#isms | mason

[4fter-hours-archive]

@dozenrozez

The universal gm facepalm

[commiepinkofag]

a fascist school

the article is poorly framed with the typical ‘both-sides’ coverage. the event will continue behind closed doors. 

“but there's more to it”

i’m left with so many questions… will board members write off that attendance fee? will chuck’s little book ever appear on a shelf of a defunded library? does ‘equipping' include firearms training?

[wastedtimcs]

mason kelly tags

[ghostsxagain]

Tag drop for Mason...

[chronicowboy]

accidents happen (but i will love you on purpose) | 4.4k

They're in the baking aisle when Christopher brings it up.

"Am I just supposed to pretend I didn't see that earlier? Without a bribe?" he deadpans, eyebrows raised expectantly. Its such an Eddie look that Buck can't help but grin down at the price tags on the shelves.

"Pretend you didn't see what?" he asks as he compares the prices of self-raising flour.

"Buck." Chris sighs, long-suffering. Another Eddie-ism that Buck wants to bottle to give to Eddie on his worst days.

"Kid, I'm gonna need more than that." Buck grabs the bigger bag and drops it into the cart before turning to give Chris his full attention.

"I saw you kiss dad." Chris rolls his eyes. "You did it right in front of me."

"What?" Buck blinks. Of all the things he'd been expecting, well, let's just say that hadn't made the list.

He glances down at his list, tries to decipher Eddie's handwriting at the bottom of the page and promptly rolls his eyes at the unnecessarily expensive snacks he added there, gets a little chastened when he sees his own favourite brand of chips that he never allows himself to buy in Eddie's chicken scratch.

"Buck, you can't gaslight me," he scoffs, rolls his eyes harder. "I saw you French my dad."

"Where are you learning these words?" Buck blurts out, unwilling to face up to what his heart already seems to know as it pounds against his sternum.

"Mason." Chris shrugs. "He made a Tumblr account."

"He's eleven!" Buck squeaks, shooting an apologetic look at the single mother who flinches at the sound. "I'm telling his mom."

"No, Buck!" Chris groans, turns his puppy eyes up at Buck. "Pretend you didn't hear that, and I'll pretend I didn't see you French dad."

"I did not French your dad!" The words come out louder than expected, and Buck grimaces as the woman's baby starts to sniffle. She shoots him a dirty look, and he can only mouth a red-cheeked apology. "I did not French your dad," Buck hisses at Chris.

He'd know. Right? Like that's something Buck would know he did. Or, at least, he thinks so. Doesn't see how he could ever miss something like that. He's pretty certain he'd know if he'd kissed his best friend. This is probably just some evil mastermind plot to get something out of Buck. For all he knows, Eddie is probably in on it. A joint effort to turn Buck away from all the mushrooms he's been sneaking into their meals lately.

Yeah, that has to be it.

There's no way he kissed Eddie Diaz. Of all people! His very straight, totally platonic best friend. Buck doesn't even want to kiss him. Like, sure, he's objectively gorgeous. Handsome in his dumb dad Henleys, downright hot in his navy blue uniform, adorable in his cut-off sweats with that grumpy morning frog face of his. But a blind man could see how attractive Eddie is. That doesn't mean Buck wants to kiss him.

"I didn't French your dad," Buck repeats, just for certainty's sake, before heading towards the cocoa powder.

(OR: buck kisses eddie, goes grocery shopping with christopher, then realises he's in love with eddie - in that order)

[darkmaga-returns]

A culture infused with Christianity will enable those going through hardships to know that God is with them and that they can turn towards Him at any point.

Mason Letteau Stallings

Nov 22, 2024

Over recent years, much effort has been spent discussing the merits or risks of “cultural Christianity.” While definitions of cultural Christianity vary, I will use a relatively broad definition where Christianity is viewed as the default of human existence in a society and thus any alternative is viewed as an individual consciously stepping away from Christianity. In a Christian society, it requires a conscious choice for one to cease to be Christian, even if the majority of people do not live particularly devout lives.

This definition comports to T.S. Eliot’s quote that in a Christian society, “the mass of the population… should not be exposed to a way of life in which is too sharp and frequent a conflict for them or what their circumstances dictate, and what is Christian.” This does not require any specific policies, as it is not “a programme for a party, but a way of life for a people.” Therefore, cultural Christianity also encompasses the popular evangelical writer Aaron Renn’s description of a “Positive World,” where Christianity is the norm and it is in fact beneficial to be a Christian. 

In short, a “Christian Culture” is one where Christianity is not only tolerated, but where the Christian way of life is promoted and not obstructed by either state or culture. This debate often serves as a proxy for other contentions, such as whether society should be “value neutral.” Cultural Christianity serves as a clear object of criticism for progressive Christians, who deride it as “Bible Belt Religion” and usually ascribe to it the accusation that it is complicit in various isms. However, Dostoevsky, in a dialogue from his novel Demons, provides a very different answer to the question of Cultural Christianity, albeit in a surprising dialogue.

[haggishlyhagging]

Jul - Dec 2024 Reading List

In Progress:

Barrett, Ruth, ed. Female Erasure: What You Need to Know About Gender Politics’ War On Women, the Female Sex, and Human Rights. Pacific Palisades, CA: Tidal Time Publishing, 2016.

Barstow, Anne Llewellyn. Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts. San Francisco: Pandora, 1994.

Burton, Gabrielle. I’m Running Away From Home But I’m Not Allowed to Cross the Street: A Primer on Women’s Liberation. Pittsburgh: Know, Inc., 1972.

Dworkin, Andrea. Letters from a War Zone. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1988.

El Saadawi, Nawal. The Essential Nawal El Saadawi: A Reader. Edited by Adele Newson-Horst. London: Zed Books, 2010.

Completed:

Bell, Diane, and Renate Klein, eds. Radically Speaking: Feminism Reclaimed. North Melbourne: Spinifex Press, 1996.

Douglas, Carol Anne. Love and Politics: Radical Feminist and Lesbian Theories. San Francisco: Ism Press, 1990.

Gage, Matilda Joslyn. Woman, Church and State: A Historical Account of the Status of Woman Through the Christian Ages, with Reminiscences of the Matriarchate. Aberdeen, S.D: Sky Carrier Press, 1998.

Grahn, Judy. Blood, Bread, and Roses: How Menstruation Created the World. Boston: Beacon Press, 1993.

Hagan, Kay Leigh. Fugitive Information: Essays From a Feminist Hothead. San Francisco: Pandora, 1993.

Koedt, Anne, Ellen Levine, and Anita Rapone, eds. Radical Feminism. New York: Quadrangle Books, 1973.

Leidholdt, Dorchen, and Janice G. Raymond, eds. The Sexual Liberals and the Attack on Feminism. New York: Teachers College Press, 1990.

Lerner, Gerda. The Creation of Feminist Consciousness: From the Middle Ages to Eighteen-seventy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

Marsh, Margaret S. Anarchist Women, 1870-1920. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1981.

Miller, Elizabeth, ed. Spinning and Weaving: Radical Feminism for the 21st Century. Mason, MI: Tidal Time Publishing, LLC, 2021.

Penelope, Julia. Speaking Freely: Unlearning the Lies of the Fathers’ Tongues. New York: Pergamon Press, 1990.

Rain and Thunder: A Radical Feminist Journal of Discussion and Activism (Autumn Equinox 2003).

Ranck, Shirley Ann. Cakes for the Queen of Heaven: An Exploration of Women’s Power Past, Present and Future. Chicago: Delphi Press, 1995.

Raymond, Janice G. Women as Wombs: Reproductive Technologies and the Battle Over Women’s Freedom. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993.

Sanday, Peggy Reeves. Female Power and Male Dominance: On the Origins of Sexual Inequality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981.

[pansexual-puppy-pack]

@theoraekenapperciation 's theo week 2023: day 4: part of the pack

Of all the people in the McCall Pack, Theo hadn't expected Corey to be among the first people to have his back.

But here Corey was, sitting on the edge of Liam's bed, only five feet away from Theo, sprawled in its center. Liam and Mason were downstairs getting snacks. They had to get to a pack meeting in an hour.

"What's this?" Corey asked him, handing Theo his textbook. "3a."

Theo looked over the question, although it acted as more of a backdrop to his train of thought.

What remained of the once-feared chimera pack could fit on a double bed. A year ago, Theo would've rolled in his grave knowing that.

"It's c." Theo answered, handing the biology textbook back. "A and b refer to animals. D is close, but no cigar."

Corey stayed silent as he took notes. Theo took the opportunity to listen to his heartbeat.

Curious thing about Corey Bryant; his heart never seemed to stick to a consistent rhythm.

Since it never seemed to bring up any major issues, Theo never mentioned it. (He guessed it was part of his genetic chimera-isms. Probably a heart condition?)

Theo and Corey didn't talk to each other much after Theo was freed from the Skinwalker prison. Everytime he and Corey were in the same room, Corey's heartrate would skyrocket, his scent would spike, and he'd find some way to excuse himself. (But really, could anyone blame him?)

So what changed that made Corey so convinced tbat he could be good for the McCall Pack?

Theo asked himself this again when they arrived at the McCall household, when Liam and Corey started defending him in from of Scott, Stiles, Lydia, and Malia.

"Are you really letting his happen, Corey?" Stiles asked, exasperated.

"Would you believe me if I said this was my idea?" Corey told him.

The conversation turned into an argument turned into a shouting match. Mason was standing off to the side. (Theo couldn't blame him.)

"He saved my life!" Liam yelled, halting the debate and silencing the room. Numerous hearts beated in Theo's ears, blood pumping with adrenaline and anger. "At least like, four times already! That's gotta be worth something."

Stiles bit his lip. Malia glared at Liam. Lydia pulled her lips into a thin line. Scott had that pained expression on his face when he wanted to say something someone else won't want to hear.

"You called him to help." Liam said, facing Scott. He pointed at Scott, then at Theo. "You. Called him. No one forced you to. No one asked you to. You made that choice. That means something, and I think you know what."

Scott stood silently in thought.

The rest of the room stayed that way, too, because they all knew that it was his opinion that mattered the most.

Scott looked up at Theo, who had been quiet the whole time. He didn't know how to defend himself like Liam did. "Theo?"

Theo pushed off the wall, meeting his gaze.

"What do you think?" Scott asked.

Theo looked at Liam and Corey before he answered. They gave him reassuring nods. "I think you already know what I want. Ghost Riders, remember?"

Scott nodded, approaching him with an outstretched hand.

Stiles threw his hands up in defeat behind him, Malia groaning and Lydia sighing in tandem. (Theo thought he heard Mason let out a relieved breath.)

"It's going to be a long, rocky ride." Scott said, placing his other hand on Theo's shoulder. "But I think you've proved yourself."

Theo nodded, copying his motion.

"There's gonna be more like this," Scott said lightly, nodding to a disgruntled Stiles, Lydia and Malia, who had all taken up space on the couch. "But trust me, they'll come around eventually."

Theo eyed his arm for a second before taking it and shaking.

"Welcome to the Pack, Theo." Scott said with a smile.

Liam cheered and high-fived Corey. Stiles and Malia let out matching swears. Lydia looked away.

Theo allowed himself a small smile. "Thanks for having me."

(p.s.: all days will be uploaded to ao3! days 1-3 (minus the artwork) are already up :))

[mousfri]

mason verger is extremely icky but the challenge of writing the most viscerally displeasing dialogue for him is at least entertaining. there's just something about making him say something homophobic amongst his general misogyny and other *waves vaguely* mason-isms but knowing i'm going to drop him out of a window later.

[brontes-anvil]

Chuubo: Revisiting My Diligent/Magical Hero.

I don't Chuubo's much these days, but I was reading around and thinking some things, and I got the draft form of the Book of Golden Hours long ago and wanted to revisit an old character and how I'd approach his Arcs these days.

Masato Kovalyov-Hashimoto (formerly Ichirou Tanaka) descends from two different dynasties of carpenters, masons, and blacksmiths: some magic, some miraculous. Practical and forthright, realistic and stoic; he was set to continue in that line of work until the day he fell in love with stage magic: of turning seemingly prosaic laws and mechanisms into fanciful illusions. He had fallen in love with lying, but he's never lied before in his life.

Sometime after that, he becomes a masked hero who expresses the archetype as a magician. I picture him as using Actual Arcs.

Gatecrasher: Where he develops most of his techniques and tricks as he enters the backstage of all our dramas.

Become Somebody: Where he uses his stagecraft for phantom vigilante-ism.

Impresario: Where he builds his stage and gathers assistants. Here his nature as someone pragmatic and outcome-minded bleeds through.

Awakening: Where he is part of the firmament beneath the illusion, and tests our cryptids and urban legends, replacing those that fail with himself.

I'll probably elaborate on these individually in the future.

Likewise I wanted to expand on his siblings, who I imagined as each fulfilling a certain narrative archetype as expressed by a particular entertainer and a Nobilis type that shares one of Masato's Arcs.

The Middle Sister is a Circus Leader/Mastermind (Lady of Rule)

The Younger Sister I never settled on, but originally I went with Mad Scientist/Fashion Designer (Mimic)

The Youngest Brother is the rival as a wrestling heel (Warmain)

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Military AU Masterlist

A Bullet or Two for You (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: “What else is a man our age good for in the middle of a war?”

Daniel Howell is conscripted into the British Army at 19. At 24, with the help of a little hot metal, he meets a man who changes his perspective. Maybe hospital isn't so bad after all.

Before Tomorrow Comes - lifee-scap-ism

Summary: As Phil volunteered to join the military, his days with Dan were numbered. But instead of spending time together, Dan hid away from Phil for fear of losing him. However, on Phil’s last night before he was sent away, Dan stood soaking wet at his door. “Stay,” was all he said. “I want you here with me, before tomorrow comes.”

Catch You Sleeping (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Dan meets the love of his life in an army training camp.

Christmas should be with family. - so-much-cherry-everywhere

Summary: Dan is away, Phil wishes he'd be home for Christmas...

Coming Home (ao3) - orphan_account

Phil’s away in the military and Dan is by himself with their young son, Mason. Phil promises Dan that one day he’s coming home.

Don't Go Looking For Goodbye (ao3) - AllusionToReality (orphan_account)

Summary: He wanted to do this, he wanted to be a soldier. He’d already gone through boot camp, graduating with some of the highest honors during AIT. He was strong, he was prepared, and once he got the order to be shipped out of the country on a tour, he took it immediately.

Based on Troye Sivan's, "Fun" from his EP, TRXYE

Flesh of the Church (ao3) - boffinhatwithapipeYuekagami

Summary: There is a war brewing. In the depths of a universe where every now and then, a war is rising up, young people with no military experiences shall be drafted and paint the earth's ground in red. History books list the painters. What about the people of the shadows, their eyes trained into the darkness, their dinner tables devoid of entities who once become a part of their world? What about those people who had to bear the pain of waiting, of praying and hoping? History books list the painters. But no one ever lists the writers.

I get lonely when I think about your smile (ao3) - AmazinGhoul

Summary: Dan left for a half of the year. He left his home and UK, but more importantly he left Phil. Luckily Phil found a way to communicate with his best friend.

--

Letters send by Dan and Phil while Dan is away on his mission as a medic.

i promise i'll never leave (ao3) - graylane

Summary: dan and phil reuniting at the airport after dan was gone for four years in the army.

I’m Coming Home - danalingphil-fics

Summary: Phil’s off at the war and Dan’s waiting for him to come home.

Katie's Graduation Present (ao3) - auroraphilealis (peachrayne)

Phil Lester has missed the majority of his daughter's high school years because he’s spent the last four years in the military. When Dan finds out he’s going to miss her graduation, too, he throws a fit, and doesn’t even say “I love you,” before hanging up on him. So who's the military guy in blue at the bottom of the bleachers?

Letters (ao3) - orphan_account

You always were going to come back, weren't you?

Letters to Dan. (ao3) - ily4never

Summary: Phil Lester has joined the Union army. The country is filled with war and death, but, in the midst of the pain, his love, Dan Howell, keeps him sane.

Or, alternatively, the fic where I make them American so that Phil can fight against slavery.

Letters To Phil. (ao3) - Mi_Munson

Summary: Dan Howell is a student.

Phil Lester is a soldier.

Dan enters a school project called "Letters to Soldiers".

or

The fanfic that Dan and Phil fall in love with each other through letters.

Love is for fallen men (ao3) - Nameless_ThankYous (SusanSketchesanddoodles)

Summary: When war was declared on August 4th 1914, Dan was ready. It would be a Great War. Desperate to prove himself a man, he joins the armed forces, against his mother’s every wish. He gets lotted in with the first draft. In the trenches, he meets Phil -- a handsome-faced 21-year-old with the same goal. But the realities of war set in quickly as the bombs keep dropping, the trenches get filthier and his letters stop arriving home.

Never Alone (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Phil has always wanted to be in the army ever since he was a little kid. So now, he’s finally got the chance to go. Unfortunately, this means that he has to leave his family and his pregnant boyfriend behind.

Returning Home - dxnhowell

Summary: Dan returns home from being in the war and is reunited with Phil again, after being away for three years. 

Vanilla Twilight (ao3) - meggie_megs

Summary: Dan's staring at the stars missing Phil.

Welcome home, Danny (ao3) - AmazinGhoul

Summary: Dan is coming back home after spending a half of the year in military. He and Phil were sending letters to each other throughout this whole time and at some point decided to move in together and go on a date. Finally it's time to turn their plans into reality.

[lebaronlordking]

Saturday Afternoon Reggae Show DJ LeBaron Lord King July 15, 2023 lebaron@kpoo.com kpoo.com

4:00 PM Marcus Gravey - Burning Spear 4:03 PM Sister Nancy - One Two 4:06 PM Carlene Davis - Ism Schism 4:08 PM Akae Beka - Everything Bless 4:15 PM Popcaan - Next To Me 4:19 PM Eek-A-Mouse - She Feels It 4:23 PM Ruff Neck HiFi - Run Dem Mouth 4:27 PM Buju Banton - Steppa 4:32 PM Eddie Bellas - Roads With Signs 4:34 PM Jo Mersa Marley - No Way Out 4:38 PM Alborosie - Natural Mystic 4:42 PM PM Parrot - Dread at the Control 4:49 PM Roots Radics - Dance Of The Vampires 4:53 PM Capleton - Control Your Tempo 4:56 PM The Wailers - Ride Natty Ride 5:00 PM Koffee - Raggamuffin 5:03 PM Pasnbesa - Rythym of Life 5:07 PM Groundation - Original Riddim 5:13 PM Jah Mason - War is not the option 5:16 PM Bugle - Compliments 5:19 PM Toots & The Maytals - Love Is Gonna Let Me 5:23 PM The Paragons - The Tide Is High 5:25 PM Pablo Brown - Sweet Reggae Music 5:30 PM Anthony B - Weed Baby 5:32 PM Lutan Fyah - Let Me Be 5:36 PM Burning Spear - Let's Move 5:41 PM Desmond Dekker - 007 (Shanty Town) 5:43 PM Shabba Ranks - Mr. Loverman 5:49 PM Nas & Damian Marley - Patience 5:55 PM Peter Tosh - Legalize It 5:59 PM The Wailers - Forever Loving Jah 6:03 PM Bunny Wailer - Conqueror 6:07 PM King Tubby - John Saw Them Coming 6:14 PM Tilibop - Ganja Plant 6:17 PM Libianca - People 6:20 PM Iyatah Shai - Gideon Time 6:26 PM Pressure - Holding Onto Freedom 6:34 PM Akea Beka - Principles 6:38 PM Azizzi Romeo - Change of Policies 6:42 PM Fyakin - Green 6:46 PM Dre Island - Take Me High 6:50 PM Nego Hights - Show Me 6:53 PM Maah Jesty - Wolf Inna Sheep Clothes

[signalwatch]

WA Watch: Rushmore (1998)

I figure this is me and my nephew in about 8 years

Watched:  07/16/2023

Format:  Streaming Amazon

Viewing:  Unknown

Director:  Wes Anderson

Recently, I was watching some old Bugs Bunny cartoons, circa 1940, and I was surprised to see the name "Charles M. Jones" in the credits.  While "Chuck Jones" is synonymous with WB animation, he's really associated with a certain artistic style and flair that is characterized in certain styles of background, character design and with his comedic timing in everything from "What's Opera, Doc?" to The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  But there was his name in plain text.

He had not yet timed how long it took an anvil to fall or for Wile E. Coyote to hang in mid-air before plummeting for maximum comedic effect.  He hadn't quite gotten the rise of an eyebrow or a sly look to the viewer.  But.  It's there.  

Jamie was the one who requested a watch of Rushmore (1998) a film we saw together way back at the Arbor IV upon its release.  And we've watched a number of times over the years.  And, for her, it was an academic exercise in "what was he doing in 1998?  and how does it true up to what's there in 2023 with Asteroid City?"

It's interesting how Anderson springs into a form we all would have been fine with here in 1998 and with his second feature (after the excellent Bottle Rocket).  He's locking in on some of the themes he'd return to (certainly distant, bad dads), certain camera shots/ edits, formal dialog fit more for a 20th century short story than a film in the naturalist mode, aesthetics of symmetry and retro-ism.  

It's also curious to ponder how much of the Wes Anderson story that Owen Wilson occupies.  The two were roommates at the University of Texas, and Anderson - maybe UT's brightest star in film - did not actually participate in the film program, but got a Philosophy degree.*  Bottle Rocket was a deep partnership between Anderson and the Wilson brothers and he'd co-star in the film as well as co-writing and appearing in Royal Tenenbaums.  And, of course, he appears in numerous other Anderson pictures, including French Dispatch, which I haven't seen yet.  

I assume the pacing of events means Anderson and Wilson wrote Rushmore while in their mid-20's to late-20's, and while there's certainly a level of goofiness to the proceedings and it is, in part, about a middle-aged man in a juvenile spat with a 15-year-old, there's some great character stuff that rings even more true here as I roll towards 50.  

I don't know that Anderson could do Rushmore again.  Maybe.  He's never quite given up on teen geniuses, including underperforming teen and adult geniuses.  He's still working through dead parents, bad parents, indifferent parents.  He's still invested in messy romance treated as a matter-of-fact.  I'm not sure a studio would be as ready to fund a movie about a teen and teacher with a complex relationship in the last 20 years.  

But, in general, there's nothing  - to me - about Rushmore that doesn't work.   

I'm glad it's shot in Houston.  Bleak, wintery Houston in all its no-zoning-laws glory and mix of industrial mess and bucolic park-like environs.  I love that dumb town.  

And, of course, it really gave the world Jason Schwartzman and a new view of Bill Murray.  Co-star Olivia Williams has remained feverishly busy, appearing in American works, from The Sixth Sense to Hyde Park on the Hudson (reteamed with Murray).  

But the film also has Brian Cox, briefly Connie Nielsen, Luke and Andrew Wilson, and the late Seymour Cassel.  Sara Tanaka and Mason Gamble seem to have retired from acting - but I think Tanaka is a cardiologist now?

Anyway, 25 years later, the movie still works as well as it ever did, and at this point, it's much more than a curious artifact of Anderson's early work - it's clearly pointing the way he's headed.

  *Little tip for you brainiacs like me who burned through 5 years of college and panicked in their 4th year and also got a history degree

https://ift.tt/3a8Kv9V

from The Signal Watch https://ift.tt/qFbXNlR

[williammason1]

William Mason: Investment Opportunities and Risks of Technology Stocks

Market Dynamics And Analysis Of Key Factors

According to William Mason, the current performance of the U.S. stock market is complex and volatile, but there are investment opportunities to keep an eye on. Yesterday, the major US benchmarks closed mixed, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq recovering from their intraday lows on the back of a strong performance by Nvidia, which rose 4.9%. However, the blue-chip Dow Jones fell 0.3% and the equal-weighted S&P 500 lost 0.5%.

Bond yields continued to fall, with the yield on the U.S. two-year bond dropping 16 basis points to 4.81 percent over the past three sessions, which William Mason said reflected market concerns about future economic growth and increased investor demand for safer assets.

Market sentiment has become more nervous, influenced by multiple factors. The artificial intelligence growth theme sparked investor interest in tech stocks, particularly the launch of new data center chips from Nvidia and AMD. The performance of these large tech companies provided some cushion for the broader market.

In addition, weaker-than-expected U.S. ISM manufacturing data and the downward revision of the Atlanta Fed on its second-quarter GDP forecast fueled market concerns about economic growth. The change in market sentiment was reflected in a number of indicators, including the sell-side indicator of Bank of America, which rose 67 basis points to 55.3% in May, the largest gain since December 2023. Market sentiment is now at its highest level in two years.

Investment Opportunities and Risks in Technology Stocks

William Mason said that technology stocks are of particular interest in the current market environment. companies such as Nvidia and AMD are innovating in the areas of artificial intelligence and data centers, which offer significant market potential. the rise in the share price of Nvidia reflects the confidence of the market in its future growth. Investors can seize investment opportunities in technology stocks by following the developments of these companies.

However, investors also need to be wary of the risks posed by market volatility and meme stocks. the surge in stocks such as GameStop shows an increase in market speculation, and this volatility may adversely affect portfolios. william Mason suggests that when allocating to tech stocks, investors should maintain a reasonable position to avoid large fluctuations brought about by changes in market sentiment.

Impact of Market Sentiment and Economic Data

Market sentiment is an important factor in the current investment environment. William Mason mentioned that the sell-side indicators and AAII bull/bear spreads of Bank of America show a clear change in market sentiment, which reflects the optimistic expectations of investors on future market trends. However, downward revisions to ISM manufacturing data and GDP estimates remind us that economic fundamentals remain uncertain.

Overall, William Mason believes that the current market environment is complex and volatile, but also rich in investment opportunities. By focusing on the development of technology stocks, rationally allocating investment portfolios, and maintaining sensitivity to market sentiment and economic data, investors can realize solid investment returns in a volatile market.

If you wish to get more information about stock market analysis and investment advice, welcome to download our Stock Trading Investment App. register now to get the latest market analysis and investment advice to help you achieve greater success on your investment journey!

[spacenutspod]

On October 19th, 2017, astronomers with the Pan-STARRS survey detected an interstellar object (ISO) passing through our Solar System for the first time. The object, known as 1I/2017 U1 Oumuamua, stimulated significant scientific debate and is still controversial today. One thing that all could agree on was that the detection of this object indicated that ISOs regularly enter our Solar System. What’s more, subsequent research has revealed that, on occasion, some of these objects come to Earth as meteorites and impact the surface. This raises a very important question: if ISOs have been coming to Earth for billions of years, could it be that they brought the ingredients for life with them? In a recent paper, a team of researchers considered the implications of ISOs being responsible for panspermia – the theory that the seeds of life exist throughout the Universe and are distributed by asteroids, comets, and other celestial objects. According to their results, ISOs can potentially seed hundreds of thousands (or possibly billions) of Earth-like planets throughout the Milky Way. The team was led by David Cao, a senior student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJSST). He was joined by Peter Plavchan, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at George Mason University (GMU) and the Director of the Mason Observatories, and Michael Summers, a professor of astrophysics and planetary science at GMU. Their paper, “The Implications of ‘Oumuamua on Panspermia,” recently appeared online and is being reviewed for publication by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Artist’s impression of the ISO 1I/2017 U1 ‘Oumuamua, detected on October 19th, 2017, by the Pan-STARRS survey. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser To briefly summarize, panspermia is the theory that life was introduced to Earth by objects from the interstellar medium (ISM). According to this theory, this life took the form of extremophile bacteria capable of surviving the harsh conditions of space. Through this process, life is distributed throughout the cosmos as objects pass through the ISM until they reach and impact potentially habitable planets. This makes panspermia substantially different from competing theories of how life on Earth began (aka. abiogenesis), the most widely accepted of which is the RNA World Hypothesis. This hypothesis states that RNA preceded DNA and proteins in evolution, eventually leading to the first life on Earth (i.e., which arose indigenously). But as Cao told Universe Today via email, panspermia is difficult to assess: “Panspermia is difficult to assess because it requires so many different factors that need to be incorporated, many of which are unconstrained and unknown. For instance, we must consider the physics behind panspermia (how many objects collided with Earth prior to the earliest fossilized evidence for life?), biological factors (can extremophiles endure supernova gamma radiation?), and so on. “In addition to each of these factors are questions we do not have answers to yet, or we cannot model effectively, for example, the number of extremophiles that actually reach the Earth even if a life-bearing object collided with Earth, and the probability that life can actually start from the foreign extremophiles. The collection of these factors, along with many more, such as the changing star formation rate and the recent detection of several rogue free-floating planets, makes panspermia difficult to assess, and therefore, our understanding of the plausibility of panspermia is constantly changing.” The detection of ‘Oumuamua in 2017 constituted a major turning point for astronomy, as it was the first time an ISO was observed. The fact that it was detected at all indicated that such objects were statistically significant in the Universe and that ISOs likely passed through the Solar System regularly (some of which are likely to be here still). Two years later, a second ISO was detected entering the Solar System (2I/Borisov), except there was no mystery about its nature this time. As it neared our Sun, 2I/Borisov formed a tail, indicating it was a comet. A Hubble image of comet 2I/Borisov speeding through our Solar System. Credit: NASA/ESA/D. Jewitt (UCLA) Subsequent research has shown that some of these objects become meteorites that impact on Earth’s surface, and a few have even been identified. This includes CNEOS 2014-01-08, a meteor that crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 2014 (and was the subject of study by the Galileo Project). As Cao explained, the detection of these interstellar visitors also has implications for panspermia and the ongoing debate about the origins of life on Earth: “‘Oumuamua serves as a novel data point for panspermia models, as we can use its physical properties, particularly its mass, size (spherical radius), and implied ISM number density, to model the number density and mass density of objects in the interstellar medium. These models allow us to estimate the flux density and mass flux of objects in the interstellar medium and, with these models, we can approximate the total number of objects that impacted Earth over 0.8 billion years (which is the hypothesized period of time between Earth’s formation and the earliest evidence for life). “Knowing the total number of collision events on Earth over that 0.8 billion-year period is vital for panspermia, as a greater number of collision events with interstellar objects over that period would imply a higher probability for panspermia. In short, the physical properties of the interstellar ‘Oumuamua allow for the creation of mathematical models that determine the plausibility of panspermia.” In addition to the mathematical models that consider the physics behind panspermia – i.e., number density, mass density, total impact events, etc. – Cao and his colleagues applied a biological model that describes the minimum object size needed to shield extremophiles from astrophysical events (supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, large asteroid impacts, passing-by stars, etc.). As addressed in a previous article, recent research has shown that cosmic rays erode all but the largest ISOs before they reach another system. These additional considerations ultimately affect the number of objects that will impact Earth (that were not sterilized by astrophysical sources) and the plausibility of panspermia. “In order to derive the minimum object size, we applied various models, for instance, the sphere packing method to give a rough estimate of an ejecta’s distance to the nearest supernova progenitor (using Orion A, a dense star cluster, as our model), the gamma radiation that reaches that ejecta, and the attenuation coefficient (how much radiation the ejecta absorbs) based on the most probable chemical composition of ejecta (water ice),” said Cao. Artist’s Concept of ‘Oumuamua. Credit: William Hartmann Based on their combined physical and biological models, the team derived estimates for the number of ejecta that struck Earth before life emerged. According to the oldest fossilized evidence found in western Australia (from rocks dating to the Archaean Eon), the earliest life forms emerged ca. 3.5 billion years ago. Said Cao: “We conclude that the maximum probability that panspermia sparked life on Earth is on the order of magnitude of 10-5, or 0.001%. Although this probability appears low, under the most optimistic conditions, potentially 4×109 total habitable zone exoplanets exist in our Galaxy, which could indicate a total of 104 habitable worlds harboring life. “Additionally, we restricted our analysis to the first 0.8 billion years of Earth’s history prior to the earliest fossilized evidence for life, but because life can be seeded at any point in a planet’s lifetime, and planets have significantly longer habitable lifespans (up to 5-10 billion years), we boosted our estimate for the total number of habitable worlds harboring life in our Galaxy by one order of magnitude.” From this, Cao and his colleagues obtained a final result of about 105 habitable planets that could harbor life in our galaxy. However, these estimates are based on the most optimistic projections regarding planetary habitability. In other words, it assumes that all Earth-sized rocky planets orbiting within habitable zones are capable of supporting life, meaning they have thick atmospheres, magnetic fields, liquid water on their surfaces, and all life-bearing ejecta that survive entering our atmosphere are capable of depositing microbes on the surface. As Cao summarized, their results do not prove panspermia or settle the debate on the origins of life here on Earth. Nevertheless, they provide valuable insight and constraints on the possibility that life came here via objects like ‘Oumuamua. No matter what, these findings are likely to have significant implications for astrobiology, which is becoming an increasingly diverse field: “We incorporate physics, biology, and chemistry into studying panspermia as the origin of life, and it is rare to have such a diverse range of topics in one research area. I think that astrobiology is trending toward becoming more interdisciplinary, which I believe is a positive trend because it would allow experts of all backgrounds to advance astrobiology. Our research may contribute to this trend. In terms of our findings on panspermia, the probability that panspermia sparked life on Earth is unlikely, but the number of habitable zone planets harboring life in our Galaxy is substantially larger. “Future astrobiology studies may use these findings to build on our research on panspermia. However, we do not incorporate or even know all factors that may affect the plausibility of panspermia. I believe our findings open up new lines of inquiry for future panspermia studies to build off of by updating our models or incorporating additional factors. One potential area of study if we do find evidence for life on other worlds in the future, whether in our Solar System or via biosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres, is to consider experimental and observational tests to distinguish between life that arrived by the panspermia mechanism or life that evolved and arose independently.” Further Reading: arXiv The post Since Interstellar Objects Crashed Into Earth in the Past, Could They Have Brought Life? appeared first on Universe Today.