#but that was a more credible integration

[fideidefenswhore]

hmmm.

[addictedgallery]

Is This Online Art Gallery Legit? Some Handy Tips on How to Spot the Real Deal

☠️ Skulduggery is everywhere! ☠️

Click HERE to learn more...

[neverendingford]

.

[littleblondesoprano]

A real AI/ML Capstone question, up for debate in this week's Discussion Forum.

The real answer is none, because that's terrifying as fuck.

Let me reiterate: this is a real thing being considered. Whether it's deemed ethical or not doesn't matter - the fact that we're considering it is fuckign BONKERS. I hate it.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Bluesky and enshittification

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

I would like to use Bluesky. They've done a bunch of seriously interesting technical work on moderation and ranking that I truly admire, and I've got lots of friends there who really enjoy it.

But I'm not on Bluesky and I don't have any plans to join it anytime soon. I wrote about this in 2023: I will never again devote my energies to building up an audience on a platform whose management can sever my relationship to that audience at will:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/06/fool-me-twice-we-dont-get-fooled-again/

When a platform can hold the people you care about or rely upon hostage – when it can credibly threaten you with disconnection and exile – that platform can abuse you in lots of ways without losing your business. In other words, they can enshittify their service:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/17/hack-the-planet/#how-about-a-nice-game-of-chess

I appreciate that the CEO of Bluesky, Jay Graber, has evinced her sincere intention never to enshittify Bluesky and I believe she is totally sincere:

https://www.wired.com/story/bluesky-ceo-jay-graber-wont-enshittify-ads/

But here's the thing: all those other platforms, the ones where I unwisely allowed myself to get locked in, where today I find myself trapped by the professional, personal and political costs of leaving them, they were all started by people who swore they'd never sell out. I know those people, the old blogger mafia who started the CMSes, social media services, and publishing platforms where I find myself trapped. I considered they friends (I still consider most of them friends), and I knew them well enough to believe that they really cared about their users.

They did care about their users. They just cared about other stuff, too, and, when push came to shove, they chose the worsening of their services as the lesser of two evils.

Like: when your service is on the brink of being shut down by its investors, who demand that you compromise on privacy, or integrity, or quality, in some relatively small way, are you really going to stand on principle? What about all the users who won't be harmed by the compromise, but will have their communities and online lives shattered if you shut down the company? What about all the workers who trusted you, whose family finances will be critically imperilled if you don't compromise, just a little. What about the "ecosystem" partners who've bet on your service, building plug-ins, add-ons and services that make your product better? What about their employees and their employees' families?

Maybe you tell yourself, "If I do this, I'll live to fight another day. I can only make the service better for its users if the service still exists." Of course you tell yourself that.

I have watched virtually every service I relied on, gave my time and attention to, and trusted, go through this process. It happened with services run by people I knew well and thought highly of.

Enshittification can be thought of as the result of a lack of consequences. Whether you are tempted by greed or pressured by people who have lower ethics than you, the more it costs to compromise, the fewer compromises you'll make.

In other words, to resist enshittification, you have to impose switching costs on yourself.

That's where federation comes in. On Mastodon (and other services based on Activitypub), you can easily leave one server and go to another, and everyone you follow and everyone who follows you will move over to the new server. If the person who runs your server turns out to be imperfect in a way that you can't endure, you can find another server, spend five minutes moving your account over, and you're back up and running on the new server:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/04/pick-all-three/#agonism

Any system where users can leave without pain is a system whose owners have high switching costs and whose users have none. An owner who makes a bad call – like removing the block function say, or opting every user into AI training – will lose a lot of users. Not just those users who price these downgrades highly enough that they outweigh the costs of leaving the service. If leaving the service is free, then tormenting your users in this way will visit in swift and devastating pain upon you.

That not only helps you steer clear of rationalizing your way into a bad compromise: it also stops your investors and other people with leverage over you from pressuring you into taking actions that harm your users. These devils only sit on your shoulder, whispering temptations and threats, because they think that you can make things worse without spoiling their investment. They're not cruel, they're greedy. They will only insist on enshittification that they believe they can profit from. If they understand that forcing you to enshittify the service will send all your users packing and leave them with nothing, they will very likely not force you to wreck your service.

And of course, if they are so greedy that they force your hand anyway, then your users will be able to escape. Your service will be wrecked and you'll be broke, which sucks for you, but you're just one person and your pain is vastly outweighed by the relief for the millions of people who escape your service when it goes sour.

There's a name for this dynamic, from the world of behavioral economics. It's called a "Ulysses Pact." It's named for the ancient hacker Ulysses, who ignored the normal protocol for sailing through the sirens' sea. While normie sailors resisted the sirens' song by filling their ears with wax, Ulysses instead had himself lashed to the mast, so that he could hear the sirens' song, but could not be tempted into leaping into the sea, to be drowned by the sirens.

Whenever you take a measure during a moment of strength that guards against your own future self's weakness, you enter into a Ulysses Pact – think throwing away the Oreos when you start your diet.

There is no such thing as a person who is immune to rationalization or pressure. I'm certainly not. Anyone who believes that they will never be tempted is a danger to themselves and the people who rely on them. A belief you can never be tempted or coerced is like a belief that you can never be conned – it makes you more of a mark, not less.

Bluesky has many federated features that I find technically admirable. I only know the CEO there slightly, but I have nothing but good opinions of her. At least one of the board members there, Mike Masnick, is one of my oldest friends and comrades in the fights for user rights. We don't agree on everything, but I trust him implicitly and would happily give him the keys to my house if he needed a place to stay or even the password for my computer before I had major surgery.

But even the best boards can make bad calls. It was just a couple years ago that we had to picket to stop the board of ISOC – where I had several dear old friends and comrades – from selling control of every .ORG domain to a shadowy hedge-fund run by mustache-twirling evil billionaires:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/12/how-we-saved-org-2020-review

Bluesky lacks the one federated feature that is absolutely necessary for me to trust it: the ability to leave Bluesky and go to another host and continue to talk to the people I've entered into community with there. While there are many independently maintained servers that provide services to Bluesky and its users, there is only one Bluesky server. A federation of multiple servers, each a peer to the other, has been on Bluesky's roadmap for as long as I've been following it, but they haven't (yet) delivered it.

That was worrying when Bluesky was a scrappy, bootstrapped startup with a few million users. Now it has grown to over 13 million users, and it has taken on a large tranche of outside capital:

https://fediversereport.com/on-bluesky-and-enshittification/

Plenty of people have commented that now that a VC is holding Bluesky's purse-strings, enshittification will surely follow (doubly so because the VC is called "Blockchain Capital," which, at this point, might as well be "Grifty Scam Caveat Emptor Capital"). But I don't agree with this at all. It's not outside capital that leads to enshittification, it's leverage that enshittifies a service.

A VC that understands that they can force you to wreck your users' lives is always in danger of doing so. A VC who understands that doing this will make your service into an empty – and thus worthless – server is far less likely to do so (and if they do, at least your users can escape).

My publishing process is a lot of work and adding another service to it represents a huge amount of future labor:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/13/two-decades/#hfbd

But I would leap into Bluesky and gladly taken on all that extra work, every day – if I knew that I couldn't get trapped there.

I don't know why Bluesky hasn't added the federation systems that would enable freedom of exit to its service. Perhaps there are excellent technical reasons to prioritize rolling out the other systems they've created so far. Frankly, it doesn't matter. So long as Bluesky can be a trap, I won't let myself be tempted. My rule – I don't join a service that I can't leave without switching costs – is my Ulysses Pact, and it's keeping me safe from danger I've sailed into too many times before.

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

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/02/ulysses-pacts/#tie-yourself-to-a-federated-mast

[floridaboiler]

20 Unspoken Rules for Men:

1. Never shake a hand sitting down.

Standing up shows respect and engagement. It signifies that you value the person you are meeting and are fully present in the interaction.

2. Protect who is behind you, and respect who is beside you.

This emphasizes loyalty and honor. Protecting those behind you means safeguarding your family, friends, and teammates. Respecting those beside you signifies recognizing the equality and value of your peers.

3. Never insult the cooking when you are the guest.

Showing gratitude and respect for hospitality is essential. Criticizing the cooking is disrespectful and ungrateful, especially when someone has gone out of their way to host you.

4. Never eat the last piece of something you didn't buy.

This rule underscores courtesy and consideration for others. It demonstrates awareness and respect for shared resources and the contributions of others.

5. Never make the first offer in a negotiation.

Letting the other party make the first offer can provide strategic advantages. It gives you insight into their expectations and can help you negotiate better terms.

6. Don't take credit for work you didn't do.

Integrity in acknowledging others' efforts is crucial. Taking undue credit undermines trust and damages your credibility.

7. Take the blame, and give credit when due.

Owning up to mistakes and recognizing others' contributions builds respect and trust. It shows maturity and leadership.

8. If you are not invited, don't ask to go.

Respecting boundaries and invitations is key to maintaining good social etiquette. It avoids awkward situations and respects the host’s intentions.

9. Always aim for the head.

This metaphorical rule can apply to many scenarios, implying that you should strive for excellence and precision in your efforts.

10. Don't beg for a relationship.

Self-respect and dignity are important. Desperation can lead to unhealthy dynamics and undervalues your worth.

11. Dress well no matter what the occasion.

Good grooming and dressing appropriately show respect for yourself and others. It also boosts confidence and makes a positive impression.

12. Always carry cash.

Being prepared for various situations, including emergencies, is practical. It reflects foresight and responsibility.

13. Listen, nod, and most of all make eye contact.

Active listening and non-verbal engagement are crucial for effective communication. They show that you value and are attentive to the speaker.

14. Show restraint in expressing anger, no matter what. Being angry is a waste of energy.

Managing anger is vital for maintaining composure and making rational decisions. It prevents regrettable actions and fosters a more positive environment.

15. Whether it's dinner, drinks, or both, avoid placing your phone on the dinner table.

Prioritizing face-to-face interactions over digital distractions shows respect and attentiveness to those present.

16. Never pose with alcohol.

Maintaining a responsible image is important. Posing with alcohol can convey unprofessionalism or recklessness.

17. Proper grammar will get you far in life. Leave the foul language for the less educated.

Good communication skills, including proper grammar, enhance your credibility and professionalism. Avoiding foul language shows respect and maturity.

18. Ask more than you answer.

Showing interest in others by asking questions fosters better relationships and understanding. It also demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn.

19. You can tell a great deal about a person by their handshake, so make yours strong and firm.

A firm handshake conveys confidence and sincerity. It is often the first impression you make, so it’s important to get it right.

20. Speak honestly. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Honesty builds trust and integrity. It involves being truthful and consistent, fostering deeper connections and mutual respect. Speaking honestly also means balancing truth with empathy and tact, ensuring that your words are respectful and considerate.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

writing a disorganized attachment style? Please, and thank you in advance.

Writing Notes: Disorganized Attachment Style

Disorganized Attachment

The most recently identified classification of attachment systems.

In the Strange Situation, a form of insecure attachment in which infants show no coherent or consistent behavior during separation from and reunion with their parents. Also called disoriented attachment.

General Attitude: “I am uncomfortable getting close to others and find it difficult to trust and depend on them. I worry I will be hurt if I get close to my partner.”

CAUSES

Associated with parenting that induces fear in the infant.

Arises from scenarios where a child’s attachment figure or parent is observably frightened or frightening when a child needs comforting or reassurance.

Involves frightening and violent behaviors from parents or caregivers and is, therefore, more common with families suffering from combined or distinct problems of child abuse, domestic violence, and family instability.

CONSEQUENCES

The severe long-term consequences for disorganized attachment systems include later dissociative disorders, anxiety disorders, and serious behavior problems.

Patterns of affective communication that result from frightened or frightening caregiver behavior (e.g., contradictory emotional cues, withdrawal) also correspond to infant disorganization.

PREVALENCE

Disorganization is more prevalent in samples with abuse or neglect and in samples with high levels of parental depression and unresolved loss.

Especially frequent among children who have been subjected to abuse or serious neglect.

Interpersonal Markers of a Disorganized Attachment Style

Proximity/distance: Fear proximity but feel lost without it

Trust/expectations of others: Strong distrust of others, fear of boundaries being breached or violated

Attitude to seeking and receiving help: Afraid of getting involved, but feel helpless

Expression and regulation of emotions: Absent or chaotic expressions of emotions, difficulties in regulating emotions

Self-image/self-esteem: Low self-esteem, incoherent self-image

Openness and self-disclosure: Are reticent about sharing thoughts and feelings, but involuntary ‘breakthroughs’ may occur

Dependence/independence: Strong conflict between the desire for independence and feelings of dependence

Conflict management: Conflicts may lead to breakdowns and inappropriate behaviour

Empathy: Own fear/helplessness hinders empathy and solicitude with others

Narrative Markers of a Disorganized Attachment Style

Coherence and credibility: Trauma-related material is unintegrated in the narrative and destabilizes it

Balance in descriptions: Incoherent, contradictory or suddenly changing descriptions of self and others

Dramatization/downplaying: Sudden shifts between dramatization and downplaying

Description of emotions: Absence of integrated descriptions of emotions, anxiety may ‘leak’ unintentionally

Abstraction/specificity: Both abstraction and episodic fragments are present, but are poorly integrated

Consideration of interlocutor/listener: Can be in ‘own world’ without a sense of the interlocutor, may at times frighten the listener

Verbosity: Can shift between reticence and verbosity

Narrative "orderliness": Abrupt shifts in the narrative in connection with trauma-related material

Mentalization: Magical reasoning and absence of mentalization in connection with trauma-related material

A theoretical and empirical distinction is made between organized attachment patterns (secure, avoidant, and ambivalent) and disorganized attachment patterns.

Later research has shown that children with disorganized attachment patterns often find their caregivers frightening, either because their behaviour towards the child is hostile or inappropriate, or because the caregivers themselves were traumatized and therefore become overwhelmed and incapable of supporting the child when needed (Lyons-Ruth and Jacobvitz, 2008).

This creates an unsolvable dilemma for the child:

The child’s attachment system urges the child to seek comfort from caregivers when scared.

However, if the caregiver is simultaneously the source of fear, the child experiences irreconcilable impulses to simultaneously approach and withdraw from the caregiver.

Like the ‘organized’ insecure attachment patterns, disorganized attachment is NOT in itself a sign of mental illness in a child.

However, out of the four attachment patterns, it is the pattern most systematically connected to mental problems in the long term (Dozier et al., 2008 , Greenberg, 1999).

Disorganized Attachment: As Adults

As adults, these individuals have difficulty with:

trust,

lack empathy towards others, and

are worried about their partner’s commitment.

These individuals engage in a push/pull dynamic, sometimes wanting intimacy and other times not wanting intimacy.

These individuals struggle to understand their emotions and downplay the importance of relationships.

Disorganized Attachment: In a Relationship

Experience conflicting desires for intimacy and fear of rejection or betrayal (Fearful-Avoidant).

Extremely inconsistent behavior and difficulty trusting others.

You might even go back and forth from seeking closeness with your partner to withdrawing in order to protect yourself from potential harm.

This may stem from childhood experiences of trauma, neglect or abuse.

Struggling to trust others and often feeling overwhelmed by emotional needs are indicators of a disorganized attachment style.

Other signs include:

Fear of rejection

Inability to regulate emotions

Contradictory behaviors

High levels of anxiety

Difficulty trusting others

Signs of both avoidant and anxious attachment styles

Understanding the different attachment styles can help empower people when it comes to recognizing relational patterns. Knowing your own attachment style will help you to cultivate healthier connections that you deserve! By practicing self-awareness and empathy, you can navigate attachment needs and communicate effectively with all relationships in life.

REMEMBER: Attachment styles learned through childhood CAN change.

When we enter relationships, each partner brings their own unresolved needs or fears. Partners often have different attachment styles, which guides their beliefs and behaviors within the relationship.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: On Attachment ⚜ Avoidant ⚜ Anxious ⚜ Secure

Hope this helps with your writing! Please use these notes as just quick references. More research may be needed to write your story.

[okcomputeroknotok19972017]

jokes aside, kendrick lamar is such a socially conscious musician who centers his artistry around vulnerability, introspection, and fighting for social justice -- based on reputation alone, i would be inclined to believe all of his accusations leveled at drake. allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault are extremely serious, and if they were false, it would completely contradict the years of credibility that kendrick has worked for. i doubt that someone with his level of integrity would lie about or exaggerate these claims. drake has been known as a creep for a while, but this is an entirely different level of predatory behavior. i expect that we'll see more and more testimony from victims and that legal proceedings may follow. i sincerely hope that every woman and girl who has been victimized by this ring of sex traffickers finds peace, vindication, and closure in the coming days, weeks, and months. remember that this current feud started with megan thee stallion, a survivor of domestic violence, speaking out against drake for defending her attacker and mocking her physical and emotional trauma. fuck drake and all his friends, i hope kendrick's next song is a recital of drake's routing number and answers to his bank security questions

[s-soulwriter]

Research Tips for Writing Your Book

Are you diving into the exciting world of writing and researching for your book project? Here's what you need to know to make your research journey a success:

Define Your Purpose: Before diving into research, have a clear understanding of your book's purpose and goals. Know the themes you want to explore and the message you wish to convey. This will give your research a focused direction.

Create a Research Plan: Outline the specific areas you need to research, set milestones, and establish deadlines. A well-structured research plan keeps you on track and helps you manage your time efficiently.

Use Multiple Sources: Diversify your sources. Books, academic papers, interviews, and digital resources each offer unique perspectives and insights. This diversity enriches your understanding and adds depth to your writing.

Organize Your Notes: Keep your research notes well-organized. Consider using digital tools like note-taking apps or physical notebooks with labeled sections for different topics. Efficient organization will save you time and effort later.

Fact-Check: Ensure the accuracy of your research. Verify any details that are crucial to your story or argument. Misinformation can erode your credibility and disrupt the reader's immersion.

Cite Sources Properly: Keep meticulous records of your sources and be diligent about citations. Use a recognized citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) to give credit to the authors and avoid plagiarism.

Interview Experts: Reach out to experts or people with firsthand knowledge relevant to your topic. Interviews can provide you with valuable insights, real-life experiences, and unique anecdotes to enhance your book.

Visit Relevant Places: If your book is set in a particular location, consider visiting it if possible. Experiencing the environment firsthand can help you capture its atmosphere, culture, and nuances more authentically.

Take Breaks: Research can be mentally taxing. Don't forget to take breaks to recharge and maintain a fresh perspective. Stepping away from your work can also lead to new insights and ideas.

Stay Open-Minded: Be open to unexpected discoveries during your research. Sometimes, the most profound insights come from unrelated sources or tangential information that you stumble upon while researching.

Keep a Journal: Maintain a research journal where you can jot down notes, ideas, and thoughts as they occur. This journal can serve as a valuable resource when you're writing your book.

Join Writing Communities: Connect with other writers in person or online. They can offer guidance, share their experiences, and provide emotional support when you face challenges during the research and writing process.

Revise and Refine: Don't think of research as a one-time activity. Continuously revisit and refine your research as your book evolves. New ideas or directions may emerge, and you may need to adjust your research accordingly.

Respect Copyright Laws: Understand the copyright laws applicable to your research. Ensure you have the rights to use specific materials, especially if you plan to incorporate them into your book. Obtaining permissions or licensing may be necessary.

Balance Research and Writing: While research is crucial, there comes a point where you must transition from research to writing. Avoid getting stuck in a perpetual research phase. Once you have enough information to start, begin writing and integrate research as needed in your work.

Remember that your research phase is an integral part of the creative process. It's where the foundation of your book is built, and it can be a fascinating journey in itself.But keep in mind, as you're writing your first draft, you can never know everything, never research everything. A second opinion is always good, and for that, you can ask friends, family, or even me on this blog.

[what-even-is-thiss]

Some people in my personal life have started suggesting again that I get a degree in classics or folklore considering my never ending study of those subjects but I really don’t want to learn Latin and also I think people don’t appreciate that I don’t study these things for the purpose of archeology or translation or things like that. The purpose I study these things for is as a writer.

I’m more of the sort interested in educating the general public on mythology and ancient history in the form of story and entertainment rather than translating things from various dialects of Ancient Greek and doing archeology work. My research is for the purpose of integrating these subjects into a creative work of fiction in an informed manner. I’m not the sort to write academic research papers and give talks at conferences.

The people getting a degree in classics and I have very different goals in life and very different purposes for the information we’re gathering. Yes I am self taught in these subjects and that’s going to remain a stain on my credibility to those who require a degree in a subject to believe you about certain things no matter the depths of your personal research but that matters little to me. I have no interest in being the world’s leading expert on an incredibly niche topic. I prefer to read books and articles written by those people.

[judesmoonbeauty]

The Robin’s Unaware of Ultimate Evil Behind The Scenes: Jude Jazza Chapter 2

Fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors. Cybird owns everything. Feel free to re-blog, but please do not post my translations elsewhere. Thank you, for you support! ☾.

Jude: Oi.

Ellis: Yeah.

Approaching the dealers outside the venue, we capture the people involved by restraining them with Ellis’ ability, and putting them to sleep with mine.

I threw them into the bushes so they wouldn’t be found, as I thought about how to deal with them —

Ellis: This is all the documented nobles to be captured, except for the Baroness.

It seems that most of the aristocrats who were supplying drugs to the working class were caught.

Ellis: By the way, what should we do with all these people here?

Ellis: Victor said that he’d leave it to us.

All the nobles selling drugs were men, and what's more, they all looked similar to each other.

(Is the Baroness' entourage, her group of lovers, or somethin’.)

Rumor has it that the Baroness was originally a high-class working woman.[1]

It seems that many young noblemen frequented the brothel.

(Guess she snagged the one who seemed to have the most money.)

Jude: Thought ‘bout sendin’ 'em to the lab, but nah.

When I grabbed one of the men by the neck and showed him to Ellis, his voice raised like he noticed something.

Ellis: Oh, this person…..

He’s a business rival of the trading company I run.

He is the son of a company president who had a lot of connections.

Jude: The son who’s the next successor, their credibility would crash if it was found out he was dealin’ drugs at the order of a high-class workin’ woman who’d gotten hitched.

This is especially true if the company is run with an image of integrity,

If he's having an affair, taking drugs, and on top of that, obsessed with a woman of a lower class than him, then negotiations will end quickly.

Jude: I’ll use that to clear out my territory.

Jude: Seems like business’s boomin’ lately.

Ellis: He’s a bad person.

Chuckling, Ellis stuffed all the other men’s drugs into the clothes of that guy.

Ellis: No matter how you look at it, he’s a bad person.

He further strips off the clothes of the other men, and rolls them into a conspicuous place.

Ellis: They should be arrested for public indecency.

Ellis: If they’re caught I’m sure they’ll say they sold drugs on the Baroness’ orders.

Ellis: Now we just have to find those who bought the drugs and capture her.

Ellis laughs as I pick up the cuff links that fell to the ground.

Jude: …..People like ya are the worst.

Ellis: Hehe, thanks.

Jude: Ain’t a compliment idiot.

Jude: Now, let’s capture the Baroness ‘n go home.

Ellis: Yeah, oh, wait a minute.

He found something that was in the man’s jacket that was stuffed with drugs.

Ellis: I saw someone with this at the venue.

Inside the pill case with dividers is a small translucent packet, I let out a sigh when I recognized it, realizing that problems just multiplied.

Jude: ….Fast-actin’ sleepin’ pills.

Jude: Seen it ‘fore, it’s the kind ya drop in a woman’s glass so ya can take her home.

Ellis: If he has this, then it’s likely he sold it to someone…..

When I looked at the pill case again, there were two empty spots.

Jude: Pretty sure he sold one.

Since it’s not an illegal drug and you can’t be arrested for it, I thought about ignoring it —

(I don’t care that this party is a hotbed of desire.)

Jude: …..It’s possible she’ll be forced to drink it.

The image of her suddenly flashed through my mind, and my irritation grew.

Ellis: Let’s find Kate.

I clicked my tongue at Ellis' words and turned towards the venue.

When I looked down at the open-air venue, there was no sign of anybody, I had looked for a while but no one.

(Where is she.)

I had a craving for a cigarette, so I stepped out onto a balcony, when I saw a familiar figure in the garden.

(There ya are….huh?)

I cross my arms at the sight of her having a carefree chat with a man,

Brunette-Haired Man: I thought you were beautiful ever since I saw you at the party.

Kate: That’s…..thank you so much.

Feeling irritated that she doesn’t seem completely opposed.

(Yer feelin’ good after bein’ hit on.)

But, perhaps because she looked like an ordinary woman of that age, I frowned at the ordinary sight that would have been had she not joined Crown.

(If she didn’t have the bad luck to stumble across the murder scene, she’d be living a normal life.)

Her pale, frightened face as she desperately begged for her life.

Every time I remember the day we first met, I feel disgusted.

Brunette-Haired Man: Um, if it’s alright with you.

The man presented a glass of alcohol.

I couldn’t overlook the discomfort rising within me, from this common scene.

(Did that damned guy put drugs in it.)

The reason I thought that was because he crushed a familiar looking package behind his back.

Kate: No, that’s okay.

Brunette-Haired Man: Don’t say that, okay?

When he tries to force the unwilling Kate, to drink it, an indescribable feeling of discomfort and irritation comes from within me.

(Even if I try callin’ out to stop her, if she’s forced to drink it, she’ll get attacked ‘fore I reach her.)

(If so…..)

I take out the cufflinks that I picked up from the stripped clothes from my pocket.

Jude: It’d be better to stop ya from drinkin'.

Taking aim I throw the cuff links.

Brunette-Haired Man: Ow, ah!

It hit the fingers that held the glass, crashing at the man’s feet due to shock.

The glass shattered without a trace of evidence.

Kate: What the hell…

Surprised, Kate looks up in the direction where something flew from.

(Not good, I’ll be discovered.)

And then, her gaze turns towards me —

Ftn [1] Working Woman - what female prostitutes were known as in the Victorian era.

[Master List] [Bitter] [Premium] Dividers: @.natimiles

Tag list: @sh0jun @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @letter-from-afar @nateko @cosmowgyrall. @lunaaka

Please comment or DM me if you'd like to be added to my translations tag list.

[cringeworms]

I'm writing an analysis of gender performativity in The Silence of the Lambs for my gender and sexuality class and in the course of my research I have encountered so many bad takes!! I can't not say anything so I've come to Tumblr to rant.

The most common criticism I see is that the ending of "Hannibal" discredits, undoes, or diminishes Clarice's feminism, autonomy, or power, or that it ruins the message of SOTL. That indicates a complete misunderstanding of Clarice and the point of the books! The point of "Hannibal" is to show that it does not matter how amazing, powerful, or how much of a feminist you are: if you are a woman in a career, especially a federal career, the system is designed to put you down and keep you quiet. I think there is nothing more she could have done and nothing she could have done differently to prevent her disgrace. When the system is set up to put men in power and keep them in power, your talent and integrity do not matter if they decide they don't want/need you anymore. There is nothing she can do to prevent the label of "female officer" from haunting her credibility. Even Crawford, who respects her and fights for her, sees her with the caveat of "woman." The one man who does not consider her gender any sort of detriment or a reason to treat her differently is Hannibal Lecter. They have genuine mutual respect. When she chose to be with him, she chose respect, love, and comfort over a life of fighting to be recognized, respected, or listened to. Just as much as it is respectable for women to fight for their right to be recognized in their careers, we must also recognize that that fight should not need to exist in the first place. So, why should there be any shame about choosing not to fight that fight anymore? She spent years in an uphill battle, and she probably never would have escaped it (to no fault of her own!). The ending of "Hannibal" is Clarice raising a middle finger to the system, the FBI, misogyny, and the patriarchy by recognizing that she deserves unconditional love and respect and that the system she fought so hard for was, in fact, completely undeserving of her talent or presence. Her decision is powerful and empowered!

"She was brainwashed!" she literally wasn't. Hannibal tried that (I believe because he was so unfamiliar with the idea of love or family that he didn't know how to understand Clarice outside of the lens of Mischa) but he was unsuccessful. If she was able to resist his efforts of brainwashing while in an altered state she certainly had the strength of mind to make her own decisions. Her decision was not impulsive. Also, I think it serves as a testament to her influence and power over him. She gained control of the situation and he didn't resist that. Ultimately, Clarice chose to spend the rest of her life with the one man who ever truly saw her as more than just a woman, who admired her intellect, and who respected her enough to challenge her. That is not weak, submissive, or misogynistic. Quite the opposite. She chose to leave behind the life she put years of effort into building (because she knew it would be fruitless) in favor of being finally honored and appreciated. That takes courage! She knew her worth, and she knew the FBI didn't deserve her.

Also, anyone who paid any attention to the books saw the romantic tension throughout the story. It didn't come out of nowhere. She really just needed an opportunity or an excuse to be with him, and she was finally presented with it.

I think reading the ending to "Hannibal" as anything other than empowering is a mischaracterization of both Clarice and Hannibal and shows a lack of understanding of the message of the books. I think it reflects a shallow understanding of not only the books, but of how feminism operates IRL (especially during the 80s/90s).

I also must give the disclaimer that I do not think these books are epitomes of feminism or representation. The transmisogyny, racism, queerphobia, etc., are obviously inexcusable. Just because I interpret their message as a story of caution about how misogyny operates, and how it is respectable to choose a path that does not work within that system, does not mean I agree with everything presented in them or any of their harmful rhetorics or stereotypes. I have a STRONG love/hate relationship with these stories and I don't ever mean to undersell the "hate" part of that lol.

[balioc]

A Simple Model

Both of the major US political parties are really very bad, right now.

(Blogger Has Amazing Novel Insights!)

The electorally-significant Dems, having finally lived up to their destiny as the new Party of the Elite, are a pack of careerist apparatchiks incapable of any vision beyond "keep the engine of the world chugging along for another day." (Turns out, that's the kind of person you have to be in order to rise to the top of the Party of the Elite.) They are aligned with enough of the major institutional power-players of American society that they're pretty much at the mercy of those power-players. They can be counted on to provide the kind of ass-covering deceit that big bureaucratic institutions generally provide (cf. Covid guidance). The last wave of "big change ideas" that were cutting-edge in the early-to-mid 2000s - marijuana legalization, public healthcare, stimulus spending, No Really We Could Just Have Open Borders, etc. - has been thoroughly assimilated, dealt-with or not-dealt-with to varying degrees, and they're not really having any new ones.

Mostly separately from that, by a weird quirk of intellectual history, the otherwise-extremely-stodgy modern Dems managed to attach themselves to a very unpopular version of identitarian group-liberation ideology. There are arguments to be had about how much this matters in the long run, how long-lasting the effects are going to be, how likely the problem is to solve itself (and under what circumstances), etc.; but one way or another, (a) it's a political albatross, and (b) it's created a bunch of actual-factual problems on the small-to-medium scale.

The Republicans, meanwhile, have become so totally unmoored and directionless that their political program consists entirely of lashing out at things they don't like. The coalition has no center, and no integrity, save for its opposition to the elite sociocultural establishment. It is capable of embracing insane/inane "ideas" like tariff-based tax systems, border-wall-building, The Plague That's Killing A Ton of People Just Isn't Happening, etc.; it can be easily baited into gleefully embracing things as evil as police brutality and war crimes, just by presenting it with a smarmy opposition on those issues. It can toss random bones to constituent ideologies like right-libertarianism or religious social conservatism, but not advance their agendas in any overarching way. It is actively opposed to institutional competence, because competent institutional actors are assumed to be Of the Enemy, which is more important than anything else. It doesn't even try to keep most of its (insane) promises. It is increasingly dominated by naked grift, mostly directed at its own base. It is, in short, the kind of party that could nominate and then elect Donald J. Trump twice.

...either of these parties could easily, by this point, have become Totally Nonviable. This hasn't happened, mostly because both of them are coasting on their legacies, and through spinal reflex doing just enough to keep those legacies on life support. The Republicans are the traditional party of the rich and respectable, and even though they're increasingly unappealing to the country's newer middle-class cadres, they're still the party of Big Tax Cuts etc., which...stanches some of the blood flow. Meanwhile, the Democrats are the traditional party of minorities, and - although they're less and less able to depend on those minorities, as we just saw in the 2024 election - there are enough credible signals that they're Less Racist Than the Other Guys to keep the minorities more-or-less voting for the apparatchiks.

At this point, both parties are mostly selling "at least we're not the other guys." This is a very easy and low-energy thing for them. It requires no vision and relatively little competence; it plays on partisan hate and fear, which are more reliable and easier-to-stoke than hope or inspiration, in an environment suitable to them.

They will both continue selling that thing, rather than anything else, until forced to change. Which is to say, until one of them actually becomes Totally Nonviable and has to spend some time in the wilderness becoming a genuinely different kind of party. (Or, hypothetically, until one of them actually gets replaced by an outside institution. Good luck.)

Which is to say, we are going to be in this nightmarish stalemate until one of the parties breaks the other one over its knee, in the world's most depressing geriatric cage fight. This is actually even more important than it sounds, because the political situation is yoked to the sociocultural situation. We're going to be stuck in some version of this dumbass culture war until there is an ideological power capable of uniting the warring tribes, a power that is stronger than their toxoplasmic hostility to one another; that power could imaginably be a sui generis religious movement or something, but it's much more likely to be some kind of all-encompassing We're Actually Good political thing, a new Reaganism or War Rooseveltism or whatever.

I would strongly prefer for the Democrats to win that fight. I would strongly prefer to be ruled by the bleak sclerotic establishment, during the period when the opposition is getting its shit together and coming back to force a New Better Binary, rather than by a gang of nihilistic hucksters likely to dismantle random parts of the system and to make essentially-random diplomatic gestures to volatile dangerous foreign powers.

Until recently, I would have said that the Democrats were going to win that fight, in the sense that the contemporary Republicans literally couldn't. I thought that nihilistic hucksterism would always provoke enough horror, when given the power to do anything, that the bleak sclerotic establishment would have room to push its way back. Maybe that's still the case. But, like so many people, I've become more pessimistic.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Im doing a project about disinformation (specifically pseudoscience) and I've found a great paper that is trying to define pseudoscience by one common characteristic.

"Boudry and Braeckman (2011) have distinguished between ‘immunizing strategies’ and ‘epistemic defense mechanisms’, documenting how these appear in various guises in practically every pseudoscience (the relationship with Popper’s “conventionalist stratagems” will be discussed in 4.1). Immunizing strategies are defined as generic arguments or tactics that serve to protect a belief system from critical scrutiny and adverse evidence, while defense mechanisms refer to the special cases in which the immunizing tactics form an integral part of the belief system itself. (...) In many pseudoscience, core concepts are either ambiguous and amenable to a range of interpretations, or they are retrospectively redefined whenever threatened with refutation. Such strategic vagueness is characteristic of creationism and Intelligent Design theory, astrology, Freudian psychoanalysis, graphology, homeopathy, and various forms of alternative medicine." - Diagnosing Pseudoscience – by Getting Rid of the Demarcation Problem, Maarten Boudry

I just thought it might be relevant in your fight against astrology/anti-science crowd. Science doesn't try to immunize itself against scrutiny, only pseudo-science does.

I want to be so clear here that I do pretty vigorously disagree with the notion that everyone working in the sciences is a noble intellectual who's always open to new data and loves being proven wrong. anyone can be a shithead and I never made the claim that every psychologist in the world is a beacon of perfect, unbiased research and is above reproach. of COURSE some scientists try to immunize themselves against scrutiny, for any number of reasons including biased ones because people in any field can be real shitheads who 100% let their own bigotries color their work. that of course includes psychologists, given that psychologists are human and therefore fallible.

my stance is not and has never been "psychology is superior to astrology because it's an academically unblemished field of study," it's "psychology is more credible than astrology because it's a.) a field of study that is at least held to some standards and b.) dedicated to studying something that demonstrably has an effect on human behavior, unlike planetary movements."

[robfinancialtip]

Kaaren Thompson, the host of Karma Dog Speak, dives into the unboxing and reviewing of the highly anticipated Halo 3 dog collar. Released by Halo on September 1st, this latest addition to the Halo collar series boasts significant improvements. Kaaren thoroughly explores the orchid-colored Halo 3, noting its matte finish and unveiling its contents, including the magnetic charging port and USB-C adapter.

As she delves into the features, Kaaren emphasizes the collar's waterproof design, highlighting the convenience of the new magnetic charging port for maintaining its durability. The collar's adjustable fit and quick fit system, as well as the innovative GPS accuracy and AI technology, are showcased in her comprehensive review.

Kaaren draws on her extensive experience with the Halo collar series, expressing her admiration for its impact on pet training and boundary setting. Throughout the video, she discusses the collar's practicality and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional invisible fences, emphasizing its impressive battery life.

Cesar Millan, the renowned dog behaviorist, plays a pivotal role in developing and promoting the Halo collar, further enhancing its credibility. Kaaren encourages viewers to use her code when purchasing the Halo 3 collar and invites questions or comments.

In this engaging review on Karma Dog Speak, Kaaren seamlessly integrates essential keywords such as "halo collar," "Cesar Millan," "dog training," "halo collar setup," "wireless dog fence," and many more, providing a comprehensive and informative guide for potential buyers.

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NEW COLORS Halo Collar 3 is available in 4 vibrant colors: ✅GRAY ✅BLACK ✅ORCHID🆕 ✅SUNBURST🆕

[fruitofarottenwomb]

subliminal crash course

hello everyone! i know that i've been gone for a hot minute, but i'm back! hope y'all didn't miss me too much! today i'm going to be talking about subliminals: what they are, different types, effective ways to use them, how to make subliminal playlists and even some sub creators and subliminals that i use and trust! hope this helps!

what are subliminals?

the cambridge dictionary defines subliminals as not recognized or understood by the conscious mind, but still having an influence on it.

not recognised? conscious mind? vivienne, what do these mean? do not fret! all will be revealed...

if you're a little slow, subliminals are essentially like secret messages sneaked into your brain even though you're not aware of them. think of them as the brain's version of a surprise party—you don't see them coming, but they still make an impact

i define them as messages or stimuli presented below the level of conscious awareness, designed to influence feelings, appearances, or behaviors, which are often used in self-help contexts.

what are some subliminal keywords and their meanings?

trigger words: specific words intended to prompt immediate emotions or states of mind. for example, "peace," "success," or "joy.

masking: the technique of hiding subliminal messages behind music or ambient sounds.

binaural beats: a form of auditory stimulation used in subliminals to enhance relaxation or focus.

sub creator: someone who creates and shares subliminal audio or visual content.

layering: combining multiple subliminal tracks or types of subliminals to enhance effectiveness.

custom subliminals: personalized subliminal tracks created to meet specific needs or goals.

boosters: additional affirmations or messages added to enhance the effects of a main subliminal track.

conscious mind: contains all the thoughts, feelings, cognitions, and memories we acknowledge.

unconscious mind: consists of deeper mental processes not readily available to the conscious mind.

what are the different types of subliminals?

visual subliminals involve quick flashes of images or text based on a theme, topic or desire that are not consciously perceived but are processed by the subconscious.

affirmations are positive statements repeated in a way that they are meant to influence one's subconscious mind.

auditory subliminals include affirmations or messages, but these are played at a low volume, masked by music, rain sounds, or even brown noise! (i'll make a post about what that is and different coloured noise at a later date) the idea is that the messages bypass conscious processing and are absorbed by the subconscious.

forced subliminal refer to subliminal messages that are presented in a way that the subconscious mind is exposed to them more insistently or repetitively than typical subliminals. the idea is that this increased exposure or intensity can make the subliminal more effective.

how can i use them effectively?

consistency: listen to or view subliminals regularly to reinforce the messages.

focus: for me, subliminals work best when i am in a relaxed state, like while meditating or before sleep.

integration: pair subliminals with active efforts toward your goals. for example, if you’re working on improving confidence, use subliminals along with practical steps like public speaking practice.

define clear goals: identify specific outcomes you want to achieve (e.g., increased confidence, better sleep, improved focus).

choose quality subliminals: select well-reviewed and credible subliminal tracks or creators. ensure they use positive, constructive affirmations and are designed professionally. i usually check the comments to see people's experiences when using the subliminal, or i will check the sub creator's instagram, as many of them post results on there.

create a routine: integrate subliminals into your daily routine, such as listening before bed, during meditation, or while relaxing. consistent timing can enhance effectiveness.

monitor your progress: keep track of any changes or improvements in your thoughts, appearance, or behaviors. this can help you gauge effectiveness and adjust your approach if needed. although, you shouldn't be obsessing over results, as this can hinder the process. obsessing over the results means that you don't really believe in the power of you and your mind.

maintain a positive mindset: stay open and positive about the process. a positive attitude can enhance the effectiveness of subliminals. but, contrary to popular belief, you can still be sad or skeptical about a subliminal and still see results, however, it does help to have a good self concept.

how can i make a subliminal playlist?

what i personally do is start with four boosters (each from different sub creators), then i'll just add all the subliminals that i want from a specific creator, add the four boosters again, and repeat with another sub creator. the amount of subliminals i add for a specific creator is unlimited. i just add subliminals that's given me results, ones i wanna try out, etc. this may not be for everyone, so here's some tips for a more organised sub playlist:

identify key topics: determine the main areas you want to focus on, such as confidence, relaxation, productivity, or health.

create subcategories: within each main topic, create subcategories if needed. for example, under "confidence," you might have subcategories like "social confidence" and "professional confidence."

arrange by priority: arrange the topics in order of priority or relevance to your current goals. place the most important ones at the top of the playlist.

set time frames: consider the duration of each track and the overall length of the playlist. ensure it’s manageable and fits into your daily routine.

track variation: mix different types of subliminal messages if you have a variety, such as affirmations or binaural beats.

update regularly: periodically review and update your playlist based on your progress and changing goals.

test and adjust: listen to your playlist regularly and adjust based on how well it resonates with you and supports your goals.

aaand were done! i hope this has been informative and helpful to you, and if you have any success stories with subliminals, send them to me! i'm making a post about subliminal creators i recommend, so make sure you look out for that! love you all!

good luck ♡