#but like media day serves a multitude of purposes

[sonnettohara]

Why are there so few pictures of Sonnett from media day today?

honestly? because she’s not as big a name player as most of the folks who have gotten a lot of attention today but also bc media day is for getting quotes and photos and videos and moments for journos to use later in the tournament and in articles that don’t exist yet

[darcytaylor]

I think the sinister point of the hard launch is missing from these discussions. It screamed "I've done my part, l've done the promo, now stop shipping me with Nicola". The gross undertone of this, however, was "stop shipping me with women who look like Nicola". That was the entire point of the stunt. That's why I loathe his team, because I think they came up with this, thinking it'd set him up for roles with a different type of costar. They wanted him to lean into a certain Hollywood stereotype publicly, since he was already doing it privately.

And to the people who are wondering why he isn't defending her, no man - especially no grown man - who's grabbing your ass in public respects you. This is about what's convenient to him. To him, the abuse she's getting is the price of admission to the spotlight his fame provides. And that is the crux of all of this and why everyone's so icked out by it. As soon as she's served her purpose, she'll be gone.

I think because some people have these feelings and were able to come to these conclusions, it actually makes me more so believe that Luke and his team didn’t have anything to do with the night of the premier, they didn’t have a plan to hard launch and it wasn’t a stunt. 

Because if people are able to come to these conclusions then a PR team would also be able to. His PR team (who aren’t just some small hole in the wall company), are professionals who have been doing their jobs for years. 

I mean even looking at Multitude Media’s roster, shows me that this narrative would never be what they want to put into the world. If Luke went to his PR team and told them that he wanted to hard launch his relationship, they would have told him all of the reasons not to (especially at that time), and this is one of those reasons. This also makes me even more so believe that Luke didn’t call the paparazzi behind his PR teams back - Luke may come off as naive and stubborn at times, and has done some questionable things, but I don’t think he’s that stupid.

(Hear me out when I say this next sentence) - I hate the fact that Luke is dating someone who looks like Antonia (AND NO NOT IN THE WAY YOU ARE THINKING), I hate it because it gives people the chance to compare them for their bodies, for their looks, it give’s people the chance to even have this conversation. It’s a conversation and a take that is VERY damaging to the actors themselves, to the people involved and to the audience and fans. And it’s a comparison like this (and believing it) that sets us back. 

Also the ass grab situation, while I do think this can be a very unbecoming trait to have. I also believe that time and place is also everything. It was literally New Year’s Eve, at a party at Soho Farmhouse. It wasn’t in the middle of the day, walking down the street and a random grab happened, I think context is everything. 

So while these are discussions that I know are happening, they are discussions that I do not want to have on my page. They are discussions that are uncalled for, unnecessary, and shows people’s lack of critical thinking in the Luke situation. 

Also I want to state that I don't know any of these people personally. I don't have ties within Luke's PR team, so I don't know the truth behind any of this. All of this could be false, true, somewhere inbetween.

[heisttrackblog]

Instrumental Beats: The Unsung Heroes of Music

What Are Instrumental Beats?

Instrumental beats, often referred to as instrumentals, are the backbone of many genres of music. Unlike songs that feature vocals, instrumental beats focus solely on the music itself. They provide the rhythm, melody, and harmony that set the foundation for any track. Think of them as the unsung heroes, working behind the scenes to make your favorite songs come alive.

Why Are Instrumental Beats Important?

Instrumental beats serve a multitude of purposes:

Creative Freedom: They give artists and producers the freedom to experiment with sounds without the constraints of lyrics.

Mood Setting: Ever notice how a movie scene feels more intense with just the right background music? That’s the power of instrumentals.

Versatility: They can be used across various platforms – from films and commercials to workouts and meditation.

The Evolution of Instrumental Beats

Instrumental beats have come a long way since their inception. Remember the classical compositions of Beethoven and Mozart? Those were the instrumental beats of their time. Fast forward to today, and we have genres like hip-hop, EDM, and lo-fi, all heavily relying on instrumental beats to create their unique soundscapes.

The Role of Instrumental Beats in Different Genres

Hip-Hop

In hip-hop, the beat is everything. It’s the canvas on which rappers paint their lyrical masterpieces. From the iconic beats of Dr. Dre to the innovative sounds of Kanye West, instrumental beats are the lifeblood of hip-hop music.

EDM (Electronic Dance Music)

EDM thrives on instrumental beats. DJs and producers like Calvin Harris and Avicii have built entire careers on crafting infectious beats that get people dancing. In EDM, the beat often takes center stage, with the drop being the highlight of many tracks.

Lo-Fi

Lo-fi, short for low fidelity, is all about creating a relaxed, chill atmosphere. Instrumental beats in this genre are typically mellow and soothing, perfect for studying, relaxing, or just unwinding after a long day.

How to Create Instrumental Beats

The Basics

Creating instrumental beats is both an art and a science. Here are some basics to get you started:

Choose Your Software: Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) like FL Studio, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro are popular choices.

Understand Music Theory: A basic understanding of chords, scales, and rhythm can go a long way.

Experiment with Sounds: Don’t be afraid to play around with different instruments and effects.

Advanced Techniques

Once you’ve got the basics down, here are some advanced techniques to elevate your beats:

Layering: Combine different sounds to create a richer, fuller beat.

Sampling: Use snippets of existing tracks to add a unique flavor to your beats.

Automation: Adjust volume, panning, and effects over time to add movement and interest.

The Business of Instrumental Beats

Selling Your Beats

If you’re looking to monetize your beats, there are plenty of platforms to help you do just that. Websites like BeatStars and Airbit allow producers to sell their beats directly to artists. You can also consider licensing your beats for use in films, commercials, and video games.

Building Your Brand

In today’s digital age, building a brand is crucial. Here are some tips to help you stand out:

Create a Strong Online Presence: Use social media platforms to showcase your work and connect with potential clients.

Network: Attend industry events, collaborate with other artists, and always be on the lookout for new opportunities.

Stay Consistent: Regularly release new beats to keep your audience engaged.

The Future of Instrumental Beats

With technology advancing at a rapid pace, the future of instrumental beats looks incredibly promising. Artificial intelligence is starting to play a role in beat-making, with AI-powered tools helping producers create music more efficiently. Virtual reality is also opening up new possibilities for immersive musical experiences.

Conclusion

Instrumental beats are more than just background music; they’re the heart and soul of many musical genres. Whether you’re a seasoned producer or just starting out, there’s always something new to learn and explore in the world of instrumental beats. So, next time you listen to your favorite song, take a moment to appreciate the instrumental beats that make it all possible.

More Information Instrumental Beats Please click here

[piecesofkhleo]

Technology Interweaves My Reality

My days come in usuality, with zero conformity to certainties or set dynamics. It is true enough that I live by the contemporary truth that holds me steady and functioning — in any potential instance that may occur. Technology plays a vital role in my everyday existence from the concurrence of my interconnected routines at home, university, social, or other societal means. 

From the initiation of the day, I am equipped with the reasonable need to access technology first hand. Understanding that it embodies a central advantage in expanding communication and enhancing connection, I find it efficient to make use of it in the extent that it would resonate with my goals, and it would assist me in meeting ends with other of my responsibilities. 

Following the continuity of hours, I get in touch with the multitude of technological representations like the media and devices. The roles of such are hand-in-hand with the shaping of the community, outstanding factors that may subsequently affect cultural imperialism. As part of the youth and a bigger voice for the young, this is vital as it serves as a subset for the effective immersion of all interdisciplinary dealing with various global circumstances augmenting the locus of knowledge and the entrenchment of essentialism across the pursuit of promoting peace and effective intersubjectivity.

Hence, each day I spend it with technology present. From checking my mobile phone first thing in the morning to watching morning news and other multimedia arts and shows from the digital flatscreen televisions to utilizing applications like YouTube and TikTok in searching for food ingredients and cooking tutorials, not to mention the ample opportunities that the technology provides.

Technology, as an aspect in the day, may seem grounded but broad; it arises from the continuously emerging significance of applying scientific knowledge for practical purposes. Nevertheless, as it encompasses the straightforwardness of its use, it becomes an omnipotent element in my daily life that has taken impacts of a multitude of reasons and purposes in line with my personal objective to constantly develop.

[local-legal-marketing]

Discover How Website Analytics Can Boost Your Law Firm's Growth

As a digital agency, we recognize that the primary indicator of a successful legal website is the influx of new clients to your firm rather than just the number of site visits. Website analytics serve as a powerful tool to understand and optimize your website so that it becomes a magnet for prospective clients, guiding them toward your legal services. When we talk about website analytics, we're referring to the vital data-driven insights that help us gauge the effectiveness of your website and fine-tune it accordingly. Think of it as a health check for your website that sprang up alongside the advent of business websites. For a while, analytics was seen as innocuous - a way of gathering valuable data without overstepping any boundaries in terms of individual privacy. Yet, the modern landscape has seen a shift. The multitude of covert methods firms employ to gather data on websites has raised concerns about potential violations of privacy regulations. Furthermore, we can't ignore the cybersecurity implications of analytics. Different technologies like cookies, pixels, and beacons, designed to gather visitor data, have inadvertently expanded the risk landscape, providing opportunities for malicious players to find targets and penetrate security barriers. However, it's important to note that these tools also offer control over these threats. By understanding and managing these technologies, businesses can ensure compliance with privacy regulations and mitigate cyber risks. Our experts can guide you through this terrain, providing your website attracts new clients and stands firm on privacy and security concerns. Navigating the Birth of Analytics In the beginning, the scope of analytics was relatively narrow. Tools like cookies were introduced, enabling a website to identify a user and provide a smoother, more personalized browsing experience. These little bits of code nestled in your computer ease website navigation, streamline online purchases, and expedite information retrieval. While cookies did permit the website to gather some personal data - essentially enabling user recognition - their reach was primarily confined to the specific website, and their role was typically limited to either facilitating a single user session ("session cookies") or distinguishing between first-time and returning visitors ("persistent cookies"). Since those early days, the techniques for pinpointing website visitors and tracking their online behaviors have expanded considerably in variety and effectiveness. This evolution has created opportunities and challenges for website owners like your law firm. When used responsibly, these analytics are instrumental in optimizing your website to attract and convert potential clients. But as the methods of identifying website visitors and their behaviors have evolved, so too have the associated privacy and security considerations. As your digital agency partner, we're here to help navigate these complexities and turn them into advantages for your firm. Understanding the Mechanics of Analytics Website analytics function with a clear purpose - gathering, presenting, and analyzing data generated by those visiting your website. This allows website owners, like your law firm, to monitor user behavior, enhance user interaction, and glean valuable insights that support your business objectives, chiefly by increasing client engagement and conversion rates. An apt example is the Meta Pixel, previously known as the Facebook Pixel. In simple terms, the Meta Pixel is a line of code on your website that aids in understanding how effectively your advertising efforts are performing and how users interact with your site, such as visiting a page or adding an item to a cart. This tool also enables you to track the actions taken by users after viewing your ads on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, aiding in strategic retargeting. Using the Conversions API with the Pixel establishes a more robust link, helping streamline your ad delivery system and reduce associated costs. The data collection landscape has come a long way from the days of simple session cookies. We're now able to gather a wide array of information, including the operating system and browser type used, geographical location, IP addresses, cookie IDs (either first- or third-party), unique digital identifiers, bounce rates, page views, email open rates and links clicked, actions taken on specific pages, referring and exit pages, user agent strings, and various other device metadata. As your digital agency, we help you leverage these advanced analytics responsibly, ensuring your website is optimized for attracting and converting potential clients while adhering to privacy standards and minimizing cybersecurity risks. Potential Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them Whenever a website collects data, it's often "shared" or "sold" as per definitions outlined in regulations like the California Consumer Privacy Act. As a website operator, it is imperative to disclose this activity and provide users with options to opt out of sharing or selling their personal data. Non-compliance with these stipulations can lead to legal accusations from consumers and regulatory bodies. The current trend sees regulators and legal professionals becoming increasingly creative in launching claims when data is gathered and distributed without the proper disclosures and consent. Even if the accusations lack merit, the website owner may find themselves investing significant resources in defending their practices. What's Going On Behind the Scenes on Your Website? To be clear, data collection and exchange aren't inherently problematic as long as the website operator adheres to the rules and standards governing the use of personal data. Some website owners exercise deliberate control over their analytics, carefully managing and transparently communicating how they utilize the collected data. However, many website owners might not fully understand what's happening on their sites or be unaware of the variety of data collection technologies integrated into them. For instance, when a website links to other third-party websites (including social media platforms), the website may also incorporate third-party pixels, cookies, and beacons that benefit these external parties. For this reason, website owners should actively monitor their websites. There are numerous tools available that can identify data collection methods deployed on their site, their function, and the subsequent handling of the data. With this knowledge, website operators can manage these tools effectively, mitigating their risk of legal repercussions. When website owners advertise on social media platforms, the data gathered by these advertisements must be accounted for in their privacy policies and data compliance procedures. As your digital agency, we are here to help you understand and navigate these complexities, ensuring that your website remains a powerful tool for attracting new clients while staying compliant with all relevant regulations. Next Steps, Moving Forward As a law firm, it's crucial to adapt to both regulatory shifts related to data collection and use via analytics. Technological changes affect how this data is gathered, amalgamated, and shared. Here are some actions we recommend to ensure your website analytics are optimized and compliant: • Tidy up your digital space: Identify the cookies active on your site and understand your arrangements with analytics providers such as Google. Familiarize yourself with what kind of data is being collected, the purpose of this collection, and how it's shared. Remember that analytics providers offer various options, and you can tailor what information is gathered and disseminated. • Transparency is key: Review and update your privacy policies to ensure they accurately and comprehensively explain how you collect and utilize personal information through analytics. This goes beyond a simple "cookie policy"; it involves understanding how you use this data. • Analytics agreements: Scrutinize contracts with analytics companies to ensure they handle data appropriately and by state privacy regulations. • Opt-out options: Evaluate whether you need a "do not sell/do not share" option. If your use of analytics equates to sharing or selling data, it's essential to provide opt-out choices and secure consent to stay in line with state laws. • Cookie banners: These initial notifications informing website users about using cookies for data collection are a crucial "notice at collection" required by most state privacy laws. Examine these carefully to ensure they comply with state laws and regulations. For instance, the latest regulations from the California Consumer Privacy Agency have specific requirements that must be adhered to for firms under CCPA jurisdiction. As Local Legal Marketing, we are here to guide you through these steps. Our ultimate goal is to leverage analytics to identify areas of improvement that can drive more prospective clients to your firm by providing the internet content your clients need most, all while ensuring compliance with privacy laws. Practical Examples, Making It Real Here are three fictional scenarios that highlight the importance of understanding and correctly using website analytics: 1. **The Case of Unoptimized Conversion Paths:** Johnson & Smith Law Firm noticed they weren't getting the expected number of client inquiries via their website contact form. They brought in Local Legal Marketing to investigate. Through detailed analytics, we found that users were dropping off at specific points while the firm was getting substantial traffic. It turned out that their contact form was confusing and cumbersome. We streamlined the form and used analytics to continue monitoring user behavior. With this data-informed change, Johnson & Smith saw a significant increase in client inquiries. 2. **The Privacy Policy Pitfall:** The Roberts & Roberts Law Firm had a robust website with good traffic, but they hadn't updated their privacy policy since the website's launch. They were unknowingly non-compliant with recent updates to state privacy laws. Local Legal Marketing performed an audit and updated their policy to include clear information about their use of cookies and analytics, the type of data collected, and how users could opt out. As a result, Roberts & Roberts avoided potential legal consequences and increased their clients' trust. 3. **The Social Media Misstep:** Davis Law Firm invested heavily in social media advertising but didn't see a return on investment. When Local Legal Marketing analyzed their website analytics, we discovered that while the ads drove traffic, most visitors weren't staying long or engaging with the site. We used these insights to optimize the website's content and user experience and restructured their social media ad strategy to target more relevant audiences. With these changes, Davis Law Firm saw increased engagement, more meaningful interactions on its site, and, ultimately, more client conversions. These fictional scenarios underscore the importance of understanding and adequately applying website analytics. They show how we, as your digital agency, can use these tools to identify and address potential issues, ultimately driving more prospective clients to your firm. Website Analytics FAQ Q1: Why is understanding website analytics important for my law firm? A: Website analytics provide valuable insights into the behaviors and preferences of your potential clients. They allow you to understand which aspects of your website are working well and which need improvement, ultimately helping to drive more clients to your firm. Q2: Are website analytics relevant even if I'm just looking for local clients? A: Absolutely. Potential clients will likely search for your services online, even if your focus is local. Analytics can provide insights into local search trends and behaviors, helping you tailor your online presence to reach your target audience effectively. Q3: I have a website already. Is it too late to implement analytics? A: It's never too late to start using analytics. A well-implemented analytics strategy can provide valuable insights at any stage. It can help improve your website's performance and user experience, driving more traffic and potential clients. Q4: How can I ensure my website complies with privacy laws while using analytics? A: We can help ensure compliance by conducting a thorough site audit, updating your privacy policy if necessary, and implementing transparent data collection and use practices. Q5: Do all digital marketing agencies provide the same detail in analytics? A: While many agencies may set up basic tracking, our approach at Local Legal Marketing goes beyond the surface. We delve into detailed analytics, providing valuable insights to help optimize your site, improve user experience, and ultimately drive more prospective clients to your firm. Q6: What sort of changes can I expect based on the analysis from the website analytics? A: Changes can range from minor tweaks to significant overhauls, depending on the insights gathered. This could include modifying your website design for a better user experience, optimizing content for SEO, improving site speed, or implementing a more effective call-to-action. Q7: Is it possible to measure the return on investment (ROI) when implementing changes based on analytics? A: Yes, analytics tools can track various metrics that measure ROI. These metrics include increased site traffic, improved user engagement, higher conversion rates, and more client inquiries or bookings. Remember, effective website analytics's goal isn't just collecting data, but using that data to improve your website's performance and the client's journey, ultimately driving business growth. Additional Resources - Google Analytics Guide from Google: This is Google's own comprehensive guide to using Google Analytics effectively. It is a great resource for understanding how analytics work. - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) from the European Commission: This page provides an overview of the EU's data protection regulations, which have shaped many international standards and practices around data privacy. - Introduction to Web Accessibility from W3C: This resource from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web, provides a valuable introduction to the importance of website accessibility, which is becoming increasingly relevant in website optimization. These resources should provide additional, authoritative information on website analytics, data privacy, and accessibility. Website Analytics Conclusion Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of website analytics can seem daunting, primarily when you're focusing on the demanding work of providing legal services. As your digital agency, Local Legal Marketing, we're here to help bridge the gap between the technical world of website analytics and your core mission of serving your clients. Website analytics is more than a collection of data points; it's an essential tool for understanding your website's performance and uncovering opportunities to drive more prospective clients to your firm. While it's true that the landscape of data collection and privacy regulations has become increasingly complex, these complexities also present opportunities to optimize your website and better serve your clients. We believe in the power of website analytics in transparency, security, and optimization. Our role is to help you understand these intricacies, ensure your website remains compliant with privacy laws, and, ultimately, create a website that attracts and converts potential clients. In conclusion, while the tools of data collection have evolved and continue to change, our goal remains constant: To use these tools responsibly, to provide the insights necessary for growth, and to ensure your firm's online presence is a powerful, compliant beacon that draws in new clients.   Read the full article

[kukustreamlive]

Kuku is a video streaming platform

Kuku Stream, a global hub for video content, offers diverse entertainment, education, and information. With lots of users, it shapes culture, fosters communities, and empowers creators. Despite challenges like misinformation, it remains a cornerstone of the digital age, reflecting the evolution of media consumption and communication.

Kuku Stream is a video-sharing platform where users can upload, view, and interact with videos. It offers a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, vlogs, and more, catering to diverse interests and audiences.

Kuku Stream serves

Moreover, Kuku Stream serves various purposes, from entertainment to education and beyond. Users enjoy music videos, follow vlogs, and engage with tutorials. It's a platform for learning languages, mastering cooking skills, and discovering projects. Kuku Stream also offers news updates, fitness routines, and travel inspiration, catering to diverse interests.

Advantages of Kuku stream

Entertainment: Kuku offers a vast array of entertainment options, including music videos, comedy sketches, vlogs, and gaming content. Users can easily access an endless stream of entertaining videos to unwind, laugh, or discover new interests.

Information: Kuku is a go-to platform for obtaining information on various topics. Users can find news updates, product reviews, how-to guides, and expert opinions, enhancing their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

Community: Kuku Stream fosters a sense of community among its users, allowing creators and viewers to interact through comments, likes, and shares. Communities form around shared interests, hobbies, and fandoms, enabling users to connect with like-minded individuals from around the world.

Creativity and Expression: Kuku Stream provides a platform for creative expression, empowering individuals to showcase their talents, ideas, and stories to a global audience. From aspiring musicians and filmmakers to artists and storytellers, Kuku offers a space for creativity to thrive and reach new heights.

Conclusion

Kuku stands as a versatile platform that offers a multitude of benefits to its users. From entertainment and education to information, community, and creative expression, it has become an integral part of modern-day digital culture. Kuku's influence continues to grow, shaping the way we consume media, learn, connect, and express ourselves online.

For More Info==> Visit Now

[cleanair608]

5 Tips to tackle from seasonal allergies at home

Allergies can be a nuisance, disrupting your daily routine with itchy eyes, a runny nose, and other bothersome symptoms. While there's no 'magic cure,' there are effective strategies. Understand your triggers, adapt your lifestyle, and minimize their impact to regain control and live life to the fullest.

Spring means flower buds and blooming trees — and if you're one of the millions of people who have seasonal allergies, it also means sneezing, congestion, a runny nose and other bothersome symptoms. Seasonal allergies — also called hay fever and allergic rhinitis — can make you miserable. But before you settle for plastic flowers and artificial turf, try these simple strategies to keep seasonal allergies under control.

Clean Regularly

if your windows have welcomed the outside world, they might have let in uninvited allergens too. Astonishingly, 60% of the dust in your cozy abode hails from the great outdoors.

But here's the comforting part - by simply giving your clothes, bedding, and soft furnishings a good wash, you could bid farewell to those pesky allergens that love to snuggle in fabric. It's like a shield against those unwanted reactions that can throw your day off balance.

And as for vacuuming, well, let's just say it's not just a chore anymore; it's your secret weapon for an allergen-free sanctuary.

Turn on Your Air Conditioner

In your quest for allergy relief, there's a simple solution at your fingertips - your trusty AC. While a breath of fresh air through an open window is tempting, it can also invite unwelcome allergens, igniting your allergy symptoms.

If you're equipped with a central air conditioning system, consider it your year-round ally. It not only cools but dehumidifies the air, sifting out those pesky particles that vex you.

In warmer months, choose the soothing hum of AC over wide-open windows. It serves a dual purpose: shielding your sanctuary from peak pollen season invaders and gently dispersing any that dare enter. Your haven, your rules.

Using a Nasal Irrigation process

Consider nasal irrigation for allergy relief. Using a neti pot or a similar container, this simple practice flushes away dust, pollen, and debris while loosening stubborn mucus, potentially easing allergy symptoms. Opt for a saline rinse, as plain water might irritate your delicate nasal tissues.

Instant change of clothes

Swap out your clothes if you've had encounters with pollen or allergens during a summer outing or pet visit. Quick action can minimize exposure to these unwelcome hitchhikers and bring you the relief you seek.

Taking a shower

For at-home allergy relief, consider a refreshing shower. The steam can ease nasal swelling, and it's a great way to rinse away any lingering allergen particles from your skin and hair.

Take extra steps when pollen counts are high

Monitor pollen forecasts and current levels via local media or online sources.

Start taking allergy medications preemptively when high pollen counts are predicted.

Keep doors and windows closed during peak pollen times, especially at night.

Steer clear of outdoor activities during the early morning, when pollen counts are at their peak.

Use an Air purifier

For those seeking respite from allergies, Avata's air purifiers, armed with Zebox and triple-layered technology, come to the rescue. These portable marvels can be effortlessly installed indoors to liberate your living space from unwelcome airborne intruders.

They shine brightest for those plagued by dust or pet allergies, diligently whisking away the common indoor culprits that trigger discomfort.

When you invest in an Avata air purifier, ensure it suits the room's size; it's your personalized shield. And with Avata's HEPA ('High Efficiency Particulate Air') filter, you can expect over 99.9% removal of mold, pollen, and dust particles from your home's air, ushering in the purest of atmospheres

Conclusion

Instead of navigating a multitude of steps, why not welcome the Avata Air Purifier into your home? With one remarkable machine offering a myriad of solutions, it becomes your comprehensive ally in the journey to a healthier, allergen-free environment. Simplify and enhance your well-being with Avata. Buy now on amazon & get 50% discount Hurry limited time offer only.

[ultra-maha-us]

Connections of Ancient Wall Paintings and Large Wall Arts

It has been said that art has existed for millions of years before the term and the concept for it has been conceived. However, these so called "primitive arts" served a primarily utilitarian purpose instead of being considered as true arts as we call them today. A good example is the ancient cave paintings, which archaeologists have dated to as early as 5000 B.C.E. While we may consider these cave paintings as arts today, primitive man drew these images as records of significant events in their lives centuries back. The humble origins of the alphabet were also ancient drawings. Chinese and Japanese characters are actually pictograms which evolved into the intricate writing as we know them today.

As centuries passed, art evolved as tingle dating app t shits a means to express one's emotion and creativity. While some people have compared art to the complexities of mathematics, cold, hard numbers cannot elicit diverse emotions as art works can. Art works like the Mona Lisa of Leonardo Da Vinci evoke a feeling of mystery. Such is its aura that, to this day, the Mona Lisa remains a much admired masterpiece priced at millions of dollars.

With the advent of modern times, art is no longer limited to paintings. In fact, you find art practically everywhere - in our homes, our buildings, our cars, and other everyday items. To create art, you don't need a canvas. There are a multitude of media to choose from.

Let us take a look at the large wall art as an example. Because large wall designs and paintings need to fill a large amount of space, some artists utilize traditional canvas to create exquisite paintings. The price of such large canvas wall arts would depend upon its size and the intricacies of the art itself, so that they tend to have a higher price tag. For those on a tight budget, you can purchase multi-paneled wall arts which you can hang on large walls so that you fill out the spaces. Other affordable options include exotic Asian wall scrolls made from rice paper.

If you prefer a different media for your large wall design, you can select from a wide variety or wood carvings or metal wall arts. Large wall arts help to spruce up a living room and provide inspiration for the homeowner when he or she is working in a study room.

[possum-socks]

Ooo i would love to talk about this thank you for phrasing this question respectfully.

I would like to preface this by saying my opinions on South Park are very…varied. I am not trying to take a pro South Park or anti South Park stance here, im just trying to answer this in the best way I can. I’m specifically going to be talking about why I think so many queer people like South Park.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding South Park, in that many people believe South Park wholeheartedly embraces and promotes ideology in support of bigotry, and I do have to say that as someone who has seen the entirety of South Park, there is not a ton of validity to this statement. The purpose of South Park is to make fun of and offend extremists. They do this in a multitude of ways, specifically through satirical humor and shock value. South Park rarely ever takes a stance in any matter, instead opting to show why extremism on either side is a harmful thing. South Park often goes to great lengths to show why racism/homophobia/ablesim is BAD, and why you do NOT want to be one of those extremist people. One of the prime examples of this is the character Eric Cartman, who im sure doesn’t need an introduction. The purpose of Eric Cartman’s character exists solely to serve as a joke in and of itself. He is less an actual character and more an example of why people who are like Cartman are TERRIBLE, and why you do NOT want to be one of those people. Cartman started off as mainly a gag to show how horrendous nazi extremism is, which makes sense as Matt Stone is Jewish himself.

That being said though I myself do not really know where I stand in this debate. One theme South Park likes to touch on which is prevalent in all media, not just comedy, is the all or nothing rule. You can see discussion of this in art, in writing, in film making, to the damn bill of rights free speech section. How do you decide what is “allowed” to be talked about and what isn’t? You really can’t, and I am in full support of this idea. However, are there many moments in south park where i go “yikes 😬 maybe that could’ve been handled differently” or “woah that was a bad take” ABSOLUTELY. Do I think all of south parks messages are good messages? ABSOLUTELY NOT. South Park does have offensive media, or takes that can be considered harmful, but as someone who has taken the time to sit down and view all of South Park, in my opinion South Park primarily promotes the opposite, (while still remaining offensive, as this is their thing) Media like south park is not entirely good or bad.

To help further illustrate what I mean i wanna talk about some of the queer rep in South Park. The first explicitly stated queer character we see in South Park is Big Gay Al. Already, this characters name may be raising alarm bells for you. Sound demeaning? Sound kinda stereotypical? Definitely! While Al does talk with what is stereotypically known as the “gay man voice,” and while he does express other traits often stereotyped to be traits of a gay man, I think it’s also important we talk about Al’s actual character and not just how he is outwardly presented. Big Gay Al was introduced in the very first season of South Park in the 1990’s, the FOURTH episode of the show, and in this episode Al teaches Stan (an eight year old boy) about the dangers of homophobia and he helps Stan to see past the homophobic ideology that has been instilled in him and learn that hey, gay people are just regular people too! This all starts because Stan learns that his dog Sparky is gay, and some of the kids at school make fun of him for having a gay dog, which makes Stan become very stressed and unsure of what to do. Sparky goes missing one day and Stan becomes very concerned, until he finds out that sparky has been staying with big gay al, who runs a sanctuary for other gay animals who have been unloved by their owners for being gay. With the guidance of Al, Stan becomes educated and sees that all of the anti-gay talk he has heard in his town actually holds no grounds, and goes to try and explain to all of the adults in his town why queer people should be loved and accepted the same as everybody else. But as is typical in the real world, the adults are too ignorant to listen.

So, while just looking at Al, you might think he is just another character who promotes harmful stereotypes, and while South Park certainly didn’t need to go the direction of “effeminate gay man” appearance, it should also be noted that people can express themselves however they please and this does not reduce who they are as a person. So, was South Park wrong for choosing to portray a gay character has very stereotypically presenting, or were they right in trying to make a message that you can present however you want without that making you any less respectable of a person? I really don’t know. But the most important part to Al is that Al is consistently shown to be a positive figure in the show who helps to encourage themes of love and acceptance. He is actually one of the only adults in the show to consistently be portrayed as level headed as opposed to the majority of South Park adults, who mainly serve to show the ignorance and unwillingness to change that so many adults have.

Later in the show Al is even brought back to make a statement against the whole “queer people sexualize kids!” bs in an episode where he is a Boy Scout leader for the main children characters. When some of these kids parents find out the scout leader is a gay man, the parents eventually get him fired under entirely misplaced and false fears of Al possibly being a pedophile. The new scout leader replacing Al actually DOES end up being a child predator, and all of the scout boys band together to protest against the firing of Al and to get Al back as their counselor, because they all really like Al! Big Gay Al sues the Mountain Scout program, and gets the dangerous scout leader arrested and exposed for being a child predator.

Al is probably the best example of queer rep in South Park. It is a bit unfortunate that other main queer examples include characters like mr. garrison, but there is also the case of Tweek and Craig, who are another decent example of queer rep. So, as for why so many queer people like South Park, it is probably because those people who watch South Park get the impression that South Park likes them, too!

Overall, I think the problem lies with the consumer, and not with South Park itself. Many shows do what South Park does, (Family Guy being a big example.) No one who is not already racist, or homophobic or ableist, is going to walk away from a show like South Park suddenly supporting such ideologies. If someone who is a bigot watches South Park, they are not a bigot because they watched South Park, they are a bigot because they are a bigot. It is true that many people who do hold these ignorant beliefs will watch South Park and get the takeaway that South Park is in favor of those things, too, but South Park is not at all turning people into ignorant bigots, and in fact they make a great point to make fun of these ignorant people. It’s just that often those ignorant people are, in fact, too ignorant to understand that they are the butt of the joke.

Is South Park “good?” Is South Park “bad?” I don’t know! Who gets to say what’s “good” and what isn’t? In the end, nobody but you as an individual and a consumer can decide how you will let a piece of media influence you and your actions. It is just unfortunate that so many people choose to be idiots.

That is my two cents!

I gotta know, if anyone has answers please tell me, why are there Tumblr South Park fans? In particular fans that are queer/neurodivergent?

[laurablog1234]

Social media in the 21st century

They generate new connections in general. As I already mentioned, social networks help us to make new contacts, which may be new clients, suppliers, partners, etc. You can also share information directly from your site on your social networks. You can also share information directly from your site on your social networks. There is no longer a society without the internet. Can you imagine not googling things or staying connected with your friends and family during your day? Probably not.

The dominance of the internet and its influence in our lives is huge, mainly with digital marketing and digital transformation so present. Currently more than 3.8 billion people around the world are connected to the virtual world.

Now that you know the multitude of Internet users, ask yourself: What is your biggest reason for being online?

Each person will give an answer, but it is very likely that the majority will answer that social networks.

This is because there are currently 3 billion active users on social networks. And this number tends to grow more and more, with the dynamics of constant improvements of these platforms and the emergence of new ones.

That is why in this post I want to explain you in a very clear way.

What are social networks?

Conventionally, a social network has been determined as a group of individuals who have links with each other, whether due to commercial issues, friendship, work, bond, etc.The "social networks" as we ourselves know them, have allowed those groups of individuals to meet in a virtual environment, becoming websites made up of societies of individuals who have things in common. And is that, in its beginnings, websites only allowed one-way communication and quite little relationship. Today, social networks give prominence to users and societies that said components. Such sites facilitate communication between individuals, the exchange of information (such as photos, video clips and more) and allow them to meet new people, further expanding their network

Social Media or Social Networks?

Possibly you are already confused between networks and social media. However, it is essential to explain that they are not the same thing. For this reason, we are going to distinguish them at this moment.As I already mentioned, social networks are the teams of connections and interrelationships that we have with other people. And social media are platforms that guarantee that that happens.Still confused? It is clear once we know that both have the possibility of serving as platforms to preserve our own networks of interrelations, however, social networks have that as their primary characteristic and remain in what we classify as social media.

The history of social media

The human being has the need to relate. That is why social networks have always existed. But here we are going to show the history of social networks in the online environment.

And it was exactly out of wanting to find people that social media emerged.

Imagine getting in touch with your school friends easily online! What is now super easy and affordable, was a tremendous novelty in the 90s. With this idea came, in 1995, the world's first social network idea, ClassMates, which still exists.

But if we think of a social network like the ones we have today, with chat, exchange of opinions, profiles and publications, Six Degrees was the first, in 1997.

Although it was not as successful as Friendster, whose purpose was to help users find a partner and which became real in 2002.

It got 3 million users in just a few months, having its end decreed by the server, which could not bear the overwhelming number of accesses.

In the same year, LinkedIn was launched, the professional social network that is still the most popular today.

In 2003 MySpace was born, which dethroned Friendster in a short time, and in 2004, Facebook emerged, which by 2008 had already taken the first place away from MySpace.

Facebook emerged as a platform to connect students from Harvard University, USA, and today it remains undefeated as the most popular social network in the world. However, the other networks have managed to reinvent themselves, which has kept them in force until today.

Twitter for its part was born in 2006, Tumblr in 2007, Instagram in 2010, Snapchat and Google + in 2011.

What are the types of social networks?

We can classify social networks into two categories. I'll show you some examples of each:

Horizontal social networks

They are aimed at the general public and do not have a specific theme. Its main objective is simply to promote connections between people. Among them are:

Facebook It is the fastest growing social network in the world, it allows you to connect and interact with friends, family and meet other people.

It also offers tools for businesses that allow brands to bring their audience closer and boost their growth. Today it exceeds 2,000 million users.

Source: TechCrunch

Twitter It is defined as a social network but also as a microblogging platform, since it allows publishing posts of only 280 characters (probably 140), called tweets.

Users have their profile and can follow other profiles (including brands, media, politicians, etc.) to keep up to date on their updates.

Vertical social networks

All specialized social networks fall into this category. There are professional, academic, video, photography, tourism, music, to find a partner, etc. (the imagination is the limit!).

Among the vertical social networks, some of the most popular are:

Youtube The largest video sharing website on the Internet. Many do not see it as a social network, but the truth is that by allowing users to connect and share information with each other, YouTube is classified as a social network.

This site also allows you to create and customize your profile, upload videos, follow other channels and add their videos to your lists, comment, vote and share videos.

LinkedIn With 15 years old, Linkedin is the most used professional social network in the world.

Its objective is to promote labor relations by putting people in contact with companies and companies with each other.

It has 500 million active users in a month, including 9 million companies located in more than 200 countries.

Advantages of social networks

Companies and individuals can have great opportunities by using these means in an organized and structured way. Here we list some of the main advantages of social networks.

They help increase traffic to your website, since you can generate content that leads to your site.

You can also share information directly from your site on your social networks.

They generate new connections in general. As I already mentioned, social networks help us to make new contacts, which may be new clients, suppliers, partners, etc.

Disadvantages

They can become victims of cyberbullying and phishing.

They expose themselves to people they often do not know, publishing personal information.

They become victims of viruses and corrupted softwar

[blkgirlsinthefuture]

Black Magic and Defense Against the White Arts: Assimilation, Identity, and Purpose in Higher Education and the Internet

Black Student Union and Black Caucus are two very different organizations that, in their respective series, serve an important narrative purpose: to introduce the audience to what Blackness is on a certain college campus and how that Blackness congregates into something that resembles a community. In BLACK ENOUGH, the Black Student Union (Weston) is Blackness as multifaceted yet unified - whether you were from Queens or the Caribbean, whether you wore your hair in afros or in braids, if you fit a broad (but admittedly not broad enough) definition of Blackness, you were to be part of the one (non-Greek) Black organization on campus. In Dear White People, however, Black Caucus shows Blackness as an alliance: the Caucus was not a unified entity, more so a forum for various different Black organizations to congregate and discuss the tea of the week; these organizations included CORE, Black AF, the Black Student Union (Winchester), and the African-American Student Union.

I wonder which entity Amaya may have fit better in during her Black Welcome Week - if both Black Student Union and Black Caucus existed, which would she have chosen, if either at all? It’s important to acknowledge that both Weston and Winchester are PWIs/HWIs, with long histories of slavery and segregation; in these institutions, Black people don’t exactly have the luxury of bountiful representation in bodies of power - they have to make their own spaces where they can, whether in 1965 or 2021. As a result of lack of representation, a lot of racism (especially microaggressions) is perpetrated and it is a chore to get White people (and even some Black people) to understand the impact of these incidents. In “Algorithms of Oppression”, Safiya Umoja Noble details how Black minorities in our physical world manifest in the digital as machines, systems designed to oppress Black people. Part of resisting this coded manifestation of White supremacy is to build Black communities, and this is where Noble and BLACK ENOUGH share a common ground: they both make the digital part of their framing with #BlackGirlMagic and “#BlackGirlMagicPotion”. The act of making a hashtag is the act of putting a flag in the ground and summoning people to it in order to build a city around this phrase and ideals that underlie it. #BlackGirlMagic celebrates the multitude of ways in which Black women and girls exist and thrive and create and challenge in a world that is intent on tearing them down on all fronts. On the flip side, though, “#BlackGirlMagicPotion” exposes what happens when certain Blacknesses are excluded from the equation, barred from the city. Amaya is kept out of #BlackGirlMagic yet is constantly invited inside anyway; even if she’s constantly asked to join the Black Student Union, it is with the expectation that she needs to majorly change. Amaya dances with White groups instead of going to Black parties, she doesn’t say “finna” and she can’t really twerk, she relaxes her hair instead of wearing it natural, and this all implicitly makes her a pariah in some Black spaces.

When people talk about Black culture and Black community, they often have a very monolithic notion of what that entails: rap and hip-hop, Malcolm X and W.E.B Dubois, dreadlocks and baby curls, fuck the police and free the Black brutha. Growing up, I didn’t identify with much of any of this, and it instilled in me a pervasive anti-Blackness (especially against Black men) that I am still trying to unlearn to this day. The complexities of identity are often controlled by White simplicity. You actually care about school? Black people don’t care about school, so you’re not really Black - you’re better than them, something else… something White. The many Black characters that Amaya interacts with speak a thousand words with their looks at her: she spends too much time with White people, she’s forgotten how to be Black. While this perspective has some merit, it doesn’t capture the whole picture. What I am continuing to learn is that Blackness is everywhere and in everything - there is nothing out there for White people that Black people haven’t carved out space for themselves in - nerd- and geekdom, for example, can be magnificently Black spaces, even if stereotypes of Black people would refuse to acknowledge that.

Amaya’s journey, like my own, is one where she learns that she doesn’t need to be the Black girl others expect her to be; she can make her own Blackness, using the ingredients of her own lived experiences, to create a new, unique, and just-as-great #BlackGirlMagicPotion. And just as Amaya comes to embrace this in Weston’s halls, we too can embrace our own potions in the digital realm; social media a dangerous yet powerful tool for community-building and self-loving. Thanks to social media, Black people around the world have been able to meet each other and break down cultural barriers that would otherwise have kept them apart. Still, we must be vigilant - Noble is not starry-eyed about the role of technology in Black lives, but she still offers hope for a future where, if we are critical, we can survive and may even start to change that which oppresses us, that our Black magic potions can be potent defenses against the White supremacist arts.

-Jonathan

[howdytherepardner]

a tale of two fountains or maybe tributes to "great men"

spires of caverns and pits and spikes; all in aggregate seem to suggest that it could not all have been constructed with care yet each one constructed with too much care for one to bear. cascading semi-chlorinated water separated and dispersed through multitude arteries abruptly exposed to the world around it, standing alone in a vernal pool tucked between decadence and the machines driving legacies of wealth and influence. despite the drapings of grandeur and the mythos surrounding it, it is not unknowable. any outside perspective would give you something to remember it by, but the spears are not a strong enough defense to hides its insides. this unrelenting, static chaos holds an eye of stability; not precise to guarantee protection, but enough to assure that anyone brave enough to venture within will know some measure of relief from the world that surrounds it and the world that it is.

~

i wander down an exposed stairwell with my prox and a towel, wearing only a linting mask and old swim shorts. the paved surfaces that my journey follows range from smoother cement to asphalt jagged with berries from trees that would never realize their evolutionary purpose. it is not the first time i have decided to sit under the fountain of freedom ahead of me arriving at it, but it is the first in memory that i have been so prepared. normally, a pair of briefs would get soaked while too many things sat on the stairs anticipating the emergence of my dripping form, which would continue until i made it back to my room. but there i was. i have never been particularly good at meditation, and would only claim to have “achieved” a meditative state a few moments in my life, but media depictions of water falls as a particular source for finding some form of releasing outer thoughts; it seems to work well enough, but perhaps i just enjoy the spectacle. this night, there were only a few pairs that sat along the side of water, so not too much of an audience, but enough for me to wonder what they thought as i hung my towel and mask on “Double Sights” and sloshed my way to the tower. normally i might set myself directly under a narrow cascade or in the eye, but this session i remained at a static point in orbit: my legs soaked and my arms quickly coated by innumerable droplets, but my hair only catching the most divergent skydivers, the back of my neck losing its dryness only to sweat and humidity.

it’s a place of security, your conversations drowned out by incessant waters, and in close enough proximity, your own thoughts as well. that was the aim of my venture up campus. i’ve been struggling to fall asleep lately. my body will be exhausted from interactions and activities (walking to class? inconceivable) enough that i give up on work earlier in the night and pray that an earlier sleep will restore some greater stamina. the mind however is plagued with sensations of the time that i’m wasting THERE ARE ONLY 22 WEEKS OF SCHOOL LEFT AND YOU’RE SITTING IN YOUR FUCKING ROOM WHAT HAPPENED TO THE YOU THIS SUMMER WHO WAS READY TO SEE PEOPLE AND LIVE AGAIN, the regrets i am well beyond amending THIS IS JUST HOW YOU WERE FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE YEAR HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING WITH YOUR IVY LEAGUE TRANSCRIPT, and other anxieties I AM FAILING ALREADY. I AM INDEED TAKING IT ALL FOR GRANTED, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT PRINCETON OPINION PERSON? I AM DISAPPOINTING MY FRIENDS AND EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER INVESTED CAUSE OR CONCERN IN MY SUCCESS AND WELL-BEING. of course, the mind is of body as well, and these permeate through the rest of me. i haven’t felt health for a while THOUGH I’M SURE THAT’S JUST THE COVID THAT I’VE DEFINITELY CONTRACTED AND SPREAD TO MY LOVED ONES or the scattered eating and sleeping schedule compounding into no full restoration. most of the time, this leads to a shirtless run on the towpath (if i’m not doing school work, i might as well perfect this bag of bones), but Ida has eroded many segments to the bottom of the canal, so darker nights may not be the best for it AND MY VISION SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE EVERY DAY, SO IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THE BODY SURRENDERS ANY SHRED OF WORTH ENTIRELY.

but that night was not humid, and chilly waters woke me to ensure i was fully experiencing my slate slowly being washed away. worries seem to just slip away from me, like a patagonia in any of the clubs’ coat rooms. i feel the effortless mind of my body switch on the ignition, turning all engines to ensure that i freezen’t in the water, and i can stretch each muscle individually as i am asked to confront the prospect of how this form is treated. and i can breathe again, full and deep, and i feel like i am able to get up and face the world as it comes once more.

~

Scudder Plaza may be the most relaxing spot on campus: you can catch the cooling spray from James FitzGerald’s monumental sculpture, Fountain of Freedom, or be soothed by the sounds of its cascading water. At twenty-three feet high, Fountain of Freedom is one of the largest cast bronze sculptures in the U.S. Inspired by the rugged beauty of the artist’s native Pacific Northwest, the grooves, channels, and spires of the six-ton sculpture—reminiscent of naturally eroded forms—are meant to symbolize Woodrow Wilson’s aspirations and frustrations. … Seven hundred gallons of water are recirculated through the fountain each minute and are sprayed through an intricate system of fifty major pressure valves and more than 1,000 pin-hold jets. (x)

~

but tower 4 is some distance from those 4 towers. and without jets pushing them back, many things come crawling back. i am looking down to the basement cafe with its lights out, wondering if the people coming my way were laughing at my relative under-dress, when i decide that i cannot go home yet. i complete another barefoot walk across campus, and lay my towel down as a seat at my penultimate resting place.

~

its silhouette a vague enough [cardioid of sorts] to prevent any association based on shape alone, your expectations may be higher than what you need. it is a piece of furniture in name and in relativity to form, something regarded briefly in the minds’ eye and then passed by just as quickly. its flows ooze at a steady rate, in synch such that it never appears to be moving at all; the only proof that it is, really, is the shading below coming from beyond the light and the drippings at its bottom hidden from view. those surface shimmers make a soft sound, but on touch simply flow between the fingertips. a single indentation on the surface has received a few stones of the many that live below its form, placed there by hands other than its creator; certainly, they gave their vision the precise amount of care and intent required to manifest it. an illusion that what it emits has eroded it over many years to a smooth shape, but with the truth that it is still very young and remains solid within.

~

it would not feel quite right to sit atop einstein’s table, so i sit on the concrete next to the square of rocks. even with consistent eye contact, its subtle streaming does little to shield spectators from the world outside. a car driving by listening to top hits from summers past, a few pedestrians making their pilgrimage for late night snacks; every little itch on the surface of my skin, and of course, bare exposure to every THIS and THAT in a state of overwhelming stillness. but in all, it comes to pass, and my brain is left backtracking to the overwhelming stillness i have known in recent months. i am nostalgic for my University Mandated Quarantine Walks, particularly one alone in the mountain lakes preserve after my first snow back. i am nostalgic for early autumn days looking at the sun reflected off a pond. i am nostalgic for the waiting to find out where i’d spend my junior year, the waiting to receive messages and letters from friends. restless simplicity, anticipation for better things that, well, i guess are supposed to be the present. it doesn’t really feel that way now. as SENTIMENTS have alluded to, i am struggling to make it through right now. instead of a senior year that serves as the culmination of all that came before, i feel instead trapped in shitty replays of the past 3 years. like a script composed of false cognates, it feels like i understand what is happening right now and it makes no sense.

~

Near the earthwork is “Einstein’s Table,” made of jet mist granite and inspired by Albert Einstein’s theory on black holes. Lin noted that the theory was validated last year during the creation of the table. Outer space and constellations were a source of inspiration for both projects, she said.

During the hourlong conversation, Lin shared details of her process from start to finish, which included many adjustments along the way. “With every artwork there might be six to eight models,” she said. “I’m always teaching myself about the site, so that I’m preparing myself for what it’s going to be like to be on site.” (x)

~

but i think i am mostly wondering about how similarly others are feeling. it appears to me that my peers are sliding right back into the chaos of the now, festive in the face of it all and doing everything i tell myself i should be doing right now. do i come off that way to them? does anyone really know how to express these feelings 100 leagues below the surface, or is it just me? what feels true to me, and what leads me to rise from my seat next to the table and return home, is that i must continue. there is little option now but to follow through on this all until the end of the line, whenever it may come; maybe that comes easier for some people now, but i think i’ll make it eventually. i am not entirely sad and i am not entirely happy, but i am here. i think i want to help people despite not being perfect at it, and i am here. all things for granted or not, i am here. i will continue to get cold under one monument and never deny the temptation to touch another passing by, because i know those are things i like to think. i hope you know you can talk to me always.

[d-l-dare]

“Free Will”

What if your entire life was created for the soul purpose of doing a single thing to interact with someone else. What if that someone else was destined for something greater, the main character as some might call it. Your only purpose is accidently bumping their shoulder on the street, causing them to drop whatever they were holding? If that were the case, what purpose would your life serve, if any at all?

My boyfriend and I were at home, enjoying a meal he'd brought home after he'd gotten off work. How'd he know I loved Chinese food so much?

There was nothing I loved more than spending time with my boyfriend, Mike. I remember us meeting like it was yesterday. And all the times we spent together before eventually getting an apartment together. He was a hard worker at a lumber company while I stayed home and made sure everything around the house was okay. I was perfectly fine with working, don't get me wrong, he just wasn't a fan of me working. He claimed that it should be the man's responsibility to bring home the money. I wasn't about to argue, I loved having a vacation from working hard everyday. My only job was making sure he was happy. 

As I ate another mouthful of rice, when he asked me a question.

"Babe, what were you like as a kid?" he asked. "I've never heard you talk much about your past."

"Well, I was..." I paused. What was I like as a kid? My childhood is something that hadn't crossed my mind in longer than I could remember.

"Do you not remember either?" he asked, dropping his fork down onto the table.

"What do you mean either?" I asked. "Do you not remember your childhood?"

He shook his head. "And earlier today, I went to call my mom but my phone reacted as though it was a dead number. Does my mom not exist?"

What was he talking about? I suggested to him that perhaps his mom had just changed her number. He said he asked his little sister that was too young to move away on her own and she had no recollection of living with her. She didn't even have anything to say about their father.

I was beyond shocked. How could the world just suddenly alter to rip those people out of existence? I reached for my phone to dial my mom, but her contact wasn't in my phone. I went onto social media and couldn't find my mom, nor even my grandma on there anywhere. What the hell was happening to reality?

I tried as hard as I could to think back to my childhood. There wasn't a single thing, not even my mother's face at this point, that stood out to me. I tried thinking back to my earliest memory.

School? There was nothing.

Dating? There was nothing.

In fact, the earliest memory I could draw up was a month or so before Mike and I had even met. And this was the party of a friend that I must have been friends with before, for this was eventually how my man and I had even met.

Why was it that my earliest memory was centered around something that lead up to meeting my current boyfriend? And why were both of our parents missing from existence?

As I still had my phone out on social media, I saw a multitude of posts claiming that the same thing was happening to them. The could remember nothing before A year ago. We were lucky to have at least remembered meeting if this was the case worldwide.

The only thing my man and I could do was comfort each other, as there was nothing else we could do for a crumbling reality.

*** As days further progressed, we began losing more and more months from our lives. And the people nobody could remember would come up missing. There was a mass of people that had no idea what was going on and confused as hell by all the missing posters, especially those without a face.

My man and I were incredibly lucky to have each other. We were with each other almost every day, so we would easily find ourselves in each others lives. Although something truly terrifying haunts my thoughts. The earliest thing we remember is when we stopped just being friends and made our dating official. It was the one memory that held us close. What is going to happen to us when that day is also forgotten?

[battlestar-royco]

Let’s settle this once and for all: are the Illyrians MOC?

So, in writing the answer to this ask, I FINALLY put two and two together on something: another reason why SJ/M’s constant use of “golden-brown” to describe the I/llyrians doesn’t sit right is because that’s literally the only indication that they are MOC. Looking at fan art, it’s clear that some artists are going for a non-white skin tone. If so, then why don’t they look like MOC? Why is there so much contention and confusion around whether or not these men are white? I have been subconsciously baffled by this phenomenon for years, since AC0MAF came out in 2016. I don’t know why this took me so long to conclude, because people have been essentially saying the same thing about POC in SJ/M’s books since AC0MAF dropped, but here is the reason: in both the books and the art, their complexion is the only thing that indicates they are MOC. There’s a lot, as they say, to unpack here. This is gonna get long (seriously, RIP to your thumbs. I promise it’s half photos). Snip.

The Golden-Brown Suitcase

So. We have descriptions such as these (all emphasis mine; special thanks to @longsightmyth​ for pulling many quotes and citations!)...

1. about C/assian and A/zriel: “Like their High Lord, the males---warriors---were dark-haired, tan-skinned. But unlike Rhys, their eyes were hazel...”  (AC0MAF, pg. 140 B&N ebook).

2. “Cassian surveyed Rhys from head to foot, his shoulder-length black hair shifting with the movement” (140).

3. about A/zriel: “But the second male, the more classically beautiful of the two... Even the light shied from the elegant planes of his face” (140).

4. “I could have sworn Rhys’s golden-brown skin paled” (AC0WAR, pg. 223 Kindle edition).

5. “Color bloomed high on Azriel’s golden-brown cheeks” (254).

6. “I tried to catch Cassian’s gaze, but he was monitoring them closely, his golden-brown skin unnaturally pale” (280).

7. “But Nesta’s pale fingers gently probed his golden-brown skin” (514).

... spawning fan art en masse like this:

art courtesy: x x x

What’s wrong with this (these) picture(s)? They are white men with the complexions of MOC. The fandom (and thus artists) have nothing but “golden-brown” (a term that is notably introduced in AC0WAR, one installment after the I/llyrians first appear) to go on, so they default to imagining the I/llyrians as tanned Henry Cavill, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Viggo Mortensen types. You could simply lighten the value of the above artworks (but please DO NOT do this) and have white men. THIS is why, despite the golden-brown descriptor and the Darker-Than-Fayre skin tones in the fandom art, there is so much debate and confusion around whether or not the I/llyrians are MOC. Golden-brown skin with straight black hair, straight noses, and round light eyes do not a man of color make. Why not? Because “golden-brown” is a very nebulous term that can apply to countless skin tones and ethnicities. Some examples (... your THUMBS I’m so sorry slafajklsk):

^ Indian,

^ Mexican,

^ Guatemalan,

^ Hawaiian,

^ Afro-Caribbean,

^ and Filipino. For starters.

Now, why is it that upon first glance, you can tell that all the men in these photos are not white? Because race is constructed such that we can immediately identify it, whether subconsciously or consciously. We’re socially conditioned to recognize this in other people and immediately ascribe our own perception of their race and ethnicity onto them. Not only can you tell they are not white, but you also have a ballpark idea of where in the world they are from. Note the wide variance in thickness and texture of hair (head, facial, and body); the cool and warm undertones that change by the person; the wide, ridged, and/or downturned noses; eye shape, body type etc. So why can’t we put a finger on what the I/llyrians are supposed to look like as MOC? Why do so many people perceive them as white? Because SJ/M has no target ethnicity for the I/llyrians, meaning that they have no clarifying features to imply one specific ethnic background in the text or fan art. All we know for sure about the I/llyrians is that they are dark-haired, darker complected than the A/rcheron sisters, and they pale and blush. Vagueness regarding race always causes fandom to default to white, thus the general “tan white dudes” interpretation of the I/llyrians.

The Illyrian Suitcase

We’ve now come across another suitcase within this entire I/llyrian Ethnicity Moving Truck of stuff we need to unpack: the smidge of evidence that the I/llyrians are inspired by somewhere in the MENA region. Given the harem pants and henna-reminiscent tattoos that appear in the Nite Court, plus the mosques and clothing that appear in fandom edits and art, general “MENA” may be the closest approximation to I/llyrian ethnicity. However, the problems snowball from here.

1. The MENA label is far too general to treat as one single race/ethnicity. General fandom perception/depiction of I/llyrians does not nearly encompass the multitude of appearances someone could have if they are from the MENA region. Harem pants and henna are used in multiple countries, so it is impossible to pin down a non-monolithic appearance with just the Nite Court attire and “golden-brown” description.

2. The Nite Court and the I/llyrians are two separate entities. Not all V/elaris residents are I/llyrian, not all Nite courtiers are I/llyrian, and not even all Inner Circle members are I/llyrian. Therefore, we cannot conflate the Nite clothing and tattoos with I/llyrian culture.

3. This leads me to my next point: we still have white and non-I/llyrian characters wearing harem pants and tattoos. Fayre, M0r, and A/mren’s attire is not culturally meaningful to the Nite Court. It also clashes with sweaters and leggings, dresses made of chiffon, bell sleeves, and Elie Saab-reminiscent designs (ie Starfall, Court of Nightmares). Thus, the attire loses all internal consistency and meaning beyond the mood SJ/M wishes to set for a given scene, making the implication that their outerwear is meant to be sexy or aesthetic rather than culturally significant.

4. The I/llyrians as a race of POC meaninglessly perpetuate stereotypes. Granted, sexism exists in high fae society (ie Fayre being paraded as “Rice’s whore” in the CoN, M/or being treated as a commodity and broodmare, the lack of High Ladies), so the misogyny and violence against women are not unique to I/llyrians. We also get more than one I/llyrian main character, so they are not a complete monolith. But there are still issues. One, the I/llyrians are oppressed by the high fae. It is well documented that the high fae are the dominant race and look down upon lesser fae. This dichotomy has yet to be unpacked by SJ/M. Two, I/llyrian women are oppressed by I/llyrian men (wing-cutting, commodification, gender roles, etc). There are absolutely zero fleshed out I/llyrian women, so the only information we have about their experience and existence is through Fayre’s eyes and Rice’s word. This framing is white feminist at best, white savior-y at worst. Three, we only know I/llyrians who have assimilated into high fae culture. Rice, the High Lord, is half high fae and half I/llyrian. Only he and his friends, I/llyrians who have been “elevated” from bastard/oppressed I/llyrian status, know better than the other more “savage” I/llyrians. Coincidence? I think not.

The Lucien Suitcase

All this gets even more confusing when you consider the fact that SJ/M uses “golden-brown” as a blanket non-white coding tool. In the T0G series, at LEAST the following characters are described as golden-brown: S/artaq (T0D, pg. 345 Kindle edition), Nesrin (K0A, 180), and Irene (403). In AC0WAR, at LEAST the following are described as golden-brown: the I/llyrians, Vassa (685), and L/ucien (183, 302, 456). Our best approximation is that S/artaq and Nesrin are South Asian given their southern continent origin, Irene is part-black given her E/yllwe father, Vassa is... golden brown, and L/ucien is part black and part white. The term is used so frequently that it is meaningless as an indicator for race. We’ve again found the golden-brown suitcase, which in SJ/M’s novels encases allll the aforementioned ethnicities and more. Again, this causes very anglicized and/or inconsistent looks to pop up in fan art:

x

x

x

Conclusion

it seems that the I/llyrians are MOC, based on the fact that they and other POC are frequently described as “golden-brown.” That said, the golden-brown descriptor is not enough. The I/llyrians do not serve their purpose as representative characters because they are not easily identifiable to their target demographic, nor are they a positive representation. In a social context where we are so trained to recognize these things, explicit media representation is much preferred, if not necessary. It is the reader’s prerogative---namely, non-white readers’ prerogative---to interpret these characters how they wish. We’d be unpacking a whole other house if we were to go into the meaning behind L/ucien as a black man, Irene as a black woman, Nesrin as South Asian, etc, and that is for another day. Thanks so much for reading all this way if you got this far. I know I’m extra, sorry. The creative writing/women’s and gender studies major jumped out lmao. My inbox is always open if you want to parse that out or if you have any further questions!

[walaw717]

“The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that its center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.” ― Black Elk

I heard the phrase “you are the Indians now” over three decades ago.  

I do not remember exactly who said it, I think it was in a conversation with Russel Means,   if was said in a speech or to me privately, but that does not matter much. I heard it the other day in a commercial Hollywood production, “You are the Indians now” and realized that  industrial colonial commercial America was finding one more way to take the strength and power out of the words we need to survive. When a phrase is taken out of human context it begins to lose its power. When a thing is commercialized it quickly become trite.

We must understand that this phrase, “you are the Indian now” actually does have meaning and power. It is a reality we all need to understand as we are demeaned, bullied , locked down and social distanced by those we have given economic, military and political authority to – what Eisenhour called “the military industrial complex”.  To understand this all we need to do is look at how the authority of the military industrial complex that stretches  back through American history has been used to the “profit” of the few at the expense of the many.

America was opened  by the ever-expanding greed of the Euro-Asians.  The Spanish who had recently broken the rule of what they considered an occupying Afro-Asian power, Islam, began to assert itself and in its assertion of its power created the voyage of Columbus not as a voyage of discovery but as a voyage of economic power and expansion. Columbus’s voyage was quickly followed by Cortez, Pizzaro and a multitude of the leaders of Spain’s military industrial complex. ( Even though this term had not been invented yet it is the appropriate shorthand for those who would rule.)

Push forward barely 300 years and  South America, plundered as thoroughly as the Spanish could in their own areas of captured authority saw another economic power create a myth of shaking off the plunderers to the north, the English, and form a new  “non colony” colonial power.  

It was a strange combination forces that created the United States – men of considerable economic authority created an economic war but based upon  human principles of freedom and self-governance. The reality is they laid the foundation a great colonial power. They used  the power of myth and spirituality to unite the colonials  and in time won an economic war against the mother corporation. These were smart men and oddly sincere, with possibly only Jefferson understanding the dangers inherent in the authority of economic power. Jefferson spoke strongly about  not giving  economic power and control to bankers, yet Hamilton did, and created the source of the force that was to colonize north America through the military industrial complex that slowly grew, in it’s need and greed for land and all the resources it contained – animal, mineral, lumber.

“So Indian policy has become institutionalized and the result has been that American people have become more dependent on government and that the American people have become more dependent on corporations.” ~ Russell Means

The devastation that followed for the American Indian nations was total and it was accomplished at first by outright war and disease and  later by confinement, control of movement , isolation and most of all by breaking the power of the spiritual structures of each community that was conquered. This occurred in America while the European economic powers did the same to Africa and Asia.

It is important to understand that behind all this “colonization” were corporations – powerful economic institutions controlled mostly by men, institutions  built upon the love of “growth, development, money, possession” feeding their narcissism. These were and are men (and women) who truly believed that they were creating a better world though pillage of communities around the world and breaking the  local social and spiritual systems they encountered.

And today – here we are again.

The corporations are supporting political authority that use that authority to again break people to the will of the power of corporate economics.  

Do not be fooled by thinking that the corporate war between Donald Trump and the Globalists is in your interest.  It is a war about who will control the economy of the world. And it is not a race war – though the corporatists want you to think that.  The heads of the corporations are as much Chinese, Arab and African today as they are American, French , Swiss and German.  Race becomes the bait for the conflict which allows them to distract us while they remake the few institutions, we have that are foundational for us to not all become slaves to their consumer machine.  And just as they did with  American Indians, African and Asians, one of the fundamental tenets of corporate power is that  we need to be separated from the land and from each other and the social and spiritual cohesion that  healthy societies have.

Are these people knowingly evil?  Not really . Well maybe some are.  

They do meet together at places like Davos and the G – summits, however many are part of the economic powers at the moment and discuss how to wring the greatest “wealth” for themselves out of the earth. Do not think for a moment however that they are really concerned for your welfare other than as a commodity which they can exploit.

The activist/poet John Trudell says this well –

“It’s like there is this predator energy on this planet, and this predator energy feeds on the essence of the spirit.”

The worldwide lock downs have crushed the poor, increased domestic violence, suicide and  fear. We all know this – at least those who continue to not trust a government that they understand is the hand maiden of the industrial/commercial/ colonial ruling class.

“The darkest secret of this country, I am afraid, is that too many of its citizens imagine that they belong to a much higher civilization somewhere else. That higher civilization doesn’t have to be another country. It can be the past instead—the United States as it was before it was spoiled by immigrants and the enfranchisement of the blacks. This state of mind allows too many of us to lie and cheat and steal from the rest of us, to sell us junk and addictive poisons and corrupting entertainments. What are the rest of us, after all, but sub-human aborigines?”― Kurt Vonnegut

This has played out it the media as a racist battle, but it is no longer, if it ever was, about race. It is about exploitation. It is about breaking the populations of the world into a weakened consumer serving class.  

The economic authoritarians have used a broken economic theory, socialism, to create turmoil with its false promise of  a new age and we, now educated by the schools they took control of fifty years ago,creating a watered down curricula that discourages thinking and enhances  emotion, have used Marxism to create a fundamental break in our society.  The people founding and  running BLM are as much operatives for the colonial driven Chinese oligarchy as the Chinese scholar spies in our universities. But again, it is not just the Chinese nor just rich white people – it is the authority class – those who control the flow of information as well as the power of the ability to work.

We are all Indians now, and African and Asian who have felt the power of the colonial might of the corporations to lock us in our homes, to cover our faces live oppressed muslim women, to comply out of fear. 

Colonialism is not new, and it is not white, though its latest  historic manifestation was white beginning with the Spanish rape of central and South America. Colonialism is historic, it does not know race – it is when one people believe they have the right and the authority to  use other people to  gain wealth for themselves.  The Mongols who swept out of Asia into Eastern Europe and India, the  Muslims who charged out of Arabia and north Africa were as much colonizers as the Persian , Romans, Greeks, Egyptians.  The real tool that all colonizers use is the dehumanization of other men women and children and  create them as commodities either on the slave block  or on the corner of the block talking about the latest phoney fad created in shoes.

When one looks at world history there seems to be a certain inevitability to this colonial oppression.

There is really only one hope and that lies in the spiritual path of  turning to a larger power than all of us whether we call it god, grandfather, mother earth – and becoming fully human in our relationships. To do that means we turn away from  consumerism and turn toward our relationship with all life that we share on this earth. And we fight back, we refuse to surrender our individual faces, our shared life and death and grief.  Although the churches, mosques, synagogues and temples have at times been as much of the problem as the solution  the fact that  those in authority do not want us to gather there speaks volumes to the power of the spiritual life and the need to gather there to good purpose. 

Again John Trudell - “We have power… Our power isn’t in a political system, or a religious system, or in an economic system, or in a military system; these are authoritarian systems… they have power… but it’s not reality. The power of our intelligence, individually or collectively IS the power; this is the power that any industrial ruling class truly fears: clear coherent human beings.”

[spinnerofrubies]

Being is your most important task right now – there is no doing involved!  Being is to accept yourselves in this moment . . . and this moment . . . and this moment, without judgment or negative self-assessment of any kind.

The vast majority of humans have learned during their formative years that they must do or not do certain things in order to be accepted and loved by their parents, siblings, families, and teachers or caregivers.  Just being is discouraged because it appears that there is so much that needs to be done, and that hard work is an essential aspect of a successful life, while doing nothing is seen as a waste of time, as laziness.

To a certain extent this is a valid concept.  However, and for vast numbers of people, work has become life’s purpose – even though they may often dream of being free, of having holidays away from the stress of normal daily living – thus separating them from the fullness of their being!  Being is who you are, and if you do not allow yourselves to spend plenty of time just being – and most of humanity does not – you cannot know yourselves.

When you were born into human life, the life of form, your memory of who you really are was lost to you.  This is because of that long ago choice to experience separation from Source.  If you retained your memory you would not experience separation.  However, Source knows that not only is separation impossible, and that therefore the experience of separation is harmless, She also knows that that experience is something you would – eventually – choose to terminate, and so your collective awakening process was established at the precise instant that you chose to experience separation, in order that it would be there for you to avail of as soon as you chose to do so.

Now vast numbers of you are making the choice to terminate the experience of separation, and in that choice you are finding or uncovering within yourselves the awakening process.

It has always been there.

God did not choose to have you spend millennia incarnating and incarnating and incarnating as you sought the way Home.  He placed it within you, clearly marked and labeled, so that when you chose to awaken the means was there.

Because you had chosen the separation experience that too was there for you, and although it presented you with a multitude of lessons to learn which seemed to insist that you undergo many incarnations to complete the learning process, there was and is no requirement for you to do so.

Over the eons humanity became addicted to the distractions and excitements of the separation experience – duality, right versus wrong, good versus evil, love versus fear – that being in form made possible, and you came to believe that one life in form was all that you would get, so you had better make the most of it.

Yes, many cultures established myths and religions that spoke of an afterlife, and of the karmic necessity for many reincarnations, but those too were distractions.

You are, each and every one of you – in every moment of your existence – One with Source, Love, Mother/Father/God in your own unique and individual way, and so you will each find or uncover your own unique way Home to that state of eternal knowing.

The myths and religions were helpful at times, they were like incompleted maps which offered some directions, but which needed to be individualized as each of you was on a different spot on that map.  But over time many of them they became power structures, which some used to control others with judgments of what was right and wrong, and with severe punishments imposed by the ‘authorities’ on this who refused to conform.

Now, as you move along through the awakening process toward Home, you are rediscovering your God-given sovereignty, your divine right to choose your own unique path.  Only your path will work for you.  

People are, therefore, breaking away from the bonds and restrictions of organized religions, with their idea of one path for all, and the judgments they have established to validate the truth of that, and of what is right or wrong.  They are coming to the realization that, yes, there is only Love, and that the only rule is to be loving at all times.

As you have been told so often, Love never judges or condemns, Love always accepts.  Those who live lovingly never intentionally harm or seek to harm or offend anyone.

When someone judges you or offers you uncalled for advice or guidance they are not offering you Love.  However, when someone listens to you compassionately without offering advice or guidance, she allows you to find yourself within yourself, if you choose to listen to yourself, hear yourself, understand what you have said, and then truly look within.

Looking within is the key to finding your awakening process, but many have been so traumatized, and have buried so much pain and suffering deep within themselves, that they are constantly seeking distraction from that insistent but very quiet call to go within.

They are terrified of what they will find there.  Yes, they will uncover shame, blame, unworthiness, and memories of unloving behaviors that have hurt them badly and with which they have harmed or hurt others.  But then, with the loving assistance of their individual support teams in the spiritual realms, they will be able to come to an understanding of why all this occurred, and through that understanding will be able to see the invalidity of those negative self-judgments, allowing them to forgive themselves, and any others who have harmed or shamed them.  The knowing that they are God’s beloved children will arise and confirm itself, and then they will be able to release their hold on the buried guilt and shame that they have been carrying for so long.

By releasing these burdens they allow and invite Love to embrace them, which It does instantly, and the result is an intense sense of inner peace, self-acceptance, and love for all.  It is the dropping or discarding of an enormously heavy and energy-draining burden or load, that serves neither them nor anyone else, and a marvelous experience of lightness and peace replaces it, as all the shoulds and musts, or shouldn’ts or mustn’ts just fall away, and, often for the very first time, the person feels FREE, ALIVE and filled with joy for life.

This is your natural state as a human, but it has been hidden, buried, unavailable because of all those invalid negative beliefs about yourselves that the various traumas you have undergone have ingrained deep within you.  Self-acceptance is essential, it is your path Home, and it is also, of course, the wonderful realization that Mother/Father/God, Source, Love is your nature, that you are One with That, and that THAT is YOU!

Humanity is awakening, and the realization of that ONENESS is dawning every day on more and more of you.  The evidence of this is available for all to see because of the ability that each has to cruise the world-wide-web and meet others who, like themselves, are enthusiastically choosing to awaken.

Do not engage with the ongoing dramas with which the mainstream and social media flood the airwaves in order to distract you.

Choose not to spend inordinate amounts of time checking phones, emails, and your favorite news sources, because doing so is extremely addictive.  Instead set a precise and very brief time period no more than twice daily – morning and evening, perhaps – to learn what you feel you need to know about local or world affairs, and then get on with LIFE.

The miracle that is life reveals itself to you in every moment if you pay attention by being mindful, instead of engaging with the negative thought patterns that flow automatically and uninvited through your minds whenever you let your awareness stop being aware.

You are awakening, it is the divine Will that you do so, and the divine Will is always perfectly achieved.

Therefore let go of or release your tight and fearful grip on doubts and ‘what if’ thoughts that do not serve you, and allow the Love, that you and every conscious entity truly is, to embrace you, inspiring and uplifting you as you go about your daily lives in form.

Your loving brother, Jesus.