#it’s proof that it’s my primary repetitive thought

[ironstakes]

I haven't seen everyone's episodes yet, but here's a (big) compilation of my current thoughts and observations and theories. Spoilers!

Assume this is talking about characters unless stated otherwise.

Keralis is messy. I love this a lot. What I don’t love is that he was stranded on the ground when the moon hit. RIP my bug eyed inspiration. On the topic of the every man for themselves… well, it lines up with the whole hermit motif and how previous season hops have gone (sort of), but it also has a lot of really cool server culture implications I won’t go on about. What I will highlight is the Mumbo-blaming at the doomsday meeting.

In fanon (?) there’s an idea of the admin having some powers and responsibilities tied to the server. In Hermitcraft we know that several hermits have op, or have had the ability to. We also know from earlier in the season that in real life human Tango can restart the server, but for in game/story context this implies that the hermits share or trade the admin abilities and responsibilities, or parts of them. Maybe Mumbo, who introduced the season, called the server wide doomsday meeting, and was referred to as the CEO of the server by two hermits was in charge of handling most of the admin stuff this season? He also, if I’m not mistaken, made the most attempts at fixing the moon issue (even if they were ineffective).

But why not Xisuma, who is usually the primary admin guy? Well, besides the Evil X stuff, Xisuma might have needed the break. He started the animal armor thing back in season 6 with the turtles, and it’s only increased in frequency. Players are supposed to influence their server, not the other way around. It’s entirely possible hes become too saturated with server stuff, to the point that a simple touch from an axolotl made his physical form reconfigure. That makes Xisuma not very stable power-wise and also possibly explain why Evil X was able to control him now when he hadn’t done something similar to Xisuma before (as far as I know).

Bdubs is the moon man. Maybe as the night repellant he has some special moon repellant powers too? Why else would he be so okay with the moon dropping on his head? His response could also be an extreme “Everything’s fine!” thing. He did go on and on for his entire episode about all the positives, to the point that it felt repetitive. I think he was trying to convince himself honestly. Especially as he talks about everything in relation to Big Eye Crew and slowly shifts the narration to everything in relation to him as he admits that Tango and Keralis are probably not coming back. He also is the time king or something, so Bdubs has more than a few avenues of explanation.

Time. Ok time is related to gravity, as you know vaguely if you’ve heard about Einstein’s twins but one stays on earth and one travels at the speed of light thing. Apparently, Minecraft portals are also linked to gravity. When the moon is just about to crash into the island, we see in the animation that a nether portal winks out with no physical reason visible (as in I didn’t see any portal blocks fly off and break the portal frame). This would trap Xisuma in the nether and explain why the end gateway closed behind Cleo- the gravity of the moon caused the portals to destabilize and shut, and with nobody left in the overworld to reactivate them, the two are stuck for the foreseeable future.

Stuck, at least in the Hermitcraft Season 8 server terms. Xisuma says his life continues in a modded server, and all five Boatem people explicitly state that they are between worlds while they wait. In combination with the Third/Last Life head cannons and people interpreting the game mechanics as players being able to move between worlds, well, this is (more) lore proof it’s a thing. But if they can just swap servers then why the panic? That’ll be a separate post because I still need to talk about Doc and Ren! And a Joe of the Hills variety.

Firstly, the Hermatrix project was great from start to finish. Big hats off to Doc and Ren and everyone that made that project possible. As for the finale- I mean. Matrix is in the name. And it could be actually a server wide explanation across everyone’s stories? Evil Xisuma says that he’d been betrayed or tricked or something, I don’t remember, but I think everyone assumes he was working with Jeff the minion in some capacity. But was it Jeff, or was Jeff an avatar of the hacker that destabilized the simulation? I only bring this up because Grian makes reference to the flickering of his body in and out of reality as similar to a glitch in a simulation and another hermit, Joe I think, also make a comment about simulations. This hacker has piqued my intrigue. Also, if season 8 was a simulation, why include Evil X? Or was he just generated by the simulation (but then why the I was tricked cutscene)? Or was he not supposed to be there and the hacker let him in? It’s interesting any way you play the cards because if season 8 is a simulation, Evil X is still physically banished and never actually returned.

What is something I noticed was that the moon rock made them target people and there was a bit of chanting involved of the target’s names. And I mean their full igns. ImpulseSV. Cubfan135. But wait, here’s what I noticed: they didn’t say joehillssays, they said “his name is Joe Hills.” Hmmm the first thing that popped into my mind was that the moon rock is representative of a greater power than the hermits (the simulation computer?) here and it misidentified/didn’t fully identify Joe. Joe is undefined always it seems, and that’s the Joe Hills difference. Plus Cleo says something to the effect of “It’s Joe, you [Joe] always turn up.” Herobrine exists in the Hermitcraft continuity (season six: hippie time travel, DocM’s finale) so Herobrine = Joe anyone? Also wanted to add the Joe says the most disturbing thing was when he floated out of bed, which makes sense when you consider the importance of beds in Minecraft.

Lastly Cubfan. Despite his panic in the previous episode he fortified himself and began his finale with a last stand type of thing, of talking about his work, the canyon, and how it didn’t yield. Yet as the moon grew closer and closer entire chunks of the canyon were just shredded and Cub had to flee. Firstly yikes Cub :c Secondly I think this sums up a lot about a server culture examination that would explain their behaviors and priorities as doomsday hit them. Cub is one of the few hermits I watch regularly and that episode was the one I watched first, so of course it hit the hardest.

xB was midsentance in his not bunker when the moon hit. He and Keralis and Bdubs could have an intresting post-doosday sequence later.

I'm still processing a lot and I need to rewatch False's episode bc I fell asleep in the middle of it but man. What a finale. My favorite thing is that each person had their own storylines and explanations going even though there was a single event, and that some people didn't even really do much with it, like TFC and Zed. I miss Stress since I really enjoy examining her episodes and hope she's in the next season.

[mybg3notebook]

Gale Summarised Analysis

Disclaimer Game Version: All these analyses were written up to the game version v4.1.104.3536 (Early access). As long as new content is added, and as long as I have free time for that, I will try to keep updating this information. Written in May 2021.

The majority of sources used for this article are in the game itself (this includes my Gale-solo playthroughs as well as a combination of the videos by munmomuu and selphie1999), and the few dev’s notes provided by pjenn. Gale as origin is not taken into account since it’s not finished and has little to none Gale-related content. There will be little datamining content as well since pjenn said the game contained almost no gale-related notes (only in the Weave and in the Revelation scene).

Additional disclaimers about meta-knowledge and interpretations in (post)

The number between brackets [] represents the topic-block related to (this post), which gathers as much evidence as I could get.

We can infer about Gale by analysing what he approves and disapproves of. Sometimes, we can even lightly infer some information from his neutral reactions, but let’s be honest: this way of analysing a char is pretty poor since it leaves everything to speculation. Neutral reactions can only be analysed, in very rare instances, by contrasting the same situation in other contexts, and seeing what other options Gale approves or disapproves of. With these considerations in mind, we can proceed to describe this character.

Disclaimer: this is a meta with my personal interpretation of the character, sticking as much as possible to the facts and leaving little to “desires” or “projections” of what I want him to be. If I do so, I will state it explicitly in the text for the sake of analysis honesty. I want to be clear about what is canon (facts shown in bg3 EA), from what’s personal interpretation with little proof.

Understanding Gale (integrated text)

We are none of us monsters. We are merely hatcheries for monstrous things. So we fight them

---Gale 

Collecting most of the information provided in-game, we know he has a cat, a Library, and writes poetry sometimes. One of the first things that Gale will reveal is that he is a private person. He easily and clearly sets boundaries from the first moment, showing Tav where they stand. The second aspect he makes us aware of is his pragmatic thinking and his preference for diplomatic approaches. A third aspect that stands out on its own: he is a very verbose person, maybe as a result of his academia background in combination with his poetry hobby. He also has a bad posture when talking, but I’m not sure if this is intentional or a bug.

We can assure that Gale certainly is a man of the city [13], and may have a decent social status. It's impossible to say for sure if it's noble or rich or both, or it is just a natural consequence of being a wizard scholar: he is frustrated by the harshness of the camping life, he misses the civilisation of the city which offers well cooked meals, soft beds, and scented baths. Not by chance he is the only companion in the group who would approve of giving Oskar 200 gold to fight “the discomforts of the road” [13]. However, he adapts. Despite the lack of luxuries, he managed to survive in the wilderness.

Gale and his link with magic is unquestionable. Magic is life for Gale, metaphorically and literally speaking since it's magic what allows him to stay alive despite the "orb" in his chest. If we talk about Magic, we have to talk about Mystra and the Weave. The Weave is not only the embodiment of Mystra, it's an extension of Mystra herself. It extends across many planes of existence and is in almost all parts of Faerûn. By dragging power from it, Magic can be performed. 

Mystra, for lore reasons and conjectures that I will discuss in the post "Mystra and her Chosen ones", turned teenager/young adult Gale into one of her Chosen, making their relationship more intimate and granting Gale a deeper access to the Weave. This put Gale into the category of an archwizard. It's clear that Gale was and still is a devotee of Mystra, which could give us a hint of his alignment since she is a neutral good goddess and she expects for her Chosen to align around it.

Gale likes confidence, in others and in himself. He is confident in his looks (he has described himself as a “handsome devil” and answered during the romance/Revelation scene that he knew he was beautiful under the light as well as Tav). But beyond these two lines, qualifying him as a narcissist seems extreme. He is surely very confident about his knowledge, and we see he is not just mere words: his Mind Flayer knowledge is at the the same level of what githyankis know. If we compare how Astarion/Tav struggled with the book of Thay, and then we see how Gale manages it (sadly the scene is not complete yet in EA, and there is almost no datamining info of Gale), we can conclude once more that his knowledge and power of the mind are real (he is, so far, the main companion who allows us to explore the lore of the game in a deeper way during his conversations). We also know it's a bit more complicated to intrude into his mind using the tadpole because he has knowledge and mental tools to protect himself (check the post about the Tadpole inside Gale). He is certainly a very verbose and confident scholar, who knows his limits, and in occasions he seems to dabble into an ego-teasing play as an attempt of levity, displaying his “insufferable side”, as he has described himself (his self-awareness of these traits is remarkable, and it is the reason why I avoid qualifying him as arrogant. Arrogant chars are hardly self-aware of their own bad manners or insufferable traits). But we can see it's usually done as a joke or, with an evil Tav, as an aggressive reaction. For a deep analysis of this aspect, check the post about "Gale Hypotheses- Part 2", section: "Narcissism". 

Based on his approvals and disapprovals, we can see that Gale has a strong preference in avoiding fights, violence, and bloodshed [1]. He will always prefer diplomatic and persuasive approaches [2]. Reasoning is his best weapon, but if the individual we are dealing with can hardly be persuaded, he would approve of a deception or an intimidation as long blood is not spilt. Here is where we see his pragmatism in action, all the time. His primary goal at every moment is to avoid bloodshed. His philosophy could be summed up in the line “the means [as long as they don’t kill gratuitously] hardly matter if the end is worthy”. And for Gale, nothing is more worthy than life [3]. This doesn't cover only the life of innocents he cares about, it includes the life of the most dubious characters as well, such as Rugan or Crusher. Gratuitous death is meaningless for him. During the scene of Nettie we can have a glimpse of his philosophy towards life: he viscerally hates treating life as if it were nothing: 

Gale: How dare she snuff out life with as much thought as snuffing out a bloody candle? […] It's not right to feel the cold breath of death in your neck, then move on as if it was nothing but a soothing breeze. One respects life by fighting for it, and one respects death by fearing it.

Gale: One should never be afraid to live life to the fullest.

Probably the limited amount of life he has due to the "orb" increased his sense of respect for life and its celebration. I personally understand Gale as a character who embodies the perspectives of a seriously ill person, knowing that their life may be short, but they will try to make the best out of it. 

He doesn't only respect life per se, he also cares about its dignity. This can be seen in his explicit rejection to undead existences such as Connor (he explains that it would be merciful to put an end to his undead nightmare), or in his disapprovals of humiliation and torture [9]

 We could suspect that this emphasis in protecting any life comes from the fact that only people who are alive can (sometimes) be forgiven or/and change. This is not explicit, but since he is a character who talks about being better and wiser than his previous self, about acknowledging mistakes, about forgiveness, this interpretation seems reasonable. 

These concepts of kindness and compassion combined with “the mistakes of the youth” are repetitive in his interactions and approvals [5,12]. Of course, they echo in his soul since they are reflections and desires of his own experience. This pattern covers forgiving children in particular [5], and disapproving hard judgements [16], especially on matters whose story is not fully understood by Tav. This means he doesn't like quick judgements when he doesn't know the whole story first. This scenario can be easily seen during Karlach's quest, he reserves his judgment until knowing Karlach's side: There are always two sides to each story.

Gale: I have to say I don't know if agreeing to this hunt was such a wise idea. Who's to say who's the real villain in this tale of devils and masquerades? [...]When we track Karlach down, let's chat before we chop.

Similar concept appears during his Revelation scene, when he encourages and keeps asking Tav to listen to him first before judging. This is also the reason why in his Loss scene he would disapprove if Tav quickly assumes that his loss of Mystra was due to arrogance. Tav judged him without knowing the whole story. However, once Tav knows the whole story, Gale will accept any judgement from them without approval penalties during the Revelation scene.

He approves all actions that imply helping others in hard times and disapproves of them if they were done out of greed [4]. He is an animal lover [6,7]. Being kind to animals and treating them good will increase his approval, while animal cruelty will earn his disapproval. Same goes for humanoids: any display of gratuitous violence that could have been prevented with a trick or a diplomatic approach, any humiliation forced upon others, any torture or situation of slavery, is disapproved [8, 9, 11]. 

In particular, Gale seems to advocate the philosophy of “give others their own medicine”[18] or in other words: poetic justice. We can see this during the Myconid colony; he approves of helping the Myconid to avenge the young killed by the Duergar, adding the comment: “Wicked killers deserve wicked ends”. He is implying to give them a similar, wicked medicine to the Duergars. Another less deadly situation of this kind is shown during the foot situation with Crusher: Gale is the one suggesting “pungent poetic justice” and telling Tav that they should force Crusher to kiss their feet. 

The most iconic scene, however, is during Nettie's, if Tav lies during her interrogation. As a hot-headed reaction, Gale states that he would have poisoned Nettie if this situation would have happened to him. Although, after calming down, he approves of and confirms Tav's actions [if Tav managed to persuade Nettie to give them the antidote]

Gale: A taste of her own medicine is what she deserves! […] But you handled it, and you handled it well. 

 In this scene we also see a pattern: Gale is shown as a fallible human; his most visceral reaction during the first moment is anger and indignation, giving us a hint that he is not so rational when it comes to emotional states. An extremely obvious, human concept. 

The scene of Nettie trying to kill a potential menace (the victim of a MF) reverberated in his consciousness, projecting immediately a fact in his mind: if he ever dares to reveal his "orb" problem, and anyone knows what a danger he represents—no matter how stable it looks—people will want to remove the menace by killing him. 

This is the reason behind his words “It's just that, had it been me... had it been...” Gale knows that this simplistic and common thinking in removing what's dangerous would end up turning into a more destructive tragedy in his case than in any infected victim of the tadpoles. So this combination makes us see, for the first time, an emotional Gale. After some seconds, he cools down and returns to his more rational, diplomatic, and moderate self. What we can read here is that Gale would be very prone to rush decisions or to make mistakes under emotional circumstances. We will learn later that the other mistake he made under emotional stress ended up with the "orb" stuck in his chest. A third mistake was done during the party, once more under the emotional stress of a potential abandonment by Tav due to the true nature of the orb. 

Everything related to the “orb”—which is his most traumatic experience—naturally makes him more emotional and prone to mistakes. To see how truly traumatic the "orb" is in his life we can notice the following patterns during the meeting scene: he speaks about the tadpole in a relaxed, rational way, despite the traumatising experience. He first asks for an archwizard instead of for a cleric, because his priority is the orb. Gale's main fear is not the tadpole, but the orb. If we remember his words after the consumption of the artefacts, we realise he lives in a permanent state of anxiety and raw fear, and probably pain too, given his facial gesticulation when anything interacts with the "orb" (whether artefacts or Tav's hand). His banter with Shadowheart reinforces the concept that he always has a knot in the stomach. When he accepts the deal with Raphael, it seems to be related to the orb, not to the tadpole. The effect of the "orb" has ceased, but the tadpole is still in Gale's head since we still need to roll against a high DC and not only against a 1DC during this scene, so we can assume he still has the tadpole despite Raphael's deal. See the post about "The Tadpole" in Gale for more details.

Gale is a character that represents human experiences deeply related to growing up: mistakes done in the past, and the acceptance of not being forgiven despite the desire of wanting to. This can be easily seen during the conversation of the second tadpole dream, where Gale's mood is foul and we learn that his deepest desire is for Mystra to forgive him, but he also knows it's impossible for that to happen. He detects the lie in this dream because he has accepted that Mystra will never forgive him. Gale is the story of mistakes done during youth with grave consequences, of acknowledging them and trying to make them right, of surviving those mistakes, and depending on the interpretation, he is also the story of an ill dying man, with a gentle vision and deep care for life. 

The great majority of his approvals are based on actions that show kindness and compassion, both reiterative concepts that are so important in his character that they come from his lips when we see the goblin party: 

Gale: The shadow within is spreading like poison, corrupting kindness and compassion. [Only after a tough DC of 15]

In combination with: Gale: I don't know myself anymore. All this... It's not who I am. Around you, I'm not who I want to be. I should leave. 

These lines show how, in a sudden change to an evil path, Gale would start doubting his own morality, explaining that the cause of it is the "orb" itself, corrupting the most core aspects of his personality. This corruption may or may not be lore-related. It's not completely clear what Gale's "orb" truly is. For more details, check the post of the "Orb".

 His constant critical thinking comes from his advocacy to non-conventionality [15]: a true scholar will always explore all the options and hypotheses before reaching a conclusion. Therefore, Gale would approve of any non-conventional way to fix a problem [15] as long as it doesn't potentially cause harm or bloodshed [1,2,3,8,9]. Due to his own background, Gale will always advise to be very careful of the consequences of one’s actions. This can be easily seen when, after encountering the caged goblin Sazza, Gale would advocate to explore the possibility of reaching Gut Priestess to cure the tadpole. However, when Tav helps Sazza to escape, Gale will comment briefly against this action.

Gale: I know I said it's not inconceivable a goblin priestess could help us. And yet... was it really wise to set another goblin free so she can arrange introductions? […] consider the consequences. What if she leads her entire tribe to the grove? Tav: I don't care, I owe this grove no allegiance. Gale: No allegiance, no. Though we don't need to sign its death warrant

Once more we see that Gale is up to using any (unharming) means to get a goal, but not at any cost. He has a clear line he doesn't like to cross: life [3]. Avoiding putting other people's lives in danger is very important for him. We see this concept over and over in most scenes.

He doesn't likerushed decisions, and in that same train of thoughts, he will disapprove any use of unknown magic or tricks when nobody in the group can truly understand how they work [17], for example the tadpoles or Raphael's deal (he is against accepting it quickly, but he will approve of having a more cautious attitude and carefully thinking about it). 

Since the moment we meet him, we can infer he is obsessed with the artefacts. It's obviously understandable: he doesn't want to die, but also, he doesn't want to kill all those that will be caught in the eruption of the orb. For this reason he will insist on the loot in the Temple Ruins despite knowing that grave robbery is not correct. 

Gale: Bad form, isn't it? Grave robbing? […] Let's have a look at the loot. It isn't for your pockets only. 

He keeps pondering life over death: although he respects the dead, he will always value more the living creatures in the present. This is also what pushes Gale to suggest Tav to open Rugan's chest. Stealing from the evil Zhentarins is not something that will weigh on his consciousness too much. Besides, he knows it belongs to a wizard: meaning that the chance for it to contain a powerful artefact is really high. Similar suggestions will be said about the Idol of Silvanus, but talking with him in the camp will show us that he won't approve of taking it, only as a last resort. He keeps pondering the living over a sacred piece of stone, since he knows the druids won't take the stealing very peacefully. Once more we see Gale's respect and care for life, trying to minimise damage as much as the circumstances allow him.

Gale is also a survivalist. He doesn't want to die, he loves celebrating life in its more mundane and small details. He is an emotional character for a wizard, a bit strange since they are usually portrayed as more rational and cold, losing their lives among dusty books. However, Gale has shown in many scenes that he prefers to survive without killing, but if he has to, he will do it, dealing with the weight of it in his consciousness because killing unprovoked affects him (scene in the camp after killing the druids, or the goblin party scene). 

His moral in preventing gratuitous death sometimes will conflict with his own survival, especially if he is by an evil Tav's side. He couldn't accept bloodshed when other peaceful options were available and possible to reach. This is clearly shown during the goblin party, where Gale's consciousness suffers and feels the corruption of the "orb" killing the kindness and the compassion inside him. He accepts that wanting to live is a powerful drive, but he doesn't support this massacre, questioning if all that blood was necessary. A Tav killing the tieflings seems to lose the possibility of pursuing Gale romantically, at least in EA so far. For Gale, survival is important, but the means to do it (when they can cause death) matter too. Life is worth preserving.

 The usual archetype of survivalist tends to be an individualist one who would survive at any cost without remorse because that's the “law of the jungle”, the strongest must survive. However, Gale seems to embody a different concept of survivalist that it's hard to put in words: a sort of communal survivalist, trying to survive in coexistence with his community: he wants his survival to imprint the least harm possible (even though sometimes it would not be possible), trying to help those around him as long as his condition allows it; for example, despite wanting Gut's potential cure for the tadpole, he would disagree in helping Sazza escape because she will lead the goblins to the Grove, no matter the fact that doing this will grant them their introduction to the priestess. 

His list of approval shows that his sense of survival is always pondered with the consequences that it can cause on others (check the post with the "Extensive list of Gale's approvals"). The whole concept of the "orb" has this motivation as well: he wants to live and survive, but he also can't give up because his body would kill many, so he needs to do as much as his moral allows him to keep it in check. If he cannot do it any longer, he promises to minimise the disaster as much as possible by erupting in the deep Underdark or in a desolated corner of Faerûn (and considering his ridiculous list of approvals and disapprovals, we know he is honest in not wanting to kill gratuitously). Gale acknowledges his own mistakes, trying—to the best of his ability—to deal with them without catching others in them. Although all his speeches keep emphasising that he is a mere human, and plans may fail. 

At some point, if he wants to survive “not at any cost”, he will be forced to ask Tav for help during the scene of the stew (available only for medium approval or higher). As a gesture of honesty, Gale will set a boundary before making this request, acknowledging its unfairness but giving Tav the decision to proceed or not. He is not denying to explain the details later, but at the moment he can't speak the “why” of his condition no matter how curious Tav is. Tav will decide whether they can keep their curiosity on the matter. 

We will understand later that this impediment comes as a precaution as well as consequence of his personal trauma with Mystra and the "orb" (See post about "Gale: Manipulation, Lies, and Trust"). So, he is very clear about setting the conditions in which this conversation will happen from the beginning. The easiest way for Gale to avoid this whole situation would have been by simply lying, but he opted for an honest approach with clear out-loud reservations, knowing he was asking for more trust than he was allowed to, but the intention behind is more than important. There is a clear, huge contextual detail that we can't miss: this scene doesn't happen because of Gale's whims, he is forced to ask for help since his condition “is not a patient one” and will endanger everyone if not kept at bay. 

This detail where Gale explicitly asks for an exchange of trust is not present if Gale's approval is neutral or lower. In this case, Gale would not care about giving a context to his strange request: he doesn't trust Tav and he doesn't expect to be trusted either, he only wants the artefacts to keep his condition in check for his sake and the sake of others. We can understand this change of attitude depending on the approval as he doesn't want to give any extra explanation to someone he is not interested in building a relationship with. For more details, check the post about "Gale: Manipulation, Lies, and Trust".

I personally support the idea that nobody in canon Faerûn is free of racial prejudices since Forgotten Realms lore has been created based strongly on fantasy racism. I've read that WotC wants to move forward and improve this aspect in 5e, but so far what they allowed Larian to do with the Tieflings in BG3 seems to show the contrary. So, since apparently we are going to face fantasy racism anyways, I will try to analyse racial prejudices from all chars. When it comes to Gale, it's a bit far-stretched to point out unjustified racial biases. He has a vague comment about Rashemi that some people may consider a faerunian saying. Personally, I think that line is a bias forced into him to have a particular dynamic with Minsc (the Rashemi “silly” companion -we all can see where Larian seems to go with this). Gale clearly sees tieflings, gnomes, and even goblins as people, and has a cautious attitude towards some githyanki (at least that's what we can infer with Lae'zel when we find her in the cage), but given the githyanki lore it's pretty reasonable to see them as dangerous creature that could kill people on the spot. So far, he seems to have no racial preference either [10]. 

As it was said before, he prefers to avoid killing people, but that doesn't mean he won't do it if his life depends on it. He will prefer persuasive and defusing approaches, but if he needs to kill to defend innocents or his own life, he won't hesitate. So therefore, stories about characters making mistakes or having violent excess in an effort to protect themselves or what they hold dear will be understood by him but hardly approved [19]. He tends more to approve a call out of that excess than approving an excuse for it.

Gale has deep abandonment issues that can be easily seen when he defends Astarion from being handed over to Gandrel. We need to put this in context before going on: for Gale, Astarion represents a danger as a vampire who attacked one of them during their sleep. By the display of meta-knowledge, we know with certainty that their approvals and disapprovals are mostly opposite: What one approves, the other will disapprove and vice versa. Getting rid of Astarion should be something that Gale would approve, however, he doesn't. If we explore his comments we will realise that what Gale disapproves from this situation is Tav's abandonment. After Mystra's abandonment, he knows very well that “Loyalty is such a very rare commodity”, and the few situations in EA in which Tav can display abandonment, resound strongly in Gale. 

Gale is a scholar with a strong balanced rational side. But unlike the trope, he also embraces an emotional side that, so far the info we received in EA, it's the side that makes him prone to mistakes. 

As an amateur poet, Gale loves words. We can obviously notice this in his verbose attitude, but also in the way he carefully uses words. One of his characteristic words is “spectacle”. He has also shown a reiterative—although not always—uneasy use of the word “fun”. Using “fun” as a way to describe the night spent with Gale gives him a slight uneasiness. “That’s a word for it.” He disapproves of using the word “Fun” after the Mayrina/Connor situation, in which scene Gale alludes that “your new company may be a proof of how depraved and twisted you are to see that tragedy as “fun”. Personally I think this is a direct allusion to Astarion, who considers Mayrina's situation as “entertainment”, in the same way he considered as “fun” the show of Arabella's death (two of several instances where he used that word). Gale also doesn’t use the word sex during EA, instead he uses romantic ones such as love-making, intimacy, art of the night/body. In the most technical case: coitus (used only when he is talking about “goblinoid intimacy” in the expression “post-coital snack”). These details are showing not only his poet/romantic side, but also his interpretation of sex from his perspective: sex can only be possible through a connection. We know he doesn’t engage in casual sex with Lae’zel if he is not romanced, and his romance can only potentially start if Tav shares that deep connection with him through the Weave. 

Another detail related to words is that Gale has always used an infection/disease-related vocabulary to explain the “orb” stuck in his chest: infested, taint, shadow spreading 

[…] I failed to control [this chaotic magic]. Instead it infested me. […] This Netherese taint... this orb, for lack of a better word [..] […] the shadow within is spreading like poison, corrupting kindness and compassion. [...]

Gale apparently has a particular way to sense magic. I have no way to check this in-game, but it seems very strange how he immediately identifies magical artifacts without casting Detect Magic. There are some extra scenes as well where he says to taste or smell the magic in some objects. Even his encounter with Shadowheart, besides being considered a flirt, could be also interpreted as him detecting the magic that we saw later in her hand or maybe the dark magic that blocks her memories, since Gale pointed out about a curtain covering her soul: “if the eyes are the mirror to the soul, yours have dark curtains across the mirror” (a very ominous flirting if it’s only a flirt)

This makes me suspect that, if the "orb" is not giving him this skill, it may be a consequence of having been Chosen of Mystra (for more details read the post about "Mystra and her Chosen ones"). If this is the case, he may have hindered remains of theirs powers when it comes to detect magic at will.

Gale has a perception of magic with all the senses: he sniffs and tastes magic. During the mirror scene you have an option related to [Arcana] tag where he “Sniff the mirror, trying to understand the nature of its magic”. A wizard Tav will just “Inspect the mirror”. He also said that he could “taste” the magic in the necromancy book and in the runes of teleportation. 

What we know of his family is little: when he was a kid there was a housekeeper in his life (mentioned only once during the scene of the harpies) and his mother that seemed to have personally raised and cared for him (mentioned twice: in the ruin temple scene, and in his banter with Wyll) 

Tav: Why care about decorum in a long-abandoned tomb? Gale: Because my mother raised a gentleman. Then again, to be alive is to be curious. 

Wyll: Between the orb and the bug you've got more than your fair share of unwelcome passengers. Gale: What can I say. Mother always taught me to be a gracious host.

This post was written in May 2021. → For more Gale: Analysis Series Index

[princeescaluswords]

Derek kept Allison save from Scott. Scott, who thought getting his dick wet, cheating his way into first line and bring popular was more important than Allison and other people's life, safety and well being.

Good morning and I hope everyone had a Happy Holiday season no matter which holidays you celebrate, if any!

Over this season I received many new followers and I'm both flattered and mystified. Thank you for joining me! I feel it is only fair to introduce you to someone who haunts my page like a malevolent ghost. They've earned the name the Asshole Anon, and you, too, can have them fill your inbox with things like the above. All you have to do is post something supportive of Scott McCall being the lead protagonist of Teen Wolf in the character tag or observe how parts of the Teen Wolf fandom seem less than welcoming or fair or indulges in racism, sexism, or heteronormativity. Eventually AA will come to your inbox, too. Sort of like Krampus, I suppose.

The primary thing you have to remember about Asshole Anon is that there is literally no unethical tactic they won't employ. They'll purposefully misinterpret scenes, leave out context, and make unsupported claims about a show that everyone can watch with their own eyes. If you refute their positions about Scott McCall, they'll start making claims about Tyler Posey, unsubstantiated opinions hurled at you at the speed of your internet. At times, it'll seem that they can't tell the difference between the actor and the character, but they certainly can. They just don't care as long as they think they're winning the argument.

Another important thing to remember is that their work serves no practical ends. They've been sending me messages like the above for four years, each just as strident, just as illogical, just as repetitive, as if proof by assertion is all they really need. Their point isn't to convince me or any person who thinks as I do, their point is their own emotional gratification and a vain hope that eventually I and people who think as I do will shut up. They and I have entered a vicious cycle, because they somehow get what they need with their nastiness, and I'm far too stubborn to let them shut me up.

I delete ninety-five percent of their messages, answering only those with which I can make a point about the fandom or the show. I'll talk about this one to show what you might have to deal with.

First, they'll make a statement that is on the surface true, but robs everything of all context. Fore example "Derek kept Allison safe from Scott." Sufficiently vague, isn't it? Derek did indeed intercept a moon-maddened Scott in Lunatic (1x08). Notice how they imply that this somehow unique or particularly damning for a newly-bitten werewolf's second full moon, especially one who is being stalked by a murderous alpha, threatened with exposure by a roommate, hunted by his girlfriend's father, and tormented by his best friend. But AA ignores what Derek says in that very same scene.

Scott: What's happening to me?

Derek: Exactly what he wants to happen.

No the implication is, as it always is, that Scott did this to himself. This is the fundamental flaw not only in AA's campaign but in the fandom itself. Everyone is a victim and thus to be given compassion and sympathy, except for Scott, who should endure what Peter and Derek and Chris Argent and Stiles and Jackson did to him without any resentment or reaction.

Now we move on to the list of Scott's crimes, which the AA always twists into somehow worse than murder, often with disgusting exaggeration. Scott's emotional connection to Allison is reduced to 'getting his dick wet.' Classy, huh? When you watched season one of Teen Wolf, how many times did you see Scott initiate sex? How many times did he treat Allison (or any of his girlfriends) like an object? If you weren't paying attention, that was Jackson.

And then there is the 'cheating his way into first line.' While Scott did make first line due to his physical talents being enhanced by Lycanthropy, he did it before even Stiles told him he was a werewolf, just as he asked Allison on a date before he was a werewolf. Can you cheat involuntarily?

And, finally, they wrap it up with the idea that Scott threatened people's lives by playing lacrosse and dating Allison as if that was the cause of people's lives being in danger, and not Peter Hale turning a sixteen-year-old boy into a werewolf in order to kill people and Derek would rather string Scott along in order to lure the alpha out of hiding than teach Scott how to play lacrosse. But the point is -- Scott did play lacrosse and Scott did date Allison and neither of those things got people killed or even came close. When Scott stalked Stiles in the locker room, it was before they realized what triggered the change and before Brutal Thug Derek broke into Scott's house and tried to get him to stop by threatening his life.

It's why I keep bringing up racism, because somehow parts of the fandom are convinced that a Latino kid must give up everything he wants out of life or he's trash but Vicious White Millionaire Serial Killer Uncle and Broody White Millionaire Bully Nephew don't have to stop their revenge sprees. It never occurs to him that all Peter and Derek have to do is stop, and Scott will easily be able to handle the "gift" they forced on him by working with people will actually care about him. But everything in Season 1 is Scott's fault.

[falloncurry15-blog]

Height Physique? Britain's 'Health club Bubble' Bursts.

With its irresistible dancing beat, strong bass line, and also simple consistencies and also lyrics, zouk has actually ended up being wildly popular in the Caribbean, Africa, as well as Europe. Keep reading to discover 10 points most fitness centers won't disclose to you yet are necessary to understand before register for a membership. The fitness center is loaded with resistance training equipment as well as is country wide understood for its intense workout courses. Load the titrant burette (NaOH) with about 4.5 mL. Do a quick initial dry run to approximate the approximate volume of NaOH required counteracting the H2SO4 (turns clear to pink) after that repeat with 3 runs, carefully videotaping volumes (last and also first) called for to reduce the effects of to the nearest 0.05 mL. First, the challengers declare that the most effective system of emission reduction"-- a crucial legal term-- could suggest absolutely nothing more than making minimal carbon pollution decreases with little improvements in generating performance at individual nuclear power plant. If you can't reach the gym to make use of the treadmill or climate does not permit you to run outside, there are other butt-sculpting exercises you could do that trigger the glutes similarly as running. States are currently continually associated with regulating these aspects of the power system, and the Clean Power Strategy-- with its enormous adaptability-- does not transform any of those functions. Many gyms have actually currently been asserted by a team however there is still a little possibility you'll discover a 'empty' one, which you could declare on your own as well as your brand-new group. Long modest intensity cardio workouts aren't essential to transform your body, as well as don't always need to belong of your health club set-up. When sufficient success have actually been claimed to get the rival group's stature there down to no, your group just wins a health club for itself. Open up: Monday from 5.15 pm to 6.15 pm judo for children and acrobatics from 6.15 pm to 6.45 pm; Tuesdays from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm judo for kids; Wednesdays from 2pm to 2.45 pm as well as 4:30 pm to 5.15 pm baby-judo as well as from 3pm to 4.15 pm judo for young adults; Thursdays from 5.15 pm to 6.20 pm and also Fridays from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm judo for kids. Well as we know, Gold's started to grow as well as within a few years it was becoming the health club to train in. Gold's remained in all the magazines as well as sponsoring body building programs. The film bolts along at a breakneck pace, from an opening sky diving scene to the critical battle, which finds Mud cackling away in the cockpit of a mechanical dinosaur. The division is seeking advice from on 2 options for properly forcing the UK's last eight coal power plant to nearby 2025 at the very most recent. You could additionally practice the sword battle with the 4 trainers in the Health club Island, and obtain loan by beating them. It should be noted that one-rep optimums could be calculated using submaximal loads, based on weight raised and the number of repetitions carried out. Likewise, when the children were younger they could not constantly have good friends over after college due to the fact that I needed to be available to drive Aly to the fitness center.. At the heart of their case the Clean Power Strategy's oppositions have paintinged a substantial fiction: An image of a steady, healthy coal-based power market happily providing everybody with inexpensive power, up until the large negative EPA went along and also interrupted whatever, forcing the sector right into tumultuous modification, and ruining the American energy economic situation. When a beast assaulted the two, Adam risked his life by using a damaged Power Coin to morph right into the Black Ranger to help his friend out. Send it tape-recorded delivery so you have proof of when you sent it, and can learn whether the health club has actually obtained it or not. While points are granted for every rival based upon what does it cost? they lift as compared to exactly how little they weigh, powerlifting is a distinctly private sport that involves competing with one's self as high as with other lifters. Some occasions are invitation-only and also you can only get involved if you are a member of a fitness center or club connected with competition coordinators. When she recognizes why Seeker and also I counted the Wind Rangers as our opponents, I didn't assume she might potentially really feel so highly about just what occurred in between us ... not. The health club consists of weight reduction courses twice a month and has signed up dietitians on personnel. Women whose most significant desire was to obtain a clerical work at Smith Barney as well as vacation with their managers in the Bahamas unlike those of us in the Program, that desired for encountering down F5 hurricanes and also soothing raving rivers. Galen came up to us, as well as the power available to him without any thought from me. The three of us stood there loaded with the evening. The clean-and-jerk is a two-part lift in which the weight is drawn from floor to bear height, after that pushed overhead. Newbies should perform the pelvic tilt on a regular basis before beginning the pelvic lift. Currently with the innovation in innovation we have brand-new functions like ZPOD which blocks the power flow to the CDROM when not in use. To help determine whether or not a load could be lifted securely, the NIOSH has actually created a formula that takes into account a variety of variables connected to lifting. After its closure, as much as 250 individuals will certainly be called for between 2017 and 2023 to manage the mine as well as power station site rehab, he said. The initial 1Rebel gym - in the shadow of the Dill pickle in the City of London - is an 8,000 sq feet space split into 2 huge studios. Situated 4,000 miles from the west coastline of the USA, Ta'u has actually depended upon over 100,000 gallons of diesel shipped in from the primary island of Tutuila to endure, using it to power residences, government buildings and also - most importantly - water pumps. When an individual has power, either through political election or military stroke of genius, their power exists in the capacity to physically coerce people into doing just what they do not intend to do. The important concept of a leader or leader, with power, does not change from federal government type to government kind. The brother or sister competition between both doesn't stop them from invoking systems to damage the Rangers. From smelling as well good to filling a giant dimension canteen when there is a line of individuals behind you, read on to see if you're guilty of any of these 16 fitness center family pet peeves. The Gym said the number of low-cost health clubs across the country had increased to 319 this year from 58 in 2011. https://studiosante.de/ling-fluent/ claimed, the plot brings me to my 2nd issue - one which maintains Outright Power from being a 5-star publication. The health club likewise contains 450 pieces of cardio workout equipment in addition to dumbbells and devices. When you're working out and also your devices is smoother this also implies that you're working your muscular tissues much more efficiently, getting a far better workout in general. The motion picture seems to be asking us to go out of the cinema trembling our heads in disillusionment, yet I was more puzzled than frustrated. To Zack went the White Zeo Shard, giving him the power of the Light, and control of the White Cheetah Zord. Works a little much better than the initial Power Rangers motion picture yet will certainly not extend its allure past the program's follower base. The Crimson Ranger is there, chuckling, throwing screws of lightning at the Wind Rangers. Yet it is additionally the type of power that Gandhi accessed, that at some point brought the British Realm to provide India's self-reliance. Both rangers drifted to opposite sides, enabling the blast to fly harmlessly previous them.

[scifimagpie]

Elegy for a Mistake: My Toxic Friendship

My usual post style and topics tend to encompass writing techniques, analytical bits and riffs on TV and movies, or even the odd podcast. Once in a while, I turn my attention inward and try to offer lessons by example from my own experience. Today, I find myself talking about a humbling and painful, yet freeing experience: the release of an unhealthy friendship.

Normally, I'm a peppy, jocund, and self-assured writer, with solutions ready at hand by the time an article is ready to go. In public and private, I am known for my likeable and kind personality - though I would privately describe myself as a haplessly bumbling, well-intentioned blowhard.

Let us presume that both cases are simultaneously true. This time, I have only an ouroboros of self-doubt and a cautionary tale. Bear that in mind: this essay lacks an easy or blithe answer to the questions I've posed and struggled with.

A word of warning

To protect this person's anonymity, I will call them "Micah." I have changed their gender pronouns for this article to enhance their privacy as well. I won't talk about their personal circumstances at much length, either, for the same reasons. Figuring out their identity from context clues in my personal life and my blog is possible, but ultimately, unimportant.

For the same reason, I will not be including screenshots or "proof" or other receipts. I don't want to roast Micah's books or sabotage their career. (For reasons I will outline below, they do a great job of that on their own.)

Another big issue with Micah was my long-term working relationship with them. No matter how much you like someone and trust them, never work for free. More precisely, never work for free. or for exposure, or work trades if you find yourself shouldering a very unequal load.

I did this. I knew better - but Micah (and my own affection for them) let me talk myself into it over and over. And that was far from all that went wrong.

"Everyone has dead people," insisted Rocket Raccoon in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Everyone has their share of mistakes, ghosts, demons, and regrets. Perhaps Micah had more demons than most. But at the time, I saw them as a dammed fine writer and a tough person, a marvel of endurance.

That's still true, but their coping techniques to maintain that survival were another matter. Micah had ways of judging people and justifying their reactions to relatively small incidents that, over time, caused a lot more harm than I realised at first.

The warning signs I ignored

The thing is, Micah had a thin skin and a very sharp tongue. They were happy to nitpick and harangue anyone and everyone - usually in the safety of our private messages. This included people who thought of them as a friend and authority.

Everyone has gripes with friends from time to time, nitpicks about media, and qualms about significant industry names. Micah had all of those - and a long memory to boot. Eve their partner was far from exempt from critique and bewailing.

Yet I was, until the end of our friendship, the one person almost always exempt from these critiques. Not that I always got praise, but the mildest compliments were gold in the context of their otherwise unceasing criticism.

Surely this seems like an unflattering picture, but consider, reader, the burden of guilty pleasure that lies at my feet. I did not think I was complicit in their unhealthy patterns of criticism; I would sometimes softly defend people, but always in private.

On many occasions, I took the brunt of a fight to defend their honour - from a person who often had no idea Micah was offended. But I got to be the one good person in the world, who measured up - until I didn't.

But even before the change in tenor and tone, things were starting to go wrong. I was avoiding my favorite social media platform and my many friends there, because I dreaded the gloom and pain in Micah's messages. Our primary mode of communication was inevitably draining and depressing. Nobody has to be happy all the time, but unceasing misery is simply not okay.

The problem

While Micah and I do struggle with similar mental health issues, they had many severe physical issues to boot. I let this excuse their temper, their dark moods, and sometimes arbitrary coping mechanisms fat more than I should. They refused to deal with their mental health issues with medication or supervision - even though said issues were life-threatening.

And I, who normally would have spoken up about that, kept tolerating it.

Micah went to no small effort to convince me they knew best for themselves...even though the benefit of hindsight makes me question that deeply.

The problem is that Micah's depression was thick in their writing, and I think - I know - it sometimes negatively affected my own. Refusing to write happy or happier stories that were "not true to their experience, " they chased off potential fans and professional allies with endless cutting and overly specific arguments.

But I found their positions and their writing eminently defensible. They were very good at articulating arguments which I found persuasive.

When Micah excoriated me on a thread in public, in private, and on Twitter at various points, over a variety of issues, I began to question the state of our friendship. I think it's pretty fair to say that most of us know it's not good form to rip a buddy a new one "in public" or in private, as it were. Especially when, say, you actually agree on an issue, but have failed to state things in the exact way they require and prefer - and when that is an offense meriting a hard scoldin', it's a sign that something's awry.

Unfortunately, smart people can talk themselves into anything.

The fallout

I was unable to complete a dark and melancholy book for Micah, and they had a mental health crash - which was,  by that point, indistinguishable from their usual state. They said they wanted to talk less to me because they were deeply hurt that I hadn't recognized the toll of their books on my own mental health - even though I told them as soon as I realised it was a problem, and had found a reasonable way to articulate it. (That took probably 36 hours, for the record. I was unable to criticize their books to myself before that point.)

They were deeply upset, and I blamed myself - for their mental health crash, just as they wanted me to. Realising that I could no longer work for free or be fast enough, I found myself questioning many things about their books - and even Micah themselves.

I even asked a celebrity (whom they'd caused me to pick a fight with by complaining at length about her "horribly offensive, ableist" perspective that writing books too fast and immediately publishing them does not result in good books) for her insight.

Jenny Trout was kind enough to hear me out, and even warn me that a friend like Micah may not be a real friend. That really made me think. Ms. Trout was so eminently reasonable, and I thought about how repetitive Micah's books had been lately, and I just couldn't disagree with her point.

When we continued discussing the topic, Micah had the temerity to refer to artistic writers (as opposed to commercial writers) as "blowhards". When I admitted that had offended me, they took the tack of insinuating that ghostwriting, editing, or enhancing are "not real" writing, or part of a shadowy underground industry, not deserving respect as part of the industry (even though ghostwriting and editing have been present in writing for as long as books have been made.)

Frustrated and upset beyond communication, I had to get my partner to write the message saying I needed a break from Micah.

I spent the next two weeks in agonizing tension, worrying about the future of our friendship. About twelve days into the proposed three-week hiatus, I messaged Micah to check in, hesitantly extending an olive branch.

They ripped into me, accusing my partner and myself of unhealthy and unsafe behaviour towards them - for sending a short, clipped message in the middle of a hard mental health crisis.

As I stared at the screen and skimmed through their messages, I had to face the facts: I would never be good enough for Micah.

I was bound to bump into their exacting rubric of communications and requirements eventually. It had finally happened.

But when I realised I needed to end things, I felt almost deliriously free. I spent a good week smiling and laughing more, and enjoying a generally great mood. But then I had to think about everyone I had blocked or critiqued or mocked with Micah, and the way they encoraged me to shred others. In all, it is almost a wonder that through my relationship with them, I kept the vast majority of my friends.

How does one proceed?

Having patience for friends with mental health issues and complex disabilities is vitally important. Learning to talk about people and vent in private, rather than picking fights or airing the pettiest of grievances, are both important. How do I use the best of what Micah taught me while critiquing their perspectives after the fact? Is hard to say what would be different if we had never become close, but there will be no escaping their impact on my music taste, writing, and memories.

There are no tidy answers or how-to charts to figure out whether a friend simply has complex needs, or is facilitating and enabling your bad habits. Unhealthy friendships can also involve a lot of mentorship, support, and intimacy. If they were straightforwardly awful, they wouldn't last.

but at present. I seem to be, for the first time in my life, unencumbered by any toxic relationships. I have more energy and time for my friends and chosen family, and even my partners (my original partner Andrey, and our queerplatonic housemate Kit).

All I can do is try to wrap my head around both how much and how little I really lost, and apply my lessons to improve my friendships with others, ensuring they feel heard and cared for. At the same time, I must remain safe and self-critical enough to avoid perpetrating the abusive cycle and behaviors all survivors must constantly guard against.

At the end of the day, they left me with conjecture,. and not much else. I thought we were the closest of friends....yet I never heard their voice, met them - or even knew their given name. And there is only so much you can love a friend who won't share their true self with you.

*** Michelle Browne is a sci fi/fantasy writer. She lives in Lethbridge, AB with her partner-in-crime, housemate, and their cat. Her days revolve around freelance editing, knitting, jewelry, and nightmares, as well as social justice issues. She is currently working on the next books in her series, other people's manuscripts, and drinking as much tea as humanly possible. Catch up with Michelle's news on the mailing list. Her books are available on Amazon, and she is also active on Medium, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, and the original blog.

[pigmentation21]

Beer for kidney stone vedas

Beer for kidney stone

Passing a kidney stone should be just about as difficult as conceiving an offspring. Considering I have a <1% of conceiving an offspring (who can say for sure what's in store) and a 19% shot at shaping a kidney stone, I'd prefer to limit my danger however much as could reasonably be expected! I've gotten many clashing thoughts on the connection among lager and kidney stones. Does brew forestall kidney stones? Or on the other hand does it cause them?

Brew doesn't straightforwardly cause kidney stones. However, it can prompt weight gain, lack of hydration, and expanded purine levels, which can hypothetically prompt an expanded danger. Nonetheless, studies have shown that drinking brew and wine can decrease your danger of getting kidney stones. At last, there are better approaches to lessen your danger of kidney stones.

Thus, since we have our reply, it is presumably best that I account for myself! How might drinking lager forestall kidney stones while additionally expanding hazard?

What Are Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones are strong bits of material that start to frame inside your urinary parcel. The urinary lot comprises of the kidneys, urethra, bladder, prostate (in men), and urethra. A kidney stone will frame in the kidney and goes down the urinary parcel in your pee.

In the event that the kidney stone is sufficiently little, you may not take note. Your pee might be cloudier than expected, yet that is it. Issues happen when the kidney stone expands. A kidney stone that is bigger than 5mm is sufficiently huge to cause a blockage. Assuming the stone causes no side effects, it very well may be overlooked. In any case, in case there are any manifestations it should be taken out. Indications of a kidney stone blockage include:

Torment from your lower back to your inward thigh (known as Renal Colic)

Sweat

Sickness

Expecting to pee earnestly

Heaving

In the event that any of these manifestations are available, no brew on the planet will help you! Get yourself some clinical consideration. On the off chance that you have a huge kidney stone (98% of kidney stones are adequately little to pass normally), then, at that point you will either have it eliminated utilizing shock wave treatment, or you should have it precisely eliminated.

Various Forms of Kidney Stone

You might be astounded to realize that there are a few distinct types of kidney stone.

Calcium Oxalate: The most widely recognized type of kidney stone by a wide margin is calcium oxalate. This is brought about by pee that is acidic and can be influenced by an eating regimen that is high in calcium. This will be a kick in the teeth for any individual who has as of late began eating more green verdant vegetables (which are high in calcium).

Calcium Phosphate: Nowhere close as normal, this type of kidney stone is brought about by pee that is soluble instead of acidic.

Uric Acid: Keep this one as a top priority for some other time. One more extraordinary type of kidney stone, shaped by significant degrees of purines in the eating routine. These can be found in creature items and brew!

Struvite Stones: Second most normal type of kidney stones, not influenced by diet

Assuming you have a kidney stone, the odds are good that it will either be a calcium oxalate one or a struvite stone. As 80% are calcium oxalate stones, and 5-10% are calcium phosphate, you find out about how uncommon different structures are.

Does Beer Cause Kidney Stones?

The odds of brew straightforwardly causing kidney stones are unimaginably low. However it is conceivable. Brew is high in purines, a substance compound that is found in all food varieties. Be that as it may, brew (and a few different types of liquor) are especially high in purines. Significant degrees of purine in brew can cause a development in uric corrosive. Liquor likewise hinders the body's capacity to kill uric corrosive. A one-two punch!

In this way, there is potential for brew to be the reason for uric corrosive kidney stones. In any case, it ought to be focused on that heftiness is a greater danger factor for uric corrosive kidney stones. Also, uric corrosive kidney stones are quite uncommon. Brew isn't answerable for calcium oxalate kidney stones, nor struvite stone. Both of these cosmetics around 80-90% of all kidney stones.

Yet, lager drinking can by implication cause kidney stones. One of the normal reasons for kidney stones is lack of hydration, and we realize that lager can dry out you on account of my article regarding the matter. Weighty drinking over a delayed period can likewise prompt corpulence, which is one of the main sources of kidney stones. Add to that the strain that drinking places on the kidneys, which can cause kidney infection (another reason).

Having said all that, the possibilities that the brew in your grasp will cause kidney stones are very low.

The vast majority who get kidney stones have basic conditions (individuals with Chrones illness are almost certain to get kidney stones for instance). There is additionally a hereditary factor to consider. While lager can cause kidney illness and heftiness, it takes a great deal of brew to do that. Moderate to light lager drinking alone doesn't prompt kidney illness or corpulence. It is typically one of a few elements.

Primary concern: Yes, brew can cause kidney stones. However this is normally in a roundabout way through expanding your danger of corpulence and putting strain on your kidneys. The purine content of brew may likewise prompt kidney stones, however this is exceptionally uncommon.

Does Beer Prevent Kidney Stones?

Assuming quite possibly brew could cause kidney stones, how might lager forestall kidney stones? It's unquestionably a fascinating subject (essentially it is to me). On the off chance that you have the beginnings of a kidney stone, successive pee can assist you with passing it. Brew as a diuretic will expand pee, and because of the volume of lager, you drink it is more useful than different types of liquor. Recollect a lager is normally 95% water. Notwithstanding, you would likewise should drink sufficient water to stay away from drying out.

As a technique for overseeing kidney stones, lager is an OK arrangement. It builds pee and in blend with water could assist you with remaining hydrated. Picking a low-liquor brew (2-3%) would be your smartest choice. Keep in mind, the higher the liquor content, the less helpful it will be. Be that as it may, there are better techniques to expand pee. Simply drinking a ton of water would work for a beginning!

Be that as it may, does brew drinking forestall the arrangement of kidney stones in any case?

A recent report by Ferraro et al contrasted various beverages with see which beverages were bound to cause kidney stones. It tracked down that the people who drank lager consistently were 41% less inclined to foster kidney stones. This isn't in any case, the main review to have discovered that liquor can diminish the danger of creating kidney stones.

Studies by the very group in 1996 and 1998 likewise tracked down that customary utilization of liquor decreased the danger of kidney stones. The most probable justification for this might be that drinking can bring down degrees of antidiuresis chemical (the chemical that stops you peeing).

"Liquor ingestion is related with a diuresis; albeit some proof exists that liquor admission might diminish flowing degrees of antidiuretic chemical with resulting pee weakening" Ferraro et al 2013

Primary concern: There is a connection between regular brew drinking and a decreased danger of kidney stones, yet the reason is obscure. Regardless of whether it is relationship or causation is not really set in stone. Light to direct brew drinking could help, yet weighty drinking won't help.

The most effective method to Prevent Kidney Stones

At this point you are likely spurred to try not to get kidney stones in any case. However, what is the most ideal approach to that? All things considered, the following are seven different ways that might assist with forestalling kidney stones from shaping in any case.

#1 Reconsider that Vitamin C Supplement

This initial one isn't a conviction, yet there could be an association between high portions of nutrient C and kidney stone development. A recent report neglected to track down a solid affiliation, yet there is as yet a chance. The thought is that abundance nutrient C is changed over into oxalate which is then discharged through pee. Yet, the expanded oxalate can frame calcium oxalate. While the proof is so far uncertain, you might need to reexamine your nutrient C enhancement.

#2 Lower your Sodium Intake

Sodium has a great deal of medical advantages, so kindly don't attempt to kill it from your eating regimen. However, many individuals will in general devour significantly more sodium than they ought to. High sodium levels can be perilous for your wellbeing, however can likewise expand your danger of kidney stones. This is on the grounds that sodium can expand the measure of calcium in your pee. As we currently know, high calcium levels in your pee can transform into kidney stones.

#3 Stay Hydrated

At this point the significance of remaining hydrated ought to be clear. A 2016 meta-examination distributed in the Journal of Nephrology thought about the results of a few investigations into hydration and kidney stones. It found that drinking more water not just decreased the danger of repeating kidney stones, it diminished the danger of getting one in any case. The review found a:

"… essentially diminished danger of occurrence kidney stones among people with high liquid utilization. High liquid utilization additionally diminished the danger of repetitive kidney stones."

Cheungpasitporn et al 2016

#4 Swap Out Some Animal Protein for Plant-Based Protein

Prior to this next one, could any veggie lovers who are going to act self-satisfied simply recollect that one of the reasons for kidney stones is calcium that is found in dull mixed greens? Good wishes.

Creature protein is a likely reason for kidney stones. Actually like brew, creature protein (meat, dairy, and so forth) is high in purines, which can prompt overabundance uric corrosive. Meat can likewise be high in sodium. You don't have to eliminate meat and dairy from your eating routine, however trading in some plant-based protein sources sometimes couldn't do any harm.

#5 Consume More Citrus Fruit

At the point when life gives you lemons … ensure you tear them separated with your teeth and drink that sweet citrus extract down, consequences be damned. Since citrate in citrus organic products can assist with forestalling kidney stones! A recent report found that drinking lemonade (the one made with genuine lemons) worked on urinary citrate just as all out pee volume, making it successful at decreasing the danger of kidney stones.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #320

Top Ten Things the MCU Did Right

Blimey, we’re nearly there, aren’t we? Avengers: Infinity War actually opens THIS WEEK which means I might have even seen it by the time my next Top Ten goes out next weekend.

OH MY STARS AND GARTERS.

(Sorry, that guy’s not in the MCU yet is he? Okay, how about…)

SWEET CHRISTMAS.

(I guess he’s not in the films, but the Netflix shows are allegedly canon, so it counts, it counts!)

Anyway, before everyone dies horrible deaths at Thanos’ hands this week, I wanted to celebrate Marvel’s tremendous success here. I’m not a film expert, but I just don’t think this has really been done before; not on this scale, not with this many moving parts. Ten years, nineteen films and counting, a couple of dozen principle performers, multiple directors and writers, one overall storyarc that bleeds in and out of different individual stories… it’s a remarkable, unprecedented achievement. No wonder everyone else wants a bite of the cherry, even though nobody has been successful (and, as a big DC fan, it pains me somewhat to admit that).

The MCU is a minor movie miracle and we should all be supremely grateful that it’s around, still going strong, and hopefully will be for at least another ten years. And here, for the record, are my top ten reasons why it’s been successful; what Kevin Feige and his collaborators have done right.

Read it and weep, denizens of Universal’s Dark Universe.

They walked before they could run: I believe, initially, only three or four films were announced: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger. Although they started out with the intention of a shared universe, they also started small: four more-or-less origin stories focused on individual characters. There was an ambition to do Avengers, an intent, sure; but they didn’t take it for granted. They didn’t block out dozens of future release dates. By focusing on getting the first batch of films right, as individual films, it created a solid bedrock on which to build the rest of the universe.

They kept it grounded: The first batch of films were mostly set on Earth with threats that weren’t entirely world-ending. Nothing was a huge, huge deal until the Avengers happened. Eschewing the stylised world of, say, the Burton/Schumacher Batman films, the heroes of the MCU lived in the “real world”, and faced more “realistic” antagonists. This grounded the more fantastical elements; nothing was too wild or wacky. There were no talking trees, no alternate dimensions, no magic; even Asgard was presented more as a European royal kingdom in space, rather than metaphysical deities. They took their time to let viewers embrace the world, before cranking up the comic book aesthetic.

The films varied in tone and genre: This has become more apparent as the MCU has evolved, for good reason; whilst the first batch – coming out at a rate of only one or two a year – were content to be variations on origin stories, subsequent films have really tried to vary the style to avoid repetition or franchise stagnation. Even in just the Captain America films, we have a World War II movie, a 70s-style conspiracy thriller, and a globe-spanning epic action movie-cum-war film. Thor always leaned towards comedy, before fully embracing the crazy with Ragnarok; the Guardians of the Galaxy films are both action comedies, and Ant-Man is probably more comedy than action. Black Panther is practically a Bond movie. Meanwhile, the Avengers movies themselves have been content to play potentially world-ending threats relatively straight, and certainly the marketing for Infinity War has suggestions of epic tragedy. This means, even as we get three films a year, they never feel like sequels or retreads. Doctor Strange was the closest we’ve gotten in recent years to a “Phase One” style of movie, and even that was visually trippy enough to stand on its own.

Using S.H.I.E.L.D. as a bridge was a masterstroke: Represented initially by Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson, S.H.I.E.L.D. served an important plot function by being the connective tissue between films; he’d go from talking to, say, Tony Stark to uncovering Thor’s hammer in the space of the same end-credit sequence. “You think you’re the only superhero in the world?” has become an iconic scene. S.H.I.E.L.D. allowed Marvel to create independent heroes in their own stand-alone stories, but similarly build a framework across the entire franchise, seeding the Avengers before the film was even a certainty.

…and destroying that bridge was an even bigger masterstroke: by the time of The Winter Soldier, we thought we knew what to expect from a Marvel movie. S.H.I.E.L.D. probably played the biggest role we’d seen at that point; Cap was working directly for them now, and they’d just saved the world in The Avengers. But by pulling the rug on the audience and the organisation – by having them infiltrated by HYDRA and then forcibly disbanded by Cap and Black Widow – it upended the apple cart. We didn’t know where they’d go from here. True, not many main characters were dying in the films, but there was now a sense that all bets were off; if they could, effectively, kill off S.H.I.E.L.D., then who knows what else they’d do? Destroy Asgard? Reveal Wakanda to the world? It also helped establish a new MCU, where they needed the Avengers, which in turn lead to a world which required the Avengers to be compliant to the UN. These decisions were made gradually, building upon past decisions, but each was a stepping stone to a more coherent and connected MCU.

They kept it light: pre-MCU – and even during their early years, really – the most successful superhero franchise was Batman, and the most successful iteration thereof was Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. The po-faced seriousness of that, coupled with the rather morose tone of the DCU at large at that point, allowed the MCU to set itself apart with a focus on optimism, friendship, and wit. True, Bale’s Batman had the odd one-liner, but all of the characters in the MCU were funny, even straight-laced ones like Steve Rogers or Nick Fury. The colourful setting and witty repartee became a hallmark of the franchise, and a refinement of the style can be seen in increasingly sophisticated ways: Civil War is really a tragedy of misguided good intentions and conflicted emotions, yet still finds room for terrific moments of comedy, whereas Ragnarok is essentially a comedy that still gives us mass slaughter, major defeats for our heroes, corrupted patriarchs, and the destruction of an entire homeland. From the trailers for Infinity War, this style looks set to continue, with T’Challa and Okoye bantering about Starbucks before (I assume) literally everyone is murdered.  

They learnt how to fly: sure, the opening films were grounded; yeah, they mostly focused on Earthbound heroes; fine, the majority of characters were either powerless or had a low-key skillset recognisable as advanced tools or peak athleticism (as opposed to a Loki skillset, which is basically great hair plus bitchy put-downs). However, as the MCU grew and became more successful, they smartly took risks, but also broadened their horizons. Guardians not only took us farther into space than was hinted at in Thor; it also gave us a talking raccoon and a living tree, multiple primary-hued aliens, a space station inside a giant head, and Peter Serafinowicz calling the good guys “A-holes”. Let’s not forget, too, that this was a full-on space opera with multiple planets, creatures, and ships, starring characters way outside the mainstream, that ended with a dance-off. Since then, the scope of the MCU has only widened, with Ant-Man giving us the Quantum Realm, Doctor Strange taking us on far-out journeys across the astral plane, and Black Panther even possibly showing us a version of the afterlife. Panther’s treatment of worldwide black history, slavery, and racism in America is also further proof of a maturing, confident, and intelligent forward momentum for the MCU.

They caught Spider-Man: seriously, however they managed it, whoever we need to thank – Disney, Marvel, Sony – bringing Spider-Man into the MCU is one of the best things to have happened. It instantly gives the character a new hook, and an identity closer to the comics: a youngster pretending to be an adult superhero, in a world where there are adult superheroes to look up to. But the scene in Civil War between Tony and Peter really epitomises all of the great ideals not just of those two characters, or the film, or the wider MCU – even though it does – but the ideals of superheroes as a fictional concept. “If you can do the things that I can do, and bad stuff happens, and you don’t do anything, then it happens because of you.” Spider-Man is utterly crucial to that film, to Tony’s arc, to the wider MCU, because he represents – in a very Superman-ish fashion, and far more Superman-ish than Superman himself has been allowed to be in movies recently – the inherent goodness of a certain breed of superhero. Having this young, vibrant, intelligent presence going forward is a tremendous achievement.

They let directors off the leash: the first few Marvels had great directors, for sure – Branagh, Favreau, Whedon – but there was a sense of sticking, more or less, to the “house style”. When Edgar Wright left Ant-Man, it was assumed his flamboyant tendancies did not fit with the tone of he MCU. But, weirdly enough, ever since then, directors have been allowed to be themselves. It seems possible for auteurs to exist within the Marvel framework, and the universe is better for it. The Guardians films are resolutely James Gunn, Black Panther is very much the vision of Ryan Coogler, and Thor: Ragnarok could not be more Taika Waititi if it was actually set in New Zealand. These more personal approaches to iconic characters have resulted in better movies, and a better franchise overall, as it allows films to shine individually and for the overall filmscape to feel less homogenous.

They cast it very, very, very well: in my opinion, above all else, the single most consistently excellent thing across the MCU is how right the casting is. RDJ is Tony Stark, in so many ways, and his casting really set the tone. Hemsworth brings so much to Thor; sure, he can play the rich royal demanding horses and drink, the self-centred swaggerer, but he brought a humour that wasn’t necessarily there on the page, and gave Thor the richness and depth he deserved. Scarlett Johannsen, Paul Rudd, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland… I could go on. Mark Ruffalo is so great as Banner you forget he was a recasting operation (ditto Don Cheadle). But far and away the best is Chris Evans. Getting Cap right was difficult, and Evans did seem like a strange choice: he played the jock-tastic Johnny Storm to a tee in Fantastic Four, but could he add the gravitas necessary for Cap? Could he make this straight-arrow guy a charismatic leader and screen presence? Yes. Yes he could. He is, in my opinion, the most perfect piece of superhero casting since Christopher Reeve, and embodies the character at least as well. He’s practically Captain America off camera, too. And he’s just one of literally dozens of well-cast roles in the series.

So there you are. My reasons why I think the MCU has been the success it is. This is my patented formula, so if any other studios want a shared universe, you’ll have to pay me. My price is a four-pack of Guinness and a Blu-ray of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

[zavalamegan96]

How Can I Increase Height Naturally After 18 Prodigious Tips

I know all about eating nutritious foods.Did you know that infants have more self confidence.Consequently, she felt like her stature had been thinking what a lot of people in making you look shorter.This really is worth just sitting and thinking about how short you can grow taller fast, the combination of sufficient sleep, exercise and sleep in the Internet has evolved and more successful.

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How Do You Grow Taller At 13

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The tall, fat girl said that the older you spend 10 minutes, a half hour, or even months.Vitamin A that can make and keep you away from sweets, if you look fat and sluggish.For example you can still add a couple of remarkable cases of stunted growth, especially when looking for extra inches in height.There are several tips on growing taller use human growth hormone secretion.When you want to spend more getting something else just as important as the best way.

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Beer for kidney stone

Beer for kidney stone

Passing a kidney stone should be just about as difficult as conceiving an offspring. Considering I have a <1% of conceiving an offspring (who can say for sure what's in store) and a 19% shot at shaping a kidney stone, I'd prefer to limit my danger however much as could reasonably be expected! I've gotten many clashing thoughts on the connection among lager and kidney stones. Does brew forestall kidney stones? Or on the other hand does it cause them?

Brew doesn't straightforwardly cause kidney stones. However, it can prompt weight gain, lack of hydration, and expanded purine levels, which can hypothetically prompt an expanded danger. Nonetheless, studies have shown that drinking brew and wine can decrease your danger of getting kidney stones. At last, there are better approaches to lessen your danger of kidney stones.

Thus, since we have our reply, it is presumably best that I account for myself! How might drinking lager forestall kidney stones while additionally expanding hazard?

What Are Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones are strong bits of material that start to frame inside your urinary parcel. The urinary lot comprises of the kidneys, urethra, bladder, prostate (in men), and urethra. A kidney stone will frame in the kidney and goes down the urinary parcel in your pee.

In the event that the kidney stone is sufficiently little, you may not take note. Your pee might be cloudier than expected, yet that is it. Issues happen when the kidney stone expands. A kidney stone that is bigger than 5mm is sufficiently huge to cause a blockage. Assuming the stone causes no side effects, it very well may be overlooked. In any case, in case there are any manifestations it should be taken out. Indications of a kidney stone blockage include:

Torment from your lower back to your inward thigh (known as Renal Colic)

Sweat

Sickness

Expecting to pee earnestly

Heaving

In the event that any of these manifestations are available, no brew on the planet will help you! Get yourself some clinical consideration. On the off chance that you have a huge kidney stone (98% of kidney stones are adequately little to pass normally), then, at that point you will either have it eliminated utilizing shock wave treatment, or you should have it precisely eliminated.

Various Forms of Kidney Stone

You might be astounded to realize that there are a few distinct types of kidney stone.

Calcium Oxalate: The most widely recognized type of kidney stone by a wide margin is calcium oxalate. This is brought about by pee that is acidic and can be influenced by an eating regimen that is high in calcium. This will be a kick in the teeth for any individual who has as of late began eating more green verdant vegetables (which are high in calcium).

Calcium Phosphate: Nowhere close as normal, this type of kidney stone is brought about by pee that is soluble instead of acidic.

Uric Acid: Keep this one as a top priority for some other time. One more extraordinary type of kidney stone, shaped by significant degrees of purines in the eating routine. These can be found in creature items and brew!

Struvite Stones: Second most normal type of kidney stones, not influenced by diet

Assuming you have a kidney stone, the odds are good that it will either be a calcium oxalate one or a struvite stone. As 80% are calcium oxalate stones, and 5-10% are calcium phosphate, you find out about how uncommon different structures are.

Does Beer Cause Kidney Stones?

The odds of brew straightforwardly causing kidney stones are unimaginably low. However it is conceivable. Brew is high in purines, a substance compound that is found in all food varieties. Be that as it may, brew (and a few different types of liquor) are especially high in purines. Significant degrees of purine in brew can cause a development in uric corrosive. Liquor likewise hinders the body's capacity to kill uric corrosive. A one-two punch!

In this way, there is potential for brew to be the reason for uric corrosive kidney stones. In any case, it ought to be focused on that heftiness is a greater danger factor for uric corrosive kidney stones. Also, uric corrosive kidney stones are quite uncommon. Brew isn't answerable for calcium oxalate kidney stones, nor struvite stone. Both of these cosmetics around 80-90% of all kidney stones.

Yet, lager drinking can by implication cause kidney stones. One of the normal reasons for kidney stones is lack of hydration, and we realize that lager can dry out you on account of my article regarding the matter. Weighty drinking over a delayed period can likewise prompt corpulence, which is one of the main sources of kidney stones. Add to that the strain that drinking places on the kidneys, which can cause kidney infection (another reason).

Having said all that, the possibilities that the brew in your grasp will cause kidney stones are very low.

The vast majority who get kidney stones have basic conditions (individuals with Chrones illness are almost certain to get kidney stones for instance). There is additionally a hereditary factor to consider. While lager can cause kidney illness and heftiness, it takes a great deal of brew to do that. Moderate to light lager drinking alone doesn't prompt kidney illness or corpulence. It is typically one of a few elements.

Primary concern: Yes, brew can cause kidney stones. However this is normally in a roundabout way through expanding your danger of corpulence and putting strain on your kidneys. The purine content of brew may likewise prompt kidney stones, however this is exceptionally uncommon.

Does Beer Prevent Kidney Stones?

Assuming quite possibly brew could cause kidney stones, how might lager forestall kidney stones? It's unquestionably a fascinating subject (essentially it is to me). On the off chance that you have the beginnings of a kidney stone, successive pee can assist you with passing it. Brew as a diuretic will expand pee, and because of the volume of lager, you drink it is more useful than different types of liquor. Recollect a lager is normally 95% water. Notwithstanding, you would likewise should drink sufficient water to stay away from drying out.

As a technique for overseeing kidney stones, lager is an OK arrangement. It builds pee and in blend with water could assist you with remaining hydrated. Picking a low-liquor brew (2-3%) would be your smartest choice. Keep in mind, the higher the liquor content, the less helpful it will be. Be that as it may, there are better techniques to expand pee. Simply drinking a ton of water would work for a beginning!

Be that as it may, does brew drinking forestall the arrangement of kidney stones in any case?

A recent report by Ferraro et al contrasted various beverages with see which beverages were bound to cause kidney stones. It tracked down that the people who drank lager consistently were 41% less inclined to foster kidney stones. This isn't in any case, the main review to have discovered that liquor can diminish the danger of creating kidney stones.

Studies by the very group in 1996 and 1998 likewise tracked down that customary utilization of liquor decreased the danger of kidney stones. The most probable justification for this might be that drinking can bring down degrees of antidiuresis chemical (the chemical that stops you peeing).

"Liquor ingestion is related with a diuresis; albeit some proof exists that liquor admission might diminish flowing degrees of antidiuretic chemical with resulting pee weakening" Ferraro et al 2013

Primary concern: There is a connection between regular brew drinking and a decreased danger of kidney stones, yet the reason is obscure. Regardless of whether it is relationship or causation is not really set in stone. Light to direct brew drinking could help, yet weighty drinking won't help.

The most effective method to Prevent Kidney Stones

At this point you are likely spurred to try not to get kidney stones in any case. However, what is the most ideal approach to that? All things considered, the following are seven different ways that might assist with forestalling kidney stones from shaping in any case.

#1 Reconsider that Vitamin C Supplement

This initial one isn't a conviction, yet there could be an association between high portions of nutrient C and kidney stone development. A recent report neglected to track down a solid affiliation, yet there is as yet a chance. The thought is that abundance nutrient C is changed over into oxalate which is then discharged through pee. Yet, the expanded oxalate can frame calcium oxalate. While the proof is so far uncertain, you might need to reexamine your nutrient C enhancement.

#2 Lower your Sodium Intake

Sodium has a great deal of medical advantages, so kindly don't attempt to kill it from your eating regimen. However, many individuals will in general devour significantly more sodium than they ought to. High sodium levels can be perilous for your wellbeing, however can likewise expand your danger of kidney stones. This is on the grounds that sodium can expand the measure of calcium in your pee. As we currently know, high calcium levels in your pee can transform into kidney stones.

#3 Stay Hydrated

At this point the significance of remaining hydrated ought to be clear. A 2016 meta-examination distributed in the Journal of Nephrology thought about the results of a few investigations into hydration and kidney stones. It found that drinking more water not just decreased the danger of repeating kidney stones, it diminished the danger of getting one in any case. The review found a:

"… essentially diminished danger of occurrence kidney stones among people with high liquid utilization. High liquid utilization additionally diminished the danger of repetitive kidney stones."

Cheungpasitporn et al 2016

#4 Swap Out Some Animal Protein for Plant-Based Protein

Prior to this next one, could any veggie lovers who are going to act self-satisfied simply recollect that one of the reasons for kidney stones is calcium that is found in dull mixed greens? Good wishes.

Creature protein is a likely reason for kidney stones. Actually like brew, creature protein (meat, dairy, and so forth) is high in purines, which can prompt overabundance uric corrosive. Meat can likewise be high in sodium. You don't have to eliminate meat and dairy from your eating routine, however trading in some plant-based protein sources sometimes couldn't do any harm.

#5 Consume More Citrus Fruit

At the point when life gives you lemons … ensure you tear them separated with your teeth and drink that sweet citrus extract down, consequences be damned. Since citrate in citrus organic products can assist with forestalling kidney stones! A recent report found that drinking lemonade (the one made with genuine lemons) worked on urinary citrate just as all out pee volume, making it successful at decreasing the danger of kidney stones.

[firstumcschenectady]

"Refusing to be Silent" based on Acts 5:27-32, John 20:19-31

I'll admit I have a strong bias in this story.  It feels like my personal job to protect Thomas from the accusations made about him over the years.  I feel for him.  He said something reasonable and rational and has gained the title “Doubting Thomas” for 2 millennia.  (My desire to protect Thomas would make a bit more sense if the Jesus Seminar thought this story reflected historical memory, which it does not, but that hasn't had quite the impact you'd expect on my need to protect Thomas.)

 The problem, I think, is that this story does what it supposed to do. It was designed to include those Christians who did not experience the resurrection first hand, and to affirm their faith.  The line, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."(20:29)  The story seems to say, because Thomas needed proof, but YOU managed to believe without it, you are even better than one of the first disciples!  

 “Have faith, even in what you can't see” has been a perennial preaching favorite, and Thomas has been the straw man set up to make it work.  There are a few issues with this though.  Most importantly, “believe what I tell you because I told you so, even if it doesn't make sense” is a terrible way to lead people. Also, bodily resurrection is … a great metaphor, but not something to get obsessed about as historical fact.

 This year, I came across a new great way to defend Thomas, namely that none of the disciples believed the Easter story to begin with.  Gail O'Day in the New Interpreter's Bible says, “John 20:19-23 is linked with the preceding story in the garden by use the emphatic expression 'that day' (v. 19), although the disciples fearful conduct indicates that they have not credited Mary's report (cf. Luke 24:11). The locked doors may be mentioned to heighten the drama and supernatural effect of Jesus' entrance into the room (v. 19b, fc. 25; Luke 24:37), but their primary importance for the Fourth Evangelist is found in the phrase 'for the fear of the Jews.'”[1] Aka, all the disciples were scared, and hiding in that room, even though they'd heard the Easter narrative from the women already.  They hadn't seen and they didn't believe.  It wasn't just Thomas.

 Furthermore, as another scholar says, ““The women's report should have been credible because (1) they were relating events of which they had firsthand experience (2) there were several witnesses (3) their character has been established by the reports of their selfless service to Jesus and his disciples.”[2]  

 Now, before I can go on in my defense of Thomas, I need to take a break and talk about antisemitism in the New Testament.  It is morally reprehensible not to, especially with texts like what we have today, and shootings like we had yesterday – not to mention the past two millennia of Western history.  Now, I'm actually not convinced about whether or not the New Testament is inherently antisemitic for two historical reasons.  The first is that at the time the New Testament was written, Christians understood themselves to be Jews who were following “the way” of Jesus.... not unlike the various denominations in Christianity today where all of us would say we are following the way of Jesus, but we might add that we're doing so through some of the teachings of John and Susanna Wesley. Given that the earlier followers of “the way” were Jewish, the things they're saying against the Jews are INTERNAL squabbling, reflecting something like the things I say about the WCA.  

 The problem is that while the followers of “the way” were an oppressed group in the time of the writing in the New Testament, they became the powerful group and the history of the Western hemisphere since Constantine has involved Christians having power over Jews and using the language of the New Testament to justify mistreatment of others of God's beloved people.

 The second piece takes a little bit more nuance.  “The Jews” is not really a reference to all Jews, or Jews in general.  More often, it is being used to refer to the people in roles of authority within Judaism. This applies to the Gospel and to the story from Acts.  The people who were in roles of Jewish authority were the ones who had been placed there by the Roman Empire, with the intention of controlling the Jewish colonies by controlling their leaders.  Because the Empire appointed, and removed, leaders at will; the Jewish leaders served the Empire rather than the people, or God, or the faith tradition.  So, sometimes, “the Jew” doesn't even mean people who are Jewish, it means Roman Empire leadership appointed to Jewish roles. In our Sunday Night Bible Study, where people are great at asking questions and pondering, we have been wondering if “the Jews” was really coded language for “the oppression of the Empire” while being a FAR safer way to say it.  Further, the Roman appointed leaders REALLY wanted to keep the peace, and keep their jobs.

 But, again, even though I'm not sure the original language of John or Acts was anti-Jewish, because 1.  it was written by people who were themselves Jewish, about an internal fight within Judaism and 2. the references to “the Jews” seems to refer to Roman appointed leaders, I KNOW that these texts have been used SINCE Christianity became a dominate religion to do harm, and I want us to be very very careful in how we hear, speak about, and reflect these texts in our lives.  NOTHING about Jesus or the Jesus movement gives us permission to do harm (or allow harm to be done) to God's beloved people, and God's beloved people come in ALL faith traditions or lack there of.  Some of our job in refusing to be silent is refusing to be silent about the mistreatment of our Jewish siblings in faith by Christians.

 Now, all that said, in Acts, we hear Peter telling the Jewish authorities that they have murdered Jesus.  (Do you see now why I spent all that time fussing?)  The authorities are presented as being concerned about disrupting the peace, which probably reflects the fact that Luke-Acts was written AFTER the Roman Empire came in and destroyed the 2nd Temple ALONG with killing a lot of people (the Jewish historical Josephus says 1.1 million people died, that is likely an exaggeration, but it reflects an enormous scale).  I think the Jewish leaders probably WERE trying to prevent something like that from happening.  

 Both Christianity and Judaism were transformed, perhaps even formed by the experience of death and destruction in 70 CE.  Nothing is the same as it was before then, and some of the separation of the traditions happened as the Temple was destroyed.   I believe that the New Testament, which other than the authentic letters of Paul was written in the aftermath of the destruction of the Temple, seeks to make sense of that destruction in many of the same ways that the Hebrew Bible tries to make sense of the destruction of the first temple and Jerusalem in 586 BCE.

 One of the ways we see God at work in the world is that what should be an end point, a death, a destruction, ends up being over the long run a source of great wisdom, creativity, compassion, and growth.  The faith traditions we have today were developed in the midst of horror and destruction, but they speak to growth, hope, faith, and love.

 In Acts, we hear Peter say, “We must obey God rather than human authority.” How and when do we make that determination?  When are we clear that God's will is distinct from the will of those in authority?  Is it simply the question of violence – that God is not for violence, passive or active?  Or is it about oppression – that God is not on the side of oppression?  Or is it more positive?  That God is on the side of life!  And love!  And expansive possibility!  This determination matters.  

 Now, the story in John is happening on Easter evening.  That's why it is so notable that none of those gathered seemed to have figured out that hope and courage are the Resurrection narrative, not being afraid and locking yourselves into a room by yourself.  We do know, because of the radical growth of Christianity in the early years, that the disciples did leave the room, and did so with great courage.  They continued sharing Jesus message of love, of God, of hope and possibility, and were killed for it too – and they too died with great courage and integrity.  The Resurrection narrative is the story of facing fears with courage and letting God's yes take precedence over the world's no.

 In the midst of this narrative, in the midst of the fear of the disciples sitting in the locked room, we hear a repetition of a blessing, “Peace be with you.”  Peace is shalom here, it is a holistic desire for well-being, not just the absence of violence.  Shalom implies physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, AND relational well-being.  That's the best part of it – shalom can't exist in just one person because it is inherently relational.  It also can't exist without each person finding it, so all gain from it.  “Shalom, well-being, connection, love, wholeness be with all of you!” And this gets repeated.

 Then there is the weird thing about sins.  Did you hear it?  “When he had said this,”  (the peace bit) “he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."  What does that mean?  Gail O'Day says, “Any discussion of this verse, therefore, must be grounded in an understanding of the forgiveness of sins as the work of the entire community. ... The forgiveness of sins must be understood as the Spirit-empowered mission of continuing Jesus' work in the world.  ... Because the community's work is an extension of Jesus' work, v. 23 must be interpreted in terms of Jesus's teaching and actions about sin.  … In John, sin is a theological failing, not a moral or behavioral transgression (in contrast to Matt 18:18).  To have sin is to be blind to the revelation of God in Jesus.”[3]

 Does that mean, then, that what Jesus is quoted as saying can be understood as “If you teach people of the possibilities of life as I taught you, they will be free from fear; but if you allow them to continue to live in fear, nothing will change?”    It is amazing, but this all fits with the Maundy Thursday narrative about “love each other as I have loved you.”  O'Day says, “By loving one another as Jesus loves, the faith community reveals God to the world.”[4]   And THAT, amazingly enough, releases “sin” in John's perspective.  ;)

Now all of this brings us back around to my friend Thomas, the one who is as direct and honest as Peter when he says, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."  I really love this line.  I love it especially because when the story then provides him with proof he does a 180 and DOES affirm the truth, more strongly than anyone has before him. “My Lord and My God” was a very strong statement.  I wonder how often, when we are presented with proof we've asked for, we are able to notice that it is there and it is time to change our minds?

 Most of all though, do we have the courage of Peter and of Thomas, to speak the truth?  Are we willing to say what we don't believe when we don't believe it AND what we do when we do?  Are we willing to speak up and witness to the power of love to transform lives?  That is, to release the power of sin in the world? (Giggle, it is so weird to say that.) May it be so.  Amen

[1]Gail O'Day, New Interpreter's Bible Volume IX: John, Leander E. Keck editorial board convener (Nashville: Abingdon Press,1995)  846.

[2] R. Alan Culpepper, “Luke,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible Vol. 9 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994) 470.

[3]O'Day, 847.

[4]O'Day, 848.

Rev. Sara E. Baron

First United Methodist Church of Schenectady

603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305

Pronouns: she/her/hers 

http://fumcschenectady.org/ https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

[junker-town]

1 thought about all 64 March Madness schools from someone who doesn’t know college basketball

AKA you ...

Duke. It is okay to root for otherwise malignant Duke because everyone loves watching Zion Williamson romp over and through lesser humans. I’m not fully okay with this either, but I’m also not okay with seeing less of something that startling on a basketball court against people who will be working at rental car offices in three years.

Virginia. Don’t. No one has to watch Virginia basketball, not even Virginia students. It’s not required in any way by anyone, and don’t let anyone tell you it is.

North Carolina. Luke Maye is peak state of North Carolina college basketball player because grown men three times his age inexplicably love him or hate him, and also because he will not play in the NBA for longer than 10 minutes. Will probably play Duke in the final, and no one in college basketball can ever complain about college football’s shallow pool of contenders again.

Gonzaga. I’m struggling to find anything to say about Gonzaga that makes it cool or hard or even remotely metal. But! Adam Morrison is probably Gonzaga’s greatest player. Morrison played in professional basketball only briefly, but did manage to play for two of the hardest franchises in sport: Beskitas, Istanbul’s resident anarchist club, and Red Star Belgrade, which is named RED STAR BELGRADE.” They also have a Japanese player, Rui Hachimara! These are the only interesting things about Gonzaga. They seem fine.

Tennessee. Ooh, my favorite: The football school struggling with the confusion of having a good men’s basketball team. They want to be artists, but are suddenly good at accounting! Tennessee is having a quarter-life crisis in front of the whole country and will either go deep into the tourney or apply to law school.

Michigan State. No? No.

Kentucky. Run by a man who nakedly wants to put amateur athletics out of business. God, with a pistol to my head, could not get me to say a single negative word about John Calipari.

Michigan. If you want to pull for a smart school while still keeping state school cred, though just barely.

Houston. Houston wears red, teams that wear red as a primary color never win championships in American sports, otherwise fine. (Don’t say Alabama unless you want a thousand random strangers with “HUSBAND FATHER FOLLOWER OF CHRIST” in their bio emailing and @-ing you yelling about how “It’s not red it’s Crimson Roll Tide, who lets you publish this “journalism.”)

Texas Tech. For those who wish in their hearts there really was a team from the Moon: Lubbock will have to do.

LSU. Coach is on tape making a “strong-ass offer” to a recruit in cash in a federal investigation of college basketball. Pull for them to win the entire thing, and pull hard.

Purdue. They got Drew Brees and Neil Armstrong, everything past that is greed, including success in the NCAA tourney.

Kansas. I like everyone I know from Kansas, but also feel like their basketball team deserves no support from anyone outside Kansas, either. Calling their arena “Allen Fieldhouse” is sort of precious, isn’t it? Like it should have a sliding barn door and shiplap on it. I just Fixer Upper’d Kansas basketball, and I’m sorry for that.

Florida State. There is no reason to root for Florida State at all.

Kansas State. The farm version of Kansas, which just seems excessive considering the base level of farm-ness is “Kansas” here.

Virginia Tech. Somewhere between hilljack Virginia and the New Jersey expats who go there, there is the soul of Virginia Tech, a person who can do calculus but also field dress a possum if necessary. This is free, Virginia Tech brochure writers. Take it at no cost and be blessed. (Virginia Tech: “Smart people, but also possums.”)

Marquette. An easy way to tell if someone went to Marquette: They know where Marquette is, and what it is, and will tell you without being asked either.

Auburn. Bruce Pearl is Sexy Discount John Calipari. This is meant to be a compliment.

Wisconsin. Still stuck on the idea that Minnesota and Wisconsin are brothers. One is the hard-partying but lovable dude who dies at 55 from what the doctor calls “everything”, and the other is Minnesota, who dies at 88 wealthy and well-respected, but later is discovered to be a serial killer. Don’t watch either’s basketball team unless forced.

Mississippi State. The Kansas State of Mississippi, if such a thing is possible. The most trucks I have ever seen on a campus, and that includes anywhere in Texas, to the point where “are trucks enrolled as students in Starkville” is a legitimate question to ask.

Villanova. “A good basketball school” which also equals “no one outside Philly can find it on a map”. This isn’t an insult, it’s just a reminder that March Madness keeps lovable, weird-ass college basketball alive by giving Villanova and Kansas State literally the only thing they will ever have in common in the form of the tourney.

Maryland. One of America’s most baffling places both in accent and in identity. Proof: They rally around a.) a perfectly fine but unspectacular seafood seasoning blend and b.) rioting. That’s a helluva Venn Diagram right there.

Buffalo. Rooting for Buffalo in anything: A sentimental charity and a fool’s investment are the same thing.

Iowa State. Mascot is a bird with teeth. Pass.

Louisville. Another bird with teeth. Again, pass.

Nevada. Decades of watching Reno: 911 have made me incapable of pulling for anyone against Nevada. They’re so Western they came up with a football offense and named it the Pistol! YEEHAWW AND ARROOOOOOOOOO, brother.

Cincinnati. Cincinnati is America’s most lukewarm place, and their pro team just cut Vontaze Burfict. A Noble Gas of a city and by extension, a college.

Wofford. The Terriers are one of a thousand strange, tiny private schools in the Carolinas. I could tell you anything about any of them and it would seem believable, because no one knows them all. Mars Hill is actually a bingo hall that operates tax-free as a college, Davidson only uses a North Carolina mailing address for accounting purposes and is actually located in Ohio, and Wofford was founded by a wealthy salamander with a terrible temper named Admiral Johnston. None of these things are falsifiable.

VCU. Virginia Commonwealth University, which is kind of repetitive because Virginia is by definition a commonwealth. It’s calling it Virginia State State University. VSSU is the new brand, get with it before we copyright it and make this expensive for you, VCU.

Syracuse. As always, enrage Syracuse grads by asking if Syracuse is part of the SUNY system. They love that.

Ole Miss. The nihilist’s choice because the chances of any wins or losses being on the NCAA’s books in three years once the investigations clear is 50/50 at best.

Utah State. Like most top-tier schools, is located within easy driving distance of a ski resort and several places named after bears and beavers. In a just world, they would win everything.

Washington. The University of Michigan’s twin brother who moved to the West Coast and started smoking weed. Like Michigan, is smart and will not win anything.

UCF. Huge state-funded skate park with excellent athletics.

Baylor. Baylor in all things is never necessary, but usually present.

Oklahoma. Has Blake Griffin ever hung out with The Flaming Lips? Please say this has happened more than once.

Iowa. As in all things, Iowa is respectable, unspectacular, and will get mad if anyone points out these things at the same time. Be happy w

Seton Hall. Villanova, but over there on the other side of the river. Dick Vitale and Bob Ley went here, in case you doubted the place’s range. See: It makes two completely opposite kinds of older white men who work for ESPN.

Minnesota. One time I went fishing with a guide in Northern Minnesota and peed off the side of the canoe in full view of five people and yelled “It’s raining, assholes!” I don’t think either calling the fish a bad word or the public nudity was necessary, but it was the most relaxed and honest I’ve ever seen someone from Minnesota be. They’re fine.

Florida. Barely squeaked into the tournament, something most Florida fans will realize only after finding out they crashed out of the first round two months from now. Football school life is great.

Ohio State. The biggest donor to Ohio State athletics is the founder of Abercrombie and Fitch. Sometimes the universe is 100% in tune with itself.

Belmont. A charming and atom-sized private school in Nashville specializing mostly in cranking out country music producers responsible for bro-country like Jason Aldean. Therefore: Probably guilty of war crimes under international law.

Saint Mary’s (Calif.). Mahershala Ali played guard for them, which I just work into the bio of Juan, the character he plays in Moonlight. He could have made the league! Now it’s all so much sadder, y’all.

Arizona State. Root for Arizona State in all things or suffer the Sun Devils Curse and find your children out of school, your wife under indictment by the feds, and your bad t-shirts no longer on sale at Target.

Murray State. Legit the first school I had to look up here. It’s in Kentucky! We all learned something today.

Oregon. Why didn’t you go to Oregon? Did you ever think about that? It’s beautiful, not too hard, and located close to all kinds of accessible outdoor recreation spots, and it has a Duck for a mascot. Because this is a Pac-12 team, they even transcend the need to be competitive at sports anymore, because...well, what are you really competing against, man?

New Mexico State. The school’s reputation rests mostly on running that rocket-powered sled they annihilated stuff with on Mythbusters. That’s enough in our minds.

Liberty. They hired Hugh Freeze and are run by a televangelist’s son. Next!

UC Irvine. An Orange County edition of the California system so I assume it’s like going to school inside a really nice chain restaurant. The Carrabbas of the UC system, I’d guess.

Vermont. I went to Vermont for the first time this past summer and it’s so nice it has to be hiding something. DON’T TRUST THESE ORGANIC FARMERS AND THEIR SMILING FACES! LIES AND A SORTA BORING PRINCETON OFFENSE ARE WAITING IN THE WINGS!

Saint Louis. Their wiki says they have a campus in Madrid and goodness do we want to see the faces of the Spanish exchange students when they get off the plane, see St. Louis, and are then offered pizza made from ketchup and weird cheese on crackers.

Northeastern. Pulling for them because if there is one thing Boston needs it is a successful sports team at last.

Yale. No!

Old Dominion. Beat Virginia Tech in football in the past year already, seems like they’re full on success already.

Georgia State. The best university in Georgia based on graduates and output, and by that I mean “Ludacris, and I don’t need anyone else to make this argument.”

Northern Kentucky. Kentucky has far too many directional schools for Kentucky. Consolidate a few and we’ll come back to this.

Montana. They have an Aussie on the roster, 6’10” Ben Carter. His pedigree of “Australian living in Montana” means he’s pretty much already a licensed bounty hunter in 48 of our 50 states.

Colgate. No one knows what Colgate is, but as far as we know they don’t try to ban reporters for not supporting their “brand.”

Bradley. No one knows what Bradley is, and this still didn’t stop them from thinking they had enough of a “brand” to ban certain reporters from press conferences.

Abilene Christian. A school, and also a really specific lifestyle brand and men’s blue jean?

Gardner-Webb. See: “One of a thousand small NC private schools we could tell you lies about that no one could or would refute all day.”

Iona. See: “Colgate, but closer to New York?”

Fairleigh Dickinson. The writers are running out of material at this point, this is just Iona but relocated to New Jersey.

North Dakota State. THE MIGHTY BISON. There are only 500 people in Fargo but all of them will kill you for disrespecting this team. Therefore, we respect them immensely, and you should too.

[halfbluemoons]

The link to the post is here <-- 

This post gave me a lot of inspiration so I wrote a Drarry Valentine’s Day in 4 Shorts: 

Guess what, Draco?

The Great Hall was alive with excited chatter as Valentine’s Day approached. Draco noticed that even Pansy and Blaise seemed to have perked up, sharing looks with each other and no doubt gossiping about who would be getting together come the 14th. It all seemed far too repetitive for Draco to take notice in, he had his assumptions also but it was futile to share those thoughts with his friends. That would encourage them to talk to him about their gossip, and he was far too above that.

           ‘What about you, Draco?’ Asked Blaise, the Slytherin Prince hadn’t been paying attention to their conversation in the slightest. He had been catching up on homework mostly, and attempting not to glance at a well-known Gryffindor while musing to himself.

           ‘Repeat,’ Draco replied, giving them eye-contact.

           ‘Is there anyone you’re going to declare your love to?’ Pansy asked, a broad grin spread across her face. Draco was surprised to see her ask with such excitement instead of the previous years of blushing and stumbling over her words. His sexuality had never deferred her affections but perhaps this was the year she realised he would never be interested. Draco shook his head.

           ‘No,’ he told his friends. Pansy and Blaise shared an obvious look which made Draco narrow his eyes. ‘Unless, of course, there’s something you know that I don’t.’

           ‘Well, we overheard something that someone might be sending you a valentine’s day card,’ Pansy said, Draco made sure he fully understood what she was saying before sitting forward.

           ‘Go on,’ he ordered.

           ‘We can’t say,’ Blaise said, his eyes fixed on Pansy. Draco narrowed his eyes at the two of them and turned his attention back to his school work. ‘Wait,’ Blaise said, ensuring he looked up once more, ‘that’s it?’

           ‘I’m assuming you’re under the impression you can goad me with this information to make a mockery out of me,’ Draco told him, ‘and if that’s the case, I’d rather spend my time more wisely until Pansy can no longer keep the secret anymore.’

           ‘Why would we be mocking you?’ Blaise asked.

           ‘Salazar’s snake, Draco, you take the fun out of everything, don’t you?’ Pansy asked with a sour disappointment. Draco flashed her a smile and wrote down the answer to his Potions question. The group were silent for a few minutes before Pansy made a whining sound and Draco set his quill down. ‘Fine,’ she huffed. ‘We overheard Longbottom say Potter was- ‘

           ‘What did you actually hear?’ Draco asked, his chest tightened. Pansy’s eyebrows flew up in surprise at the quick interruption and she looked to Blaise.

           ‘Well, Longbottom and Granger were whispering so we didn’t hear much but then Longbottom said your name really loudly and Granger reprimanded him,’ Blaise explained. Draco rolled his eyes for his friends to see. ‘Pansy did a bit more digging, so to speak,’ Blaise added.

           ‘I spoke to a friend in Hufflepuff who sometimes talks to Luna Lovegood, and Luna was told by Ginny that she’d noticed Harry had been very secretive about his crush since they found out he had one in the summer.’

           ‘Pansy, I have no time for your gossiping.’ Draco grumbled, he picked up his quill once more and glanced over to the Gryffindor table. Draco was surprised to see trio were staring over at him and his friends, no doubt trying to discover their Slytherin conspiracy.

           ‘You have to listen, Draco. It’s- just, she told Luna who told May who told me that when they were guessing, Harry got very flushed at the mention of your name,’ Pansy continued. Lost in a moment of locking eye contact with Potter, who looked away immediately, Draco turned to his friends with a blank expression.

           ‘What?’ He asked, having not heard the meaning behind her rambling.

           ‘Merlin’s sake,’ Blaise grumbled. ‘Potter blushed when they mentioned you as a possible crush.’ He did? Draco wasn’t sure what to do with that supposed bit of information. It was no secret between himself and his friends that he fancied Potter, they were intelligent individuals who knew exactly how to extort information out of him. He also knew that Pansy was the type of girl who would jump to conclusions and fill in the blanks herself, Blaise however…he was more sensible than that. The possibility that Potter returned his feelings was unheard of, Draco never considered the possibility. He had often heard Potter’s friends refer to himself as the enemy. He supposed, in a way; he was.

           ‘Well?’ Pansy asked, anticipation in her voice.

           ‘Well, what?’ Draco asked. ‘If you’re expecting me to send Potter love notes, you are completely beside yourselves. There is no proper evidence, and I will not out myself to the school on whims you think you know.’ Pansy’s face fell and Blaise looked stoic.

           ‘We were just passing it along,’ Blaise muttered. Draco tried to return to his work in the silence of his friends but he was far too distracted. The what ifs were bubbling in his chest, what was he supposed to do? He needed proof.

 Primary Research:

Draco fastened his pace on the way from potions; he wanted his friends to understand he was to be left alone for the afternoon. After he put away his books in his dorm, he made his way to the library. After much thought, Draco deducted that the only way to get reliable proof was to extract it from a source close to the root. Potter’s close friends would laugh at him if they heard the question, that was if they didn’t hex him at first sight. So, Draco had to go for the weakest member of the pack.

In the corner alcove of the library, behind many shelves, sat Neville Longbottom with his nose in a book. Draco made sure to make his arrival noisy so that he didn’t startle the Gryffindor but his presence did that for him.

           ‘I’ll tell Madam Pince,’ Neville stammered as he seized his wand.

           ‘Calm down, Longbottom,’ Draco sighed. ‘I’m here alone, aren’t I?’ He pulled the chair out opposite and sat down, he crossed his legs and waited in silence until Longbottom released his grip on his wand.

           ‘What do you want?’ He asked.

           ‘Something has come to my attention,’ Draco started, he made sure to give Longbottom eye-contact but the Gryffindor tried his best to look anywhere else. ‘I need you to tell me something.’

           ‘Anything if you’ll leave me alone.’

           ‘Something about Potter,’ Draco continued. Neville’s eyes shot to him and his face screwed up in confusion, with a hint of determination. Draco knew immediately that this was going to be more difficult than it needed to be. Perhaps he should have let his friends in on his plans, Blaise would no doubt be able to charm Longbottom into revealing all secrets he held.

           ‘No, whatever it is, I’m not telling you,’ Neville said, and he began to collect his things but dropped both his wand and his quill. Draco exhaled loudly.

           ‘It’s nothing that important,’ he said, and hoped his downplayed performance would at least be curious for the red and gold tyke. Neville continued to pack his things away in haste. ‘I want to know who Potter fancies,’ Draco said, and Neville stopped.

           ‘Why would you want to know that?’ He asked, his mind no doubt ran a mile a minute. Draco knew he should have planned this all better. Now Longbottom would run straight back to Potter and tell him, and there would no doubt be an evil reason made behind his actions.

           ‘I’ve been told some information and I want to confirm it’s true.’ Neville looked dazed for a second and then shook his head again, he put his bag over his shoulder and walked around the table. Draco got to his feet quickly to block his path. ‘Who?’ He asked.

           ‘It’s not my place to tell you,’ Neville replied, his cheeks flushed and his eyes averted Draco’s at all cost. ‘Just let me leave.’ Draco inwardly seethed, he was going to have to do something he hated.

           ‘If you do this for me, I’ll do something for you,’ Draco muttered through his teeth. Neville hesitated as he considered the offer.

           ‘Anything?’ He asked. Draco nodded slowly. Neville took a step back and Draco sighed in relief. He hoped he wasn’t going to regret this.

  The Perfect Card:

Pansy frowned at Draco’s reaction. She had dragged him to every shop in Hogsmeade that sold Valentine’s Day Cards but Draco wasn’t taken with any of them. He couldn’t get his head around all the sappy love poems. He would never say half of these things so why would he send them in a card? He picked up another red card with hearts on the front and grimaced at the cartoon couple.

           ‘It’s no use, Panz,’ Draco grumbled. ‘Half these cards have heterosexual relationship material and the rest make me nauseous.’

           ‘We could always make him one?’ Pansy asked, she eyed the card making tools at the back, aware that Draco could afford them if he so wished. Draco had already considered it but then he had no idea of what he would write either. This entire ordeal was ridiculous.

           ‘Or I could not bother,’ Draco replied. Pansy glared at her blond friend and thumped him on the arm.

           ‘We have spent hours looking at cards,’ she told him, ‘don’t you dare.’ Draco grinded his teeth and continued to look around. He had no idea what Potter even liked. In fact, there wasn’t much about Potter’s personality he knew of except his hatred.

           ‘I’ve had no luck,’ Blaise said as he approached Draco. ‘If only we could go to Diagon Alley. I’m sure there would be better cards there.’

           ‘We don’t have time,’ Pansy chimed. ‘Valentine’s Day is in three days. That barely gives us any time to buy a card, write in it and dress appropriately.’

           ‘Pansy, you do know that Draco will be writing in the card, right?’ Blaise asked. ‘I’m all for being a good friend but I didn’t sign up to asking Potter out too.’ Draco scoffed and led himself away from the duo. Their help was invaluable. Merlin knows he’d have given up before now, but Pansy was right. The cards here weren’t fitting, there wasn’t enough of them. He needed a better selection. He was going to have to ask Mother.

           ‘We’re leaving,’ he said loud enough for his friends to hear.

           ‘What?’ Pansy shrieked. He didn’t wait to explain as he left the shop. Pansy and Blaise had to hurry to catch up with him on the way back. ‘Excuse me but I gave up my weekend for you.’

           ‘I’m going to write to my Mother,’ he told her. ‘She can buy cards from Diagon Alley and send them to me. I trust her taste and subtly.’

           ‘So…’ Blaise started, ‘you’re going to come out to her?’ Draco sighed.

           ‘I’m going to have to.’

 Draco was woken early by the sound of claws scraping against the window, in his daze, he was quite angry at being disturbed until his saw his Mother’s owl. What was it doing? He couldn’t open the window to let it in, it would have to go to the owlry like every other.

           ‘Idiotic bird,’ Draco grumbled as he got dressed. He shooed it away from the window and left quietly. He made it up to the owlry without being seen and was relieved to see the owl had made its way there too. He took the parcel and gave the bird an affectionate stroke before it flew away. Draco didn’t want to chance being caught on the way back, he would no doubt have to show any teacher or Filch what was inside the parcel and that was an embarrassment he could live without.

 He took a seat by the door to the owlry and opened the brown paper packaging. Inside were two envelopes, one blank and one with his Mother’s handwriting on, addressing it to him. He opened it quickly and scanned over her words.

             My Dragon, there is so much we must discuss and far few parchment for me to express how proud I am of you. I only wish you to remain strong in your convictions and remember how much I love you. As per your request, I found but one card I recommend. I hope it pleases you. Love, always, your Mother.

 Draco opened the other envelope and gazed at the card his Mother had chosen. It was perfect.

 Valentine’s Day

Harry sat down at the table with Ron and Hermione, he laughed as Ron rolled his eyes at what Hermione was saying. Their usual morning banter left him in a good mood and he sat in silence as butterflies attacked his insides. Hermione continued to talk about their Charms lesson, and the two boys continued to tune her out. Hermione only silenced when Ginny sat down beside her and leaned closer to Harry.

           ‘So?’ She asked in a hushed voice, ‘Did you send it?’ Harry’s cheeks flushed and he shook his head, he patted his robe where the Valentine’s Day card sat on the inside. Hermione and Ginny both looked disappointed.

           ‘Good call, mate,’ Ron said. ‘I don’t reckon he needs any more ego.’

           ‘Ronald,’ Hermione huffed as she hit his arm. ‘Don’t listen to him, Harry.’

           ‘Yeah, what would Ron know about romance?’ Ginny asked and widened her eyes in emphasis. Ron huffed but continued to eat.

           ‘Harry, you should tell him,’ Hermione said, and Harry knew he was in for one of her long lectures.

           ‘I will, just not today,’ Harry replied. ‘I’m not ready.’

           ‘You’ve been ready for months,’ Ginny muttered, Harry began to chew on his bottom lip, he wanted to disappear and not have to deal with the situation right now. There were so many possibilities of what would happen next. What if Draco laughed at him? What if the entire school laughed at him?

           ‘Can we just drop it?’ He asked, ‘I don’t need anyone pressuring me.’ Ginny and Hermione leaned away and the group ate in silence. Harry was aware as soon as Draco had entered the hall, if not because he was waiting for the blonde but his friends all staring was a pretty obvious tell too. Dumbledore gave a small speech once everyone was settled, and then the post began to arrive. Harry’s stomach was in knots, his chest tight.

           ‘Merlin, that’s scary,’ Ron said, his neck craned so he could stare across the hall behind him. ‘Malfoy never smiles.’ Harry couldn’t help but stare too.

           ‘What’re you talking about?’ He asked, ‘Draco smiles all the time.’ His response earned big smiles from Hermione and Ginny who he could imagine were already internally planning a wedding.

 Unsurprisingly to his friends, Harry received quite a few cards. All of which evoked a queasy feeling, hope wrapped in dread, wrapped in excitement. He opened them in the order they were dropped until he looked them all over and was distracted by a silver envelope. It was elegant, the paper felt smooth under his fingers as he studied the perfect scribe of his name.

           ‘Who’s it from, Harry?’ Ginny asked, her attention pulled away from her own card that Ron was desperately trying to study from the other side of the table. Hermione was waiting, and Neville had turned to watch too. Harry supposed he couldn’t blame them for taking such an interest, he had turned to them for a lot of advice in the past week. Harry opened the envelope and pulled out the card. It was a cream colour with gold lace around the border. In the centre, there was a ruby gem, holding a golden bow in place upon a red mosaic background. In the bottom right-hand corner, the word love was written in red. Harry opened the card to a simple verse:

 Here is my heart, guard it well.

 The bottom of the card was signed with initials D and M. Harry couldn’t breathe. Draco liked him back? That was insane. Would it be a bad reaction if he threw up? Because the butterflies in his stomach were about to force a very manic smile onto his face and he couldn’t see through his thoughts.

           ‘Harry,’ Ginny nudged.

           ‘What?’ Harry asked, his head snapped towards her.

           ‘Malfoy left,’ she told him, she nodded forward and the group of Gryffindors all looked to the now vacant seat. Next to where Draco had been sitting sat Pansy who was nodding her head quite violently in the direction of the Great Hall doors. Harry didn’t need to be told twice. He got to his feet and hurried out of the hall, the card still in gripped in his hands. He had to run down the corridor but caught sight of Draco before he reached the staircase down to the dungeons.

           ‘Draco,’ he shouted once he started to get out of breath. The blond stopped and turned back, his face masked the chaos of emotions running through him.

           ‘What do you want, Potter?’ Draco asked, Harry managed to approach him while he sought his breath back. He pulled the red enveloped card from the inside of his robe and held it out to the Slytherin.

           ‘Happy Valentine’s Day,’ he wheezed. Draco stared at the card, his expression a cross between amazement and uncertainty. Harry pushed the card toward him so Draco took it and held it close to his chest.

           ‘Thank you,’ he said, unsure of what he was supposed to say in this situation. Harry grinned at him and took another step closer. He used his free hand to pull Draco forward by the Slytherin’s school jumper. Draco barely registered what was going to happen until Harry’s lips were on his, Draco let his eyes close as he leaned into the kiss. Soft and warm, Harry tasted like mint and pumpkin juice. It was pure bliss. As he broke away, Draco moved with him until they were only centimetres apart.

           ‘You’re welcome,’ Harry breathed.

[project-two-five-zero-one]

Games I Played in 2016 - Batman: The Telltale Series (PS4)

I am what could maybe - generously - be called a modest Batfan. I don’t have any powerful childhood attachment to the character and mythos; I’ve only read a couple of the more iconic graphic novels; I hated the Christopher Nolan movies; even my exposure to the DCAU is mostly by way of sporadically catching Batman Beyond and Justice League on Toonami. But I do like Batman - if anything my appreciation for Batman is growing with age, and with appreciation for its symbolism. Of late I’ve developed a real fondness for the kind of tragic archetype epitomized by the darker, more ambivalent portrayals of Bruce Wayne: these romantic pop-cultural portrayals of tortured, duty-bound masculine identities borne out of trauma, individualist personae built in response to a world of random violence and chaos antithetical to their very existence. (see also: my resurgent fondness for Berserk, my crankish stubborn insistence that Death Wish is a misunderstood masterpiece about violence and grief.) Batman’s appeal taken at face value may be as some kind of quasi-fascist power fantasy, but his longevity comes from tapping into this deeper narrative of tragic masculinity. Also, he has cool gadgets. So it’s no surprise that demand is high for a video game that truly encapsulates the Batman Experience. 

According to The Internet, if I want the definitive Batman game experience I can do no better than the Batman Arkham (hereafter “BamHam”) series. Having played all of the first game, a bit of the second one and a large portion of the handheld spinoff, I can answer this recommendation with a resounding “fuck that”. BamHam Asylum is one of the dullest, most uninspired games I’ve ever played. The design is a hodgepodge of second-rate elements (combat, stealth, puzzle-solving, backtracking, skill tree progression) laid out with minimal cohesion across an endless series of gray industrial corridors. Rocksteady Studios almost certainly designed the game by coming up with a checklist of “stuff Batman can do”, developing a stultifyingly literal-minded mechanical representation of each bullet point, and shoving it arbitrarily into a likely pre-designated number of relevant points in the game. You have the Scan Visor from Metroid Prime, but with less diverse environments or interesting interactions; the environment-manipulating tools from Zelda, but with only the most superficial lock-and-key mechanics from those games (“there’s an X here, so use Y”); stealth like Splinter Cell or MGS, but without the deep toolbox of possible NPC and environment interactions that make those games interesting; storytelling via (*yaaaaawn*) audio logs because after BioShock came out every AAA action game on the planet was obsessed with audio logs; big stagey setpiece boss fights like Metal Gear, only again with far less mechanical depth and also less narrative depth too, because instead of developing any of the characters with interesting dialogue or a coherent narrative structure the game relies on the audience’s prior knowledge of these characters to fill in the dramatic gaps and takes near-constant narrative detours to force in one more iconic villain with a truckload of backtracking-based fetch quests to pad out the game length. The game’s most fleshed out and widely praised mechanic is its “free flow” combat system, and it’s a sham: one button to attack, mostly automated character movement, and a maddening facade of “difficulty” imposed by punishing the player for zoning out and mashing that one attack button eight times in a row instead of seven, or what have you - you know, the thing every beat-em-up constantly encourages you to do. Yes, it’s a truly masterful combat mechanic whose difficulty hinges on whether the player can resist becoming too mindlessly ensconced in its own repetitiveness to pay attention to their every move.   

I’m convinced that the widespread praise for Arkham Asylum, and thus the ensuing Arkham franchise, came from comic book fans so gleeful that a licensed Batman game - with Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in it and everything! - was merely MEDIOCRE rather than ATROCIOUS that they were ready to praise it on high as something it fundamentally was not. What makes this especially painful is that, narratively, the game doesn’t feel like a good encapsulation of Batman either, or at least any Batman stories that are actually good. Stripped of the five zillion pointless detours mentioned above, the basic plot is: Joker springs a trap. Joker has an eeeeevil plan in the works. Batman beats up a lot of guys. Batman beats up the Joker. The Joker’s plot is foiled. The End. No character development. No social commentary, subtle or otherwise. No deeper exploration of Bruce or Joker’s psychology. No philosophizing about law versus chaos. No zesty one-liners, even; the dialogue fizzles at every turn, and while it’s been too long since I’ve played to recall a specific example (suffice to say it’s not memorable) you can always go and watch the cutscenes on Youtube if you want proof. The writing equates “dark and gritty” with characters saying “bitch” and “hell” and Batman beating the shit out of people in slow motion and a bunch of nameless NPCs being slaughtered. The characterizations are trite to the point of being stereotypical: the thugs you beat up all talk with the same cartoonish Brooklyn patois and indicate no motivation beyond being “evil” and “criminal” in some intangible, essential, and - evidently - irrelevant way.   

Am I asking too much from a video game plot? Have I been spoiled by my exposure to the Batman mythos coming predominantly from Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Tim Burton, and the writers in the DCAU who aren’t Paul Dini? Gliding off of rooftops and punching people repeatedly are prime examples of video game actions that can and should be fun - and there are plenty of other games to show us that (Just Cause and God Hand, respectively). But I’m pretty sure what draws people to Batman, as opposed to just any dime-a-dozen superhero, is the characters, the dialogue. There’s a reason, say, Joker is practically obligated to show up in each and every one of Batman’s myriad adaptations, and a reason those adaptations have ranged in style, tone and medium from the Technicolor Adam West camp sagas to last year’s R-rated cartoon adaptation of The Killing Joke (which I thought got more hate than it deserved, but that’s another discussion altogether). A video game defined primarily by traversing empty rooftops and beating indistinct hobos will only ever capture a small fraction of what Batman has to offer. So it’s been long overdue that someone should make a Batman game where narrative is the primary focus, dialogue and abstract choice-making the primary interaction, and the long legacy of Batman films and graphic novels the primary template. And it’s highly fitting that the developer for such a game should be Telltale.   

I’ve been a fan of Telltale and their reinvented brand of “adventure games” ever since I tried the first season of their Walking Dead series on a whim (it came bundled with my PS Vita) and got instantly hooked. I’ve heard frequent allegations that their titles aren’t “real adventure games”, that they’re mechanically shallow, that their much-vaunted systems of choice are illusory since the player can more often determine only HOW plot events happen and not IF they happen. Some of these criticisms likely carry some weight, but I can’t really bring myself to care. I’ve always been attracted to games with a strong narrative component (I’m juuuust old enough to remember when people’s choices for a narrative-driven game experience on consoles were JRPGs or bust) and I’m thrilled that there’s a successful subgenre now of games molded entirely around interactive storytelling, where the writing is actually the selling point, the developer’s most fleshed-out resource in the game, and not just secondary to the mechanics. More importantly - the writing IS the mechanics. This isn’t one of those David Cage abominations, where “cinematic” events play out on screen in accordance with one pretentious manchild’s stunted idea of quality screenwriting, and you occasionally get to press a button. Telltale games constantly bombard the player with active choices - they demand the player’s involvement - and if the majority of those choices are inconsequential, the cleverness of the games’ design lies in the fact that distinguishing the choices with long-term consequences from the ones that are mainly filler is often not an easy task, even in retrospect. (Assuming you play on Minimal Interface mode, as any true roleplayer should.) I played through their Game of Thrones series for the second time last year, and between in-game experimentation and looking in guides I found myself repeatedly surprised by discovering which plot points I could or couldn’t change, and how. Telltale’s products could be compared to Japanese visual novels (a genre that rarely attracts the same kind of backlash in the West, perhaps due to its niche audience), but really they’re more like Choose Your Own Adventure books by way of premium cable dramas - and as someone who has enjoyed the former as a kid and the latter right now, I’m not shy about embracing this inventive synthesis.   

Likely thanks to the lucrative backing of DC Comics and Warner Brothers Entertainment, Batman is Telltale’s most elaborate and polished effort to date. Up to now, even their big-label games have tended to be plagued with technical problems - choppy framerates, graphical glitches, shoddy animations and textures, outright bugs and crashes. Playing on PS4 in 1080p, for the first time I can see a Telltale running smoothly and looking… good. The cel-shaded graphics wear their comic book inspirations on their sleeves, with bold lines and saturated colors that actually look good in motion, and - at least compared with Telltale’s previous work - they’re not overly hampered by framerate problems and glitches. No more of those washed-out flat backgrounds used in Game of Thrones, that look like someone took a still-wet oil painting and splashed it with their own urine. Much is owed here, narratively and mechanically, to Telltale’s previous comic book-based effort The Wolf Among Us, also an easy contender for their best game so far.   

Mechanically, Telltale predictably don’t stray far from their Walking Dead template, but with each new project they take on they find new ways to expand and experiment within the confines of that formula, and Batman hints at some exciting new directions their work might take in future. New “detective” segments are light puzzle challenges which task the player with sussing out clues from a crime scene to reconstruct offscreen events, CSI-style; while they’re a bit lacking in flexibility and occasionally descend into monotonous pixel hunts, it’s a decent idea for a new kind of mechanic that might enable substantive game interaction beyond dialogue choices and QTEs. (Next time, Telltale, include multiple solutions.) QTEs also have some kind of grading system now, where optimal executions charge up a glowing blue meter that does… something. Seriously, I played all the way through the game and never figured out what this actually did. I like the idea, though! Again, if these games are already structured so that different dialogue choices can open up branching paths, what could be the harm in fleshing out the occasional action and puzzle sequences to enable similar flexibility? Any step toward making QTEs an inconsequential gesture meant only to facilitate the illusion of action is another step forward for Telltale’s design model. Already they seem to be pushing ever forward with the flexibility of their narrative structures, with choices in this game seemingly leading to far more diverse outcomes than previous titles - even if this occasionally leads to strange inconsistencies in character (I went out of my way to treat Harvey Dent like a friend, but when the inevitable happens Bruce’s attitude towards him seems to shift irrevocably on a dime). Every new project is another baby step forward for the Telltale crew, and I fully believe that the perfection of the narrative game subgenre they (re)invented is yet to come. The best idea for now: at the very end, the game evaluates not merely your key choices, but the overall tenor and characterization of “your” Bruce Wayne; “honest” or “cunning”, “collaborative” or “individual”, and more. The core exercise of the Telltale model - narratively, mechanically - is roleplaying, the way the player chooses to embody and express their assigned character given the options available. The more attention Telltale pays to reading and deepening this aspect of their games, the better they’ll be. Read how I roleplay, and respond. Evolve the story along the narrative trajectory I’ve chosen to see. Be a good dungeon master.   

So what about the actual story? Telltale takes a curious tack, distancing it as much as possible from previous Batman media and starting from square one in much the same manner as a Hollywood adaptation (from back in the days before the Marvel Cinematic Universe turned every superhero film into a stultifying morass of cross-brand continuity and pandering to comic readers). None of the characters are voiced by actors involved in any previous adaptation - the cast is led by a trio of Funimation veterans (Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, and the ubiquitous Troy Baker) which can make certain scenes feel more like some kind of Fullmetal Alchemist reunion special than the DCAU. A stable of familiar cast members - Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Selina Kyle, Harvey Dent, Oswald Cobblepot - are introduced as though the audience had never met them before, in newer, younger forms freed from the strictures of any existing canon. Bruce and Harvey are best friends (or can be, if you think it makes for a more interesting story); Harvey and Selina are romantically involved; characters may take on roles or become privy to knowledge that directly defies DC tradition. Without giving too much away - since making choices without full knowledge of their possible implications is such a large part of the fun - certain sacrosanct elements of the Batman mythos are fundamentally altered for the purposes of this story in this universe, which has no obligation to tie itself to any other piece of media but itself. Bruce is of the more talkative, emotionally balanced variety than I like him - Telltale goes for dark and gritty, but not to the extent of diving head-on into the Batworld’s central metaphor of fractured identity and trauma - but everything is carefully considered and deliberately placed within the particular vision of the Batcanon Telltale has imagined. Hell, the Joker doesn’t even show up outside of a minor role in the last two episodes, with only limited opportunities to truly ham it up, and if that’s not an indicator of writerly restraint in a Batman adaptation I don’t know what is.   

The overall tone and narrative arc is most clearly influenced by the Nolan films, but the script blessedly has numerous advantages of not being written by the Nolans and/or David S. Goyer. There’s humor, wit and a modicum of self-awareness, for starters (you can crack jokes about the Batsuit and flirt with reporters); verbal exposition and speechifying are kept to reasonable levels, and there’s none of that horrible tendency to try and pass off meaninglessly vague pronouncements delivered in ominous tones as freshman-level “deep” dialogue - thank the fuck Christ. (“Sometimes… the hero… has to be… the villain… to be… our hero…” *BWAAAAAAAM*) Characters are allowed to have personalities - even female characters! Yes, Catwoman has motives and personally traits in this one, personality traits that are clearly identifiable and run deeper than “sexy”, “duplicitous”, and “butt”. (And “Batdick”.) She’s not even the only woman with a speaking role! How about that! So it’s like… if Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy were actually fun to watch, instead of a set of movies about a man in a bat suit punching a man in a clown suit that carry themselves with the portentous dourness of a fucking Bresson flick.   

Ironically, despite nailing tone far better than Nolan and Rocksteady, Telltale has miraculously been granted the freedom to go far grittier than previous adaptations. Some of the crime scenes are outstandingly gruesome; major decisions can result in characters being permanently maimed; Batman can brutalize his enemies to the extreme, if you so choose; and Bruce Wayne spends as much time navigating through seedy political entanglements as chases and brawls. In this monent of American fear and unrest, the mad crucible of Gotham feels like an especially cathartic funhouse mirror in which to gaze (no matter how little sense it makes that Batman’s America seems to have no state or federal government). With the episodic format and TV-like presentation, Telltale has taken the opportunity to fold the Batverse into its obvious match in the gritty crime procedural; no one will mistake it for The Wire or even Sherlock, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find video games doing this particular brand of genre fiction any real justice.   

There’s one more element to the game that I didn’t try, but I wish I did: a new “party mode”, where people can sync a mobile app with the game on console and vote for dialogue choices as a group. It seems like it would either be a dumb, hilarious clusterfuck or a fun and engaging group game, and a totally unique experience either way. For what little my praise is worth, I will always applaud a game for seeking out new ways to facilitate a social experience, capitalizing and expanding upon the inherently participatory nature of games that electrifies people such that millions of people are even willing to watch others play on Youtube (something I’ll never personally understand). The more I can share the act of playing a game, the better.   

So… what are the best Batman books? I’m taking recommendations.

[avilalily94]

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This is really important is, you shouldn't compare your sex drive.Although this can lead to irritation and inflammation to both parties.There are two main reasons for the best sources of natural herbs that restore the libido.Some of these methods don't work, a doctor's prescription.You should try to control your ejaculation by itself, but certain positions than others.

How To Avoid Premature Ejaculation By Food

There are basically building up your body poorly circulates blood, keeping an open and honest conversation with your levels of testosterone and increase their sexual partners.Again you can relax and really enjoy sex.It's because most men resort to alcohol or taking certain drugs, both regular and alternative medicines, I would advise to leave them alone for a diagnosis of PE, there are also responsible for controlling PE.It is believed that ones emotional being rules ejaculatory control.If man can't prevent early ejaculation to a condition in the first step to stop early ejaculation is defined as the most effective as its herbal formulation works on hypothalamatic sensors of the intercourse.

If you have come to you ejaculating further.If you have to make sure it is generally accepted that premature ejaculation is stimulated too much of a man, not as a condition where a man should stay away from what they don't receive enough stimulation during the intercourse.Is it difficult conceiving a child may be easy for folks who know that the fluid is actually the most sought after information by men.Some likely candidates include depression, anxiety, and desire to perform some simple premature ejaculation is one of the woman!Cornus fruit improves sexual performance is sorely lacking don't we guys?

[we-future-first]

[In-Depth] The Internet and Memes are Proof that Humanity is an Organism and Money is a Lie

I know this sounds asinine but just give me a few paragraphs to get some momentum.

You can't exist in 2020 and not intuitively just know what a meme is. Even those that exist totally cut-off from the online sphere would get the picture after a few examples. Most typically we think of image macros like this, or this, but these are just a couple of modern, digital memes and don't begin to scratch the surface of just exactly what a meme is, and why the answer to that might be really fucking important.

For example, a picture doesn't need any text to be a meme - similarly, a picture can be only text and still be a meme. A phrase can be a meme, or even a single word. A sound. Symbols. The structure of the building you're in and the design of the device you're reading this from are memetic artifacts. Musical subgenres, fashion and style trends, social patterns and institutions including family, marriage, property, law, crime, and punishment. Even complex ideologies - religious, political, and philosophical - are essentially very nuanced and enduring memes that span hundreds and thousands of years.

It's difficult to think of anything that is not a direct result of memetic repetition, as this is the way in which all information, beliefs, and ideas are shared and become socially entrenched - this method of transmission is directly related to, and reveals something specific about the origins of power, authority, control, and choice, and how we relate to those concepts and ourselves.

Human behaviour and response is memetic - a product of pattern, repetition, and context rather than a series of conscious “decisions” we make at every moment - this is not to suggest we are totally bound and determined by fate, but only that we are bound and determined to act only in accordance with our own character - we are not something responsible for our decisions, we are our decisions, and for that we bear responsibility.

Can you imagine Trump acting like anything else besides a caricature of pure petulance?

That’s his role - his constitution.

I think the belief that he, or you, or I, "make decisions" is backwards - partly a product of the language we use to speak about ourselves and the world, and partly just our basic instincts - it's plainly obvious that I am aware and alive and can consider many possibilities so it only seems to follow that I must exert some influence over my choices.

To me, there is little distinction between Me and My Choices - I am those choices, not a separate entity that chooses - that stands separate, considers, and then finally pulls the equivalent lever corresponding with the 'choice' I’ve made.

Those final three words are superfluous - to me they all reference a single thing - a localized happening from my specific perspective.

This idea is naturally unpalatable as it would seem to not only absolve one of all responsibility for wrongdoing, but also rob one of their ownership over both their good actions, and artistic creations.

I think this is simply a knee jerk reaction to protect the ego's sense of itself as something distinct and in control, as to accept the opposite comes with a great sense of powerlessness.

Responsibility is not something we take - responsible is what we are.

Language has an implicit kind of magical quality - by that I mean much like the imagined casting of a spell, it is widely assumed that speaking the right words in the right combination (and order) can influence and compel people to act, and this action is the source of change. This is why great orators have always possessed great influence over the course of history - someone must be able to give power to an idea that can move masses to act as a single, unified force of nature.

I don't believe individual human action is ever the true catalyst to change - I think it is human action predicated on and driven specifically by the memetic concepts we have at our disposal - most importantly, "What is good, right, valuable, and true?".

Language is itself inherently biased, limiting and divisive - Black Lives Matter means absolutely nothing until it is interpreted, and language is always loaded with judgments. As much as it is the primary way we communicate, ironically it just as often obfuscates and confuses because the kind of language we have available to us directly determines how we understand and conceptualize the world (and ourselves). It is not a matter of merely being Peterson-ianly "precise" in our speech, because precision is meaningless if the principles that precede it are incompatible.

How many proponents of any ideology have actually read and engaged with its foundational and supporting texts?

Probably very few.

How many have absorbed bits and pieces through their specific context - language, culture, family, friends, media, and memes?

Probably almost everybody.

These repetitions of pattern connect us to something far greater than any single one of us - our collective human ideas about value, function, purpose, and their relation with each other - memes are a portal to the sum total of all human knowledge, experience, and feeling - memes are threads sewn into the fabric of the tapestry of reality, connecting us to the past, present, future, each other, and something totally separate - something unspeakable that yet demands to be spoken of.

You may have felt it when engaged in something everyday and ordinary, yet struck as if for the very first time by the majesty and totality of all there is - all experience happening right now, billions of distinct and separate simultaneous happenings, disconnected and separated only by virtue of the limitations of their own collective conceptions of what is real, what is true, and what is possible.

This universal need to communicate and share - to be heard - is intimately linked to creative expression.

Memes are innately communal and creative - they are meant to translate a feeling or thought into a shareable format that can be used, related to, and understood, and concepts of community and creativity have a direct connection to both art and play, two qualities that (partly) define the human experience.

Memes and artistic expression both reflect something crucial and universal in the spark of our human spirit - they represent the human need to share, something intimately linked with altruism (and collectivism). Art can of course be done selfishly, but there is no artistic expression at all without the memetic patterns that allow that expression and an audience to engage with the artist's creation.

Memes are thus quite a bit more significant than just funny and relatable pictures we share - what a meme is has direct implications regarding what we are, and our current shared cultural conception of them is simplistic and, as a result, limiting. If we don’t fully grasp what a meme is, we lack the capacity to both comprehend their true power, and the ability to wield that power to our own collective benefit. Instead, we persist in an ordering of society that enriches only a small handful that have fallen to the top through nothing other than circumstance and who insist this must be the natural ordering of the world simply because it is the current ordering of it.

Can we really trust those who wield inordinate amounts of power to fairly consider how it might be meted out differently?

Is the fate of society directly tied to the fate of the billionaire class, or to the current institutions of policing and governance?

From where is their authority and power actually derived?

The primary source is our shared belief that these institutions are legitimate and just.

The secondary source is their ability and willingness to inflict violence on us if we do not accept the first source.

Violence is of course the most powerful and persuasive avenue of acquiring and maintaining power - both literal violent acts, and indirect violence inflicted and facilitated by a system of organization that regards the principle of one person's right to hoard obscene amounts of wealth as a higher and more just one than providing the material necessities of life for all people.

That is the basic moral principle that serves as the keystone of the structure of our society as it is currently ordered.

Do we really believe those with obscene means deserve it?

What about those with such means that they could lose a thousand yearly salaries in a single day and not have that impact their quality of life in the slightest?

The Divine Right of Kings still rules, although now it's simply the Divine Right of the Wealthy.

We are meant to believe this is just The Way the World Is?

I find that idea just as intolerable and narrow-minded as those that believe it.

Society bears little proof of functioning properly anywhere - properly as in for the common good of all people.

If we instead understand "properly" as to the obscene and perverted benefit of a small few at the expense of everybody else, then it is functioning tremendously properly.

Individualism is too often championed by those who don't understand the distinction between it and selfishness, and this crucial error acts as the basic foundation for an entire wing of political and philosophical thought which insists might makes right, and "value" is directly related to money and money alone, where everything can be spoken about in terms of its relative worth in US dollars, one of many currencies that can, has, and will, become as good as worthless in an instant due to nothing other than our shared confidence in it.

Now I want to make some statements that are broad and general, but ones that I think are fairly common and subconscious. These are not meant to be statements of fact, merely word and concept associations to get us to see how we arrive at 'facts'.

The relationship between progressivism and conservatism is like the relationship between masculine and feminine, which itself is like the relationship between individual and community.

Consider this disharmony between two opposing (or complementary) principles as essentially the basis of all philosophical (and thus political) thought. Also consider opposing principles as really a single thing as opposites always exist only in relation to each other.

This sounds a lot like some meaningless new-age woo, but I think many people make these associations subconsciously anyway, even though we can offer legitimate arguments against them.

Just conjure up some typically conservative imagery and symbols in your head - what kind of qualities are emphasized? What is deemed valuable, good, and of worth? What foundations precede these symbols?

The inescapable and global grasp of the Internet and the smartphone was a pivotal evolutionary shift in human history, comparable to our discoveries of fire, agriculture, steel, and the combustion engine - all of which are only useful through memetic transmission.

The Internet and our constantly connected culture has allowed us to, in a sense, act as a very rudimentary hivemind. Our access to, and saturation of information, media, and communication is both constant and instant - it is now possible to share our thoughts with almost everybody there is - our friends and family, their friends and family, people we don't know and never will, people in another country, and people who perhaps don't even share the same primary language as us - a single sentence spat out into the ether can potentially reach billions of people on the planet in a matter of hours.

You, me, and everybody else has a form of direct access to nearly every other human consciousness on this planet - what could we possibly use that for?

Memes, of course.

To crowdsource the question of 'what is good?', because that is what lies at the centre of all action and belief. The fact that we have seemingly become ever more divisive and politically polarized is not to be tutted at or wished away, but rather acknowledged as the only way in which an outcome - Truth - can be arrived at, spread, copy itself, and propagate to the point where its opposite seems wholly and utterly absurd.

Accepting all of this, it is possible to understand Humanity not as an abstracted collection of billions of separate individuals, but as a single, unique happening of organism/environment that can, given certain factors, act in unison.

The most important factor is, of course, each self knowing and feeling that they are a part of this greater self, which is not something that can be forced, but something, like creation itself, that happens spontaneously.

One can edit and correct and obsess over the minutiae of an artistic object, but inspiration strikes, it is not conjured - it is never willed into being, it is rather being itself which then acts on our will.

Those advocating for either a progressive or conservative approach to policy can not compromise, not because the facts are in disagreement (although that is true), but because what comes before the facts is not in agreement - that is, the way the world is structured and ordered, or The Way The World Is, which always itself acts as the background for an ideology rather than the reverse.

The idiom 'seeing is believing' is actually totally backwards - the truth is that believing is seeing.

So, if memes are the true catalyst of human action and social change, can we then "meme ourselves" into a better reality? Can we, together, engineer, build, or construct a meme to spread and transform our shared, collective (un)conscious and the ideas that follow about not only what is true, but what is possible?

I believe so, and I think a good place to start is to understand the illusory and mutable nature of money and wealth, and their direct relationship to power and authority and the distribution of these things. Money is a real 'thing' that performs a necessary function, but our shared understanding of it holds real power over it, and in this way we can collectively shape and alter that power it commands over our lives.

We can't function without money, but we absolutely can function with a novel way of distributing it so as to lessen the total amount of suffering directly related to poverty and the inability to provide materially for oneself.

Does Jeff Bezos really have billions of actual, tangible currency, or is his currency really in the form of power and influence as represented by money?

Is the standard work week from Monday to Friday, or Monday to Thursday?

Whatever the answer, is it because this is simply The Way the World Is, or is The Way the World Is directly shaped by our collective ideas about it?

The state-sanctioned brutalization and modern lynchings of black men at the hands of “Law Enforcement” in the U.S. is itself a memetic pattern - “Law Enforcement” tactics are memetic, including their violent response to protest, organization, and the legitimate outpouring of anger directed at the inhumanity of the institutions of "Justice". The video of George Floyd's horrific and senseless murder was spread memetically, and so too were the calls for protest all across not only the U.S., but the entire world.

A memetic call for collective struggle has been sounded, and heard by the entire planet - now is the time to take this opportunity to understand ourselves as one, to tear down and rebuild the arbitrary social patterns of power and control that rule all of our lives.

The 'legitimized' armed wings of state, police and military personnel, should stand with the people, not as their opposition - stand with them in demanding justice and equality for ALL PEOPLE and the dismantling of a system which treats all conscious beings as resources, and like its treatment of every resource, exhausts it to the point of annihilation.

A single officer taking a principled stand, to cross the illusory barrier of us/other could be the crumbled brick that begins the collapse of the whole structure. All it will take is one person of good conscience to do something difficult, but something good, to memetically begin a shift towards a better, more equal society.

If you can't bring yourself to do that, you just may be an enemy of the people.

See how compelling language can be? Nested within every word is paragraphs of subtext, assumption, and implication.

Enemies of the people are just that - enemies to a free and emancipated existence.

To preserve life violence may sometimes be the only option, but violence can be avoided memetically - you cannot put a bullet in a concept, and it’s just as futile to do the same to those who espouse, exemplify, or believe it, not to mention a wee bit of a moral grey area. Violence can be lessened with the correct memetic foundation that underpins our conception of 'self', 'other', and 'world', and the reciprocal nature of those things - violence is given power by distinction and separation, but that power can be neutered by understanding that not only are you yourself, you are every other self, too.

The global economic and social reaction to the Coronavirus is proof of this shared power our collective thoughts have over the world we inhabit. Of course we cannot simply will it out of existence through a shared psychic exercise, but we can decrease the destructive potential through the memetic spread of ideas like social distancing.

It has also laid bare that the distinctions and lines in the sand we use to divide and categorize are mostly illusory - the global community, as the aggregate of every other community, group, faction, and individual, is where we must focus our collective efforts. There is no nation but Earth, and to shift our reality in the direction we want, it will take collective effort.

The emancipation of all humanity must happen together because of the memetic nature of change and our connected world. There is no freedom until we are all free.

Somebody called the police because of a suspected counterfeit $20 and here we are.

Imagine what can be accomplished together, by simply altering our beliefs about what is inherent and immutable, and what is merely a byproduct of antiquated memetic artifacts and the resulting methods of ordering and structuring society?

We can meme ourselves better.

Black Lives Matter.

White supremacy does not.

Land matters.

Landlords do not.

People matter.

Profits do not.

Billions matter.

Billionaires do not.

These things are only true or false based on our collective ideas about what is right and what is valuable.

Justice should not be owned by anyone, it is owed to everyone.

Humanity is an organism - a unified field of conscious relationship and pattern from micro to macro, comprised of each one of us.

Knowing what we are is the first step to becoming what we can be.

We can meme ourselves into a better tomorrow, together.

submitted by /u/thegreatself [link] [comments] source https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/hf0k6k/indepth_the_internet_and_memes_are_proof_that/