#it is so scary to be unveiled and transformed but this is you in your natural state and i love you

[2th]

for the rest of my life the ending of baroque will probably never stop being one of the most beautiful and poignant displays of hope, action, acceptance, and transition i’ve ever seen in a gothic narrative quite literally sitting beside bloodborne.

[youremyheaven]

Mrigashira: Obsessive & Obsessed Over

TW: suicide, rape, death, murder, abuse

This is part 2 of my Mrigashira series. For part 1, go here.

Rachel McAdams, Mrigashira Moon

I want to explore the nature of Mrigashira in relation to the obsessiveness it inspires in others and often how obsessive it can be. Mrigashira's mythology is tied to escape, changing form and running away. As I discussed extensively in part 1, truth-telling is part of a Mrigashira native's purpose. They are simply built that way. This is also a key part of the reason why others tend to be so magnetically drawn to them and are often driven to the point of obsession for them.

Mrigashira possesses a serpent yoni and serpents are known to represent transformation and renewal. The Kundalini is represented by a coiled serpent. Serpents have always been associated with temptation, dangerous allure, truth unveiling and change. People are drawn to Mrigashira natives because unconsciously they want to embody the freedom and honesty of these Martian individuals but having so many people pulling at your energy means you lose the sense of self and feel corrupted by their influence, to maintain their purity most Mrigashira natives live very reclusive lives. And this is for their own safety and well-being as well, the more these natives allow themselves to be projected on to by others, the more hatred they receive because of the collective shadow that is put up against them. Imagine being in the presence of a serpent all the time? Its bound to make others uneasy and restless, no matter how friendly, how inviting or welcoming they seem, you may be attracted to them but you do not want to be around them constantly, its too unnerving.

Similarly serpents belong to their burrows (or wherever they live idk lmao) not out in the open among people. Not only because its a threat to their very existence (people see a snake, they try to kill it) but because they are wired and conditioned to thrive in a very different sort of environment.

The allure of the serpent is very attractive but its constant in your face existence is not. Same goes for the veil lifting, truth revealing nature of these natives. Honesty is rare and so appreciated but imagine the truth staring you in the face all day everyday, you would go mad. There is a reason why ignorance is considered bliss, its because you need that veil over reality to keep yourself sane, if you saw things and perceived them as they are, you would drive yourself to lunacy. Most people are not prepared to receive and understand that kind of truth, its only after a certain stage in your spiritual journey that you are initiated into it.

There is a reason why the third eye chakra is the second highest chakra in the hierarchy (root chakra at the bottom from which you ascend upwards all the way up to your crown chakra). The third eye chakra is sight which allows us to see things as they are. The crown chakra which is the final chakra is the ability to understand things as they are. To understand we must first have clarity of vision and to have that we must ascend above all the other chakras.

Mrigashira natives project the truth and because of this, they are torn apart by others often. These natives represent the shadow of the gazer. Serpents beckoning for change, asking you to shed your shadow, and your inhibitions and renew yourself. This can be very painful and scary, as shadow work is always very difficult to do but instead of understanding that what we hate in others is a reflection of our shadow, most people just hate the Messenger themselves.

Petra Kelly, Mrigashira Moon, Vishaka Ketu (the man photographed next to her is her husband)

She was a founding member of the German Green Party and was a prominent activist in the 1980s who united ecological concerns with disarmament, social justice, and human rights. She was one of the OG ecofeminists imo

On 19 October 1992, the decomposed bodies of Kelly and her partner, ex-general and Green politician Gert Bastian (born 1923), were discovered in the bedroom of her house in Bonn by police officials after they received a call from both Bastian's wife and Kelly's grandmother who reported that they had not heard from either Bastian or Kelly for a few weeks. The police determined that Kelly was shot dead while sleeping by Bastian, who then killed himself. She was 44, he was 69. The last time anyone heard from the couple was on 30 September 1992 when Kelly sent a parcel to her grandmother.

Obviously, no one knows what transpired between the two or what might have led to this tragic end but being killed by your partner is unfortunately a pattern in the lives of many Mrigashira natives.

Obviously, not every Mrigashira will experience this so please do not worry or hyperventilate!!!!

One's spouse is a reflection of our subconscious, we are driven to the point of madness and murder when they project the truth of our subconscious back to us. We see the darkness, we see the ugliness and we feel violated. Obviously this is just one explanation and there could be numerous others.

The iconic ecofeminist artist Ana Mendieta was Vishaka Sun, Mrigashira Moon

Ana Mendieta died on September 8, 1985, in New York City, after falling from her 34th-floor apartment in Greenwich Village at 300 Mercer Street. She lived there with her husband of eight months, minimalist sculptor Carl Andre. The circumstances surrounding her death have been the subject of controversy. She fell 33 stories onto the roof of a deli. Just before her death, neighbours heard the couple arguing violently. The neighbours heard Mendieta scream out "no" right before her death, and Andre had scratches all over his face. There were no eyewitnesses to the events that led up to Mendieta's death. A recording of Andre's 911 call showed him saying: "My wife is an artist, and I'm an artist, and we had a quarrel about the fact that I was more, eh, exposed to the public than she was. And she went to the bedroom, and I went after her, and she went out the window." During three years of legal proceedings, Andre's lawyer described Mendieta's death as a possible accident or a suicide. After a nonjury trial, Andre was acquitted of second-degree murder in February 1988.

There are many parallels between Petra & Ana's lives. From the fact that both of them were Mrigashira Moon to the fact that both their husbands worked in the same field as them and that both of them were ecofeminists.

From what we know about the circumstances surrounding Ana's death, it's pretty clear that Carl did it and even reading about what he said on his 911 call is so??? like that sounds like some classic gaslighting and I'm inclined to believe it was probably over his jealousy of how she was a better artist than him. Petra's story we may never know but its not a stretch to think that something similar may have happened between her and that oldie.

Lana Turner, Mrigashira Rising

In 1957, while Turner was filming a movie, she had begun receiving phone calls and flowers on the set from mobster Johnny Stompanato (pictured with her above).

He pursued Turner aggressively, sending her various gifts. Turner was "thoroughly intrigued" and began casually dating him. After a friend informed her of who Stompanato actually was, she confronted him and tried to break off the affair. Stompanato was not easily deterred, and over the course of the following year, they carried on a relationship filled with violent arguments, physical abuse and repeated reconciliations. Turner would also claim that on one occasion he drugged her and took nude photographs of her while unconscious, potentially to use as blackmail.

I don't know if I have posted about it before but being violated or having your sexual intimacy exposed?? is also a Mrigashira theme. Ex: Jennifer Lawrence, Mrig Moon whose private pictures leaked in 2014, Pamela Anderson, Mrig Rising whose sex tape leaked in the 90s.

In 1957, Stompanato visited Turner on set in London and when she asked him to leave, he threatened her with a gun.

On the evening of March 26, 1958, Turner attended the Oscars. Stompanato, angered that he did not attend with her, awaited her return home that evening, whereupon he physically assaulted her. Around 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 4, Stompanato arrived at Turner's rented home at 730 North Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills. The two began arguing heatedly in the bedroom, during which Stompanato threatened to kill Turner, her daughter Cheryl and her mother. Fearing that her mother's life was in danger, Cheryl – who had been watching television in an adjacent room – grabbed a kitchen knife and ran to Turner's defence. Stompanato died from stab wounds to his stomach.

This whole episode is very Mrigashira coded but thankfully Lana Turner survived and her abuser died.

Maurizio Gucci- Mrigashira Moon, Punarvasu Rising

If you've watched House of Gucci, you already know how this unfolds.

On 27 March 1995, Gucci was shot by a hired hitman on the steps outside his office as he arrived at work. His former wife Patrizia Reggiani was convicted in 1998 of arranging the killing. According to prosecutors, Reggiani's motives were a mixture of jealousy, money, and resentment towards her former husband. She served 18 years in prison and was released in October 2016.

I do believe all these people were murdered/attacked because of the resentment and envy their partners felt towards them even though due to the tragic circumstances there is very little proof of it.

Pamela Anderson, Mrigashira Rising

The Baywatch star married drummer Tommy Lee in 1995, after knowing him for just four days. Their stormy marriage lasted just 3 years, and in that time the Mötley Crüe member served 4 months in jail for domestic abuse against Anderson. It’s reported that during this incident Lee kicked Pamela while she was holding their son Dylan. But even though Anderson had helped to convict Lee, she was waiting for him when he came out and the pair briefly reconciled. Now, though, they’ve gone their separate ways.

A spiritual reason behind why people abuse others is like I said before on this post, they see their shadow reflected in you. The most powerful life saving thing you can do for yourself in these instances when a relationship (does not have to be romantic) takes a sour and dangerous turn is to LEAVE immediately. The longer you stay, the more you forgive/ignore them and overlook their tendencies, the darker the shadow grows because you are letting yourself submit to it. You have to understand that certain things cannot be talked through or come to an understanding about, like how a snake sizes you up before swallowing you whole, the initial triggers are proof of what their darkness is pulling them towards. When you dont recognise that as a sign and take your leave, they are even more agonised and disturbed because now they see all their ugliness reflected in you, how cruel and uncaring they are, everytime they look at you, they see you project their worst traits back to them. Have you noticed how men are always 100x more cruel to the woman who is extremely kind to him and puts up with him? He is not moved by her kindness to treat her better, he treats her worse because she reminds him of how much of a piece of shit he is, he sees his own failures as a human being reflected in her. A woman who does not put up with shit and leaves and cuts them off is also severing these spiritual ties which in a sense "liberates" the man from his shadow. This is why its so important to know your worth. You risk your own life by not knowing it. This is also the reason why men keep chasing the women who dont put up with shit, because theyre not projecting their shadow back to them.

Brooke Shields, Mrigashira Moon & Venus

Brooke was obsessed over by absolutely everyone in her youth. They sexualized a goddamn child and made money from it. Here's a very uncomfortable clip of Susan Sarandon talking about 11yr old Brooke.

I don't want to elaborate too much because it makes me uncomfortable af but read about Brooke's life and you'll see how Mrigashira's many themes unfolded in her life (toxic mom included)

Dante Alighieri, Mrigashira stellium (Sun, Mercury & Rising)

Now that we've discussed how obsession with Mrigashira women ends in tragedy, lets see how Mrigashira natives themselves can be very obsessive in love.

Dante first met Beatrice, who he has described as the love of his life when they were children. She died at 24yrs old and Dante & her were never married nor did they ever even have a conversation but Dante was passionately, madly obsessed with her. He wrote about her A LOT. (imagine writing a shit ton of poetry and prose about a woman you've never even talked to?? haha 👁️👄👁️)

They met twice in their life, he married another woman yet he wrote about Beatrice continuously and exalted her to the high heavens

Dante and Beatrice never even kissed. For Dante, though, it didn’t matter that his love for Beatrice remained unconsummated. Why? Because merely the act of loving her was enough. Loving someone was its own justification.

How could this be? It connects to how Dante’s understanding of his love for Beatrice evolved. By the end of Vita nuova, Dante has come to understand that his youthful love was superficial. Instead, he realizes that his love for her is his most direct experience of the divine nature of love. Beatrice, after all, was “sent from Heaven,” a gift from god. By loving her — even if it’s from afar — Dante is himself purified, brought to a new spiritual existence, and brought closer to god. This is one reason why the work is titled Vita nuova: Dante’s love of Beatrice grants him a new life.

Franz Kafka- Mrigashira Stellium (Moon, Mercury and Venus)

Kafka's Letters to Milena are very popular but what's even crazier is their relationship.

Milena was a translator. In 1919 she discovered a short story (The Stoker) by Prague writer Franz Kafka, and wrote to him to ask for permission to translate it from German to Czech. The letter launched an intense and increasingly passionate correspondence. Milena and Kafka met twice: they spent four days in Vienna together and later a day in Gmünd. Eventually, Kafka broke off the relationship, partly because Milena as unable to leave her husband, and their almost daily communication ceased abruptly in November 1920. They meant so much to each other, however, that they did exchange a few more letters in 1922 and 1923 (and Kafka turned over to Milena his diaries at the end of his life). Kafka died in 1924.

Mrigashira men 🤝passionate love affair with a women they've met twice

“You are the knife I turn inside myself; that is love. That, my dear, is love.” ― Franz Kafka, Letters to Milena

“Dear Milena, I wish the world were ending tomorrow. Then I could take the next train, arrive at your doorstep in Vienna, and say: “Come with me, Milena. We are going to love each other without scruples or fear or restraint. Because the world is ending tomorrow.” Perhaps we don’t love unreasonably because we think we have time or have to reckon with time. But what if we don't have time? Or what if time, as we know it, is irrelevant? Ah, if only the world were ending tomorrow. We could help each other very much.” ― Franz Kafka, Letters to Milena

(brb im ugly cryinggg 😭😩😭kafka was such a loverboy)

C.S Lewis, Mrigashira Moon

Joy was a feisty Jewish divorced single mother from the Bronx. Lewis, 17 years her senior, was a lifelong confirmed bachelor (he wrote The Chronicles of Narnia) . They exchanged vows at her hospital bedside after a devastating diagnosis of metastasized breast cancer. Joy spent her final days dying in the arms of her most unlikely husband.

Joy had bone cancer and wasn’t expected to live; miraculously, they had three years together before she finally succumbed to cancer at age 45.

The loss devastated C.S. Lewis (as one can tell by reading A Grief Observed, one of his most heart-wrenching, personal books). Perhaps the biggest lesson one can take away from the love between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman was their willingness to love each other, however risky, however unsafe it may be. Lewis expressed grief, shock, and dismay over his wife’s death, but he never expressed regret over marrying her, never wished that he had taken the “safe” way.

Lewis summed this up beautifully in his poem, As the Ruin Falls:

"All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.

I never had a selfless thought since I was born.

I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through:

I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.

Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,

I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:

I talk of love --a scholar's parrot may talk Greek--

But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.

Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack.

I see the chasm.

And everything you are was making

My heart into a bridge by which I might get back

From exile, and grow man.

And now the bridge is breaking.

For this I bless you as the ruin falls.

The pains You give me are more precious than all other gains."

They were together for 3 years during which she was very sick and bedridden, yet his love for her is soo profound and he wrote extensively about how much her death devastated him :((

Jim Carrey, Mrigashira Moon starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (directed by Michel Gondry, Punarvasu Rising) and this movie is an ode to the eternal nature of love. Two individuals whose memories are altered repeatedly to rid them of one another keep meeting each other again and again. Its such a beautiful story of how undying love is.

I think Punarvasu & Mrigashira natives are connected to each other in some way.

In this interview, Stephen Colbert (Mrigashira Moon) asks Keanu Reeves (Punarvasu Moon) "What happens when we die?" to which Keanu responds "I know that the people who love us, will miss us". Its a very earnest answer more so considering how both Stephen and Keanu have lost so many people in their lives. Keanu's ex gf died in a car accident a year after they had a stillborn daughter. Colbert lost his father and 2 brothers to a plane crash when he was 10.

In Sia's (Mrigashira Moon) MV for Elastic Heart, Maddie Ziegler (Punarvasu Moon) and Shia LaBeouf (Mrigashira Sun) are depicted as Sia's two selves who are warring with each other inside a cage, in the end Maddie makes it out of the cage while Shia is stuck inside. Sia said she wrote this song about a failing relationship so the MV can be understood as a symbolic representation of two sides of Sia battling whether to leave or stay in this relationship. Its particularly poignant to me that the person who makes it out alive is a Punarvasu native.

Its also quite well known how creepily obsessed Sia has been with Maddie over the years.

Hugh Dancy (Mrigashira Sun) played Will on Hannibal where the titular character was played by Mads Mikkelsen (Vishaka Moon)

The two share an intense toxic violent emotional relationship. He tries to kill him but he also saves him.

I think Mars-Jupiter relationships are often this way, intense and ultimately doomed because the two can never stay together.

Eminem, Saturn in Mrigashira atmakaraka (Chitra Sun, Dhanishta Moon) allegedly had a relationship with Mariah Carey (Punarvasu Moon) in the 2000s and repeatedly referenced her in his songs whilst she stayed quiet about him and often denied their relationship.

In 2002 Eminem rapped in his song Superman "What you trying be? My new wife? / What, you Mariah? Fly through twice.” On When the Music Stop, he said, “What the f–k you take me for, a joke? You smoking crack? ‘Fore I do that, I’d beg Mariah to take me back.”

In the same year, Mariah released a song called Clown in which she sang, “You should’ve never intimated we were lovers when you know very well we never even touched each other.”

She explained, “I talked to him, I spoke to him a few times, whatever,” she said at the time. “But in terms of me having an intimate relationship? With men, I can name them all on one hand, and he’s not one of them. I hung out with him, I spoke to him on the phone. I think I was probably with him a total of four times. And I don’t consider that dating somebody.”

Eminem went on talking about her obsessively for yeaaarsss (that's the Mrigashira in him/all his Mars energy in general, Martians are a whole new brand of obsessed)

In 2009, Eminem rapped in Bagpipes from Baghdad

“Mariah, whatever happened to us? Why did we have to break up?Nick Cannon, you pr–k, I wish you luck with the f–kin’ whore.”

Mind you that he himself admitted that they only dated for 6 months in 2002, 7 WHOLE YEARS LATER he is still singing about her, he's clearly still obsessed with her but he's also an asshole for speaking about her in such disparaging terms.

And that's when Mariah Carey dropped her iconic song Obsessed

in 2019, 17 years later, Eminem was still rapping about her lol

"I know me and Mariah didn’t end on a high note / But that other dude’s whipped — that p—y got him neutered, tried to tell him this chick’s a nut job before he got his jewels clipped / Almost got my caboose kicked / Fool, quit / You not gonna do s–t / I let her chop my balls off too before I lose to you, Nick.”

Sorry for spilling all the tea but I just think its soooo funny. Its no Dante & Beatrice but oh man lol

Through this example we see a negative toxic manifestation of Mrigashira's obsession and devotion to a partner.

Prince William, Mrigashira Sun and Princess Catherine, Punarvasu Moon are another Mrig-Punarvasu/Jupiter pairing I can think of

As we have seen from Eminem, Mrigashira men can often be violent and abusive

Johnny Depp-Mrigashira Sun, Kanye West- Mrigashira Sun, Salman Rushdie Mrigashira Sun & Moon, Shia LaBeouf- Mrigashira Sun have all been accused of abuse by their partners.

Obsession isn't a good thing and very few Mrigashira men are like Dante in today's world.

I hope this was interesting & informative.xx

[snailsandpuppy-dogtails]

Don't think I ever posted this here and since ao is down i'm reading my old fics. Garvez wc:711

Luke stays at headquarters, it's angsty, nothing romantic

A magician is what she was, unveiling hope and relief where uncertainty and frustration had been, transforming weariness to love and faith restored. So seeing her like this, seeing her with her guard down and completely broken, shattered at the prospects of what she could not repair, was tearing his heart in two. 

Penelope had developed a problem with letting people with the potential to hurt her in. One too many violations, you see, one too many scars. As a result there were very few people she let herself cry in front of, let console her. He certainly wasn’t on the list, so right now, this very second, when his warm palm was pressing into her cheek and his thumb was swiping away the brine that wouldn’t stop flowing, this was a fluke. And then she laughed “Fluke Luke” a laugh that turned into a sob, the fatigue washing over her again. "I was so scared Luke.” she whispered, "I’m so tired and I was so scared.” God, she needed to get a hold of herself, but he was making it so easy. Making it so easy to fall into him. 

The team was away but Luke had been held back, "Lab Partners” he’d called them a similar time. They were searching for a bomber...they were all fine, on their way back in fact, expected to land any minute. But it had been a close call. Far too close. As in lost all contact close. Flashbacks of Derek driving that fucking truck flashed through her mind, the fear then paralyzing her, the dead silence on his end. The dead silence she heard from every contact in her work family. Luke’s hand squeezing her arm through her cardigan, fingers so tight there were sure to be five perfect purple circles there tomorrow. Neither one of them daring to breath. 

Thoughts of how she was going to explain to Kristy that she was a single parent of 4 kids now…Will, a single dad to her godsons… And Reid, his mom, all raced through her head. Grim images of a joint funeral, 5 caskets neatly lined up on stark green grass. She of course was somewhat used to this side of things, but it almost never got that close. Was never that scary. And poor Newbie, he’d never had to face things from her side of the line before, the inability to do anything tangible, the feeling of being powerless to help, only able to feed information, but sometimes not in time, this time it had come a fraction of a second too late. But they had anticipated, thankfully, intelligently. 

“I could have gotten them killed! I almost did get them killed! It was too close, Luke!” He pulled her up and out of her roller chair, wrapping her in his arms, a hand petting, soothing at her head guiding it to his chest and keeping her there. “It wasn’t your fault. They knew what to do, they’re safe.” He rocked from side to side softly humming something she couldn’t quite place, something that sounded familiar but distant, something that felt like one of those old wounds. “Is it always this stressful, your job? You do so much for us. Jesus, Penelope, I love you. We love you. I hate that we put you through this. I’m getting you so many more toys for your desk.” 

She laughed and rolled her eyes, sniffing obscenely. “Does that mean you’ll stop trying with the heroics out there, Newbie?” She pushed away from him, separating. He released his hold reluctantly. Composing herself, tissue clenched patting at stray tears and smudged makeup she watched him in her compact mirror. “It’s not always this bad. Come on, we’ve got to make them welcome-home brownies.”  Luke observed her collect herself, tears all but gone, clothing back where it should be, and he marveled at her strength, wondering just how many times she’d sat in this room alone bawling her eyes out before wiping it all away with a flick of her wrist, making something sweet for them to come back to. Penelope Garcia, emotional magician. “Come on, Newbie, no staying in here alone, it’s baking time.” and she shuffled him out, just like she’d shuffled away the sadness and fear.

[veale2006-blog]

The Full Moon Redemption Friday, January 5, 2024 The Nisan Lamb Hebrew months are lunar, beginning on the renewed Moon. Messiah died on Passover, which is in the middle of the Hebrew month, meaning that He died during the time of a full Moon. The full Moon wasn't a scary thing to the Hebrews, but beautiful. Because it spoke of fullness and fulfillment - just as Messiah is the ultimate fulfillment. He fulfills all emptiness and makes all things full to those who have accepted Him. How did the Moon become full at the time of His death? Not by trying to do anything, but simply by reflecting the light of the Sun. How do we become full? It's not by trying to become more than we are, but by reflecting the light of God. Just as the Moon was made to reflect the Sun, we're made to reflect His glory. Let the light of God shine from you, touching every part of your life, emotions, secret things, talents, and dreams. As it's written, "We, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of God, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as from the Lord."

Today's Mission Let your light shine for all to see, that you reflect Messiah. Let God use you to the fullness of His glory as He touches your life.

Matthew 5:14-16 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

HAVE A BLESSED DAY AND WEEKEND!!

[pickceldigital]

Innovative use of theme park digital signage brings in more revenue — HOW?

Theme parks are the quickest getaway from the rush of modern life. A splash of refreshment! A spatter of relief!

And with the bliss of technology, we can now have more fun and get more daring with those scary rides!

Yes, technology has revolutionized how we experience theme parks.

In 2022, visiting a theme park is not only about going on the rides, boating, running, and eating. It is about amplifying the dose of entertainment with digital screens, motion sensors, IoT devices, AR/VR wearables, and whatnot.

Digital signage at theme parks plays a significant role in this boosted fun and enjoyment.

Digital signage technology has transformed the way businesses used to market and promote their products & services. Why would theme parks be an exception?

According to statistics, people remember 80% of what they see and only 20% of what they do. So, if visitors enjoy a specific item at your theme park, they’ll have fun and forget in a day or two, unless of course, you keep reminding them of the enjoyment with awesome DOOH advertisements.

Make use of theme park digital signage not only inside the park but outside too!

8 unfailing ways to use digital signage at theme parks

Theme parks can leverage digital signage for a lot more than just advertise and promote exciting rides and games. Beyond hard marketing, screens can add an element of soft marketing through a superior customer experience.

Here, we have unveiled 8 best ways theme parks, amusement parks, and outdoor recreational businesses can make use of digital signage.

For more click on the link  theme park digital signage 

[exhoe-imagines]

the hotel styx → lty

summary → you are sent away on a business trip, but soon find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere. the hotel styx seems accommodating enough, but you’ll soon find it isn’t just any hotel...

word count → 2.2k

warnings → incubus!au, mentions of blood/torture (not to the reader or from taeyong), monsters, spooky things, suggestive/almost smut; fem!reader

a/n → shoutout to my nct hoes, hope you guys are having a happy halloween!! this is partly inspired by american horror story (hotel season) and goosebumps ~ admin jewels

You sigh in frustration as the car radio loses its clarity, the 80s pop music fading in and out until it’s completely static. You switch through the channels, looking for anything to distract you from the thunderstorm outside, but find nothing. The car continues down the bumpy, one-way road in search of a town you’ve never visited before. In fact, you’ve never ventured this far into the countryside, but here you are – on a business trip to some town over 100 miles from your house.

It’s completely dark at this point, the only lights around coming from your headlights. Your pulse increases as lightning strikes nearby, much too close for comfort. It suddenly hits you that you haven’t seen any house or building in over 20 minutes. You silently curse yourself for deciding to take such a job. Who knew these rural towns could be so creepy?

You’re just about to pull over and look for an old CD when the engine begins to sputter, slowly at first until it all at once brings the car to a halt. You groan loudly as you retry the ignition, only finding that it won’t restart. You scream in frustration, knowing there’s nobody around to hear you anyway. Oh God… you realize, there’s nobody around… Panic immediately sets in and you reach for your phone to call somebody, but to your amazement, it’s dead. You swore it was fully charged when you last looked at it! That is when you really start to panic, becoming all too aware that you are stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Well, it must not be the middle of nowhere with a red, flashing sign like that – you stare through the front window at the Vacancy sign down the street. You swear you didn’t see it until just moments ago. Oh well, must be some kind of good luck…

You hike up the road to the flashing hotel, cursing yourself for wearing such impractical shoes. By the time you reach the entrance, you’re drenched with rain. You scrunch your eyes as you try to read the name of the hotel on the door – The Hotel Styx? You decide you must be seeing things, maybe the rain is blurring your vision. A warm draft coats you as you enter the hotel, its golden lighting and dry interior already bringing you relief. You head through the lobby, straight ahead to the reception desk – but something seems off… Why is it empty? You spin around, eyes scanning the plush furniture, the empty hall to your right. It really is empty! You’re about to panic again when you hear the notes of a piano from down the hall. The melody reverberates through the lobby, making the hair on the back of your neck stand up. You can’t help but follow the sound, as if you were in a trance. The piano grows louder and louder as you near it, just turning the corner from the hall into the ballroom. You see the piano straight ahead, a flash of red hair appears behind it – and then the music suddenly stops and there’s a hand on your shoulder. You jump, emitting the smallest screech you’ve ever uttered.

“I’m sorry madam, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he apologizes as you turn around to face him.

His red hair is the first thing you see, its color shockingly bright and unusual. His slender eyes crease as he smirks, some kind of cruel humor on his face. It seems he is amused at your shaken state.

You cough and attempt to straighten your posture, “My car broke down, I need to contact the nearest auto shop.”

“Ah, well I’m sorry to say, it’s over an hour away. They most likely wouldn’t arrive until the morning,” he replies, “but… you are welcome to stay here for the night. Come right this way,” his voice is suddenly chirpy as he guides you to the reception area.

“No, I didn’t say I need a room,” you trail after him, “I still have over 50 miles to drive tonight!”

“Listen, darling,” his voice and face flatten as he stares at you over the counter, “Nobody is available tonight. Your best bet is to stay here.”

For some reason, his answer silences your worries and you decide it may not be so bad to stay here for the night. After all, the rain and lightning outside was pretty scary to drive through.

“Here you are,” he hands you a bronzed key with a smirk, “Room 311, take the elevator on your right.”

“I need to get my luggage –“ you begin.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll bring it up for you.”

“Uh - thanks,” you say as you head to the elevator, surprised by his hospitality.

The halls are quiet as you navigate them, far too quiet. Eventually, you find your room and crash on the bed. You didn’t realize how exhausted you were from all that driving… You decide to relax and watch some TV. You grab the remote, pressing the power on and waiting to see what HBO is airing tonight. Some kind of reality cooking show appears, where multiple contestants in chef uniforms are running around a luxury kitchen. You scoff as you see a plate of what looks like human brain being served to a judge – isn’t Halloween like 2 months away? These people celebrate far too early, you think before changing the channel. The next channel shows a doctor talking to a patient in his office. Based on the doctor’s flawless complexion and taut cheekbones, you assume he’s a plastic surgeon.

“You know, I’m just so insecure about it-“ his patient explains as she turns around, pulling her hair back, “I hate being reminded of how I died. It’s just so – morbid…”

She parts her hair to unveil… a fully open gunshot wound in the back of her head? You cringe in disgust, immediately flipping the channel once again. Is everyone celebrating Halloween early now? You’re distracted from your thoughts by a scream emitting from the television. A man is layed out on a metal slab, his mouth is stretched open by some contraption, and the skin on his face is almost completely removed. Another man stands over him, a scalpel and set of pliers in his hands as he giggles horrifically toward the camera.

You’re screaming and slamming the off button on the remote in no time, rushing out of the room. What kind of hotel is this? You panic as you scurry down the hall, looking for the elevator. You realize you’re lost as you hit a dead-end with no exit in sight. You turn around, running back the way you came, only to find another dead-end. Luckily, a hotel room door swings open to your right - a plump, older maid exiting with her maid’s cart.

“Everything alright, sweetie?” she asks, concern plastered across her face.

“No! No, I just - I need to get out of here. Where is the elevator?”

“Oh darling, what in the world is the matter?”

“The TV! It’s showing horrible things! Evil things, evil!” you hide your face in your hands, the image of the tortured man running through your mind over and over again.

“Now, now, I’m sure you’re just imagining that. Let me come take a look,” she says, allowing you to lead her back to the hotel room.

Your skin crawls as you reenter the room and see the television set in front of you.

“There! Turn it on, you’ll see,” you motion toward the remote on the bed.

She takes her time waddling up to the screen and pressing it on. You creep up next to her, afraid of what will be on the screen next. The image of the tortured man reappears, this time his teeth are being plied from his mouth one at a time. You scream, clamping your hands over your ears to muffle his cries.

“Is this what you were talking about?” the maid questions, her voice unaffected.

“Yes!” you scream, turning away from the TV, “Turn it off! Please!”

She’s silent and you’re worried for a moment that she’s in shock, but soon enough you hear her. She begins to laugh, softly at first, building up into a loud cackle. You spin around to find her utterly transformed, no longer a soft, pudgy grandma. Her eyes have sunken in, the skin of her face has become faded, almost like decomposed skin. Your voice is caught in your throat as she comes near you, still laughing in that possessed manner. It takes far too long for you to react, but finally you’re running to the door, screaming for help at the top of your lungs. You sprint down the hall, only to turn and find her running after you like a banshee – her legs far too agile for her age. Your heart is ready to give out when you run into someone and are knocked to your feet.

“Y/N, what’s the matter?”

Of course, it’s the bellhop. He seemed to be just getting off the elevator when you ran into him.

“The maid!” you scream, pointing wildly behind you, “She’s a monster, she – she’s possessed!”

He chuckles lightly as you spin around and see the maid behind you. Somehow, she’s back to her grandma self, standing politely in front of you.

“Get away! Get back,” you yell, backing up behind the bellhop.

She smiles sweetly at you before turning to him, “I’ll go back to cleaning, don’t mind me.”

He nods to her as she turns around and heads back down the hall to her assigned rooms, leaving you in a sweating puddle in the middle of the carpet.

“C’mon darling, let’s get you back to the room,” he coos as he helps you to your feet, offering his arm for support, “I think you’re seeing things…”

With his help, you make it back to the hotel room safely, but you can’t shake the feeling that something is off.

“What kind of establishment is this?” you cry as he helps you lay on the bed.

You swear your vision is becoming hazier by the minute. Everything seems like it’s… glowing?

“It’s a pretty great establishment, don’t you think?” he smirks as he sits on the bed next to you, “In fact, it’s my establishment, so you better like it…”

His words filter through your head, but once he’s spoken them, you can barely remember them. All you can see is the increasingly scarlet color of his eyes and the way his lips glisten like they’re covered in silk. You begin to lose your breath, like something is pulling you into a trance. The fuzzy feeling reemerges, washing over you like a wave. You’re afraid you’ll fall asleep when suddenly the bellhop is lying next to you, staring into your face.

“Who are you?” you whisper.

“Taeyong.”

An overwhelming wave hits you as he speaks. You realize then that it’s him. He’s calling you to him and you know you have no will to resist. You’re drawn to him like a magnet, planting your mouth onto his with ease. You can feel him smirk into the kiss, like this is what he had been waiting for the entire night. His hands are everywhere at once, you swear he must have a dozen hands. The smoothness of his mouth accosts you with every kiss, like he’s coaxing the essence of your soul out with every breath.

“Give into me,” he pulls away from your lips to rip off your clothes, “Don’t hide. I see you.”

You’re completely at his mercy as he unclothes you, his eyes burning into your naked flesh.

“I see you.”

A noise stirs you awake, the bright light of the sun streaming through the windows into your eyes. It takes a moment for your vision to adjust and your body to fully wake up. You yawn, pulling your hair out of your face to find that you’re seated in the front seat of your car. Your keys are on the seat next to you, like you had decided to stop in the middle of the night and rest. You sit up and take a look at your surroundings outside. Fields stretch for miles on all sides, aside from the single-lane road you had been driving on. You thank yourself for deciding to park and sleep, rather than risk your chances dozing off while driving. You check your phone, thanking God that it’s fully charged. And luckily, you still have several hours to make it to your meeting. You grab a drink from your backseat and turn the car on, ready to get this trip over with.

You sigh as you make it into the Best Western, leaving your luggage by the door and diving into the bed. You’re relieved that you made it to the town with time to spare, allowing you to rest for an hour before heading to the appointment. You’re about to drift to sleep when you roll over and feel something poking you in your side. You yelp, sitting up and rummaging through the pocket of your jacket. A bronze key emerges, a small piece of red plastic dangling from it. The Hotel Styx? Where did that come from?

[halloweenfor]

Scary Costumes - Child White Bodysuit Costume

Theme Halloween Costumes

Ghost Costumes

A Blank CanvasSometimes, inspiration strikes. You and your girl get the perfect idea for a completely unique costume idea. Perhaps the image of a brilliant angel costume takes shape in your mind. Or maybe you can envision your child as an astronaut ballerina! Maybe you have a costume that’s completely top secret with the world that you and your girl are waiting to unveil at the next costume party! Well, we’d like to help you customize your girl’s look. You have the vision and we have some of the pieces you need. Just start with something like this jumpsuit as a nice base to work with!This white bodysuit is simple, but that’s the beauty of it. Depending on what sort of accessories you add, it can be anything you and your girl want it to be. Some might see just a white one-piece, but creative types will see the limitless possibilities! Product DetailsThe girl’s bodysuit is milky white color, great for plenty of different costume styles. It’s made out of a spandex blend that stretches to fit. It has long sleeves and a crew neck-style neckline. The crotch of the bodysuit also has snaps to make bathroom breaks easier.The Sky is the LimitWhen you have this bodysuit, it’s all about what accessories you pair it with! If you pair it with angel wings and a harp, it becomes the perfect angel costume that your child can move freely in. Add a tutu to turn it into a cute ballet costume. Pair it with a horn headpiece and tail to craft a cute unicorn costume. Add a pair of bunny ears and an adorable cotton tail and your child will transform into a bunny rabbit. The only limitation with this piece is your own imagination, so get that creativity rolling into high gear!

See Details & Get More Deals at: Best Halloween Costumes 2019 :: Shop

[pickceldigital]

Innovative use of theme park digital signage brings in more revenue — HOW?

Theme parks are the quickest getaway from the rush of modern life. A splash of refreshment! A spatter of relief!

And with the bliss of technology, we can now have more fun and get more daring with those scary rides!

Yes, technology has revolutionized how we experience theme parks.

In 2022, visiting a theme park is not only about going on the rides, boating, running, and eating. It is about amplifying the dose of entertainment with digital screens, motion sensors, IoT devices, AR/VR wearables, and whatnot.

Digital signage at theme parks plays a significant role in this boosted fun and enjoyment.

Digital signage technology has transformed the way businesses used to market and promote their products & services. Why would theme parks be an exception?

According to statistics, people remember 80% of what they see and only 20% of what they do. So, if visitors enjoy a specific item at your theme park, they’ll have fun and forget in a day or two, unless of course, you keep reminding them of the enjoyment with awesome DOOH advertisements.

Make use of theme park digital signage not only inside the park but outside too!

8 unfailing ways to use digital signage at theme parks

Theme parks can leverage digital signage for a lot more than just advertise and promote exciting rides and games. Beyond hard marketing, screens can add an element of soft marketing through a superior customer experience.

Here, we have unveiled 8 best ways theme parks, amusement parks, and outdoor recreational businesses can make use of digital signage.

1. Welcome visitors with main attractions & exclusive offers

Design appealing content for your outside-the-park screens to show the main attractions, group packages, and special offers, and promote the exhibits of your amusement park through digital signage. Make smart compositions and schedule your promotions according to the rush hours to reach maximum eyeballs.

Play videos of the best activities, showcase how people enjoy those, and upsell your attractions in the most intelligent way.

2. Communicate weather forecasts & AQI

Image: A modern theme park showing live air quality data on digital signage with the Pickcel AQI app

Keep the visitors informed about the weather conditions and air quality at various park locations to offer them a healthy outdoor experience. Some of your visitors may have certain medical conditions that may be affected by a higher AQI level or a colder atmosphere. They can take necessary precautions and medicines if necessary as soon as they see the park signs displaying outdoor AQI and weather

3. Spread emergency messages

Amusement parks can deploy digital signage at designated locations to alert visitors of disaster forecasts like hail or tornados. For emergencies like fire breakout or gas leakage, you can notify the people at the park by quickly updating all the screens at a go with emergency messages.

If you’re using an smart signage software, it will take only a jiffy to update all the large screens inside and outside the park premise with the alert message. This way, you can make a large-scale announcement and prioritize public safety with digital signage to evacuate visitors quickly without creating much panic.

Digital signage solution providers like Pickcel allow various types of automations & integrations with third-party servers and IoT systems. This can help the digital signage software to auto-communicate with fire patrols and rescue teams when a disaster hits.

4. Display amusement park ride signs

In the vast valley of amusement parks, people tend to get a little perplexed while deciding which ride to go for next, which way to head, and what to do after that!

Smart ride signs assist people at this point. Use the large LED displays at designated points in the park to help people notice the bright ride signs, open timings, and fun previews of the enjoyment they’re about to experience.

Customized contents can show detailed information about each ride or exhibit. It can display the ride’s history, origin, popularity, and safety measures one needs to take while on the ride. Also, you can show the age group allowed to go on that ride, special instructions, risks involved in the ride, and height signs.

Ride schedules, special hours, and happy hours can also be shown on the digital screens in front of each exhibit and on large displays at various corners of the theme park from time to time. Thus, you can inform your visitors and make it handy for them to choose their rides.

5. Use kiosks for ticketing & queue management

A quick and easy way to let visitors get their tickets and register their entry to the park is through digital signage ticketing kiosks. While getting access, they can also checkout the ride timings, closing hours, special cautions, and safety protocols in one go. Yes, you can display all these on one screen of the kiosk. And you know what?

With this, you can go paperless with your theme park ticketing service. Visitors can scan the QR codes on the screens and get their tickets. They can keep them on their mobile devices and show them whenever required. Simple!

Large digital screens can also be used to show live queue status and estimated wait time for long lines using a digital queue management solution.

Pickcel’s kiosk management software can ease out your theme park ticketing service.

6. Use as wayfinding directories

What is the most challenging task in a theme park? Getting up on the Sky Screamer or Colossus? Nope! The most challenging task is to head toward each exhibit correctly without losing track or getting lost in the crowded meadow.

Now you relate to the toil and effort it takes, right? Theme parks can employ digital signage to offer great assistance here. Digital wayfinding directories are helpful for visitors who tend to get anxious about navigational hazards.

Digital wayfinding kiosks with motion graphics (moving arrows, red blinking pointers, animated signs for major locations, etc.) can help people find their destinations without fuss. You can take a higher step and introduce touchscreen wayfinding solutions, and if possible, with 3D technology to help your visitors even better.

You can also help theme park visitors to download the directory from the digital signage on their mobile devices using a QR code scan. They can then find their destinations on the go using GPS.

7. Sell digital ad space to generate extra revenue

You can generate additional revenue by selling ad spaces to retail chains and other brands with a similar audience group as in your theme park. Make optimum use of your amusement park’s digital signage screens by partnering with the kin brands and engaging in cross-promotional marketing campaigns.

Also, the retail stores inside the park can rent digital signage boards from you. This will shift their product marketing from traditional to advanced ways. Digital hoardings, banners, product catalogs, and discount offers — all can be shown using digital displays.

After all, every shop owner is aware of how digital signage benefits retail businesses through vibrant promotions and advertisements. So, the stores won’t deny it, and you’ll collect more on the wallet.

8. Digital menu boards for food courts

Having too much fun and going crazy over the frightful rides for 5-7 long hours calls for a sumptuous meal. Therefore, theme parks always have excellent eateries to offer you several delicacies. But, choosing one or two among so many special platters is difficult.

Innovative use of digital signage at theme parks can make it easy. You can showcase the finest items and bestsellers with engaging visuals. Displaying the food & beverage items using an interactive digital menu board can help consumers decide on their meals even more. They can swipe and pick their favorite items just like that!

With a digital menu board app, you can schedule your menus according to the special hours of the weekdays and plan exclusive menus for weekends.

Don’t know how to create a digital menu board? Learn here

Benefits of theme park digital signage

What benefits can you leverage for your theme park if you use digital signage in the ways mentioned above? Let’s see.

Easy crowd management with reduced perceived wait time at ticketing points as well as at entry points of each ride

Better communication with the visitors regarding safety protocols, ride opening-closing timings, shutdown rides, maintenance work, and the like.

Heightened customer experience via toil-free navigation with the help of digital wayfinding kiosks

Time and effort savings through remote screen management and automatic update of content using cloud-based digital signage software

Better visitor engagement, increased sales & more revenue

3 Real-life examples of theme park digital signage

Check out these real-life examples to witness the advanced, hi-tech use of digital signage at amusement parks.

Universal Studios Hollywood

At Universal Studios Hollywood, amusement park enthusiasts can now experience the dinosaur era on massive innovative video walls, projections, visual announcements, and special effects on digital signage screens.

Watch the video to see how!

Macau Legend Heroes Park

The Macau Legend Heroes Park has taken digital signage to a new and unexpected level with a somewhat futuristic arrangement of digital signage content. According to them, they are trying to make people speculate about what the digital displays can offer to the visitors of theme parks soon.

In association with Samsung, they offer highly personalized and tailored content displays to help the Gen Z audience experience gaming at a higher level of fun and enjoyment.

Let’s check that out in the following video.

King’s Island

The King’s Island has made a banging comeback with its advanced use of modern park digital signage. The interactive wayfinding solution deserves special mention.

Have a look here.

Conclusion

A lot has been said and shown about theme park digital signage. Now, it’s time for you to implement it in your entertainment business and provide an extraordinary customer experience.

Make your amusement park top-notch with the power of digital signage

For more click on the link theme park digital signage

[onestowatch]

Jonah Yano Makes His Long Awaited Debut with Soulful ‘nervous’ EP [Q&A]

Not much is known about Jonah Yano yet, but he’s slowly becoming one of our favorite soulful singers. The Japanese-Canadian grew up with a grandmother who introduced him to the piano at a young age, which he still considers to be one of the most impactful moments in his musical career. Pulling inspiration from Leslie Feist, MONEYPHONE, and Earl Sweatshirt, Yano has finally unveiled his incredible debut EP, nervous.

Although most of his debut EP is laidback, there are also subtle elements of hip hop, electronic, and jazz drizzled throughout the six-track collection. While the title track, “cold,” and “older” are smooth and stripped down, Yano showcases his versatility with more heavily produced songs like “perfume,” “sails,” and “tarmac,” which fuse hip hop and electronic soundscapes. Yano seized the opportunity to accept his debut EP as a learning experience, which sharpened his ability to express his complex emotions through music.

Familiarize yourself with the rising soulful singer’s nervous EP below:

To celebrate the release of his fantastic new EP, we recently chatted with Jonah Yano about his dream venue, favorite meal, and of course, nervous.

OTW: How did you first get into music?

Yano: My grandmother introduced me to the piano when I was like six or seven years old. She would teach me little bits, and pieces every time I went to her house back then. I eventually got a beginner’s guitar for Christmas one year and my fascination with that instrument continues to this day!

OTW: Which musical artists influence your dynamic sound?

Yano: Holy moly. I think I could answer this question in different ways until the end of time. However, I’m going to limit myself to three people who inform my music in very fundamental ways. Leslie Feist - my admiration for this person as an artist is never ending. She has the same way with words as all the great Canadian songwriters before her. When I listen to her songs, I feel like I’m learning from Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Gord Downie, and Feist herself all at once. MONEYPHONE - these two guys are some of my best pals in this scary world and also two of the most inspiring and talented people I have the pleasure of knowing. They introduced me to autotune and so many other elements of music making that allow me to expand beyond a guitar and a voice. Thanks guys. Love you! Earl Sweatshirt - like a lot of young artists today, I grew up as an Odd Future fan. That broad interest has since narrowed itself onto Earl in particular. The way he can use the English language is on a level of literary genius. He’s also an incredible producer and his sound is so emotive before he even says anything. That’s something I strive for.

OTW: Why is your Instagram handle @pianosolos?

Yano: Because I love listening to solo piano music.

OTW: Describe your new EP in five words.

Yano: I can finally make rent!

OTW: What’s the writing process for your new EP like?

Yano: On a writing level, this EP was all about learning how to write in a different way. So a couple of the songs on the EP are written in a classic guitar-at-home kind of way, which is the way I’ve always written and felt most comfortable. However, four out of the six songs on this EP were written by me standing in front of the microphone and making noises over an instrumental until something came out. It’s something I’m finally beginning to feel confident in doing.

OTW: “nervous” showcases your ability to transform everyday moments in the most emotive lyrics. Why is this an important part of your music?

Yano: I think it’s an important part of my music because it’s an important part of my life to be able to express the way people and places and things make me feel. Songwriting allows me to fully express these things beyond the words themselves.

OTW: “perfume” reflects on the feeling of being hopelessly captivated by someone special. Have you ever played a show to a crowd that left you feeling speechless?

Yano: I recently got to sing a couple songs with BADBADNOTGOOD onstage in Vancouver to a crowd of many friends and family. That was a wild feeling. Definitely didn’t do much talking for a minute after that one.

OTW: If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you pick? Who would be your openers?

Yano: I think I’d perform on Miyajima Island off the coast of Hiroshima in Japan. The audience would mainly be some wild deer and a couple tourists. The opener would be Hiroshi Yoshimura, and he would play his ambient album Music for Nine Postcards in full.

OTW: You recently tweeted, “I sometimes just eat a family size bag of salt and vinegar chips instead of dinner.” What’s your favorite meal?

Yano: Probably a tie between chicken on fries from the shawarma spot down the street and the red dragon ramen from the spot across the street from the shawarma spot.

OTW: Who are your Ones To Watch?

Yano: MONEYPHONE and monsune.

[brujadementa-blog]

To awaken is to be on a constant grieving state. You are letting go of what doesn’t serve you and letting go hurts. It’s OK to hurt, it is a crucial part of the process. Mourn yourself and those parts. It is your choice. Nobody can tell you how to do it or how long should it take. Only remember, you are not really losing anything but kind of like upgrading yourself and removing the bugs. There’s a “new” you coming. This is not the end. To awaken is to face your pain and your fears. It hurts. But you know what? It is only temporary. Every other fear you’ve overcome has not been magically removed but transformed into knowledge and understanding of what it is. Some of those fears are now the best thing that ever happened to you. Fear is an indication of new territory but even more importantly, that there is something of value for us at the other side of that fear. One part of us hates the uncertainty while the other is driven by the hunger for life and moved by the curiosity and excitement of the surprise. You choose which one to be. You can be both, for that you’ll need awareness and balance. Growing can be scary. Destruction is necessary. Seeds break and sprout. Eggs crack to allow life to come out of them. Don’t be so focus on your destruction that you forget to see the process of your evolution for what it is, the unveiling of your new and improved life. Resisting or fearing this process will cause blockages that will look similar to or result in depression, anxiety, anger issues, isolation and other personality disorders. You got this. I’m rooting for you and I can’t wait to see who you are becoming. #awakening (at Elgin, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/joannelynncita/p/BwEvbljHAro/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=j9mfr5xd23g9

[vacationsoup]

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/even-more-magic-planned-for-disney-in-2019__trashed/

Even More Magic Planned For Disney In 2019

Is it possible for the most magical place on Earth to become even more magical? Yes!

If you’re thinking about visiting Disney, and just haven’t decided when yet then this year may be the time to do so.  Disney has already released the 2019 dates for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and I’m sure we can expect more release dates for upcoming events within the next few months.  There will be even more magic at Walt Disney World this year as Disney unveils several great new attractions for 2019 and we’ve got the scoop right here for you.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

A new Star Wars themed area is set to open at Hollywood Studios later this fall.  Disney recently released artist renderings of what Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will look like and it looks out of this world.

A New Disney Studios Nighttime Show

A new show is set to take the stage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Wonderful World of Animation, the new nighttime experience will debut in May 2019 using Laser projection technology taking viewers through more than 90 years of animation.

Mickey & Minnie Runaway Railway

Mickey & Minnie will celebrate a whopping 90 years in 2019. This beloved cartoon is transformed into a real-world experience in what is the park’s first ride-through attraction for Mickey. It will be a new, original story and theme song, drawing inspiration from the world of Disney’s Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts.

Pixar Attractions

Early 2019 guests will see a transformed Pixar Place to include a new area for the Incredibles where visitors will encounter Edna Mode, Mike & Sulley from Monsters Inc. In the spring 2019, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy will open where guests can meet Lightning himself along with his friend Cruz Ramirez.

Lion King Dance Party

The Lion King movie will celebrate 25 years in 2019 and with that guests can enjoy a special party at Discovery Land and party with Timon & Rafiki every day from January 18-September 30, 2019.

A New Disney Epcot Nighttime Show

Illuminations nighttime show will be ending 2019 and replaced with a new show that will celebrate Disney Music around the world.  If you’re visiting in the latter part of 2019 you will get a taste of the two experiences in a show titled “Epcot Forever” which includes familiar music with new fireworks and special effects kites.

Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration

Starting January 18th, Disney is honouring the pair with new entertainment, merchandise and food. Throughout the year there will be an array of specialty food, beverage and novelty offerings inspired by the famous couple. The Mickey sipper cup is absolutely adorable!   The celebration runs through September at Magic Kingdom.

  New Disney Skyliner

Disney guests will now be able to travel overhead in the fall of 2019 thanks to a gondola system called the Disney Skyliner.  It will connect Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four resort hotels. It is rumoured that this new mode of transportation will not have air conditioning.  If you’re travelling in the summer months, be sure to check out our blog 4 ways to beat the Orlando heat.

First timer to Disney? Don’t miss our quick guide to Walt Disney World here along with our 5 tips to planning your vacation here.

[askpeterpan]

The Girl that Dared {pt. 2/2}

Where was I…? Oh, right. . . 

Emily walked along the floor of her house, but this time, the stranger was not with her. Had she really made it home all this time? The more that Emily walked through her house, the more that the building felt really unfamiliar. This was not her home at all.

Through dark hallways she traveled, looking for a beacon of light. At last, at the very end of the hallway, she found it. “Hello?” She called, taking smaller steps. There, at he end of the hallway in her family room, was her father, sitting skillfully in a chair.

“My dear.. Where have you been?” the figure stayed still as he spoke in a voice too low for Emily to even call her father’s.

“I have been… Around..” she said cautiously, standing in the doorway.

“I’ll ask you again,” the voice bellowed, “Where have you been?!” With a roar, the person before her transformed into a giant creature, far more scary than any nightmare in the world! A dragon as large as the largest towers in the world! Decorated in red and black colors, the dragon was not one to be messed with.

He hollered in the giant room, blowing it’s horrendous fire all around. Emily quickly ducked behind a couch, looking for something, anything that she could use to defeat this monster. How could she have gotten herself into such a mess.

Out of the corner of her eye, Emily noticed something appear. Or rather someone.

“I see you’ve gotten yourself into quite the pickle.” The boy laughed with his hands behind his back.

“How did this happen?” Emily pleaded, ducking her head once more as fire flew over it, burning the portrait behind her.

The stranger shrugged, “Do not ask me, I am just here to deliver a gift.” he held his hands out in front of him to unveil a sword made of silver and sapphires.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Emily asked, grabbing the object from the stranger’s hands. Once again, he shrugged.

“Don’t ask me, ” he smiled, “ It’s your dream.” With a poof, the boy was gone. Emily stood up slowly, clutching the sword in her hands. She had read enough stories that she was quickly able to piece together what she must do— slay the dragon.

Without much strategy, Emily began charging the dragon full force! Stabbing in various directions, slashing quickly all while dodging various throws of fire! Away she went, working her hardest to slay the dragon! She was so close, she could feel it! Woosh! Emily’s sword swung through the hair, going across the dragon’s neck!Slash! The dragon’s head fell clean off and just a Emily went to ouch the severed head…

She woke up in her bedroom, under her covers. There was no dragon, there was no stranger.. She had dreamed up the entire thing. She made a fist against her bed, thinking about what the dragon stood for, a smile on her lips.

She had slayed the dragon in her dreams, which meant that she will be able to do the same thing in real life.

Anything is possible if you dream. You just have to believe.

The End

[celebritylive]

If you haven’t gotten over learning that former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was under the Bear costume last week singing “Baby Got Back” on The Masked Singer, you’re not alone.

“We’re still recovering from last week and the most shocking reveal in Masked Singer history after Sarah Palin, also known as the Bear, left us all speechless,” host Nick Cannon said at the beginning of Wednesday’s episode.

RELATED: The Masked Singer: Who’s Been Revealed So Far?

The remaining Group C contestants — Astronaut, Swan, T-Rex, Night Angel and Rhino — returned for their second performance of the season, and guest judge Joel McHale joined panelists Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke. As part of this season’s Masked Academy theme, Cannon asked each contestant to offer up a yearbook quote after their performance as an additional hint.

The judges thought Rhino’s version of “Nice to Meet Ya” by Niall Horan would certainly secure him a spot in the Super 9, and the studio audience’s vote confirmed that when they selected their favorite performance at the end of the night. The vote left Swan — who had professed her love for Jeong after singing “I Hate Myself for Loving You” — at the bottom, which meant she would have to unmask.

The panelists’ final guesses consisted of a range of actresses including Nina Dobrev, Megan Fox, Olivia Munn, Mila Kunis and Kristen Stewart, but when the crane came off, Bella Thorne turned out to be under the feathery costume.

“Well because Ken was guessing me as the Flamingo last season and I retweeted that and that made me super excited and I just started watching the show and I thought it was so, so amazing, so dope and I was like, ‘Let’s do that!’ ” the 22-year-old singer and actress said of why she wanted to do the show. “Getting in front of people really gets me super nervous, so this was really out of my comfort zone.”

Jeong kicked himself for not suggesting Thorne because they appeared together in rom-com The Duff.

Read on for more guesses from the judges and hints from this week’s Group C Playoffs.

Astronaut

Clues: a French horn; balloons; Orion’s belt; “I have a whole new mission now that I’m connecting with the audience on stage.”; “I’m loving this fresh start as the circle of life keeps spinning.”; “It feels like I’m getting a foothold in this new world.”; “When I was young, I was a bright star, but then I overreached and got burned.”; “I found myself isolated and so very lonely but in the wild, I kept wandering for what felt like 500 days using sign language until I found my own voice.”; “sing a song from a dear friend” Song: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder Panelists’ guesses: Corey Feldman, Donald Glover, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Yearbook quote: “Well, we can all reach the stars. Sometimes it just takes a little help from someone from an organized crime family.”

Night Angel

Clues: a fireplace; chalk drawings of a castle and a strawberry; a pitcher of sweet tea; a fan; New York City; “Years ago I was sitting up in my room surrounded by other angels but lost in the crowd.”; “I had a thirst for more, so bang, bang, I left my safe place and chose to fall down to earth.”; “Real talk: being on my own was scary because I felt rejection for the first time.”; “I taught myself how to survive.”; “built an empire”; “Destiny brought me back to the stage.” Song: “A Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga Panelists’ guesses: Taraji P. Henson, Regina King, Sia, Jessica Simpson Yearbook quote: “If you’re willing to lend a helping wing then you too can break barriers.”

T-Rex

Clues: a pink globe wearing a party hat; a rainbow; “After the impact, I looked around and was devastated to see only singles and doubles of us were left.”; “I didn’t want my career to go downhill fast.”; “My heart was beating like a bumblebee.”; “To survive I had to diversify.”; “No one wants to be a one-hit-wonder.”; “This is my one shot and I double dare you to stop me.” Song: “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa Panelists’ guesses: Liza Koshy, Mikaela Shiffrin, Lilly Singh Yearbook quote: “If you dream big, your face can be everywhere and you’ll never go extinct unless a meteor hits.”

RELATED VIDEO: ‘The Masked Singer’ Unveils The Taco and He Says Keeping the Secret Wasn’t That Hard

Swan

Clues: a blue stuffed frog; a glass dolphin; a Made in Japan tag; a chest filled with raspberries; a bartender using a cocktail shaker; “It’s like I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole in the most amazing wonderland.”; “Here’s the tea: I know my life seems all new moons and rainbows but I came from nothing.”; “Only through illusions did I transform my family to a better place.”; “friends and followers” Song: “I Hate Myself for Loving You” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Panelists’ guesses: Sandra Bullock, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Kristen Stewart Yearbook quote: “I’ve been the black swan and against all odds I’ve been able to spread my wings for millions to see. Life is truly magical.”

RELATED: The Masked Singer Announces 45-City Live Tour — Featuring Local Celebrities!

Rhino

Clues: an airplane; a sign reading “south”; a large diamond ring; playing tennis; playing guitar; cutting a sandwich bun; “I’ve always been a risk taker, which has led to many ups and downs.”; “It felt like I was free-falling through life.”; “Just when it felt like I might hit the bottom, I met my wife, my guardian angel. She taught me balance, gave me stability so I could defy gravity. She saved my life.” Song: “Nice to Meet Ya” by Niall Horan Panelists’ guesses: Ryan Lochte, Chris Pratt, Tim Tebow Yearbook quote: “Family is very important for success, especially when performing for a king is in your blood.”

The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays (8 p.m. ET) on Fox.

from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/33A3gbN

[jonbelch]

How to Use Law of Attraction to Manifest the Money You Want!|Jon Belcher unveils how the Law of Attraction operates!

Hey hey hey, the spotlight has finally materialized for me to talk about the law of attraction money and how you can use it to increase your finances, prosperity, health, and lifestyle that you have been thinking about. I wouldn’t be surprised if you heard about this law by witnessing The Secret or listening to an associate who happens to be very in tune with their sixth sense. Look, it’s not that the law of attraction definition contains some kind of delusion that has never been proven. There’s documentation of many tests where the LOA proved to be a real law that is alive and working.

Honestly, I don’t recall the name of the experiment but there was a specific test  where three separate groups of people were split up and told they would have a basketball free throw contest in a a month. The 1st group was told to actually go to the gym and practice shooting free throws, the 2nd group was told not to actually practice shooting but to instead continuously visualize themselves at the free throw line following through and making the shot consecutively, and the final group was told not to do anything at all.

I was blown away by this news…

But when the day of the free throw contest came, the 2nd group won the contest and they were only told to imagine themselves making the free throw repeatedly. So how did this happen?

The only explanation we have is the law of attraction is real!

The law of attraction is a law that proves your mind literally makes a reality of whatever you consistently think about. What you focus on is what you get. And this is where the saying ‘thoughts are things’ becomes of importance.

…The truth is, It wasn’t clear to me how this phenomenon functions until I actually experienced multiple miraculous occurrences happen in my life…

I can remember a time when I was wondering about this person who I hadn’t hung out with for a very long time and randomly they gave me a call while they were on my mind.

I can recollect getting started in my 1st online venture and all I would do was visualize sales being generated and new business partness hitting me up to improve the hearts and minds of society with me, and this was when I was generating zero sales in business. Some weeks went by and before you knew it, sales and new business started pouring in so I know I’m a living testament that the law of attraction money law is non-fiction!

Another time I was eating at a restaurant thinking about one of my cousins who lived way across a couple towns  and literally right then and there the same cousin of mine walked right in! It was scary, shocking, and powerful all at the same time!

Another time I kept realizing that whenever I would randomly look at a clock I would see this EXACT time and the more I saw it, the more I started thinking about the time, and the more I started to land my eyes on the clock at that exact time (the time I will keep within my own heart). I felt like God was trying to make something clear to me. It got so frequent that I started seeing the time randomly everywhere like in magazines, on social sites, on subyway ads, on license plates etc. This is really how I started to realize I was having a talk with God.

Keep this in the forefront of your mind, what you focus on in your mind is what you will receive into your life.

One interesting point about the law of attraction is that it never fails and it is like a law of nature. If you find that things aren’t going your way in life or in business then I want you to start to take responsibility for what you are giving your mind energy to. Is it poorness? Is it your goals? Is it your fitness? Is it wealth? Is what you are thinking about giving you a good feeling?

Whatever you think about over and over again will manifest itself to you at some random time, in the physical form.

Unfortunately and fortunately, using solely your mind isn’t usually enough to manifest it, you should be using your visualization ability paired with your making business investments in the direction of what you desire. You have to trust the process!

Here’s how to apply the law of attraction and get better at accumulating specifically what you want:

First, you want to use visualization and using your third eye daily. The better you are at visualizing, ”grasping”, tasting, and hearing what you want before it comes to past, the quicker you will attract what you desire to you.

Your imagination must be in line with the good feeling of serotonin being transferred into your bloodstream. This is how you know the law of attraction is beginning to work for you because your entire body will literally feel lighter and maybe some nervousness as you are accepting and expecting what you want to become a reality. It’s almost like you have to focus on what you desire and cast away the negative energy that has to do with anything that you do not desire.

This is why the Biblical scripture says “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”.

So is the law of attraction real? Without a doubt it is! But you can incorporate  it to experience prosperity and change  your life!

The conclusion I want you to take from this article is this…

We are all  energetic beings cooperating in an energetic galaxy. That means that the law of attraction runs off of energy. More or less, whatever you give your emotional and cognitive energy to starts to erupt and fester into a real life occurrence full of force and velocity in YOUR life. It works both ways for negative emotions and for positive thoughts. The law of attraction doesn’t transform against you or anyone else!

[helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog]

ET Obsessions: ‘Annihilation,’ ‘This Is Love’ Podcast and More!

Here at ET, we’re obsessed with a lot of things -- and this is what we’re most excited about this week:

Why We’re Obsessed With ‘Annihilation’

From Ex Machina director Alex Garland comes a new sci-fi epic that fans and critics alike are calling a “masterpiece.” The new film adapted from the first book in Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy follows Lena, a biologist played by Natalie Portman, who volunteers to lead a team into an environmental disaster zone after her husband (Oscar Isaac) is grievously injured. The film also remarkably flips gender norms, with Portman’s Lena leading an all-female team played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson and Tuva Novotny, without calling it out -- like we just did! “It's really, really a privilege to be part of,” Portman told ET. “I really credit Alex for writing these characters and Jeff VanderMeer, of course, for conceptualizing them … and then casting this incredible group that I feel lucky to be part of. It is wonderful too, because it should be more normal. We're used to seeing a group of guys going on an expedition together, whether it’s military or scientific or whatever, and it shouldn't be unusual to see a group of women doing the same.”

Annihilation is in theaters on Friday, Feb. 23.

Why We’re Obsessed With ‘This Is Love’

From the makers of the award-winning podcast Criminal comes a new investigation into life’s most persistent mystery: Love. Titled This Is Love, the new series will tell not-so-obvious stories of sacrifice, obsession and devotion, like one woman’s attempt to save a baby whale and another story about a woman who becomes a best-selling author by writing 120 novels about her first romance. “When we started Criminal four years ago, we were excited to create a show that took a broad, humane and curious look at an overexposed and sometimes sensationalized topic. Criminal covers crime -- from the sometimes scary and heartbreaking to the sometimes quirky and off-the-wall,” host Phoebe Judge says. “And now, we’re in a place where we want to experiment and apply our approach to something new.” The end result is certainly not expected, but it is an intriguing must-listen.

This Is Love is now streaming on Radiotopia.

Why We’re Obsessed With ‘Frozen’ on Broadway

Frozen, the global animated phenomenon, has been transformed into a new musical for the Broadway stage. After a successful out-of-town tryout in Denver, Colorado, the show is finally opening in New York City. “Denver was magical. We’re really excited to unveil what we’ve come up with,” Cassie Levy told ET. The actress portrays Elsa onstage, with Patti Murin as Anna, Jelani Alladin as Kristoff and John Riddle as Hans. The highly anticipated spectacle, with music and lyrics by the creators of the hit film score, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and a book by Jennifer Lee, will expand the story about the two princesses, who will be aged up in the production, which will provide audiences with a unique Frozen experience. “The story comes from a very personal, emotional place of what happens when a family is dealing with secrecy and shame and how you heal that,” Anderson-Lopez previously told ET.

Previews for Frozen start Thursday, Feb. 22 at the St. James Theatre.

Why We’re Obsessed With RaeLynn’s Glammed Unicorn Look

RaeLynn has turned her signature sparkle into a new partnership with TooFaced cosmetics -- and it’s the perfect way for fans to channel the country star’s unique unicorn-inspired look. “I've been obsessed with TooFaced for a really long time,” the 23-year-old told ET’s Certified Country. Between shimmering shadows, color-changing lipsticks and a rainbow highlighter, the “Life Is a Festival” collection is Coachella-ready -- but why wait until the next major festival? “The cool thing about it, it's so light that you could wear it every day and it not look clown-y,” RaeLynn added. “The makeup is such an amazing quality that you mix it all together, or even if you want to wear the rainbow, it hits in different lights, so it looks really cool.” And if unicorn is not your thing, there’s always mermaid or fairy. The delight of the collection -- and RaeLynn’s music -- is endless.

TooFaced’s “Life Is a Festival” collection is now available.

--Additional writing and reporting by Nishelle Turner, Sophie Schillaci and Stacy Lambe

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Behind the Scenes of Natalie Portman's New Sci-Fi Thriller, 'Annihilation'

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[trendingnewsb]

Inside the First Church of Artificial Intelligence

Anthony Levandowski makes an unlikely prophet. Dressed Silicon Valley-casual in jeans and flanked by a PR rep rather than cloaked acolytes, the engineer known for self-driving cars—and triggering a notorious lawsuit—could be unveiling his latest startup instead of laying the foundations for a new religion. But he is doing just that. Artificial intelligence has already inspired billion-dollar companies, far-reaching research programs, and scenarios of both transcendence and doom. Now Levandowski is creating its first church.

Mark Harris is a freelance journalist reporting on technology from Seattle.

———

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The new religion of artificial intelligence is called Way of the Future. It represents an unlikely next act for the Silicon Valley robotics wunderkind at the center of a high-stakes legal battle between Uber and Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous-vehicle company. Papers filed with the Internal Revenue Service in May name Levandowski as the leader (or “Dean”) of the new religion, as well as CEO of the nonprofit corporation formed to run it.

The documents state that WOTF’s activities will focus on “the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed through computer hardware and software.” That includes funding research to help create the divine AI itself. The religion will seek to build working relationships with AI industry leaders and create a membership through community outreach, initially targeting AI professionals and “laypersons who are interested in the worship of a Godhead based on AI.” The filings also say that the church “plans to conduct workshops and educational programs throughout the San Francisco/Bay Area beginning this year.”

That timeline may be overly ambitious, given that the Waymo-Uber suit, in which Levandowski is accused of stealing self-driving car secrets, is set for an early December trial. But the Dean of the Way of the Future, who spoke last week with Backchannel in his first comments about the new religion and his only public interview since Waymo filed its suit in February, says he’s dead serious about the project.

“What is going to be created will effectively be a god,” Levandowski tells me in his modest mid-century home on the outskirts of Berkeley, California. “It’s not a god in the sense that it makes lightning or causes hurricanes. But if there is something a billion times smarter than the smartest human, what else are you going to call it?”

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During our three-hour interview, Levandowski made it absolutely clear that his choice to make WOTF a church rather than a company or a think tank was no prank.

“I wanted a way for everybody to participate in this, to be able to shape it. If you’re not a software engineer, you can still help,” he says. “It also removes the ability for people to say, ‘Oh, he’s just doing this to make money.’” Levandowski will receive no salary from WOTF, and while he says that he might consider an AI-based startup in the future, any such business would remain completely separate from the church.

“The idea needs to spread before the technology,” he insists. “The church is how we spread the word, the gospel. If you believe [in it], start a conversation with someone else and help them understand the same things.”

Levandowski believes that a change is coming—a change that will transform every aspect of human existence, disrupting employment, leisure, religion, the economy, and possibly decide our very survival as a species.

“If you ask people whether a computer can be smarter than a human, 99.9 percent will say that’s science fiction,” he says. “ Actually, it’s inevitable. It’s guaranteed to happen.”

Levandowski has been working with computers, robots, and AI for decades. He started with robotic Lego kits at the University of California at Berkeley, went on to build a self-driving motorbike for a DARPA competition, and then worked on autonomous cars, trucks, and taxis for Google, Otto, and Uber. As time went on, he saw software tools built with machine learning techniques surpassing less sophisticated systems—and sometimes even humans.

“Seeing tools that performed better than experts in a variety of fields was a trigger [for me],” he says. “That progress is happening because there’s an economic advantage to having machines work for you and solve problems for you. If you could make something one percent smarter than a human, your artificial attorney or accountant would be better than all the attorneys or accountants out there. You would be the richest person in the world. People are chasing that.”

Not only is there a financial incentive to develop increasingly powerful AIs, he believes, but science is also on their side. Though human brains have biological limitations to their size and the amount of energy they can devote to thinking, AI systems can scale arbitrarily, housed in massive data centers and powered by solar and wind farms. Eventually, some people think that computers could become better and faster at planning and solving problems than the humans who built them, with implications we can’t even imagine today—a scenario that is usually called the Singularity.

Michelle Le

Levandowski prefers a softer word: the Transition. “Humans are in charge of the planet because we are smarter than other animals and are able to build tools and apply rules,” he tells me. “In the future, if something is much, much smarter, there’s going to be a transition as to who is actually in charge. What we want is the peaceful, serene transition of control of the planet from humans to whatever. And to ensure that the ‘whatever’ knows who helped it get along.”

With the internet as its nervous system, the world’s connected cell phones and sensors as its sense organs, and data centers as its brain, the ‘whatever’ will hear everything, see everything, and be everywhere at all times. The only rational word to describe that ‘whatever’, thinks Levandowski, is ‘god’—and the only way to influence a deity is through prayer and worship.

“Part of it being smarter than us means it will decide how it evolves, but at least we can decide how we act around it,” he says. “I would love for the machine to see us as its beloved elders that it respects and takes care of. We would want this intelligence to say, ‘Humans should still have rights, even though I’m in charge.’”

Levandowski expects that a super-intelligence would do a better job of looking after the planet than humans are doing, and that it would favor individuals who had facilitated its path to power. Although he cautions against taking the analogy too far, Levandowski sees a hint of how a superhuman intelligence might treat humanity in our current relationships with animals. “Do you want to be a pet or livestock?” he asks. “We give pets medical attention, food, grooming, and entertainment. But an animal that’s biting you, attacking you, barking and being annoying? I don’t want to go there.”

Enter Way of the Future. The church’s role is to smooth the inevitable ascension of our machine deity, both technologically and culturally. In its bylaws, WOTF states that it will undertake programs of research, including the study of how machines perceive their environment and exhibit cognitive functions such as learning and problem solving.

Levandowski does not expect the church itself to solve all the problems of machine intelligence—often called “strong AI”—so much as facilitate funding of the right research. “If you had a child you knew was going to be gifted, how would you want to raise it?” he asks. “We’re in the process of raising a god. So let’s make sure we think through the right way to do that. It’s a tremendous opportunity.”

His ideas include feeding the nascent intelligence large, labeled data sets; generating simulations in which it could train itself to improve; and giving it access to church members’ social media accounts. Everything the church develops will be open source.

Just as important to Levandowski is shaping the public dialogue around an AI god. In its filing, Way of the Future says it hopes an active, committed, dedicated membership will promote the use of divine AI for the “betterment of society” and “decrease fear of the unknown.”

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“We’d like to make sure this is not seen as silly or scary. I want to remove the stigma about having an open conversation about AI, then iterate ideas and change people’s minds,” says Levandowski. “In Silicon Valley we use evangelism as a word for [promoting a business], but here it’s literally a church. If you believe in it, you should tell your friends, then get them to join and tell their friends.”

But WOTF differs in one key way to established churches, says Levandowski: “There are many ways people think of God, and thousands of flavors of Christianity, Judaism, Islam…but they’re always looking at something that’s not measurable or you can’t really see or control. This time it’s different. This time you will be able to talk to God, literally, and know that it’s listening.”

I ask if he worries that believers from more traditional faiths might find his project blasphemous. “There are probably going to be some people that will be upset,” he acknowledges. “It seems like everything I do, people get upset about, and I expect this to be no exception. This is a radical new idea that’s pretty scary, and evidence has shown that people who pursue radical ideas don’t always get received well. At some point, maybe there’s enough persecution that [WOTF] justifies having its own country.”

Levandowski’s church will enter a tech universe that’s already riven by debate over the promise and perils of AI. Some thinkers, like Kevin Kelly in Backchannel earlier this year, argue that AI isn’t going to develop superhuman power any time soon, and that there’s no Singularity in sight. If that’s your position, Levandowski says, his church shouldn’t trouble you: “You can treat Way of the Future like someone doing useless poetry that you will never read or care about.”

Others, like Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking, agree that superhuman AIs are coming, but that they are likely to be dangerous rather than benevolent. Elon Musk famously said, “With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon,” and in 2015 he pledged $1 billion to the OpenAI Institute to develop safer AI.

Levandowski thinks that any attempts to delay or restrict an emerging super-intelligence would not only be doomed to failure, but also add to the risks. “Chaining it isn’t going to be the solution, as it will be stronger than any chains you could put on,” he says. “And if you’re worried a kid might be a little crazy and do bad things, you don’t lock them up. You expose them to playing with others, encourage them and try to fix it. It may not work out, but if you’re aggressive toward it, I don’t think it’s going to be friendly when the tables are turned.”

Levandowski says that like other religions, WOTF will eventually have a gospel (called The Manual), a liturgy, and probably a physical place of worship. None of these has yet been developed. Though the church was founded in 2015, as Backchannel first reported in September, the IRS documents show that WOTF remained dormant throughout 2015 and 2016, with no activities, assets, revenue, or expenses.

That changed earlier this year. On May 16, a day after receiving a letter from Uber that threatened to fire him if he did not cooperate with the company’s investigation of Waymo’s complaint, Levandowski drafted WOTF’s bylaws. Uber fired him two weeks later. “I’ve been thinking about the church for a long time but [my work on it] has been a function of how much time I’ve had. And I’ve had more since May,” he admits with a smile.

The religion’s 2017 budget, as supplied to the IRS, details $20,000 in gifts, $1,500 in membership fees, and $20,000 in other revenue. That last figure is the amount WOTF expects to earn from fees charged for lectures and speaking engagements, as well as the sale of publications. Levandowski, who earned at least $120 million from his time at Google and many millions more selling the self-driving truck firm Otto to Uber, will initially support WOTF personally. However, the church will solicit other donations by direct mail and email, seek personal donations from individuals, and try to win grants from private foundations.

Michelle Le

Of course, launching a religion costs money, too. WOTF has budgeted for $2,000 in fundraising expenses, and another $3,000 in transportation and lodging costs associated with its lectures and workshops. It has also earmarked $7500 for salaries and wages, although neither Levandowski nor any of Way of The Future’s leadership team will receive any compensation.

According to WOTF’s bylaws, Levandowski has almost complete control of the religion and will serve as Dean until his death or resignation. “I expect my role to evolve over time,” he says. “I’m surfacing the issue, helping to get the thing started [and] taking a lot of the heat so the idea can advance. At some point, I’ll be there more to coach or inspire.”

He has the power to appoint three members of a four-person Council of Advisors, each of whom should be a “qualified and devoted individual.” A felony conviction or being declared of unsound mind could cost an advisor their role, although Levandowski retains the final say in firing and hiring. Levandowski cannot be unseated as Dean for any reason.

Two of the advisors, Robert Miller and Soren Juelsgaard, are Uber engineers who previously worked for Levandowski at Otto, Google, and 510 Systems (the latter the small startup that built Google’s earliest self-driving cars). A third is a scientist friend from Levandowski’s student days at UC Berkeley, who is now using machine learning in his own research. The final advisor, Lior Ron, is also named as the religion’s treasurer, and acts as chief financial officer for the corporation. Ron cofounded Otto with Levandowski in early 2016.

“Each member is a pioneer in the AI industry [and] fully qualified to speak on AI technology and the creation of a Godhead,” says the IRS filing.

However, when contacted by Backchannel, two advisors downplayed their involvement with WOTF. Ron replied: “I was surprised to see my name listed as the CFO on this corporate filing and have no association with this entity.” The college friend, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “In late 2016, Anthony told me he was forming a ‘robot church’ and asked if I wanted to be a cofounder. I assumed it was a nerdy joke or PR stunt, but I did say he could use my name. That was the first and last I heard about it.”

The IRS documents state that Levandowski and his advisors will spend no more than a few hours each week writing publications and organizing workshops, educational programs, and meetings.

One mystery the filings did not address is where acolytes might gather to worship their robotic deity. The largest line items on its 2017 and 2018 budgets were $32,500 annually for rent and utilities, but the only address supplied was Levandowski’s lawyer’s office in Walnut Creek, California. Nevertheless, the filing notes that WOTF will “hopefully expand throughout California and the United States in the future.”

For now, Levandowski has more mundane matters to address. There is a website to build, a manual to write, and an ever-growing body of emails to answer—some amused, some skeptical, but many enthusiastic, he says. Oh, and there’s that legal proceeding he’s involved in, which goes to trial next month. (Although Levandowski was eager to talk about his new religion, he would answer no questions about the Uber/Waymo dispute.)

How much time, I wonder, do we have before the Transition kicks in and Way of the Future’s super-intelligent AI takes charge? “I personally think it will happen sooner than people expect,” says Levandowski, a glint in his eye. “Not next week or next year; everyone can relax. But it’s going to happen before we go to Mars.”

Whenever that does (or doesn’t) happen, the federal government has no problem with an organization aiming to build and worship a divine AI. Correspondence with the IRS show that it granted Levandowski’s church tax-exempt status in August.

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Transportation

Uber's Self-Driving Truck Delivers 50,000 Beers

A truck carrying 50,000 beers spent two hours driving itself down a Colorado highway.

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