#foci 2024

[politikapolka]

[izraelinfo]

Hetes rögbi, a sportszerűtlen bagettek és az izraeli döntetlen – Olimpianapló I

Még két nap van a 2024-es párizsi olimpia hivatalos megnyitójáig, de én már a -2. napon ideköltöztem a TV elé. Az esti Izrael – Mali focimeccsre hegyezek persze, de már délután négy óta itt ülök. Az első eredmény a hetes rögbi férfi küzdelmeiben született: Ausztrália csapata 21-14-re verte Szamoa együttesét szerdán. Soha nem láttam még hetes rögbit, a 14 fős hagyományos változatot jól ismerem.…

[metamatar]

Hey, that anon message sent to you. They were "surprised" that you spoke positively about Indigenous/Black methodologies and knowledge production. I just wanted to let them know that these discourses of knowledge production are taken very seriously, even and especially within "the Euro-American academy" or whatever for the past twenty-five years at least (so much so that it's very fashionable and influential, not that "legitimacy granted by the academy" must be the end-all measure of validity). It's not just that these ontologies/methodologies are compatible with US/European science, but they are actually actively now at forefront of US/European journals, universities, discourses, discussing environmental studies, coloniality, space/place, intellectual history, etc. You walk through hallways in a liberal arts building on campus and you'll see "Plantationocene" or "Indigenous pedagogy" printed on lecture fliers on the wall (so there are discussions about academia's consumption, appropriation, recuperation of these concepts). But I wanted to back you up, and also offer to that anon some places that might help them, to see not just the "rigorous intellectual method" of Black methodologies, Indigenous pedagogies, Caribbeanist/archipelagic thinking, etc., but also to show that there are whole "traditional" peer-reviewed journals that have been discussing this stuff for years too (from Small Axe, Antipode, and Journal of Postcolonial Writing to more-classic Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers and Annals of the American Association of Geographers). This stuff has been so prominent in "legitimate" arenas that it's been like almost ten years since Zoe Todd famously critiqued "the ontological turn" in academic anthropology.

But three basic accessible introductory resources:

E-flux (e-flux dot com): Specifically their e-flux Journal and e-flux Architecture section, which have published for years, pretty much daily, on knowledge production, pedagogies, epistemologies of space/place/land, historiography, architecture, environmental sciences, discourses within academy/sciences, etc. They also do many special issues, some which focus specifically on architecture of sickness/health; Anthropocene and Plantationocene; Black methodologies; race in European historiography; etc. you'll see mention of (and sometimes whole issues dedicated to discussion of) Achille Mbembe, Fanon, Indigenous ontologies, Eduoard Glissant, Orientalism, Sylia Wynter, Aime Cesaire, etc. Some of these scholars have also themselves written/published multiple essays/articles at e-flux, including Mbembe (necropolitics), Kathryn Yusoff (A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None), Katherine McKittrick (Black methodologies; plantation logic; carceral geography); Elizabeth Povinelli (geontopower). E-flux's site itself has a good tagging system for subjects (plantations; coloniality; postcoloniality; pedagogy; ecology; etc.).

About four journal issues each year from peer-reviewed Antipode Online (a project of Antipode: A Radical Journal of Geography). They also have various special issues, lecture series, interventions, workshops, roundtables, etc. about knowledge production, and have separate series for "Right to the Discipline grants" and "scholar-activist projects". (This kind of focus is also shared by the online portal of ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies, which also does special issues, roundtables, interventions).

Green Dreamer (greendreamer dot com): Transcripts for over 430 interviews/conversations between scholars, scientists, etc. which mostly focus on knowledge production, methodologies, "troubling the academy", pedagogy, intellectual history, historiography, etc. with specific foci in ecology, history, race, humanities, environmental sciences. They go out of their way to survey Black and Indigenous scholars. And by coincidence their latest interviews (2024) are with Nick Estes (Indigenous pedagogies of knowledge) and Sadiah Qureshi (she authored Peoples on Parade: Exhibitions, Empire and Anthropology in Nineteenth-Century Britain). But they've surveyed so much more.

Some scholars on this kind of stuff: Katherine McKittrick; Achille Mbembe; Pratik Chakrabarti; Macarena Gomez-Barris; Sharae Deckard; Kathryn Yusoff; Jonathan Saha.

But this is a tip of an iceberg.

wow!!! its so cool to receive a message from you as your blog has definitely shaped my perspective and even my style on sharing articles here. and yeah its true that black and indigenous knowledge production is very much on the forefront of liberal arts, esp in the sub fields you've pointed out. i personally perceived anon's critique as one to me bc i have spoken previously about the cynical deployment of decolonial studies as insulation from critique wrt fascist and ethnonationalist discourses like hindutva and i personally traffic in engineering depts that view themselves as immune to even studying their own histories. but these occupations of decolonial studies by high culture is only possible if such studies had currency in the academy! to reject this cynical deployment is not to make a return to euro american business as usual though. i think its a matter of grounding and local context to be capable of as ahmad says "the most delicate of dialectics to disaggregate these densities."

and most importantly, thank you for the bibliography. i have a zotero folder for your recs :)

[laurentidal]

Ice Core Report ❄️ August 2024

Decided to do a little editorial check in at the end of each month. Most of you probably don't know that, while Lauren is my real first name, that my blog is actually named for a massive ice sheet that once lay over the place where I live (the Laurentide Ice Sheet). Thus, this is a report from my ice core.

#1 Story: Suggestion Box

This one was a huge surprise for me. It took off immediately, and I had not seen that coming. I'd had this image saved in my "had potential" folder for probably three weeks before I decided on how to tell the story. It went through an iteration where this was an ice skating rink, then it was a sandwich shop. I think one draft had a "five dollar footlong" joke in it. But ultimately I liked "arcade" the best.

#2 Story: Enjoy Your Stay

This was based on fun joking conversation I had with @hypno-potion and as the scaffolding we were joking about kept getting more elaborate I was like "No there is definitely something here." I'm glad you all agreed.

#3 Story: Kitty Pet Saga

I saw this picture and immediately knew what the story was going to be. Sometimes I see an image and think "There's something here if I look hard enough" and sometimes I see an image and a fully formed idea just jumps right out of it.

#4 Story: Oh My

This is a story I actually wrote quite some time ago for an old defunct website that never really got any foot traffic. I'm glad I brought it over, because it's one of my personal favorites. The only fauxcest story in the top five this month. That's one of those kinks I think I'm just going to have to accept that you guys aren't as into as I am (and I have the data to validate that claim).

#5 Story: Daughters and Suns

The only true repost from my old blog and the only part of a series in the top five this month. This series is my favorite thing I'm writing right now (though this entry isn't my favorite in the series). There's a lot more coming so I hope you're enjoying as much as I am.

Sunda Systems

We're half way through Season 1 of my Sunda Systems investigative mind control conspiracy story. Our investigator has made several contacts and visited the campus first-hand. She also might be starting to feel some effects from her various encounters, and her keen eye for detail is missing a few clues that are staring her right in the face. But I'm sure the date she's got lined up will give her some much needed relaxation.

Please please please share this story and feel free to get interactive with it! I've put some real effort into it and I've never written such a slow burn before. I'm enjoying the ride, and I've got some GOOD (I think) twists and turns coming. I think this format could be fun to play around with as an audience. Post your theories! I love seeing that folks are engaging with more than just the like button.

Update of Magics & Mesmerism

Some of you are aware that I'm working on an erotic mind control TTRPG called Magics & Mesmerism. I'm still plugging away. As we speak, I'm writing skills for the Innovator character class. As a treat, I'd like to share with you an except from the page on Hypnotic Foci:

General Thoughts

Every story in the top five this month is a FEMALE SUB story. Noted. I tend to favor that in my writing, too, which is interesting because I think Female Over Male stories are hotter, probably because of the subversion of expectations. I'm a slut for subversion of expectations.

I think that's everything. Love you all and I'm very excited for you to see what's coming in September. One of my favorites that I wrote comes out tomorrow, and on the 13th you'll be introduced to your first Force of Nature.

Till then, keep reading, keep messaging, keep asking, and if you're feeling generous, keep donating.

[stormoflina]

Girlllll help us non Hungarians we need to see this weird domi interview

https://m4sport.hu/kulfoldi-foci/cikk/2024/03/07/szoboszlai-dominik-remelem-ebben-a-szezonban-meg-lesz-golom-az-el-ben-de-utana-vissza-a-bl-be

Here's the link, with chrome you can translate the written stuff and see the video where he gets interviewed too. Here's a snippet:

" I talked to [Klopp] about that he is subbing Macallister off, so I will have to do even more defending, watch out next to Endo, the position six. And one of the youngsters will come on, and he will be the attacking minded midfielder, all what he [Klopp] said is to pay attention to defending. "

The video is obviously more detailed, if anyone is interested, I can make a translation. :)

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Alex Byrne

Published: Mar 14, 2024

“Computing is not binary” would be a silly slogan—binary computer code underpins almost every aspect of modern life. But other kinds of binaries are decidedly out of fashion, particularly where sex is concerned. “Biology is not binary” declares the title of an essay in the March/April issue of American Scientist, a magazine published by Sigma Xi, the science and engineering honor society. Sigma Xi has a storied history, with numerous Nobel-prize-winning members, including the DNA-unravellers Francis Crick and James Watson, and more recently Jennifer Doudna, for her work on CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. The essay is well-worth critical examination, not least because it efficiently packs so much confusion into such a short space.

Another reason for examining it is the pedigree of the authors—Kate Clancy, Agustín Fuentes, Caroline VanSickle, and Catherine Clune-Taylor. Clancy is a professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Fuentes is a professor of anthropology at Princeton, and Clune-Taylor is an assistant professor of gender and sexuality studies at that university; VanSickle is an associate professor of anatomy at Des Moines. Clancy’s Ph.D. is from Yale, Fuentes’ is from UC Berkeley, and VanSickles’ is from Michigan. Clune-Taylor is the sole humanist: she has a Ph.D. in philosophy from Alberta, with Judith Butler as her external examiner. In short, the authors are not ill-educated crackpots or dogmatic activists, but top-drawer scholars. Their opinions matter.

Let’s talk about sex, baby

Before wading into the essay’s arguments, let’s look at the context, as noted in the second paragraph. “Last fall,” the authors write, “the American Anthropological Association made headlines after removing a session on sex and gender from its November 2023 annual conference.” The session’s cancellation was covered by the New York Times as well as international newspapers, and it eventually took place under the auspices of Heterodox Academy. (You can watch the entire event here.) Scheduled for the Sunday afternoon “dead zone” of the five-day conference, when many attendees leave for the airport, the title was “Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby: Why biological sex remains a necessary analytic category in anthropology.” The lineup was all-female, and included the anthropologists Kathleen Lowrey and Elizabeth Weiss. According to the session description, “With research foci from hominin evolution to contemporary artificial intelligence, from the anthropology of education to the debates within contemporary feminism about surrogacy, panelists make the case that while not all anthropologists need to talk about sex, baby, some absolutely do.”

Nothing evidently objectionable here, so why was it cancelled? The official letter announcing that the session had been removed from the program, signed by the presidents of the AAA and CASCA (the Canadian Anthropology Society), explained:

The reason the session deserved further scrutiny was that the ideas were advanced in such a way as to cause harm to members represented by the Trans and LGBTQI of the anthropological community as well as the community at large.

Why “the Trans” were double-counted (the T in LGBTQI) was not clear. And although ideas can harm, a handful of academics speaking in the Toronto Convention Centre are unlikely to cause much. In any event, the authors of “Biology is not binary” seem to think that the panelists’ errors about sex warranted the cancellation, not the trauma their words would bring to vulnerable anthropologists. “We were glad,” they say, “to see the American Anthropological Association course-correct given the inaccuracy of the panelists’ arguments.”

Never mind that no-one had heard the panelists’ arguments—what were these “inaccuracies”? The panelists, Clancy and her co-authors report, had claimed that “sex is binary,” and that “male and female represent an inflexible and infallible pair of categories describing all humans.”

“Biology is not binary” is not off to a promising start. Only one of the cancelled panelists, Weiss, has said anything about sex being binary in her talk abstract, and even that was nuanced: “skeletons are binary; people may not be.” No one had claimed that the two sex categories were “inflexible” or “infallible,” which anyway doesn’t make sense. (This is one example of the essay’s frequent unclarity of expression.) Neither had anyone claimed that every single human falls into one sex category or the other.

Probably the real reason the proposed panel caused such a stir was that it was perceived (in Clancy et al.’s own words) as “part of an intentional gender-critical agenda.” And, to be fair, some of the talks were “gender-critical,” for instance Silvia Carrasco’s. (Carrasco’s views have made her a target of activists at her university in Barcelona.) Still, academics can’t credibly cancel a conference session simply because a speaker defends ideas that bother some people, hence the trumped-up charges of harm and scientific error.

Although Clancy et al. misleadingly characterize the content of the cancelled AAA session, their essay might yet get something important right. They argue for four main claims. First, “sex is not binary.” Second, “sex is culturally constructed.” Third, “defining sex is difficult.” And, fourth, there is no one all-purpose definition of sex—it depends “on what organism is being studied and what question is being asked.”

Let’s go through these in order.

“Sex is not binary”

When people say that sex is binary, they sometimes mean that there are exactly two sexes, male and female. Sometimes they mean something else: the male/female division cuts humanity into two non-overlapping groups. That is, every human is either male (and not female), or female (and not male). These two interpretations of “Sex is binary” are different. Perhaps there are exactly two sexes, but there are some humans who are neither male nor female, or who are both sexes simultaneously. In that scenario, sex is binary according to the first interpretation, but not binary according to the second. Which of the two interpretations do Clancy et al. have in mind?

At least the essay is clear on this point. The “Quick Take” box on the first page tells us that the (false) binary thesis is that “male and female [are] the only two possible sex categories.” And in the text the authors say that “plenty of evidence has emerged to reject” the hypothesis that “there are only two sexes.” (Here they mystifyingly add “…and that they are discrete and different.” Obviously if there are two sexes then they are different.)

If there are not exactly two sexes, then the number of sexes is either zero, one, or greater than two. Since Clancy et al. admit that “categories such as ‘male’ and ‘female’…can be useful,” they must go for the third option: there are more than two sexes. But how many? Three? 97? In a striking absence of curiosity, the authors never say.

In any case, what reason do Clancy et al. give for thinking that the number of sexes is at least three? The argument is in this passage:

[D]ifferent [“sex-defining”] traits also do not always line up in a person’s body. For example, a human can be born with XY chromosomes and a vagina, or have ovaries while producing lots of testosterone. These variations, collectively known as intersex, may be less common, but they remain a consistent and expected part of human biology. So the idea that there are only two sexes…[has] plenty of evidence [against it].

However, this reasoning is fallacious. The premise is that some (“intersex”) people do not have enough of the “sex-defining” traits to be either male or female. The conclusion is that there are more than two sexes. The conclusion only follows if we add an extra premise, that these intersex people are not just neither male nor female, but another sex. And Clancy et al. do nothing to show that intersex people are another sex.

What’s more, it is quite implausible that any of them are another sex. Whatever the sexes are, they are reproductive categories. People with the variations noted by Clancy et al. are either infertile, for example those with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) (“XY chromosomes and a vagina”), or else fertile in the usual manner, for example many with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) and XX chromosomes (“ovaries while producing lots of testosterone,” as Clancy et al. imprecisely put it). One study reported normal pregnancy rates among XX CAH individuals. Unsurprisingly, the medical literature classifies these people as female. Unlike those with CAIS and CAH, people who belonged to a genuine “third sex” would make their own special contribution to reproduction.

“Sex is culturally constructed”

“Biology is not binary” fails to establish that there are more than two sexes. Still, the news that sex is “culturally constructed” sounds pretty exciting. How do Clancy et al. argue for that?

There is a prior problem. Nowhere do Clancy et al. say what “Sex is culturally constructed” means. What’s more, the essay thoroughly conflates the issue of the number of sexes with the issue about cultural construction. Whatever “cultural construction” means, presumably culture could “construct” two sexes. (The Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan were literally constructed, and there were exactly two of them.) Conversely, the discovery of an extra sex would not show that sex was culturally constructed, any more than the discovery of an extra flavor of quark would show that fundamental particles are culturally constructed.

Clancy et al. drop a hint at the start of the section titled “Sex is Culturally Constructed.” “Definitions and signifiers of gender,” they say, “differ across cultures… but sex is often viewed as a static, universal truth.” (If you want to know what they mean by “gender,” you’re out of luck.) That suggests that the cultural construction of sex amounts to the “definitions and signifiers” of sex differing between times and places. This is confirmed by the following passage: “[T]here is another way we can see that sex is culturally constructed: The ways collections of traits are interpreted as sex can and have differed across time and cultures.” What’s more, in an article called “Is sex socially constructed?”, Clune-Taylor says that this (or something close to it) is one sense in which sex is socially constructed (i.e. culturally constructed).

The problem here is that “Sex is culturally constructed” (as Clancy et al. apparently understand “cultural construction”) is almost trivially true, and not denied by anyone. If “X is culturally constructed” means something like “Ideas of X and theories of X change between times and places,” then almost anything which has preoccupied humans will be culturally constructed. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are culturally constructed: the ancients thought they revolved around the Earth and represented different gods. Dinosaurs are culturally constructed: our ideas of them are constantly changing, and are influenced by politics as well as new scientific discoveries. Likewise, sex is culturally constructed: Aristotle thought that in reproduction male semen produces a new embryo from female menstrual blood, as “a bed comes into being from the carpenter and the wood.” We now have a different theory.

Naturally one must distinguish the claim that dinosaurs are changing (they used to be covered only in scales, now they have feathers) from the claim that our ideas of dinosaurs are changing (we used to think that dinosaurs only have scales, now we think they have feathers). It would be fallacious to move from the premise that dinosaurs are culturally constructed (in Clancy et al.’s sense) to the conclusion that dinosaurs themselves have changed, or that there are no “static, universal truths” about dinosaurs. It would be equally fallacious to move from the premise that sex is culturally constructed to the claim that there are no “static, universal truths” about sex. (One such truth, for example, is that there are two sexes.) Nonetheless, Clancy et al. seem to commit exactly this fallacy, in denying (as they put it) that “sex is…a static, universal truth.”

To pile falsity on top of fallacy, when Clancy et al. give an example of how our ideas about sex have changed, their choice could hardly be more misleading. According to them:

The prevailing theory from classical times into the 19th century was that there is only one sex. According to this model, the only true sex is male, and females are inverted, imperfect distortions of males.

This historical account was famously defended in a 1990 book, Making Sex, by the UC Berkeley historian Thomas Laqueur. What Clancy et al. don’t tell us is that Laqueur’s history has come under heavy criticism; in particular, it is politely eviscerated at length in The One-Sex Body on Trial, by the classicist Helen King. It is apparent from Clune-Taylor’s other work that she knows of King’s book, which makes Clancy et al.’s unqualified assertion of Laqueur’s account even more puzzling.

“Defining sex is difficult”

Aristotle knew there were two sexes without having a satisfactory definition of what it is to be male or female. The question of how to define sex (equivalently, what sex is) should be separated from the question of whether sex is binary. So even if Clancy et al. are wrong about the number of sexes, they might yet be right that sex is difficult to define.

Why do they think it is difficult to define? Here’s their reason:

There are many factors that define sex, including chromosomes, hormones, gonads, genitalia, and gametes (reproductive cells). But with so many variables, and so much variation within each variable, it is difficult to pin down one definition of sex.

Readers of Reality’s Last Stand will be familiar with the fact that chromosomes and hormones (for example) do not define sex. The sex-changing Asian sheepshead wrasse does not change its chromosomes. Interestingly, the sex hormones (androgens and estrogens) are found in plants, although they do not appear to function as hormones. How could the over-educated authors have written that “there are many factors that define sex,” without a single one of them objecting?

That question is particularly salient because the textbook account of sex is in Clancy et al.’s very own bibliography. In the biologist Joan Roughgarden’s Evolution’s Rainbow there’s a section called “Male and Female Defined.” If you crack the book open, you can’t miss it.

Roughgarden writes:

To a biologist, “male” means making small gametes, and “female” means making large gametes. Period! By definition, the smaller of the two gametes is called a sperm, and the larger an egg. Beyond gamete size, biologists don’t recognize any other universal difference between male and female.

“Making” does not mean currently producing, but (something like) has the function to make. Surely one of Clancy et al. must have read Roughgarden’s book! (Again from her other work we know that Clune-Taylor has.) To avoid going round and round this depressing mulberry bush again, let’s leave it here.

“Sex is defined in a lot of ways in science”

Perhaps sex is not a single thing, and there are different definitions for the different kinds of sex. The standard gamete-definition of sex is useful for some purposes; other researchers will find one of the alternative definitions more productive. Clancy et al. might endorse this conciliatory position. They certainly think that a multiplicity of definitions is good scientific practice: “In science, how sex is defined for a particular study is based on what organism is being studied and what question is being asked.”

Leaving aside whether this fits actual practice, as a recommendation it is wrong-headed. Research needs to be readily compared and combined. A review paper on sexual selection might draw on studies of very different species, each asking different questions. If the definition of sex (male and female) changes between studies, then synthesizing the data would be fraught with complications and potential errors, because one study is about males/females-in-sense-1, another is about males/females-in-sense-2, and so on.

Indeed, “Biology is not binary” itself shows that the authors don’t really believe that “male” and “female” are used in science with multiple senses. They freely use “sex,” “male,” and “female” without pausing to disambiguate, or explain just which of the many alleged senses of these words they have in mind. If “sex is defined a lot of ways in science” then the reader should wonder what Clancy et al. are talking about.

In an especially odd passage, they write that the “criteria for defining sex will differ in studies of mushrooms, orangutans, and humans.” That is sort-of-true for mushrooms, which mate using mating types, not sperm and eggs. (Mating types are sometimes called “sexes,” but sometimes not.) However, it’s patently untrue for orangutans and humans, as the biologist Jerry Coyne points out.

Orangutans had featured earlier in the saga of the AAA cancellation, when Clancy and Fuentes had bizarrely suggested that the “three forms of the adult orangutan” present a challenge to the “sex binary,” seemingly forgetting that these three forms comprise females and two kinds of males. Kathleen Lowrey had some fun at their expense.

As if this tissue of confusion isn’t enough, Clancy et al. take one final plunge off the deep end. After mentioning osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, they write:

[P]eople experiencing similar sex-related conditions may not always fit in the same sex category. Consider polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common metabolic condition affecting about 8 to 13 percent of those with ovaries, which often causes them to produce more androgens than those without this condition. There are increasing numbers of people with PCOS who self-define as intersex, whereas others identify as female.

They seem to believe that two people with PCOS might not “fit in the same sex category.” That is, one person could be female while the other isn’t, with this alchemy accomplished by “self-definition.” PCOS, in case you were wondering, is a condition that only affects females or, in the approved lingo of the Cleveland Clinic, “people assigned female at birth.”

How could four accomplished and qualified professors produce such—not to mince words—unadulterated rubbish?

There are many social incentives these days for denouncing the sex binary, and academics—even those at the finest universities—are no more resistant to their pressure than anyone else. However, unlike those outside the ivory tower, academics have a powerful arsenal of carefully curated sources and learned jargon, as well as credentials and authority. They may deploy their weapons in the service of—as they see it—equity and inclusion for all.

It would be “bad science,” Clancy et al. write at the end, to “ignore and exclude” “individuals who are part of nature.” In this case, though, Clancy et al.’s firepower is directed at established facts, and the collateral damage may well include those people they most want to help.

--

About the Author

Alex Byrne is a Professor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy. His main interests are philosophy of mind (especially perception), metaphysics (especially color) and epistemology (especially self-knowledge). A few years ago, Byrne started working on philosophical issues relating to sex and gender. His book on these topics, Trouble with Gender: Sex Facts, Gender Fictions, is now available in the US and UK.

==

The whole "social construction," "cultural construction" thing is idiotic.

Not only does it mean you would be a different sex in a different society/culture, but it becomes necessary that cross-cultural/cross-societal reproduction is fraught with complications.

[yloiseconeillants]

Deep within the Void Ark’s hull are stowed seemingly endless rows of stone coffins. These sarcophagi were not, however, funerary vessels used to inter the remains of the vessel’s passengers, but containment units for voidsent summoned by the Ark’s architects. The coffins served as arcane foci to channel the dark energies of the creatures trapped within, and divert them to the Ark’s engines.

VIERAPRIL 2024 :: Day 7 - Pause

industrial strength nap enclosure

[arthdruidheckyeah]

Trolltober 2024 - Gemstone!

Gemstones often hold power, many spellcasters use them to empower their staves to become spellcasting foci. However, the lil birdy has other plans for the egg-shaped gem!

I decided to draw Uh'Kun the Sleepy, my Shatterspear Dark Troll Druid. I have a headcanon that the Shatterspear has a mixture of dark trolls and jungle trolls thanks to their pilgrimage from EK to Kalimdor so long ago. This boy is one of my newest ocs so he has very little story yet :') But I can tell you that he is a Moonkin shapeshifter. This drawing was a TRIP. It was great to try out new techniques for both shading and body hair. Hopefully yall like it ;w;

[purple-link]

Alisaie and Purple Link

FFXIV Write 2024 Story Entry

Spoiler: Story takes place after WoL reaches Garlemald in Endwalker, but but before the Tower of Babil dungeon. Story will be largely sfw, but will adhere to FFXIV's level of mature storytelling.

Chapter 5: Stamp

The water inside of the sunken vessel was murky, and not very bright. Despite all the bright lights still somehow lit across all the halls, the grim-colored metal made it difficult to discern a light source, or even how deep a hallway could go.

It was all prettily lit, but no more.

Purple Link looked at Alisaie, who grimaced slightly.

“This could take forever,” said Alisaie, matter-of-factly, “The vessel stretches out for a mile, and the ship was deep enough to house a thousand soldiers.

"This ship was built on the eve of total transition from seafaring expeditions to almost total air armadas. This last must have been built using similar technology that informed those flying cylindrical Dreadnoughts.”

Purple Link gave her a wry expression.

There’s that look again, Alisaie uncomfortably thought, Why does he make me think of my father when he looks at me like that?

“What? I went to the same school as Alphinaud, I’ll have you know,” said Alisaie, in a huff, “I did well enough to be exceptional, probably one of the best students in the whole of the Studium…

"Next to my brother.”

Purple Link nodded quietly, and looked again in the hallway.

The brightly lit Ceruleum coral reef did not enter into any other part of the ship besides the engine room. They were unlikely to find their artifact in there.

“I’m afraid most of my magic is in destruction, even as a Red Mage,” said Purple Link, meagerly, “And I lack the skills as a summoner for me to depend on a Carbuncle. I don’t know what we could use as a light underwater.”

“But there is an option,” said Alisaie, confidently, “And we have it on hand as a Red Mage ourselves.”

“Oh?” asked Purple Link. Alisaie nodded, and drew out her Hailstorm Rapier.

It was a glowing, crystal blade that twisted all along the tang, into a beautiful display. On one end was a powerful, emphasized point, and on the other was an ornamental handguard that formed into two sharp points.

Damned handguard points poked into your sides something nasty, he remembered, but they were worth it.

“Good thinking,” said Purple, and he put away his Talekeeper rapier, and brought out his own Hailstorm.

Alisaie’s was glowing a bright pink, while Purple Link’s lit a light-blue, though in some lights, it could be as purple as he was. Oftentimes, he considered it more purple than blue, and left it at that.

“We use the foci,” said Alisaie, “to light up the crystals. Put a little more aether into the blades, and they should be suitable for our efforts.”

Purple Link nodded, and he focused his aether into the Hailstorm. Soon, both their blades, and the crystals in their foci, lit up so brightly, the rest of the ship could be visibly discerned.

“Right,” said Alisiae, confidently, “Barring the possibility of predatory fish, or electric eels, we should be just fine splitting up to find this artifact. Anything I should know?”

“It’s an old celebratory symbol,” said Purple Link, “While I don’t think it should be a statue, it would be worth it to default on anything that looks wolf shaped.

"However, if you think it might be something else, be sure to give me a tap.”

He poked the linkpearl on his ears, and Alisaie nodded.

“I’ll let you know,” said Alisaie, “Be sure to do the same.”

“Right,” said Purple Link.

Together they began the arduous process of scouring a Garlean wreck to find a barely described Lupin diplomatic symbol…

…

The Wolf Burglar grumbled as he fingered the last of his anchors. The rope was binding. The Hrothgar was strong, and while the Lupin also carried some of his species' strength, it was still no match for that of the Warrior of Light.

As he freed himself, he looked at his surroundings.

The storm had subsided almost immediately after the dunking of the Warrior of Light. The water returned to gentle laps on the eastern shores of Sakazuki.

The campfire was doused, the wood dampened. It had taken at least a day for him to finger his anchors, and while he worked on the knots, he noticed that while Purple was able to put away his tent and his part of the camp, the Wolf Burglar’s was in shambles.

That had hardly been an issue, he thought. The Wolf Burglar traveled light. Even his father's sword was little more than carry-on.

After the last of the anchors had been loosened, and he was able to walk around freely again, it was high noon on a day after the storm.

He yearned for something to eat.

“I really hope that damnable storm hadn’t ruined my stores of food,” said the Wolf Burglar, “The fish was delicious, but it’s going to take forever to find new wood on this barren volcanic rock. At least my emergency rations should be okay…”

As he shuffled through his sack, he heard someone traipse exhaustedly alongside the shore. The Wolf Burglar looked up.

It was Alphinaud, tiredly dragging himself along with a large branch of wood. That seemed to be properly good timing, that.

After breaking up the walking stick into several pieces and using it to stoke the flame around the campfire and its damp wood, the fire was roaring again. Alphinaud was shaking.

The Wolf Burglar had on hand only a slightly damp blanket, and he used it to cover Alphinaud.

“Oh, thank you,” said Alphinaud, pausing only a moment to sneeze, “I really do hate swimming.”

After a moment to warm, the Wolf Burglar begged a story. Alphinaud was more than pleased to explain his situation.

“Shortly after we contacted your party,” said Alphinaud, “We reached the edge of the storm that was engulfing Sakazuki. The wind was monstrous.

“We were thrown about like hail in a storm,” continued the Elezen, “While I need not worry for my sister, as she had been blessed by the Kojin, to breathe underwater, I hadn’t found the time to ask it for myself, and I currently cannot spare a moment.”

“Still, that storm was intense,” said the Wolf Burglar, “If the Warrior of Light hadn’t anchored my body to these rocks, I would have been thrown in the drink after him.”

“Indeed,” said Alphinaud, “I only recently reemerged on the northern shore of Sakazuki, although I hadn’t realized it at the time. Despaired and exhausted, I grabbed what you rightly determined was a large limb off a nearby tree and dragged myself along the shore, thinking I was heading for the settlement to the east of Sakazuki…

“Or I may have just been delirious,” he added, uncertainly, “Quite literally my only other thought besides nourishment was ‘Please, Hydaelyn, please don’t make me go in the sea again.’”

“I don’t blame you,” said the Wolf Burglar, “I’m only just barely aware of the blessing of the Kojin, the ability to breathe underwater. In the storm, I had forgotten the Champion of Eorzea could perform such a feat.”

They looked around again.

The task they had performed out here, to survey the Ruby Sea’s seabed, seemed a bit like yesterday’s news. Purple Link and Alisaie were not around, to use their mounts to help in the search, and a more currently pressing matter was whether or not either of their friends were okay.

Not that the Wolf Burglar considered them friends, but seeing the Warrior of Light get thrashed around and deposited in the sea was still traumatic enough to need to talk about it.

“You…think they’re going to be okay?” said the Wolf Burglar, worriedly, “Your sister…and that warrior?”

“Whom? Purple Link?” said Alphinaud, and he chuckled, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he could survive on the surface of Menphina without a protective suit.”

“That I can believe,” said the Wolf Burglar, “I’m asking about you.”

“Oh,” said Alphinaud, curiously, “And I suppose this is another generous aspect of the noble thief.”

The Wolf Burglar grimaced, and he stood up to walk along the edge of the shore. He stopped and stared out at the Ruby Sea, his tail twitching lightly and his arms folded.

“Did…Did I strike a nerve?” asked Alphinaud.

“I don’t need to be thief,” said the Wolf Burglar, “to be courteous. I am only here on behalf of Lord Hien and Hakuro Whitefang. I think it’s important to uphold our long-honored traditions.”

“‘Long-honored?’” asked Alphinaud, quite intrigued. The Wolf Burglar turned around and stamped a footpaw in the sand.

“You adventurers!” said the Wolf Burglar, “You never pay attention! I am talking about an artifact that is important between Lord Hien’s people and mine!”

Alphinaud looked inquisitively at the Lupin. The Wolf Burglar pouted for a moment or two, and then started in realization.

“Oh, that’s right,” said the Wolf Burglar, “You weren’t here. I explained all to the Warrrior of Light.”

“It seems as though it bears mentioning again,” said Alphinaud, “I do remember the artifact was important between the two of you, but you never explained why.

"Normally, this level of secrecy is beheld at a state of espionage deemed on the brink of teetering.”

The Wolf Burglar folded his arms again, and appraised the young Elezen.

“Hmm,” he said, finally, “Your reputation preceeds you, Alphinaud Leveilleur.”

“Is that what this is?” asked Alphinaud, “Are you worried your people might not honor your agreement?”

“I think enough years have passed that such an artifact is no longer necessary to keep the peace,” said the Wolf Burglar, “But the ceremony is still appreciated, and the monument would be greater reinforced if all the services were honored.”

“‘Monument?’” asked Alphinaud, “Are you talking about the artifact?”

“You catch on quick, Scion,” said the Wolf Burglar, smiling, “All right, I’ll level with you…”

…

Purple Link felt like he could have been searching for hours, and still find nothing. There were a lot of cast aside possessions, discarded uniforms, and floating cups, silverware, and Garlean paraphernalia that he had to sift through.

The doors opened well enough, even underwater, although the sliding door mechanisms made the Ceruleum dim and flicker at times.

He wondered if it was as spooky for Alisaie as it was for him. He pondered briefly about whether or not they should have split up…

He shook his head.

No, that’s what lead to this argument in the first place, he thought to himself, I know Alisaie can survive down here, even on her own, I have to believe that. I have to put my faith in her.

He opened another door, and used his sword to take a look-around. Swimming inside, he almost bumped his muzzle against that of–

He gulped!

–It was the moldering remains of a Garlean soldier! He could depict humanoid nose-holes and empty eye sockets, but could also tell all the skin hadn’t…yet left the body.

He heaved for a moment, and in his panic, very briefly forgot he could breathe underwater, and started to choke.

After a couple of expectorations, realizing only too late that he might have swallowed salty sea water, he calmed down again.

…This looked like the bridge of the ship. There was the helm, although it was more newfangled than the wheel he was familiar with. It looked more like handles that you can pull and push, up or down.

Floating bodies seemed to litter the place.

A bit calmer now, he let his curiosity get the best of him. He looked around at the bright lights and the glistening port window, covered in seaweed and coral.

It almost looked like a blanket of seaweed was covering the windows.

Purple Link was oddly soothed by the waving curtain of seaweed, and almost distracted himself long enough to feel something bump his head. It bounced off and floated away in the water, slowly heading towards the helm.

He rubbed the spot and turned around-

Geeze! Another face-to-face encounter with a dead body!

He very gently and very respectfully pushed it aside, noticing that the thing that bounced off his noggin was a golden cylindrical object, about the size of his palm.

He reached for it in curiosity.

He'd almost mistaken it for a Doman seal, the kind used for signing documents.

The golden object had a simple design, but in its simplicity it cast an expert hand at its craftsmanship, correctly divining that it was of special importance.

The biggest clue is that it didn’t look like anything here, brightly reflecting the light given off his Hailstorm.

He waved the blade over it.

It was very obviously wolf-like in its appearance, but that could mean anything. Lord Hien and Hakuro didn’t explain that it had to be a statue.

The fact that it was a wolf in design was probably a really big clue that it had something to do with the Lupin.

It was beautiful, hand-crafted, and even looked like a wolf, with the tail finely detailed and one paw raised up and open.

It seemed to be an important object in its appearance, but he still couldn’t understand why it could be so important to the diplomacy of the Lupin and the Domans that Purple Link almost certainly had to risk his life.

He tapped two fingers on his ear, twice, and thought of Alisaie.

“Not a sausage,” admitted Alisaie, over the linkpearl, “How’s things on your end? I keep looking into the eyes of dead soldiers and sifting through their belongings. I think I’m in their barracks.”

“Same,” said Purple Link, “I think I’m on the bridge. I’m pretty sure I found a statue.”

“A statue?” asked Alisaie, and she groaned frustratedly, making Purple Link smile in sympathy, “Oh, great, it’s another fetch quest. We’ve retrieved so many discarded and abandoned things from folks - Why can’t we just beat up bad guys, like usual?”

“I’m with you there,” said Purple Link, “But this…statue is golden. It’s pretty much the only thing in here that’s not covered in seaweed.”

“...Interesting,” said Alisaie, thoughtfully, “I think that might be an important detail to remember. Let’s see if we can find similar things in this ship, and then bring them up to the surface.”

“Righto,” said Purple Link, “I feel like we’re finally nearing the end of this quest.”

“I feel the same,” said Alisaie, “Let’s meet back at the entrance of the hole and discuss our findings, although, as usual, I think you may have found exactly what we’ve been looking for.”

To be continued…

[thequeendomhq]

Coming Fall 2024...

The savages speak to their gods in the cave passage. They call it the Mouth of Echoes. They light fires and feed them with green spruce and shout their questions into the deep. They say answers come to them on the last whispered echo. Superstition, we laughed. And now Andoral is silent and madness descends. I can only think, what if? What if there are irregularities in the Veil here? What if we could secure the cave and bend it to our purposes?

The men are gathering materials. We will build a shrine to the Dragon of Change—implant foci into the walls, cut sacred designs into the stone, the better to hear her with. We will hear her voice again, or we will die.

— Scribbled in blood-red ink on parchment found in the Mouth of Echoes

[tmattrpgideas]

Hello Jon and all.

I'm getting over-hyped for the TMA TTRPG despite not having the pre-release Kickstarter tier, and so here we are.

I am currently reading the Cypher Core rulebook (yes, all 418 pages of it), and this has sparked a handful of ideas for my own campaign. I then decided I could probably grab some more ideas from Tumblr, and one thing led to another, and thus here we are, one semi-custom CSS made to imitate the Dark Mode of the TMA Transcripts later (as is my custom).

My goal is basically just to have an organised library of ideas for my own campaign - which I'll be DMing... probably in late 2024, unless I get early access to the TMA TTRPG rulebook early - and to give anyone who'd be interested some ideas as well!

For this purpose, I'll be reblogging and posting any ideas for the following, with ideas for stats, levels, etc. based on the Cypher system.

Avatars (once human, now channelling the Fears)

Manifestations (either never-human creatures or locations)

Statement ideas (which would include the 'voice' of the Statement-giver, as well as an outline for the events that happened to the NPC, and some ideas of what the PCs could do to investigate and what sort of shenanigans this may cause)

Artefacts and Cyphers (Artefacts tend to be more powerful, and last several times; Cyphers are, in the Cypher system, basically one-use items, ideas/inspiration, etc.)

Character descriptors (stat alterations), foci (sort of subclasses), and other miscellaneous abilities

Any ideas not in these categories will be marked as Other in the tags. I'll figure out a tag for when I'm making a post (like this one!) that isn't an idea, too.

[atloteam]

Ma a magyar fociválogatott Svájc elleni mérkőzésével folytatódik a 2024-es németországi foci Európa Bajnokság. Négy évvel ezelőtt leültünk a Youtube elé és kigyűjtöttük a magyar válogatott 1990 óta lőtt összes góljának adatait

[marianeaparecidareis]

💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

EVANGELHO

Quinta Feira 12 de Setembro de 2024

℣. O Senhor esteja convosco.

℟. Ele está no meio de nós.

℣. Proclamação do Evangelho de Jesus Cristo ✠ segundo Lucas

℟. Glória a vós, Senhor.

Naquele tempo, falou Jesus aos seus discípulos: 27“A vós que me escutais, eu digo: Amai os vossos inimigos e fazei o bem aos que vos odeiam, 28bendizei os que vos amaldiçoam, e rezai por aqueles que vos caluniam. 29Se alguém te der uma bofetada numa face, oferece também a outra. Se alguém te tomar o manto, deixa-o levar também a túnica.

30Dá a quem te pedir e, se alguém tirar o que é teu, não peças que o devolva. 31O que vós desejais que os outros vos façam, fazei-o também vós a eles. 32Se amais somente aqueles que vos amam, que recompensa tereis? Até os pecadores amam aqueles que os amam.

33E se fazeis o bem somente aos que vos fazem o bem, que recompensa tereis? Até os pecadores fazem assim. 34E se emprestais somente àqueles de quem esperais receber, que recompensa tereis? Até os pecadores emprestam aos pecadores, para receber de volta a mesma quantia. 35Ao contrário, amai os vossos inimigos, fazei o bem e emprestai sem esperar coisa alguma em troca. Então, a vossa recompensa será grande, e sereis filhos do Altíssimo, porque Deus é bondoso também para com os ingratos e os maus.

36Sede misericordiosos, como também o vosso Pai é misericordioso. 37Não julgueis e não sereis julgados; não condeneis e não sereis condenados; perdoai, e sereis perdoados. 38Dai e vos será dado. Uma boa medida, calcada, sacudida, transbordante será colocada no vosso colo; porque com a mesma medida com que medirdes os outros, vós também sereis medidos”.

- Palavra da Salvação.

💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

- Comentário do Dia

💎 Um amor escandaloso

“Vós ouvistes o que foi dito: ‘Amarás o teu próximo e odiarás o teu inimigo!’ Eu, porém, vos digo: Amai os vossos inimigos e rezai por aqueles que vos perseguem!”

Amor aos inimigos (Mt 5,43-48). — V. 43. A antiga Lei mandava amar o próximo (Lv 19,18); mas pelo nome próximo (רֵעַ, amigo, companheiro) entendia-se somente o da mesma tribo ou nação, i.e. um homem da mesma origem (israelítica) e da mesma religião, como se vê pelo contexto. Isso é confirmado por ditos rabínicos que explicam Lv 19,18: [amarás] “o próximo, não [porém] os outros [i.e. os estrangeiros]”; “o próximo, mas não os samaritanos, estrangeiros, prosélitos tôshâbh [i.e. não conversos]” (cf. Mekhilta xxi 14.35, apud *Strack-Billerbeck i 354). A segunda parte, odiarás o teu inimigo, i.e. os estrangeiros, os não judeus etc., não consta na Lei nem em outros escritos, mas parece ser uma consequência prática ou também uma glosa rabínica; ao menos exprime com exatidão o espírito dos judeus daquela época.

Esta consequência (glosa) e espírito nasceram paulatinamente do preceito da Lei acerca da destruição dos outros povos (cf. Ex 17,16; Dt 7,2; 20,13-18; 23,4-7; 25,17ss; Nm 34,52.55; 1Sm 15,3 etc.); a inimizade com os gentios converteu-se assim em ódio contra qualquer estrangeiro. Além disso, inúmeras passagens do AT parecem respirar vingança e ódio, seja nacional ou religioso (cf. 1Rs 2,8s; Jr 18,19ss; Sl 108 [109] etc.). Estes sentimentos foram alimentados, sobretudo na época dos Macabeus, por contínuos conflitos pro aris et focis. De fato, os judeus tanto prática como doutrinalmente tinham ódio encarniçado a qualquer estrangeiro. São célebres as palavras de Tácito a esse respeito: “Entre eles, a fidelidade é inquebrantável e rápida a misericórdia, mas contra os de fora impera um ódio hostil” (hist. v. 5; cf. Flávio Josefo, antiq. xi 6, 5; Cícero, pro Flacco 28). Além disso, a Mishna recomenda com frequência ter ódio aos israelitas infiéis, samaritanos, hereges, publicanos, ammê ha-’ares etc. Com toda a razão, pois, o Senhor podia dizer: Ouvistes o que foi dito… odiarás 😊 te é lícito odiar) o teu inimigo [1].

V. 44. (cf. Lc 6,27s.35) Cristo aperfeiçoa o preceito da antiga Lei sobre o próximo e corrige a interpretação perversa que se lhe dera. Os discípulos da Nova Lei devem amar não só o próximo (amigos, familiares, conterrâneos etc.), mas também os inimigos, i.e. aqueles que os odeiam e perseguem (Mt.), amaldiçoam e caluniam (Lc.). A esta quádrupla manifestação de ódio se deve corresponder com os atos contrários: amai e orai (Mt.), abençoai e fazei bem (Lc.). Logo, há que responder ao ódio com afeto, desejo, oração e boas obras. Põem-se em seguida alguns exemplos de boas obras: dar em empréstimo o que se pede, sem esperar recompensa (Lc.), saudar (Mt.) etc.

O amor aos inimigos de algum modo já aparece no AT (e.g. Ex 23,4s; Pv 25,21s, onde se prescreve auxiliar o inimigo em necessidade). Mas estas passagens, na verdade, nunca chegaram a melhorar as disposições dos judeus para com os inimigos, muito menos lhes sugeriram um princípio positivo e universal, semelhante ao de Cristo, sobre o amor aos inimigos. No máximo, algumas expressões recomendam aqui e ali não se alegrar com as adversidades dos inimigos, não pagar o mal com o mal e coisas afins. O primeiro de todos a promulgar a doutrina exposta acima foi Cristo, doutrina que seus discípulos abraçaram de todo o coração (cf. Rm 12,14-21; 1Pd 3,8s; Santo Inácio, ad Eph. 10,23s etc.). Eis a maior glória do Evangelho em matéria moral: “Amar os amigos, todos o fazem; amar os inimigos, somente os cristãos” (Tertuliano, ad Scap. 1: M 1,777).

V. 45ss. Para melhor persuadir seus ouvintes deste dever de amor universal, o divino Mestre recorre a três argumentos. Devem, pois, amar os inimigos: a) para se tornarem filhos do (i.e. semelhantes ao) nosso Pai, que faz nascer o Sol sobre maus e bons etc., ou seja, que dá a todos indiscriminadamente a graça de seus múltiplos benefícios [2]; b) para terem direito a alguma recompensa, i.e. para que suas ações sejam dignas de prêmio, pois quem ama apenas os seus, com amor meramente natural e em proveito próprio, não receberá de Deus retribuição alguma; c) para fazerem mais do que já fazem os pagãos e os publicanos (em Lc 6,32: os pecadores), pelos quais os judeus tinham um profundo desprezo (cf. Dt 7,2; Mt 18,17; At 10,28 etc.).

V. 48. Este v. contém a regra de perfeição que nessa matéria cumpre seguir: Portanto, sede perfeitos (τέλειοι) como o vosso Pai celeste é perfeito. Como se depreende do contexto e de Lc. (6, 36: Sede pois misericordiosos), em particular, é evidente que toda esta cláusula apresenta um resumo da exortação à caridade fraterna feita acima, ainda que possa interpretar-se também em sentido amplo e aplicar-se a qualquer outra virtude.

Deus abençoe você!

💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

[baga24]

ALLATRA – Mobilizing Science to Fight for the Future of the Planet

The catastrophic consequences of climate change are already being felt worldwide: record temperatures, devastating hurricanes, melting glaciers... These are all symptoms of a global environmental threat that questions the very existence of humanity. But not all is lost!

ALLATRA is an international movement uniting scientists, researchers, and all caring individuals, convinced of the need for urgent action to save our planet.

We cannot ignore the facts:

Oceans are warming both from above and below. The depths of the oceans, where sunlight does not penetrate, are warming 15 times faster than in the past 10,000 years. This is due to the influence of magma, which is rising more actively to the Earth's surface under the influence of cosmic cycles.

Methane plumes threaten the atmosphere. The release of vast reserves of methane from the seabed leads to a sharp increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect.

According to the geological structure of the seabed, areas of high methane concentration coincide with the lines of the mid-Arctic faults. 

Earthquakes indicate the activity of the faults, shifts in magma foci, and emissions of thermal flows.

The facts of rising temperatures in the deep layers of the ocean indicate that the ocean is warming from both above and below.

A new 12,000-year cosmic cycle is beginning. 2024 has already broken all records for ocean temperatures, and we may face a cascade of climate disasters, including increased volcanic and seismic activity.

Saving the planet is a task that we can only solve together!

ALLATRA calls for an immediate consolidation of the scientific potential of all humanity! We need to create a single scientific center that can unite the efforts of the brightest minds on the planet, develop new technologies and solutions to overcome the climate crisis.

More on this in my articles:

ALLATRA proposes specific steps:

Scientific and technological breakthrough. Studying the causes of climate change, implementing technologies that not only mitigate the consequences of climate change (atmospheric water generators (AWGs), but also allow us to gain 4-6 years for scientists to find a way to protect the planet from external cosmic impact.

Global cooperation. Bringing together scientists, politicians, and all people on the planet to develop and implement a common strategy to address the climate crisis. 

Education and awareness. Raising public awareness about the seriousness of climate change.

ALLATRA believes that together we can overcome the climate crisis! Let us unite our efforts to secure the future of our planet and our descendants. 

Join the ALLATRA movement! Be part of the solution!

Please be sure to share this information: write a comment, like, repost, and of course, give us a round of applause!!!

[igazikutya]

Zajok a nappaliból – Traxelektor 2024. 07.

Túl vagyunk a foci EB-n, az elviselhetetlen hőségen, éppen zajlik az olimpia, de már kit érdekel, zeneileg pedig fügeszezon van – uborka, maradjál már!

Harmadik fejezetéhez érkezett Alva Noto Hybr:ID zenegeometriai-sorozata.

Nagyon kevés, egyszerű eszköz, azok viszont mesterien elhelyezve térben, időben. Carsten Nikolai zsenije már elfogadott tény, köszönhetően két évtizedes munkásságának. Kísérleti elektronika, ambient, hangzás terén nem hallok eltérést a sorozat korábbi – HYbr:ID I (2021), HYbr:ID II (2023) – darabjaitól. Nagyon szórakoztatóak Noto ezen videói, ahol képes láttatni zenéjének elemeit:

A HYbr:ID III igazi, nappaliba való zene, kánikula idejére. Lassít és hűt, kivasalja az agyunkban összegyűrődött neuronláncokat, a tágasság érzetét erősíti lelkünkben. Figyelem! Nyomokban alfa hullámokat és meditatív elemeket tartalmazhat, ezért vezetés közben ne hallgassa!

Igazi underground imidzs: homályos fotón, Joy Division-ös pólós pofa profilból, így jelenik meg Jason Luxton a Discogson, aki Overlook és Lucid Dreams néven is fut, illetve Positive Centre-vel közös projektje szokott a Traxelektorban szerepelni, az a Carrier. Lucid Dreams név alatt egy öt évvel ezelőtti EP azonos néven, és most egy debutalbum, ez a Mesmerism, ami hipnózist jelent, meg delejezést, meg biztos sok baljós mást is. Füstös, sötét ólomdubbal megtámogatott, nagyon tágas, sokszor élő dobbal, basszussal, fúvósokkal feljátszott absztraktok láncolata, old school trippy jazz-hop.

A párizsi sajátlábnál, a Worship kiadónál jelentette meg Spiral Shape című kazettáját Dang-Khoa Chau, akit a Đ.K. pszeudója mögött ismerhetjük évek óta (perszemegagyurcsányt). Hagyományosan, kínai elemekkel átszőtt downtemp-ambient mélázások, még a húrok pengése is feloldódik a duplán gravitatív atmoszférában, a lehullanak és megpihennek.

A júniusi Alkotótábor nyitónapjának vendége volt az ukrán Na Nich aka Oleksandr Pavlenko. Ha ezzel a négyessel indított, amit a What We Need EP-n hallhatunk, akkor remekül szórakozhatott a Kisszínpad közönsége. A psy- és progresszív trance variációk adják a lemez táncos részét, amit egy igazi nanichi fordulattal – Undersea Passageway – electro-break-idm vezet le.

Nem vagyok képben, de biztos vagyok benne, hogy modernebb jazz körökben is komoly elismertséget hoznak Prefuse73 albumai. Nem éppen ez a célterülete ennek a zenei blognak, de fúziós mivoltukból, valamint szabad és formákban gazdag játékosságuk okán muszáj velük foglalkozni.

A New Strategies For Modern Crime széria második (Vol. 2) etapja pedig nem cáfol rám. Nekem még mindig gyakran van Tortoise-flessem Prefuse-t hallgatva, pedig kevesebb az elektronika, pláne a kísérlet, nincsenek xilofonok se, de a háttérben mégis ott gerjed a theremin. A kettes kevésbé lounge-os, cserébe karakteresebb, de bontatlan az egység a sorozaton belül, és a csavarhúzót is sniccerre cserélte a gyilkos. Apró érdekesség, hogy a Barcelona és USA között ingázó Guillermo Scott Herren-nek van egy side-projektje (a sok között), amely az igencsak szembetűnő Ahmad Szabo nevet viseli, a jazz-zongorista Ahmad Jamal és a magyar jazzgitáros Szabó Gábor neveiből összeolvasztva.

Kongóban született, Belgiumban nőtt fel a művészet több területén is aktív, Melika Ngombe Kolongo, aki 2012-es Londonba költözése óta használja azNkisi pszeudót. A címadó felvétellel kezdődő The Altar EP a második felvételnél kezdett igazán érdekessé válni a lemez. A kitubáról történt bizonytalan pontosságú fordítás szerint: az Nzi – Mit, az Nza – övék, Nzo – otthon. Az NziNzaNzo felvétel címének helyes megfejtéseit levelezőlapon küldjék be Magyar Péter brüsszeli címére! Ennek a törzsi techno-menetnek a hajszálpontos egyszerűségben van az ereje, amivel 7 percen át hasítja a hajnali füstös gyártelepi ködöt. A következő Python & Prophecy-ben mélyül, nehezedik a haladás, a kilencvenes évek Clock DVA / haujobb. / Aphex Twin industrial-techno-inak markáns hangulatát varázsolja elénk a hölgy. Az Altar kazettán jelent meg, a brüsszelita Cortizonánál.

Először is az acidmámoros-kubista lemezborító hibátlan. Az ismeretlen frankfurti not even noticed ötszámos EP-je, az Acid Illusion nem lesz az év lemezei között, de egy figyelemre méltó műfaji katyvasz, n.e.n. az elektro, house, trance elemeit cserélgeti acidből készült elemekre. A lemez a berlini Who Is Paula labelnél jelent meg, ami nem egy kérdés, hanem a Who valójában whø?, aki a bakelitarcú Paula.

Dejavum van, írni kellene a The Black Dogról. S megint – mintha ilyen is lett volna – egyszerre egy albumról és egy EP-ről. A jó hír, az urak visszataláltak a fekete kutyi ösvényre, nincs lötyögés, meg a sheffiedszürke kettő a hatodikon árnyalata, sőt, még némi meglepetés is áthatja az új anyagokat.

Tekintsük meg a borítót, értelmezzük a címet: Isolation, majd a szerző által feltett kérdést: Are we social beings? – ugye, mindenki ért mindent? A legtöbben ebben élünk, ki így, ki úgy, az életképesebbje talán nem. A címadó felvétel idm-technobreak, alapütemre lassú, felezve táncos, ravasz. A B oldalt nyitó Living In Silence pedig tipikus TBD-féle braintechno, minden más ambient körítés.

Other, Like Me – ez az új album. Tizenhét 3-4 perces témából van felépítve. S ez még ugyanaz a szoba, ugyanaz a fickó – ha tippelhetek a teltebb Dust fivér – de már testtel kifelé fordul. Az album a (helyes) nézőpont kereséséről szól, belső utazás, és a történet elejét a sérelmek és tüskék felfejtése képezi. Olyan ez, mint egy önfeltárás, a lényeges dolgok a mélyben zajlanak, a válaszok onnan érkeznek a felszínre. (Tényleg nem is dereng olyan Black Dog album, ahol ennyire mélyre került a súlypont.) Végig sok a réteg, s mintha experimentumok is megbújnának a nullától 255-ig felfestett, áramló blackdog színpalettán. Az biztos, hogy kaptunk egy tartalmas albumot, ami megragadja a figyelmet. Van az a South Park epizód – bocsánat, elhülyülöm – de van értelme. A harmadik SP évad végén a Világraszóló koncert rész, amiben Cartman megtalálja a barna hangot, és zenekari kottába behúzza az össze hangszernek, majd másnap egyszerre szarik be mindenki, aki ott van, és aki nézi a közvetítést a világban. Nos, szerintem az a barna hang ott van ezen a lemezen, nem tisztán, csak modulálva, konkrétan a címadó felvételtől kezdve, a lemez kétharmada felé. Ez maga a laborban szintetizált, heisenbergi szürkésbarna hang, bár már beszartál, kedves hallgató, meg nem is, csak még nem dőlt el, mert kvantumállapotban van. Ebből ragad ki minket nagy erővel és váratlanul az In A Place Like This, sikerül kilépni a belsőből és feltárul black dogi-i tér, a non-safe-place (Mark Up) majd a felismerés vagy feloldás (I Am An Artist). Jobb volt, mikor elröhögtük.

Egy újabb áldozat, akit megállított Brüsszel – a végén rovat lesz, mint az olaszkvóta. David Morley született londoniként költözöttt 8 éves korában Brüsszelbe, és koránál fogva őt is elkapta a nyolcvanas évek nagy (Belgian) New Beat őrülete, így találkozott Renaat Vandepapeliere-rel a később legendássá vált R & S Records egyik alapítójával, akivel közös new beat bandát is működtettek Spectrum néven, de a house szcénának is részese volt egy ideig. Morley hangmérnöki és stúdiótechnikai ismeretei birtokában hamar a kísérleti műfajok felé fordult, reverbfan-nak tartja magát, melyeket párhuzamos rétegekben futtat. Öt stúdióalbumot készített 25 év alatt. Különös módon a leghíresebb kiadványa a Too Good To Be Strange (1994) electro single, melyet Two Sandwiches Short Of A Lunchbox néven jegyeztek Andrea Parkerrel közösen. Igazi ismertséget azt hiszem akkor futott be, mikor 1998-ban Andrea felkeverte nagy sikerű DJ Kicks mixében. David a DAT archívumából húzott elő most két olyan felvételt, amit a kilencvenes években, a párizsi divathétre készített, Dirk Bikkemberg bemutatójához. Innen a Fashion cím, pontosabban két kb. 12 perc hosszúságú old-school analóg elszállást hallhatunk Fashion és Show címmel. Az EP a szintén belga De:tuned-nál jelent meg.

Érdekes páros, mivel Sam KDC sose játszik ASC-et, ASC-nek viszont tetemes diszkográfiájának negyede drum & bass, tehát a rovar(17) ASC gyakran játszik bogár Sam KDC-t (például: mint az ebben hónapban, a szóra se méltatott Shifting Realities EP, halld Shadowplay, a Traxelektorban). És torzítok, mint a megafon, mert Samuel Wood nem szimpla drum & bass-t művel, hanem annak pszichedelikus, experimental szélsőségeit keresi, ha kell, ledarálja, szilánkokra töri. Aztán meg, zeneileg harmadszor találkozik Sam és James Clements –korábban: Decayed Society (2019), A Restless Mind (2020) – most pediga Surfacing hatszámos album – minden alkalommal ambient lett vége! Tehát úgy tűnik, itt az ütemek nem összeadódnak, hanem kivonódnak egymásból. Így legalább nem dobognak a lovak, mert kiradír a lábuk. Méltatlanok fenti soraim, mert bámulatos nanospace ambientet kapunk. Különös az is, mintha a két előadó térben is el lenne helyezve, bizonyos hangszerek kicsit balról, mások jobbról érkeznek, ami azért se baj, mert egy sűrű, színgazdag és tömör matériát hallunk, amit elmos a végtelen fókusz világa, minden pillantás zuhanó, mozdulatlan szemlélődés. A zenit, ahol a lebegő kanál meghajlik, egy warp-himnusz: a Casting Shadows, melyre vakteszten 94-es Autechre-t vagy LFO-t tippelnék.

Al Wootton megint egy törzsi technoval kergeti révületbe az ártatlan szűzi vagy az azóta elliptikus pályán foglyul ejtett, kedvéért visszatért áldozatait. Az Albacete Knife EP-n – már nem először – rousseau-i erdőt épít körénk, elemei, jelentésüktől megfosztott, ismeretlen ismerősként tüntetnek a valóság ellen. A Trule kiadványa vinylen, limitált kiadásban jelent meg.

Megjelenések (2024.07):

Al Wootton - Albacete Knife [2024, Trule][EP] Alva Noto - Hybr:ID III [2024, Noton][LP] ASC & Sam KDC - Surfacing [2024, Auxiliary][EP] Đ.K. - Spiral Shape [2024, Worship][MC] David Morley - Fashion [2024, De:tuned][LP] Ekolali & Tala Drum Corps - Plafond 8 [2024, BAKK][S] Lucid Dreams - Mesmerism [2024, UVB-76 Music][LP] Na Nich - What We Need [2024, Fur:ther Sessions][EP] Nkisi - The Altar [2024, Cortizona][EP] not even noticed - Acid Illusion [2024, Who Is Paula][EP] Prefuse 73 - New Strategies For Modern Crime Volume 2 [2024, Lex][LP] The Black Dog - Isolation [2024, Dust Science][EP] The Black Dog - Other, Like Me [2024, Dust Science][LP]

Traxelektor 2024 07 Spotify Playlist - link

(43/53, 3:47/4:42, 81%)

OffSpot Data

Ekolali & Tala Drum Corps - Plafond 8 [2024, BAKK][S]

Lucid Dreams - Mesmerism [2024, UVB-76 Music][LP]

Traxelektor 2024 07 Full Playlist

Al Wootton - Albacete Knife [Albacete Knife, Trule] Al Wootton - Midnight Paseo [Albacete Knife, Trule] Alva Noto - Noh Human [Hybr:ID III, Noton] Alva Noto - Para Contamination [Hybr:ID III, Noton] Alva Noto - Sync Dark [Hybr:ID III, Noton] ASC - Shadowplay [Shifting Realities, Spatial] ASC - Southern Cross [Shifting Realities, Spatial]

ASC & Sam KDC - Casting Shadows [Surfacing, Auxiliary] ASC & Sam KDC - Mirage [Surfacing, Auxiliary] ASC & Sam KDC - Silhouette [Surfacing, Auxiliary] Đ.K. - Lights in the Mist [Spiral Shape, Worship] Đ.K. - Under the Stones [Spiral Shape, Worship] Đ.K. - Whispers of Winter [Spiral Shape, Worship] David Morley - Fashion [Fashion, De:tuned]

Ekolali - Totem Mollusca [Plafond 8, BAKK] Ghost Dubs - Thin Line [Damaged, Pressure]

Henry Greenleaf - Get The Hell Out [Keepsake, Different Intel] Jeff Mills - Mass Hypnosis [The Eye Witness, Axis] Jeff Mills - Menticide (Repeat Victimization)[The Eye Witness, Axis] Jeff Mills - No Safe Room [The Eye Witness, Axis] Jeff Mills - Sacred Iridescent Mirror (The Pledge)[The Eye Witness, Axis]

Leiras - Luminous Angle [Vael Method, Ownlife] Leiras - Self Hitting Anvil [Vael Method, Ownlife] Lucid Dreams - Clairvoyance [Mesmerism, UVB-76 Music] Lucid Dreams - Reincarnation [Mesmerism, UVB-76 Music] Lucid Dreams - Reverie [Mesmerism, UVB-76 Music] Lucid Dreams - Slow-Wave [Mesmerism, UVB-76 Music]

MIDI Janitor - Far Speak [Holy To Dogs, Hotham Sound] MIDI Janitor - Partial Power [Holy To Dogs, Hotham Sound] MIDI Janitor - Roman Concrete [Holy To Dogs, Hotham Sound] Na Nich - Dune [What We Need, Fur:ther Sessions] Na Nich - Undersea Passageway [What We Need, Fur:ther Sessions] Nkisi - NziNzaNzo [The Altar, Cortizona] Nkisi - Python & Prophecy [The Altar, Cortizona] not even noticed - Cloudless [Acid Illusion, Who Is Paula] not even noticed - Rodinia [Acid Illusion, Who Is Paula] not even noticed - Xenograft [Acid Illusion, Who Is Paula] Ocralab - 100scale [Locus Impervio, Greyscale]

Oscar Mulero - A Hundred Baby Spiders Came Out [Have You Ever Retired A Human By Mistake?, Warm Up] Oscar Mulero - Same Answers the Rest of Us Want [Have You Ever Retired A Human By Mistake?, Warm Up]

Prefuse 73 - 245 Wagon Talk [New Strategies For Modern Crime Volume 2, Lex] Prefuse 73 - Lion Chorus [New Strategies For Modern Crime Volume 2, Lex] Prefuse 73 - Vast Wildlife Poison [New Strategies For Modern Crime Volume 2, Lex] Tammo Hesselink - Naturally Occurring [Naturally Occurring, Redstone Press]

The Black Dog - Crashed [Other, Like Me, Dust Science] The Black Dog - I'm Poster Syndrome [Other, Like Me, Dust Science] The Black Dog - In A Place Like This [Other, Like Me, Dust Science] The Black Dog - Isolation [Isolation, Dust Science] The Black Dog - Just Pretend To Be Someone Else [Other, Like Me, Dust Science] The Black Dog - Methodology #17 [Other, Like Me, Dust Science] The Black Dog - Other, Like Me [Other, Like Me, Dust Science] The Black Dog - With You I Still Feel Alone [Other, Like Me, Dust Science] Vanishing Twin - Non Guardare [Life Drummer / Inarisan / Non Guardare, Sub Pop]

[stormoflina]

https://m4sport.hu/kulfoldi-foci/cikk/2024/03/06/jurgen-klopp-az-m4-sportnak-szoboszlairol-gondolom-jol-tudjak-mennyire-imad-focizni-igy-nagyon-nehezen-viselte-hogy-serult-volt

Ez az egész ANNYIRA kellemetlen… ahogy Klopp nevet, mert már tudja, hogy ha magyar a riporter, akkor mi lesz a kérdés 🫣

Az eredeti tervem az volt hogy majd visszanézem a pressert, de ahogy elkezdtek szivárogni, hogy mégis mik hangzottak ott el, gyorsan meggondoltam magam. Komolyan mondom hallod, a hideg futkosott a hátamon azoktól a kérdésektől. Annyira kellemetlen!! Feltenni ugyanazt a kérdést mindkettőjüknek is... tényleg, Klopp reakciója elmond mindent. Cringe az egész.

Anon, mi már @shob-chop-lai -val lassan ott tartunk hogy kezünkbe vesszük az irányítást a magyar mediát tekintve, hát ez így nem maradhat!! 😭😂 Viccen kívül, felmerült bennem az ötlet hogy csinálhatnak egy magyar nyelvű liverpoolos magyar nt-s discordot, nem tudom jó ötlet-e, de ha esetleg tetszik, akkor örülnék ha össze tudna jönne! Nagyon szeretem az anonjaid!💕