Leopold Bloom (hereby Mario Bloom), as he navigates the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in hopes of returning home victorious.

Part III, my Season 3, has three episodes. It is sometimes called the Nostos, or the Homecoming, as it deals our Odysseus’s bold return and the stratagems which fell the suitors of his wife, Marion “Molly” Bloom (hereby Peach Bloom).

I will, for now, compose three posts, one for each Season. I will not point out all the coolest shit, all the patterns and correspondences, but I will give a general outline as best I can. Maybe this outline, alone, will give all the help a reader needs to “get” the premise of Ulysses and thus be able to read the original. But ultimately I write this not for any reader but for my own benefit. I need to organize and consolidate some things, see. And I’d may as well start somewhere.

So. Here we go.

Part I / Season 1: The Telemachiad (8 AM - Noon)

Episode 1 / 101: Telemachus

Sonic Dedalus is 22 years old. His mother died last year, putting a damper on his aspirations of travelling other countries and becoming a poet. Now he’s contributing rent money to a buddy’s cultural project (”let’s rent out an old watchtower and turn Ireland into Ancient Greece,” that’s about as thought-out as the plan became). His buddy, Big Mulligan, doesn’t seem to have much respect for Sonic, just an incessantly jovial tolerance. Staying with them is Shadow Haines, an Englishman with a gun who wants to write a book of all the quirky folk-sayings of the primitive rural Irish. Big thinks Sonic could contribute a lot to that. Everyone seems to like Big and Shadow; their conspicuous and confident personalities shine above the material worries of the Dublin lower-class. The lady who delivers milk for their breakfast that morning (played by Tikal) listens to Shadow with reverence and doesn’t even seem to notice Sonic, who pays for the breakfast and sees Ireland’s spirit in her. That morning, Big gets Sonic to promise him a sizable chunk of Sonic’s salary will go towards getting them all drunk later. He also gets the key to the tower from him, for some reason. And he gets naked and goes for a swim, as Sonic walks off to do his day’s work.

Episode 2 / 102: Nestor

Sonic works as a temporary teacher at a nearby school. Today, he teaches his class about the historical battle at Asculum, where Pyrrhus gave his famous quote (”another victory like that, and we’re done for”). They’re not terribly interested, since today’s hockey day and they want to play outside, but that’s okay, Sonic’s mind isn’t really focused today either. He’s got some themes battling in his head, and they won’t go away. Though they don’t stop him from at least giving the kids a strange riddle and helping a poor kid with his math homework. And the kids all play hockey. This episode takes its name from an old boastful king, whose advice keeps young Telemachus going (waiting for his father’s return from the war), but also whose company is a bit much in long bursts. Here, Nestor is played by the headmaster of the school (whose video game character I have not assigned), Mr. Deasy. Deasy is a West Briton, the type of Irishman who thinks he’s English and thinks Ireland is just the westernmost province of England. So, probably a Protestant. I really don’t remember right this minute. But in practice, it means Deasy talks down on a lot of people all while thinking he’s being a nice old man. He has money, he keeps his money, he says this is a very English thing to do, and he judges all those who can’t pay their way. He loves history, sees it as one steady march towards the real manifestation of God, and he thinks Sonic unhappy for his view that history is “a nightmare from which I am trying to wake.” But he at least pays him, his salary and some decency. And, knowing Sonic has some “literary contacts,” he gives him a letter to deliver to the newspapers, a letter proposing a solution to foot-and-mouth disease (this will come up later). And as Sonic leaves the school for the day, Deasy hails him down to say one last thing: a jovial bit of earnest antisemitism. “You know why Ireland is one of the only countries that never persecuted the jews?” “Why?” “She never let them in!” And he laughs, the light of the sun dancing coins on his shoulders.

Episode 3 / 103: Proteus

It is now 11 AM. Sonic, after leaving the school, walked all the way to Dublin proper. Here he is on the Strand, a sort of beach, having some alone time, thinking of many things, many memories (his short stay in Paris as a poet, his interactions with the family of uncle Richie who lives nearby to the Strand, his childhood), many subjects (Greek philosophy, Latin theology, aspirations, self-loathing), the sights he sees (midwives with bags, someone walking a dog, lots of flotsam). Ultimately, there’s a trend of trying to pin down the unpinnable, to put into words the ineluctable modality of the visible, the limits of the diaphane; this clues us into the Odyssean correspondence. Proteus is god of the sea, ever changing shapeshifter, who it is said will grant a wish to anyone who is able to hold him still for long enough. Just as Telemachus, in now understanding some context about his father, waits by the sea and wonders how he-- how anyone-- could successfully return with their wits intact when the gods are so multifaceted and the waters so unpredictable, just as Telemachus watches the sea, so does Sonic watch the morphing world of his senses.

And that’s Part I of Ulysses, and that’s Season 1 of Sonic Hamlet. We will see Sonic again later in the day, we’ll actually see quite a bit of him, but this is the point of departure for the text itself. This whole time, the text has taken Sonic’s psyche, the energy and passion and associations dormant in his thoughts, and infused it with a more novel-like narration of What Actually Happens, altogether producing The Text what readers read. It’s happened relatively slowly, with sparks of surprising creativity manifesting in each episode, the “narrative” doing “weird” “things” “all of a sudden,” and Proteus acts as a sort of climax, allowing Sonic’s psyche the whole spotlight and putting What Actually Happens in the background. I’ve said before that the text “wakes up” over the course of these early episodes, but I now think what really happens is the text holds back in order to allow the reader to wake up, to recognize that the text, the narrative itself, is the narrator, that not even focal characters like Sonic are the source of the viewpoint we see, that.. there’s something more going on. A greater Argument being made. But it will take time to even see the whole argument. And here let me bring up medieval pedagogy regarding the art of syllogism: it has been conventional to view the initial order of cognitive thought as “Subject, Middle, Predicate” (as opposed to any other order of those terms which are all, in fact, valid). This is a big factor behind why we’re taught to view stories as constituting a “beginning, middle, end,” and why we’re taught to give arguments (essays!) in the same structure. It’s all because that’s how Christian theology saw the Greek tool of syllogism should be taught, back in the middle ages. With me so far? Okay, cool. So Ulysses is made up of three main parts. There’s a lot of reasons why given episodes are strictly in one part and not others, but perhaps one of the most aesthetically pleasing bits of trivia is that Part I begins with the letter S, Part II begins with the letter M, and Part III begins with the letter P. Subject, Middle, Predicate. A valid structure for a formal argument. Season 1 of Sonic Hamlet, in following Ulysses as far as I feasibly am able to, gives us the thematic subject of a greater argument being made. And that makes Season 2, or Part II, the bulk of the argument, the middle.

So what goes on, then, in the middle of this grand argument? If Sonic isn’t the point, then who is? If Sonic is Telemachus, then who is Odysseus, the wise father-king-husband-hero coming home from the great war? We can interpret the sea of his voyage as probably being his shifting senses, as per Proteus, so then what are the trials on his sea, the trials on his senses? Who are the gods that he faces, what are the stratagems he comes up with in order to appease and survive?

Well, Joyce was adamant of this: The modern Odysseus in Ireland would have to be of Jewish descent. He would have to be a staunch pacifist. He would have to have a marriage in a questionable state of stability. He would have to be a stick in the mud, a party pooper with an adorably dry sense of humour and a physically average build, a serious and unrelenting cuck, and yet a man with sensible ideas of how to spend money generously and pipe dreams of a socialist nation where love and equality triumph. He would not stand in opposition to the modern bigoted uncaring society, his friends and neighbours, but he would be tasked with changing it all the same.

The modern Odysseus is Leopold Bloom. The modern Odysseus is the prototypical social justice warrior.

And that’s who the bulk of Ulysses is about, that’s the psyche we’ll get to explore, that’s what I’ll post about later on.

[veridium]

Ficlet: “All Work + Some Play”

Theia Trevelyan x Josephine Montilyet

Category: SMUT. IN THIS ECONOMY? IT’S MORE LIKELY THAN YOU THINK. 

Warning + Author’s Note: #NSFW for explicit sexual content. (It’s been 84 years...I know...)

--

She knew where to find her. She’d always know where to find her; forever and always. Another night working her fingers to the bone writing and surveying the war council table, candles and torches illuminating where the long-fallen sun couldn’t. Theia slipped in between the door and saw her there, standing and not bothering to look up. Nose crinkled, brow low, mouth mumbling numbers without voice.

She found her.

With a smirk and a shut door, Theia walked slow. “My love, you work for deadlines answerable to no one higher than yourself, and yet you still act as if you are on someone else’s dial,” she observed, hips dragging.

Josephine, ever the one for focus, kept writing. “Theia, you pretend I control the world’s time at the touch of my thumb,” she replied, a touch of absent-minded distance in her tone. Oh, that simply wouldn’t do.

“Josephine,” she said, low and playfully chiding as she ran her fingers through her white hair, “have you gotten the impression that I am dismissable?”

The Ambassador wrote more, quill hissing against the paper. “Never, what would--” Josephine’s eyes glanced up to see no one standing there even though she was sure Theia had simply been standing on the other side of the table, stepping heavy and smiling. Looking around, she blinked and parted her lips.

Theia had gotten too used to Fade-walking ever since being promoted as a Knight Enchanter. To be fair, it had its versatile uses, one of which was getting herself to where she needed to be: up against her woman’s back, hands slipping around her sides. One going up to her chest and the other...well, the opposite direction.

With her mouth to her ear, Theia reformed full in the flesh, a subtle grin on her teeth. She laughed, hushed and sinister but with the best intentions. Josephine gave out what sounded like a soft exhale, a wanting one, but controlled.

“You may dismiss me, but I’ll have your full attention for it.”

Josephine leaned into her, just enough, just the right amount for Theia to know she didn’t abhor her trick completely. “Amor, you cannot be insinuating that I would…”

“I’m not insinuating…” Theia smiled, teeth grading on the rim of her ear, “I’m asking. Begging, if I must.”

“W-what has gotten into you? Did you have too much wine with dinner?”

She was stalling. Distracting her ego. Josephine played well; all it took was one appeal to Theia’s vanity and she would have her spun out from her agenda. Explaining and bantering on about how she wasn’t drunk, and she didn’t need to be. A move, tried and true, but Theia learned.

She smirked, removing her hands from their more direct destinations, grabbing Josephine by the shoulders and turning her around to face her. No farther than a breath between their mouths as she looked at her lips with hunger.

And Josephine was grinning. Distracted, but tempted. Her skin, her freckles, her blemishes that compiled her like a watercolor come to life. How could she resist her?

Theia’s thumb and index finger curled under her lover’s chin. “If it is work you wish to make you sweat, by all means, work.”

Josephine tilted her head. “...the look in your eyes says that is anything but a concession on your part.”

“Work, Josephine,” Theia hummed, tongue pressed to the roof of her mouth as her hands slipped low.

Josephine blushed an ember hue in her cheeks as Theia unhitched her belt. With her other hand she grabbed the quill the Ambassador had set down, placing it back in her hand where it rightfully belonged. Everything in her face was saying you cannot be serious, but her arching back and hot exhalations said you better be.

“Theia…” Josephine mumbled, grip clenching on the the quill in one hand and the edge of Theia’s vest rim with the other, every single scruple said it was wrong. That it was unsightly. That it was not good practice to sully a place of collective congress.

But then Theia slipped her mouth up her neck, agape and ravenous, but not daring to cut or bite. And she moaned. Breathless, light, an escape, but a moan nonetheless. Then Theia had found her way to the lace layer of smalls, the final line between her hand and where she wanted to feel. Josephine spread her knees and secured them around Theia’s hips, one of her slippers falling off of her feet and onto the floor.

“Work,” Theia moaned against her, palm pressing against her entrance, warm and pressured to perfection.

Josephine swallowed, eyes blinking open and shut in flutters. “I...I have to...I have to return the correspondence to Lord Selstin--” the name collapsed into another moan as Theia pressed harder, in both her grip and her mouth. Theia held back a devious smile.

“Mhm,” she growled against the crook of her jaw, “and what of the requisitions?”

“Agh, those must be quanitified and appropriated to the...the...the!” Josephine gripped against her sharply feeling heat against her inner thighs. Theia had mastered the art of ignition for one task and one task only -- burning through the Orlesian lace that was artfully made to be torn asunder. Josephine rubbed a knee higher against the side of her waist.

But, like all things with Josephine Montilyet, it had only been a matter of time before she would take the momentum of the play and harness it for her own needs. She guided Theia’s mouth to hers, and as they both smiled against each other’s lips, she cooed.

“And then there are the acquisitions from the treaties we consolidated last week,” she whispered, “all seven of them, written and censu--” a crack in her throat as Theia’s index and middle fingers brushed into her, sweeping against her and meeting no resistance. She exhaled against her lover’s mouth, Theia keeping her gaze on her as she continued her rhythm. Onward, faster, but with a depth of someone who could not help herself but know every since inch of her.

She bit down playfully on Josephine’s lip, her free hand pulling down one of her stockings so as to feel the smoothness and bristled hair on her thigh, elbow bending up until she got all the way to the top of her knee. Josephine’s breathing only grew quicker and desperate. Her hand planted behind her snapping the quill in half as she braced against her more and more. She would rip the vest if she could, but she would have to settle for biting down on the collar of it.

She wrapped her arm around Theia’s neck as the Inquisitor remained unwavering in pursuit of what she wanted. She was so warm, so wet, abundant in her hand that it made her heart beat as if it would rupture from her chest. She felt a symbiotic surge of energy in between her own hips, a sympathetic insurgence that told her everything she needed to know about how close she was. How close they were.

She kissed against Josephine’s neck some more. Leaning into her and feeling helpless as she felt Josephine’s hips grind slow against her hand. She loved it when she did that.

A crack, a higher pitch, pushing past a boundary. Close, so close.

Theia clutched the side of Josephine’s bare thigh, her lips to her ear.

“Please, Josephine, please,” she moaned with a desperation no one in the world would know but her. The salted layer of sweat chilling the top of Theia’s lip as it touched her cheek. “Please…” her hand went fast, but not recklessly. Fast as in determined, honed on the spot just to the right of her clit. The spot that was too much and never enough.

Josephine’s voice went higher, more wistful, and her back arched with an immediacy that was tell-tale. Her fingers and knees pressed unforgivingly against Theia’s body and she moaned, moaned like no one else could hear, over and over. Railing, crashing, waving. Cracking and cresting.

Theia found the spot and pressed, rhythm finding its limit and then surpassing it. It was what made it go so long, so urgent, so unrelenting.

“Theia!” Josephine cried into her shoulder when she did, a reprimand and a rejoicing. She tilted her head back, allowing for Theia to sink her mouth in the valley of her neck above her collar bone. No layers or robes could get in the way.

Then, the release from the brink.

Josephine eased, muscles giving into blissful looseness. Theia’s hand pulled her stocking up smoothly, and all at once she had her hand at the small of her back as she guided her to lay down on the table. Flat on her back and cutting through Seheron, the Ambassador’s chest heaved up into the air with reverie.

Theia, retracted her hand, slipping out from its sanctum and helping to anchor her as she leaned over her. She beheld her, chest close to hers.

Josephine opened her eyes at last, pupils fixating on her lover as she gazed down upon her.

“Anything else, Ambassador?” Theia teased as she brushed her thigh between her legs, making her shiver once more.

Josephine chuckled breathlessly, followed by a tsk on her tongue. She kneed Theia in the side, making her fall forward more until their noses nearly touched.

“Yes...Inquisitor,” she exhaled, holding her hand in a fist between their necks. A soft smile, victorious. “You owe me a replacement quill. I must finish these ledgers before midnight. And I prefer the...fine-tipped and polished variety...please.”

Theia raised a brow. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to insist on more, she wanted to defy that smugness of hers and until she had nothing left to say but scream. But, looking down into her brilliant green and hazel-toned eyes, Theia saw everything she loved about her. Everything that was formidable and worthy of exaltation. She would make love to her in so many ways, so many kinds of ways, and be the better for it. She pressed her lips to hers out of sacred reverence, before it would be back to work.

[catholicartistsnyc]

Meet Massachusetts-based Artist Kara Patrowicz

KARA PATROWICZ is a Maynard, Mass.-based visual artist, specializing in fibers, painting, and drawing. 

(www.karapatrowicz.com | kara.e.patrowicz@gmail.com)

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION (CAC): Where are you from originally, and what brought you to Maynard?

KARA PATROWICZ (KP): I was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island. I went to Boston University and later returned to Boston to complete my Master of Fine Arts at MassArt. I stuck around to work, met my husband several years later and now live in Maynard, MA, in prime apple orchard territory. Overall I’ve been in the Boston/Cambridge/Somerville area about 15 years — I love the manageable scale of the city, full of universities and academic types. 

CAC: How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist?

KP: My understanding of this vocation was strongly influenced by JPII’s “Letter to Artists,” and I still feel that he summarized it best as a search for “new epiphanies of beauty.” I love this reminder to seek fresh expressions of authentic beauty in the world, knowing that it is all an overflowing of grace from the Lord. When I use the term “beauty” I mean it in the fullest sense of the word, as an experience that can be both transcendent and deeply inward, pleasurable and painful, overwhelming and subtle, not simply a fleeting feeling of satisfaction.

I regard myself as a Catholic and an Artist but don’t often introduce myself as a “Catholic Artist.” Perhaps this is due to trepidation about how this label can be misinterpreted. But it’s also because I see these two parts of my life as naturally interwoven. My faith and my artistic calling grow out of each other. To be creative and develop my talents to their fullest potential is to be truly Catholic. To be religious and interested in the spiritual nature of things is intrinsically Artistic.

Lately I keep thinking about Flannery O’Connor. I really admire how her work bridges both “spiritual“ and “secular” realms. She was both devoutly pious but not afraid to engage with modern writing innovations and her resulting work spoke to both worlds in truly unique ways. I think this opened up overlooked (or even avoided) avenues for dialogue in the contemporary cultural sectors of her day. The scope and impact of my work is smaller, but I hope that it contributes similarly to this mission in my local communities.

CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

KP: The main support I’ve received has been encouragement from spiritual directors, friends in the young adult community, a wide range of priests, religious and laity. Many devout Catholics are interested in the arts and see it as a part of their spiritual heritage, and want to see these connections renewed. I’ve also particularly enjoyed following the development of groups like Catholic Creatives. 

CAC: Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

KP: I know a handful of fellow Catholic artists but most of the artists I know aren’t Catholic. When my faith has come up, more often than not, they are intrigued. This was especially true during my time in art school. Over the years I had some professors and classmates who wanted to discuss and debate topics of faith and the Church which was unexpected and refreshing. I find that if my tone and demeanor make it clear that I want to have a conversation rather than a fight, it helps things enormously.

CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

KP: I think it would help if the Church had more art-related initiatives and truly engaged with young, contemporary artists. From a visual arts perspective, it would be wonderful to see more artist residencies based at Catholic churches (I actually tried to start one of these but didn’t get sufficient support), exhibits of contemporary work that engages the Catholic faith in a variety of forms, more vibrant art departments at Catholic universities, etc. I know this takes money and manpower that may be hard to come by. But I feel like I’ve seen glimmerings in some of the Catholic arts groups that I follow.

I also think that the Church could be even more welcoming of a wider range of art styles and approaches. Artwork and objects used in a liturgical context certainly need to follow essential norms. But “Catholic Art” isn’t restricted to liturgical art. Artwork created by Catholics can explore a huge variety of subjects, media and processes. Sometimes it feels like “Catholic Art” is expected to look a certain way, such as neo-Renaissance copies of Raphael or the sort of pseudo-modernist stained glass in many American churches. It’s good to remember that Catholic Art can have many manifestations, from traditional icon painting and folk crafts to abstract painting and video art. 

CAC: Where in Maynard do you find spiritual fulfillment?

KP: I moved to Maynard about a year ago and am still getting to know local Catholic communities. My husband, our newborn son Paulie and I attend Mass at St. John the Guardian of Our Lady in Clinton, MA. It’s a beautiful Church (we were married there too!) with wonderful, reverent music and great preaching.

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice?

KP: I pray daily with the Mass readings and reflections from the Blessed is She newsletter, and my husband and I say a prayer together every evening before bed. I also have a personal prayer that I wrote to say each time I work in the studio. I had a spiritual director in Boston until moving recently, a priest who was a campus minister at my college who I reconnected with. I still email him and another prior spiritual director from time to time for guidance and it’s a big help!

CAC: What is your daily artistic practice?

KP: To be honest, I don’t often work daily (especially since I have a newborn baby right now). Even without a newborn, I typically worked other jobs and used my days off to work in the studio. I find I work best in this manner, rather than a short spurt once a day. Since my artwork tends to be labor intensive it is hard to have a sense of progress after working for only an hour or so; it’s much better to work for a longer stretch. I also find it really challenging to get into the right mediative, attentive mindset that my work requires if it’s only for a short period of time.

With my newborn I am cramming in bits of work where I can and finding babysitting so that I can work for longer stretches. I primarily use short bursts of time for tasks like applying to exhibits, updating my website, etc. I’m also figuring out how I can adapt my artwork to fit my new lifestyle -- as much as I enjoy meditative, labor intensive embroidery, I may need to work with materials and methods that are quicker and come to a resolution more easily.

My main advice is to find what brings about your strongest work. For some it’s working a little bit everyday, for others it’s consolidating time to work for longer stretches, or a mix of both (or something else entirely). 

CAC: How do you afford housing as an artist?

KP: My husband is thankfully very supportive of my work and is our main source of income. Until we married I lived in a million different apartments around Boston, all of which were cheap for the area and had multiple roommates. I found them all through local Catholic communities. 

CAC: How do you financially support yourself as an artist?

KP: Right now I’m a newly full-time mom, but before I worked a variety of different job situations. I’ve worked as an adjunct professor, museum desk receptionist, nanny, administrative assistant, part-time, full-time, multiple jobs at once, etc. I did a lot of job hunting through Hireculture.com and other sites, and also word-of-mouth. Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Artsake blog has been a big resource for exhibits and residencies, along with too many other sites to name. Right now I’m focusing on how to make more money from my work directly through building momentum on social media, experimenting with pricing models and selling prints and cards of my work.

CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

KP: Seriously prioritize creating a financially sustainable living (take classes in entrepreneurship, be rigorous about budgeting, etc.). Maintain strong connections with the artistic and spiritual networks you’ve formed, even when time is tight and energy is low. And required reading: Jacques Maritain’s “Art and Scholasticism,” Thomas Merton’s “New Seeds of Contemplation,” and Flannery O’Connor’s letters to “A” (compiled in “The Habit of Being”).

[mfmagazine]

Mountain Con

Article by David Miller

What are your names and what do you do in the group? Swede: My name is Swede and I play guitar, pedal steel, and regular guitar and banjo. Jim: My name is Jim and I’m the singer and I play a nylon gut string guitar. I play harmonica and I write some songs. Ben: My name is Ben and I play keyboards. Mike: My name is Mike and I play drums. Dustin: My name is Dustin. I do all the turntable and sampler work on stage and the ‘jack of all that’s needed that’s not musical. Pierre was in Montana this day and he is the bass player and genius engineer and as Dustin calls him, “the mad scientist.” You all combine music technology with pop song writing. What is the spark that gets a track going for this band? Jim: Well, a lot of times they start as Folk songs. We’re experimenting more with building loops and experimenting more with what might happen accidentally. Usually we start with songs that can be played with and acoustic guitar, lay it down with a click track and build it up from there. For this next record, we’re experimenting a little bit with going the reverse route to mix things up. When do the samples and loops come in? Jim: Our studio and writing process are inseparable, really, but after we get some chords and lyrics we start our insane process that is too complicated to get into. We won’t bore you with all the details today. But after much obsessing we finally get something that we are happy with and we hope other people are happy with too. What’s happening in the world right now that become topics or themes when you write? Swede: God, open the news paper. Watch CNN. Jim: Our lyrical side of things is usually existing in a different universe than the musical side. The musical side is an exploration of sounds, whereas the lyrical side is more personal. Lyrically, I’ve been dealing what I call, ‘conspicuous appropriation’ or a collage aesthetic that coveys a picture of something that’s happening today. When did Mountain Con start and what was the original idea? Jim: Four of us were in a band in Missoula, Montana where all of us except for Dustin are from. It was a more contemporary early nineties guitar driven rock band kind of thing. We moved out to Seattle when we were 18 and thought that within a year we’d be, ya know, big rock stars or whatever. Basically the whole thing just kind of fell apart. But we regrouped here in about 1998 and it gave us the ability to really rethink how we made “Rock Music.” Mike: We also really liked the beat approach to hip hop and the way that felt, so we experimented with taking Bob Dylan songs or rock songs and applying that to say, Public Enemy and basically trying to get that beat stuck into something that doesn’t fit. Jim: Yeah, that got the gears turning. I mean, when we first started out we didn’t even know how to make a loop. Now we can just about have our way with anything that we want. Tell me about the title “Dusty Zero’s, Dirty Ones.” Dustin: That title really puts together the two worlds of folksy rock and digital production, I mean you got the whole binary code thing that is at the heart of digital based production and sampling, and the human element of what all of do instrumentally and what styles we play. With the declining industry sales and the threatening legal strategies being implemented by record label, how do you guys feel is the best way to get your music to the public? Swede: Well, it almost got to the point with our dealings in LA that we fed up and just wanted to put out the last record on the internet. Dustin: We did the whole shopping thing (delivering demo’s of your music to record labels) with the record and it was brutal. I mean, unless you have a huge fan base and a lot of record sales to show on your own, people in the industry aren’t taking any chances. They got enough problems as it is. So we went to all the local record stores and radio stations and we’ve been getting a lot of great support from them. KNDD has been really helpful to us and KEXP as well. But Seattle and Portland are the only real markets that this record has seen. Jim: The only National grasp that record has achieved is over electronic means and the internet. Dustin: We just got on iTunes three weeks ago and that alone took months because we didn’t have a record company backing us and it’s hard to get the attention of these large companies on your own. Give me your top 3 or 4 hip hop production influences. Mike: I’m into the old school East Coast thing. Like Tribe Called Quest, and Public Enemy. Dustin: Erik B and Rakim. Jim: Digable Planets. Mike: Currently, I like Mos Def’s stuff. He’s got some great stuff goin’ on. But definitely not any top 40 stuff, or at least rhythmically to me that stuff is less interesting. Who would be your dream artist to open for or play with? Dustin: Beck! He would be the dream first choice obviously. Jim: The Dust Brothers are huge. Dustin: We’d love to open for the Roots and Interpol. What sets you guys apart from the rest of the crowd? Swede: We get a lot of comments on, the slide (guitar). A lot of people come to our shows and don’t even know what the hell the thing is. Dustin: If someone knows what they’re looking at on stage, they see a slide, an old Hammond organ, keyboards and drums, and tucked in the back is turntables and samplers. We have such a unique set up live that we just stand out by what we bring to the table. You all have a very pop oriented sound. The Stranger here in Seattle even commented that you had a “cookie cutter M-TV” sound. Where does that come from? Jim: I think that comes from growing up in a small town where, the only outside access was the mass media. So, it’s like it’s in our DNA when we want to arrange a song, we instinctively gravitate to the classics. It wasn’t even until we were 18 or so living here that we had any access to alternative music. Sometimes we hear criticism for that, but we can’t help ourselves and we have no interest in making music that we are not. It’s what’s true to us. What social or political elements do you champion in your music? Dustin: We like to combine social consciousness with good grooving’ music. Really we make party music, but one piece we’re proud of is a song that is a mixture of a beat that sounds kind of like something Outcast would do, and we took some lyrical influence from John Lennon’s “Gimmie Some Truth” and made a song that we really resonate with consciously. Also it was made in time for the elections and we felt very strongly about that outcome in that we didn’t want to see four more years of lying and cheating as demonstrated by the current administration. Tell me about the name “Mountain Con.” Jim: Our Grandfathers worked in one of the largest open copper mines in the country in Butte Montana. It was called “Mountain Consolidated” and we felt like it was a nice big powerful name for a band. Our music is a mine. We dig through the sedimentary layers of culture and make modern music, so we’re a mining project in our own right. For a closing thought, I want to go around and ask each of you this same question: If you could go back in time, what musical movement would you like to visit for a weekend? Dustin: I’d probably go back to the Bronx in the early eighties. I, mean, just the musical invention of plugging in two turntables into a light post on the street and creating the greatest musical art form since rock. Mike: Even though it doesn’t necessarily inform my rhythmic influence with this band, I’d like to go back to late ‘70’s London and be around the punk energy as well as the fashion and design movements happening then. Ben: There were a couple of weeks in the early ‘70’s when Pink Floyd rented a room and started jamming on E minor to A, which became “Breath” from Dark Side of the Moon. I would have liked to be around to see that. Jim: Did they have the Lear Jet in ’66? Because I need to bounce around to a few places if I’m only getting a weekend on this on. But there was like a competition between the Beach Boys and the Beatles and Bob Dylan around that time for the most amazing pop album of all time really. It’s like the history of pop music was moving into a gigantic focal point and after which rock music just broke out into a million shards. So, I’d need a Lear Jet to go from LA, to London, and back to Woodstock NY. Swede: I would have to say Hamburg Germany in 1959 with the Beatles playing at the Kaiser Keller and the Star Club back when they were all hopped up on speed and were still a punk rock band.

[divineclecticism]

Interview #1: Liv

I took this idea from @urbanspellcraft and her interviews. Also thanks to Carmen from @magickalmenagerie for helping me out! I communicate mainly through feelings and visuals, and conversations like this are harder for me. I also want to point out that Carmen is the one who brought us together.

Anyway, here we go!

Me: So for the sake of the interview, what would you like to be called?

Liv: You can call me Liv. That name holds no power. If anybody is going to try to whisk me away, they'll need a lot more than just my name to do so.

Me: Alright and what are you? Race, I mean, so everyone else knows.

Liv: They call me a Gypsum Messiah. I am basically the culmination of all radiant and golden energies. My energies are alchemical in nature, I change everything around me to be stronger, higher in vibration. I am of similar lineage to ancient vampyres and marid djinn, but what we have going for us is a much longer and deeper storyline.

(I sort of just asked questions to Carmen so there wasn't TOO much back and forth for me, sorry!)

Me: How would you describe your personality?

Liv: I usually would not describe it. I’m acrid to some people. I’m very blunt, very honest. When people communicate with me, they usually get a truth they are not comfortable with, but I have always found the honest people to be the most attractive. I also don’t understand most of these barriers that modern humans have. My race…and those I have experienced in my existence – sexuality isn’t a question. Age doesn’t define. Gender? What even is a gender? To humans, I must be perplexing.

Me: I agree, us humans have a lot of weird labels that I don't think are necessary sometimes. So, what are you favorite offerings! Also, sorry I'm kind of bad at giving them!

Liv: -Honestly, this is going to sound pretentious of me, but insight is my favorite offering. I like seeing what your life is like. The games you play both literally and figuratively – they are so amusing. As far as items go? The items on earth are so interesting. I love gold and old relics, I love the things that grow on trees, and Cinnamon. There seems to be a season for cinnamon, but I think it should be more of a year-round thing.

Me: I can definitely do those! I have plenty of cinnamon. What are your favorite ways to communicate with me?

Liv: Through your frustration. You have these moments when you think you can escape the truth in a situation, and now you have an ever-lingering thought process screaming “no you don’t!” It is my favorite thing to do. I am a thoughts-based person, but the water scrying that is done on this plane is enchanting. Water is such an amazing medium for all things.

Me: (I made a comment about how we are DEFINITELY doing water scrying soon.) How long have you been with me, and how do you get along with the rest of my family?

Liv: I have been with you for a few Earth months now, though it feels like days. Your family has become my family even though a lot of them are more invested in the earthly things than I am. They talk a lot about boys and games and the foods you eat here, but I really love the art and the music. The rest of the family are very gracious and kind, but the golden demon girl seems to be a bit prone to waxing-poetic. She sits in the corner a lot contemplating. To get into her mind would be interesting. Not to mention the fluffy ones. They are always in a cupboard or on the stove and they don’t listen to reason. They cannot eat! Why do they linger?!

Me: (I couldn't help but laugh at her mention of the meebuls.) So what do you do within the family then? You're one of my main guides, but do you help with things like protection, etc?

Liv: -I guess you could say I’m an organizer. A hierophant. The one pouring over books in the corner at times. Other times I am consolidating their viewpoints and trying to share them with you in the most obvious way I know how. I do protect and guard you a lot, but generally there aren’t a lot of attackers in your midst. Usually I’m more concerned about boys, parents, and whoever that young one is with the eyeliner. They all seem to cause you distress without you letting on about it. I also worry about your hydration levels, but I cannot possess you and make you imbibe, something I regret to admit.

If I had to cut it down to a simpler statement- All of us have something to say, but I’m the one taking notes. So I slip into dreams, subconscious, and the things that pop up on your computing device and try to relay this information to you. It’s important that you understand that you are important. People are mean to you because they are scared of how important you could be.

Me: hey! I have drank two bottles of water over the course of the last couple hours!

Liv: Don’t think that was up to chance, gorgeous. The elves had a lot to do with that this week.

Me: (This just got really deep!) What attracted you to working with humans, and me specifically?

Liv: Humans have three things that other entities on other planes do not possess or at least not to the degree that humans do. These three things are Faith, Pride, and Hope. The faith keeps the wretched clinging on for dear life, even when other races would give up and move on. The pride makes warriors where you would otherwise have beggars, fools, and whiners. It also creates problems that other planes have as well. The Hope is the special one, because people on most of these other planes don’t have hope. They see what is in front of them. They know it for what it is, what it can be, what it will be. They don’t see the matrix of opportunities. They know. Hope is something that is based on the shadows, based on what you cannot see, what you cannot know. That is why hope is the most magical thing on this plane. Hope is the most alchemical and metaphysical construct this plane has to offer and it is completely undermined by all of your media and all of your popular culture. I chose you in particular because, as the moon trump, the path of qoph, and as a person who chose to incarnate into a truly important role – you embody these. You shy from pride, you also shy from hope while being dangerously in love with the concept, and your faith is buried, but strong as an ox. You are an emerald (diamonds are too simple) that is bound to shine and draw magic to it like gravity, but you don’t understand your pull yet or how to use it. An un-trained powerhouse of a person is the most impressive, because they have the most room to grow. They have not drawn the true limits on themselves yet. I am thrilled to see where you go and I hope it is somewhere that will bring you elation, and the healing to the world that you have within you.

Me: What was your first impression of me, and how has it changed, if at all?

Liv: A warrior princess who bedazzled her bow and has yet to use it, but shows it to each and every man she meets. Some women too. You have an intrinsic ability to use it, and to always hit your target, but you convince yourself that it is a prop. To the second question. Yes, that impression has changed. You are still afraid to take the shot, but you are starting to learn your gifts as a warrior, as a mother, a maiden, a wise-woman. You are straddling that line between being too aware and being blinded. You have all the wisdom of generations of crones and mothers within you, and there’s a lot of people who need your nurturing. You’re turning down the wind-chill. As Nait said (in the background) “She went from icey to nicey.” Take that as you will.

Me: (Again, laughing at one of my sassy Pandora Elves) Alright, last question! What are your favorite pass times or hobbies that you join me in? And do you have any last input or advice?

Liv: I’m entertained by most things you do. First of all, I’m quite amused that you have tall pictures of strangers in poses on your wall, so the fact that those are part of your culture is pretty interesting. I also like how you kill dolls with other dolls on the computing device. Also how many people can come around from all over the world to fight the bigger, more menacing dolls (they look like weaker versions of bane wyverns if I’m honest with you, Kaitlyn) with their dolls, and they spend dollars on their dolls. The doll business is booming it would seem. I love watching how involved you all get. The video calls where you see each other from oceans away is interesting too. I get to hear a lot of different accents, slang, and jokes. Your life is very interesting to bore you so. Your mother is also quite interesting to watch. Your outings are my favorite part, because I get to really see what you are afraid of and excited about.

My main advice to you, my dear, would be to live like an evening primrose. Bloom when you are ready, not when others tell you to. That primrose can be healing when taken the right way, or a little bit bad for you. That metaphor being – don’t go giving your medicine to anyone. Give it to those who need it. Take your vitamins. Love your mother. Drink water. Dress up like you are going somewhere on those days when you aren’t, and switch to the brighter lightbulbs. Nait has told me they are better for your skin. I don’t know if that is true, but those pictures you take are so dimly lit, I cannot say for sure.

That's it! I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did- Liv is a huge part of my life, and I adore her immensely.

[mrhotmaster]

Review Of A Suitable Boy: Mira Nair And Book Fans Ultimately Receive Their Favorite An overview, although massively condensed, of a newly Independent India. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Mira Nair has been attempting to make a real to life adjustment of "A Suitable Boy" — Vikram Seth's transitioning perfect work of art set in a recently free mid-fifties India — since the time its distribution in 1993. However, for a very long time, she couldn't get her hands on the rights to the book. Rather, Nair wound up conveying a "microcosmic reaction" to A Suitable Boy with her 2001 Golden Lion-winning film Monsoon Wedding. No big surprise then that her adjustment of A Suitable Boy — a six-section miniseries coordinated completely by Nair that premières on BBC One in the UK, before hitting Netflix in India and the remainder of the world — might feel like Monsoon Wedding to a few. In spite of the fact that by the idea of its source material — it's probably the longest novel ever — A Suitable Boy is much more. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A Suitable Boy follows two defiant youthful grown-ups — Lata Mehra (Tanya Maniktala, from Flames) and Maan Kapoor (Ishaan Khatter, from Dhadak) — as they battle to find themselves and settle on decisions in a general public that anticipates that them should not raise a ruckus. Simultaneously, it includes in excess of a hundred characters, many having a place with one of four more distant families: the Mehras, Kapoors, Chatterji's, and Khans. You may naturally battle to stay aware of who's identified with whom. All the more so on the grounds that essayist Andrew Davies (BBC's War and Peace) has been entrusted with consolidating about 1,500 pages into six hours — an unimaginable accomplishment — which implies A Suitable Boy tosses a great deal at you from the beginning, even as it must forget about a ton. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); What's more, that is not all. Like its composed partner, A Suitable Boy is politically disapproved too, addressing Hindu patriotism in a couple of habits. Inside the principal scene itself, a compelling Islamophobic zamindar reserves the development of a sanctuary close to a mosque, a police power slaughters Muslim protestors at the command of the political world-class, and a Muslim-loathing government official calls for India to be a Hindu country with an eye on the primary majority rule national political race. Nair does well to attract equals to the catastrophes unfurling in India 70 years after the fact, which shows how little the needle has moved in specific respects, and been pushed back sometimes. All the more critically, for Nair, it's about how the political influences the individual, with the Hindu–Muslim pressures changing the characters' lives. It's not all overwhelming. Nair figures out how to impart some funniness into the procedures through her course, with some assistance from Seth's lines and foundation score from Alex Heffes (rejoining with Nair after Queen of Katwe) with Anoushka Shankar (making her arrangement debut as an author). A Suitable Boy downplays aunts and their snarky suppositions that contain a trace of desire. It conveys a touch of physical satire to address how classism capacities inside a family unit. It goes after the man-centric society, with one character calling spouses "totally superfluous". Furthermore, it shows how Indian moms can be somewhat of a messed up record, with their children ready to for all intents and purposes anticipate what they're going to state. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A Suitable Boy opens with the wedding of Lata and Maan's senior kin, Savita (Rasika Dugal, from Mirzapur) and Pran Kapoor (Gagan Dev Riar, from Sonchiriya). The young ladies' mom Rupa Mehra (Mahira Kakkar, from Hank and Asha) is inflexible that Lata will before long emulate Savita's example and that she intends to locate "a reasonable kid" for her as quickly as time permits. Lata messes with her mom that she may never need to wed, however with her school companions, it's uncovered that there's a whole other world to it. "I feel as though I'm going in reverse," Lata says at a certain point. "Last term, I was living in the college corridor. What's more, everything felt the present day, and free, and we were twentieth-century young ladies. Presently I'm living with my sister, her better half, and my mom as well." (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Rupa has lived with her youngsters since the time the dad's passing eight years back, transporting among Brahmpur and Calcutta. Brahmpur — an anecdotal city among Varanasi and Patna on the banks of the Ganga stream — is the place A Suitable Boy starts. Calcutta is the place Rupa's England-taught oldest Arun (Vivek Gomber, from Court) and his beguiling spouse Meenakshi Mehra (Shahana Goswami, from Tu Hai Mera Sunday) live. A Suitable Boy carries among Brahmpur and Calcutta in the early going, however, later scenes will acquire more regions. Meenakshi is effectively one of the most brilliant characters, and Goswami has a great deal of fun with her. Through Meenakshi and her high-class Calcutta circle, Nair injects a Western energy to A Suitable Boy, with move bars and tango parties. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Truth be told, A Suitable Boy is generally set in the higher classes of society. The Mehras are "poor" in that they can't bear to visit slope stations each late spring. The Kapoors are greatly improved off under the dynamic state income serve Mahesh (Ram Kapoor, from Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat). His most youthful wild Maan spends his powerful recompense on the concubine Saeeda Bai (Tabu, from Andhadhun), whom he succumbs to at a ghazal presentation one night. Maan additionally shares homoerotic scenes with the polo-playing Firoz Ali Khan (Shubham Saraf, from Bodyguard), yet we can't state if the arrangement will be more express than the book in portraying their relationship. The Khans — through the landowning patriarch Nawab Sahib (Aamir Bashir, from Sacred Games) — are a money related step over their old buddies, the Kapoors. Through it, A Suitable Boy additionally remarks on riches dissimilarity in post-segment India, a nation that is rising out of many years of the zamindari framework under British guidelines. Mahesh needs to annul it and the Nawab who stands to lose is additionally in favor, yet that doesn't agree with the Raja of Marh (Manoj Pahwa, from Article 15), who has profited off the insurances for his entire life and calls the bill "sunshine theft". All things considered, that cash is the means by which he's paying for the sanctuary that sits close to the mosque, or the deceptive routine visits to the prostitute. However, it's not simply the ones benefitting who are strengthening these inflexible structures in the realm of A Suitable Boy. Rupa isn't just against a Muslim husband to be for Lata, yet he should likewise be from their locale and position. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Be that as it may, with India now a free nation, its enlivened youth are attempting to be bolder. The book spins three of Lata's admirers, two of whom are presented on A Suitable Boy in the initial scenes. There's the attractive cricket-playing Kabir Durrani (newcomer Danesh Razvi), acclaimed London-visiting writer, and Meenakshi's sibling Amit Chatterji (arrangement debutant Mikhail Sen), and one Haresh Khanna (Namit Das, from Aarya) whom we get a look of. Despite the fact that Lata knows how it'll be begotten, she does as she wants. It's not in every case completely convincing, however, it causes the heroes dynamic and to feel alive, as opposed to living by the shows on those occasions. Simultaneously, the minimization of A Suitable Boy lessens the effect you'd feel if the narratives were extended over a season, not two scenes. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); It's muddled why the producers chose to do as such — Nair portrayed the procedure as a "refining" and how she was "completely energized" by it — however that is by all account not the only bizarre decision. The same number had noted after the arrival of the trailer, the cast of A Suitable Boy has been burdened with an unnatural highlight. For what it's worth, it doesn't influence everybody on the show, however, it feels unusual now and again. All the more critically, it was avoidable given the cast is entirely from India. A Suitable Boy likewise has a propensity for explaining things, including those that non-Indians probably won't get on. It's conceivable every last bit of it has been done to make it progressively agreeable for British crowds. In any case, hello, in any event on account of the BBC, we currently have an adjustment of A Suitable Boy, satisfying a since quite a while ago held wish of Nair and book fans. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A Suitable Boy is coming soon to Netflix. It premières July 26 on BBC One in the UK. Two scenes were reviewed for pundits, which venture ahead of schedule into "Section 7" of the book.  For Regular & Fastest Tech News and Reviews, Follow TECHNOXMART on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google News and Subscribe Here Now. By Subscribing You Will Get Our Daily Digest Headlines Every Morning Directly In Your Email Inbox.             【Join Our Whatsapp Group Here】

http://www.technoxmart.com/2020/07/review-of-suitable-boy-mira-nair-and.html

[comicteaparty]

August 24th-August 30th, 2019 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from August 24th, 2019 to August 30th, 2019.  The chat focused on the following question:

What is your favorite aspect when writing character dialogue?  What is your least favorite aspect?

HiddenElephant

My favorite aspect when writing character dialogue is when characters get into arguing or other verbal conflict; this stuff writes itself! My least favorite aspect is remembering to put in all the minor character verbal tics, such as no sharkfolk using contractions. Oh, and the obligatory link: http://thewideocean.thecomicseries.com/

spacerocketbunny

I love writing personal or emotional dialogue for characters, it's fun to see how they all express themselves differently in these situations and how they handle it! One thing I struggle with is adding bits of different languages in character dialogue if they're bi/multilingual. I'm not bilingual myself and I don't have the best resources or references to turn to when writing dialogue, so I worry if it comes off a bit silly(edited)

keii4ii

@spacerocketbunny I'm bilingual and know a lot of multilingual folks IRL. I don't know if this is universal, but it seems to be the case among the people I know: if someone is fluent in both languages, they won't switch between languages while talking to someone not fluent in both languages. (This ruined the character Mako for me, in her intro scene in the Pacific Rim movie...)

Someone who's only fluent in one language might very well be different. Also could be different if the two languages share a lot of similarities, e.g. two Latinate languages. Most of the bi/multilingual people I know speak Korean/English, so it's hard to mix them up unintentionally.

deo101

I am also bilingual, though it is in ASL so it would be incredibly difficult for me to even "accidentally" switch between languages. Though, I can attest that all my multilingual friends (usually spanish/english) don't really switch either. I can think of one time a friend yelled angrily in spanish at a videogame which was an accident, but that's it.

spacerocketbunny

In any instances that I have written parts with a bit of different languages it's always been intentional on the character's part, so none of them have been "accidental slips" and whatnot, Thank you for your insight though, that's very helpful!

kayotics

As per the question: dialogue is my favorite part to write, in all honesty. Probably why comics are fun for me. I think my favorite part about dialogue is figuring out how to weave exposition into natural character interactions. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to do that (like someone explaining a problem), but for things that the characters would naturally know (like how the world works or relationships between other characters) I enjoy trying to tie in exposition for the reader while still making it seem natural. Least favorite is probably just keeping things trimmed down, I tend to get carried away. I also find remembering character voice a little difficult to implement, like one character using specific words or ways of speaking. And the comic plug: https://www.ingress-comic.com/

mariah currey

Lol same X') sometimes it feels more like the plot is directed more by conversations I want the characters to have than anything else. That's kind of an exaggeration, but the most fun part for me is thinking about the emotional exchabge between characters. And yeah my least favorite part is editing the dialogue down. I tend to write long so a lot of the time it's like a puzzle of trying to figure out how to still communicate what I'm trying to get across in half the words I originally wrote it to be. Link: http://rainydaydreams.mariahcurrey.com/

AntiBunny

I don't so much write dialogue, as I do let it play out in my head. The characters of AntiBunny http://antibunny.net/ sort of just write their own. Each has their own mannerisms from Piago's unexplained southern accent, that none of her family shows, to Pooky's use of British slang picked up from watching too many Britcoms. So my favorite part is just playing the scenes out in my head, and letting them form organically. Least favorite part is when it comes to the final draft, and cutting it down to what will fit on the page and flow well with the action. A lot has to go in the name of flow, just like a realistic organic conversation can't really be depicted in fiction and tell a cohesive story. So it has to be distilled down to the message that needs to be delivered, and then that needs to be balanced for what will display properly in sequential art.

FeatherNotes

As far as the bilingual tibit goes- my family has a lot of french /english speaking people and phrases often go in and out of each language when speaking to each other. The sentence doesn't straight up go into another language mid thought, rather its peppered in. Often when the point can't be articulated in the speaking language, in my example, french would be used to emphasize a feeling. And it's something I've done and seen a lot- i think it depends on where the speakers are in these situations. There are specific bilingual provinces and states that show people doing the same (im from quebec and the way the pepper in both languages is very much how they speak.) So, when writing characters, having a sense of environment and placement of culture is something to consider to flesh them out with dialogue. My least fave part of writing is trimming as well to fit the pages and not sound too wordy haha

Tuyetnhi

For me, I have fun writing dialogue when there's conflict and tension between two characters, like a situation where another has to decieve through their words or confessing their feelings. It does play a bit of foreshadowing but I also want it to appear as contingent as possible lol. About the bilingual thing, I'm also bilingual but i often struggle trying to say the right words either in english or vietnamese (such as describing a certain word in english to a Vietnamese speaker and I end up saying the english word of the thing I want to describe lmao. It happens a lot). I think that situation is common with a lot of folks who grown up in a bilingual household (such as both of your parents speak 2 languages, and you end up assorbing most of that native language of the country your in instead your parents native tongue). I'm planning to incorpate this through my MC's dialogue for that kind of naturalism (plus other factors too lmao).(edited)

least fav part is also trying not to be wordy as well. lmao. i do like trimming dialogue just to make it feel kinda punchy in a way depending on the character.(edited)

snuffysam

For Super Galaxy Knights http://sgkdr.thecomicseries.com/, I just love writing dialogue in general. Figuring out how different characters should react in different situations, figuring out a way for it to all sound natural... it's all fun. The one thing I dislike is when I have to explain some concept to the readers in a character's voice. Taci explaining energy usage to Mizuki was fun because he's the type to lord over his knowledge of something. And Pejiba explaining magic abilities to Mizuki made sense, though that dialogue still feels a bit lacking to me. But there's this one upcoming scene in book 3 where I HATE the dialogue, just because there's no other way to explain stuff other than "as you know, only one in every million people can survive the radstream" and it's annoying.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I love finding moments to slip in random quirky character-building dialogue bits in Phantomarine (http://www.phantomarine.com/). The phenomenon of having a character say one thing - funny, heart-wrenching, relatable, or otherwise - and have the audience immediately fall in love with them (or hate them intensely!) is something I like trying, because I’ve experienced a similar phenomenon many times, both with fictional characters and in real life. Sometimes, all it takes is a single sentence for me to go “Ooh, you’re a unique one. I like you. I want to know more about you. What’s your deal?” My gold standard is the introduction of Lilo in “Lilo and Stitch.” She’s instantly memorable and relatable in her weirdness. My instinct is to streamline dialogue to convey information as clearly and quickly as possible, but adding those non-essential characterization moments is so important - it makes the characters so real, and breaks up the pacing nicely, especially in a story that’s generally pretty serious. Those quirky bits make the experience so much more fun.

Steph (@grandpaseawitch)

I absolutely love writing dialogue for http://oldmanandtheseawitch.tumblr.com/. I think it's really where a lot of characterization shines, especially if you know how to use speech bubbles fluently to do so. Every character has a different beat, a different musicality. Ains (and most of the Pub Lads) tend to have dialects a bit like dropping a rock into a puddle. A sudden beat with few ripples--they're laymen, fishermen, you have to get across a lot in only a short time span. "Yep," "nope," and for Ains, he's especially prone to this. Witchy, comparatively, when he finally talks (minor spoiler but not that surprising), has a purring, flowing, flowery sort of language. Ains is very upfront and forward. Witchy's comes across as having an ulterior motive. Dialogue becomes another means of illustrating their individual personalities. My least favorite part is purely technical: formatting and consolidation. Having to pick where you sacrifice legibility for character and character for legibility. Blurbs don't always fit nicely into bubbles, or I have to add a word so as to not break the rules of bubble formatting too much.

[doxampage]

Custom Printing: Flexible Package Printing Samples

I’ve read a lot about flexible package printing recently. It is a vibrant element of a quickly expanding arena of commercial printing (i.e., package printing in general).

Packaging isn’t going anywhere. Newspapers may fold, and magazines may go online. Some people may prefer e-readers to print books. But as long as products in grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retail establishments compete with each other for the consumer’s attention (i.e., their dollars), package printing will thrive. (Think about a store with packages that have no labels or graphics. It’s not going to happen.)

In this light, earlier this week my fiancee sent me some photos she had taken of unique flexible packaging that looks like a mason jar. She also tore the back cover off a magazine to give me because it has a tip-on Chanel perfume container fugitive glued to a Chanel ad.

What Is Flexible Packaging?

So what’s this all about? What is flexible packaging?

The Flexible Packaging Association defines flexible packaging in the following way on www.flexpack.org: “Typically taking the shape of a bag, pouch, liner, or overwrap, flexible packaging is defined as any package or any part of a package whose shape can be readily changed.” That is, the contents of flexible packaging can be squeezed out, and the container can be resealed and rolled up or squished up to take up less space. It’s not rigid.

It has the following benefits:

“From ensuring food safety and extending shelf life, to providing even heating, barrier protection, ease of use, resealability and superb printability, the industry continues to advance at an unprecedented rate.” (www.flexpack.org)

“Innovation and technology have enabled flexible packaging manufacturers to use fewer natural resources in the creation of their packaging, and improvements in production processes have reduced water and energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and volatile organic compounds.” (www.flexpack.org)

“Even more, lighter-weight flexible packaging results in less transportation-related energy and fossil fuel consumption, and environmental pollution.” (www.flexpack.org)

The Samples: Faux Mason Jar and Chanel Perfume “Bottle”

Let’s get back to the samples my fiancee gave me and discuss why they work.

The first sample is packaging for a chocolate cookie mix. It is a soft version of a mason jar, the kind used for canning fruits and vegetables. It has precise detail in its lid as well as specular highlights that make the faux glass of the jar look like real glass and the metal top (which is really just foil) look like rigid metal. A fine artist would say the design is a good example of “trompe l’oeil.” (Wikipedia defines trompe l’oeil as “an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions.”) In the case of this flexible packaging, the image of the mason jar appears to be three dimensional when it is really only composed of a front and a back foil panel.

From an emotional point of view, the packaging brings to mind a simpler time when we grew and canned or bottled our own products. It evokes thoughts of really good cookies that were made at home from quality ingredients. Presumably this will interest those consumers who grew up making cookies in their own oven. This is the emotional hook.

What makes this sample of flexible packaging special is two-fold. There is a bit of humor in the double-take it provokes. (It looks like a cylindrical mason jar, but it’s really only flat, flexible packaging.) For those who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, it also is a nod to Pop Art or, more specifically, to those soft sculptures of everyday consumer products such as Claes Oldenburg’s huge fabric ice bag from the 1970s. In that case and in other similar works, by making the art much larger than usual or by using unexpected materials (like a hamburger made out of cloth), the artist gets us to look at an object from contemporary culture in a different way, as a piece of art in and of itself.

In the case of the flexible packaging mason jar of cookie mix, what makes it unique is the initial recognition of the jar, and then the realization that it is not as it seems. The consumer sees it on the shelf and stops, and then looks again. Sometimes that’s all it takes.

Now the Chanel box.

I just pulled the Chanel box off its backing (the back interior cover of the magazine), and, upon closer inspection, it seems to be a printed bottle of perfume. It has a vertical pull-tab that brings up a small nozzle. When I squeeze the box, the flexible bag inside is compressed, and a stream of perfume exits through the spray nozzle, bringing an irresistible note of high-fashion to my nose.

I think it’s intriguing because it is a functional product. Granted it is small, so the reader of the magazine will be compelled to go out and buy a large bottle if she likes the perfume. But more than that, it is a reader “involvement” device. You do something, and you get the product—all in the comfort of your home. You don’t need to drive to the department store and test perfume from the sample bottles. This creates an intimate moment. It’s just you and Chanel. And all of this would not be possible without flexible packaging. The little foil pouch in the fold-over Chanel box fugitive glued to the magazine cover makes this possible.

How Do You Print on These Packages?

I thought about this packaging film, and I made the assumption that offset commercial printing would not be an option. I assumed that maintaining the dimensional stability of such foils would be impossible given the pressure of the offset press rollers.

I found the answer to my quandry on the Consolidated Label website, which references its new 10-unit flexographic press as being ideal for flexible packaging. Elsewhere I read that inkjet equipment could also be used for such package printing, and still elsewhere I saw a reference to using rotogravure printing for flexible packaging.

Notably, the research I did touted the benefits of UV-cured inks for flexible packaging, since they “dry” instantly when exposed to UV light and since they therefore adhere well to non-porous materials such as packaging film.

What You Can Learn from This Case Study

Package printing is a growing industry. Therefore, if you’re a designer, a print buyer, or a print sales professional, it behooves you to read as much as you can about the subject.

Flexible packaging can be unique. It can catch the eye of the consumer. It also provides a large “canvas” on which to display the advertising graphics: much more than the space provided by a stick-on label. This leads to more consumer interest and more sales.

Flexible packaging takes fewer resources to make. It is usually recyclable. It takes up less space in transit to retailers and on the display shelf as well. And it is resealable. In addition, it is not permeable (nothing can contaminate the food or other substance it contains). This means it provides superior “barrier protection,” which makes the FDA happy and also keeps you healthy.

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[joshuazev]

On everything must go:

I feel like now I need to put a disclaimer before every post that says, “It’s possible that I might completely go over the same topic on accident.”  I have a pretty good idea of what I’ve written, but like I said before, a lot of the same thoughts might be written on the paper.

Now that we’ve cleared that up I want to talk about my new way of critiquing comedy films.  I’m sure it’s far from revolutionary, but I think the best way to take a step back and answer the question, “What is your favorite comedy of all time?” is by trying to remember the movie that made you laugh the most and that you thought was funniest your first time watching it; in theaters, at home, on a plane, whatever.  For example, I can remember the first time I saw “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”  I rented it with my mom and over the course of three days had seen it three times and thought it was funnier and funnier each time.  It was a bit of an anomaly, but I think my age had a lot to do with it too.  I was so young.  I can also remember the first time I saw “40 Year Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up”—both in theaters—and I thought both of those movies were hilarious.  Recently, when I’ve revisited those movies I’ve found them to be less funny throughout their entirety, but I’ve appreciated them more as just overall really good movies that also just happen to be really funny.  Last week I saw “The Big Sick,” and it was very much in the same vein as the more contemporary “Apatow comedy” that’s around a lot, lately.  I thought it was very very funny.  If I saw it again at home, do I think I would feel the same way?  Probably not.  So much of comedies have to do with the unknown.  You have no idea what the joke will be or when it’ll happen, which makes the first time you see a comedy much like the experience of watching someone do stand-up.  The first time is great.  When a stand-up act is good, it’s amazing!  The flow, the energy, the jokes, the laughter.  It’s all one continuous stream that is constantly building you up and then breaking you down.  A comedy is the same: unknown, new, mysterious, etc.  Have you ever been to a comedy club and seen the same comedian do the same set?  It’s kind of shocking.  Granted, the majority of the audience probably hasn’t seen the comedian before, but to the person that has…the jokes are stale.  You know what’s coming.  You know how it’s going to be prepared and then subsequently delivered to you.   I saw Kevin Tate perform twice at Chocolate Sundaes in Los Angeles.  Unbeknownst to me he was a regular.  The first time I saw his set he came on with the jealous boyfriend persona.  It was hilarious.  He had one specific thing about stalking his girl’s photos on Facebook and scrolling through the likes that absolutely brought the house down.  I saw him again at a later date and was excited to see his new material.  Sadly, it was exactly the same, word for word almost, with the exception of some singling out different members of a new audience.  I’ve seen Kevin Hart twice.  I saw him perform, “Let Me Explain” and “What Now?”  Electric.  Both times.  And both of the shows were filmed and later released in theaters and you can guess it, when I saw them on the TV, it was not the same.  It was a present whose contents I already knew.  So, back to movies.  At the end of the day the studios are banking on people seeing the film in theaters.  And I think lately there hasn’t been as much of a trend to buy films on DVD or Blu-Ray.  Maybe that’s to be expected or maybe I’m speaking from my own experience.  When I was really young I might see a comedy twice in the theaters, buy it on DVD, and then watch it a couple times at home.  Oddly enough, when I used to go to the video store with my Mom or Dad and we needed a new movie to see it was always so hard to select a comedy.  We had seen all the good ones already and trying to find the right one to watch was always so difficult.  So, does this change the criteria for a comedy?  Should it have more to do with how you felt the first time you watched it or are there only a few transcendent comedies that stand the test of time?  Like all types of art the answer is purely subjective.  There is no universal opinion.  A lot of people might agree, but no comedy is liked by everyone.  With that being said, if I were to answer what are my five favorite comedies of all time based on the first criteria (how funny was it the first time you saw it) and the second (comedy that lasts) I would say (in no particular order), “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, American Pie, Road Trip, 40 Year Old Virgin, and (Unknown title).”  Just for good measure the funniest stand up set I’ve ever seen live was probably either Dave Chapelle at the Neptune or JB Smoove at the Comedy Parlor in Bellevue (I know I mentioned that in my comedy post earlier in the year).  Funniest person I know?  Danny Schmidt.  Hands down.  That dude is walking, talking stand-up.  And I sound like a broken record, but the longer he doesn’t do stand up the longer we all have to wait to see natural greatness on stage.  My man.

I’ve always been super intrigued by comedic actors in serious roles.  Jim Carrey in “Eternal Sunshine.”  Adam Sandler in “Punch Drunk Love.”  Jamie Foxx in “Ray.”  Monique in “Precious.”  Robin Williams in half of his catalogue.  Will Ferrell in “Everything Must Go.”  Whoopie in “Color Purple.”  I only wish it wasn’t the way of Hollywood to allow most of them one opportunity to showcase their dramatic talents.  

…

I just had a conversation about creativity with one of my brothers and it’s so refreshing to hear the ideas that he had and his plans to bring them to fruition.  I think the opportunity to think creatively; to be able to allow enough space and time in one’s schedule and daily lives to express themselves is one of the most important aspects of human life.  Money is obviously a primary motivation and why wouldn’t it be?  It’s a blessing to be able to profit off of your own ideas.  Anyway, I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise or reveal the idea because it’s not mine to reveal, but this particular dude has a pretty straightforward plan that has some real strong possibilities.  One thing that I think we’ve trained ourselves to do is to think of an idea, hear that it’s been done before, and immediately go on to the next idea instead of spending more time to say, “Yeah, that has been done before, but I think I can add my own flavor to the mix, to make it even more attractive or survive in its own niche.”  Our example was LimeBike in Seattle.  I can’t remember everything that existed before LimeBike, but I think there was a period of CitiBikes and Alaska Airline bikes or something?  My memory fails me.  LimeBike appears to be enjoying some good success (it’s obviously subject to change because of fall and winter coming up).  I couldn’t help but think to myself, “How has no one thought of this before?”  It seems like a simple enough idea.  Put bikes around the city and let people ride them for cheap.  Allow people to set up payment plans and put a balance on their account, so they don’t need to worry about paying every time.  Simple ideas.  Effective ones, too.  I’ve let our conversation be a lesson that every idea can be built on to become more original.  So much of it is a matter of consolidation.  Take the idea of a physical grocery list.  Sometimes we forget to put stuff on there.  Then I heard there are refrigerators that give you an inventory of what’s inside and how much of everything there is.  Then there are grocery list apps.  Not great, but serviceable ones.  Since phones are the status quo there has to be a grocery list app that performs the functions of those special fridges, does what the bad apps do, and can answer the questions of, “Am I running out of milk?  What ingredients do I have to make this curry that I saw online and which ones do I need?  If I’m going vegan, what foods should I buy?”  On that you can probably implement an app that gives you a store inventory depending on where you are and so on.  See?  The blocks have no limit no many you can stack.  If there is already something that does everything I just expressed?  So be it.  We can always add more.  

…

To be seen and not to be seen.  To need space, but to feel alone.  To enjoy attention, but prefer your privacy.  To feel energetic, but remain lethargic.  To love to walk, but to feel paralyzed.  To run along the bridge, but to check the drop.  To be fair, but to be an opportunist.  To be optimistic, but prefer lamenting.  To see the lightbulb turn on, but to let it burn out.  

…

In the midst of getting rid of all these things and being the main means of transportation for taking all of our unneeded shit to Goodwill I have had an epiphany.  Can you have a recurring epiphany?  We have so much unnecessary stuff.  I do.  We do.  We all do.  Sometimes I think of what my house will look like.  I look at my dad’s place as an example, my mom’s place and then my hopeful place.  Am I boring if I have a couple things inside?  Am I too much if I have too many things?  A long time ago I spoke of this vision I have sometimes right before I go to bed.  It’s this idea of a warehouse that is way down the road, but is vast and big and huge and seems to get bigger and bigger.  Well I also have a vision of a white space that just has random things dispersed throughout but in an organized fashion.  I don’t know if this is my vision for my home, but I think it could be similar.  Rooms for specific uses.  Creative zones.  A couple floors.  It’s like a museum exhibit meets any of those really minimal music videos where there is just the artist front and center against a one color background.  Maybe it’s too bougie.  Maybe.  Then again, what house am I getting any time soon?  Ha!

[havelovewilltravelproject]

San Antonio: Breakfast Tacos, Texas History, and Mexicans

Two days before I arrived in San Antonio, I received an email from my local host, Jeanne Russell, “I have been reconsidering the river, though I love it, because it won't be very populated and you won't get the true feel of our multi-cultural city…[I] am thinking you should meet me for breakfast tacos at Taco Haven and then we can visit a few spots in my car. Will that work for you?”

She had me at tacos, and hooked me with the idea of a breakfast taco.  As I pulled up to Taco Haven a couple of days later, I knew I was lucky to be enjoying my first breakfast tacos with someone who knows San Antonio really well.  Though not a native, Jeanne’s been a resident for two decades and has worked for two mayors and was an award-winning journalist.  She’s also married to a San Antonio native, who served in the Texas State House.

Jeanne helped me orient to the world of breakfast tacos, a name that’s a bit of a misnomer since people eat them all day, and also as a late night snack after hitting the bars.  San Antonio claims they were started locally, though there’s a debate as to whether they are from the Rio Grande Valley.  I followed her lead and went for the haven taco (papas con chili and queso con chile) and a guacamole taco on homemade corn tortillas.  I also ordered the cucumber lemonade, which was delicious, but very sweet.

Jeanne provided me with an overview of San Antonio’s geography and the general racial/ethnic and socioeconomic divisions in its layout.  Founded as a an agricultural town, it’s laid out like a wagon wheel with a hub and spokes. In broad strokes, the north is affluent, the south is poor.  The east is the center of the Mexican culture (many of the ancestors of San Antonio’s Mexican-Americans were in the city before San Antonio was part of the US, so they refer to themselves as Mexicans) and there’s a stable, but not growing African-American population in the west.  

After we ate our energy, we hopped into Jeanne’s car and she took me to a see a bunch of things including a beautiful mosaic at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and Haven for Hope which is a campus of human services agencies coordinating care to serve homeless people.

However, what stuck out to me most in my discussion with Jeanne, was the running theme of San Antonio (and Texas) history and its relationship with its Mexican population.

The San Antonio Missions

Jeanne told me that the history of San Antonio is the history of Texas.  This is where Texas started and boy was she right.  We stopped by Mission Concepcion to see one of the four original Missions built in the 1700s by the Spanish Franciscans. Mission Concepcion is primarily a big church, and actually Jeanne and her husband were married there. She pointed out that wasn’t why she brought me there.  The building is quite beautiful, and the volunteer docent shared that it is the only Mission or Church building in the Western Hemisphere that has never collapsed or had to be rebuilt.

Later in the day, I returned to The San Antonio Missions Historical Park with my mom (I’m fortunate that she’s joining me for the part of the road trip from San Antonio to Vernon to Dallas).  We visited Mission San Jose, which was a great example of how the Mission was also a community where people lived.  The Visitor’s Center there had a really edifying film on the history and context about how the natives of South Texas came to speak Spanish and practice Catholicism.

So what led the native peoples who had been there for 10,000 years to move into the Missions?   A combination of disease that came with the Europeans that was taking their lives and raids from the well-organized Apaches.  They were driven into the Missions as a means of survival, but it also meant that they had to give up their culture (which they sort of did, and sort of didn’t), learn a new religion, and speak two new languages – Spanish and Latin.

The Missions themselves are beautiful structures and on a day with a blue sky and sunshine, seem a bit otherworldly.

Texas History, The Alamo, and The Republic

The descendants of the Indians and the missionaries didn’t immigrate to the United States, the United States absorbed them.

Quick history refresher for those – who like me – may know they’re supposed to “Remember The Alamo,” but aren’t quite sure what for.   From the Wikipedia

The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar (modern-day San Antonio, Texas, United States), killing all of the Texian defenders. Santa Anna's cruelty during the battle inspired many Texians—both Texas settlers and adventurers from the United States—to join the Texian Army. Buoyed by a desire for revenge, the Texians defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, ending the revolution and making Texas an independent Republic.

Jeanne didn’t grow up in Texas, but her kids are.  And they are taking Texas history in school.  She mentioned that they would share snippits of history with her, which galvanized her to dig deeper into the city and state’s backstory.  With the clear caveat that she is not a historian, she shared some of what struck her.

Santa Ana was trying consolidate power, and it was felt that he was demanding too much of the Mexicans and Texians in San Antonio, and thus they wanted to break free from Mexico and join the United States.  But, folks like Stephen Austin didn’t want to join the U.S. as a slave state as would be required by the Missouri Compromise.  While some of the European settlers owned slaves, they knew that the Mexicans who they lived side-by-side with wouldn’t like that.  More importantly, they didn’t want to get in the middle of the larger slave-free state dynamics taking place in the U.S. at the time.

What she learned is that Texas became an independent Republic not because it was the end goal, but rather because it didn’t see another option and needed a stopgap. But, it’s fascinating that the narrative of Texas is so tied up in independence, doing things it’s own ways.

By chance, the day I met with Jeanne, March 6 was the 181st anniversary of the fall of The Alamo.  In the afternoon, my mom and I decided to visit it.  As we were walking by, we saw that there were chairs and a podium set up for an event. We asked some folks what it was for and ended up talking to one of the women organizing the event who is a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and organization of women who can trace their family history to the time that Texas was an Independent Republic.  The DRT had been advocating for the day the Alamo fell to be a state holiday. Texas flags already fly at half-mast that day.  The proclamation was going to be announced in a ceremony that afternoon. So, we decided to get a quick bite to eat, and return to check it out.

The ceremony featured a General making remarks about the bravery of men and woman who lost their lives at The Alamo to stand for no retreat and no surrender.  He mentioned how this continued to influence the men and women in the military today, about 20 of which stood behind him holding the state flags of states that had been home to people who died at The Alamo. A state representative who was born in San Antonio presented three of the Daughters of the Republic with the proclamation; there was a closing prayer. Afterwards, there was lemonade and cookies for the crowd. 

Organizations like Daughters of the Republic of Texas (and Sons of the Republic of Texas, their male counterparts) fascinate me.  And so my mom and I took full advantage of the opportunity to chat with a gentleman who was a SRT clad in his orange blazer, chapter buttons, and cowboy hat.  Kenneth was generous in sharing a bit about his involvement in the group, as well as his family history – which he could trace back to Charlemagne’s time—who he was proud to share had helped prevent Islam from taking over Europe. He had family that had fought in the civil war on both the Confederate and Union sides.

I shared with him a bit of what Jeanne had told me about the Republic, independence being a strategy, and not wanting to tangle in the free-slave state dynamics.  He listened politely, and then said that he didn’t think it was entirely true, citing that many of the Texians had come from slave states, and owned slaves.

I’m no historian, and neither is Jeanne or Kenneth.  But if I learned anything through these interactions, it’s that narrative is powerful in shaping history, just as history is powerful in shaping narrative.

A favorite photo from the cookie and lemonade reception in front of the Alamo.  The sculpture is part of the memorial honoring those who fell at the Battle.

Immigration, Refugees, and Faith

One of the things that has surprised me so much on my drives in Texas down to Big Bend and from Big Bend up to San Antonio is that I went through four Border Patrol inspection stops, and saw countless other border patrol trucks on patrol. When I was stopped, despite having a big nylon tarp covering all my gear in the backseat and trunk of my car, it was never searched.  Border Patrol employees were very nice to me, and I was asked, “Are you a U.S. Citizen?” In answering yes, I was waved on through.

The national discussion about immigration, and the current president’s desire to build a wall probably made me even more aware of this than I would have been even a year ago. And given Jeanne’s background as a reporter covering the US-Mexico border and in local government, as well as her own family – her kids and husband identify as Mexican, and her father-in-law still lives across the border in Mexico.  It’s not surprising to me that we ended up talking a bit about immigration and refugees. 

What was interesting to learn is that despite Jeanne’s upbringing which wasn’t very religious, and her husband being raised Catholic, and that they were married at Mission Concepcion, they had started attending the San Antonio Mennonite Fellowship Church in her neighborhood.

When I asked why, she shared that they had been drawn there by the way the Mennonites were advocates for immigrants and refugees, and how they continued to step up and receive refugees – clothe and feed them and give them places to sleep – when they were released from nearby Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers (there are 2 near San Antonio).

Despite its history, or maybe because of it, Texas has a really complex relationship with its Mexican history and immigration and refugees.  San Antonio is where Texas began, and might be the community where that complexity is richest, most interesting, and most fraught.

A special thanks to Jeanne Russell for her generosity in sharing her hometown with me!

[pick-art]

Sci(Psy)Art: The fault lines of Art-Science. (a SciArt blog)

As deadlines loom, and doing becomes the necessary outcome of thinking, I want to reflect more on the science of SciArt: the connection between the disciplines, and the science of diabetes. (A quick disclaimer - from the outset this consideration of a lay-person, albeit one who is bound up in the experience as a student and a patient.)

The multiplicity of SciArt covers a vast space – from Stelarc implanting an ear on his arm (Stelarc, Stelarc.org. http://stelarc.org/?catID=20242), to Helen Storey’s Catalytic Clothing (Helen Story and Tony Ryan, Catalytic Clothing.org. http://www.catalytic-clothing.org) - demonstrating how:

 “Artwork and art process has the power to encapsulate some of the most complex debates of our times and, through offering a visceral experience, can traverse intellectual distances at light speed.” (pg. xv, Miah, A ed, 2008: Human Futures: Art in an Age of Uncertainty, Liverpool, Liverpool University Press)

Miah here highlights how the synthesis of the two disciplines has enabled a discourse of ideas to enter into a wider consciousness – fulfilling the social need for understanding, but also a deeper sense of engagement. Going further than simply seeing a practical use for a discovery, but interrogating the nature and the direction of that discovery. In a sense, we can see Art as a crucial part of the policing of Science. A view that Stephen Wilson elaborates – suggesting that artists are involved with “questioning the narratives of progress” (pg.11, Wilson, S. 2010: Art Science Now: How scientific research and technological innovation are becoming key to 21st century aesthetics. London. Thames & Hudson).  This idea of questioning emphasises the nature of challenge in the relationship between the subjects, and points to a necessary tension in the relationship – a “critical dimension” (pg. 11 Ibid). Wilson goes further in suggesting that Science is seen as part of a ‘narrative’ – as a ‘world-view’ in itself that we – as a social-economic entity are complicit in if left unchecked.  An approach Wilson cites in The Farm by Alexis Rockman (fig.1), 

where we see the potential for environmental and genetic manipulation critiqued in relation to social and economic demands. This Wilson calls part of “a critique of the idealised version of science” (pg.12, Wilson. cited above)

Of course, this cannot work one-way, nor is it enough to suggest that Art is wholly critical of Science, Miah goes on:

“Artists have synthesized (sic) worlds into which the possibility of representation is infinite. They have found new forms of expression and have animated new architectures.” (pg. xv, Miah. cited above)

Reflecting on how the very forms of ‘Art’ have been challenged – pushing concepts of representation further – distorting the line between craft and technology, an act in which artists are complicit: “Artists also invent ways to visualise research results and make investigative process public” (pg.11 Wilson. cited above). It is this invention – this focus on form that pushes the artist into science, and makes science into art, this (dis)play of ideas formulated on a desire to explore, explain and discover meaning(s) that are hidden, or that resist our grasp. Art and Science do not exist in a vacuum, as Miah notes: “We cannot separate art from the cultural conditions of its production and, more widely, its role within the public sphere” (pg.xvi, Miah. cited above) – the same can be noted of Science – both arenas intersect within wider cultures, and if anything, the priority of SciArt is to ensure that intersection is not lost?

The intersection in my case is personal – infusing the medical science with my lived experience, finding a way to represent that experience, and engage meaningfully with a body of scientific discovery.

Diabetes itself is tricky (see here for a useful overview of the differences between types of Diabetes, and the site generally for loads of information Diabetes.co.uk, http://www.diabetes.co.uk/difference-between-type1-and-type2-diabetes.html). I have type 1 diabetes - it’s an autoimmune disease, which means essentially my body is attacking itself.

 “Ultimately auto-aggressive T cells invade pancreatic islets focusing destructive force on the beta cells that produce insulin” (pg.83, Wagner, D. The Role of T Cells in Type 1 Diabetes  in Type 1 Diabetes - Pathogenesis, Genetics and Immunotherapy Downloaded from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/type-1-diabetespathogenesis-genetics-and-immunotherapy)

 So - my T-cells (the body's police force if you like), are attacking my ß-cells, which reside in the Islets of Langerhans (which should be a Scottish Island - or at least a fantasy kingdom):

Or, for a better understanding compare these Immunofluorescence stained images of healthy islets (fig 3) against a diabetic islet (fig 4) 

·      Cells counted manually for all different types

[Overview

·      Immunofluorescence staining carried out in pancreas tissues for endocrine cell marker chromogranin A and pancreatic hormones viz. insulin, glucagon, somatstatin and pancreatic polypeptide A

·      15 type 1 diabetes tissues and 8 age-matched controls

·      50 islets per tissue imaged on the confocal microscope

·      Islets defined as a cluster of more than 10 chromogranin-positive cells]

Looking at the damage – or the battleground it’s clear that the ß-cells are losing. This stops insulin production (or at least effective insulin production) - meaning I get a build-up of glucose in my blood if I don’t regulate it with external insulin… or exercise - maybe diet too? It also affects the ⍺-cells - the ones that produce glucagon when the bodies blood sugar drops too low. 

But it turns out I do have some insulin left - my ß-cells are producing some, but its slow, and needs help - and it’s going to run out.

This means eventually I will be fully dependant on insulin. But studies have shown that the longer I can maintain ß-cell production of pro-insulin, and the better my glycaemic control, the better the health benefits.

“Therefore, all type 1 (and possibly many type 2) diabetic patients may benefit from any success in maintaining ß-cell (and thereby ⍺-cell) activity after onset of disease (21). From the data present here, the best current and practical method subsumes the best possible control for each diabetic patient. [pg.835]” (Steffes, M; Sibley; Jackson, M; Thomas, W: ß-Cell Function and the Develop of Diabetes-Related Complications in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. Diabetes Care, volume 26, number 3, March 2003) 

The focus of the trial I am enrolled on with TD1UK is involved with exploring the potential impact on diabetes from an immunology approach. Basically, there is a two-pronged attack - with one drug (Liraglutide)used to aid the insulin secretion process and make the insulin I have more effective; alongside this is an infusion of an immune dampening drug to hold off the bodies attack on those ß-cells (effectively this gets the body’s immune system drunk, giving my ß-cells a break) This is assuming that I’m not taking one - or both placebos…

As well as the research I’m involved in, there are varied approaches to diabetes, including:

Immunology

Carbohydrate research

The development & delivery of insulin

Diet & impact

Education (after-all each diabetic carries their own lab with them?)

So… where do I fit in? 

Patient - I am a diabetic type 1

Research subject - immunology drug trials, but also daily testing and evaluation of my bodily responses

Researcher & Diarist - daily blood tests and insulin dosages, personal blogs and journaling of experience, academic and visual research

Diet - understanding and trial of daily carbohydrate intake, alternatives and options - including self medication using insulin and sugar

Student - learning about the medical and practical impact of ‘new’ existence

Illustrator - collection and development of research, and visual interpretation of experience

Individual - personal experience

Artist - collection, synthesis, interpretation and expression of information and experience

On a daily basis this means injections and regulation of my food, and an increased awareness of physical activity. This doesn’t mean I can/can’t eat certain foods (though sugar is something I keep away from - unless I’m low, when I don't - see already we’re getting confused here), but that I need to know what I’m eating and the effects. Generally, it’s all about the carbs - Carbohydrate breaks down into glucose - and that’s where the issues begin. Too much sugar build up can result in long term effects - such as blindness and amputation; too little results in comas (not commas - as a Lit graduate, that I could live with). But glucose provides energy, and can be used through exercise too; also, different carbs burn at different rates, and other foods can affect the way in which the body uses the carbs. 

So now it’s about the planning, the maths, the chemistry, the biology, the medicine, the situation and the data. Regular tests let me know what’s going on inside me - and let me calculate what I need to inject - although I have to take into consideration what I’ve been doing, what I’m about to do, what time of day (‘cos the body isn’t necessarily consistent - ratios of insulin to carbohydrate change at the day, and the life, continue) on the basis of an analysis of the food I’m planning to eat. So, maths, apps, research, understanding and a bit of gut feeling all consolidate around each meal… and bedtime… and y’know, everything… 

Surely there’s some art in there somewhere? 

[pauisanoun]

From here

Been a couple of weeks over two months almost a week since the election inauguration. I’ve been trying to write this post since the elections. It was/is supposed to be my action plan, an affirmation of the things that I care about, and the promises I make to myself. It’s taken a while because it doesn’t ever seem to be complete enough. The attacks on my rights, on the rights of people that I care about, seem to be relentless and coming from all directions, especially in the last three days. But more than being complete, I just need it to be out here and live.

What is important to me, and why?

Money

I want more disposable income so I can donate to organizations that I support

I want my own home so that I can help take care of my mom

I don’t think capitalism can be dismantled without capital

Health

If I die, that is one less who is committed to civil rights, one less person on the right side of history

Community

Kids -- A strong, close, engaged community raises smart, aware kids that grow up to be kind, loving adults (no source, just something I have faith in)

Support System -- A strong, close, engaged community can depend on one another so no one person is alone, alienated, and/or othered

Creative endeavors

Selfishly, as an outlet for expression. I don’t actually think I’ll make photos/things that will change lives, more that they will change me.

Projects: Desert women, Filipina portraits, Filipino gambling, Filipino Muslims, Filipino consumerism, Sexual health and grief

What are my goals?

To have more disposable income

To become fit and strong

To build and sustain a solid network/community of people who work, think, and build together

To make more photographs/tell more stories

What steps do I need to take to get to my goals?

To have money:

Take on more paid photo gigs

Find a cheaper place to live

Keep squirreling away every little bit

To get healthy:

Gym 4x week

Take self-defense / martial arts class

Eat less pastries

For community/fam:

Reach out, work on projects together

Check in every once in a while, remind people they are important to me

Bring ideas to the table

Help kids find ways of expressing themselves

To sustain creativity

Make time for projects

Have camera always

Buy nice lens 😬

What are other things that I need/want to do? What does my resistance look like? (may need to consolidate with lists above?)

Further reducing carbon footprint

Biking/walking/BART for errands

Less energy use at home + switching to PG&E Solar Choice

Taking the stairs

Supporting and protecting children of color

Monthly donations to organizations (which means less daily extraneous expenditures), currently:

Equal Justice Initiative

NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Radical Monarchs

Ella Baker Center for Human Rights

Buy a point-and-shoot camera and carry it at all times

Set up a scholarship fund or award at SDHS (in the name of Mr. Murphy?)

Things I am worried about

Continued and deepening segregation of schools

Continued conservative takeover of public education

Media depending on this presidency to survive

An attack the U.S. orchestrated by new government to galvanize support for the president

Things I am optimistic about

The younger generation

All the subversive art against this president

People becoming more aware of and taking action to correct the historical injustices that black and Native people have experienced in this country 

Helpful articles/resources

Insights From Mississippi on Organizing in a Right-Wing Context: A Conversation With Kali Akuno

Resistance Manual

Indivisible Guide

A Yale history professor’s powerful, 20-point guide to defending democracy under a Trump presidency

The voting rights manifesto: a state-by-state plan to defend democracy

Trump, Putin and the Pipelines to Nowhere