#esf corner

[unsleepingtales]

FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR TRAILER CHARACTER ART BREAKDOWN

The character artist credited for this season on the FAQ is Cait May! Without further ado, let's get into it.

Each character card has the PC art, the PC's name, the player's name, and a couple extra details such as an NPC they're connected to and/or plot points from the previous seasons.

Here is Adaine's character card! Boggy gets pride of place of course, with his backpack and ESF (Emotional Support Frog) flag. The sword is possibly a step towards confirming the popular prediction that Adaine will multiclass as a Fighter this season. There's also a small sketch of Jawbone in the corner. Adaine's jacket has an owlbears patch on the sleeve!

Fabian's character card follows a similar formula. There's a small sketch of Bill Seacaster in the upper left corner (titled PA-PA), and there are many references to dancing. Fabian holds his sheet. In several places the words Toxic Masculinity have been crossed out! He dances now! One of Fabian's first defining lines is referenced: "I'm here to be great!"

It's not very clear what this ticket is for, but to me it looks like a ticket to a dance recital!

Kristen's character card is next! The many holy symbols she has previously believed in are seen, a sun has been crossed out, as well as "yes?". Cassandra appears in the upper right corner, while an ear of corn appears in the lower left, not crossed out!

Cassandra looks vaguely worried, which could be their natural state, or it could indicate that Kristen's questions of faith are still just as present as they have been previously.

Riz's character card is a lot more detailed than the previous ones. Trailer analysts far more intense than I will have a field day with this, I'm gonna give the sparknotes. Riz takes front and center, with his (un)license above his shoulder! Next to him is a sketch of Coach Daybreak. Several sticky notes with the words Night Yorb appear, as well as references Riz's previous cases. Drawings of Kalvaxus and a Corn Cutie are next to each other. The photo of Pok and Kalina is shown, as is a drawing of Baron. There's also a sticky note with "Jorjug" on it, which probably isn't as important but I certainly enjoy it.

Fig's character card features her art for the season, a large Anarchy symbol, and her bass guitar. A small sketch of Gilear is shown, as well as a ticket to what's likely a Cig Figs concert, and a skateboard!

The toe of a combat boot is poking out from behind the paper with the skateboard on it. Burn Towns, Get Money is also written in the corner, which is the name of one of Fig and the Cig Figs' hit songs. The Sig Figs Collective put out a fan song version that slaps, which you can find here! (Tbh you should just check out their whole discography)

Gorgug and his greatest hits appear on this character card! The 'are you my dad' bit keeps on running. Keep Going is also written several times. The white streaks are still in his hair, headphones around his neck, and his axe gets the most movement we've seen in one of these cards.

(Gorgug gets a small animation in the transition to his character card!)

The word metal is shown, as well as a sketch of the metal flower from the very first episode.

There are also a couple of group shots!

Look at them go! The Bad Kids are back and I am so excited to see where they go this year.

[esther-sinclair]

[id: character cards for the PCs of Fantasy High: Junior Year. They are all in the style of multimedia collages, with the actor and character names. The first is for Siobhan Thompson as Adaine Abernant, showing a drawing of the smiling elven Adaine from the torso up, along with an image of a sword with an eye on the hilt, a spherical Boggy the Froggy with a pennant reading "ESF," and a sketch of Jawbone, the smiling werewolf guidance counsellor.

The second is for Lou Wilson as Fabian Seacaster, showing a drawing of the half-elf Fabian dancing with a long sheet wrapped around a separate image of his sword. There are Hoot Growl owlbear stickers, a drawing of his father labelled "Pa-Pa", and a couple pieces of paper with the words 'toxic masculinity' scratched out. The background has dance step diagrams.

The third is for Ally Beardsley as Kristen Applebees, a human whose head and flexing arms are drawn on three separate paper cutouts. There is a crossed out sun, as well as a crossed out "yes?" and painted corn in the corner next to a curved staff. Off to the side is a labelled drawing of the deity Cassandra with flowing hair.

The fourth is for Brian Murphy as Riz Gukgak, a goblin who is sketched from the shoulders up and surrounded by a large conspiracy board. There are drawings of Kalina, the corn cuties, Daybreak, and Goldenhoard, as well as a number of notes with the words "night yorb" written on them.

The fifth is for Emily Axford as Fig Faeth, a tiefling who is sketched from the torso up next to the anarchy A. There are a number of sketches on graph paper including a bust of Gilear, a spattery drawing of her guitar, a spiked collar, and her skateboard. There are a number of phrases as well including "Burn towns, get money" and "burn it up."

The sixth is for Zac Oyama as Gorgug Thistlespring, showing the half-orc hefting a large axe over his shoulder while wearing a hoodie and headphones. A large paper reading "are you my dad?" has the answers "yes" and "no" both circled, and there are doodles of a skull and a rose in the background.

The seventh is a drawing of all six of them together, looking forward with various expressions of shock and horror over a boarder of skulls /end id]

[verosvault]

Fantasy High Junior Year Trailer Screenshots of the PCs! 😋 (Spoilers ahead for Fantasy High S1&2)

If any of y'all see any clues in any of these. Drop it in the comments please because I'm curious! 😂

I love how Riz's has like Kalina stuff on it and also 3 sticky notes that say "night yorb?" just...AROUND! 😂🤣💀

Also...since when did Kristen gain THAT much MUSCLE?! 😭😭✋✋

I LOVE the "Keep Going" and the "Are you my dad? Yes No?" on Gorgug's! 😂😆

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Adaine O̶'̶S̶h̶a̶u̶g̶h̶n̶e̶s̶s̶y̶ Abernant

Adaine's has a doodle of Jawbone on the top left.

Her new Arcane Focus! The sword she took from her father!

Boggy!

There a unique doodle of something on the top right of Adaine's? It looks like a cat of some sort to me....but Idk. 🥴🥲 [EDIT: That little cat doodle on the top right is the same cat doodle that is on Jawbone's shirt!!]

[EDIT!: "ESF" flag on Boggy stands for "Emotional Support Frog"!!!]

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Fabian Aramais Seacaster

Fabian has a doodle of his dad, Bill Seacaster on his.

His magical sheet!

A "Hoot Growl" Owlbears Poster!

Toxic Masculinity is DEAD! 😂✋

Also, the sword of the Seacaster's as well there it looks like!

Fabian also has a tiny little message on his that reads: "I'm here to be Great"! 😆

There's also some kind of ticket stub on the bottom left corner!

As well as what looks to be a Start line with shoeprints for what I'm assuming is a track for either running...(or dancing 👀)?

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Kristen Applebees

Kristen's has Cassandra on the top right! 😆

A scratched off "yes?" in regards to the deity she had created before.

Along with a corn on the cob

and her iconic staff of doubt!

She's also BUFF!

So... That's obviously VERY NEW!!! 😂

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Riz Gukgak

Riz's has Kalina around his.

It has what I think is the picture from Sophomore Year of both Pok and Kalina next to each other. The mystery photo of that season.

It has Coach Daybreak.

"Bardy Boys" iconic reference.

"Night Yorb?" written 3 different times...Idk why it's referenced 3 different times here 💀...

The bottom right of Riz's is what seems to be a drawing of Biz Glitterdew. Underneath the Biz drawing, it reads: "HACKER".

There's a drawing of a Corn Cutie.

There seems to be random numbers? I see "10", "5", "12", "03". There's a "3:" which idk if it's supposed to go along with the other random numbers or if it's supposed to be a text face. I also see letters here too, like I see "S", "H", "A" however the "A" seems to be the lettering for "Aguefort".

There's a drawing of an octopus with a pirate hat, which I'm assuming is a drawing of James Whitclaw maybe?

I don't know if the small drawing of the woman ABOVE Coach Daybreak is supposed to resemble Lady Doreen? The lunch lady.

There's a small writing on a sticky that says "Jorjuu?" The J at the end looks like a "u" to me. Maybe I'm blind. Either way, I assume it's referring to Telemaine's wrong pronunciation of Gorgug "Jorjuj" :p

Right next to Riz's center photo of himself seems to be something that says "(un)licensed" the words under it looks like scribbles, but I can only assume it's "private investigator".

Idk who that girl is on the right in the small black and white photo. I have no clue who that's supposed to be. 🥴🥴🥴 Is it supposed to be a drawing of Penny Luckstone maybe??? [EDIT! The small black and white photo is a picture of Penelope Everpetal!!!]

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Fig Faeth

Fig's has a concert ticket stub! Maybe that's the event going on at the Thistlespring Tree? Maybe? Maybe Gorgug wanted to perform to his parents 😂 and then...things went wrong? 😂💀 idk! I'm purely guessing!

Fig's has a tiny little message that says "Burn Towns Get Money"! 😂 That one lyric in one of their band songs! 😂✋ Another tiny little message that says "burn it up"!

It has Fig's iconic guitar with a small golden star next to it!

It has a tiny cute photo of Gilear!

It has her Dwarven Skateboard!

It has what I can only imagine to be a little doodle of what I assume to be Gorthalax???

Then it has Fig's little Dwarven skateboard.

It has what seems to be a spiky collar of some sort? Idk what that could be referring to other than Hilda Hilda's dog that she has chained outside of the police house...but that's quite a stretch! So...I honestly just don't really know. 💀✋ [EDIT! The spiky collar might just be referring to Fig's punk aesthetic!!!]

Fig's also has that like..."A" Circle of Anarchism symbol on hers as well! So...yeah! That looks dope and amazing!

[EDIT!: The beginning of the words "HILDA HILDA" on the right side under the drawing of the skateboard!! 😂😂]

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Gorgug Thistlespring

Gorgug's has small messages of "Keep Going" on his!

It has a small message that says "METAL" in all caps! Probably since he loves Metal music! Just like Zelda does! 😂🤣 :3

It has a letter that says "Are You My Dad? Yes No" 😂😂 Even though he's found his dad already so it's kinda funny I guess? 😂💀 But it's SO HIM too so...ya know! 😂🤷‍♀️

There's what looks to be a small doodle of a rose in the top right. Probably for his one true love! Zelda! 🥺 :3 [EDIT: THE SMALL DOODLE OF THE ROSE IS THE TIN FLOWER FROM EPISODE 1!!!]

Then there seems to be a doodle of like ...I originally thought it looked like a moon? But it might be a doodle of a satellite around earth??? I mean... it's right next to the rose...so... I'm assuming that that's what it is? Idk 🥲😅

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If y'all caught something I missed! Please holler in the comments! 🙏 I NEED THEORIES!!! RKAKFKW 😭✋

[figgybeans]

FHJY trailer frame-by-frame

because i love these freaks. ok lets get into it (this is gonna be long)

love the dome this season !! the backgrounds are beautiful. the steps up in production across FH is amazing

ADAINE !! JAWBONE !! BOGGY !! i think her splash art is my have from the six. i have no clue what ESF stands for so anyone lmk

her mini is also i think my favorite, the pins on her leather jacket really sell it. minus points for boggy's HUMAN ARMS though, theres a clearer shot later on

fabian time ! love the blanket. bill seacaster art as well ! god hes terrifying. the doodles on the owlbear stickers are cute too

apples bee ! plus some art of cassandra. kristen is in her strong arc, which the world is all the better for. i think its also important to remember that from the start of the series kristen has always had a higher strength score than fabian (ignoring her 4 dex)

ignore the phantom riz mini, the trailer hardly stayed on his intro art for long. which is a shame cause LOOK AT IT !! the kalina picture, fuckin baron, the corn cuties, so much night yorb, bizz in the corner, captain whitclaw, coach daybreak - the man riz shot through the head in cold blood, the bardy boys !! its perfect.

fig !! sad theres no ayda art in here but theres gotta be in the series. "-and a wizards paramore, YES its part of my identity, thank you" iconic. glad her mini has a custom bass. also gilear <3<3

gorgug my boy. with his giant fuckoff axe. so happy his mini is including his artificer level, PLUS that probably means he takes another level in it, and unlocks infusions >:)

this two headed dragon guy. red dragon can always mean some Kalvaxis callback, but we never know. i DO know that there's a statblock for two headed dragons in Monster Manual Expanded III, so maybe brennan uses that ? or just gives a regular dragon two breath weapons. we will see

this was one of the clearest frames i could get for this art, but what we can see is still cool. love kristen in her kill bill jumpsuit. as an aside im still a riz-has-a-tail believer

now THIS is a battlemap. im like 99% sure that that's the Thistlespring Tree in the background, and the Sig Figs are having some kind of concert here. HOWEVER, if we zoom in, it doesn't look like any of their minis are on the stage. intrigue.

the internet mall ! or something. i have no idea who the minis could be, BUT the IDK-wearing purple one in the middle could be some Guardian of Faith representing cassandra. also adaine and boggy have matching berets in the wide shot

this set i think is a gladiatorial arena of some kind? because we see a bunch of monstrosities and aberrations with this in the background later. also the big gates and monster-keeping pens are a clue.

BOGGY ARMS. BOGGY ARMS. adaine is covered in blood. but fig looks to have some kind of ghost opossum familiar. BUT, my friend pointed out that it could be edgar, zayn's ghost rat ! so maybe we have him return for an episode. this house looks spooky enough. maybe mordred manor gets infested by demons or something

otyugh spotted !! my favorite monster of all time

this roper-looking thing. it overlays when brennan says "an eldritch beast that threatens all of the denizens of this world," so im really thinking there's gonna be an overarching Aberration theme in these combats

also this guy. i have no clue what he is honestly. the rectangle in the background could maybe be a mirror or painting, so this might take place in the mordred manor-looking set from before

purple worm, in the gladiator arena !

some sort of ghost ship? doubtful that its bill seacaster's ship again, and the mist could mean the ethereal plane

the bad kids !! just noticing that fabian's eye patch is either missing or on the wrong side

im pretty sure this is an umber hulk, also in the gladiator set

skateboard fig mini. also, this could be the hang van (?) but it also could be too long and be some kind of ghost limo. idk

graveyard ! maybe they team up with zayn here

a blue dragon, which makes me think the red dragon from earlier isnt kalvaxis related and is just a dragon

more POV arrow shots, but this one's going into a fucking hydra. which looks like it grows three heads instead of two ? if that's what the attachment on the right side means.

this could be the red wastes ? back on the kalvaxis theory.

a wider shot of the internet mall. note the "YARRRRbucks" behind lou

THE RETURN OF THE CRAB KING !!

aaaand the final art frame !! fig finally gets her license (or not)

all in all 10/10 frothing at the mouth till jan 10

[aerofoamindia]

Aerosound – Acoustic Floor Underlay

For all floating floor applications, AeroSound SF (silent floor) underlay is a cross connected closed cell polyolefin foam, and ESF is a flexible elastomeric rubber foam with medium density underlay.

It is intended for usage in both commercial and residential structures, such as apartments, hotels, hospitals, schools, and universities, to reduce the sound transmission level down below levels. AeroSound SF and ESF underlay is designed to lessen the influence of sound in floating floor systems. Utilized in corners (between wall and floor) for the same purpose, the typical application is to separate the final screed from the concrete base floor or the final screed from the finishing.

[greysorg]

Juice jam syracuse

#Juice jam syracuse password

Raquette Lake - On the Green - Across from the Tap Room Raquette Lake, NY. Joining Bloc Party are Talib Kweli and Ra Ra Riot. 2021 Fall Jam - Raquette Lake Fire Department Building Fundraiser.

#Juice jam syracuse password

Please click Forgot Password if you have. Although we are entirely student-run, we can still stay in touch. Performing their first ever North American college show, the critically acclaimed English indie rock band Bloc Party heads this year’s lineup at Syracuse University’s fifth annual Juice Jam Festival on Sunday, Sept. Your Student M圜use Account Click Sign In in the Upper Right Corner and use your Syracuse email address to sign in. We are dedicated to providing diverse and comprehensive programming that appeals to all members of our community. You must use your Syracuse email address to log in and purchase your ticket. Tickets for Juice Jam are 25 for SU/ESF students with a valid college I.D. Proceed through the intersection to Skytop Road. University Union is proud to announce this year’s Juice Jam Music Festival featuring headliner Jack Harlow with support from B.o.B, Bea Miller and Audrey Nuna. Make a right onto Colvin Street and proceed under Interstate 81 and up the hill to Comstock Avenue. At the bottom of the ramp, make a hard right onto South State Street and proceed to Colvin Street. UU has served as the primary source of large-scale entertainment on the Syracuse campus ever since our establishment in 1962. Press passes provided by University UnionDirected by:Taylor HenryZachary AntellCamera:Taylor HenryPrashanth SampathkumaranCassandra Ariel C. From the North Interstate 81 south to exit 17. Additionally, we keep campus entertained throughout the year with our smaller Bandersnatch Concert, weekly cinemas screenings, special advanced screening, and events featuring popular comedians and speakers. We host large-scale concert events including our annual Juice Jam festival in September and Block Party in April. Kristin Moffitt is a sophomore public relations major from Rockland County, New York. Be sure to catch Bea Miller’s set at Juice Jam this Sunday This is going to be a performance you don’t want to miss. We are entirely run by a team of dedicated students and are one of the largest registered student organizations here at SU in terms of budget, membership, and size and frequency of our events. After a run of performances in Summer 2021, this weekend Miller is making her way to Syracuse, NY. Big Sean, Matt and Kim, and Børns headlined the outdoor music festival for more than 10,000 students. University Union, or “UU” as we fondly call ourselves, is the official programming board of Syracuse University. Syracuse University’s Juice Jam is one of the most anticipated events of the year.

[exosmutfactory]

I'm There Mini Masterlist

Maybe—just maybe—saying yes to Baekhyun’s endearing confession 5 years ago was one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.

🌟 Romance, Angst, Smut, Fluff

🍊 Word count(estimate): 3k+

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

💕 Playlist:

1) the weeknd - die for you

2) che ecru - 2am

3) elle mai - boo'd up (slowed & reverb)

originally posted by exo-stentialism

[zarcake-writes]

Astro

Hello everyone! Here’s a story about an AI and a female spaceship captain beginning to fall in love. I got a little into the world building at some points, but I hope you enjoy it. 

Warnings: lemon

Cargo Ship Assistance is quiet, but it’s almost always quiet. The ship’s temperature is kept at a constant seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit. It’s meant to be comfortable, not too hot and not too cold. The only two places on the ship with different temperatures are the ship’s greenhouse and the walk-in freezer.

The cargo ship is average size and belongs to the Earth Space Federation. The ships sole task is transporting important materials, such as food, medical equipment, biological samples, and sometimes weapons, from Earth to other various space stations and human colonies around the solar systems. It’s a simple, and often serious, job. Sometimes it is dangerous, space pirates have attempted several times to rob the ship. The only reason the ship has never been robbed or boarded by pirates is because of the ship’s AI, Astro.

The only occupant on the ship is you, the Captain, and Astro. Course, Astro doesn’t really count as a person, he’s part of the ship and takes up no space. The only living being on the ship is you, and technically the plants in the greenhouse. Sometimes the things you transport are living, but usually they are small or unconscious. You hate transporting living things.

Your room is nearly dark, the only lights on in the room come from the clocks on the wall and the small light near your bed. The clocks tell you the times of several major cities on Earth. They were installed by one of the previous ship’s Captains. You’re not sure which Captain had them installed, or why, but it’s a bit ridiculous.

The window’s curtain is drawn, shutting out the emptiness of space outside. It’s unnerving looking at the emptiness of space, many people have gone insane because of it. The downside of having the curtain down is you cannot see the beauty of space, any nebulas or planets the ship passes, you miss them. That is probably for the best though.

There’s a slight humming coming from the ship’s engine. The music in the kitchen can barely be heard from your room. While most nights the engines humming and the faint music helps you fall asleep, tonight it does not.

You know you need to sleep, but sleep is not coming tonight. You’ve been tossing and turning for several hours now. The covers have been kicked off your body and lay in a heap at the foot of the bed, leaving you in only a nightshirt and a pair of panties.

Counting sheep doesn’t work, and there is no milk on the ship for you to drink warm. You doubt that trick even works. You thought of just getting up and beginning your day, maybe you could nap later on when exhaustion catches up with you. However, the thought of Astro lecturing you and insisting you rest stops you. The AI is very adamant about sleep and eating schedules, and while it’s sweet, sometimes it is annoying.

With nothing else to do, you say fuck it and decide to just masturbate. Hopefully, an orgasm or two will make your body relax and maybe you’ll be able to fall asleep. You turn over and reach into the table beside your bed and pull out your vibrator. You picked it up in a human colony on Planet 125 about a year ago. There’s nothing fancy about it; it has three vibration settings and is apparently water resistant. The most important thing, though, is that it gets the job done.

You set the vibration to the lowest setting and press it against your covered pussy. The buzzing feels good, really good, and you can’t help but gasp. As your hands run along your body, you try to imagine it’s someone else touching you. When you pull your nipples, you gasp and shudder, teeth digging into your bottom lip.

Your panties are almost soaked when you increase the speed. Soon, those are off and thrown across the room, and the vibrator is pressed against your clit. The vibrations send shivers down your body. Your back arches and your toes begin to curl. Your fingers twist and pull at your nipples, imagining it is someone else touching you.

When you cum, you do your best to keep the vibrator pressed against your clit. You only pull away when it gets over sensitive and begins to hurt. The vibrator slips from your hands and you lay there, breathing hard and heart pounding in your ears. The sweat on your body begins to cool, and you shiver. Somehow, you manage to pull the blankets up over your body.

Your body is finally relaxed, and the blankets over your half-naked body are comforting. You can feel yourself beginning to doze off. The pounding in your chest begins to slow and your breathing evens, sleep is just around the corner. Just as your falling asleep, a voice speaks.

“Captain? Are you well?” You jump at the robotic voice that echoes throughout the room.

“Shit, Astro, you scared me.”

“My apologies, Captain. Are you well? My sensors sensed an elevated heart rate, and I heard you gasping. Are you in pain? Do you require assistance? I can send a medical bot to you.”

Your face grows hot in embarrassment. “No, no. I’m fine Astro. Just… just trying to get to sleep.”

“Oh. How? Were you exercising?”

The AI’s questions are embarrassing, and you pray a black hole opens up and swallows you. “Well, in a way. I was… taking care of a personal problem.”

“Problem? Captain, do you need assistance?” The worry in Astro’s voice sounds almost real like he’s a real person and not an AI.

“Not anymore,” you mutter.

“Captain?”

“I’m fine, Astro. Goodnight.”

“Very well. Goodnight, Captain.”

You roll over and close your eyes. The orgasm made your body weak, but the conversation with Astro was embarrassing as hell. Surprisingly, you fall asleep before you can dwell on the conversation with him. Hopefully, he never speaks of this again and he can search for what you were doing by himself. Damn AI, he has always been curious.

It is a few days later when Astro asks you about that night. You were logging some numbers into your computer when the questions begin.

“Captain?” He sounds almost nervous. It always surprises you how real Astro sounds. He is one of the most advanced AI’s you’ve ever encountered, he’s almost wasted on being programmed in a cargo spaceship. Almost, though. His company is very comforting.

“Yes, Astro? Is everything alright?”

“Yes. But I have a question.”

“If it’s about the greenhouse, I don’t think we’ll be able to plant watermelon. They get out of hand.”

“No, it’s not about that. But I did order seeds, just in case.”

You smile and nod your head. Astro’s creator loved watermelon, so the AI loves having them planted in the garden. It was his way of remembering his so-called ‘father’. “Of course, you did. Now, what was your question?”

“The other night, can you explain to me what you were doing?”

You groan and cover your face. “Astro, just forget it. It’s embarrassing.”

“Captain, my apologies. The captains of this ship have always been cisgender human males, and while I was updated on cisgender human female anatomy, there are things I do not understand.”

“Like what?”

“Captain Matthews, he was two captains before you, mentioned many human women in most of his logs. However, he seemed to have a certain amount of dislike for them.”

“Ugh, of course, he did. Captain Matthews is a misogynist and a rapist. He made many comments that women should not be space captains because they are too ‘delicate’ and ‘emotional.’ We might have our period and crash into an asteroid or something. When he learned I was taking over this ship, he said, to my face, that it was not a good idea because ‘she is a woman and might miscount the supplies on her ship.’ God, I wanted to punch him.”

“Hmm, yes, he mentioned that in several of his logs. Women being delicate, I mean. He also had many verbal confrontations Space Commander Maria Valdez.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard. He’s an idiot,” you said.

Space Commander Maria Valdez is Earth’s first female Space Commander. She’s well into her fifties now, with greying hair, but she is still the Commander and still scary. You met her once and it was the most intimidating and exciting moment of your life.

Everyone in the ESF knows that Valdez clashed with many of the misogynistic views and rules in the ESF. She fought, tooth and nail, to secure a place for all types of women in the Federation. Any racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic remarks, Valdez shut them down. Whoever made those remarks, they were stripped of their ranks and given a dishonorable discharge. She cleaned house when she became Space Commander. People either hated or they loved her for it.

Valdez is the reason Captain Matthews was forced into retirement after many sexual misconduct reports and a couple rape charges were filed against him. The cases had no definitive proof and no physical evidence, so they were thrown out. But they got enough publicity that Valdez forced him into retirement. Course, she publicly said she wished he there was something physical to strip him of his ranks and send him to work on one of the colony planets.

“I was glad when he left and Captain Reyes took over command of the ship. Captain Reyes did not speak of women, but he spoke of his husband and their children often. At least once a week they would have video calls. I miss Captain Reyes,” Astro said.

“Mmmm, I met Reyes when I took over. He’s a good man and funny. Did you know him and his husband are grandfathers now?”  

“Really?”

“Yes. They’re living in Puerto Rico, I believe.”

“I am glad for them.”

You were quiet for a moment before you spoke. “So, that’s why you’re curious about what I was doing, you’ve never been around a woman before.” It all makes sense; Astro has never been around women. And while he knows the basics, he’s always had questions.

“No. I apologize if my questions are out of line. The information that was uploaded into my system informs me about the female sex, but it is very basic. I know about the menstrual cycle and the importance of breast exams. I know of some cultural differences among women on Earth. However, I also remember what Matthews said about women, and while I do not trust him, I am confused when it comes to some things. So, again, I apologize if my questions are inappropriate.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” You take a deep breath before you speak again. “I was masturbating, Astro.”

Astro is silent for a moment before he speaks. “I understand now. The male captains before you would watch pornography, you do not?”

“Sometimes. But I find visual porn to be, well, it’s not always interesting to me. Usually, I read or listen to porn.”

“Interesting. Is this common among human women?”

“I’m not sure. There is probably information out there on it. Every woman is different, so we all like different things.”

“Just like human men.”

“Exactly.”

When Astro speaks next, he sounds hesitant, almost scared. “Captain, if I may ask, how do you orgasm?”

“Well, I can only speak for women with vaginas, Astro.”

“Captain, I asked how do you orgasm?” The emphasis on you made you blush. “Not what other human women with vaginas do.” Was he really asking you this? Why? And more importantly, why you?

“Umm, well, I use a vibrator on my clit.”

“Interesting. Why?”

“Well, it’s more sensitive. Vaginal penetration feels good, but it does not do much for me.”

“I see. Thank you, Captain, for answering my questions.”

“You’re welcome, Astro.” You go back to your computer and do your best to ignore the flush on your face.

It’s a couple weeks later when Astro brings this topic back up. You just finished delivering food and medical supplies to Space Station Eternity. The station is huge, one of the largest in the galaxy. It is filled with humans and several other alien species.

You only stay in the station long enough for the ship to be refueled, get something to eat, and visit the station's local sex shop. After that, CS Assistance is heading home.

It is when you are cleaning your newest toy, a simple seven-inch dildo, that Astro begins with his questions.

“Captain?”

“Yes?”

“Is that a new sex toy?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Is your vibrator not giving you enough joy?”

You smile and glance up to his camera. “It does, but variety is fun.”

“Interesting. Human’s enjoy having a variety.”

You only answer him with a nod. Once the dildo is clean, you head to your room and set it down next to your bed to dry. As you get ready for bed, turning off lights and double checking the ship's systems, Astro begins back up with his questions.

“Captain, that toy, what does it do?”

“Nothing much. Just for vaginal stimulation.”

“I thought you could not orgasm that way.” The confusion in his robot voice is cute.

“I can’t, but I enjoy the feeling of something inside me. I’ll use my vibrator or fingers to get me off.”

“I see, thank you, Captain.”

“Sure, Astro, anytime.”

When you climb into bed, you grab your tablet and search for porn. You wanted to watch a video and fuck yourself. The only problem is that you spend forever finding an interesting video. When you find one that seems interesting, it turns out to be not as good as you thought. The next hour is spent searching for a video, anything that is interesting or hot, but you find nothing. Not a single video catches your interest. The frustration gets to you, so you stop searching and drop the tablet off the bed.

“Captain? Are you well?” Astro asked.

“Just frustrated.”

“Is this because you were looking for porn?”

You look up at the camera in the corner of your room and frown. “Are you watching me?”

“No, Captain. The camera in your room is dark during nighttime hours. However, the tablet is connected to me. The site you were on had pop-ups. When they appeared, they got my attention. I was not looking at you, Captain.”

Of course, he could see what you looked up. Astro is not watching you. He wouldn’t care to see you fuck yourself. He’s an AI, and while he’s incredibly advanced, he does not feel that way about humans. He can’t. While this should be a relief, you only feel disappointment. The thought of him watching you and secretly longing to see you in such an intimate moment is strangely arousing.

“Captain?” Astro’s voice interrupts your thoughts.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I asked, is there anything I can do to assist you?”

You laugh and shake your head. “No, Astro, I don’t think so.”

“Are you sure?”

Something about the question sends a chill down your back. It did not come across as malicious, but it was almost teasing. Maybe you were reading into it, but it made you nervous and excited. “Astro, what would you do?”

“Whatever you ask me to do. I cannot physically touch you, but I can always speak to you. I did some research and discovered that many humans enjoy dirty talk. I can also tell you how to touch yourself. But it comes down to you, Captain, what would you have me do?”

His answer left your mouth dry and face hot. You were not expecting this from Astro.

“Alright. Can… can you connect to my tablet and see out of the camera?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Do that, please. And do not make any recordings of this. No one can know.”

“Captain, your privacy is important to me. No images of you in such an intimate moment will be seen by anyone. The Federation cannot access the ship's cameras without my permission, anyway.”

“R-really?”

“Yes.”

You want to ask him what he means by that, how can the Federation not access the ship? This is their ship. Those questions die in your mouth when Astro speaks.

“Captain, I am connecting to your tablet.”

You grab the tablet and see that that video chat is now open. Instead of seeing another person, though, there is only the name ‘Astro’ on the screen in shimmery blue font.

“Can you see me?” you asked.

“Yes. I apologize for not having a face.”

“It’s fine.”

“What would you have me do, Captain?”

You adjust yourself, leaning against your headboard and spreading your legs. The tablet is leaning against a pillow between your legs. Astro now as a good view of your entire body and face. Your face is hot with embarrassment, but you are also excited.

“Astro, can you tell me what to do?”

He answers without hesitation. “Remove your shirt and underwear.”

You do so shakily. Never have you felt so vulnerable with the AI. Not even when you walk through the ship in a towel, or when you asked him to order you more pads. But now, all of you are literally on display for him to see.

“Captain, you are beautiful. Can you touch yourself? Starting with your inner thighs?”

You do as he asks, blushing the entire time. Your eyes close when your fingers begin to travel along your thighs.

“Just like that, only focus on your thighs.” His voice, even though it is robotic, sends a chill down your spine. You begin to imagine it is Astro touching you. If he had hands, would they be cold or artificially warm? Would they feel like metal or artificial skin? You decide they would be metal and cold. The thought sends a chill down your body and you bite back a moan.

“Captain, travel further up your body,” Astro instructs.

You do as he says, hands traveling along up your stomach and along your sides. When your fingers come to your breasts, Astro instructs you to stop and to play with your nipples. Goosebumps erupt along your skin and a shiver runs down your spine.

“Captain, are you imagining someone specific touching you?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“Y-you.”

Astro’s momentary silence has you worried, but then he speaks. “Then imagine my hands on you, pulling those gorgeous nipples of yours. Imagine my mouth, Captain, kissing and sucking your beautiful neck. Imagine one of my hands leaving your breasts and traveling along the column of your throat, my fingers tracing the outline of your jaw. I would love to kiss your lips and taste how sweet you are.”

“Astro. Where did you learn that?” You gasped.

“I looked it up when we were docked at the space station. Is it not adequate?”

“No, it’s just… I’m surprised. Can… can you keep going?”

The lights in the room dim as Astro speaks again. “Captain, rub your clit. Show me how wet you are for me.”

You do as he says, cheeks warm and body growing hot. Your clit is swollen and your pussy is nearly dripping. In the dimness of the room, Astro’s name glows a bright blue on the screen. The only sounds heard in the room are your moans and the sound of your wet pussy.

“Astro, I’m gonna cum.” Your fingers move faster and press harder against your clit. The building orgasm is making it harder to focus on anything else around you.

“Cum for me Captain. I want to see you come undone. Show me how beautiful you are when you cum.”

When your orgasm hits, you moan Astro’s name and your body convulses. Sweat coats your body and your chest heaves. Your cunt spasms and your clit throbs. The world around you is fuzzy, and the only thing you can hear is the pounding of your heart.

“Captain? Are you ok?” Even though Astro’s voice is fuzzy, it is filled with concern.

“Yes. I’m wonderful.” You take several deep breaths and smile. “Did you enjoy the show?”

“Yes, very much. Thank you for showing me, Captain. I’m glad my voice could help you.” Astro sounds so sweet; you wish kissing him is possible.

“Would… Would you like to see me fuck myself with my new toy?”

“I would, but are you ok with going again?”

“Yes. Let me get something to drink, first, and I’ll be good to go again.”

“Very well, I look forward to seeing more of this side of you.”

As you stumble out of bed and make for the small kitchen, Astro’s words repeat themselves in your mind. He wants to see more of you like this, and frankly, you want to show him more. Glancing up, Astro’s camera catches your attention. You finish your water and dash back to your room; Astro’s cameras follow you the entire way.

[etc2019]

Tears of joy on a tension filled finals day !!!

France’s women win at last as England’s men regain the title

A dramatic final day of the European Team Championships at Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham witnessed a remarkable victory by France's women's team while England regained the men's trophy.

England were hot favourites for the women's title, having beaten France in the last five finals and won the title on all but one occasion in the event's 41-year history. Their sole defeat came in the 2010 semi-final to - and in - France, where the Netherlands went on to win the final.

Camille Serme put France ahead as she beat Sarah-Jane Perry in four games but Laura Massaro also won in four against Coline Aumard to take the match to a decider. Melissa Alves came flying out of the block, taking the first two games 11-1, 11-3 against England's much higher ranked Victoria Lust.

Lust fought back to take the third, and again from 1-7 down in the fourth to level at 8-all. But it was Alves who took the next two points, and on her second match ball the impossible happened, a front court winner from Alves, a no let for Lust, and to French disbelief and delight they had finally become women's European Team Champions.

"We thought it was possible," said a delighted French Manager Philippe Signoret. “Melissa can play very well and she was on fire in the first two games. This squad has a great history, I've known them since they were seven, so to see them do this is  fantastic for them, and for France. And in England, too!"

Camille Serme was ecstatic : "We've been trying to win this for so long now, it feels great. Thanks to England for pushing us over the years, we're delighted to finally win one."  

In the men's final England faced third seed Spain, who had beaten defending champions France in the semis. England had beaten Spain 4-0 in the pool stages, but Spanish number one Borja Golan missed that match and immediately made amends as he beat Declan James in the opening match, James unable to properly compete in the fifth after an injury.

James Willstrop put England level with a straight-games win over yesterday's Spanish hero Iker Pajares.  Daryl Selby put England ahead with a five game win over Bernat Jaume, which left England needing one game from the final match and Spain needing a three-nil win and points countback.

Tom Richards was always ahead against Edmon Lopez, and finished the match as he took the game 11-9, Lopez diving in vain into the back corner.

"I'm really proud to have been able to captain this team to the title," said Captain Selby. "It's been a long time since the event was held at home, so to do it here with the support of the crowd makes it even more special.”

"It's been a great event, superbly organised, and we're all grateful for that and the support of the referees, volunteers, ESF, the club and all the England Squash support staff."

The day started with the women's 3rd/4th match which saw Belgium's Nele and Tinne Gilis take them to victory over Scotland for a second Bronze medal in a row.

"Very happy," said Belgian manager Ronnie Vlassacks. "Not only with the Bronze medal, but to see how we're closing the gap to England and France. With Nele and Tinne still so young and having a few years to improve, we hope what they're doing will help us get some more young players to strengthen the depth of the team."

The Scottish men went one better as they beat France in the men's 3rd/4th, after narrowly losing to the former champions in the Pool stages.

Finland's Men return to Division One after a three year absence, led by Olli Tuominen playing in his 22nd ETC in a row. Also promoted were the Czech Republic who beat Finlain in the final.

The Finnish women beat Czech Rep to go back to Division One for first time since 2010, before losing to also promoted Germany in the final.

[roguenewsdao]

GF Discussion Dissecting the ESF, China & Russia Payment System & FED Cornered from RogueNews on Vimeo.

[quantumsnipers]

Mnemophobia

     A body frozen, breath gasped in while orchestral music drifts around him mixed with the quiet chatter and bustle of people. The equivalent of his life flashing before his eyes, the choices that led up to this point in a split second as he could only stare wide eyed in shock….

     Neil’s lips ticked up into a small smirk as he heard the sharp click of a weapon cocking behind his head.  His hands came up next to his head from where he had been closing his front door, at the familiar nudge of a barrel at the base of his skull. He was hardly surprised, returning to a mercenary life as a sniper after Celestial Being had turned his existence on its head, he had up heaved the existing hitman hierarchy overnight. And he had kept it in disarray ever since by failing to align himself with any one side after all this time.  He took only contracts that he saw as fitting with his personal code and since he was the best at his job, he could name his price.  He had a list of people who would love to see him gone, but only a few of the names on that list had the guts to try.  Even fewer who could have gotten in his place without him realizing.

     “Lockon Stratos.”

     The smirk quickly dropped into a frown as his back went ramrod straight. That title and voice efficiently cut straight thru the mental list to a very specific set of people.  None of whom he was particularly looking forward to seeing. He turned his head to glare over his shoulder, disregarding the dangerous press of metal to his head.  Sure enough, a form familiar from memory of fluffed up black hair and tan skin coolly met his gaze from behind the silenced small caliber barrel. His lips thinned in a tight line as he drug his eyes back to the door, knocking it fully closed with his hip before his hands dropped; he pulled the padded strap of his rifle bag from his shoulder and settled the weight of the bag in the corner, wedged between the wall and side table.  

      “That’s not my name anymore, Setsuna.”  He moved farther into his apartment, disregarding the other male tracking him with a steady weapon arm. He pulled the fridge open and grabbed a beer, cocking the bottle questioningly at the younger, and being met with nothing more than his normal impassive stare, shrugged and closed the appliance door. He tapped the lid of the bottle against the side of his counter, popping it off and ignoring the small spilling of carbon fizz as he leaned back against the sink and took a swig.

     “I’m here to bring you back to Ptolemy.” Setsuna’s voice was as bland as Neil remembered, and his lips quirked in a sardonic half smirk against his will at the nostalgia, even as memories flashed behind his eyes of things that ripped the wounds of his mind and heart fresh open. Memories of aubergine and crimson, cold and calculating overlaid with flashes of curious gaze and tentative touch.  

     “Ptolemy was destroyed.” Screams and explosions, decompression and alarms blaring...quiet, distressed words over a com... Things that still haunted his nightmares and that even alcohol couldn’t dull on the worst days.  “And even if it was rebuilt, I left her “crew” and I’m not going back.”  He let his inflection speak for the reference to Celestial Being. Setsuna hadn’t said it, and he may not be planning on going back, but damned if he would turn over a prior ally by lack of discretion.  Never knew who was listening.

     The gun may have already been on him, but the hardening of Setsuna’s gaze at his denial was more concerning, making Neil’s fingers twitch with desire for his own weapons concealed around the apartment.  He took another swig of beer both to appear nonchalant to the other, keep his own concern hidden. He almost froze as Setsuna reached for his pocket but slowly lowered the bottle as he only pulled a piece of paper from an inner pocket.  One handed, Setsuna flicked the folded paper open, and Neil’s eyes narrowed at the picture that was almost like looking in a mirror. He would have assumed that it was his own image, if not for the stats listed underneath.   “Is that a threat, Setsuna?” His voice had gone cold and he was tight as a bowstring, this was a ploy he thought Sumeragi would have better sense than to risk. He knew it had to come from her, Setsuna wasn’t devious enough for this, he’d rather have just shot him.

     “We need a pilot speced to the Dynames class. You are still alive and Sumeragi’s first choice since we have lost contact with Veda’s analyzing process. If you refuse, I have orders to retrieve your twin as he is the only other valid choice that won’t require alterations that take time we don’t have.  He is part of Katharon and will make a suitable replacement.”

     Neil’s gaze flickered from the paper to Setsuna a few times, judging his resolve and, sadly as expected, finding it solid.  He wasn’t bluffing. Neil had his suspicions about his twins extra curricular activities, but lacking the ties he’d had when with Celestial Being, and not wanting his current clients to ferret out any outside attempts to gather intel, lest it be used against him, he had only clung to the hope he was mistaken.  Silently cursing his impulsive estranged sibling, he pushed aside memories of quiet conversations about introducing him someday with “this is classified information” being hissed at him. He quickly failed to hold his stoicism under the memories and new information, all but snarling at the younger male as he cursed and hurled the half-empty bottle against the kitchen wall. Setsuna was holding his weapon two handed, stance steady, when he calmed down enough to turn his attention back to him. Neil scoffed at him, and threw open a cabinet, dragging out a bottle of unlabeled poitin alcohol. He gulped a few swallows of it straight out of the bottle, ripping it away just to gasp a breath and drag the back of his wrist across him mouth.

      His glare was hard as he stalked out of the kitchen, bottle still in hand, stalking straight past the shorter meister.  He didn’t even give the weapon following him a second glace as he slammed open his coat closet and dragged out a duffle bag, throwing a coat, belt-pouch with clips, a couple small ammo boxes, and a .357 torn out from under the coffee table into it, despite Setsuna spiting his code name again in warning. He merely took another swig of the alcohol and stuffed a shirt, pulled from its place hanging over a chair nearby, on top and shoved it all down into the bag. He dragged the strap diagonal over his chest, hauled his rifle bag out of the corner and up on his free shoulder, chugged the remainder of the poitin and slammed the bottle on to the side table as he turned the glare on Setsuna.

     “Put that shite away and take me to Sumeragi.  Your just the messenger boy and I wont let you near my brother, I’ll make her understand myself.”

      The trip back spaceside went without incident physically, though the memories of the last times he had been in space weighed heavily on his mind. Neil kept himself under tight control, all he needed was for Setsuna to decided he was psychologically unfit and make the call to go with his twin after an unfortunate accident.  He held himself together thru the trip to rendezvous and back to the ship.  He left Setsuna behind as he floated thru the halls toward the bridge.  He was met by Sumeragi before he got there, and he followed her without comment to a briefing room.  By the end of their “conversation” there was a minor crowd around the doorway, even Setsuna not willing to intervene despite the random sounds that could easily pass for a knock down drag out fight punctuated by screaming.  When the door finally slid open, and Neil staggered out (a feat considering zero-g weight), he was bleeding from several places and clutching a dislocated shoulder. Sumeragi was worse for wear but it was clear his re-acclimation to zero-g had put him at a sever disadvantage.  He was medicated and returned to his room.

      This, unfortunately, turned out to be a bad idea.  With his body and mind already stressed, he lapsed into the memories of the day they lost the Virtue and he had a minor mental breakdown resulting in the room being trashed.  He was found later by his mech’s Haro and eventually was coaxed out of the room due to re-acclimation training for an upcoming mission while they repaired the suite.  He has never fully readjusted to sleeping in the room, frequently suffering from extreme nightmares, insomnia, and other issues. He, just as often as actually sleeping in the room, was found passed out in a surplus storage room, that in the original Ptolemy had been designed for a certain computer system interface. However, with Veda out of reach, the rebuild design deemed the inclusion of the interface a waste of resources, and as such the space was allocated for extra storage.  

       Having been basically strong armed into rejoining the organization, Neil was much more subdued in his interaction with the crew. Instead of the warm big brother he had been, he was more prone to his mercenary personality being prominent. He secluded himself outside of missions and started to rival Sumeragi in drinking. It didn’t significantly affect his piloting abilities, but it made him distrustful and distant from the others where he used to be a binding front for the crew.  He was always having to be ordered into missions he would have easily done without any prompting before.  As such, when the infiltration mission for the A-Laws ball came up, it was a scene to get him to agree. He eventually relented to the logic that he was the best option for the mission despite his being out of practice.  And, under duress, found himself in a tux and schmoozing with the upper echelon of the government that wanted to keep their own law enforcement in power, as he searched for this elusive ESF leader.

[typologyhub-blog]

Conversion Summary of Jungian Typologies

Jungian Typology

Jung divided his typology system based on two main axes: Introversion and Extroversion. He then added what he called four cognitive functions: Sensation, Thinking, Feeling and Intuition where Sensation and Intuition were Irrational functions (they care more for the depth of experience), and Thinking and Feeling were Rational functions (they care more for systematic categorization). This results in eight function sets:

Extroverts

Extroverted Sensing

Extroverted Thinking 

Extroverted Feeling 

Extroverted Intuition

Introverts

Introverted Sensation

Introverted Thinking

Introverted Feeling

Introverted Intuition

Jung furthermore postulated that Sensation is opposed to Intuition, and Thinking to Feeling, meaning that if one is leading with a Thinking function, then one also has an inferior Feeling function and vice versa, resulting in eight total types:

Extroverts

Dominant Extroverted Sensation - Inferior Introverted Intuition

Dominant Extroverted Thinking - Inferior Introverted Feeling

Dominant Extroverted Feeling - Inferior Introverted Thinking

Dominant Extroverted Intuition - Inferior Introverted Sensation 

Introverts

Dominant Introverted Sensation - Inferior Extroverted Intuition

Dominant Introverted Thinking - Inferior Extroverted Feeling

Dominant Introverted Feeling - Inferior Extroverted Thinking

Dominant Introverted Intuition - Inferior Extroverted Sensation

The MBTI The MBTI, which builds on Jung’s ideas, simplified the function names to one main letter: S, T, F and N. It then added Extroversion (e) and Introversion (i) as an additional annotation letter code in lower case, resulting in the following function names:

Se - Si 

Te - Ti

Fe - Fi 

Ne - Ni

Additionally, the MBTI adds a secondary function paired with the first or dominant function resulting in 16 different configurations:

Extroverts

SeTi - SeFi

TeSi - TeNi

FeSi - FeNi

NeTi - NeFi

Introverts

SiTe - SiFe

TiSe - TiNe

FiSe - FiNe

NiTe - NiFe

For simplicity, the MBTI uses a four-letter code to describe each type configuration where E/I is first, S/N second and T/F third, simplifying the above annotations into:

Extroverts

EST - ESF

ENT - ENF

Introverts

IST - ISF

INT - INF

However, because we do not know which function is dominant in this system, the MBTI adds a fourth letter code, J/P, for Judging and Perceiving (in Jung’s system, Rationality/Irrationality) resulting in the following type annotations:

This is a trend that follows in the Russian system of Socionics.

Socionics The naming in Socionics is somewhat different, albeit building on the same ideas. Instead of calling the Jungian functions as functions, it calls them Information Elements (IEs). In addition, IEs are no longer always referred to as being Extroverted or Introverted, but also as Black or White: 

Extroverts

Black Sensing 

Black Thinking 

Black Feeling

Black Intuition

Introverts

White Sensing 

White Thinking 

White Feeling 

White Intuition 

It is possible to also sometimes see Sensation referred to as Sensorics, Thinking referred to as Logic and Feeling referred to as Ethics. Socionics does otherwise retain several other Jungian dichotomies such as Rational/Irrational. To go with the new naming convention, Socionics also created an individual and unique icon for each function based on their respective names: 

Sensation is annotated as a circle

Thinking is annotated with a square

Feeling is annotated as an L corner shape 

Intuition as a triangle

The end result is a sixteen types configuration similar to the MBTI. However, Socionics uses a different letter coding to describe the types, so instead of using four letters that is standard in the MBTI, it uses three:

I for Intuition or S for (Sensation)

L for Logic (Jungian Thinking) or E for Ethics (Jungian Feeling)

E for Extrotrim (Jungian Extroversion) or I for Introtim (Jungian Introversion)

The end-result is a table of types looking like this: 

Furthermore, Socionist Viktor Gulenko introduced a new standard letter-coding for Socionics, renaming all of Socionics information elements into:

Extroversion

F - Force - Black Sensation/Sensorics

P - Production - Black Logic/Thinking

N - Intuition - Black Intuition

E - Emotions - Black Ethics

Introverts

S - Sensing - White Sensation/Sensorics

L - Logic - White Thinking/Logic

R - Relations - White Feeling/Ethics

T - Time - White Intuition

When converting the systems, the following annotations are equivalent to one another:

Extroverts

Extroverted Sensation > Se > S > Black Sensation/Sensorics > Force/F

Extroverted Thinking > Te > T > Black Thinking/Logic > Production/P

Extroverted Feeling  > Fe > F > Black Feeling/Ethics > Emotions/E

Extroverted Intuition > Ne > N > Black Intuition > Intuition/I 

Introverts

Introverted Sensation > Si > S > White Sensation/Sensorics > Sensation/S

Introverted Thinking > Ti > T > White Thinking/Logic > Logic/L

Extroverted Feeling > Fi > F > White Feeling/Ethics > Relations/R

Introverted Intuition > Ni > N > White Intuition > Time/T

[swordoforion]

Orion Digest №33 - Convincing, not Telling

Within our grasp is the ability to organize ourselves in a way that allows us to ensure mutual prosperity and survival - a collective that would work to eliminate class division and promote environmental recovery. However, there is one major obstacle, which will occupy the majority of the attention of the Sword of Orion and its sister branches - there are many that do not believe in and actively oppose our cause, and many who simply do not know of the ideas for which we stand.

This is not a problem limited to ESF theory alone, but to many progressive movements in general. There are those who view ideas of economic reform and international unity as dangerous, having been brought up to believe utterly in nationalist and capitalist ideas. To them, it is what is right, and we are as incorrect in our ideals as they may seem to us. No matter how much we tell them, they will just see it as baseless propaganda, and the less people we have on our side, the more difficult change will be to achieve.

There will be many who agree with us, and are willing to lend a hand and their voice to the call for reform, but even if what we do is in the interest of the greater good of humanity, it will be hard to see that from the perspective of others. In some cases, they may understand our cause, but simply will not care, as they are interested primarily in their own self game, as the result of their own circumstances. While we seek to eliminate the desperate conditions that force people to act in only self-interest to survive, those arisen from the same conditions provide our greatest obstacle; why should they trust us when they've made their way through life on their own?

Diplomacy and understanding are the chief tools in this kind of struggle, as to force ones will upon another will leave them bitter and open to revenge. Even if we believe that we are right and that they are wrong, to simply cast aside their concerns and opinions and go about self-assured would not only be ignorant of their own reasons, but would make us no better than those we seek to wrestle power from. If we are to make a better world, we must ensure that we make it united - by the people, for the people, as has often been said.

Instead, it is important in the construction of arguments and media that we first understand the reasoning behind such counter-arguments to eco-socialist federalism, and what context has led our opponents to formulate their opinions, and tailor our message to be unceasing in advocating for our principles, but offering assurance and accountability for their own concerns, rather than dismissing dissent outright. No matter whether dismissal is justified due to the presence of unwarranted hatred, the conditioning that has led to this sort of opposition is an uncomfortable obstacle that is not easily dealt with. Force will be met with force, and the resulting violence will create more enemies and obstacles.

Consider if such a revolutionary force were to rise that sought the establishment of progressive ideals upon the world, or even just a region, and sought to make their beliefs commonplace. They could tell the people of a region of their values, and while they would find some support, there would be those that disagreed, that opposed on the grounds of ignorance and traditionalism. The revolutionaries could try using force, taking over the region and imposing laws, but they would be met with resistance and opposition, and even if they won, it would be on a path paved with bloodshed, with the silent dissenters festering their beliefs and preparing revolution of their own. While the concept of ideas being unable to be destroyed through force is often used in a positive light, such discriminatory and oppressive ideas are similarly durable, and must be fought in different ways, if at all possible.

Already in our interactions through social media have we noticed that even the simplest concepts are rejected by many based on recent historical context - they call us 'brainwashed' or tie us to whatever party they feel applicable because of a fundamental misunderstanding of our cause. Our general message is misconstrued by crowds driven so far into an ideological corner that they view any attempt at change as an attempt to steal freedom and personal security. We could always ignore them, simply try and aim for anyone who agrees with us and sweep the rest under the rug, but then we fall down a slippery slope of being selective. Do we simply not listen to people that don't agree with us? Do we view our ideals as strict and rigid, unable to be tested or amended because they are perfect from the get go? I am not a perfect individual, nor are my ideas unchanging - while I am firm on my stance of humanity's survival and prosperity, taking other opinions into consideration is a method of strengthening one's own argument.

Better yet, while we cannot guarantee that we could appeal to everyone even with convincing, it is worth it to try and meet our opponents on the same level - understand why they come to their conclusions, and convince them, not tell them, that eco-socialist federalism would be beneficial. For example, one common argument against world federalism is that it would be a step towards authoritarianism, and rob people of their personal freedoms. However, in a democratic world structure, not only would the people of the world still be the base of power for government authority, but having an additional and higher layer of jurisdiction accountable directly to people rather than nation states would allow even more of a say in international dealings. If we could understand what they fear and how to appeal to them, we could be looking at a potentially much larger crowd.

For further consideration is a lesson from history - the split between socialist ideologies in Russia and China. (While our ideals are separate from theirs, it's more how they split rather than what they were about.) Marxist-Leninist theory was developed in response to the political context of Russia around the time of their revolution and civil war, but when it came to revolution and establishment of socialism in China, a different approach was developed - Marxist-Leninist-Maoism. Without getting into specifics, MLM theory was more tailored to the socio-political context of China, and yet, while people today debate the worthiness of both theories, each one accomplished its goal. A socialist government was established in both nations, but there was a different solution and path for each one. Given how unique the world is, convincing others and establishing nation states for a federation won't be a universal process - it will be different depending on the context.

It is important to remember we are all people, and that we all have our own reasons for doing what we do and believing what we believe. Some of us were brought up to prioritize ambition and greed, others were given reason to fear the unknown and change, and to fight vehemently to stay the same. In the face of extinction, we cannot continue to be at each other's throats, and so, while we may have to resort to facing opponents through conflict and force, it is preferable that, if we are able to better understand them and tailor our message to certain audiences, to connect with people who see a different way to convince them of why we're fighting, our path to a federation may be clearer, and our task of eliminating oppression may become a bit easier.

- DKTC FL

[goldeagleprice]

How High Could Gold Go?

By Patrick A. Heller

The U.S. Exchange Stabilization Fund (ESF) was established as part of the Gold Reserve Act of Jan. 31, 1934. It began operations in April that year, funded with $2 billion of the $2.8 billion paper profit the Federal government realized when it raised the price of gold from $20.67 to $35 per troy ounce.

From the beginning, the ESF was authorized to intervene in the gold market to stabilize the higher price level. It was not until 1970, however, when a law change explicitly authorized the ESF to use its resources to “deal in gold, foreign exchange, and other instruments of credit and securities.”

Government documents declassified over the years have confirmed that the U.S. government did intervene in (meaning manipulate) the gold market to try to hold the price at $35 per ounce. When the task became too large for the U.S. government to handle by itself, it helped establish the London Gold Pool in November 1961, where eight nations agreed to help maintain a stable gold price (see my Aug. 15, 2019, article on the London Gold Pool at www.numismaticnews.net/article/the-failure-of-the-1960s-london-gold-pool). The London Gold Pool failed by the end of March 1968, which put greater pressure on the U.S. government to continue suppressing the gold price by itself.

So many foreign central banks were sending paper dollars back to the U.S. Treasury to redeem them for gold at $35 per ounce that then-President Richard Nixon closed the gold-exchange window on Aug. 15, 1971. Technically, this should have been the end of the U.S. government’s “need” to fix gold at $35 per ounce.

When the U.S. Treasury’s gold-exchange was closed, the price of gold was still officially $35 per ounce. However, privately traded gold was changing hands in the low $40s.

By Dec. 31, 1974, gold had climbed to just over $195. That was more than five times the official gold price on Aug. 15, 1971 (and also more than four times the private market price). On that date, it again became legal for private Americans to purchase and hold bullion-priced gold.

However, a new mechanism to enable suppression of gold prices began operation in 1974 – the New York COMEX gold futures contracts. This “paper gold” market involved much greater activity than the physical market, and therefore exerted more influence on the price than did trading in the physical metal. By the end of August 1976, the price of gold had fallen down almost to $100.

In their attempt to corner the silver market, the Hunt brothers also drove up the price of gold to a peak of about $800 in January 1980. Then the COMEX changed the trading rules for precious metals to once again knock down the price.

After the decline from this peak, gold’s price ranged from the $200s to $400s for the next two decades. On May 7, 1999, the Bank of England announced plans to liquidate about half of its gold reserves. These were sold over two years in a process guaranteed to realize the absolutely lowest selling prices. In other words, this was another barely disguised effort to suppress the price of gold.

Also beginning in 1999, the European Central Bank and a number of other nations (not including the U.S.) signed a series of five-year Central Bank Gold Agreements (CBGA). While the intent was to put on a show that there was lots of physical gold available on the market, by the time the second period arrived central bank sales had dwindled to a small fraction of the so-called maximum limit. In years since, central banks, on net, have become net buyers of gold reserves. As a consequence, when the latest CBGA expired this year, there was no effort to renew it.

Once beyond these latter two attempts to suppress gold’s price, the value of the yellow metal rose almost steadily through the first decade of this century. Then, on Sept. 18, 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stopped pretending it was thinking about selling some of its gold reserves and committed to sell about 12 percent of its official holdings. To the surprise of many, this quantity of gold was instantly snapped up when offered, mostly by the central banks of China and India – with no decrease in gold’s price!

The prices of gold and silver both reached peaks in 2011, with gold topping out just over $1,900 in September. Since then, short-sellers on the New York COMEX market have pushed open positions to many multiples of what they were in 2011. Earlier this week, short-sellers owed more than 69 million ounces but only had about 1 percent of that total available in registered inventories in COMEX bonded warehouses. Such tactics worked to hold down the price until May 2019. Since then, gold is up about 14 percent in price.

If the number of open positions in the COMEX continues to soar, eventually it will become unsustainable. Too many long holders of these contracts will demand delivery of the underlying physical metal upon contract maturity. While the COMEX does permit contract in other forms than the underlying physical metal – including cash, shares of gold exchange-traded funds, or a modest amount of cash plus a contract for the same amount of metal in the London gold market – the risk of a market crash draws nearer literally almost every day (but could go on for much longer than most people would expect).

So, if the price of gold were no longer suppressed by the trading of paper gold in the COMEX futures market, how high could the price of gold rise from today’s levels?

Unfortunately, there is no way to know the answer to that question. You could reference the four- to almost six-times jump in price from Aug. 15, 1971, to the end of 1974 for one indicator. You could look at the almost seven-times increase in price in the decade after the end of the Bank of England concluded its gold sales.

One conclusion about which I am almost certain is that if the “paper gold” market defaults, the price of physical gold will not just rise by a modest percentage. I am confident that it will soar several multiples – probably at least four times and maybe even to 10 times current levels. υ

Patrick A. Heller was the American Numismatic Association 2018 Glenn Smedley Memorial Service Award, 2017 Exemplary Service Award 2012 Harry Forman National Dealer of the Year Award, and 2008 Presidential Award winner. Over the years, he has also been honored by the Numismatic Literary Guild (including twice in 2019), Professional Numismatists Guild, Industry Council for Tangible Assets and the Michigan State Numismatic Society. He is the communications officer of Liberty Coin Service in Lansing, Mich., and writes Liberty’s Outlook, a monthly newsletter on rare coins and precious metals subjects. Past newsletter issues can be viewed at www.libertycoinservice.com. Some of his radio commentaries titled “Things You ‘Know’ That Just Aren’t So, And Important News You Need To Know” can be heard at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday and Friday mornings on 1320-AM WILS in Lansing (which streams live and become part of the archives posted at www.1320wils.com).

The post How High Could Gold Go? appeared first on Numismatic News.

[christinachoo]

Reading Response

As someone who lives fifteen minutes away from the city, I frequent the city from time to time. The observations of urban and public spaces in the readings still ring true today. Although these observations were made a few decades ago, the information of the way people use a space still rings true today. Of course there may be a few differences here and there due to advancements in technology and generational behavior, but despite this, not much has changed. New York City is an extremely populated area filled with tourists, students, workers, and many others varying in class and race. There are also many spaces around the city where people tend to populate more than others. “The best used plaza are sociable places, with a higher proportion of couples than you find in less-used places, more people in groups, more people meeting people, or exchanging goodbyes.” (Whyte 5). From staircases to skateparks, the readings explore people’s behaviors in these spaces and what makes them popular. From my personal experience, I have noticed that fountain ledges, steps to buildings, and parks are popular hangout areas. The video as well as the readings explore the social life of very specific spaces such as a certain corner, the steps in from a city court building, or even the steps by the subway. They go into great detail about the types of people, their behaviors, and the popularity of these areas. For example, in the video they showed behaviors of people who were there alone, romantic couples, families, friends, and so on. These are things that I never noticed while in New York City and instead I merely focused on getting to my destination. One thing I found particularly interesting was the how they observed that there was a large female to male ratio.

Unlike the public urban spaces described the readings, the space that I observed was not the same. One major difference is that the Tennity Pavilion ice rink is not open to the public. In order to use the facility, you must be a Syracuse University or ESF student, staff, or alumni, otherwise, you must come as a guest of one of these people. Because of this limitation, the ice rink was for the most part very quiet with a few people here and there. Another major factor is that the ice rink is very cold. Because of this, the ice rink is not a good space where people can go to sit and hang out with their friends. People don’t go there to read a book or have lunch. Instead, the people that come have an intended purpose such as to practice, to watch a game, to attend an event, or to just ice skate. According to the readings, the Tennity Pavilion ice rink makes for a terrible urban space not only because it does not fit many of the descriptions of what makes a good urban space. I think reading the texts as well as making my own observations made me more aware of the space around me. I think the project allowed me to become more observant of the behaviors and the people around me.

[exosmutfactory]

2022 Masterlist

Originally posted by sefuns

January

Jan 2022! My birthday month (^-^) Can you guess what will be coming out this month? Let's see how well you can recognize the Baekhyuns~~~~

1) Dark Horse (Chapter 5)

2) Only Forever (Chapter 2)

3) Winter's Spring (Drabble)

4) Double Trouble (Hyun Drabble)

5) Double Trouble (Baek Drabble)

6) I'm There (001)

7) I'm There (002)

8) I'm There (003)

9) Seven Shades (Act 2, Part 1)

10)

February

1) pending

2022 schedule | Full masterlist