#its the core of human mind with animal features

[baby-xemnas]

i got a big sketch backlog i want to draw many 🐯🐻‍❄️ i havent gotten bored yet trust me dude

[billveusay]

Why I love mechas/real robots stories

In 2023, I played Armored Core 4, For Answer, and 6. And I loved them. On top of being incredible games, there was something about them... something that seemed to scratch an itch just right in some part of my brain I never noticed. A few months later, I got into Gundam and apparently loved it enough for it to become my biggest special interest ever. And for a while, I wondered why. I didn't like every gundam show/movie I watched but the ones I liked... seemed engaging beyond their individual quality. Something about them giant robots just works for me. And after giving it some thought, I think I finally nailed why.

Coldest take ever : there's something appealing about works of fiction that get crazy with scale. Larger than life, you could say, whether it's in terms of worldbuilding, action or aesthetics. Galaxy spanning civilizations are cool, huge armies are cool, big monsters are cool, big explosions are cool. However, for me at least, there's a threshold where the scale gets so big it becomes meaningless. This is why I kinda bounced off DBZ and 40k. Through no fault of theirs, mind you (DBZ is awesome and 40k... contains awesome stuff), they just weren't what I was looking for. Because most of the time, what makes stories click for me is immersion, so for the stories that go BIG it often means a human point of view to put the scale in perspective.

Now, this can be done in every genre or medium featuring large-scale setpieces, using their respective tools. For example, many action movies emphasize the size of their setpieces with grounded directing, filming at shoulder height looking up and making the big stuff break frame. However it's also baked in the very core of several genres. For example, it's a building block of Lovecraftian horror.

But not only is this contrast between human-sized and big as balls a large part of real robot stories, they also let the human-sized humans bust some big-ass balls. You can have fight scenes on par with Avengers or DBZ but inside the 20 meters tall death machine, there are relatable squishy dudes, which is an immediate +5 in investment for me.

However, this specific kind of appeal is a hard balance to strike. Super robot animes and superhero stories with giant piloted robots often don't have that tangible feel. But there are also pieces of media that lean harder on the "realism" aspect, and those tend not to work as well for me, because they don't give off the same sense of awe at seeing something incredible from a grounded POV. Real robot at its best is a bridge between immersive storytelling through human eyes and wild, massive concepts, setpieces and action. It also provides nice theming if your story is about humans being small in the face of overwhelming forces beyond their control, like war or capitalism. Funny how often that happens.

In Armored Core 6, the titular mechs are 10 meters tall, and they're mostly used to showcase how everything is even more bloody gigantic. There's a robot worm that's 1,5 km long, a walking mining ship boss that's 5 km long and 1 km tall, and if you're not familiar with it, just google "armored core vascular plant". In most games, this would probably pull me out of the story, but somehow it works here. Because despite only interacting with them through radio comms, the characters feel very believably human. With human feelings, motivations and relationships. Also, they did a great job making all the technology look and feel grounded, which helps the immersion. So er... yeah. Can you tell me if that made sense ? Or if I was just pointing out the obvious, because I genuinely can't tell. In any case, thanks for humoring me in this longexplanation of why I didn't watch Gurren Lagann. Cheers!

[raptorish]

On Sapience, Longing, and the Lack Thereof

Written by Max on August 12th, 2024.

So I was at Othercon 2024 this past weekend - and like many who attended, I came out the other side with a new piece of my identity to chew over. This essay is me chewing over my thoughts on archaeosapience, as it connects to my velociraptor paleotheriotype, and why I genuinely don’t feel like I fit the label.

One of the panels I attended and thoroughly enjoyed was “Not Humans, Still People: How Inhumanity Interacts with Personhood,” by Goratrix bani Tremere of the Draconic Wizard Workshop and Chaiya Askari-Vykos of the Treehouse System. During the panel, Goratrix and Chaiya argue that personhood is different from humanity, defining personhood as, essentially, sapience - the ability to understand oneself, to make rational choices, to comprehend the world in not only physical ways, but also the abstract and symbolic. All humans are people, but not all people are humans - nonhuman personhood is experienced by many, many alterhumans, and this is an important distinction to keep in mind.

Another panel I adored, presented by Sivaan of Candlekeep, was “Archaeosapience: To Awaken as Ancient in a Modern Age,” in which he discusses the label and the intricacies of his own experience as an archaeosapien. Once again, nonhuman sapience is a key feature here - as Sivaan writes in xyr coining essay, “[t]he “sapience” in archaeosapience exclusively refers to our awareness of our existence as ancient beings,” as opposed to an inherent connection with the species Homo sapiens. Archaeosapience does not require one to be human.

An archaeosapien is defined as “an individual whose alterhuman or nonhuman identity is intrinsically rooted in prehistory, antiquity or mythic accounts of history.” And funnily enough, here lies my personal disconnect with the term, even though I identify as a velociraptor - a prehistoric animal well known to be extinct. To experience archaeosapience requires personhood, requires sapience, an understanding of oneself as an ancient being. And this is one thing that my theriotype utterly lacks.

Now, I’m not saying that I lack sapience. I am a person, one who reads and writes and learns about the world around me. I also identify as human, separate but intertwined with my personhood, and my humanity is as important to me as my animality. Both of these core parts of myself contribute to where I stand today - as a prehistoric animal person who is, somehow, completely at home in modernity.

Throughout this essay, I’m going to refer to my raptor self in the third person - it thinks this, it wants that. I separate myself from my theriotype in this way because I do not feel like I’m myself in a mental shift. My raptorial mind is not a person, but an animal. It is incapable of understanding abstract concepts or philosophical thought, living in the physical world where it gets food, water, rest, shelter, and enrichment. This does not make it any lesser than my sapient mind - it does mean that it has a different way of understanding the world.

My raptor brain, the instinctual animal side, does not feel like it’s an animal from another era. It doesn’t even know what time is, beyond the regular cycles of day and night. It doesn’t understand common features of modern human society, like computers or elevators or money - not because those things didn’t exist back in prehistoric Asia, 75 million years ago, but because it’s an animal. I could be a gecko from the modern day and still feel the same mentally shifted apathy and confusion about the things I need to live day to day as a human being. The raptor doesn’t know or care about its status as a long-extinct relic, because as far as it’s concerned, it is alive and well, healthy and fed and comfortable in a house with people it knows.

In fact, my raptor brain doesn’t even feel attached to a habitat. Early on in my awakening, as someone who knows where velociraptors used to live in the spacetime continuum, I felt a sort of connection with deserts - I’d look at them and think, that’s like the place my species lived! This was the part of me who’s a person, putting a label to a place that I’ve never been, thinking fondly of it despite never having lived there.

The part of me that’s not a person, that knows nothing but pavement and grass and many-walled shelters keeping out the wind, looks at the desert and bristles with distaste. It doesn’t like the idea of being somewhere it doesn’t know, with sand and scorching sun and no food it knows how to catch. It knows its home territory, a place with cooling wooden floorboards and a comfortable nest of mattress and blankets and a cache of good food that never runs out, and it likes its territory. It doesn’t like the desert or understand the significance of it. It can’t comprehend the idea of wilderness enough to miss it. It doesn’t want to be wild and free, it wants to live in a building with air conditioning and clean freshwater from the sink.

As you can see, my raptor self is perfectly content to be a modern animal. How about my human self, the part of me that can think about my theriotype and know that it’s a prehistoric animal? Do I long for ancient deserts, grieve and yearn for a world I never experienced because I know it might have once been home?

Well… no. I don’t. For better or worse, my humanity feels inexorably linked to modernity, to cities, to technology. I can’t go anywhere or do anything without running into electronics. I use the internet every day of my life to learn, entertain, engage with the world around me. I couldn’t imagine living a life where I didn’t have it. There’s no disconnect from the modern day for me, no longing for the past - only the sense that I’m right where I want to be.

As a person, I’m content with where I am today. As an animal, a raptor can’t yearn for a time it has never lived.

[whencyclopedia]

Arapaho Creation Story

The Arapaho Creation Story is the account of how the world was made from the mud at the bottom of the endless waters by Father (also given as Pipe Person in some versions) with the help of the duck and the turtle. The story is similar to one of the versions of the Cheyenne Creation Story.

Eastern Painted Turtle

Greg Schechter (CC BY)

Both of these accounts are also similar to the Lakota Sioux Creation Story as well as those of other Native American nations, many of which begin with the world as a great expanse of water and feature a central character – usually supernatural – who brings the earth into being with the help of waterfowl or the turtle. The Arapaho tale is also similar to that of the Cheyenne and others in that there is no mention of the concept of 'evil' or corruption. The Father, inspired by the Grandfather above, creates a perfect world, completely in balance. Any aspects of life humans will later find objectionable are entirely so because of their interpretation, not because of any flaws in the creation itself.

In some versions of the story, the Grandfather is the Creator God Be He Teiht (the Great Spirit) and Father (or Pipe Person) is understood as the First Arapaho, meaning the spirit of the Arapaho people, not the first man. In other versions, Father seems to be the Creator God and Grandfather is not mentioned or the Father figure goes by the name of Flat Pipe or, as noted, Pipe Person. There are also variations in how humans, plants, and animals are made in different versions, but, in all, the world is created for the greater good and its inhabitants, all related as family, are expected to share it generously with each other.

Versions of the Story & Arapaho Religion

These different versions of the Arapaho Creation Story are all fragmented and some incomplete because they were passed down through oral transmission by the people's storytellers, and so many of these were killed by US troops and settlers in the latter part of the 19th century – in conflicts such as the Sand Creek Massacre – or died of diseases or malnutrition on reservations that the story was almost lost completely. The best-known and most complete version comes from Traditions of the Arapaho by George A. Dorsey and Alfred L. Kroeber in 1903, given below.

In this version of the tale, after the duck and turtle have brought up the primordial mud, Father creates the earth and then the sun and moon before creating humans out of clay. In another version, he accomplishes this through prayer-thought – purposeful thought generating change – and literally thinks the world into being. All things, therefore, come from the mind of the Father, and are all closely related. This is a core belief of Arapaho spirituality – the close connection of all living things that inhabit the World House together. In the World House, every living thing is a brother or sister and all children of the same Father. This belief informed Arapaho rituals, including the Sun Dance, as well as the "medicine" objects (spiritual artifacts) the people carried. Scholar Loretta Fowler comments:

the Arapaho origin story focuses on Pipe Person's creation of the earth from mud below the surface of an expanse of water. Pipe Person, through prayer-thought, created all life, including the first Arapahos. Arapahos henceforth kept a replica of the Flat Pipe as a symbol of their covenant with the life force or power on which Pipe Person drew. Rites centered on the pipe bundle helped ensure the success of Arapahos generally and of individuals specifically. Seven men's and seven women's medicine bags contained objects and implements that symbolized forms of power, and these passed from one custodian to another. Prayer-thoughts could affect events and lives, and the sincerity of a petitioner's prayer-thought was validated by sacrifices of property or of the body by flesh offerings and fasting. (1)

Although the Arapaho observed the Sun Dance, they did not engage in the self-torture aspect of that ritual as the Sioux and other Plains Indians did. The "flesh offerings" Fowler mentions would be sacrifices of an individual nature, though still performed for the greater good. The Sun Dance was known as the Offerings Lodge to the Arapaho and, instead of self-torture, they would donate personal items or space (land) to the community. The flat pipe was (and still is) central to the Offerings Lodge ceremony – as it is to other Arapaho rituals – as it symbolizes their connection to the Creator just as the Sioux ceremonial pipe does to that nation. When the Arapaho separated into Northern and Southern, and were then forcibly relocated to reservations, the Northern Arapaho kept the flat pipe with them, and the Southern Arapaho kept the sacred stones symbolizing the pipe. These are still used in rituals today.

Native American Sun Dance

Jules Tavernier and Paul Frenzeny (Public Domain)

In yet another version of the Arapaho Creation Story, this one incomplete, the flat pipe is featured prominently. In this tale, the Creator God is known as Flat Pipe and he walks about on the endless water with his pipe (a flat pipe) looking for some place where he can safely rest it. His entire purpose in creating the world is for a place to securely rest the pipe because, from this pipe, he will draw the power to begin the work of creation. He appeals to a flock of ducks flying past and they dive down into the water for him, bringing up some mud. This is not enough to create land from, however, and so he then asks various other creatures for help. One by one, they dive into the deep, six times, but none of them are able to reach the bottom. The seventh time, the turtle goes and brings back the right amount of mud for creation to begin.

Although the name of the main character and certain details differ in these versions, the central message remains the same: as all things were brought forth by the Creator, all are related to each other as family. One should therefore treat the earth, plants, animals, and others as kindly as one would one's own blood relatives because, in fact, that is what they all are.

Continue reading...

[kanguin]

Hi, idk who's going to see this post or whatnot, but I had a lot of thoughts on a post I reblogged about AI that started to veer off the specific topic of the post, so I wanted to make my own.

Some background on me: I studied Psychology and Computer Science in college several years ago, with an interdisciplinary minor called Cognitive Science that joined the two with philosophy, linguistics, and multiple other fields. The core concept was to study human thinking and learning and its similarities to computer logic, and thus the courses I took touched frequently on learning algorithms, or "AI". This was of course before it became the successor to bitcoin as the next energy hungry grift, to be clear. Since then I've kept up on the topic, and coincidentally, my partner has gone into freelance data model training and correction. So while I'm not an expert, I have a LOT of thoughts on the current issue of AI.

I'll start off by saying that AI isn't a brand new technology, it, more properly known as learning algorithms, has been around in the linguistics, stats, biotech, and computer science worlds for over a decade or two. However, pre-ChatGPT learning algorithms were ground-up designed tools specialized for individual purposes, trained on a very specific data set, to make it as accurate to one thing as possible. Some time ago, data scientists found out that if you have a large enough data set on one specific kind of information, you can get a learning algorithm to become REALLY good at that one thing by giving it lots of feedback on right vs wrong answers. Right and wrong answers are nearly binary, which is exactly how computers are coded, so by implementing the psychological method of operant conditioning, reward and punishment, you can teach a program how to identify and replicate things with incredible accuracy. That's what makes it a good tool.

And a good tool it was and still is. Reverse image search? Learning algorithm based. Complex relationship analysis between words used in the study of language? Often uses learning algorithms to model relationships. Simulations of extinct animal movements and behaviors? Learning algorithms trained on anatomy and physics. So many features of modern technology and science either implement learning algorithms directly into the function or utilize information obtained with the help of complex computer algorithms.

But a tool in the hand of a craftsman can be a weapon in the hand of a murderer. Facial recognition software, drone targeting systems, multiple features of advanced surveillance tech in the world are learning algorithm trained. And even outside of authoritarian violence, learning algorithms in the hands of get-rich-quick minded Silicon Valley tech bro business majors can be used extremely unethically. All AI art programs that exist right now are trained from illegally sourced art scraped from the web, and ChatGPT (and similar derived models) is trained on millions of unconsenting authors' works, be they professional, academic, or personal writing. To people in countries targeted by the US War Machine and artists the world over, these unethical uses of this technology are a major threat.

Further, it's well known now that AI art and especially ChatGPT are MAJOR power-hogs. This, however, is not inherent to learning algorithms / AI, but is rather a product of the size, runtime, and inefficiency of these models. While I don't know much about the efficiency issues of AI "art" programs, as I haven't used any since the days of "imaginary horses" trended and the software was contained to a university server room with a limited training set, I do know that ChatGPT is internally bloated to all hell. Remember what I said about specialization earlier? ChatGPT throws that out the window. Because they want to market ChatGPT as being able to do anything, the people running the model just cram it with as much as they can get their hands on, and yes, much of that is just scraped from the web without the knowledge or consent of those who have published it. So rather than being really good at one thing, the owners of ChatGPT want it to be infinitely good, infinitely knowledgeable, and infinitely running. So the algorithm is never shut off, it's constantly taking inputs and processing outputs with a neural network of unnecessary size.

Now this part is probably going to be controversial, but I genuinely do not care if you use ChatGPT, in specific use cases. I'll get to why in a moment, but first let me clarify what use cases. It is never ethical to use ChatGPT to write papers or published fiction (be it for profit or not); this is why I also fullstop oppose the use of publicly available gen AI in making "art". I say publicly available because, going back to my statement on specific models made for single project use, lighting, shading, and special effects in many 3D animated productions use specially trained learning algorithms to achieve the complex results seen in the finished production. Famously, the Spider-verse films use a specially trained in-house AI to replicate the exact look of comic book shading, using ethically sources examples to build a training set from the ground up, the unfortunately-now-old-fashioned way. The issue with gen AI in written and visual art is that the publicly available, always online algorithms are unethically designed and unethically run, because the decision makers behind them are not restricted enough by laws in place.

So that actually leads into why I don't give a shit if you use ChatGPT if you're not using it as a plagiarism machine. Fact of the matter is, there is no way ChatGPT is going to crumble until legislation comes into effect that illegalizes and cracks down on its practices. The public, free userbase worldwide is such a drop in the bucket of its serverload compared to the real way ChatGPT stays afloat: licensing its models to businesses with monthly subscriptions. I mean this sincerely, based on what little I can find about ChatGPT's corporate subscription model, THAT is the actual lifeline keeping it running the way it is. Individual visitor traffic worldwide could suddenly stop overnight and wouldn't affect ChatGPT's bottom line. So I don't care if you, I, or anyone else uses the website because until the US or EU governments act to explicitly ban ChatGPT and other gen AI business' shady practices, they are all only going to continue to stick around profit from big business contracts. So long as you do not give them money or sing their praises, you aren't doing any actual harm.

If you do insist on using ChatGPT after everything I've said, here's some advice I've gathered from testing the algorithm to avoid misinformation:

If you feel you must use it as a sounding board for figuring out personal mental or physical health problems like I've seen some people doing when they can't afford actual help, do not approach it conversationally in the first person. Speak in the third person as if you are talking about someone else entirely, and exclusively note factual information on observations, symptoms, and diagnoses. This is because where ChatGPT draws its information from depends on the style of writing provided. If you try to be as dry and clinical as possible, and request links to studies, you should get dry and clinical information in return. This approach also serves to divorce yourself mentally from the information discussed, making it less likely you'll latch onto anything. Speaking casually will likely target unprofessional sources.

Do not ask for citations, ask for links to relevant articles. ChatGPT is capable of generating links to actual websites in its database, but if asked to provide citations, it will replicate the structure of academic citations, and will very likely hallucinate at least one piece of information. It also does not help that these citations also will often be for papers not publicly available and will not include links.

ChatGPT is at its core a language association and logical analysis software, so naturally its best purposes are for analyzing written works for tone, summarizing information, and providing examples of programming. It's partially coded in python, so examples of Python and Java code I've tested come out 100% accurate. Complex Google Sheets formulas however are often finicky, as it often struggles with proper nesting orders of formulas.

Expanding off of that, if you think of the software as an input-output machine, you will get best results. Problems that do not have clear input information or clear solutions, such as open ended questions, will often net inconsistent and errant results.

Commands are better than questions when it comes to asking it to do something. If you think of it like programming, then it will respond like programming most of the time.

Most of all, do not engage it as a person. It's not a person, it's just an algorithm that is trained to mimic speech and is coded to respond in courteous, subservient responses. The less you try and get social interaction out of ChatGPT, the less likely it will be to just make shit up because it sounds right.

Anyway, TL;DR:

AI is just a tool and nothing more at its core. It is not synonymous with its worse uses, and is not going to disappear. Its worst offenders will not fold or change until legislation cracks down on it, and we, the majority users of the internet, are not its primary consumer. Use of AI to substitute art (written and visual) with blended up art of others is abhorrent, but use of a freely available algorithm for personal analyticsl use is relatively harmless so long as you aren't paying them.

We need to urge legislators the world over to crack down on the methods these companies are using to obtain their training data, but at the same time people need to understand that this technology IS useful and both can and has been used for good. I urge people to understand that learning algorithms are not one and the same with theft just because the biggest ones available to the public have widely used theft to cut corners. So long as computers continue to exist, algorithmic problem-solving and generative algorithms are going to continue to exist as they are the logical conclusion of increasingly complex computer systems. Let's just make sure the future of the technology is not defined by the way things are now.

[from-a-legends-pov]

Star Wars Legends Highlight of the Week: Honor Among Thieves by James S. A. Corey

This is a new feature where a fan will share one thing they love from Star Wars Legends – a book, a comic, an author, a character, an event, or anything else they want to highlight – and tell us more about it.

If you, too, love Legends, follow @from-a-legends-pov and check out our upcoming Star Wars Legends fanfiction event, From a Legends Point of View, HERE. Signups open April 28 - please encourage your favorite Star Wars writers to participate!

Today’s highlight is Honor Among Thieves by James S. A. Corey (actually the pen name of writing team Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, whom you may recognize as the writers of The Expanse), a 2014 Legends novel, and we’re talking with Dessi (@otterandterrier).

Tell us about your Legends highlight. What is it? What’s it about?

Honor Among Thieves is the second novel in the Empire and Rebellion duology (the first one being Razor’s Edge, a previous Legends highlight), and one of the last books published in the Legends universe by Del Rey. This book is Han’s story, and is told entirely from his POV.

The story is set about a year after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and our heroes start off scattering through the galaxy in their respective missions. Han and Chewie are sent to the Core to retrieve Scarlet Hark, a high-level spy who is after a thief in possession of secret, deadly information stolen from under the Empire’s (and her) nose – and that the Empire is willing to do anything to get back. Han doesn’t want to get involved, as this is way above his paycheck. But then he realizes that Leia is at a gathering on Kiamurr, the very same planet their thief is headed to, which means the Empire will be hot on his heels. That makes up his mind about helping Scarlet get there first!

The plot is quite the wild goose chase, and you have to suspend your sense of disbelief many times and forget specialized bits of lore in order to buy it. Even so, it’s really fun and gripping, and I appreciate the way that the main conflict is used to give us excellent insight into our favourite smuggler’s mind.

What makes this a Legends highlight for you? What do you love about it?

This is one of my favourite Legends books, because I love Han Solo. I love the intensely caring, occasionally dorky, bad at flirting, barely concealing a soft interior Han Solo that somehow we were fortunate enough to get in the Original Trilogy and, somehow, so many people missed. And that’s the Han Solo we get here! I love getting to see the narrative peeling off his self-admitted layers, contemplating his involvement with the rebellion, his new relationships, and the man he could have been had circumstances not put him on the path of an old Jedi and an idealistic farmboy, by setting up a contrast with an old acquaintance that shows up. We also get to see how competent and clever he really is, something that is often neglected.

Favorite moment or scene?

There’s this scene where the group is walking through a jungle, and a character is about to shoot at a large mud creature that scared her—but Han stops her. He explains that the creature is harmless, then he pats its snout and tells it to look out for humans. Leia calls him an animal lover, to which Han replies: “If everyone got to kill anything that looked big and scary, Chewie would never be able to leave the ship.” I love this little moment because it shows that soft, caring, yet practical side of Han that not many people get to see, and it’s also a nice moment of connection between Han and Leia. Han’s concern over creatures that are “just trying to make it through another day” also gets called back towards the end, rounding off Han’s overall spot-on characterization—although that’s all I can say without spoiling the book.

Anything else you’d like to share about it?

A few other reasons I love this book:

It develops Han and Leia’s early relationship: as a shipper, the UST and the moments of deeper understanding between them here make me squeal. We see Leia through Han’s eyes and beyond his façade, and how he goes from “I can’t stand her�� to “I will kill anyone who tries to hurt her.”

Scarlet Hark FTW: This OC is a bit of a perfect male fantasy, but I like her a lot. Intelligent, badass, take-no-shit female character? Yes please! I particularly love that she and Leia get along so well and it’s never a competition between them. She’s a really interesting character to explore, and I’d love to see the OT gang teaming up with her again.

Han and Luke’s relationship isn’t forgotten: I really appreciate that the authors gave this friendship the importance it deserves, with Han thinking several times that he’s sticking with the Rebellion mainly to look after Luke (which is a better motivation than him staying because he wants to sleep with Leia).

To learn more…

If you’d like to read more about Honor Among Thieves, you can check out its page on Wookieepedia or find the novel at your favorite library or used bookstore (like Razor’s Edge, it seems to be out of print for new copies, sadly).

And be sure to check out @from-a-legends-pov and our From a Legends Point of View fanfiction event; as another reminder, signups open April 28, 2024!

[adetolasblog]

Sapphire Hopes

Chapter 1

An OC story

Note: I hopped on the bandwagon of black magical girls with PPIDWBAMG. Lantern corps were always magical girl core to me anyways, so why not merge the two?

LOOSELY based on the comics. I haven't read them in a while...

Trigger warnings: sparkles, frills, bows and a whole lot of magical girl speak.

Mostly dialogue

All characters besides my oc belong to DC comics.

Horribly ooc

"So, you're saying with this ring i can fly and create constructs?"

"yep"

"and its powered by hope?"

"Mh-hm"

"And im now a space cop?"

"Something like that"

"But i need a green ring to supercharge it and unlock all its features like using a paid app for free, where you can technically do stuff on it, but its basically useless unless you pay for it?"

".... Pretty much"

"This is just like a magical girl anime. Can i name myself? I'd like to be called 'Cure Hope'!"

"Nope, sorry, you can't do that. You're a blue lantern. That's it."

"Bummer"

"you're taking this surprisingly well."

"Yeah, well, I dont think my brain has completely registered all this as real yet."

"Its alot to take in. I get it."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"Oh, haha. No, but seriously. Why are you teaching me about blue lanterns when you're a green lantern?"

"Because I'm the only human so far who has been a blue lantern."

"Oh. How do they choose who to... Y'know."

"They stalk you for a while, test you to see your hope level. You apparently passed with flying colours since you have a ring now."

"So why couldn't my stalkers come teach me this stuff. No offense."

"None taken. I would be confused too. To be honest, I don't exactly know."

"So I'm a superhero now?"

"If you want to be."

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Oh, shoot! I have a lecture in 10 minutes! Im gonna be late! I have to go now, Thanks Mr. Rayner! See you whenever!"

Ireti said hurriedly, dropping some notes on the table and dashing out of the cafe. She was so glad they were on campus and near where her next lecture was located. Metropolis City University was unnecessarily huge for no reason. It took forever to get from one place to another.

She made it to the lecture hall just on time, before her professor came in. She plopped down in her seat, opened up her laptop and prepared for class. Eventually her professor came in and began teaching, but her mind was elsewhere. It seemed to be finally sinking in. She was specifically chosen by aliens to be a space cop and had a free trial-type ring that only unlocked full power when a green lantern was in the vicinity.

She sighed, examining the details of the ring. It was pretty, she had to give it that. Though, she looked better in warmer colours. Was she gonna be a washed out looking superhero/space cop?!

She was about an hour into the lecture, taking as many notes as she could when she felt a buzzing sensation. At first she thought it was her phone that she was holding, but after dropping her phone, she realized.

It was the ring.

She excused herself from the class and made her way to the restrooms where she locked herself in a stall

"Now," she wondered. "How do I answer?"

She tried pressing it, prodding it poking it, but to no avail. Nothing happened. This was getting frustrating. She sighed angrily as she tried to get the buzzing st stop. Finally it stopped and a holographic image shone from it.

"Do you usually take so long to pick up your calls?"

"Sorry, Mr. Rayner, I didn't know how to pick up. I don't even know what I did.."

"Nevermind that, we have a mission. The perfect opportunity to learn to use your powers. Meet me at the park."

He hung up before she could say anything in reply. She heaved another sigh. Now she had to get to the park? She wasn't liking this hero work, and she hadn't even started yet.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Julian Adorney, Mark Johnson, and Geoff Laughton

Published: Jan 10, 2025

Many critics, including several featured in these pages, have been actively combating Social Justice Fundamentalism (SJF) at the intellectual level. This is vital and necessary work.

However, people rarely adopt ideologies solely because they find them intellectually compelling. As social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explains in The Righteous Mind, “Intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second.” What this means is that we often embrace ideologies because they appeal to us on a psychological level, and we then use reason to justify the beliefs we already desire to have. Haidt notes that our moral reasoning is “a skill we humans evolved to further our social agendas—to justify our own actions and to defend the teams we belong to.” He warns that our stated reasons for holding certain beliefs are “mostly post hoc constructions made up on the fly, crafted to advance one or more strategic objectives.”

Haidt’s insights prompt a crucial question: If intellectual arguments fail to address the core reasons people are drawn to SJF, what other strategies might effectively counter this ideology at a deeper level?

Addressing this question is vital, given the numerous negative impacts of SJF ideology on society.

Firstly, SJF is detrimental to the state of science. Science is supposed to be about advancing the frontiers of human knowledge and seeking truth. However, when peer-reviewed papers describe how participants waded into the waters of the Great Salt Lake to marry brine shrimp (no, really) and then “ma[de] love to the lake,” it’s hard to see how this advances science’s noble goals. When academic papers suggest that infants are inherently “queer” and proceed to sexualize them, science’s goal is being bastardized. When SJF scientists argue in a paper on HIV transmissions that we ought to normalize “barebacking” (having sex without condoms), they risk doing immense harm to at-risk populations. When scholars receive advanced degrees and professorships by publishing such nonsense, it is bad for the academy, which plays a vital role in creating and disseminating knowledge.

SJF ideology also has harmful effects on our social norms. It is bad when prominent scholars advocate for bestiality (the sexual abuse of animals) or when scholars like Michel Foucault, the grandfather of Social Justice Fundamentalism, support the sexual abuse of small children. Similarly, it is harmful when psychiatrists present lectures titled “The Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind,” which move us away from the goal of racial integration towards judging people by their immutable characteristics. While no culture is perfect and in any given culture some social norms may need to evolve, many SJF ideologues want to take a sledgehammer to the foundations of our society because they assume that all social norms—even those against sexually abusing children—are premised on racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.

SJF, despite the noble intentions of many of its followers, lends itself to divisiveness. It lumps people (generally inaccurately) into either an “oppressor” or “oppressed” group, and frequently scapegoats or torments members of the group it has deemed the oppressors.

This divisiveness is partly due to Social Justice Fundamentalists exhibiting a high level of self-reported empathy. But empathy is inherently selective. As Paul Bloom, a professor of psychology at Yale, argues in Against Empathy, “Empathy is a spotlight focusing on certain people in the here and now.” This spotlight is bright but narrow; just as it bathes a couple of people in light, it casts everyone else in deeper darkness. Bloom points out that empathy “makes us care more about [the people we empathize with],” but it also renders us “blind…to the suffering of those we do not or cannot empathize with.”

In an ideology that divides the world into oppressors and oppressed, hyper empathy for the latter can coincide with���and even foster—remarkable indifference or even callousness toward anyone seen as part of the former group. This explains why many SJFs responded with glee to the murder of an insurance CEO earlier this month. Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz remarked that she felt “celebratory” about the murder. Why? Because “If you have watched a loved one die because an insurance conglomerate denied their life-saving treatment as a cost-cutting measure, yes, it’s natural to wish that the people who run such conglomerates would suffer the same fate.” When you lay all the world’s problems at the feet of a certain group of people, it becomes easy to root for the pain and suffering of those people.

This divisive narrative extends to immutable characteristics as well. For many SJFs, an individual’s value depends on factors like skin color and sex. Saria Rao and Regina Jackson dedicate their book, White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism And How to Do Better, to “all Black, Indigenous, brown, and non-white girls, women, and non-binary identifying folks who are sick and tired of white women’s bullshit.” A piece in the Washington Post suggested that black and white women could never be friends because the author, a black women, didn’t trust white women on principle. Another Washington Post article put it even more bluntly: “I Refuse to Listen to White Women Cry.” Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) recently posted on X, “Dear White People, I don’t know why I feel the need to keep talking to you.”

SJF allows its adherents make pariahs of entire groups based solely on immutable characteristics.

This same story can be seen in our politics. In the Huffington Post, Andrea Tate describes how her sympathy for the (so-called) “oppressed” people, potentially harmed by a Trump presidency, led her to act with cruelty and callousness towards her Trump-supporting husband and his family. On X, a post by John Pavlovitz garnered 72,000 likes when he declared, “I will never forgive my family members and former friends for voting for him [Trump]. Never.” Empathy toward one group can result in callousness and cruelty toward another. These strains of SJF are deeply divisive.

Moreover, SJF ideology can negatively impact the mental health of its staunch supporters. A survey by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which examined the mental health and politics of 55,102 students across 254 schools, found a clear correlation: the further left a student leaned politically, the poorer their self-reported mental health.

One possible reason for this correlation might be the divisiveness of the ideology itself: a belief system that promotes cruelty and hostility toward opposing groups likely harms the mental health of its followers. Another reason might be the prevalence of a victimhood-focused worldview with little emphasis on personal agency among many SJFs. In their book Is Everyone Really Equal?, Robin DiAngelo and Özlem Sensoy use the metaphor of a birdcage to suggest that marginalized people cannot advance in society. In this metaphor, each problem is one bar on a cage, locking the person in an inescapable situation. This ideology encourages an external locus of control, suggesting that society is structured to oppress marginalized groups, and that these people can never overcome this oppression. However, fostering an external locus of control is terrible for our mental health, as it instills upon us the belief that our problems are insurmountable and our lives can never improve.

This ideology has even infected many therapists, who ought to know better than to inculcate feelings of helplessness in their clients. As professor of psychiatry Mark L. Ruffalo told us:

There are some therapists who simply see their patients as passive recipients of experience who make no active contributions to, and have no responsibility for, their ongoing life problems. This approach aligns neatly with ideologies that cultivate a certain victim mentality--the idea that all or most of life's problems are due to external forces: society, the economy, various social ills, etc.

The most prominent strains of SJF ideology appear to exacerbate societal issues and harm their adherents.

For all of these reasons, it is essential that we do more to tackle this ideology. Simply refuting its principles intellectually, although necessary, is not sufficient. We must understand at a deeper level the reasons why people are drawn to SJF ideology in the first place.

Fortunately, talented scholars have already explored much of this terrain. In A Time to Build, Yuval Levin discusses the allure of this ideology:

...the activists are motivated by their commitment to an orthodoxy backed by powerful moral imperatives. They see their struggle as on behalf of the oppressed against oppressors…Their aim, as they understand it themselves, is not to crush dissent or dominate society, let alone to relativize the core philosophical underpinnings of the West. It is to combat the systematic, structural mistreatment of oppressed groups and to recognize their distinct experiences and challenges. As they perceive it, they act on behalf of justice…They implicitly seek to cleanse and to redeem society through acts of performative outrage against oppression and various forms of calling out oppressors. …this can be very powerful. The culture of activism in the university exposes students, often for the first time, to the argument that there exists a pervasive structure of social oppression in our society and simultaneously gives them means to address that injustice. It offers an entire moral system to students who feel as though society at large offers them no other such framework that they can respect.

Essentially, SJF offers its adherents a clear morality play—hero versus villain—and equips them with the tools to become (at least in their own minds) the hero. It provides meaning, purpose, and an organizing worldview, all of which are currently in short supply in the West these days. In short, it connects with its adherents on levels far deeper than mere intellect.

As April Lawson, a board member at Braver Angels, puts it:

A vacuum has opened up in campus moral culture—and in moral culture in America writ large—such that the vision offered by the social justice leaders is speaking to a deeply felt hunger. The movement’s ferocity comes from this hunger, and until we find other ways to speak to it, we will find that measured, logical rejoinders à la “I agree with you that racism is a problem, I just think your way of addressing it is counterproductive” will fall on deaf ears.

So, what alternatives can we offer to replace the ideology of SJF in people’s lives? We propose an ideology of unity and pro-humanism. We can affirm the fundamental truth that ideas, words, and actions may be worthy of condemnation, but no human being should ever be condemned. We can adopt and uphold the following mantra:

“I may disagree with what you say; I may even take action to limit your ability to harm other people; but I will never stop loving you as my brother or sister.”

This ideology is not a case of empty “anything-goes” moral relativism. It permits robust disagreement and the prosecution of criminals. The one thing it does not permit is the debasement of our fellow humans. We can attack peoples’ ideas and lock up violent criminals to protect the rest of society from them. However, when opposing a person’s ideas or actions, we must always maintain a profound love for the individual.

This pro-human ideology is the ideology of Pauli Murray, a queer-identifying black episcopal priest who proclaimed in 1945 that, “When my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them. When they speak out for the privileges of a puny group, I shall shout for the rights of all mankind.” It is also the ideology of Martin Luther King Jr., who reminded his followers of Jesus’ words: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you.”

It is the ideology of Daryl Davis, a black musician who has convinced hundreds of Klansmen to abandon the Klan simply by being willing to see their humanity beneath their noxious beliefs. It is the ideology of Jamie Winship, a counterterrorism expert who has guided thousands of militant extremists to lay down their weapons and find peace by recognizing the shining human soul beneath the grime of their worst words and actions.

This ideology isn’t merely a nice-sounding idea. Every spiritual tradition worth its salt teaches the infinite value of every human being. Jesus encouraged his followers to love their neighbors as themselves. Indian-American spiritual teacher Prem Rawat emphasizes the need for every individual to recognize “the value and the preciousness of [their] existence.” Author Eckhart Tolle teaches that “we’re all one” and that “The recognition of the other as yourself in essence…is true love.”

Importantly, while these traditions are traditionally spiritual, there is nothing in their teachings inherently incompatible with a secular or materialist worldview.

This ideology has far more to offer than an intellectual refutation of the core tenets of SJF. It taps into the same hunger for meaning, purpose, and an organizing worldview that SJF ideology does. It invites us to become heroes by acknowledging the radiant worth of our fellow humans. It also fosters a sense of connectedness that is sorely lacking in our culture of atomized individualism.

In practice, this ideology looks very different from the expressions of SJF that we have discussed. Whereas SJF ideology often manifests as cruelty and callousness towards the outgroup of the day, pro-humanism looks like a rediscovery of the Golden Rule. It manifests as practicing safe sex, driven by genuine concern for one’s own health and that of both current and future partners. It looks like mourning the death of a fellow human, even if he worked in an industry that we dislike. It looks like sitting down at the kitchen table with people who disagree with us, understanding that differing policies do not diminish their worthiness of love.

On a larger scale, it looks like the Civil Rights Movement. This pro-human ideology offers the same morality, force, and sense of unity, providing a platform to stand together against injustice and oppression, as demonstrated by the millions of Americans of all races and ethnicities united by the firm belief that we are all our brother’s keeper.

If we can demonstrate the value of this ideology to SJFs, we can deal the most toxic strains of SJF ideology a crippling blow—which would be good not only for society but also for the Fundamentalists themselves.

[satoshi-mochida]

ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist adds PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, and PC versions; launches in Early Access for PC on March 25

From Gematsu

ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights sequel ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist will launch in Early Access for PC via Steam on March 25, followed by a full release across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC at a later date, publisher Binary Haze Interactive and developers Live Wire and Adglobe announced. The PlayStation, Xbox Series, and PC versions are newly announced—the 2D action adventure RPG was originally announced for Switch on February 21.

The Early Access release will feature one village and the first four areas of the game, with unique enemies and bosses in each area, characters that can become allies in each areas, the core actions and skills of the main gameplay, skill enhancement and shop mechanics, and various optional features. More areas, unique enemies, player actions, and bosses, as well as enriched game mechanics and story elements will be added throughout Early Access. It is planned to remain in Early Access for approximately six months to one year depending on user feedback.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

Decades after the events of ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights, Homunculi—sorrowful, artificial life forms—roam the land. In this dark fantasy Metroidvania, face formidable enemies and explore a bewitching post-apocalyptic world. Humans and Homunculi—what awaits at the end of the quest for their salvation?

Story

Set in the Land of Fumes, this prosperous magical superpower is home to vast quantities of magical resources lurking underneath the surface. In hopes of advancing their kingdom’s development, artificial life forms known as Homunculi came into being. Regrettably, toxic Fumes from the underground drove the Homunculi to madness, turning them into feral monsters. You play as Lilac, an “Attuner” who possesses the power to save the Homunculi. Upon waking, you find yourself in a laboratory deep in the underground. There, you will become acquainted with the Homunculi closely involved in the kingdom’s downfall. Together with the Homunculi, set out in search of your lost memories and precious friends in the Land of Fumes. Follow the journey of destruction and rebirth in a post-apocalyptic world, decades after the disastrous Rain of Death.

Scenario

ENDER MAGNOLIA is a dark fantasy 2D side-scrolling action RPG where you venture through the desolate Land of Fumes trying to save both humans and Homunculi. At the forefront of magical and mechanical development, the kingdom comprises of a hierarchical societal structure. Here, you’ll come across abandoned cities, discover laboratories oozing with heinous mysteries, a grand Sorcerer’s Academy, colossal factories, and much more. The hauntingly beautiful yet gruesome world of ENDER MAGNOLIA will unfold before you. Journey with Homunculi and help those who have lost their minds to the Fumes. Fight fearsome, powerful enemies, purify their souls, and rally your companions. Who will you save at the end of your quest—humans or Homunculi?

Gameplay

-Experience the revamped battle system that elevates your gameplay and exploration beyond that of ENDER LILIES.

Explore the mesmerizing yet grim world at your own pace and take on menacing enemies with the help of your companions.

Find your battle style using 30 different unique skills acquired from your companions.

Collect and upgrade loads of equipment, relics, and items.

Featuring new difficulty levels, you can choose to have a challenging experience or enjoy the gripping storyline at your leisure.

-Gorgeous 2D art, animation, and music all come together to create a whimsical world.

Humans and Homunculi live together in the kingdom known as the Land of Fumes.

Venture out, get to know people, and help one another while unraveling the mysteries of the world.

Witness poignant cutscenes and enhanced character interactions with your companions.

Music

After lending their sweet and somber music to ENDER LILIES, Mili is back with new compositions that bring the mysterious world of ENDER MAGNOLIA to life.

Watch the announcement trailer below.

Announce Trailer

[commenter2]

"Cabin Fever" review

Here is my review on episode 4 of Murder Drones. A camping, slasher flick themed episode! Let’s see if Uzi and the other will survive.

Again Glitch Productions, please make a longer intro theme.

Now at first I wondered why the Drones would think bringing a bunch of teen Drones to the surface is a good idea given how dangerous it is for them, when I realized that they only know of the 3 Disassembly Drones and since Uzi killed J, and N and V are good (or controlled in V’s case) logically there really isn’t anything for them to be afraid of about the surface…until J 2.0, Tessa, and potentially other Disassembly Drones appear, likely in this episode.

Given their robots, the idea of vehicles being animal like makes a bit of sense while still being funny. Does that make the pods N and the other DDs came in birds XD

So these must be the new cannon fodder I MEAN characters for the episode. We have a stoner, female nerd, the jock/bully and his girlfriend, and the self-centered jerk. I wonder how they will change as the series goes on…XD

THAD AND LIZZY ARE HOLDING HANDS! BLASPHAMY! Though I do see it adding tension to the love triangle/quadrangle ideas I’ve talked about in the past.

Uzi’s backpack has wings, making her a bit like a Disassembly Drone. Foreshadowing? :3

Uzi’s mom is strangely happy about the core blowing up. Also what Khan said seems to confirm my theory from my last episode review about how this 3rd drone type was able to blend in with the Worker Drones.

Khan: Your mom was a catch!

Uzi.EXE has stopped working XD

Khan’s room has various door designs XD

If the idea of Khan immediately proposing to Uzi’s mom after she told him to make doors doesn’t become canon, we should boycott the show!

This singularity thing will be cool to learn about later. One quick prediction I have is that it’s some kind of electrical hive mind system that connects all machinery, and it’s a part of robots like Uzi and others. It also seems to give them visions. That or some kind of BATDR like vibe given some of the drawings.

If you can ignore the the cool S drawings (a difficult challenge, I know) you'll noticed that Khan is 3 for 3 of being a better father then he was in the pilot.

Seeing the teacher wearing a stereotypical tropical outfit may seem odd given its snowing, but I bet this kind of weather is pleasant for robots trying to relax. Same with the nerd robot making a cross symbol but Uzi did mention a robo Jesus in the pilot.

We better get camp counselor N and V plushies in the future!

WOAH! Poor robot guy. I feel bad for whoever has to tell his parents.

The book the nerd girl is carrying is called “Final Girl” XD

Nice to see Thad and Lizzy being nice to N and V WAIT DID Lizzy just pickpocket the dead drone’s watch!

Sad to see how the others are scared of Uzi to a point they would befriend robots that were killing them some time ago, or seconds in V case.

Cool to see that Uzi seems to have gotten use to her powers.

At 4:51 you can see that mystery human girl from N’s dream from episode 2.

It is funny seeing the other drones trying to use the canoes on a frozen lake and again having fun with N and V given they use to be afraid of them.

Since we haven’t seen N or V overheat yet, but see Uzi and Doll do so (more Uzi) does this mean the 3rd drone type overheat faster?

Bitch move V, scratching Uzi’s screen..face..whatever. It’s a good thing Uzi can heal herselWAIT A MINUTE!!!

A green bug! AND IT “TALKS”. It also seems to think Uzi is her mom. This plus how it seems to be a key to a lab, makes me wonder what the future of this series holds.

Even in the distant future audio to text features still suck.

Doll is back.

Where is Thad in the crowd?

Uzi has the power to turn inorganic matter into living things! This is some big Internecion Cube shit here. Fitting since Murder Drones and Internecion Cube are both made by Liam Vicker. It also seems to give us the main reason why the DDs are there, as robots like those could be very dangerous if they were to attack humanity. Heck Uzi seems to have caused a big problem without even trying! Also that thing she made looks like that image in the pile of papers near the dead drone where she found the green bug.

Now we get to the slasher stereotypes, starting with the couple going somewhere to make out.

Uzi is turning! Also totally called the backpack as foreshadowing!

While N is trying to turn on the computer, you can see a pair of red eyes (likely Dolls) behind him!

From analyzing the visions N sees, it looks like a robot went rouge and ate something organic, a severed organic arm was being held on by some lab equipment, and a giant black hole (likely the singularity) is near a house that looks like the one from N’s dream and the season 1 trailer. This gives me a small theory but more on that at the end.

Uzi’s unpopularity actually saved her from being exposed to the others. It would be funny if it wasn’t a bit sad.

Wait is Uzi’s tail organic? IT IS, and she has human arms on her wings! This is a nice change for the usual DD design and it reminds me of what J’s backup systems did in episode 2. This gives me hope that we will see different designed DDs later on in the series like I have been hoping will happen for some time now.

Lizzy is sassy even on the verge of death XD

The freefalling scene is a great moment. We get to see N’s caring side as well as some good Uzi X N content.

V is jealous :3. Please writers, gives us a love quadrangle. I mean if you can make me want to see one (and I usually hate that trope) then it has to be good.

Oh…Lizzy is alive…that’s good, I guess.

V likes the idea of being a diva.

So vehicles aren’t animals, there just hot-wired and when it acts up, they need to be treated like animals.

There’s Thad! I was wondering what happened to him.

It’s interesting to see V cover for Uzi. It also makes me wonder if at some point, because of V’s actions, the drone society will try and kick out N and V (maybe Uzi as well) for all the killings V have done…. Only for them to want them back when J and the other new DDs appear.

Uzi and N technically held hands!

Can’t wait to see what is on that tape. Actually Zombie Drones sounds like another nod to Internecion Cube.

That was an intense episode, as all slasher films are. I mean we now learn that if Uzi loses control she turns into a monster and why it seems the DDs were sent to the planet, we have a new “character/plot device" in the form of the robotic bug, N stumbling upon a tape that will likely explain everything, and we see V being jealous of how close Uzi and N are which I think could make her start to remember his life before she became a DD.

Only time will tell on what will happen next but I have some new theories based on what we saw.

After seeing Uzi’s ability to turn inorganic things into organic, I have this new theory that Doll is the mystery human girl we saw in this episode. See there was this old theory that went over the possibility of the drones being originally human or used human parts and something like this seems to be true, especially after seeing the lab machinery holding a human body part in N's visions. Maybe Doll’s mother was originally that girl in the flashback who use to own J, V, and N but died which made her father want her back as a robot. However, the inorganic and organic components resulted in their dangerous powers and had to be taken out, but failed and the the girl was able to escape where she had a robot daughter of her own AKA Doll. Also after seeing Uzi turn inorganic into organic matter, maybe Doll could do something similar but on a bigger scale as she could make herself look very much like a human.

I also have this theory that whatever gives Uzi and Doll their powers, its being used slightly for the DD’s. I mean thinking back to episode 2, that heart thing that came out of J gives me a similar vibe to the techno-organic substance Uzi was making in the episode. For all we know after the exoplanet incident, the tech behind it was perfected on Earth and they gave it to N and the other DDs to give them a fighting chance against the 3rd kind of drones. It would explain how they can make all those weapons and regenerate quickly.

What did you think of the episode? What did you like about it and do you have any theories of your own about the series?

[creamyclouds]

Master of Horror: Unraveling the Dark World of Junji Ito

In the realm of horror manga, there exists a master storyteller whose name strikes fear and fascination into the hearts of fans worldwide – Junji Ito. With an uncanny ability to tap into the deepest recesses of the human psyche, Ito has crafted a unique and chilling universe that leaves readers both spellbound and haunted. In this article, we delve into the enigmatic world of Junji Ito, exploring his artistry, thematic elements, and the impact he has had on the horror genre.

The Genius Behind the Pen

Junji Ito, born on July 31, 1963, in Gifu, Japan, rose to prominence in the 1990s with his eerie and imaginative manga works. His illustrations are instantly recognizable, characterized by intricately detailed, surreal, and grotesque imagery that lingers in the minds of readers long after they turn the last page.

Ito's fascination with horror and macabre art stems from his childhood, during which he devoured classic horror literature and developed a deep appreciation for the works of H.P. Lovecraft. This influence is evident in Ito's stories, as he skillfully blends cosmic horror with his unique Japanese cultural perspective.

Themes and Influences

At the core of Junji Ito's work lies a profound exploration of human fears, anxieties, and the unknown. He artfully weaves tales that transcend traditional horror tropes, often delving into the psychological and existential terror lurking within the human mind. Some of his most prevalent themes include:

Body Horror: Ito's mastery of body horror is unparalleled. He crafts tales where the human body is subjected to grotesque transformations and nightmarish distortions, often blurring the lines between the real and the surreal.

The Supernatural: Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese folklore and urban legends, Ito introduces readers to malevolent spirits, cursed objects, and vengeful ghosts that haunt his characters relentlessly.

Isolation and Madness: Many of Ito's stories unfold in isolated settings, with characters descending into madness as they confront the incomprehensible horrors before them.

Fatal Obsessions: Ito's characters are frequently driven by obsessions that lead them down dark and destructive paths, exploring the depths of human obsession and the price paid for pursuing forbidden desires and impulses.

Landmark Works

Junji Ito has created an impressive body of work that continues to captivate readers worldwide. Some of his landmark works include:

"Uzumaki": A chilling tale set in a small Japanese town cursed by spirals, where the obsession with the shape takes a horrific toll on its inhabitants.

"Tomie": Featuring the eponymous beautiful and deadly girl who inexplicably keeps returning from the dead, driving those around her to madness and murder.

"Gyo": A nightmarish story of walking fish-like creatures that bring pestilence and terror to the world.

"Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu": A departure from his usual horror, this is a humorous autobiographical manga about Ito's life with his cats, Yon and Mu.

The Junji Ito Phenomenon

Junji Ito's influence extends far beyond the manga world. His works have inspired multiple adaptations, including animated series, live-action films, and even video games. Fans around the globe celebrate his genius by creating fan art, fan fiction, creating merchandise with his designs and participating in conventions dedicated to horror and manga.

Conclusion

As an artist who has read his book 'Uzumaki', I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and think his attention to detail in each of his drawings, plus his endless imagination for truly horrific scenes makes him stand out compared to other artists. In conclusion Junji Ito stands as an artistic enigma, a brilliant mind capable of summoning the darkest nightmares and phobias with the stroke of his pen. His contributions to the horror genre have secured him a place among the most revered and influential creators of our time. Whether you are a devoted manga enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of horror, Junji Ito's works promise an unparalleled experience of terror and wonder, reminding us all that even in the darkest corners of our imagination, true artistry can be found.

Author -

Shannon McNeil

[bigmelonblog]

Title: "Attack on Titan: Unveiling the Epic Saga of Humanity's Struggle"

Introduction:

In the world of manga and anime, few series have managed to capture the hearts and minds of fans like "Attack on Titan." Created by Hajime Isayama, this dystopian masterpiece has taken the anime and manga community by storm since its debut in 2009. With its gripping storyline, complex characters, and breathtaking action sequences, "Attack on Titan" has earned its place as a modern classic. In this article, we delve into the epic saga of humanity's struggle as portrayed in this captivating series.

The Premise:

"Attack on Titan" is set in a world where humanity resides within enormous walled cities to protect themselves from gigantic humanoid creatures known as Titans. These Titans devour humans on sight, and the remnants of humanity have been driven to the brink of extinction. The story revolves around Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert, three childhood friends who witness the destruction of their home by a colossal Titan. This event sets them on a path of vengeance and discovery.

Themes of Survival and Freedom:

At its core, "Attack on Titan" explores themes of survival and freedom. The walls that protect humanity are a symbol of the fear that has imprisoned them for generations. As the story unfolds, the characters question the status quo, and a rebellion against the Titans and the ruling class ensues. This struggle for freedom and the quest to unveil the truth about the Titans drives the narrative forward.

Complex Characters:

One of the series' strengths is its well-developed and multi-dimensional characters. Eren Yeager, the fiery protagonist, is driven by a burning desire to eradicate the Titans. Mikasa Ackerman, his adoptive sister, is a skilled and stoic warrior who will stop at nothing to protect Eren. Armin Arlert, their close friend, brings intelligence and strategic thinking to the group. The character dynamics, growth, and internal conflicts add depth to the story.

Mystery and Intrigue:

"Attack on Titan" is renowned for its intricate plot and the gradual unveiling of secrets. The origin of the Titans, the truth behind the walls, and the mysteries of Eren's Titan-shifting abilities all contribute to an ever-escalating sense of intrigue. As the story progresses, the mysteries become more convoluted, keeping readers and viewers on the edge of their seats.

Action-Packed Battles:

The series features intense, adrenaline-pumping battles between the human soldiers and the Titans. The Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, a system that allows soldiers to swing through the air and attack Titans from above, adds an element of high-flying action that's visually stunning. These battles are not just about defeating the Titans but also about the characters' personal growth and determination.

Impact on Pop Culture:

"Attack on Titan" has left an indelible mark on pop culture. Its compelling storyline and striking imagery have garnered a massive fanbase worldwide. The series has inspired merchandise, video games, spin-off manga, and even a successful anime adaptation that further propelled its popularity.

Conclusion:

"Attack on Titan" is a gripping tale of humanity's struggle for survival and freedom, wrapped in a shroud of mystery and action. With its complex characters, thought-provoking themes, and jaw-dropping battles, it's no wonder that this series has become a cornerstone of modern anime and manga. Whether you're a fan of dystopian fiction or simply looking for a thrilling story, "Attack on Titan" is a must-experience journey through the depths of human resilience and determination.

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[atinistudio]

Psychology Meets Pixel: Crafting Interfaces That Inspire Action

In a world of infinite scrolls, fleeting attention, and ever-growing digital noise, what truly drives a user to click, sign up, or return? The answer doesn’t lie in flashy animations or trendy gradients—but in the human brain.

Welcome to the new frontier of digital design, where behavioral psychology and visual storytelling merge. Where every element on screen—from typography to transitions—is guided not just by aesthetic sense, but by science. And where forward-thinking UI/UX agencies are leveraging these insights to create user interfaces that don’t just look good—but work brilliantly.

The Behavioral Blueprint Behind Great Design

At its core, UI/UX design is about influence. When done well, it's invisible—guiding users seamlessly from interest to action. But that influence is anything but accidental. It’s intentional, built on deep understanding of how humans think, feel, and behave.

Great digital experiences today don’t just solve functional problems—they anticipate human behavior.

1. Visual Hierarchy: Guiding the Eye, Guiding Behavior

People don’t read web pages—they scan them. And what they notice first determines what they’ll do next.

This is why seasoned User Interface Design services prioritize visual hierarchy early in the design process. Using principles like contrast, spacing, and scale, they subtly direct attention to key actions—whether it’s “Book Now,” “Try Free,” or “Add to Cart.”

Hierarchy isn’t just about order; it’s about influence. The right arrangement of elements can drive decisions without saying a word.

2. Simplicity That Reduces Mental Strain

Decision fatigue is real. The more choices we face, the more likely we are to abandon a task altogether. This is especially critical in digital journeys—like signing up for an account or navigating an e-commerce checkout.

Expert website design agencies understand that every extra field, menu, or popup adds to a user’s cognitive load. By eliminating the non-essential and organizing information logically, they help users glide through interfaces without friction or frustration.

The result? Higher completion rates and happier users.

3. Emotional Design: More Than Meets the Eye

We like to think we’re rational creatures, but most of our decisions are emotional. Color, shape, movement—each triggers subconscious responses that either build trust or erode it.

App design services that succeed in today’s crowded market pay close attention to these emotional cues. A calming palette in a meditation app, reassuring tones in a finance dashboard, or joyful microinteractions in a fitness tracker—all of these align emotional response with user intent.

Design that resonates emotionally isn’t just memorable—it’s persuasive.

4. Friction as a Feature, Not a Flaw

While much of modern UX is about making things easier, not all friction is bad. In fact, a little resistance—used wisely—can actually improve outcomes.

Consider the “Are you sure you want to delete this file?” prompt. Or multi-step confirmation when submitting a payment. These intentional pauses add a layer of psychological safety, signaling care and attention. Many Los Angeles User Interface Experts use this principle to build trust, especially in industries like healthcare, legal tech, or finance, where errors carry real consequences.

Constructive friction slows the user just enough to make more mindful choices—while reinforcing the brand’s credibility.

5. Microinteractions: Designing Delight

Often overlooked, microinteractions are the smallest elements of a user interface—but their impact is profound. A satisfying click, a gentle bounce, a confetti animation when a task is completed—these subtle touches create moments of delight that elevate the experience.

From a behavioral science lens, microinteractions act as positive reinforcement, encouraging repeated behavior. Done right, they build habit loops and turn passive users into loyal ones.

Building Emotionally Intelligent Interfaces

Human-centered design goes beyond usability. It’s about empathy.

Empathy maps and user journey modeling help designers move from generic to genuinely helpful. What are the user’s fears? What motivates them? Where do they hesitate? Armed with these insights, designers shape more intuitive, personalized journeys.

Even the tone of error messages can shift perception. A cold “404 – Page Not Found” feels abrupt. But a warm, human “Oops, looks like we got lost!” softens frustration and maintains emotional connection.

These nuances matter. Because users don’t remember every click—they remember how your product made them feel.

Case in Point: Psychology at Work in Digital Health

Imagine a health app designed to help users walk more daily. A behavioral-informed design process might look like this:

Goal-setting with Commitment Bias: Letting users choose personalized goals encourages consistency.

Progress Bars Leveraging the Zeigarnik Effect: Unfinished tasks feel uncomfortable, nudging users to complete them.

Social Proof & Gamification: Showing that thousands of others are walking today boosts motivation through herd behavior.

Smart Nudges: Timely notifications, like “Time for a stretch?” during sedentary hours, subtly change behavior without feeling intrusive.

These are not just features—they’re behavioral nudges encoded into the interface. And they work.

The Role of Data in Human-Centric Design

While psychology shapes the “why” behind design decisions, data reveals the “how well.”

Modern User Interface Design services rely on a continuous feedback loop. Usability testing, heatmaps, and behavioral analytics reveal where users struggle or succeed. A/B testing validates assumptions. And insights feed back into design decisions in real time.

This agile, psychology-backed approach ensures that interfaces aren’t just intuitive—they’re effective.

Conclusion: The Future is Personal, Predictive, and Psychological

In the hands of the right UI/UX agency, pixels become more than placeholders—they become tools of persuasion, empathy, and engagement.

As digital experiences become more nuanced and competitive, understanding human behavior isn’t optional—it’s essential. The most successful digital products of the future will be those that blend behavioral science with creative design, empathy with analytics, and aesthetics with purpose.

After all, great design doesn’t just look good—it feels right. And that feeling is what keeps users coming back.Ready to create interfaces that truly move people?Connect with the experts at Atini Studio—where psychology meets design to craft human-first digital experiences that drive real action.

[brocoffeeengineer]

Story First: The Core Principle of Successful Animation

When we think about the most impactful animated films or series—whether it's the heart-wrenching tale of Up, the visual spectacle of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, or the cultural charm of Coco—what lingers in our minds isn’t just the animation style. It’s the story. Animation can dazzle with color, movement, and sound, but without a compelling narrative, it’s just noise. Storytelling is not just an element of animation—it is its backbone. In 2025, as the industry grows more tech-driven with tools like AI and real-time rendering, the human craft of storytelling remains irreplaceable.

The Timeless Power of Story in Animation

Humans are wired for stories. Since ancient cave paintings, we’ve used visuals to convey meaning, emotion, and memory. Animation, at its core, is an evolution of that impulse—bringing pictures to life to tell tales that resonate. Whether it’s a 30-second explainer video or a full-length feature, a strong story makes the difference between forgettable content and emotional impact.

Great animation uses narrative to guide the viewer, connect them to characters, and drive emotion. Without it, even the most beautifully rendered scenes fall flat. Consider how Pixar's films always begin with a strong story arc. Their animators work closely with writers before any design begins. Because, as industry veterans often say: “Story is king.”

Beyond Entertainment: Storytelling in Diverse Domains

In 2025, storytelling in animation has expanded well beyond film and television. It now plays a pivotal role in:

Advertising: Brands are using short animated stories to create emotional connections with customers, especially on platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok.

Education: Edtech companies rely on animated storytelling to simplify complex topics and keep students engaged. A great story can turn a science lesson into an unforgettable adventure.

Healthcare: Animation is being used to explain medical procedures or patient journeys. When coupled with narrative, it becomes less clinical and more human.

Gaming: With immersive worlds and player-driven narratives, storytelling through animation is revolutionizing how we experience games.

Each of these industries doesn’t just want movement—they want meaning. And that comes from storytelling.

Technology Can Assist, But Not Replace the Story

The animation world in 2025 is full of advanced tools—AI-driven animation assistants, procedural animation software, and real-time rendering engines like Unreal Engine 5. These innovations have undoubtedly made production faster and more accessible. But they can’t generate emotion or thematic depth on their own.

Take the recent rise of AI-generated shorts. While visually impressive, many fall flat emotionally. Why? Because they lack a cohesive narrative. They don’t feel human. It’s a stark reminder that storytelling is not just about structure—it’s about intention, empathy, and connection.

Even in major studios, animators are returning to basics. In a recent interview, Glen Keane, a legendary Disney animator, emphasized that even with all the tech at his disposal, he starts with pencil and paper—sketching story beats before worrying about style. That foundational commitment to narrative still holds true, no matter how digital the process becomes.

The Key Elements of Storytelling in Animation

So, what makes storytelling effective in animation? It’s not just about a beginning, middle, and end. Here are the crucial ingredients:

Relatable Characters: They don’t have to be human—but they must have emotions, desires, and flaws. Think of Wall-E, a robot who barely speaks, yet captures our hearts.

Clear Conflict: Every story needs stakes. Whether it's an inner struggle or an external challenge, tension drives engagement.

Visual Language: In animation, visuals tell half the story. Composition, color, and movement must align with the narrative tone.

Emotional Arc: Good animation takes viewers on a journey. We should end up feeling something different than we did at the start—hope, joy, sadness, or wonder.

Why Modern Audiences Expect More

Audiences in 2025 are more media-savvy than ever. They can detect authenticity, and they crave stories that reflect their world, values, and aspirations. Whether it’s representation, mental health themes, or climate change narratives, today’s viewers seek animated content with depth.

Studios are responding. Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai and Studio Ghibli’s latest releases are examples of stories that push boundaries while staying rooted in powerful narratives. These aren’t just visual feasts—they’re stories with soul.

For animators, this means it’s no longer enough to master software. They must understand storytelling fundamentals. That’s why structured programs that focus equally on narrative and technique—such as a Animation course in Bengaluru—are gaining popularity. They blend technical training with storytelling workshops, helping students understand how to move audiences, not just pixels.

Collaborative Storytelling: Writers, Artists, and Directors

In animation, storytelling is a team sport. Writers, concept artists, storyboarders, and animators work closely to bring narratives to life. Storyboards, animatics, and mood boards all help translate script to screen.

Studios today emphasize pre-production planning more than ever. A well-structured story pipeline saves time and prevents costly mid-project overhauls. This collaborative culture is now standard even in indie projects, thanks to remote tools like Frame.io, Storyboarder, and Figma.

Furthermore, companies hiring animators now prioritize storytelling chops. Recruiters often ask for storyboards or narrative samples along with showreels. The ability to communicate a message, develop a character arc, and visualize tension is considered a premium skill.

Storytelling Is the Differentiator in the Creator Economy

In the age of content saturation, where hundreds of reels, shorts, and animations compete for attention, storytelling is the secret sauce. It’s what stops someone from scrolling. A creator can have access to the best tools, but without a narrative hook, they fade into the noise.

Independent animators on platforms like YouTube and Instagram have seen success not because of hyper-polished animation but because their stories connect. Take the viral short “The Present” or the minimalist animations by Domics—proof that story always trumps style.

With the creator economy booming, especially in India, animators who master storytelling can build personal brands, grow communities, and monetize content directly.

Conclusion: Storytelling Anchors Animation’s Future

Animation is evolving rapidly, but at its core, it remains a storytelling medium. No amount of software can replace the emotional intelligence and narrative insight that animators bring to their work. As the industry grows, so does the need for professionals who can blend technical skills with powerful storytelling.

Cities across India are becoming hubs for animation talent, and Bengaluru is no exception. With the growing demand for quality content and well-rounded professionals, enrolling in an vfx course bengaluru that emphasizes storytelling alongside design can offer the right launchpad for aspiring creators.

In 2025 and beyond, it’s clear: animation without a story is forgettable—but animation with a story is unforgettable. And that’s what truly makes it an art form.

[whitelilyseo]

Whitelily Redefines Elegance with Vegan Tote Bags Made from Plant-Based Leather

In the ever-evolving world of sustainable fashion, few brands are making waves quite like Whitelily. With its latest collection, Whitelily has seamlessly merged ethical responsibility with high-end style, introducing a range of vegan tote bags that are as chic as they are conscious. These bags, crafted from innovative plant-based leather tote bags, are transforming how we view luxury, offering a modern take on elegance that does not come at the cost of the planet.

The Rise of Conscious Fashion

Today’s consumers are more mindful than ever about the origins of their clothing and accessories. The demand for ethical, cruelty-free, and sustainable options is no longer a niche preference—it’s a movement. As the fashion industry faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint, brands like Whitelily are answering the call with purpose-driven collections. Their vegan tote bags are a perfect embodiment of this shift, showing that sustainability doesn’t have to sacrifice sophistication.

What Makes Whitelily's Tote Bags Unique?

At the core of Whitelily’s latest collection is a remarkable material: plant-based leather. Unlike traditional leather, which is often associated with animal cruelty and chemical-heavy production processes, plant-based leather tote bags offer a sustainable and humane alternative. Whitelily utilizes materials derived from sources like pineapple leaves, cactus fibers, and apple peels—byproducts that would otherwise go to waste.

This innovative leather substitute not only mimics the luxurious feel and durability of genuine leather but also boasts superior eco-friendliness. It requires significantly less water, generates fewer carbon emissions, and is biodegradable, making it the ideal choice for environmentally-conscious fashion lovers.

Style with Substance

Whitelily’s vegan tote bags are a testament to the fact that sustainability can be stylish. The collection features minimalist yet bold designs, clean silhouettes, and timeless color palettes that complement a wide range of wardrobes. From office essentials to casual weekend wear, these totes offer versatility without compromising on aesthetic appeal.

The bags come equipped with spacious compartments, sturdy handles, and refined hardware—details that elevate them from simple accessories to standout fashion statements. Whether you're heading to a business meeting or a brunch date, a Whitelily tote adds a layer of effortless elegance to your look.

Ethical Craftsmanship at Its Finest

Beyond materials, Whitelily champions ethical production practices. Each plant-based leather tote bag is handcrafted by skilled artisans under fair working conditions, ensuring that sustainability extends from the raw material to the final product. The brand is committed to transparency and traceability, offering customers the peace of mind that their purchase supports responsible labor practices and eco-friendly production methods.

The Future of Fashion is Vegan

The success of Whitelily’s vegan tote bags underscores a growing trend in fashion: conscious luxury. More than ever, consumers are choosing to align their purchases with their values. Plant-based alternatives are becoming more sophisticated, and designers are pushing the boundaries of what sustainable fashion can look and feel like.

Whitelily’s commitment to cruelty-free innovation positions the brand at the forefront of this revolution. Their bags are not only an accessory but a statement of elegance, compassion, and a better future.

Conclusion

In a world where fashion is often criticized for its environmental and ethical impact, Whitelily offers a refreshing perspective. By embracing plant-based leather tote bags, the brand proves that luxury and sustainability can go hand in hand. Every piece in their collection reflects a deep respect for nature, animals, and artistry. If you’re looking to elevate your wardrobe while making a conscious choice, look no further—Whitelily is redefining what it means to be truly elegant.

[zenturiotech]

What Makes a Digital Product Truly Memorable?

Not every product leaves a mark.

Most fade into the background, replaced or forgotten within months. But every once in a while, something sticks. It might not even be the most feature-packed or beautifully designed—but it leaves a lasting impression.

So what makes a digital product memorable?

It starts with intention. The best products don’t try to be everything. They solve one core problem brilliantly. They understand the user’s pain at its source and create an experience that feels like it was built just for them.

That’s where empathy enters the equation.

Great design doesn’t come from a checklist—it comes from listening. From watching how people struggle and discovering what they wish existed. That’s why the first few seconds matter so much. When a user opens your app or site and immediately feels comfortable, it’s not by chance. It’s because someone thought through the moment carefully.

And it goes beyond just function or visuals.

The way things move, respond, and unfold—that’s the language of experience. A button that feels slightly more responsive, a transition that flows just a bit more smoothly—those are the tiny details that build trust without anyone noticing.

Consistency plays a big role too. A product that behaves the same across screens, devices, and time creates comfort. Users don’t want surprises—they want flow.

Then there’s rhythm. A good product has a pace. It doesn’t bombard users with too much at once, nor does it leave them lost. It guides them. It knows when to ask for input and when to step back. It respects attention.

But the real magic?

Emotion.

It’s easy to forget, but technology is emotional. When someone solves a problem with your product, they feel relief. When it saves them time, they feel gratitude. When it delights them, they feel joy. Those emotions build memory. They anchor the product in the user’s mind.

And that’s the key to longevity.

Too many teams chase engagement metrics while forgetting that the best kind of retention doesn’t come from push notifications or loyalty points. It comes from trust, usefulness, and care.

Sometimes, it’s a small thing—a tiny animation that brings a smile. Other times, it’s reliability when nothing else seems to work. But in both cases, it’s that feeling of, “This just gets me.”

If you’re building something digital today, focus less on features and more on flow. Less on being seen, more on being felt.

This approach is at the core of human-centered app design, where every line of code and every user interaction is built with emotion and experience in mind.

Because the products that are remembered are the ones that made someone’s day easier, smoother, or just a little more human.