#negative effect. for what op might have intended. even

[masterskywalkers]

I understand where OP is coming from but the movies named are not the appropriate examples to use for this argument.

Dune parts one and two look incredible mainly because of two things: practical effects and shooting on location. Add these two golden gems of any filmmaking along with Villeneuve's own unique style and the care and respect he has for the medium, you're more or less guaranteed gold. Dune has the potential right now to stand alongside other movie standouts like the original Star Wars trilogy and Lord of the Rings for being timeless works of art and instant classics (which is long deserved for Dune because my god, it has deserved an onscreen adaption like this for decades). There are aspects of Dune that remind me of shots in Lawrence of Arabia in that of their grandeur and I am so thankful and glad we're seeing examples of passionate cinema again (Dune and Godzilla Minus One: I love you both dearly).

While Disney has fallen off track (especially with some of their live-action adaptions - like I do not want to even think about the up-and-coming Snow White adaption and neither does Bob Iger, apparently. Pushed back for 2025 and apparently it might not even make cinemas now - what even is the point?) - it is unfair to talk about the effects used in films like Marvel when it has already been made painfully clear that the visual effects team are pressured and forced to crunch their work. The way these movies work is not down to these effects artists but to the management demands. Plus using special effects for a whole movie like Antman: Quantamania is expensive. I want to say 80% of them are effects and eh, you can tell the focus was more on that than the story. The real debate here - and what movies like Dune prove - is how much of a balance should there be in a movie of practical vs. special effects (personally, I've always thought practical looks better and has more longevity).

Now Mission Impossible is another bad example because a) Dead Reckoning was a good movie that was released at a bad time (literally right before Barbenheimer - Tom Cruise literally argued about this with cinemas as so many IMAX ones were showing Barbie or Oppenheimer on multiple screens but MI could barely get one screen in some cinemas) and b) Mission Impossible had to jump through so many hurdles as it began filming pre-pandemic, halted filming for lockdown, then continued filming as soon as they received the green light to do so under covid regulations (we all remember the Tom Cruise clip that went viral of him arguing with some of his team about them not taking the covid precautions seriously and how it would negatively affect all of them when they should be taking care whilst working hard to finish their product so it can go into cinemas once they were open and profitable again).

I actually weirdly know someone who worked on Mission Impossible - there is a period where I remember seeing the work that had been done on the train crash scene while they were working on it and damn, was it impressive the work the team put into it! - so yeah, I can understand where the budget went for them considering their filming went on for so much longer than they intended or expected.

A lot of the time a film looks fantastic not because of the budget but because of the artistic style of the director. There are so many movies that are released on a low budget that are visually stunning - money isn't everything in this industry - as much as these studios would have you believe - and you can create beautiful works of art with minimal cost. But cinema isn't cheap: practical effects aren't cheap, and special effects aren't cheap. Shooting on location isn't cheap (and can cost more depending on the location, which is why now they've developed screen technology to mimic some locations for cheaper and easier use). Paying your workforce and actors isn't cheap - especially not when they're then told not to work due to a global pandemic, but you're still paying them. Yeah, some films are ridiculously expensive for, seemingly, no good reason. But I would say there are more examples in Hollywood of questionable spending than these two movie examples OP has presented.

But yeah, everyone go watch Dune because those movies are made for the cinema experience and look incredible. There is no doubt that these movies will likely be a blueprint in design for other future movies inspired by these works, and I damn hope it inspires more people to go into the movie industry and make art they're passionate about. Dune is made with a real love for the story by all of the crew - especially Villeneuve and Zimmer - and it shows.

Its wild that Dune part 2 was like $190 million or something and looks phenomenal, and while thats still a lot of money, these marvel/sony/ Disney flops cost $350+millions?!??! It has to be money laundering like it HAS to be. Where is that money going?? Mission impossible cost $567million. Antman cost $450 and looks as drab and washed out and forgettable as every other marvel movie. Like?!??

[ayliffe]

fairly often i see posts on here that i basically agree with, or at least make me genuinely consider why i might think or act in a particular way, but the way they’re written makes me roll my eyes so hard that i have no interest whatsoever in liking or reblogging them. these posts often read to me as sanctimonious, condescending, and/or outright hostile, so in my mind i’m perfectly justified in effectively ignoring them.

the problem, though, is that my criteria for deciding something is sanctimonious, condescending, and/or outright hostile are i think unusually —unhelpfully — sensitive, so it’s like, does op actually sound like a dick or have i just decided they intended to come across that way? are they actually talking down to their audience or have i just subconsciously latched onto that interpretation without any real proof?

perhaps it’s worth asking whether op’s intended tone even matters if i as a reader am interpreting it differently, but i don’t think that’s particularly fair on any given op when i know i tend to assume someone’s tone is more negative than others might, even if i don’t always realise i’m doing it.

so where do i go from there? it’s useful to be aware of (one of) my biases, but i don’t really know what to do with that. i can analyse someone’s word choices and try to come to a less emotionally fuelled conclusion about how they were trying to come across, but i still have the knee-jerk reaction of “jesus christ, the way this is written is insufferable”. do i just ignore that? does it merit me deciding not to share what could be a genuinely thoughtful point? or (most likely) am i overthinking it?

[kitkatopinions]

The ethics in RWBY are really weird. I mean, I’m not a professor of ethics and I don’t know much past what I’ve seen on Wikipedia and the Good Place (such a great show,) but it’s so weird to see a show that seems to switch between virtue ethics and consequentialism at random.

(Virtue ethics) may be identified as the one that emphasizes the virtues, or moral character, in contrast to the approach that emphasizes duties or rules (deontology) or that emphasizes the consequences of actions (consequentialism). Suppose it is obvious that someone in need should be helped. A utilitarian will point to the fact that the consequences of doing so will maximize well-being, and a virtue ethicist to the fact that helping the person would be charitable or benevolent.

Of course, it’s a lot more complicated and in-depth than just that, but I’m not going to get into specifics (again, I’m not qualified to do that lol.) But let’s look at some examples of these two ethical beliefs in RWBY.

“Stealing is wrong no matter what,” sounds like virtue ethics at play, and that’s how Blake saw things. That was one of the reasons that she left the White Fang, that was always framed as one of the many things that made it so they were villains, that had to be taken out. Blake regretted her acts of theft in her early life no matter how justified they were. The message is that stealing is always wrong even when you’re stealing from oppressors.

“Stealing is justified in circumstances where you feel you have no other choice,” sounds like consequentialism, if your actions are justified and have good consequences, they’re good. This is put into practice when the group illegally stole the airplane in Argus (although this is actually badly portrayed consequentialism, considering that they didn’t need to do that, but I think we’re intended to perceive it as necessary, but I’ll keep talking about that later.)

“Violence is wrong, even when it’s precautionary or reactionary,” sounds like virtue ethics, and once again, that’s directed towards the White Fang. Despite being oppressed for centuries, even Sienna’s more minor violence is framed as completely wrong, and the Faunus are lectured about how they need to stop committing acts of violence if they want equality. The Ace Ops fighting Team RWBY is meant to be perceived as wrong, despite the fact that Team RWBY had broken the law, proven themselves untrustworthy, and were trying to stop them and Ironwood from doing something that would save people.

“Violence is justified in circumstances where it’s precautionary or reactionary,” sounds like consequentialism. Since the White Fang is hurting others, it doesn’t matter what their goal is (Faunus rights,) it’s totally fine to rip them to shreds, throw them off moving trains, even kill, etc. Since Team RWBY thought it was wrong to move Atlas, they were perfectly justified in beating up the Ace Ops for trying to arrest them. Qrow is perfectly justified in fighting Clover for the same reason.

“You always need to be honest, no matter if you don’t know if you can trust someone or not and no matter if you have good reasons to lie,” sounds like virtue ethics. This is applied to Ozpin in the show, his lying is deemed one hundred percent wrong, full stop, no excuses. He isn’t treated with any sympathy and has to apologize, which is seriously and begrudgingly accepted. Our main characters forcing his secrets out of him is framed as right, their angry responses are framed as totally justified. The message is clear. Lying and mistrusting is wrong. Honesty and trust is right.

“Lying is understandable and even right if you think you have good reason to lie and if you think you can’t trust someone, and Ruby was right about Ironwood, therefore her lying was fine,” sounds like consequentialism. Ruby’s lying is framed as reasonable and understandable. She didn’t have to be honest because she was reacting cautiously instead, putting a virtue on the back burner because she thought being honest might hurt people and wasn’t sure if James could be trusted - as in, she acted in mistrust. Although Yang suggests this was wrong, the show quickly hastens to tell us that Ruby was very right, having Yang walk back on her statements, and having Ironwood turn evil. The message is clear. Lying and mistrusting should be done if you think it will hurt less people. Honesty and trust aren’t always good.

“It’s never okay to willingly sacrifice a life, you must do whatever you can to save everyone no matter the cost,” sounds like virtue ethics. This is the central conflict between Team RWBY and Ironwood in volume 7. Ruby and co considered it wholly wrong to sacrifice the remaining people of Mantle in order to save Atlas and the Mantle citizens already evacuated, they considered the idea unacceptable and we (the audience) are meant to believe they’re entirely right and that Ironwood is - with this action - turning into a villain. The Ace Ops are also seen as wrong for wanting to destroy the whale even though they know that Team JORY is still inside it, because despite the fact that it would save thousands upon thousands, it would result in the deaths of four people.

“You have to do what is right, even if it requires sacrifice,” sounds like consequentialism. Pyrrha goes to fight Cinder despite knowing she can’t win, which is framed as heroic and good. Jaune, Nora, and Ren leave their mission defending the non-evacuated people of Mantle in order to try and rescue Oscar. Our group of protagonists trap a city full of civilians in Salem’s direct line of fire and cause many soldiers to die so that they can try and evacuate the citizens of Mantle. The show frames this as the right choice that the team made in the pursuit of saving everyone they could, and the dead soldiers are a sacrifice that the protagonists couldn’t avoid and therefore aren’t responsible for.

“Being a good person who tries is the most important thing,” This feels like virtue ethics. This is applied to Team RWBY and Ruby particularly all throughout season eight. What really matters is that is that they’ve been trying. What really matters is that they’ve had good intentions. What really matters is they’ve stuck to their guns, stuck to their moral code. The morality of their actions is judged by who they are, what virtues they embody, and what they intended. Ruby is constantly assured by the people around her that she hasn’t really done anything wrong because she’s a believer, she’s kind, she’s brave, she’s optimistic, she’s well-intentioned... She - and we as the audience - are assured that she was still good, even if nothing she did was effective, even if nothing she did even helped people This is also applied to Robyn. She might steal from the government, start fights, and not fix the wall with her stolen resources, but she has good intentions and wants to help, so she’s a good person.

“Your intentions and effort aren’t important, what matters is what you do and if it helps people.” This feels like consequentialism. It’s obviously applied to Ironwood - It doesn’t matter that he’s trying to save Atlas and the evacuated people of Mantle, it still doesn’t excuse what he did even pre-bomb threat. Hacking Penny, shooting the councilman, shooting Oscar, all of that is treated as horrible in the narrative whether or not he’s doing it to try to save thousands upon thousands of lives. Even the things he was doing in V7 were considered not good enough because they weren’t helping enough people. But it also applies to the White Fang yet again. Sienna Kahn might’ve had good intentions (ending Faunus oppression,) but her actions are judged by the harm they do to others. Ilia might’ve had good intentions (again, ending Faunus oppression,) but her actions were considered firmly bad and she had to decide to change her ways in order to be redeemed. On top of this, let’s add Whitley to the pile. Whitley is treated dismissively and coldly by Weiss, but then when he does something good that helps people, Weiss is affectionate with him and starts treating him well. 

This is all very contradictory and weird. It doesn’t matter if you lean more towards virtue ethics or consequentialism, the story keeps waffling between the two and expects its audience to do the same. When they want Team RWBY to do something that might be considered wrong in the terms of virtue ethics (stealing, lying, using violence, etc,) they use consequentialism to justify it, but whenever they want Team RWBY to be morally superior to the people around them even if those people aren’t evil (Ironwood, Oz, Ilia,) they use virtue ethics to do that. Stories that include both as points of contention between characters, but both are framed as justifiable can exist and can be really good, but that’s not what we’re given. Stories that make it clear that they prefer one over the other can exist, but that’s not what we’re given either. RWBY is full of whiplash moments, where you have to go “Wait, wasn’t this framed as wrong just an episode ago?” and “Wait, wasn’t this framed as right and justified just an episode ago?” Because RWBY as a show doesn’t bother to believe in either of them. RWBY as a show is only concerned with saying what they can to make the protagonists look good, which is hard.

When you look at it, they’re bad at being consequentialists.

Let’s look at the first relevant consequentialist action I noted, where I used the example of stealing the Atlas ship to establish that the protagonists considered stealing justified and necessary, therefore morally sound. This was not only avoidable (Cordovin had given them the option of sending Weiss through and she could’ve contacted Winter as soon as her scroll was able to reach her,) but it caused a dangerous Grimm attack. As far as I know, no civilians were hurt. However, this was still an avoidable act of theft that caused negative consequences. Looking at them trapping Atlas is even messier. They do it to save the remaining people of Mantle, putting the people of Atlas (and the evacuated Mantle citizens) at risk so they can save the most people despite the soldiers lining up to die facing Salem and the possibility of Grimm getting in the city of Atlas and killing civilians before they can finish the evacuation. But you quickly realize that they literally can’t evacuate the people still in Mantle because they have no resources to do so. Then they start moving the remaining people of Mantle to the Crater where they won’t freeze to death (logical,) and JORY and the HH start trying to defend them (logical,) but then they don’t send Penny to move Atlas. They know that they can’t evacuate the people in Mantle to Atlas, have a temporary solution to the cold, and know they aren’t going to get more help in defending the civilians in their care and must take care of it themselves. But they continue to keep Atlas trapped there despite knowing that the consequence might be thousands dying. Looking at launching Amity and sending out the broadcast is even messier than that. The broadcast is ill-planned, sloppy, confusing, and hits several of the beats of Cinder’s broadcast, which kick started the Fall of Beacon. This could have terrible consequences in a world where the Grimm are drawn to negativity. People could panic, it could launch Vacuo (the last remaining fully functioning kingdom) into a state of emergency, it could cause people to lose all hope in the establishments or the Hunters themselves, it could make people go out looking for ‘maidens’ to help them. And no one should be able to just travel to help Atlas within a couple of days anyway, which Ruby seems to fully understand at times in how she frames things, but she also asks for help that logic says can’t come. This was something that might endanger people and cause mass panic and Grimm attacks, that didn’t actually do much good. In terms of consequentialism, this was a failure, this wasn’t the Right thing to do.

But when you look at it, they’re bad at virtue ethics too.

Of course, there’s the obvious. They lie, they mistrust, they steal, they’re violent. They point their weapons at Qrow in V6, Weiss points her weapon at Whitley, an untrained teenage civilian, Weiss throws a man in a dumpster for being anti-Faunus to Blake, Qrow punches a teenage body for lying to him about something important. But there’s also the fact that in V8, Ruby and Weiss and Blake don’t do much to help anyone. Ruby sends out her hopeful sounding message that could do very little (if logic means anything in this world,) and then sits in a mansion drinking tea, waiting for Nora to recover. Of course this is wrong from a consequentialist mind frame, the consequence of sitting around doing nothing when you can help save people is that those people might die. But from a virtue ethics standpoint... This action is selfish, maybe even cowardly. Ruby is meant to be selfless and brave, and remember that she’s the one who made it so Atlas civilians and the evacuated people of Mantle couldn’t escape, and then despite the fact that she’s a powerful fighter with a rare super power that can take out tons of Grimm at once, Ruby sits in a mansion and despairs that no one is coming to save her. Look, I’ve heard every excuse. It doesn’t matter if she’s wanted by the Atlas police. It doesn’t matter if she’s trying to take care of her friend. It doesn’t matter if she has no plan. The virtues Ruby is supposed to embody like kindness, bravery, resolve and selflessness would dictate that all of that has to take a backseat when she can save human lives.

This is a big reason why I’m so frustrated with RWBY. They keep waffling between these two conflicting ideas of what’s right and what’s wrong, and they’re failing to make our heroes properly fit into either category. They just then tell us that they fit. They always do what’s right for the most people and don’t look behind the curtain to see them fail to do just that. They always follow their virtues and don’t look behind the curtain to see them make excuses over and over for themselves while they expect everyone else to adhere to the standards they won’t reach for.

And honestly, fans do the same thing the show does, which is one reason why it’s so frustrating to talk to mega-stans that won’t recognize the main casts flaws while they refuse to see that Oz deserved better or that Ironwood wasn’t evil pre-end of volume 7. “Of course Team RWBY lied to Ironwood, they didn’t know if they could trust him!” “Whether or not Oz knew if he could trust them, he never should’ve lied to them.” They’ll say these things even sometimes in the same posts or comments and not even realize the problem. The show and the fans will use anything and any justification to pretend that Team RWBY was right and inculpable, but they’ll use anything and any justification to make anyone who opposes them - friend or foe - seem entirely in the wrong and at fault. That’s why Oz apologized to them, but they didn’t apologize back even though they treated him horribly. The show runners don’t care what Team RWBY did wrong, they’ve already jumped through all the mental hoops to pretend they were right.

Looking at Team RWBY through the lens of virtue ethics, they fail to meet a good standard, and looking at Team RWBY through the lens of consequentialism, they still fall short. And the show needs to stop acting like they’re inherently better than the people around them when they’re not. The show writers are using the excuses of consequentialism and virtue ethics whenever they think it can distract us from the fact that behind their fancy feel good words, they don’t know how to write good protagonists.

[luckystarchild]

I was discussing this with my writing group earlier and decided that I wanted to collect some more opinions on this, so what're your thoughts on reviews that start out with "I don't really like oc-driven/centric stories, but―" or reviews worded to a similar effect/to the same tune? Personally I just don't find them to be as much of a compliment as the reviewer thinks it is, and wish people wouldn't preface a review with such info.

Soooooo there’s a lot to unpack here. I’ll do it in stages. Sorry if this is more than you wanted... I take asks too seriously sometimes. XD

Why do these types of reviews feel insulting?

The reason these kinds of reviews might not feel so great to the recipient is because they pair a compliment with a qualifier. And combining a compliment with a qualifier is how you structure a backhanded compliment.

Example of pairing a compliment with a qualifier, AKA a backhanded compliment: “Your old haircut was terrible, but your new one is much better.”

The “but” is key here. The compliment-giver said something nice about your appearance, yes, but now you’re walking around feeling badly about the last ten years of your old hairstyle, wondering if everyone who looked at you while you had that old haircut was calling you ugly behind your back.

When someone says, “Normally I hate stories like yours, BUT...” they’re using the structure of a backhanded compliment to pay you a (hopefully legit) compliment. They’re calling you an exception. You’re writing something that’s normally terrible, but you managed to squeak by with something acceptable (against all odds).

Even though you’re an exception, you’re left wondering if other people hate your story because of its sheer concept just like the reviewer initially did. And because they used the structure of a backhanded compliment to express their feelings, you’re left feeling like you did indeed receive a backhanded compliment, even if that wasn’t the reviewer’s intention.

After all, the recipient of a review can’t read a reviewer’s tone. All they can see is how the review was structured, and when the reviewer used the structure of a backhanded compliment, that’s what the recipient feels like they were given.

By pairing the positive with a negative, the reviewer has potentially cancelled out the good, leaving the recipient to focus on the bad. And since humans are hardwired for negative bias, it’s no wonder many people come away from a compliment + qualifier feeling like they’ve been insulted instead of complimented. They can’t help but focus on the bad more than the good, the insult more than the compliment.

What are reviewers REALLY trying to say?

Next we should discuss what reviewers are actually trying to say when they leave reviews of this kind. There are two possible scenarios to consider.

Possibility #1: They’re legitimately trying to pay you a compliment, but they aren’t thinking about how you’ll receive it or what they might be inadvertently implying by using the structure of a backhanded compliment. They actually, truly believe that you would want to know that you are an exception to their reading rules, and that this fact is a high honor. You’ve done something so well, they don’t even care what genre your story is! Your work is great, and the fact that they’d normally hate it due to its genre is AMAZING. You’ve changed their minds about a genre! You defied expectations! They were determined to not like your story, but it’s too good! You broke through their preconceived notions of what they like and MADE THEM LIKE SOMETHING with your writing skill. It’s not a feat all stories can achieve, so the reviewer thinks you should wear that as a badge of honor.

Possibility #2: They’re actually paying you a backhanded compliment and are hoping you’ll get upset. They want you to know they liked your work... but they secretly still think it’s silly, or stupid, or cringe. I won’t elaborate on this opinion because I think we’ll all fill in the blanks with our own worst fears, so there’s no need for me to do the heavy lifting when it comes to this kind of horror.

Which of these things do reviewers actually intend? I can’t say. This is obviously up to the receiver of a particular review to decide. I personally remind myself of Hanlon’s Razor whenever possible: “In misunderstandings, never assume malice where thoughtlessness will do.” It doesn’t necessarily amend the hurt I might feel, depending on how the review is worded and how severe the backhanded compliment structure is... but it does help me make peace with it.

What’s my personal opinion on the matter?

I’m of two minds.

Mind the First: It’s awesome to convert someone to a genre of story they previously hated. OC fics get a (frankly undeserved) bad rap, so I understand that an inevitable portion of readers will come into OC stories predisposed to disliking them. Knowing someone clicked on my story thinking they’d hate it, only to come to love it, is pretty great. It’s like you’ve given other OC fics a chance by being a good representative of that fanfic genre.

Mind the Second: In general, using the structure of a backhanded compliment to pay someone a genuine compliment is confusing and can be an example of poor communication if it’s not worded with enough clarity. Additionally, “I thought I’d hate your story” might be true for a reader, but it probably isn’t a necessary thing to tell an author. Just because you CAN say something doesn’t mean you SHOULD.

Personal Anecdote: A reviewer once told me of my main work, Lucky Child: “I clicked on this story to laugh at it and mock the concept, because it’s sooooo cringey, buuuut... it’s actually pretty great and I grudgingly respect the work you’ve done on it.”

The rest of the review was lovely and very complimentary, but knowing they came to my story intending to make fun of it, being told I wrote for a cringe concept, that they only “grudgingly” respected me... wasn’t the best. Largely because I am secretly afraid that people feel that way, so their review was confirming something I secretly dread. “How many other people are think my concept is cringey?” I found myself worrying. And the word “grudging” made me feel like they resented me for converting them to OC stories, which made me feel... not the best.

I genuinely believe they were trying to be nice and pay me a compliment NOW, but I will admit that I was somewhat unsettled by the comment when it first came in. There were better ways they could have communicated with me, for sure. Again, Hanlon’s Razor came in handy in this instance, and now I look at that review (and reviews like it) positively. But it did take me a while to put aside the negative implications. It helps that Lucky Child gets a comment like this every few weeks, LOL. At some point I’ve gotten used to them. Now I wear them as badges of honor and love receiving them. AGAIN, THOUGH: I’ve had practice. Authors less used to that kind of comment would likely respond the way I did at the beginning.

In conclusion?

In the end, I think using the structure of a backhanded compliment is confusing as heck when what a reviewer INTENDS to do is pay a genuine compliment.

So to reviewers who want to leave remarks like these? I’d say try to structure your comment in a clear way, avoid structuring a compliment like an insult, and be sure you’re not leaving room for miscommunication. Writers are notoriously sensitive creatures (myself included), and their command of language means they’ll read VERY DEEPLY into things if you’re at all ambiguous. Clarity, in all things, is key.

Honestly? Times like these are why I wish we taught more rhetoric in schools. The MANNER in which you communicate a thought can completely negate the CONTENT of your thought if you don’t use the right rhetorical device to communicate it, and using the rhetoric of insults to convey compliments is bad use of language. Mind your rhetorical devices, people! They’re important, especially if you consider yourself a writer.

To writers who receive these comments? I’d say to write down a version of Hanlon’s Razor and to repeat it to yourself often: “In misunderstandings, never assume malice where thoughtlessness will do.” I’m not saying all reviewers who leave this kind of comment are thoughtless, of course. But I AM saying that most of the time during misunderstandings (especially ones that take place on the internet, where you can’t read tone, body language and facial expression), people just don’t realize that their words can be misconstrued for anything other than what they intended. Most of the time, they have the best intentions. But since outcome is more important than intention, that can be cold comfort for those on the receiving end of a badly communicated review.

TL;DR for Reviewers: Don’t leave comments like these if you don’t want to be misunderstood.

TL;DR for Writers: Don’t take comments like these personally, because most reviewers don’t mean them maliciously.

I hope this helps, OP. Sorry if it’s too much!!

[jupitermelichios]

Binding Safety: what the Binding Health Project study tells us

[sorry in advance for the long post, but this is important health stuff so i didn’t want to hide it under a cut where most people won’t bother reading it]

There’s been a lot of talk lately on trans/nb/gnc tumblr about a 2016 study on the health impacts of binding, after a user made a post about how choosing to bind should be a decision taken very seriously due to the serious long-term health effects, and linked to the study.

I was curious, because as someone who’s been binding for several years now, the study results referenced sounded somewhat extreme. So I went and read the study to see for myself. (Which you can access HERE, and I encourage you to read it for yourselves. It’s not as daunting to read as it initially looks provided you have a decent grasp of English). This is in no way intended to be a callout or response to that user, which is why I’m not naming them. I just read the study and realised I hadn’t seen the results being talked about. Thank you to the op for directing me to the study.

The study is pretty broad with a reasonably high level of responses (1800 people in total were used - some more responded but were excluded for being under 18). There’s a few things that might immediately jump out at you though.

Mainly, this was the first ever study of the kind, and as such, it’s intended to gather preliminary data (that is, a broad overview intended to provide a starting point for other more in-depth studies in the future). There’s a lot of questions I would say definitely need to be answered before any serious conclusions can be drawn that just aren’t covered at all. Which is fine, it’s a preliminary study, but that also means we should take care when viewing the results.

First of all, my qualifications. I’ve been binding regularly for three years now, and my degree involved some studying and inpretting of questionnaire and other study responses, so I am relatively familiar with this format of data. I am also a fully qualified first aider, so I have some medical knowledge. However I am not a sports scientist/biologist/medical professional, and three years really isn’t all that long in the grand scheme of things. As such, you should definitely consider seeking out other opinions on this study, and on binding safety in general, before making any kinds of decisions about whether to start/continue binding.

With that out of the way, here’s a run down of limitations to bear in mind before I talk about the actual results:

1. This was an online study and as such is most going to capture a younger target demographic, and also therefore people who had been binding for a shorter period of time. More than half the respondants were under 24, and the average respondant had been binding for only 2 years. The study does not report on whether there is any correlation between age and experience with binding and health impact or not, which is a question that it’s definitely worth asking. (To put it simply, I think it is likely that people who are older or have been binding for a long time are more likely to spot if the way they bind is hurting them than younger people, but I don’t have evidence for that assumption because there hasn’t been any research yet that covers that topic).

2. This is not a longditudinal study (where subjects are studied over a long period to track changes over time), and as such it is only capturing a snapshot as at the point people filled it the questionnaire. Some questions did cover before and after experiences, but that’s not the same as a long term study, and the study itself mentions this as a limitation.

3. This is anecdotal evidence with no input from medical professionals (in case people aren’t familiar with the terms, asking someone if they eat a lot of spaghetti would get you anecdotal evidence, as opposed to a researcher following someone around and recording whether they actually ate spaghetti, which would be empirical evidence. Neither type of evidence is superior, they’re just useful for different things). Self reported data is important and useful, but there’s also going to be some blindspots, and one of those could potentially be whether binding is actually the root cause of the health problems reported. (Which isn’t to say that it isn’t, just that the study didn’t try to rule other possible causes).

4. Over 80% of respondants used commercial binders (garments made specifically for the purpose of binding, purchased from a shop, rather than improvised/homemade garments, or repurposed garments intended for other things like playing sport), and so the data on other binding methods is limited, meaning the ability to compare accross different binding methods is likewise limited.

5. All commercial binders are grouped together with no distinction between the different types, but annecdotal evidence from the community strongly suggests there are major differences between binders with fastenings and elasticated binders when it comes to health

6. Respondents were asked only what they currently or most frequently bound with, not whether they had used other binding materials in the past. Many people, especially those who begin binding young, will start with something improvised before moving on to a commercial binder. Some of the health affects the study associates with commercial binders may actually be the long term result of other binding methods. (Again, they also may not be, the point is just that we don’t know)

7. There has yet to be a study of the effects of binding which compares it to wearing a bra regularly, but some of the health impacts reported have also been linked to bras, especially amoung people with larger chests. (Back and shoulder pain especially). This suggests (although obviously in no way proves) that some of the results may be related to more body shape than they are binding.

8. The study itself mentions several times that they did not cover the size of binder/level of compression people chose, or whether they were layering binders (except layered shirts or sports bras), both of which have been strongly linked to health impacts by community anecdotal evidence

There’s almost certainly more I haven’t thought of, but those are just the ones that immediately spring to mind. Again, this is not to say this study is worthless. This study is, and was intended to be, a useful jumping off point for more detailed studies.

So what does the study actually say:

1. Most people who bind report some impact on their health. These impacts can range from fairly minor (itching and overheating) all the way up to very serious (skin/soft tissue infections and rib fractures, which in can lead to more serious infections and punctured lungs respectively). The most common effects are back pain and overheating. Binding without getting side effects of some kind is extremely rare.

2. The number of days a week you wear a binder is a much better indicator of whether binding it going to negatively impact your health than how many hours at a time you wear your binder.

3. Within the limits of this study (see above) commercial binders are the most associated with health impacts, while binding methods developed for sports, such as sports bras and compression vests, are the least associated.

4. The impact of binding on mental health is generally very possitive

So what if I already bind and don’t want to stop / am considering starting to bind. Should I be worried?

This is where we’re getting much more into my personal anecdotal experience and interpretation of the results. Other people may not agree with what I’m about to say, and it’s important that we listen to those voices, especially if they come from people more qualified than me.

IMO the answer is not especially, if you’re being sensible. It definitely is a decision to consider seriously before you begin, but unless you’re doing something really dangerous it’s probably not going to do serious harm. However there are some safety steps you need to take to protect yourself. Some of these will be stuff you’ve probably seen before from the community. Some of them may be new, because there’s bits of this study which do contradict what the community thought they knew about binding safety.

Based on this study, and my own/community anecdotal evidence, you should:

1. Take regular breaks from binding. Take days off as often as you can. This is the biggest predictor of low/minimal health impacts. If you’re not going out, or if you’re not feeling dysphoric, take a day off. Binding can become a habit easily, but if it’s not necessary avoid it. Try and, at the minimum, get into a ‘if I’d be happy wearing sweat-pants or pyjamas today, then I shouldn’t be wearing a binder’ mindset.

2. Do not sleep in your binder. Even a looser or more comfortable one. (Also any bra-wearing people wearing this, don’t sleep in your bra either. It’s really bad for you). While length of time you wear a binder while awake doesn’t seem to impact health, sleeping in a binder can.

3. Bind with material that stretches. Using stiff binders, whether that’s homemade, tape/bandages/plastic wrap, or one of the velcro/hook commercial binders, is how you end up with fractured ribs and breathing difficulties. If something is able to comfortably expand with your breathing, it’s not going to break anything when you breath. If it isn’t... well, that’s how you get 8% of responses being from people who’ve cracked ribs in the past.

4. Pay attention to your body, and keep binding in mind as a possible cause for any new pain or other health problems, especially if those problems affect your chest, shoulders, lungs, or digestive system. (Your stoumach is way higher up in your body that you probably think it is, so it can be impacted by some binders.)

5. Consider athetic supports for binding. If you can/are comfortable with them, binding options which have been designed and tested by sports scientists for their impact on the body, and breathing in particular, are going to be your safest option. Consider whether a sports bra or compression vest would work for you rather than a commercial binder (and/or swap them out with a commercial binder).

6. Accept that you’re never going to be completely flat, just like most cisgender men aren’t completely flat, and don’t try to aim for that, especially if you’ve got a bigger chest. Trying to achieve an idealised body is never healthy, whether that relates to musclemass, weight, or chest size, and it’s this kind of thinking (tempting as I know it can be) that leads people to make dangerous choices.

7. Never forget that it is possible to bind so tightly that you cut off blood circulation to parts of your chest, which is how you get infections and even necrosis. Which in turn, as well as being horrible and possibly impacting your ability to have top surgery if that’s something you want, is how you get sepsis, which has a terrifyingly high chance of killing you, but especially if it’s starting right next to your vital organs. Because you’re not watching the tissue go white the way you would if you tightened something around your arm, for instance, it can be easy to forget this is a possible outcome. Bear this in mind, and choose your compression levels accordingly.

8. Wear a binder that fits. If you’re buying a commercial elasticated binder, make sure you’re picking the right size for you and only wear one at a time. The big brands like GC2B, Underworks, and Trans-Missie have size charts. Read them, and don’t order a size smaller becuase you think you know better.

9. Stretch regularly and be aware of your posture as much as possible. (Honestly this is good advice for everyone, especially extremely online people; laptops are great but their impact on posture and therefore spinal health has been pretty catastrophic). Excercises that strengthen your core muscles are also great, because those muscles help hold your spine in place. I’ve been told by way too many physiotherapists/osteopaths/chiaropractors that my lack of core strength is the root of my recurring back and neck problems, and since binding can negatively affect your spine, this goes double for those of us who bind.

10. Be aware of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, they’re real and they’re dangerous. Stay hydrated, stay in the shade, and consider not binding on hot days if possible. (Generally just avoid tight clothing and synthetic fabrics wherever you can when it’s hot, and since binders are both, that goes double for them). Also talc often has some really bad stuff in it, but some sort of anti-stick powder in your (sorry for the gendered language, couldn’t think of a good neutral alternative) cleavage and underboob areas is an absolute lifesaver on hot days, and as long as you pick something smooth and skin safe will help with itching.

11. Take the time to choose a binder that’s right for your body. It’s really easy if you’re new to binders to assume that however the first one you buy fits is normal, even if it actually doesn’t fit at all and causes you pain. It’s entirely possible to bind without pain, especially if you take regular days off, so if your binder hurts, even if it’s just mild discomfort, it’s probably the wrong size. This is one of the reasons it’s so important that folks who bind talk about their experiences, and that younger or newer members of the community reach out to more experienced members for advice and support.

Binding can have a serious impact on your health, no one is denying that, but if anything looking at the results of this study, limited though it was, suggests that there’s a lot you can do to make it relatively safe. It’s still a decision you should think through, and it requires a level of physical monitoring many people aren’t used to, but it’s not some big scary life threatening thing.

Anyway, I hope that was interesting and/or set some people’s minds at rest. I know I’ve seen that post a lot the last couple of days, and it had me worried before I went and read over the results, which again, I’d urge you all to go and do if you can (warning that it’s probably not super screen-reader friendly due to the formatting of the reports). I’m not a medical or scientific professional, so if people better qualified to interpret the study than me, or if people who have been binding for longer and have more anecdotal evidence than me, have dissenting opinions it would be great to hear them.

I’ll leave you with one last tip, which isn’t health related but which I wish someone had given me when I was starting out:

12. If at all possible, order binders from your country or at least continent, because chances are the first one you order will need to be returned or adjusted and international shipping and customs charges are a bitch, especially if you’re on a budget. The closer to home it ships from, the easier it will be to return it.

TL:DR; binding is very likely to have some impact on your health, but how serious that impact is is heavily dependant on how, and how safely, you bind. Taking days off from binding is the best way to protect yourself, and garments designed for sports are the safest binding method. However there still needs to be a lot more research done before we can draw up anything more than rough guidelines for safety, and you should therefore take care and pay attention to your body if you decide to bind.

[asketchyperson]

Is Toxic Better than Infect?

I had my first experience playing against Toxic this past week at a game store, and it genuinely surprised me! When All Will be One was first previewed and we saw Toxic for the first time, I think most players saw a “fixed” version of infect that was more palatable to the current player base. Infect has a pretty negative reputation in all formats, not just EDH, and Toxic felt like WotC’s way to use poison counters again without reintroducing a largely disliked mechanic. I cannot speak to its current impact in any other format, but (brace for hot take) I think Toxic might not only be better than infect, but a strong mechanic in its own right when it comes to EDH. I will present the qualifier that I only played against it in one session, but the opponent played the deck in two games and the impact was felt heavily in both. I would like to see it more to get a better feel for it, but I genuinely feel like Toxic might have some legs because it gets to fight the battle on two fronts.

The biggest difference between the two mechanics is what causes poison counters to be applied. Infect is a replacement effect that exchanges damage for an equivalent number of poison counters (or -1/-1 counters on creatures). If you are playing at a table with an infect player, that player is generally going to be the only one who has a win condition of poison counters (if there are multiple infect players at your table, Godspeed friend). For that player, each opponent essentially has a life total of 10, and they have to squeeze in just enough damage to kill everyone. 30 health points between your opponents is a lot less than 120 like a normal game, so they should have a huge advantage, right?

Well, yes and no. They do have way less leg work to do to kill a single player, but that is generally public knowledge, and it changes the behavior of the rest of the table. If everyone started a game of EDH at 10 life, decision making would absolutely be effected. If you are at 40 life and have a 5 power creature swinging at you but have a mana dork available to block that would die after combat, you will probably feel ok taking the 5 damage so you can keep the extra mana next turn. But if that same 5 damage is coming and you are at 10, you almost have to block it or you are going to lose half your life! You will block it, spend a removal spell to get rid of the creature, or you will do your absolute best to hit that player back once your turn comes around. From the start of the game, the infect player is going to be one of the first targets for just about everything, especially once the first poison counter gets attached.

The first poison counter is especially important, because it shapes how the game will look going forward. The Infect player is incentivized to continue to focus on that player because going wide and trying to kill everyone at the same time is generally less efficient and slow, so the game will devolve into a 1v1 between the Infect player and their first “Infectee” until one of them is dead, meanwhile the other two players will largely be left to their own devices. Even if the infect player manages to take out one person, they will be starting from square one with the next player if they have not found a way to chip away at them prior. An infect player may have to deal less damage to knock someone out, but they have a lot of other factors that will be working against them in the meantime.

Now let’s look at Toxic. Toxic X is a triggered ability that triggers when combat damage is dealt, and it assigns X poison counters to the damaged player. The fact that a Toxic creature gets to deal both the damage and give counters means that the Toxic player (pun definitely somewhat intended) is getting the best of both worlds when it comes to combat. The biggest strength here is that the Toxic player does not need to warp their decision making around poison counters. If an infect player is not able to get counters on their opponents, their deck essentially does nothing. A Toxic player on the other hand can handle combat almost completely normally, and the poison counters are just a threatening side effect. They also do not have to dedicate slots in their deck to cards that are focused on adding poison counters. Having cards that care about counters or proliferate is still completely fine, but it is less of a necessity than it would be for the Infect player. Toxic decks can go tall or go wide, and being primarily in Abzan colors gives them access to some of the best combat-centered spells in the game. Carnage Tyrant is already a pretty scary creature to deal with, and it’s Toxic cousin Tyrranax Rex is just as big a threat while the Toxic 4 is just gravy. Black, glistening gravy.

The Toxic player also gets the advantage of not having to dedicate all of their resources to killing one person at a time. They can spread their damage across everyone just like any other deck could, and they can spend time building up their board without looking like they are getting ready to try to one-shot someone. They also are dealing damage with the rest of the table, unlike Infect. Somebody hitting an opponent for 15 damage does not mean much to an Infect player because they do not really have a way to take advantage of it. If an opponent has 3 life left but 0 poison counters, that person is no easier to kill for the infect player than they were when the game started. But the Toxic player can lick their chops and either go in for the kill or try to make a political ally of the endangered player. Does Toxic generally assign less poison counters than Infect? Absolutely. But still being able to deal damage while also giving a couple poison counters is still incredibly strong!

Out in the wilds of your local game store, you are not likely to see a lot of Infect brews. On top of being a narrow strategy that tends to have to focus on one person at a time, the general attitude toward the strategy is largely negative. The only frequent wins caused by Infect will mostly come from a well-timed Triumph of the Hordes or Tainted Strike, and those cards are better outside of an infect strategy when they come as a surprise (targeting an opponent’s creature that is about to deal you lethal damage with a Tainted Strike so you can survive is also a wonderful feeling).

Toxic on the other hand can look and feel like your average Abzan +1/+1 counter deck, while also causing an early knockout here and there through poison. Now, I do not think the attitude of the EDH player base toward Toxic will be much better, but I also do not think anyone will be quite as threatened by it, at least for the time being. Toxic gives the space for a far more flexible game plan than Infect, and because of this, I think there is a real chance that we see some very strong brews in the future as players explore the theme.

[cameoamalthea]

So I took this Dark Core Personality test (which was less edge lord than I thought it would be) and scored 31.89% lighter than average. OP scored 26.11% darker and because tumblr is forcing me to see all the comments on this thread (not just comments directed to me based on my reblog - seriously tumblr why you do this?) I see a lot of darkness. 

I wonder how people are scoring that way? 

So I thought I’d take a moment to think about the questions. All 45 of them: under the cut

1. I deserve more than I currently have in life.

I said strongly agree, because while I’m grateful for what I have I’d like to be a bit more financially stable/to be able to pay back the family that have helped me. 

I don’t think it’s wrong to agree with some of these (average is agreeing to a lot of these things). Most things are about balance. 

It’s good to have self esteem and self worth, to say that you deserve happiness/good things/to succeed and grow. 

2. I might be willing to take a punch if it meant that someone I did not like would receive two punches.

I don’t really understand this question and strongly disagreed. Why get myself hurt just to hurt someone else. I don’t really want to see anyone get punched. It just seems petty and mean.

3. Some people have to be treated roughly because they lack feelings that can be hurt.

Again what? How could anyone even think this? Everyone has feelings that can be hurt and no one has to be hurt. That’s awful.

4. If I opposed the election of an official, I would be glad to see them fail, even if their failure hurt my community.

I was neutral on this one, because I don’t understand how an elected official failing would hurt my community. If I oppose the election of an official it’s because I think their success would hurt my community. You vote for who you think will have the best policies right? 

I don’t get it.

5. I would be willing to pay more for certain goods if other people I did not like had to pay even more.

This seems stupid, petty and unfair. I don’t see why you’d want to hurt people you don’t like...I may not like everyone but I don’t want to see anyone hurt.

6. It is important to me that I am more successful than others.

This I agreed with strongly. It’s a fault I have and I know it. I want to prove myself as ‘worthy” I guess. Good enough. Not a failure. Because I always felt like it was somehow my fault I was never adopted/treated like a daughter by my guardians. Sometimes I wonder if I’d somehow been more lovable they would have wanted me. So I think if I’m more successful than average/do something amazing, then it would be proof that I’m not worthless?

 I know that I shouldn’t compare myself to others. It’s not effective to compare yourself negatively. Life isn’t a competition and if it were a race, it wouldn’t be a fair one since we all start in different places. I should focus on my own happiness and appreciate my achievements relative to how far I’ve come not to anyone else. 

Still, if I’m honest, I have to strong agree even if I know it’s a fault.

7.I like to pick on losers.

What the heck? I wouldn’t want to pick on anyone.

8. It’s okay to lie since you never know who you can trust.

No, it’s not okay to lie. I think if you’re seen as honest and trustworthy then people will give you honesty and trust in return.

9. I can be really nasty when I take my revenge.

I don’t want revenge 

10. Payback needs to be quick and nasty.

Again, I don’t need revenge or payback. (If anything if others hurt me I need to accept that it wasn’t my fault/I didn’t disserve it)

11. I fantasize about extraordinary prestige.

This is a strong agree, unsurprisingly. I want to be loved, and prestige would mean a lot of people would like me or my work. That would feel good. 

12. I use insincere flattery to get my way.

Nope, I do use sincere flattery to be nice to people. People like compliments and it’s good to be nice.

13. I use lies to get my way.

Nope.

14. I should not have to deal with trivial matters or the humdrum of everyday life.

Isn’t the humdrum of everyday life what life is? I like life? When I was a kid I dreamed about just having a normal life. I think we should all appreciate it.

15. I have enjoyed hurting someone physically, sexually, or emotionally.

No, I would never want to hurt someone. Although I was with a girl once who liked it if I bit her and it made her happy when I did it. I don’t think that’s hurting someone if you’re making them happy. Even if it is, I didn’t enjoy hurting her. I enjoyed making her happy.

16. People see me as especially worthy of admiration.

No way, I can’t imagine being worthy of admiration.

17. I deserve to have great things come my way in life.

Strong affirmation, which is a good thing for me given my issues with self esteem and feeling like I deserve bad things/don’t deserve good things. It’s not selfish to have a healthy amount of self esteem and self care.

18. It’s okay to lie if it’s the best way to handle a situation.

I’m honestly really honest. To the point of being too blunt and hurting others feelings.

19. I honestly feel I am just more deserving than others.

Big no to this one, I don’t deserve more than anyone else and I’m sure there others more deserving than me and it’s been a lot of work not to feel like I’m I just less deserving than others 

20. It is sometimes worth taking a little suffering yourself if it means that others will receive the punishment they deserve.

Again with the punishment. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t believe in punishment per se, I believe in consequences and that consequences come from the individuals actions. It’s not something I want to have happen to others, it’s something that does happen/should happen because justice and fairness demand a certain consequence to certain actions 

21. Most people don’t really care about others.

That’s not true, I can’t believe that 

22. Taking something without the owner’s permission is okay as long as you’re just borrowing it.

No, it’s not. Borrowing requires permission. Consent is the difference between what is permissible and what is criminal (note how permissible has the same root as permission). People have a right to their belongings, and even if you give it back, using it without consent is still conversion. If you take a car and go joy riding and intend to bring it back, you’ve still stolen a car.

Yes, there some things you might feel ok borrowing without asking because it’s a small thing and they wouldn’t mind, then chances are you’d be ok with stealing that thing (i.e. a pencil). Otherwise, you shouldn’t take without asking. 

23. I look down on people who unwisely share their secrets.

No, in fact I’m very open and share everything. I don’t have secrets.

24. I refrain from telling people the real reason I did something unless it is useful to do.

No, again I’m very honest and open. I want to be understood. I don’t really stop to think about what’s useful.

25. I only obey those laws that seem reasonable to me.

No, everyone is bound by the laws. Doesn’t matter if the speed limit could be faster you shouldn’t speed.

26. I often have fantasies which involve hurting people.

Big no

27. There are no right and wrong ways of making money, so much as there are easy and hard ways.

God that sounds terrible. Like they’d do anything to make money. Do you know how many terrible ways people can make money? 

28. I can get so angry that I want to hurt people.

Big no, I don’t get angry often and when I do I don’t want to hurt anyone.

29. People who get mistreated have usually done something to deserve it.

No, big no. That’s not true. People get mistreated who have done nothing to deserve it. Usually that’s how bullying works.

30. My own happiness is more important than that of the people around me.

Nope, and this is another flaw of mine. I tend to put everyone else first.

31. Compared to other bad things people do, stealing something small from a store isn’t worth worrying about.

No, it’s still stealing and it actually hurts the store’s bottom line (they keep track of items that go missing, called “shrink”) and if the store is hurt/loses money then that can hurt the people who work there (hours, even whole jobs, cut to save money).

32. Most people would probably enjoy hurting others if they had the chance.

No, I can’t believe that’s true

33. If I had the opportunity, I would gladly pay a small sum of money to see a classmate whom I do not like fail a job or exam.

Again, I don’t want to hurt people. One this seems like paying to hurt someone which is wrong. And making someone fail when they don’t deserve that. It’s not fair and it’s not right.

34. I expect special favors from others.

Nope

35. I keep track of sensitive information that can be used to hurt people at a later time.

Of course not, I don’t want to hurt anyone. 

36. I spend a lot of time looking for opportunities to achieve higher social status.

Nope, I’m ambitious insofar as I want to do well but I don’t spend a lot of time on it. If anything it makes me anxious to ask for things so even applying for jobs was hellish and I hate networking events. It feels wrong to talk to people just because you want something from them.

37.  People like me deserve more perks and advantages than the average person.

No, again, my natural state is to think I don’t deserve anything but I’m working on that. But even then, no one deserves to be treated better than anyone else, that’s not fair. 

38. Hearing others praise me is something I look forward to.

Big YES for this one! I like to feel like I’m going a good job and I need the validation. 

39.I am especially motivated towards making friends with important people.

Not really, I want to make friends with everyone because friends 

40. I avoid direct conflict with people who may be useful to me in the future.

I said yes on this because I avoid conflict in general and I don’t want to burn bridges with people

41. Those with superior talents should not hide them.

Well yeah, everyone should let their talents shine and share them with the world.

42. I am constantly looking for ways to get ahead.

I said yes, I want to do my best. 

43. I humiliate others to keep them in line.

This is wrong on so many levels. “keep them in line” Trying to control people is abusive. Hurting people is wrong and humiliating someone is hurting someone, doing it to control them is textbook abuse/manipulation. That’s terrible.

44. People who mess with me almost always regret it.

I don’t think they do and I certainly don’t try to make them regret it. Well one time I sued a car dealership for running my credit without my consent (in the face of me saying no multiple times/complete lack of consent). I wanted them to pay for that, but not just for me, because they broke the law and they should learn that’s not ok. I hope that by losing some money they would think twice about doing that to other people. But I think that’s the only time I’ve ever taken action against anyone, but that wasn’t revenge, that was ensuring the fair consequence for their actions.

45. I’ll say anything to get what I want.

Nope, I’m honest and I don’t think it’s right to say “anything” just to get what I want. That seems wrong.

[scripttorture]

1/2 Hi. I've got an enemy group who kidnaps and imprisons a spec ops type main character because they desperately want confidential information out of them, but the MC refuses to talk. This group knows torture is not very effective. They want to get it right, get the truth, and are capable and willing to donate lots of resources and time to convincing the main character to spill the beans. They have time, and the person is also much too valuable to maim, so I was wondering what combination of

2/2 techniques they might use to try and get truthful information out of them? I was thinking alternating between police style interrogations, general abuse and positive reinforcements. They use enemy allied spies posing as neutral/friendly individuals to give the main character a sympathetic ear, intending for the main character to accidentally let slip something of use. Would this work? What other options are there?

Well I think ifpossible you should be clear that torture does not work at all. ‘Not veryeffective’ can be taken to imply something might work some of the time. Andgiven the issue at hand I think it’s really important be clear.

 I think the generalsituation you’ve outlined seems perfectly reasonable for this kind of story.It’s realistic. But I’m not sure itwould be the most effective possible strategy.

 One of the big caveatshere is that actual scientific research on interrogation is woefully lacking.As a result I can’t say with certainty that one particularly thing we know can work is better than any otherstrategy that can work. The way I approach these sorts of questions is tryingto get as many ‘positive’ factors into the situation as reasonably possiblewhile minimising any ‘negative’ factors.

 Any abuse is a negativefactor. It makes it less likely that they'll gain the character's trust in anyrespect. It serves as a reminder to the character that they are 'the enemy'. Itcould strengthen the character's resolve not to cooperate purely because theypissed them off.I'm also a little wary of the phrase 'police style interrogation', not becausethere's anything wrong with it or your suggestion necessarily but because mostpolice officers don't receive much training in interrogation. The reality inmost countries is that when it comes to interrogation police officers make itup as they go along. Sometimes they're lucky enough to have someone close tothem who knows how it works but often that isn't the case.That's a big part of why I think this blog is important: these guys are lookingto us to tell them what 'works' and unfortunately a lot of fiction tells themthat the answer is 'torture'.I think the idea of having a friendly/neutral person as a spy is a good one. Ifyou can I'd suggest having two or three. Most fiction tends to use another'prisoner' in this role and that's perfectly feasible. I'd suggest that adoctor might work as well. So- suggestions. Well to start with I'd have them look for forensic evidencecarefully even if the chances of finding something that will help are slim. If this character is wearing shoes, clothes etc when they catch the MC havethem take literally everything and clothe the character in a standard uniformof some kind. If there’s any possibility of evidence from that confirming orsupporting the information they get from the MC use that in the story. Types of soil, chemical residues, plantmatter, anything at all.

 I realise that mightnot fit your story, it won’t fit every story. Some information may literallyonly exist in the character’s head. But if there is any way to use physical evidence as well I’d say do it.

 Next I’d stronglysuggest having as few people as possible on the interrogation team in the roomwith the MC. Don’t have more than two people talking to the MC regularly, thepoint is that they’re building up a relationship with the MC. If there are toomany people that’ll make it more difficult to form a strong connection with anyone individual and it’ll reduce the amount of time he spends with eachindividual.

 These people are goingto be spending a lot of time with theMC. Like forget 9-5 hours and having a family life outside. They’re going tospend hours each day every day just talking to the MC. They probably won’t evenspend most of it asking about what they want to know. They’ll be encouragingthe MC to talk about their beliefs their preferences their personal life-anything.

 They probably won’talways go in together. And I think ‘sessions’ might be in the realm of 5 hoursdaily. It’s a lot of time and itprobably isn’t going to give obvious rewards or indeed anything quickly.

 The rest of the team-the real work is in monitoring,recording, filing and cross referencing everything the MC says. An organisationwith this many resources will begetting information from other sources as well, people volunteeringinformation, paid informants, possibly undercover agents in the MC’sorganisation as well and of course hard evidence and seized materials.

 Checking that what theMC says lines up with other things they know about this organisation is massively important and a lot of hardwork.

 It’s essentially theirfact checking exercise. And if they’re serious about getting accurateinformation a lot of resources need to be there.

 They need to have agood enough cross referencing system in place that they correctly identify whenthe MC has let something slip, asopposed to when they’re lying or deliberately trying to throw these people off.

 If the character knowswhat’s going on deliberately lying at points is extremely likely. But thecharacter probably won’t be able to keep those lies perfectly consistent overmonths. The ‘bad guys’ need to be investing enough time, effort and people toanalyse and recognise the difference between lies, truth that was revealedaccidentally and genuine mistakes on the MC’s part (ie inaccurate informationthat the MC doesn’t know is inaccurate).

 Depending on how youwant to write this I think making members of the analysis and monitoring teamcharacters could be a good idea. It could help show just how much time andeffort is going into every word the MC says. It’s a less overtly violent sideof the evil organisation but one that’s potentially just as creepy anddisturbing- these people are basically professional stalkers.

 I think you shoulddefinitely be prepared to make the interrogator/s fully fledged characters. They’regoing to be spending a lot of time with the MC and if you’re not intending toskip over those months they’re going to be the people the MC interacts withmost. They’ll be doing everything they can to strike up a friendly, respectfulrelationship with the MC.

 It sounds like a stupiddetail but many real life cases have missed this- the interrogators must speak the same language as the MC fluently.

 The interrogatorsshould also have invested time in understanding the MC’s politics, culture andreligion. If something is core to the MC and can be researched/read about theinterrogators should do the reading.

 The only other thing Ican think of is a memory-aid which may or may not be helpful in your story.

 The interrogators getthe MC to tell their story of events backwards. This is something that getsused on witnesses as well as suspects. Essentially it’s difficult to tell astory backwards and inconsistencies become more obvious when comparing theforward and backward versions.

 That doesn’tnecessarily mean it catches lies. The errors could be genuine mistakes. But itgives an idea of what is accurate and consistent in the person’s memory. Ifthey’ve made something up they’ll probably get a lot more details wrong.

 From the MC’s side Ithink it’s important to remember that vanishingly few people refuse to talk.The MC could refuse to say anything they judge as ‘useful’ but that’s not thesame thing. Most people can’t sit quiet during conversations for weeks on end.

 The chances are the MCis going to engage with these interrogatorsto some degree. They’re going to get sucked in to ‘harmless’ conversationsabout sports or art or tv shows. Those conversations help build a relationshipthe interrogator can later try to use to get information.

 The chances are that inthe long term the MC is also going to let someinformation slip out. It might not be valuable or what the bad guys wantthough. But it’s difficult to keep all genuine personal information under wrapsfor months on end when you talk to someone every day.

 Broad responses aregoing to depend a lot on your MC’s personality. I think frustration and boredomwill probably be major problems: you’ve taken someone used to being active andreduced their world to a box and their social circle to may be 4 people.

 It’s going to take anemotional toll, even if it isn’t nearly so high or damaging as if they were insolitary confinement. That can also be used to encourage a strongerrelationship with the interrogators or the spies.

 Interrogation isn’tvery effective and whether it ‘works’ or not is dependent on a lot ofvariables. Even with all that time and effort on the bad guys’ part you could still realistically have the characternot give them the information they really want.

 The longer he’s therethe more likely he is to want to givethem that information and the more likely he is to have forgotten it.

 A lot depends on thecharacters themselves and how you write this. If you want the MC to give themthe information then I’d suggest strong, positive relationships with theinterrogators and/or spies, having the MC held prisoner for longer than a year(anything up to 4 sounds reasonable) and an MC with fewer strong emotional tiesto the ‘cause’.

 If you want the MC notto give them the information then I’d suggest a shorter imprisonment, 2-6months perhaps, a distrustful relationship with the spies, interrogators thatmade mistakes (like shouting or verbally abusing the MC) and an MC with strongemotional ties to the cause, which can include friends/family in the cause.

 I hope that helps. :)

Disclaimer

[bluerozzawesome]

5 OUTSOURCING TIPS FOR BUILDING A BETTER BUSINESS

On the planet where innovation and quickness are the need of great importance, IT outsourcing is increasingly getting a well known stead, particularly for beginning phase new companies and little to medium size businesses that work with restricted assets however intend to break into the tech industry in a major manner. It's a moderate, demonstrated go-to methodology that gives help to companies seeking to outfit the best of advanced advances and convey an eminent client support. 

Very regularly business proprietors are tested with correspondence issues with their merchants and battle to figure out how to construct the outsourcing business case, arrange the arrangement, and art a drawn out solid relationship with their accomplices. That as well as how might you put the eventual fate of your business in danger and spot it under the control of outsiders after you have emptied your essence into it? Outsourcing may appear as though a bet and it has possible traps, particularly if it's your first time outsourcing. 

In the relatively recent past, we shared our insights into the explanations behind IT outsourcing. This time we'll avoid the subtleties of outsourcing benefits and simply slice directly deeply: how it really completes. Here are the main five outsourcing tips that, ideally, will mitigate every one of your apprehensions, open IT outsourcing best practices, assist you with getting outsourcing directly from the beginning, and make your business tick. 

#1 GUIDELINES FOR FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNER 

Before dipping your toes in the water, set aside the effort to pick a competent and dependable contractual worker to work with. 

Make an inquiry or two for proposals 

A typical analysis against outsourcing is the danger of receiving below average work. Re-appropriate suppliers come in all shapes and estimates, and identifying the correct one methods having admittance to the correct information about expected competitors. You can begin from your own organization of contacts and get references from individuals you know and trust, normally different business people who have had involvement in companies in this field. 

Visit virtual commercial centers 

Invest energy shopping around on outsourcing locales. Online hiring administrations, as Upwork, are an incredible asset for expanding your own organization. They permit you to see the itemized profiles and arrangement of forthcoming merchants and get the input on the estimation of their work from different businesses. Tributes from earlier customers can fundamentally influence your choice when weighing one temporary worker against another, and lead you to the best one. 

Pick between an office and a consultant 

The benefits of an IT outsourcing office are self-evident. They normally enlist profoundly trained experts that can be effectively supplanted on the off chance that they don't live up to your desires. Numerous organizations likewise actualize 'balanced governance and handle the whole item advancement measure, subsequently mitigating any dangers. With so numerous gifted engineers and experienced chiefs ready, they assume the liability to check all work and resolve any issues, if things go haywire. 

Two main risks related with hiring a specialist are relying on a single engineer with nobody to check their work, and the chance of misfortunes if your temporary worker neglects to finish the undertaking. 

You can't anticipate that one designer should be 'a handyman'. Things occur. Issues come up. One potential arrangement could be getting a second opinion from an independent consultant or even two or three of them. Having somebody survey your temporary worker's work can significantly lessen the danger and spare you gobs of cash. Additionally, on the off chance that you set up your resources in one place, you may wind up having to search for another person. Specialists regularly go back and forth. Some of them may get an awesome all day bid for employment and leave you the following day. Thus, hiring a few engineers may make all the difference for you. 

In either situation, regardless of whether you settle on an office or a consultant, find out in the event that they do the advancement themselves or redistribute it to another person. Doing business through affiliates may defeat correspondence and in this manner the whole advancement measure. 

Recruit the particular skill you need 

You would prefer not to be 'a guinea pig', correct? Thus, your merchant's mastery and specific aptitudes ought to be considered into your final choice. Prior to engaging with a provider, you must be certain that there is a decent match between what you need and what the supplier spends significant time in, so their qualities line up with your objectives. Pick a legitimate organization that is entrenched in their field and have demonstrated experience working on the tasks like yours. This particularly remains constant for complex, actually refined tasks. 

The choice cycle can be dull and tedious work. Unclear occupation listings will in general draw in huge amounts of under qualified candidates, so ensure your set of working responsibilities is completely clear. Recognize precisely your key execution measurements, objectives, and desires. You additionally need to know how profound their abilities go, regardless of whether they comprehend the business, best practices and most recent tech patterns. 

Direct an interview 

Filter through all applications, slender the rundown of possible providers to 4-5 up-and-comers, and continue to the following stage, the interview. Getting a genuine vibe for a possibility's character and what they can do, is center to understanding whether they will meet your requirements. Here are a few 'dos' during the interview: 

Be explicit. Set up a couple of specialized inquiries to test the interviewee's information and aptitudes. 

Request their function on past activities. Is it safe to say that they were involved in building the entire thing or only a couple of little highlights? 

Recommend a circumstance and ask how they would react to it, or find out about issues they may have battled with previously, and how they took care of them. Watch out for warnings, for example, negative disposition, affront for clients, or inability to keep duties to convey on schedule. 

Fight the temptation to enlist the principal candidate you interviewed, regardless of whether you enjoyed them. You have to contrast them and others. 

Since you have several incredible possibilities, test them out. Allocate a little preliminary assignment that will give you an unpleasant idea of how they perform, and see who will be the best counterpart for your business. It could be a brisk model or an essential outline of a work plan. On the off chance that that basic test is a catastrophe, think about the following applicant. In any case, in the event that notably, well, bingo! You've discovered what you've been looking for! 

Start little 

Developing associations with another specialist organization begins with getting a hint of how they work. Before entrusting your brainchild to them, start with a little straightforward task to give you a thought of their exhibition and abilities. 

#2 COST CONSIDERATIONS 

Cost is another significant measurement in any outsourcing choice. Anyway, how would you try things out before you bounce in? 

Shop around 

It's not tied in with finding the least expensive seller out there, however considering the one underneath your spending plan may be tempting. Never select a supplier dependent on cost – pick something you can sensibly manage the cost of while as yet receiving esteem. Low rates won't benefit your business in any way if your task stalls out in the center. Zero in on the gains that an outsourcing arrangement can bring to your business. Shop around outsourcing destinations for the rates for the errand you need to redistribute. On the off chance that work merits doing admirably, be prepared to pay for a demonstrated provider. You don't need to binge spend, yet additionally don't hold back something over the top. Preclude the most expensive and the least valued bidders. On the off chance that a supplier is somewhat expensive, yet has a ton of positive criticism from customers, at that point he's likely justified, despite all the trouble, while a temporary worker with negative or no input might be more difficult than they are worth. Rather than consultants, agencies typically accompany an exorbitant cost tag. You can at present find a decent bargain, however. Consider new non-conventional outsourcing destinations, as Eastern Europe, that offer more affordable assets and significant levels of value. 

Pick the correct pricing model 

In the event that an outsourcing course of action offers you lower costs without compromising quality, at that point you're in an ideal situation in that business arrangement. Build up the pricing model that will urge specialist co-ops to give it their everything. 

We as a whole disdain shrouded expenses and astonishments! Utilize an in with no reservations level expense pricing model for redistributed Scrum Teams or Agile programming advancement. It's a pricing structure that charges a single fixed expense for help, instead of charging constantly. It centers around high efficiency, and offers full cost straightforwardness and adaptability to scale up or down, should a circumstance require. 

In an item or task based outsourcing model, put a high incentive on results instead of hours. On the off chance that the group you recruited can't create a yield comparable to your principles, it doesn't make a difference how much time they have spent. Start with an errand based value model to perceive how this new organization is working for you. Bind your supplier's installment to unmistakably defined venture achievements that signal fruition of significant phases of the task. Timetable ordinary registration to survey their work. It's prescribed to follow through on 20-30% of the all out cost forthright, and the rest is granted after the errand fulfillment. 

When your temporary workers show the capacity to reliably convey results, you can begin transitioning to a fixed value model. There are as yet a lot of things to be mindful of. A fixed-cost retainer works better for completely defined fixed extension extends as opposed to new businesses. With a fixed value model, you give specs at the start, have a fixed task spending plan and pay precisely what is recorded. When you go into an agreement, any progressions are unwanted and disliked. New businesses, in any case, are unstable commonly. Tags: Best Outsourcing Companies In Dubai, Dubai Recruitment Agencies

[foxstens]

it’s over and i must talk

so let’s start with the most important thing: the routes and the boys. i’d rank them like this

1. kent

2. shin

3. ikki

4. toma

starting with toma’s route was very interesting, because it showed me from the beginning that this wasn’t going to be as fluffy and romance-focused as i had thought, and that there’d definitely be things about it i wouldn’t like. the interesting part tho is that it changed my perspective of toma in the other routes. like whenever he’d show up i’d just side-eye him and wait for him to show his true colors, which ultimately only happened in shin’s route. (and briefly in ukyo’s route)

but i guess there’s no right way to experience toma’s entire thing. bc according to reddit shin’s route should definitely be either the first or the last; if it’s the first it shows you very clearly that there’s more to toma than just ‘nice older brother figure’ and thus you go into his route expecting that

however if it’s last you’ve already experienced toma’s route so you might end up even suspecting him as the culprit because you know that there’s more to him, and that there’s no way he wouldn’t play a part in this route. so it’s a weird thing

but i don’t regret starting with his route. i don’t hate the route itself, i think it’s very effective and does exactly what it sets out to do, it’s just that it has so many negatives for me. starting from the color combination to toma’s entire character and design. eh. but it’s a good starting point i think, even if it wasn’t intended that way.

then there’s ikki’s route. which is..... fine?? i kind of spent half the game wishing death on him bc.... idk why, but then i kind of warmed up to him, and i got really happy whenever he showed up in the other routes. so i can’t say there’s a lot i absolutely hate about the route, but there also isn’t much i absolutely love?

as for shin.... story-wise i really love his route, however romance-wise... i didn’t hate it but i would’ve liked it more if the mc had a personality. lmao. shin himself is pretty easy to love, he’s a pretty good example of ‘jerk with a heart of gold’ and he definitely has the best design and the best cg’s in the entire game period. 

then there’s my favourite boy. an absolute cinnamon roll i would die and kill for. kent. i found him hilarious and kind of hard to deal with at first, with his methodical and logical thinking, or sometimes overthinking even, but then as it went on i noticed that he had an actual character arc going on, and my god wasn’t it just delightful. and i guess that’s what made the romance so compelling as well, because there wasn’t really an overarching plot, i got to spend a month with this boy, seeing him put effort into this relationship, seeing him struggle and fail sometimes but still keep trying. 

he’s also probably the one that treats the mc the best, because even if he initially goes into the entire relationship with a sort of experimental mindset, and with the mc kind of hating him, he isn’t afraid to admit his faults and to apologize when necessary, even if it happens a month too late. it felt so real and relatable so much so that every single end made me cry in some way. :’)

ukyo is in a different category for obvious reasons. his route i’d put maybe on the same level as shin’s. there were some things i loved about it and some i didn’t. i do think it does a good job of wrapping up everything and explaining stuff and seeing all the characters together all happy and shit was a lot of fun. i wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance overall but it was SO FREAKING SAD it still touched my heart.

i didn’t bother going through all the choices and memories and short stories bc i’m just not that big of a completionist in this particular case, but i did read kent’s memories section and his short story and they were pretty great. altho the fact that we never got to see the mc’s dog is wack. and according to this particular short story (and shin’s route) the mc did in fact have a personality which we never got to see and that’s also wack.

the art is mostly to my liking. i really love most of the character designs and the backgrounds, while on the simpler side, really fit the overall tone of the story. basically the only complaint i have is that the characters’ fingers are as long as their faces. it’s just. why. it just takes me out of a serious scene every time i see a hand on screen ashgngjnd. i did really like the drawing style cards or whatever that showed up before every new day.

the music is....romantic visual novel music i guess. i wouldn’t say any of it is outstanding or something i’d listen to all the time on its own, but i didn’t hate either. it always fit the mood and it is pretty good overall, just not my favourite. as for the voice acting, absolutely no complaints. the voice actors were all fitting for the roles and they did their absolute best. highlights include akira ishida aka kent whose voice is flat and even except when it’s not.

then there’s stuff like the interface and the gameplay or whatever which are both fine. not too complex easy to navigate although the skipping function doesn’t work the way it does in fsn and that’s annoying. and the fact that it doesn’t tell me how long i’ve been playing is also annoying. or maybe it does i just didn’t look for it in the right place eh. and the op plays every time you open the game, which i guess would be a nice thing for some ppl but i didn’t much care for it.

that’s about all i have to say. 

7/10 might change once i read more otome vns tho 

(orion is the absolute bestest boy tho. he should’ve had a route. or better yet. he should’ve been the protagonist. lmfao) (waka best boy #2)

[thechangeling]

I originally had you blocked because I intended my reply to be a message to the fandom as a whole to educate them and I assumed that if you were to see it that your response would be something fairly similar to what you wrote and I was trying to preserve my mental health. But I saw this because someone I follow reblogged it. So this is for them as well as anyone else who might see it.

If I were to shoot you in the chest accidently and you were bleeding out on the floor, would it be appropriate to say "Oh I'm sorry! It was an accident! I'm sorry if you were hurt!?" I would argue no. Good intentions, if they are there do not absolve you of the consequences. If you are writing about a marginalized character even in fanfiction you must take into consideration that you must portray them with care as to avoid doing even more damage to a very vulnerable and stigmatized minority. You must think about the way certain things could be perceived or the ways in which you could end up sending the wrong message.

If a marginalized person tells you that something is offensive, racist, sexist, ableist etc. Then that means it was offensive. They have more knowledge of the subject then you do.

Autistic representation is not only very scarse, but also very poor. I would argue that Ty is probably one if the best autistic characters I have ever encountered in fiction. But that is directly countered by the way certain members of the fandom treat him and write about him. The representation of marginalized people in the media, both positive and negative has an effect on the way the public perceives them. There have been studies done to prove this.

If you think that Ty is just a fictional character and it's no big deal, I would ask you if you knew that autism speaks, one of the biggest, if not the biggest "autism charities" in the world us actually an autism hate group.

They advocate for the creation of a cure and use all of their funding for research instead of helping disabled people and their families function. That's not even the half of it, but you can look up autism speaks to read more. Sia is currently making a movie featuring an autistic character with a lot of horrible stereotypes and is not only ignoring criticism from autistic people, but she has attacked, mocked and insulted us on twitter.

Recently Yale University conducted a study on autistic children because they believed we couldn't feel fear. This involved putting the children in traumatizing situations to scare them over and over with no breaks. The parents even begged them to stop and a lot of them tried to have their children pulled from the study. Many people tried to dismiss this as not a big deal.

Sound familiar?

If you think that I am ridiculous for connecting all of these things to fiction and a fictional character, I would advise you to look up the studies I mentioned earlier on the effect of representation on public opinion of marginalized groups. All of these thing also point to an underlying theme. That autistic opinions and voices don't matter. That our pain doesn't matter.

If any of you want to shrug this off then be willing to shrug off Linden Cameron, the autistic boy who was shot by police for having a meltdown. Be willing to shrug off the death of Alejandro Ripley an autistic boy who was drowned by his mother. Did you know that we actually have an entire memorial day dedicated to all the disabled people murdered by their parents? That's how often it happens.

So just to wrap this up, and also to respond to the tags of the reblog I saw, yes. I do have an insane amount of patience. I know you probably intended that for the OP but I just wanted to let you know that whatever strength and patience you believe she has for putting up with my crazy mentally disabled ass, autistic people have it tenfold.

Do better TSC fandom. Honestly.

So, I was tagged in something and couldn’t reblog which I think means I was blocked before I had a chance to respond but I can’t tell because my blog is a sideblog?

Anyway, this is the post that tagged me by and here was my response to them:

Hi, thanks for tagging me in this @irene-blacxthorn. I never saw the original post and if I had, I would have replied much sooner. I would ask that if anyone has any issue with my fanfiction that they message me directly or tag me in a post - I don’t want to cause any harm to anyone reading.

Firstly, I’ll say that the Hollow Place is not a place of torture, it is also known as The Place of Reflection and is described in QOAAD by: “ the pool is to be used sparingly, to allow students to seek for truth within themselves.” Although it was used as a means of torture, that was not its intended purpose. I was in no way trying to torture Ty, and in fact wrote that Ty didn’t believe he had caused anyone so much pain in which he’d be driven mad or lose his life by looking into it. He was never at risk of what happened to Samantha Larkspear and he knew it.

Secondly, I’ll adress the claims of ableism. I in no way intended for it to come across this way. The reason I wrote from Ty’s perspective is that he is the one living at the Scholomance and has access to the Hollow Place. Believe me, if you want Kit to feel pain, I have written many fanfictions where he does… If you want them to be in a relationship, as most people do, they are going to have to understand each other and understand the fact that they’ve both caused each other pain. I’ve written about this a lot in comments on my ao3 account, sharing my thoughts about how I believe neither of them are to blame and that they both hurt each other unintentionally, as is in canon.

Thirdly, the whole thing with Julian. I wrote that Julian felt the pressures and responsibility of looking after his siblings from a young age, never once did I say that Ty was a burden or that it was specifically difficult to look after Ty. I was not making the point that autistic people are burdens or difficult, because they are not. I was making the point that a 12 year old should never have to look after their 4 younger siblings - that is hard and it would cause pain in terms of pressure and responsibility to anyone, whether the children were autistic or not.

Overall, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I hope that no one was upset by what I wrote and I am sorry if I you were. But I would like to say that it is all fiction and none of it is canon - I write a lot of angst and there are many characters that I have written to feel pain. This fanfiction was written as part of my Whumptober series and although I don’t think I’ll be participating in the event again, it does say on the tin what you’ll get if you read any of them, and the descriptions and content warnings are there.

I hope that reading through this will show that I meant no harm by writing it. However, if you do genuinely believe that I hate Ty or autistic people, please just block me and move on with your day; I can’t make it any more clear that I don’t. And if, in the future, you would like to complain about something, please do it to my face :)

[bradstoneallington]

Bradstone Allington || 11 Rules of Effective Networking

Bradstone Allington presenting highly talented graduates in UK employment market. Bradstone is a distinct and knowledgeable organization, covering all levels of recruitment and career development for Accounting, IT, Human Resources, Law, and Digital Marketing.

Every topic worth covering requires its very own “top guidelines” post devoted to the topic. The necessary, and often career-boosting, subject of networking definitely makes this list. To help begin your new year of career searching off right, here are 11 guidelines of efficient networking that must direct your efforts. Create Headings

The last time we examined, ending up on the front page or your local newspaper was generally reserved for confrontations with the law or infamous op-ed pieces. Unlike these career-negative kinds of protection, reliable networking will frequently involve crafting a heading narrative to help get your story across successfully. When catching up with friends and coworkers, think about the message you want to present and wish to be shared far and wide.

Required a little motivation? Headline-worthy tags consist of declarations such as: “Joe out of work– once again.” “Marcia retooling herself.” “Jan in carpet-cleaning service.” “Paul offering brand-new financial investment cars.” “Frank has a new job.” The point is that compartmentalized nuggets of information travel rapidly and are best-suited for helping you attract the right type of attention. Consider what you ‘d like your networking message to be and adhere to the subject when connecting to potential contacts. Concentrate on the Long Game

The last thing you want is to discover yourself out of work or in need of a fast profession move just to discover your contact list has stagnated. Reliable networking isn’t an as-needed type of tool. Your contact and call lists ought to depend on date and primed to be put into action ought to the opportunity arise.

To this end, keep your expert networking game even when you may not have an instant requirement. Make sure to participate in regular industry functions and browse those connections on the routine. Even if you’re not on the market, invite associates out for a quick lunch or coffee break “simply to catch up.” You never ever understand when these types of assets will become important in bailing you out of a dire scenario. Don’t Discount Rate Online Networking

Sure, you’re quirky uncle Nick might believe that online interactions are just helpful for selfie-obsessed millennials, however savvy career go-getters understand much better. Modern expert networking platforms are a “need to” for those looking to make and keep connections within their market.

If you’re late to the celebration or have actually been concealing under a void-of-tech rock for the last years, sign up for the most common platforms to begin. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are all viable choices for making connections with similarly minded experts. If you’re thinking about a Google+ account, we hate to tell you however you’re a few years late to the party [insert link to newspaper article] to make a mark because realm. Remember to keep your interactions expert and separate any individual activities, or relegate those to the non-permanent (kinda) places such as Snapchat. Sign up with Groups

Anybody who’s ever been through their high school years understands the importance of being part of the in-crowd. Much can be said for different professional and industry-focused groups as you reach your adult years. Numerous occupations or subsectors keep one or more networking groups focused on your particular niche. Not just can you make brand-new networking connections, but you’ll also learn valuable new skills through first-hand advice and experience.

We’re not simply talking physical groups either. As we pointed out earlier, the development and day-to-day usage of online platforms by all levels of specialists have actually been a large advance when it pertains to connecting with your peers. Specialty groups on expert and social networks networking websites allow for specialized interests to come together and share concepts. Pay attention to those online groups that have a physical counterpart for “IRL” interactions. As a reward, look out for opportunities to contribute guidance in comments and articles as this is a terrific method to get your name out there and build your professional track record. Keep Your Work and Personal Lives Different

We touched on this briefly above but the subject is important enough to deserve a paragraph of its really own. As the old stating goes, you’re better off not blending work with pleasure. If you’ll be grabbing dinner and beverages with a colleague, prevent all night, hangover-inducing benders, or letting the subject roaming to anything uncouth. Keep those images of yourself in fighters or a swimsuit off of LinkedIn and avoid the typical pitfalls of faith and politics any location where a non-likeminded associate may stumble upon them.

Research Your Networking Circles

While we’re on the subject of joining groups to help grow your career, it is very important that you take some time to do a little research study on the specific celebration you intend on crashing. For starters, it will assist you much better comprehend the priorities of the club, network, or company you’ll be connecting with so that you can better contribute. In addition, doing some due diligence ahead of time is an excellent method of preventing running with the incorrect crowd or a group that you might not want to connect with based upon your perfects and objectives.

Rather of just counting on blindly losing consciousness service cards at an occasion or function, investigating ahead of time will let you ask appropriate and thoughtful concerns. You’ll also have a better gauge of the mood of the room and may even be able to identify prospective career-building targets ahead of time. It’s all about networking smarter, not harder, after all. Volunteer

Some of the most neglected locations of networking success are typically concealing in plain sight. Some are even disguised as causes that are already near and dear to your heart. That’s right. We’re discussing volunteer chances in your work or neighborhood.

Volunteering is a multi-faceted activity that feels great and does helpful for those on the getting end along with for your individual track record or career. Authentic relationships are often formed when individuals are working together for a typical cause. Try to determine locations that are meaningful to you personally or that might touch upon your particular profession in order to maximize your time and impact. If you’re a designer, for instance, think about among the various homebuilding charities. In short, focus on volunteer activities that touch on your career so that you’ll be a much better contributor and can help make connections in the process of doing excellent. Keep in mind to Provide, Not Just Receive

We all have that one individual in our social circle that is more than happy to let you get the supper and beverages examine however rarely, if ever, provides to nab it up on their own. While it’s simple to simply recommend splitting an expense down the middle, it’s often harder to find a balance when it pertains to the benefits of networking.

Whether you’re wanting to maximize your networking efforts or are seeking a mentor to direct your career path, keep in mind that there is constantly someone sitting a couple of rungs lower than you on the professional ladder. Keep your eye out for those in requirement of professional guidance in their own professions and karma, and appearances will typically benefit in your own efforts and successes. Expand Your Social Circle

Many times when people seek to network they focus on the attempted and true contacts in their small personal and expert group. Limiting yourself to people you currently understand, nevertheless, is a proven method to limit your networking circle and opportunities.

Be sure to work the networking grapevine by asking trusted contacts to put you in touch with other like-minded experts. Be open to accepting invitations to new events and do not be reluctant to reach out and ask second and 3rd-degree contacts if they wish to link. Chances are if you adhere to the path more taken a trip and understood, you’ll lose out on surprise gems of opportunity. Be Aware of Your Image

We’re at that point in the list where we’re going to ask you to do something uncomfortable. Initially, take an excellent tough look at yourself in the physical and metaphorical mirror. What do you see? We’re not requesting for a social review or your haircut or outfit, or for you to recognize defects. The truth of the matter is, however, that it’s hard to network if you don’t have a strong understanding of how other people perceive both your experience, appearance and profession level.

Individuals react to your image, both internally and externally. Not understanding what that image depicts suggests that you’re entering blind to most networking activities. Take a careful assessment of who and what you are and after that use those qualities to help you both make modifications and promote those attributes where you are the strongest. It’s frequently stated that people have ten seconds to make a great first impression. It only follows that effective networkers know how to make those ten seconds count. Program Grace Under Pressure

Bear in mind that strength is often portrayed finest by those who are cool, calm and collected. If you discover yourself in requirement of networking for a new task or profession course, it’s finest to maintain your composure.

Instead of rushing around and giving out cards like you’re dropping dining establishment leaflets, target your audience for networking in a methodical fashion. Avoid blast emails with various addresses on the “to” line and choose instead for tailored interaction with private contacts. Select your occasions wisely and try not to come off as, well, desperate. Practice this and you’ll be a much more appealing candidate and effective networker.

So there you have it. Our list of 11 of the top networking ideas to make your efforts more productive and efficient. Have another idea, or two, or 3, that you’ve utilized in your networking experiences? Drop us a line in the remarks and share how you’ve accomplished your own profession success through this critical tool.

Contact Bradstone Allington : www.bradstoneallington.com

[iaincblog]

Animism

In his latest book Tim Hodgkinson says that music involves sounds that listen to themselves. This came to my mind again when I was in the British Museum looking at Hokusai. I was provoked by the curatorial view that H took his animist beliefs which inform his representations from Bhuddism. This sounded wrong given that the indigenous religion of Japan is Shinto which is totally animist.

In Shinto spirits known as kami inhabit the world and there are for example specific kami for particular places. But the concept has been elaborated so for example the number two has its own kami. It is likely, I have yet to check, that sounds or tunes might have kami. The idea that a sound might be able to listen to itself or to neighbouring sounds now seems to me to be animist.

I remember that Tim studied anthropology and continues to work on ethnomusic in Russia, possibly in the Altai mountains.Tim also explains that his model of sounds listening to themselves comes from his experience of free improvisation.

I have been reading Jack Wright’s recent book on Free Music written from the point of view of the US. Wright is interested in free music beyond the 60s energy music which he links to the Black movement. From his standpoint there is a separate free genre which originated at the same time in the UK and indeed I first met live free music in classes in Chiswick in 1967. I had previously heard Archie Shepp both on record and at about the same time at a concert.

I had also heard the New York Art Quartet with John Tchicai whose approach was much sparser than, say, Trane s Ascension. I now know that prior to this Jimmy Guiffre had developed a very interactive kind of free improvisation.

This highly interactive and more reflective style of free music exemplifies sounds listening to themselves - the animistic model. The value of this model will depend a lot on what it leads on to.

But first it is worth noting the strange state of current thinking about musical form. The most famous form is probably sonata form which was introduced by Haydn and Mozart and used in many master works by Beethoven. Scholars suggest, surprisingly, that this was only articulated several decades late in the middle of the19th century. By this time some composers were moving away from this form.

Charles Rosen, the US pianist, has written extensively about sonata forms and prior to him Tovey in the UK did a lot to popularise the idea. It sometimes seems that Schenker, a German theorist active between the wars developed this approach further and his analysis is often taught in undergraduate musical education.

My own view is that if anyone has taken this further it is the US analyst Forte. I like Forte’s analysis of atonal music using pitch class analysis, for example. I plan to read Forte on the great American songbook but have yet to do so.

Clearly there is a link between Forte and Schoenberg s 12 tone method. It seems that Schoenberg formalised this approach seeking a way of taking Brahms approach to theme development away from conventional harmony. His pupils, Berg and Webern applied these ideas in totally  different ways. After the Second World War by which time Berg and Webern were dead Boulez, Stockhausen, Nono, Berio and Maderna all developed their own individual approaches to 12 tone as a tool for writing modern music. After Schoenberg died at the start of the 1950s Stravinsky developed his own serial approach. In the face of this diversity Forte’s high level method is obviously helpful but it may not provide a complete toolkit for discussing musical form.

In the early 1950s Boulez and Stockhausen developed total serialism but soon abandoned it.

Schoenberg had taught John Cage but by the end of the 1940s Cage was innovating in a radical way and I think you can see Music for Changes as an ironic critique of total serialism. Cage taught composition in the New York New School in the second half of the 1950s and thereby greatly extended his influence. Europe was divided in their reaction to Cage but he was certainly influential on some of my generation in the 1960s. Tim H provides a commentary on Cage, Lachenmann (a pupil of Nono whom I have heard interviewed at an afternoon devoted to his work) and Schaeffer the early taped music specialist.

Cage took the idea of a composing system from Schoenberg I suspect. In the late 1940s he wrote pieces around a Hindu system of emotional classification but he was disappointed to discover that audiences failed to identify specific emotions. He reacted strongly to this discovery concluding that music couldn't be about the communication of emotions and the composer shouldn't intend to communicate anything to an audience.

He was a great networker and at this time was friends with lots of artists in New York City and also with Boulez. He became especially close to Robert Rauschenberg who at the end of the 1940s was exploring religious imagery using white space to express spiritual purity. At this point Cage was growing increasingly interested in Zen Bhuddism and the Rauschenberg blank white model seems to have fed into this in Cage’s mind and seems to have been the stimulus for the famous silent piece. His friendship with Duchamp may also have been a factor. This work has stimulated decades of reflection on the aesthetics of musical performance although it is not clear this was his aim.

At about the same time a composition pupil of Cage’s paid for a lesson by giving him a newly published edition of the I Ching. Cage incorporated the ‘random’ methods from the I Ching into his composition process too partly it seems as a way of avoiding inadvertently putting intentions into his music. Another related technique was the use of square grids with each cell occupied by a particular musical event which he called ‘gamut. Many in Europe distanced themselves from Cage’s ideas but younger musicians were influenced by him. Arguably the 1960s UK free music scene was influenced by him even though he was mostly opposed to improvisation. Kyle Gann, new music critic of the Village Voice has written ‘No Escape from Heaven: John Cage as a Father Figure. He concludes that Cage’s influence had many dimensions - his techniques, the sound of his music, the transmission of what he had picked up from other composers, his writings, his attitudes, the way he lived and also his charisma. Like many of his generation in post war years Cage was influenced by Webern. Major works of Webern like the op 28 String Quartet were in some cases published just before the war. Effectively they were very much the new thing in the late 1940s.

It is hard to determine whether these innovations succeed in taking form out of music along with intentions and emotions. One recent book on modern composition is titled Boring Formless Nonsense which at first looks like a shorthand critique of Cage and his followers. It is nothing of the kind in fact. Cage was very prolific and a constant innovator. He also communicated a great deal but my view is that he shouldn't always be taken at his word. Besides his own publications.there are currently several good biographies plus some very good secondary literature.  I know at least two of my acquaintances were influenced by him - Andy Powell and Fred Frith.

Tim H worked with both. But  in his recent book he concludes, ‘ The ideal Cageian subject is detached, drifting, neutral, neither quite musically.  absorbed nor attending life in the usual way. Behind the ideal lies the suggestion of an ultimately escapist and regressive approach to the world’s suffering.’ (p175)

The state of the subject presumed by the Cagean works give important leads into Tim H s animist musical approach. To hear sounds as music ie as sounds which are mutually aware, the listening subject must do some work - more work than Cage’s model posits. This point links Tim H to a major philosopher of music active today, Gracyk. who has led the way in developing an aesthetics of rock. At root Gracyk develops the aesthetics of rock using Kantian tools. Kant was surprisingly deaf to music as an art form and it wasn't until Hanslick, champion of Brahms and opponent of Wagner, that Kant’s fundamental aesthetic model was applied to music, obviously the prevalent European art music.

Adorno, a pupil of Berg and much more philiosophically important developer of this stream of thought, notoriously misunderstood jazz and adopted negative attitudes. Gracyk deals with Adorno in his first book, Rhythm and  Noise. In his third book which takes his approach further Gracyk cites various examples of how rock draws the listener into aesthetic reflection via multi layered works like the full Bohemian Rhapsody or Pink Moon. The key point is the Gracyk maintains that listener activity is essential in listening to jazz and rock properly and Tim H is very much of the same view.

The second composer Tim H considers is P Schaeffer who for just over a decade after WW2 developed an approach to electronic music which became known as music concrete. Within this genre one must begin with naturally recorded sound but one is free to manipulate this in any way by filtering, changing speeds, adding ambience etc. This genre draws the line at using synths and oscillators.

This raises the question of the difference between music and sound art which I will pass over. Tim H examines the compositional task of taking concrete material into a music composition and concludes that this activity diverts the composer from real musical concerns. As he puts it:

   ‘ For the composer, the technical work of actualising a musical value for complex mathematical relationships eats away at the attention that might otherwise be devoted to aesthetic and compositional problems’.

This remark is worth comparing against the Cageian model of compositional processes which avoid intentional communication of emotions and may be based on elaborate randomising techniques for example using star maps.

Perhaps this is the place to consider the strange power of Anton Webern’s music. My interest is fed partly by the man who made me a flute player, Emile Spira who was Webern’s last pupil. He was a Polish Jew and in the wake of Kristalnacht he decided he had to flee west. He ended up at Dartington where he seems to have stayed for about ten years including WW2 and I think that it was then that he acquired a teaching qualification. Ten years later he was the music teacher at Isleworth Grammar School enthusiastically pushing the school orchestra onto ever greater heights. He seems to have retained his interest in new  music and was friends with Cornelius Cardew who had been Boulez assistant.

The thing about Webern is his enduring power to inspire. I recently came  across a US composer who started out as a thrash metal shredder but after he encountered Webern directed his efforts to new music. This echoes Elizabeth Lutyens recollection of encountering Webern half a century earlier when the Kolisch Quartet played a work by heart. Writing her autobiography she is not sure if it was the 5 pieces or the 6 Bagatelles but she writes ‘she can never forget her excitement and her certainty that this was the most thrilling music she had heard since the great classics’. It seems Schoenberg only came to her awareness when his music was included in the list of art banned by the Nazis, a development which seems to have energised the English Intelligentsia. Lutyens went on to become one of the first British serial composers, helping emerging composers and setting Wittgenstein while making a living from filmmusic including classic 60s Hammer Horror. The key point is the inspirational potency and modernity of Webern pieces written before the First World War.

Lutyens in the 1950s got to know Alexander Goehr, one of a group of musicians who had met up at RCNM Manchester and were the first collection of young Brits interested in  serialism. Goehr’s father had studied with Schoenberg in Berlin and had fled to Britain from the Nazis. Goehr went on to be professor of music at Cambridge in the 1970s and his daughter Lydia became an important writer in the aesthetics of music.

Lachenmann and true listening

Now onto the third of Tim H s selected composers, Lachenmann, who although German studied with the Italian socialist composer Nono who was one of the major serialist innovators emerging after WW2 and married to Schoenberg’s daughter Nuria. Lachenmann shares Nono’s political outlook and he is said to continue to inspire younger generation composers. Lachenmann’s aesthetic aims to bring listeners to reality by jolting them out of magical  thinking. Tim H summarises his approach:

  ‘Lachenmann seems to be attacking the complacency of bourgeois commercial culture. Positioning himself against magic, he aligns himself with the Enlightenment and rational scientific knowledge.’

This would tie in with  my recollection of Lachenmann recollecting the use the Nazis made of Bruckner’s music for example when it was broadcast following the announcement following their defeat at Stalingrad. This conjunction for Lachenmann permanently discredited a whole tradition.

Tim H is concerned about some of the listening processes that Lachenmann describes, whether like Brecht he supposes there are two processes in the mind of the listener? One is a confused immediate listening which falls under the music’s spell and another analytical which can cut through. Tim H believes that ideal musical listening involves hearing the totality.

This recalls a section in Wittgenstein’s  Philosophical Investigations where he discusses ‘seeing as’. (When I wrote my finals dissertation on the Aesthetics of Improvisation I adapted this to posit that we hear some music as improvisation and judge it accordingly.) I think Tim H’s ideal listening is a process of integrated hearing as. Indeed, Wittgenstein is recorded in some depth discussing how he heard various music not least late Beethoven string quartets. As the quartet unfolded, he felt engrossed in the unfolding debate presented by Beethoven. The music appeared to say - things might be this way -  but as a change kicked in it hinted - lets not forget another point where leads in a different direction. When the music ended Wittgenstein felt that the music’s conclusion was on the tip of his tongue but then was disappointed to find that he couldn’t actually put it into words. Tim H writes as if there is a single process of ‘hearing as’ which can embrace such deep and complex elements progressing.

Shostakovich and biographical context

Shostakovich is a composer who seems to be heard in complex socio-political ways. A number of contemporary writers have discussed his music in similar terms - Ian Macdonald, Julian Barnes and Wendy Lesser for example. She discusses Shostakovich’s 8th String Quartet which he wrote quickly at a time when he had been forced to join the Communist Party in 1960. When The Borodin Quartet played it through for S at his home , he left the room at the end of the performance and did not return. He phoned the leader the next day to apologise. Lesser councils against facile biographical explanation of compositions and this one in particular. On the other hand she notes that the 8th is the most frequently played of S’s string quartets. A wide range of audiences engage with it most of whom won’t know that much of the circumstances of the composition. Personally I believe audiences benefit from context including relevant biographical detail.

20th century composition does seem to be quite heavily linked to 20th century history and there are many powerful coincidences. The rise of Holy Minimaliam in the 1990s after the end of Communism and the rise of Total Serialism after the fall of Fascism are two such. The rise of neo classicism as a response to the First World War is another.

Such considerations are separate from the issue of how words fit into long form composition. The use of a poem by Beethoven to finish the Ninth Symphony provoked extensive deliberation on thisthroughout the 19th century. In the 20th century up to the First World War Schoenberg, Webern and Berg often found that setting Expressionist poetry as song helped them develop atonal harmonic language. (Schoenberg was a decent Expressionist painter too.). Songwriting is a popular activity these days and this alone would be a reason to discuss the direct linkage of words and music but this will have to wait.

Private Language

There is another important connection between ordinary and musical language which also stems from Wittgenstein and his notorious private language argument -notorious because of the amount of debate it has generated. We can imagine using real world colour samples with colour names on them.This practice has been called ostensive definition. Wittgenstein queries whether something is similar with a mental image of a colour and comes down against the idea because there is no independent check. Whatever seems to be right today when I call up my image of Prussian Blue has to be accepted because there is no independent check. This has wide ranging implications and in particular favours real world checkable socially instituted definitions and linguistic rules. It also favours Cage’s point about intending to communicate emotions in music. Possibly it may also be related to Wittgenstein’s inability to put into words his impression of a conclusion to a Beethoven String Quartet. So can a composer working privately know that their specific compositional rule is being followed correctly? There also seem to be implications for private prayer, what poets do and seek to achieve for their readers and much else besides.

Interim review

Now, to review what emerges from Tim H’s discussion of Cage, Schaeffer and Lachenmann. Listening to music is active rather than passive process and the composer assists this through the solution of compositional problems. In so doing he tries to encourage rich listening - listening as - in concentrated depth, rather than a two headed response where say the listener hears a strange semi musical noise and then as separate intellectual process tries to work out what it might mean or how it was made. Neither is proper listening  just a matter of disinterested acceptance. 

The activity of composition may be as much a social as an individual process. The band that Fred F, Tim H and Andy P started in Cambridge in 1968 was Henry Cow. John Greaves took over on bass and Chris Cutler joined on drums  then Lindsay Cooper on reeds. In Henry Cow composition seems to have been a social process . While individual band members might write tunes there was always lot of discussion between band members of composition and improvisation issues and how best to proceed. (Incidentally I took over the Henry Cow house in Cambridge which had a basement practice room in the early 1970s and it then became Spaceward Studios. Gilbert Isbin and I have an album on Spaceward Records now run by Mark Graham who curates the august history of the venture.)

[lelliefant]

First, thank you @tinchentitri for the thoughtful response. I think it means something that we’re able to have a respectful discussion, even when feelings are running high!

I just want to address what you said about spreading negativity, because I think that’s an important point of miscommunication.

There is a big difference between sharing one’s negative feelings/thoughts versus spreading negativity/hate. What I said in my previous comments was my honest reaction to what I see Marvel has done to Loki. This is not equivalent to spreading negativity.

Suppose Janet Marvel hits Stan Fanley with her Camaro and breaks his leg. If Stan screams and cries and gets mad, would you blame him for spreading negativity?

The negative thing (in our case, how they’ve mistreated Loki) already exists. I am not creating the negative; I am reacting to it. My intention is to vent, analyze, refute, maybe get others’ opinions, maybe get some support and validation. This is partly what Tumblr is for.

In contrast, spreading negativity is about lashing out to hurt someone else so you can feel better about yourself. It’s deliberately intending to bring others down. It’s calling them names, or shutting them up, or belittling them. It’s a person kicking a dog because they got kicked.

If Stan Fanley were spreading false, mean-spirited rumors about Janet Marvel just because he didn’t like her face, or he was constantly criticizing what she was wearing every day, that would be spreading negativity. That is not what is happening here.

I think most of us are aware that Marvel has treated Loki poorly in the last two films; we just don’t all want to talk about it, or place the same level of importance on it. (This is my impression based on the comments.) So, we have a difference of opinion. This is dissent, not negativity.

To be clear, I have not said that negativity doesn’t exist in this situation. I was careful to say that I can’t speak for all posts, and I’m only talking about my experience and what I’ve been reading.

What I am saying is that it is a mistake to label opinions you just don’t like as spreading negativity. You might have negative feelings about what I’ve said, or I may be saying something negative about Marvel, but this is categorically different from “spreading negativity.”

A more effective option might be to say, “I disagree, and I don’t want to talk about it, so I’m just going to scroll past, or ask them to use ‘anti-‘ tags in the future.” It’s perfectly valid to feel this way—and you don’t have to invalidate the other person.

I hope I’ve made my point clear without belaboring it too much. I just think it’s really important to recognize the difference and to keep the communication lines open. Again, I’m really addressing the whole group and not trying to point fingers at the OP. They have been kind enough to host the discussion and continue the dialogue, which I really appreciate and I think is tremendously important!

Yes, I’ll be ranting here.

I find it astonishing how much hate and negativity I see here whenever they announce something new about Loki.

I slowly feel like the fandom can’t have nice things anymore because Loki stans fans seem to want to feel offended whenever it’s not Shakespeare material and Kenneth Branagh directing.

Nobody needs to love Ragnarok, but I’d like to be happy about announcements without seeing dozens of posts about the unfair treatment of Loki.

I get it, everybody’s out to hurt you and your favourite character, and everybody who likes Taika, Ragnarok, or IW isn’t a real fan.

But nobody’s forcing you to watch.

[leojameslesoco-blog]

Music/Sound Design

Orchestral Pieces:

Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture | Gustav Holst - The Planets, Op. 32 | Beethoven - Symphony No.4

The film starts and we hear street noises, these noises will be recorded by iPhone, but when we get to the second scene, all noises will be from the original audio of the camera. The music will be small parts of symphonies from Beethoven and other composers, edits will be done by stopping one track by cutting at a rest in the music.

    Most of the sounds that aren’t music are slightly muffled, because the Noise Killer is wearing headphones, there are times when he is not wearing headphones and the audio is very clear.

    Another sound that is accompanied by visuals is the sounds of explosions and crashes and fireworks, etc.

Structure of Music/Visuals:

Every second of the music being played in this film will co-ordinate with the visuals being presented on the screen. The film begins with no music, just street noise. In terms of narrative structure, this is a simple analogy for the status quo. We hear nothing but natural noises of London, the Noise Killer is in a state which has been more or less the same for a long time.

  You may also notice that he is sitting on a brick wall, which is a metaphor for having an uncomfortable life, he is sitting on a hard surface, it’s dull and not relaxing at all, this may also suggest that the Noise Killer is homeless or that he does not like his life at home. Another thing to point out is his untied shoelaces which I chose to put in to add to the uneasy effect and this whole twisted atmosphere, it’s as if he is starting out by living loosely, whilst slightly tense on the inside. But again, the music hasn’t even started yet.

    The Noise Killer begins to tie his shoelaces (this shoelace idea may be taken out and replaced with the Noise Killer rolling up his trouser legs) one at a time, and around the 3 minute and 15 second mark of Beethoven’s 4th Symphony begins to play. Play from 3:15.  This is because at that part of the symphony, a long yell of all of the instruments play for around 3 seconds and then stops abruptly at a second strum. The Noise Killer rolls up his left trouser leg/ties his left shoe as that plays, a second yell is heard, he rolls up his right trouser leg/ties his right shoe. The music that is heard at this moment is to represent a large change in his life, we don’t necessarily know what this means, but any audience member can create their own conclusion, as long as they understand that in contrast with the distant street noises which we would all normally hear, this new development is an inciting incident.

   A mellow, steady tune starts to play (same song) as we follow the Noise Killer on his journey, this section, being what I would call the second status quo. He is starting a new kind of lifestyle where he walks into the distant depths of the dangerous world filled with noise pollution. This could possibly be because his headphones are new, or he has just now decided to change up his life, we really don’t know, but again, everyone is allowed to come up with their own conclusions, plus, this element of ambiguity really helps with what I am trying to put across, a confusing experience.          The Noise Killer wears his headphones whilst he walks to block out the loud noises which trigger his stress levels, if it wasn’t apparent already. But as the Noise Killer walks, the noises seem to get louder, whilst the music ironically gets quieter. The Noise Killer slows his pace and looks around him in fear, he slowly returns back to his walk as now he is feeling slightly better, because the music has now become more triumphant and most importantly, he is now joined by the Two Darkly Dressed Men.

I would say this was almost like a reverse obstacle, but it could also be thought of as an immediate rejection to a challenge that he hasn’t been given yet (The idea of the Noise Killer having to accept things may seem like something good, but it eerily is not, his real life is uncomfortable and accepting just makes it all worse, which makes for an incredibly intense ending).

    For the Painting Girl sequence which comes shortly after, I will use different music, still orchestral, but a bit more calm yet eerie and confusing, I still haven’t finished my e-digging for all of this music, but I think this is something to be more concerned about during post-production, however in the meantime, I am using the 4th symphony and possibly Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture which is an orchestral piece that Marcus recommended to me. But there are still others.

    Most of the music in this film will be in major as again, it adds to the effect of falsely living a happy life, this music is very triumphant and acts as a fake self-confidence drug. I was given this idea from ‘A Clockwork Orange’, most of the music is very epic and uplifting whilst what we see is quite negative and violent.

The next significant moment takes place in the grassy field. This is the Noise Killer’s brain’s idea of a perfect world, which still isn’t completely perfect, as I intend to have the weather be very drowsy and dull. But still, in his mind, it seems fine, so the music in this sequence is quite steady with some melancholy undertones. This acts as an element of rising tension as it raises the viewer’s confusion and starts to make people think that something might happen abruptly as several abrupt things have already happened.

[renatorussocitou]

Cosmetic Surgery: Making The Right Decision For You

You might be well informed about cosmetic surgery and how popular these kinds of plastic surgery. You may even know many celebrities who have had good results from their plastic surgery procedures. Things are different once you are the one getting plastic surgery.

Ask the surgeon that you are considering for your procedure for a portfolio of past patients.Ask as many questions as you want, and ask them for referrals from patients that have had the surgery.This way you in deciding if that he or she is the best doctor for you.

You should have some money set aside to cover unexpected expenses that you occur post procedure. You will better be able to focus on recovering and healing from the procedure.

Make sure that the surgeon you choose possesses adequate malpractice insurance for your financial safety. You want to get compensated if something were to go wrong while undergoing cosmetic surgery.

While you don't want to compromise final results by economizing your cosmetic surgery, there are ways to lower the overall cost of the procedure. There are a number of foreign countries in which reputable surgeons for much less than doctors in the United States. While this option may not always be applicable, it is a feasible cheaper alternative.

Do your homework about the location where you will have surgery. These places need to have a license or accreditation, regular inspection records should be available and they should have records of their accreditation. Even the offices are intended to get registered and registered. Be sure that the location where you will have surgery is up to date with your state certification board standards. You also check to make sure the surgery center does not have a long negative reviews in its past.

Be sure to consider that the cost associated with any cosmetic procedure is subject to change. There are many factors that could make the surgery cost more, the location of the procedure and other fees which can vary by location. Make sure you consult with your surgeon or his financial department about the total cost of your procedure.Do not agree to the surgery until all costs have been disclosed to you. https://requisiteamountofcaffeine.tumblr.com/

There are many reasons people get plastic surgery including increasing your sense of self-esteem. Cosmetic surgery can be especially helpful to people who have scars from burns or burns. When someone has a horrible burn, they often do not feel like a whole person; cosmetic surgery can make their self-esteem better.

You may need to recuperate for some time off prior to resuming your regular routine with some procedures.

Ask to see before and after photos of work that your surgeon has performed; keep in mind that they are only going to show you things they are proud of. A surgeon who is exceptionally trustworthy may be willing to show you photos of patients who needed to be fixed. If the pictures provided aren't good enough, feel free to look for another surgeon.

Before considering plastic surgery, decide if you can change the thing you are not happy with. Most procedures are successful, although there is always a chance of a problem. Many issues you may have, such as being overweight, can be changed in different ways.

You may want to consider going to another country to get your plastic surgery done. If you choose this option, verify the professionalism of the clinic you work with as thoroughly as you can.

Speak to those who have gone through the process you are thinking about getting. You might find out things your surgeon is not shared with you.

Anyone contemplating cosmetic surgery procedure should think hard about the particular timing within their life. It makes sense to postpone surgery until a time when things are going smoothly in their life.

It is essential that you fully understand every aspect of the recovery period for your particular procedure. This time can greatly impact the final result of your surgery, so you have to follow your doctor's orders to a T. This is even more essential in the first few weeks post-op.

Don't hesitate to ask questions.

The cost of your surgery will not depend on the highest price. You need to consider more than just price when choosing a plastic surgeon.A surgeon with the lowest rates may be a great value, or they may be a good value. On the other hand, those who charge too much may have the best equipment, or that he is simply charging too much. You will only be certain if you look.

It is sometimes helpful to speak with a psychologist before you consider cosmetic surgery. This can give you find any issues you have to figure out if surgery is appropriate for you.

You should make all possible non-surgical changes before undergoing a cosmetic surgery. You should really pay attention to what you eat.

Not just general experience as a surgeon, but they are familiar with all of the implications of your surgery. Do not hesitate to find another doctor if you need to!

Fats, when obtained from the correct sources, are an essential element of preparing your body for surgery. You should eat things like flax oil and avocados.

Research thoroughly before making a cosmetic surgery decision. Make sure that you are informed of the risks, benefits, and any other information relevant to the surgery. You should consider all information when deciding whether or not to have any type of everything involved.

Many times, the anesthesiologist, and medical supplies. It is better to find a place that includes all in one, as that will probably be most cost effective for you.

Research your doctor completely before going under the knife. While it is normal to believe we will experience all the best outcomes, it is necessary to take all possible precautions.

Once it is your turn to be the patient, however, things are different. You need to research your surgeon, the medical facility and the medical staff that will be caring for you. Use the information from this article to make sure you go into your cosmetic surgery completely informed and prepared.