#posts that just make you go: 'great. the conspiracy theorists will take this as validation and step even further from being reasoned with'

[notasapleasure]

THIS is the face I am making at that 'ten plagues of egypt were real!!' post ok

horrible.

your sources are the telegraph and time magazine. people in the reblogs are saying they know this is true because they watched a 'science based documentary'. Even the goddamned wikipedia page linked to in a reblog says that academics think the atlantis inspiration theory is bullshit.

So a microbiologist and an epidemiologist had some headline grabbing theories. This does not history make.

But OH my bad, even on tumblr we actually need Scientists, that infallible and unbiased breed, to tell us how history Really Happened! Those silly historians and linguists and airy fairy types can't even agree on the dates! Please allow science to come in and clear this mess up :)))

[aoitrinity]

Why Do I Have to Feel Like a Fucking Conspiracy Theorist -- OR -- How I Find a Semblance of Peace on Sunday Night

I’m also going to start this out with a GIANT DISCLAIMER.

I am about to theorize about what may have happened to the SPN finale. I have absolutely no insider knowledge. I am merely speculating here based on the panels and a bunch of Twitter and Tumblr posts that I have been reading over the last few days. If you are not in a good place to read such things, TURN BACK PLEASE. Go take care of yourself and your mental health. You and your feelings are valid and deserve to be handled gently right now.

Additionally, if you are here to give me shit for being unhappy with the ending, please walk away as well. I am here to reach out and share my feelings with people who might be struggling to make sense of something that upset some of us in very deep-seated ways. I am not here to bother you or critique you or tell you that you’re lesser because you liked the ending. If you felt it was good, then go enjoy it.

Long-ass post beneath the cut, everyone.

Alrighty folks...I debated whether or not to do this because I have been spiraling down the hell that is the SPN finale since Thursday. The travesty of what happened to our show--to this beloved show that seemed to have been so perfectly and precisely written for at least four years that it had basically already paved its own tarmac on which to land its plane and we all thought we knew exactly what we were going to get. And then we didn’t. We had a nigh Cas-less and entirely Eileen-less ending. We had no goodbye between Cas and Jack. We had Dean dying young after finally finding his freedom, only to ascend to heaven with no one but Bobby. We had the weird, weird, weird incest-y death scene. We had the bridge crane shot thing because...sure. You do you, Robert Singer.

It was so terrible, so truly awful, and I couldn’t seem to square any of it with anything we had known going in. I tossed and turned and cried and didn’t eat or sleep all weekend. I spent hours just reloading tumblr and twitter, going to the Misha panel, reading and reading and listening and trying to figure out what the fucking hell is going on because I needed to know exactly where to direct my anger. And after a fuckton of talking with @winchester-reload, I think we have at least a very plausible theory about what happened here--I’m laying it out below as much for my own peace of mind as anything else, because otherwise all of these thoughts are going to continue to spin around in my head for weeks and I won’t be able to do jack shit.

Now to start off, unfortunately I do think Dean was slated to die from the beginning of this season. I don’t know WHY they thought that was the best way to go, and I wish they had listened to Jensen on this one. Part of me wonders if it was an order from on high based on the discussion between Becky and Chuck earlier this season--the writers knew it wasn’t a great choice, but they were trying to signal to us that we should feel free to write our own endings to the story because they’d be better (I can wax poetic on the signs of why many of the writers probably wanted Dean to live, but that’s another post). I’m not defending that choice by any means, just laying it out there that I think they didn’t necessarily all want to kill Dean like they did.

However, what I THINK I can explain now is what happened with Misha and why we got so jerked around with Cas’s story. Consider what we know (I can’t immediately source all of it, but I did my best):

At the end of episode 15x19, Lucifer has been returned to the Empty after being killed AGAIN. He talks with Cas. Maybe harasses him a bit about Dean, idk. But then...Jack shows up. New God Jack. And he picks up Cas and pulls him out of the Empty, leaving Lucifer behind, because seriously. Fuck that guy (also leaving behind his abusive father is character growth for Jack, so yay for that).

-Misha was contracted to film 15 episodes this season. He was only in 14.

-Misha told Michael Sheen he had to go back to film 1.5 episodes after the shutdown in March. (Starts at 6:13)

-Misha was in Vancouver during filming of the finale.

-Mark P said at Darklight Con that the last scene he filmed was with Alex and Misha (and Mark P was only in episode 19).

-Misha implied that he was present for various filming moments, including Dean’s death (start at 35:15), and said that it felt like a “mini-reunion.”

-Various sources have mentioned that Jimmy Novak was supposed to be in the finale.

-After episode 18, Stands tweeted a fan who was angered and hurt by Cas's death that they could talk about the “bury the gays” issue after the finale aired.

-In episode 19 we know there were takes of the parking lot scene where the only thing fans observing could hear was Dean yelling “CAS” at Chuck (fuck I can’t find this one right now, but it’s definitely out there)

-Also in episode 19, we had a very strange, awkward montage at the end of the episode.

-In episode 20, we know there were a FUCKTON of missing scenes

-We also had no opening montage, but three other separate montages.

-Carry on My Wayward Son was played TWICE, back-to-back at the end of the episode.

-Episode 20 was shorter than normal and had surprisingly little dialogue. The pacing was VERY strange.

-The cast and crew has been almost completely silent about the finale since it came out. When they have spoken, it has been with an awkward excuse of “Uh...COVID?”

-Samantha Ferris has specifically noted that, despite the Harvelle’s being back in play and a big heaven reunion having been planned pre-COVID, neither she nor Chad Lindberg received any such invitation to return.

-Cas and Dean POP Funko figures were pictured together in a replica of Harvelle’s in 15x04.

NOW with all of this in mind (and I’m probably missing some stuff too because there is so much--feel free to add on to that list), please bear with me because here is what I think we were SUPPOSED to get POST-COVID (after it was determined that the reunion couldn’t happen because of the virus):

In episode 20, we start with our NORMAL OPENING MONTAGE, like always. It traces everything that happened during the season. We are reminded of Cas. The confession. Rowena. Eileen. Jack. Billie, God, the Empty, all of it. 

Things then follow along in the episode where they did up until Dean dies and wakes up in heaven. After his conversation with Bobby, he drives off to find Cas (who, in the script, was listed as “Jimmy Novak” in order to protect against script leaks--who wouldn’t want to do their best to avoid spoilers about the finale with the wrapping of a fifteen-year show?). He does indeed find Cas. We get Dean’s end of the confession. Hell, maybe we even get a kiss. And then Dean sets up his new heaven home in the recreated Harvelle’s. Maybe Cas even fucking moves in. 

Years pass. We get Sam having his life on Earth (still can’t explain why they cut Eileen and couldn’t even have Sam signing vaguely to the blurry brunette in the background; if anyone wants to take that on, go for it). Eventually, Cas tells Dean that it’s almost Sam’s time. Dean takes Baby and goes to meet Sam at the bridge. The cover of Carry on My Wayward Son plays during this much shorter sequence. End of episode.

But that’s not what we got. Instead, much of what I just wrote about was excised from the episode. The remnants were stitched together after shooting had been wrapped. Filler was added in the form of montages and long, unnecessary extra shots to get the episode to something approaching a reasonable length. 

But why? Why would they spend all that time and money and quarantining on Misha, only to almost completely cut him out of the finale? I struggled with why the fuck the CW would want this mammoth show to go down as the greatest queerbait in TV history when they had the chance to do something truly beautiful and monumental with it? It couldn’t just be sheer homophobia, right? Well, I think that factored into it, my friends, but here is where my head is at right now.

It was about cold, hard cash.

Now I could be wrong, but this is what I’m thinking at the moment: Supernatural is going off of the air. Supernatural, the CW’s cash cow for fifteen years. Sure there is still money to be made on blu-rays and merchandise and cons...but they need people watching their shows. They need that sweet advertising revenue. And you know what show they have about to premiere? A show that could, potentially, bring with it a chunk of that SPN revenue?

Walker.

And if any of you know anything about the original Walker Texas Ranger, you know that the show was predominantly a show about a very heterosexual white man being very excessively heterosexual. And for SOME REASON over the years, many of the execs at the CW still seem to think that this show, Supernatural, is really attractive to a lot of middle-American white men...whom they desperately want to watch this new show with this guy from Supernatural that they already know.

Now here’s where COVID fucked us. I think Destiel was greenlit by TPTB, at least in SOME form, before COVID. But then the pandemic happened, and they panicked. They got the cut of the last two episodes and watched them in their original, probably queer form. And then, the execs at CW looked at the economy. They looked at their cash cow, about to make its journey to the great beyond. And they looked at this new little calf Walker that they were so desperately worried about. And they made a choice.

They decided that it would be too risky to take the step with Destiel. They were worried about frightening off their ever-so-valuable hetero male demographic with the possibility that a traditionally masculine man in his 40s could be in love with another man in an overt way. It was homophobia mixed with greed, spun up by fear for their revenues because of COVID.

So they called in Singer, possibly Dabb, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they went straight to Singer. They told them that Destiel had to go: executive orders. And the only way to make it go in a way that removed any trace of what had been there was to rewrite what happened to Cas and cut him out from the last two episodes entirely. It was too late to reshoot anything. They had to just cut and stitch and fill with bullshit montages. 

They removed the scene at the end of 19, probably because Cas and Lucifer discussed Dean. All that was left of Misha there was his voice on that fake phone call. They may have cut other things too, but I would bet my life that they cut a scene from the end of the episode and replaced it with that very strange montage. Then they moved onto 20. They cut out every scene with Cas. And left in only two platonic mentions of him, neither made by Dean. They tried to imply that Cas might show up in Dean’s heaven at some point, but that was as far as the editors could go in the time they had. They filled in with montages, awkwardly long shots, anything they could do to fill all of those missing scenes.

And they even had to take the opening montage, because literally everything in it pointed to Cas being there at the end of it all. They wouldn’t be able to leave out his scenes, they were too critical to the season. They couldn’t cut his confession without raising eyebrows. So they cut the whole thing and moved “Carry On My Wayward Son” to one of the newly-added driving montages at the end. Which is why we awkwardly had both songs play back-to-back--again, such a strange choice unless they were out of options and couldn’t exactly buy rights to a new track or compose anything else.

And so we were left with the shadow of the finale that we deserved, that Cas and Dean deserved. We were left without resolution or happiness or words. Bobo told us the most important thing about happiness is just “saying it” and our characters were silenced without anyone ever knowing the truth.

I think the writers might have known and been given the new party line that “Misha never filmed, he couldn’t, sorry, it was COVID, no one’s fault!” But I don’t think most of the cast even knew it had happened until they watched the finale on Thursday with us (though they might have been confused why the bit from 15x19 was sliced, they could reasonably have assumed it was a time thing and also BL episodes don’t make sense anyway). Why do I say that?

Well, first of all, Misha started sending out a bunch of excited texts to fans with some old BTS pictures about an hour before the show started airing on EST. He also wanted his children to see the episode, his YOUNG children. Why would he show them such a traumatic episode if their Dad wasn’t in it? What if it was because he wanted them to witness what was going to be a monumental moment in queer television history that their DAD got to be a part of? And then that was all dashed.

Which is why I think the cast and crew went almost completely radio silent the next day. I don’t think they knew. And based on how they have been acting on social media since then, I think many of them are absolutely furious, but they have been silenced because of NDAs, because they want to find work again in a cutthroat industry, because they don’t want to bring down the hellfire of Warner Brothers Entertainment upon themselves. So the most we have gotten is a little acknowledgement from the MERCHANDISING COMPANY trying to validate our pain (god bless Shirts, she is a LIFESAVER) and a response to my salty tweet about keeping good stuff in the closet from Adam Williams (the VFX coordinator) that seemed to acknowledge the validity of my complaint.

Then there was a scramble behind the scenes, I would bet my life. Talking points were fed to the boys who had panels today, to CE, to all the cast and crew:

Toe the party line. Misha never filmed. This was always about COVID. Do not mention Destiel. Do not mention Dean’s feelings for Cas. Do not promote the Castiel Project or anything that validates the idea that this was anything less than a superb ending.

And that is why we have heard so little from the cast on this front, and what we have heard has been muddled and contradictory. That is why the writers are saying nothing. That is why we have been left adrift.

Now before I close this out, I do want to say that I really, genuinely do not think this was on the writers at all. I feel like they tried to give us the best ending that they could, in a writers room that we know is notorious for splitting along party lines about the overall story (BL and Singer, who have always been about the brothers and their man-pain vs. Dabb and the rest who always seemed to want more for them and for Cas). I think they did everything in their power to at least end with Dean and Cas happy together. If they could give us nothing else, they wanted to give us that. And then the network took it from them. From us. From everyone.

For the sake of fucking money. 

And the WORST PART OF IT ALL, for me, is that in the wake of this disaster, the fans have been left to try and figure out what happened. We have had to wade through a mire of conflicting information in the midst of all of our collective anger and grief over this garbage ending of a show many of us have loved and even relied on for YEARS, all the while wondering if we’re just fucking crazy, if we have all fallen collectively into the hole of conspiracy theories. That hurts ESPECIALLY badly because we have taken so many hits over the years from other groups on social media saying we were crazy for seeing things that weren’t there (especially Destiel), for writing meta and analyzing tropes and believing the evidence of our eyes and ears. The network has made us relive that entire nightmare WHILE processing our grief for a show we wanted so badly to celebrate and which instead we now have to mourn.

So again guys, I cannot prove that this is exactly what happened at all; this is simply my idea of what may have happened. But right now, it’s the most sense I can make from this mess, and to be honest, the act of typing it out has helped me enormously in my processing of it all. I feel like I can see more clearly, like I know where to target my outrage and where to direct empathy. I feel like just fucking maybe, I might be able to do my job tomorrow without bursting into tears at random moments. 

I really hope that this post has helped some of you to, in some small way, process this too. We get through this the way that Misha told us at his panel this morning, the way the writers have told us to do all season long...we throw out the story God gave us and we make it better. We write our characters the happy endings they deserve. 

We save them.

One last thing--if you have not already, please consider channeling your rage into a donation to one of the five causes our fandom has put together to pay tribute to our beloved show and to mourn the ending it should have had:

-The Castiel Project

-Dean Winchester is Love

-Sam Winchester Project

-The National Association of the Deaf

-The Jack Kline Project

[plasticflowering]

A Unifying Theory of Loreography (Lore + Choreography)

(2/3/21) HELLO to all new folks finding this post! It is also now a YouTube Video, and I’m pretty happy with it so if you’d rather get your lore analysis visually please check it out! 

Preface: I don’t think it’s just coincidence that we got full choreography for an intro called “Devil is in the detail”, and I’ve made it my mission since 반박불가 dropped to pull apart the threads that might link everything, lore-wise. This morning I believe I had an epiphany about it, so here are my thoughts.

If this flops I will feel my soul exiting my body so please validate me.

Notes: In forming this theory I mostly considered the events of the storyline MVs and teasers as well as the choreography, but a very important part of my epiphanies came when considering the post-MV stingers for TBONTB and 반박불가. It’s using these stingers that I feel like I can better understand the thesis statements in the choreo. 

Part One: Now then, where were we? 

At the end of TBONTB, the monarchs are approaching monumental, pitch-black gates made of skulls and desperate, reaching hands. 

I can’t not interpret this as the gates of Tartarus, considering the Greek mythology in the canon lore already. Tartarus, however, is at the lowest depths of the underworld, and so my interpretation is that, while they reclaimed their souls from the necklace, they awoke physically in a realm beyond the underworld, and now have to make their way out of this psychological nightmare to breathe free the air, as it were. Through Tartarus, through Hell, this is not because I played 80 hours of Hades in the last three months but it might have a little to do with that. Stay with me. (Though if anyone is wondering, YES Leedo would be Zagreus, but that’s not why we’re here today)

Part Two: Devil is in the Detail 

What an opening formation. The imagery is not 100% clear to me, but I feel as if this entire opening formation sequence is dual-wielding imagery of a crown (much like the killing part of TBONTB), but also the gates of Tartarus. 

Look at this transition once Hwanwoong ascends to the top of the formation, and how the hands all come out, similar to the gates above. I’ll be damned if this is supposed to invoke anything else.

Rewinding a bit, this framing of Seoho being resuscitated and borne by their hands is stunning. Seoho’s journey in the TBONTB choreography merits its own post entirely, because there are a lot of moments that seem to be telling a story for him particularly, and this is just a continuation of that. 

Ravn and Leedo being separated for the rap line part seems like an obvious utilitarian choice, and I agree that it is. However, before we prepare to dismiss all “pairings” as serving the progression of the song itself, I have another theory that ties together a lot of the inciting moments of choreo. I promise you this is going to sound like A Reach, but that’s just how my mind works and if you enjoy it I’m glad.

Leedo, Hwanwoong, and Xion are the monarchs who have absolved themselves by the events of 반박불가, and fully reclaimed their souls as well as their conscience. Seoho and Ravn, not so much. They have a lot of work to do to free their conscience - especially Seoho. Oh, lord, especially Seoho. Keonhee is an extremely interesting case, as he seems to have a foot firmly in both sides, More on that later. 

For further paranoid conspiracy theorist proof of this, please note that their outfits in the choreography videos symbolically reflect this:

Light, Light, Light/Dark, Dark, Dark/Lightish, Light

If you need more convincing, may I point out that Leedo, Hwanwoong, and Xion are the only members who got those wonderful “all clothed in white” shots in the back half of the 반박불가 MV? I tried to make a gif, and I did make a gif, but Tumblr doesn’t want to post it in this text post.

(you rn)

The most interesting moments of loreography in DiitD are the following: 

1. These lotus hands. Again, the imagery, I die!! Keonhee is coming into his own, his character is blooming, expanding his consciousness, going sicko mode with the realization that he has power in the underworld. 

2. Directly following this, Seoho offers a hand to Keonhee and literally drags him down (again, the light/dark dichotomy of Keonhee), while the two good good boys Hwanwoong and Xion are back there just trying to maintain balance so they can get through this Hell/Tartarus thing. 

3. Good ol’ ONEUS Summoning Circle, but wait this time I think it’s actually meaningful beyond the imagery. Seoho is at the center because he has the vocal line, yeah obviously, but he stays there much longer than is objectively necessary without a formation change. This isn’t common in ONEUS choreography. As much as they love their Summoning Circles, they tend to move on to other formations quickly. This one has meat on its bones, and I think what’s happening here, loreography wise, are the other monarchs banding together in an attempt to save Seoho from the darkness. But Seoho is powerfully dark, y’all, even going so far as to overpower them in the moment above. 

4. This is flame imagery. Seoho has been engulfed in flames despite everyone’s best efforts. 

5. At the last minute, he gets yeeted via backflip back into Hell/Tartarus

6. Keonhee takes the initiative in going back for him...

7. We’re back in Hell, that’s just great. Thanks, Seoho. You’re lucky we love you and your extremely disturbed conscience. 

With this in mind, you can probably get way ahead of me, here. 

Part Three: 반박불가 

Perhaps not remarkably, the title track doesn’t have nearly as many loreography beats as DiitD. However, we know it’s part of the lore, and this was made abundantly clear simply with that opening move...

This is where we left off TBONTB, but not exactly. There is a slightly different formation of dancers here, which suggests it’s not picking up exactly where TBONTB left off, but rather that this is a cue to let casual fans know, explicitly: yes, this is a continuation of the TBONTB story. 

Some moments don’t have choreography allusions, but they are loud in the MV, such as:

- “Youngjo, would you stop playing with flowers, our lead vocalist is going to Hell.” Ravn, who barely scraped out of Hell last time, ostensibly with Leedo’s help according to the rap line break in the choreography, has a rough time of it in the 반박불가 MV, but Hwanwoong isn’t going to let him fall back into toxic behaviors and lose himself to that psychological prison again. Hwanwoong drags Ravn back out of Hell, but not before Ravn successfully makes contact with Seoho. Obviously, Ravn would be the one to make contact, because Ravn’s still a little on edge about his own conscience and can easily backslide if he wants to. Who does he find down there? Seoho.

- Keonhee, who led the charge to return to Hell, is staying on task but seems to be the chief of operations to Hwanwoong’s chief of intelligence here, exercising his newfound sicko mode. Those two are certainly working hardest at keeping the servants of darkness in check down in the depths so they can make a quick break for it. 

- Leedo’s actually having a grand time fighting his own demons - or rather, smirking at them and realizing that nah, he’s good. He can use his guilt and regret to motivate him towrd good things now. 

- Xion is literally just above all of this and can move between Hell and Earth with ease, so he’s just waiting to see if he has to pull any Fallen God-Prince cards here to save his friends. 

Now, for the key loregraphy moments. It’s obvious that 1Million was choreographing for a new direction in the ONEUS style, here, so it’s nearly bereft of the usual lyricism and formations, but they’re definitely there. Unsurprisingly they almost all deal with Seoho. 

1. God, this moment whips. They’re all working to free Seoho and lock the gates behind them, with Keonhee giving Seoho one final push. That’s not a normal choreography move. That is storytelling and it sticks out like a beautiful sore thumb with an entire sonnet written on it. 

2. With Seoho on lock, now Ravn may break out. He does so rather easily, but it’s not without Hwanwoong’s help. Please notice that Keonhee and Seoho are the two BEHIND him, and what that symbolizes. 

3. This fucking bridge. It’s amazing with the loreography. First of all we have Keonhee, and the Summoning Circle is using the same imagery/texture that was formerly used to represent engulfing fire. Uh-oh.

4. Keonhee reaches out...

... but gets dragged under.

5. (excited football commentator voice) but who’s that on the outside making it to the surface, literally with the support of the other monarchs? IT’S SEOHO (cheers)!!

And Seoho finishes things out in the center, as well he should because he got us into this mess.

Part Four: What just happened to Keonhee

I’m so angry at this post-MV stinger. It took me forever to wrap my brain around what is being suggested here, because I thought “hey wait, the red lighting represents darkness/hell, doesn’t it?? DOESN’T IT?? RBW???? I thought we just GOT OUT OF HELL????

So I leave the final interpretation in everyone's individual hands, but the thought that occurred to me today was: 

What if this entire scenario was a test of resolve and camaraderie, an illusion, a trick by the Devil (or that donger Helios, whatever). What if Keonhee was the only one who saw through this, and the only one who genuinely made it to Earth at the moment he appeared to have been dragged back to Hell? Because, as we know, Keonhee is a tactical genius, a monarch among the monarchs, and all his visual imagery in the MV suggested a sort of power cabal. 

What if he realized that they weren’t all strong enough to face the challenge of breaking this cycle, so he schemed to leave them behind, but leave them safe in the illusion, while he struck out with the power of God and anime on his side.

I... I think Keonhee is about to go kill and dethrone a God, y’all. 

[simptasia]

lost characters based solely on how i portray them in my text post memes

jack: constantly crying and/or screaming. no emotional stability. no social skills. terrible bedside manner. endearingly bland. into powerful women. loves the red sox... a lot. daddy issues. doesn’t believe in himself. has shitty tattoos. being crushed under the weight of everybody’s expectations. more or less hot. he is not cool at all. repressed attraction to guys. chronic hero syndrome. adorably embarrassing as a dad. passionately and violently overreacts to the mere concept of people believing in things. mansplains but in a non malicious way because he is literally that oblivious. gets into fights a lot. dissociates in mirrors. gets injured a lot but doesn’t wanna make a fuss. thinking about caves

kate: desperate need to protect women. bi. is frustrated by jack and sawyer’s personalities but wants to fuck them oh so much. rowdy. feminist. biceps. will call you out. is love with claire and jack and sun and- she has a lot of love to give. she can be ur angel or ur devil. exasperated. doesn’t understand astrology but she’s trying. she’s the slytherin friend every hufflepuff needs. uses guns. doesn’t know how to cook. go to relationship advice is “dump him” or “suck his dick”.  just because you put things in her vagina doesn’t mean you know her. gemini

hurley: sad clown. haha laughter! hiding real pain! has debilitating mental illness. he’s doing his best to stay positive. virgin. genuinely kind soul. overwhelmed by food. awkward around girls he likes. much smarter and wiser than anybody thinks, including himself. a special boy who we all love. says dude a lot. the only valid rich person ever. doesn’t like himself. sees dead people. kinda silly. also he’s fat (but i don’t joke about it in a cruel way)

sawyer: compulsive need to nickname people. from the south. bewildered by charlie’s english slang. covering up vulnerability with jokes and being mean. loves juliet. is an asshole but a loveable asshole (this varies, mostly he’s an asshole). conventionally attractive to the point of boring. got a Thing going on with miles. can’t stand daniel being smart around him. babies freak him out. treats animals poorly

locke: very supportive and new agey type. i’ve made two jokes about him encouraging people to jack off, that wasn’t on purpose but Okay. he doesn’t know what its like to have friends. he says Deep Sounding but odd things. he’s super duper into nature. he suffers. he’s very forgiving of ben to the point of absurdity and he desperately wants ben to love and fuck him. or maybe they are fucking. Who Knows. he loves knifes

sayid: sexy, suffering shannon fucker. he doesn’t respect boone. his life is an endless parade of misery culminating in going on autopilot. respects women

jin: he has no idea what’s going on and his life revolves around sun

sun: beautiful. perfect. very passionate about gardening

claire: bi. frequently ignored. cutesy and sweet. super into astrology and new age stuff. her cheery demeanour can only hold on so long before she loses it. kinda dumb. has baby. vanilla, at least for now. loves charlie but is kinda frustrated by him. goes feral and “kitten thinks of murder all day” sums it up

charlie: that he needs attention and validation to survive would be a gross understatement. bi. trans. punk. stupid. english. really horny and slutty. adores music more than anything. drug addict (again, i refuse to be cruel). severe jealousy issues. inferiority superiority complex. hates himself but will get offended if you hate him. can’t take any form of criticism. is bewildered by sawyer’s american-isms. bit of a madonna whore complex. smol but will go the fuck off like a terrier nipping at ya heels. catholic and riddled with catholic guilt. goofy and obnoxious and he knows it. passive aggressive. terrified of bees. nice ass. mood swings. did i mention he’s short? anyway here’s wonderwall

ben: ugly. just plain terrible. beaten and bruised. seething with rage and pain on the inside. virgin. liar. just causes problems on purpose. resembles a lemur or rat, rodents in general. loves bunnies. doesn’t think sex is real. just a really bad idea for him to be around juliet. has no friends. doesn’t care about other people. says creepy shit just because. he knows he’s a terrible person. killed people. the friend nobody likes and a general nuisance to the other characters

(also my literal first text post meme about ben was a joke about him eating his parents??? 2014 sapphire, i wanna talk...)

juliet: mom friend. seems very calm but she’s screaming on the inside. basically she’s the This Is Fine meme. depressed. has big tits. low-key kinky. feminist in a very gentle way. has no ill will towards kate and will only fight her for fun. concerned for daniel’s well being. has no chemistry with jack. loves sawyer. flat measured calm way of speaking. she’s breaking apart at the seams but will offer you a nice glass of water :)))

michael: has a son..... uh...... enjoys minecraft?

(i’m sorry)

desmond: scottish. drinks. easily and constantly confused. magic psychic time powers, like visions and electromagnetic dimensional stuff. easily angered. fucked off by the concept of time and destiny in general. hhhhhhhot

smokey: Hello Fellow Humans I Promise This Is My Own Skin Haha

miles: bi. aro. loves money (trying to fill the hole in his heart with money and things). emo/punk. pretends not to care but he really does care. thinks emotions and romance are dumb but of course is emotional... and kinda wants love. but not that he LIKES you or anything. exasperated. thinks everybody else is weird. kinda slutty or at least trying to be. masochist and into BDSM. mean to daniel for no reason. daddy issues. resting bitch face. jaded, bitter and salty. responds to romantic things dan or char say with vulgar or mocking comments. grew up poor. can hear dead people. trying too hard to be edgy. deadpan snarker. Fuck Off I’m Not Sad Don’t Look At Me [cries only around the audience and his mom]

walt: becoming older than 10 was when things went downhill for him

shannon: seems vapid but is more than that. deeply insecure. feels she can’t do anything right. constantly put down as worthless by other people. yeah she’s sad but she Looks Great. wants sayid to pound her (mood)

(gee, that was dark)

richard: very old and ageless. sees ben as a son figure. really not holding it together. seems smart but he has no fucking idea whats going on. cult mindset. quips curtly back at miles’ vulgar jokes. in love with miles based on very little interaction. misses his dead wife. has a cute giggle. is also hot. overwhelmed and just wants to go into the jungle and scream

frank: doesn’t understand what anybody is talking about. the only normal person here. doesn’t understand these kids today with their weird kinks. just wants to sleep. pilot. bit of a conspiracy theorist

boone: bi. stupid. soaked in blood a lot.  (L I T E R A L L Y all of my boone jokes are about him being dumb and bi and horribly injured and combos of those. i haven’t even made any incest jokes! what the actual fuck)

ana lucia: “[with tears in her eyes] DO U WANNA FIGHT??”. highly volatile. lesbian. bros with jack but will roast him. angery, sad and underloved

daniel: bi, agender, neurodivergent, just, just especially brain weird. The Scientist trope but kind of a shitty scientist. smart. in love with charlotte. in love with desmond. likes rats a lot. talks weird and soft spoken. withdrawn and polite but with bursts of bitterness. his mom won’t let him live the live he wants to live. time travel weirdness. loves music. gifted kid burn out. has a mental and emotional collapse. thinks a hydrogen bomb will solve all his problems. skinny. touches people a lot. he’s not okay. romantic. overwhelmed. memory problems. his lack of life experience and softness is used to contrast miles. takes some statements literally. pretty vanilla (for now) and doesn’t know what certain kinks are. likes that charlotte is Tough & Rowdy. doesn’t swear much. bad hair. was unhinged in college. has radiation poisoning

libby: neurodivergent and in love with hurley

eko: yeah... i’ve legit only used him for jokes where charlie says something EXTREMELY vulgar and eko says “go to church”

charlotte: bi, loud, passionate, beautiful, angery, knows All The Languages, huge nerd, loves daniel and thinks he’s a Snack, outspoken feminist, archaeologist/anthropologist and wants to explore some fucking ruins, The Lost Lenore trope, loves chocolate, exasperated, great smile, subtly insecure, doesn’t get that she could just tell daniel how she feels, has had many indiana jones like adventures (off screen, of course), for example: crashing her dirtbike into all 7 wonders of the world

danielle: french and unhinged, has seen some shit

alex: just a young lady with no chill

jacob: suffers from terminal apathy. has little understand of human behaviour. doesn’t care about people. he just plain sucks. has no endearing qualities. causes many problems. beats the shit outta richard. doesn’t like technology. so removed from humanity that he’s a touch uncanny valley

christian, eloise, charles and anthony jokes each have their own kind of flavours but fuck it, i’ll sum them all up as: contemptuous cunts who deserve to die

aaron: just a baby boy. does baby things. has like 5 parents

vincent: a dog. a good boy. does he know more than he lets on? is he mysterious? no, he is just a dog

[edwad]

Based on your response to the comment regarding the use of Althusserian concepts; would you say a revolutionary process necessarily involves conscious elements? And are there other concepts of the state that you prefer over the instrumental view of the state?

i guess my argument would be that, even outside of revolutionary scenarios, the traditional understanding of class tends emphasize consciousness in a peculiar (and moralistic way), which is to treat The Capitalists (bad guys) as extremely aware of what’s actually going on while The Workers (good guys) suffer from “false consciousness” (overstated in the secondary literature, compared to its relative non-existence in the primary sources. engels used the term like, Once). the problem then is about whipping up proletarian consciousness (often assumed to be somehow automatically revolutionary after that has been done) against the deliberate attempts by capital (understood here as a group of people) to obscure the realities of the system. althusser’s work is an elaboration on this view.

marx, however, had a completely different approach, which is to focus on the way that capital (now appropriately understood as an “automatic subject”, as a self-moving substance with its own logic) obscures itself. in the unfolding of capital’s categories, marx shows how the money-form covers the tracks of the law of value’s operation at a higher level of abstraction so that there appears to be a contradiction between the “theories” of value and money, when in reality the paradox is immanent to the system and not a matter of conflicting understandings (the common criticism that marx contradicts himself between value and money, value and price, etc stems from this confusion). 

what this means is that the concepts are generative of multiple understandings of the concepts themselves, and that these appear contradictory so that these conceptions are often developed into one-sided theories of political economy. this is why marxs project takes the form of a genealogical critique of political economy, which requires interrogating the social forms in order to understand why they appear the way that they do, and why they, bearing the function of social mediation, determine our actions in such a way as to produce and reproduce everyday life, i.e. capitalism, thereby naturalizing it. 

this involves an implicit theory of knowledge and necessarily has huge ramifications for how we can understand the development and limitation of class consciousness, because the object under investigation presents itself in a distorted manner. as marx says, 

“Reflection on the forms of human life, hence also scientific analysis of those forms, takes a course directly opposite to their real development. Reflection begins post festum, and therefore with the results of the process of development ready to hand. The forms which stamp products as commodities and which are therefore the preliminary requirements for the circulation of commodities, already possess the fixed quality of natural forms of social life before man seeks to give an account, not of their historical character, for in his eyes they are immutable, but of their content and meaning. Consequently, it was solely the analysis of the prices of commodities which led to the determination of the magnitude of value, and solely the common expression of all commodities in money which led to the establishment of their character as values. It is however precisely this finished form of the world of commodities - the money form - which conceals the social character of private labour and the social relations between the individual workers, by making those relations appear as relations between material objects, instead of revealing them plainly. If I state that coats or boots stand in a relation to linen because the latter is the universal incarnation of abstract human labour, the absurdity of the statement is self-evident. Nevertheless, when the producers of coats and boots bring these commodities into a relation with linen, or with gold or silver (and this makes no difference here), as the universal equivalent, the relation between their own private labour and the collective labour of society appears to them in exactly this absurd form. 

The categories of bourgeois economics consist precisely of forms of this kind. They are forms of thought which are socially valid, and therefore objective [my emphasis], for the relations of production belonging to this historically determined mode of social production, i.e. commodity production. The whole mystery of commodities, all the magic and necromancy that surrounds the products of labour on the basis of commodity production, vanishes therefore as soon as we come to other forms of production.” [v1: p168-9, penguin ed.]

all of this is to say that the existence of a class unconsciousness does not require a class of evil puppeteers working behind the scenes to obscure the real functioning of the capitalist mode of production; the system generates its own obscuration independently of social actors and, as marx says, involves “a social process that goes on behind the backs of the producers” [v1: p135], which also necessarily applies to the capitalists themselves. all of this is why fetishism is so important to marx, and runs throughout the 3 volumes of capital, explicitly reappearing at the end of v3 when marx tackles the trinity formula. it is only after this is explained that marx closes the chapter on “the revenue and its sources” [part 7 in engels’ edition, divided into smaller chapters] with what we now have as a fragment of the final “chapter” of the three volumes of capital: “classes”. 

i dont think this ordering of the sections is an accident, as the elaboration on classes could only come after the clarification of the fetish-forms of the trinity formula, which necessarily complicates the notion of a class of omniscient agents directly overseeing and controlling society, and which also affirms the existence of “the three great classes of modern society based on the capitalist mode of production” [v3: p1025, penguin ed.], contrary to the earlier position developed at the beginning of the communist manifesto where he says that the bourgeois epoch has “simplified class antagonisms”, with the increasing reduction “into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other — Bourgeoisie and Proletariat”, which is generally the starting point for most marxist perspectives on class struggle in capitalism. 

an alternative theorization/critique of the capitalist state (and with it, the theory of knowledge as it relates to the development of consciousness) would deal with the historically specific nature of capitalist social relations, especially the distinct form of impersonal domination where political and economic rule are divorced from one another in a way that differentiates bourgeois society from others, such as feudalism, where the serf stood in relation to the landlord as the former’s direct political-economic ruler. under capitalism, however, your employer at a retail establishment does not hold direct political power over you, just as the state which you must otherwise obey does not directly control whether or not you may quit your job in retail and move to some other industry. this is the sense in which the onslaught of capital involves the dual constitution of the “free laborer” and “legal subject”, with the former involving the historical “freeing” of labor from the land (and the corresponding freedom to starve to death if one does not submit to wage-labor), while our equivalence as legal subjects in labor contracts is dealt with by marx in a single sentence: “Between equal rights, force decides.” [v1, p344] 

obviously, if we were politically and economically ruled by capitalists in a direct way like that which characterizes feudalism, and which is suggested by the instrumentalist conception of the state, this separation would not need to exist (although the conspiracy theorist’s rendering of the theory would be that this separation is an intentionally illusory one meant to make us feel as if we are free, even though this is, as i already suggested, something generated by the system itself regardless of any class malevolence). any critique of the state worth paying attention to must be able to grapple with all of this, and i think the best starting point would be the work of legal scholars like pashukanis and the german state derivation debates beginning in the 1970s, as well as some more recent elaborations by those associated with the “open marxist” tradition (holloway, clarke, bonefeld, etc). 

[whatsminerm31s-blog]

Getting Bitcoin

whatsminer

If you're looking to get in the game of Bitcoin as well as hold your own coins, there are several options available. Here are some of the distinct methods available for acquiring a number of Bitcoin of your own.

whatsminer

Buy them from your exchange

One of the most common ways to acquire bitcoins is through an exchange. Internet sites like Bitstamp, BTC-E, or maybe Cavirtex here in Canada, let you purchase Bitcoin. They don't will sell Bitcoin themselves, but precisely how it works is the exchanges couple you as a buyer which has a seller who's selling intended for whatever price you're looking for.

This kind of sounds like a great option, since some ways it is, but it really has its disadvantages too.

One of the major ones is usually that the exchanges require you to add your own information to them via Recognize Your Client legislation gowns present in many countries in terms of currency-related businesses. This might not possible be a concern for everyone, but in some sort of post-NSA scandal era, really becoming more and more clear, at least for me, that data you put around is more accessible than you feel.

I might be a little paranoid, however who knows what might transpire in the future. After all, just decade ago the idea that the government is usually spying on everything we accomplish was purely the realm involving tin foil hat conspiracy theory theorists, and now it's only common knowledge. Who knows what's up coming?

As you can tell, I'm not a major fan of the exchanges. The concept I have to give up my personal data to an entity which might ought to release that information usually go against the spirit connected with Bitcoin.

Fortunately, there are other possibilities.

Mine them

Of course , there is certainly only one place Bitcoins genuinely come from; mining. Every Bitcoin you'll ever own, view, or hear about, was at a single point mined via typically the Bitcoin mining network.

While you may feel in possession of a mining computer, go ahead and mine away! Or maybe if you have a computer fast plenty of to make it worthwhile, that's amazing too.

But be careful! Should your computer isn't cooled appropriately, you run the risk of overheating it, which could potentially large rock it.

Frankly, mining using your computer isn't really worth it. Not any longer. As the mining difficulty improves, it becomes more and more difficult to get any profit from it. Along with unless you have a dedicated exploration rig, your chance of acquiring any sort of return from mining or prospecting is pretty low.

Some believe mining is on its way out and about, and even buying a dedicated gold mining rig isn't really a valid solution anymore. I disagree, yet that's a topic for another moment.

Buy them from a private agent

If you're able to find a private dealer, you can hook up with them and also exchange. This has some clear benefits, but it also has negatives.

First off, it's completely confidential. Even if you meet in person, there isn't a reason you need to use your true name, or any details about on your own other than your wallet range so they can transfer the resources to you. And if you shell out cash, the banks can not trace it either. Whenever that's a concern for you, you aren't in business.

But of course with anonymousness comes some risk also. Dealing through an exchange, the unwelcome possibility of getting ripped off is lower. Naturally , exchanges have disappeared in past times, taking everyone's Bitcoins using them, but the bigger, more established deals have had time to build their very own brand and prove by themselves as more trustworthy.

You could possibly pay a price premium for your anonymity as well. From the experience, it can be as much as 15-20% higher than average exchange price ranges. But again, if anonymity is vital to you, that's a small price tag to pay.

When you trade using someone anonymously, you don't have the protection of the exchanges. They could be authentic and honest, but they could possibly just as easily be fly-by-night and willing to rip a person off. That said, buying coming from a private broker is our preferred method of purchasing Bitcoin. But it's important to have health concerns in place, otherwise you're making yourself open to getting burnt off.

Accept them as settlement for goods and services

This one is very obvious, yet often men and women forget about it. Amidst the many investors getting involved with Bitcoin and the excitement around the activity, it's easy to forget that Bitcoin is not just a hot asset or high value stock. Really designed as a form of money. And if you run a organization, you can accept Bitcoin while payment instead of cash.

There are many businesses which accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. When you live in Canada, check out this kind of directory of businesses which recognize Bitcoin.

In fact , several sites have popped up to assist people to find local businesses which often accept Bitcoin. And, should you be a denizen of the website (and if you're reading this, an individual obviously are), there are tons associated with places which accept Bitcoin as payment. Tiger One on one, Reddit, and WordPress are only a few of them.

In short, there are many ways to acquire Bitcoin. Many are easier than others, good results . so many options, you're certain to get something which works for you. Within the game now, don't miss this spectacle,!

[metaritual]

21 Days to Thriving During the Quarantine

Many of us are facing an unprecedented situation in our lives.  Our response systems have no basis for familiarity for the emotional mix our bodies are currently subjected to and this can result in a mix of defense responses, which often leave us even more confused. Here are some of my quarantine practices,  which focus on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.  I hope they help you to make the best of any situation:

Day One -  I will create and maintain a routine

One of the first pieces of my day to deteriorate, if left unchecked, is my waking and sleeping schedule.  My general mood is easily affected by too little or too much sleep which is why keeping a fairly regimented sleep schedule is important and my daily schedule has been affected due to changes in work/routines. So this is why I am establishing a new one. 

Having set times for meals, work, recreation, & relaxing will help to feel more in control of life and keep from functioning in a state of reaction. Some of us will find ourselves with a lot of down time, while others may be working at home while our children need home schooling.  Either way, a routine will help manage whatever situation we find ourselves in. 

Affirmation: I am choosing to be proactive about my own personal schedule and the schedule of those that I care for. Day Two - I will dress for the day I hope to have

I am getting dressed everyday as I normally would. This can mean different things for different people, but I am reserving pajamas for normal pajama time.  Dress for the day you hope to have.  Lazy days are important to plan, but if I dress for a lazy day every day, I will have more lazy days than I want.

Affirmation: Every morning is as I make it; I shower, brush my teeth, etc., and I make time for self care rituals (like baths). Day Three - I will go outside

Part of my daily schedule is to try to get outside everyday and breaking the monotony of the house is a welcome change; moving is healthy. While busier neighborhoods will be crowded during certain times, make sure to include this in your daily schedule.  

Affirmation: If leaving the house is not an option, open the windows, let the fresh air in. Day Four - I will exercise

Personally, I aim for a minimum of 2-3 workouts per week.  If exercise is new to you, be careful not to overdo it.  There are lots of free workout tutorials on YouTube and other resources to follow when starting a workout regimine. Walking/jogging/running is still allowed, just be mindful of the physical distancing protocol.

Affirmation: I will move my body in a positive and strengthening movement that is meaningful for me. Day Five - I will connect to others

While I am making an effort every day to reach out to 3 different people via phone or social media, it is important to connect (or reconnect) with others you have lost touch with. Some of these people are close acquaintances and some I have lost close contact with but now is an ideal time to do it. If you care for others, consider their connection needs as well.  Facetime, Skype, Zoom, etc. are all wonderful platforms to use to have some face to face time with friends and family.

Affirmation: Today I will reach out to ___ different people.  Day Six -  I will be mindful of my eating habits

I have found myself overeating lately. Most likely in a  trauma response to this stressful situation.  Maintaining healthy diet, water intake, and taking my vitamins is part of my daily routine and even though I’m lucky enough my wife loves to cook, it has been a struggle. So she has been experimenting with new recipes regularly to induce curiosity in our lives.  Cooking for some can be a form of self care, and right now is a great opportunity to explore recipes!

Affirmation: Today I will cook something nourishing for my body, mind, and spirit. Day Seven -  I will practice self care

This is a big topic and means a lot of different things to different people.  How do you self soothe, or calm down to relax? Baths, music, meditation, journaling, inspirational books or podcasts… all of these can be paths to self-care. I have found that familiar tastes, smells, sounds, sights, and sensations are all paths to centering and calming myself.  Having some self care items on hand that speaks to your situation is a huge help.  In addition, talking to my partner and any other co-inhabitants about my self care routines and rituals has proven just as important.  This communication allows us to support each other in caring for ourselves.

Affirmation: Today I will communicate how I need to be validated in self-care rituals.  Day Eight - I will spend time with children

If you have kids in your life, now is a great time to make more time for them.  Many children may be confused or unsure about what is happening and they will respond to your attention at this crisis and stress-filled time. Talk to the kids in your life about how they are feeling. Ask and encourage communication and playtime. Personally, I would think it therapeutic for the adult as much as the child.

Affirmation: Today I will reach out to a child in my life and see what is speaking deeply in their lives at this moment. Day Nine -  I will avoid assumptions

For some, this situation is causing extreme emotional and mental health swings.  Mood swings coupled with stay-at-home orders adds to the media frenzy. This is creating a lot of stress, anxiety, anger, and frustration throughout our society and interpersonal circles. I find myself focusing on compassion, understanding, and forgiveness whenever possible.I will not allow arguments over politics or conspiracies dictate the tone of my personal emotional and mental space especially when responding to those who are interacting with me during this time. 

Affirmation: I will not allow my personal beliefs interfere with my ability to be compassionate with others.  Day Ten -  I will create a personal space

Everyone will have a unique take and need when it comes to this topic.  Designing my own work and sacred space has been incredibly useful. Not only in making my home a space for both creation, but also, calm.  I have seen some kids (and some adults) creating "forts" in the house.  Thinking back when I was a child, a fort was a super safe space to play and be creative.  Make the best use of the space you have, and try to make sure everyone has a space they can either share for alone time, or a space to call their own.

Affirmation: Today I will create a space to be productive and a place to be creative in my unique way.  Day Eleven - I will limit my use of social media

My Facebook feed is a snake pit... right now.  Between political disagreements, conspiracy theorists, and news media vying for my interest with their best possible headline, I am under constant attack.  But only if I choose to.  When I do look at my feed, I have been trying to comfort those who are expressing their personal struggle and being a positive light to those who need it. I also keep my eye out for the helpers and acknowledge their efforts.  Social media is a new kind of community, and just like the local community I live in, I can choose what kind of neighbor I want to be.. On or off line.  Remember that some of your loved ones (including children) may be super sensitive when exposed to discussion of the world pandemic, so be mindful of when the conversation comes up. What has helped my well-being improvement is intentionally limiting my social media intake.  I have also been making the effort to write posts about how I am managing my emotional and spiritual help, to which I have received a lot of great feedback!

Affirmation: Today I will cultivate an online community of compassion and helpfulness to aid in the reconstruction of humanitarianism.  Day Twelve - I will shop local

The bigger companies will have a better chance of surviving so this is why you should support your local businesses where and when you can.  If you are in a position to donate or buy a gift card, go for it! These small purchases go a LONG way with the smaller business ventures in your immediate area.

Affirmation: Today I will support a local community member to build their business and morale in the best way I know how.  Day Thirteen - I will check in on those in need

During this pandemic, some may be unable or afraid to leave their homes. In either case, they still need supplies. Find those people in your life or community to check in and offer to help. If you are one of those people that need help, let us know!  Many of us want to help, we just don’t know HOW to.  Helping each other and asking for help is how we build a strong community.

Affirmation: Today I will check in with my community to see where I can provide help the best way I know how. Day Fourteen -  I will only control what I can

Situations like this remind me of my powerlessness and need to let go of control.  I let go of control by taking power over what I do control.  This list is pretty short - my actions, my thoughts, my feelings.  

An easy way to take control of my environment is to clean, organize, and rethink my space. So in essence, we all have closets, cupboards and spaces that could use some attention… and spring is here. Spring cleaning gives us a sense of control in a situation that showcases our powerlessness.  Exercising control can be very grounding and centering… peaceful. Like in the same peace from laundry, dishes, and other simple house chores.  Taking control of my space is an empowering way to find peace in uncertainty.

Affirmation: Today I will control my immediate surroundings to cultivate it into a productive and cleansing place I need it to be.  Day Fifteen - I will make a goal list

Short term goals, long term goals.. For those of us that are waiting, this is a good time to reflect on where we have been and where we are going.  For those of us whose lives got busier and more complicated, a list of vacation spots or things to do when we get some time off will keep us focused.

Affirmation: Today I will create my ultimate vacation and relaxation spot to reflect on my accomplishments and positive outcomes. Day Sixteen -  I will find time for hobbies & creating

I don't know how many times I have said, "I wish I could spend more time on that." Many of us are now presented with that “time.”  Reading, writing, music, art, exercise, projects, crafts… the list is endless.  Try some new things. I am hoping to discover some passions I never knew I had!

Affirmation: Today I will try something new I wish I could have tried in the past! Day Seventeen -  I will laugh & smile

This is a wonderful time to be goofy, dance like nobody's watching (even if they are). Watch a comedy show, listen to a funny podcast, whatever it is, just smile and laugh.  Laughter is healing and smiling is infectious.

Affirmation: Today I will find something to laugh about… even if it is me Day Eighteen -  I will seek the help of a professional

Times are changing and therapists are moving to virtual sessions. This may be a good time to start the therapy you were considering, or pick up where you left off.  I have maintained my normal therapeutic routines. While this may include medications & doctor checkups (if possible), be sure to consider the needs of those you care for on this topic as well!

Affirmation: Today I choose to invest time in my own well-being.  Day Nineteen -  I will live my life one moment at a time

I live my life in the present as much as I am able and try to focus on "a day at a time.” Often, I need to focus on a much smaller segment rather than an entire day.  When I break my day into segments and keep my focus there, my mental and emotional health are less likely to become affected.  This allows me to look back into the past to prevent me from finding blame and/or projecting about what the future holds.  

The only truth we have in all of these conversations is right now. As the information continues to be presented, we will all have a better grasp on what exactly happened, and where we are likely headed. But today... I need to focus on today.

Affirmation: Today… I will focus on this present moment.  I will bring my attention to the moment. Day Twenty -  I will stay present

Staying present in an ever-changing world is often one met with a lot of resistance. Though we try our hardest, our minds can wander into the future which leads us into anxiety. Or worse, our minds can wander into the past, which can lead into depression.

Affirmation: Today...I will observe the present moment. What is around me? What do I see? What am I feeling? What do I smell? What can I touch? These will all lead me to the present moment. Day Twenty One - I will find the silver lining

“Stay Gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.” Gold is the hardest hue to hold in nature and while JohnnyBoy said it right in “The Outsiders,” he meant it. There is ALWAYS a positive, no matter what situation you find yourself in. Look for the silver lining in everything and I promise it will lead to beauty unknown.  I find myself noticing the helpers, and having a new found gratitude for humanity.  I see myself helping others, and I am grateful for the capacity to help.  I see myself taking care of my needs and the needs of those I care about.  I see my community working together, and finding our way to the other side of this complicated time.  I enjoy my downtime.  I find a new stillness, a new quiet place, and I learn more about myself than I ever dreamt I could.

Affirmation: Today I choose to look for beauty.

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[bountyofbeads]

What Happens When Ordinary People End Up in Trump’s Tweets https://nyti.ms/32bCiou

🍁🏈🍂🍻🍁🏈🍂🍻🍁🏈🍂🍻🍁🏈

What Happens When Ordinary People End Up in Trump’s Tweets

By MATT FLEGENHEIMER | Published Nov. 2, 2019 | New York Times | Posted November 3, 2019 |

McCALLA, Ala. — The evening of April 29 passed like many others for Ben Rawls, a fire lieutenant in Tuscaloosa: settled in the rocking chair on his porch, amid empty beer cans and mosquito-fighting candles, tweeting to an audience of dozens until he got sleepy.

“Granted I am in Alabama,” Mr. Rawls, 45, wrote around 11 p.m., after a major firefighters’ union endorsed Joseph R. Biden Jr. for president, “but most of the firefighters I talk to are voting @realDonaldTrump.”

The morning of May 1, some 36 hours later, was less typical.

Mr. Rawls showered and took his daughters to school. He ignored his phone, until it yapped so insistently that he had to look. An ashbin of Twitter comments greeted him: Racist. Moron. “‘Toothless’ — that was a good one,” he recalled.

The most curious posts disputed Mr. Rawls’s very existence. Strangers accused him of being a bot. He replied to one with a video he recorded in his pickup. “Here I am,” he said to the camera. “No faking here.”

All told, it took about 12 hours for him to solve the mystery. Back in his rocking chair, he stared at a fellow Twitter user’s note of congratulations: Mr. Rawls had been retweeted by the president of the United States.

Along with the Republican allies, Fox News hosts and conspiracy-mongering trolls whose messages President Trump pinballs across the political arena, he has also elevated regular people whose words he finds pleasing. Perhaps no group understands the praise-seeking cyclone that is @realDonaldTrump better than these arbitrary few who have lived inside it, briefly and usually unwittingly.

Their brushes with cybercelebrity are a portal into the Twitter feedback loop powered and experienced by Mr. Trump — dark, caustic, skimpy on nuance — where the ripples of a single presidential tweet can be hard to fathom unless measured against the relative anonymity to which these users were accustomed. Mr. Rawls got 2,700 retweets and 14,000 “likes” with the boost from Mr. Trump. The reach of his tweets before and since, he estimated, was approximately zero.

For many of the retweeted, the temporary platform stands as a testament to a style of politics they have never seen before — one that has bonded the president to his followers, virtual or otherwise.

“No other president has ever done stuff like this,” said Curtis Vincent, a 35-year old in Bowling Green, Ky., who operates one of the more than 215 unverified accounts Mr. Trump has retweeted since taking office. “They’ve been on a higher pedestal.”

Mr. Rawls, Mr. Vincent and several others were retweeted by Mr. Trump on May 1 after responding to a post by a Fox News personality, Dan Bongino, about the fire union’s endorsing Mr. Biden.

Joining them in temporary Twitter fame was Joelle Palombo, 46, a Southern California resident with 11 followers, who had largely used her account to cheer on her daughter’s soccer team. But after Mr. Bongino tweeted that “NONE of the firemen” he knew were with Mr. Biden, she replied with a note of support for Mr. Trump from one “fire family” out West.

The flood of reactions so spooked Ms. Palombo that she enlisted her teenage son to help block anyone she saw in her feed. The purge took three days, she said, and included the president, who she did not realize had retweeted her until a reporter told her months later.

“I went and looked at his account, and I blocked him,” Ms. Palombo said of Mr. Trump. “That’s how scared I was. I’m just one tiny hair on a dog. Are you kidding me?”

Although her affection for the president persists, Ms. Palombo questions the value of his favored medium. “How many hours of the day do people put in to do this?” she said. “I don’t need to have a voice on this. I’ll vote.”

Others have found more purpose in the practice. Mr. Rawls described himself as a reluctant Trump voter in 2016. He preferred Ted Cruz during the Republican primary, and he winces at some of the president’s choices, including insulting John McCain well after the senator’s death.

But as the 2020 election approaches, Mr. Rawls suggests, the president’s Twitter output is a more effective galvanizer than even the slickest campaign ad. “The tweeting doesn’t bother me so much anymore,” he said. “I don’t really feel like I wasted a vote.”

And the validation of the president’s retweet has encouraged his own more quarrelsome instincts. “Before all this happened, I would type something out and say, ‘People will think I’m crazy,’” he recalled, citing prospective tweets that he scrapped.

Since May, these second thoughts have been rarer. He has called Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House communications director, a “bitter jerk.” He has shared a doctored video of Speaker Nancy Pelosi appearing to slur her words. He has weaponized a gif of Judge Judy (“Either you are playing dumb, or it’s not an act”) to mock Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat promoting gun control.

“I’m a little bit less of a wallflower than I used to be,” Mr. Rawls said, crediting Mr. Trump’s retweet. “I guess you could say I was more emboldened.”

CATCHING HIS EYE

Capital letters help. Sentence structure can be disregarded. Mornings, East Coast time, are best.

Grabbing Mr. Trump’s attention on Twitter is more art than science — and, often, more fluke than art. But some who have been retweeted say there are certain flourishes that can improve the odds.

The surest path is echoing Mr. Trump’s voice. The user @fiiibuster, whose profile boasts that he has been retweeted twice by the president, has built a following of more than 38,000 accounts — and won the digital stamp of approval from a man with 66 million — through a steady offering of posts that resemble Mr. Trump’s own. Among the words in @fiiibuster’s retweeted messages: “security,” “prosperity,” “America first,” “Pathetic,” “bad reporter,” “shame!”

In other cases, Mr. Trump has gravitated toward those who share his taste in reading. A few weeks ago, he retweeted Cathy Buffaloe, 70, a retired librarian in Walton County, Ga., after she quoted a Wall Street Journal column criticizing Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

When she told her husband what had happened, he asked if she had simply dreamed it. She took screenshots to show to friends and gained about 200 followers. “It isn’t often that ‘regular’ people have an opportunity to be heard concerning national issues,” Ms. Buffaloe said in an email.

J. T. Lewis, a 19-year-old Republican candidate for the Connecticut State Senate whose brother Jesse was killed in the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, was retweeted last year after writing a flattering message to Mr. Trump. When he traveled to Washington months later to meet with the president as part of a school safety event, Mr. Lewis brought a printout of the tweet.

“He smirked and signed it,” he said. “It’s in my room somewhere.”

Mr. Lewis said he hoped the president’s imprimatur would show that Mr. Trump was not in league with the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has spread bogus claims about the Sandy Hook shooting, including asserting that the victims’ families were actors and part of a plot to confiscate guns. (In 2015, Mr. Trump appeared on Mr. Jones’s “Infowars” program and praised him.)

But Mr. Lewis is skeptical that getting through to Mr. Trump owes to any elaborate strategy. “I don’t think things are planned out the way we think they are from the outside,” he said. “I think that was literally just: Guy in pajamas, ‘Oh, this is a nice tweet.’”

THE WRONG IVANKA

“The fingers aren’t as good as the brain,” the president once explained, discussing the typos he makes on Twitter.

And those fingers have at times conferred a spotlight on unsuspecting tweeters with low opinions of him.

In a tweet one night in January 2017, just before his inauguration, Mr. Trump shared a message calling his daughter Ivanka “a woman with real character and class” and tagging @ivanka.

That Twitter handle belongs to Ivanka Majic, 45, a technology researcher in Brighton, England, who shares a first name and little else with the president’s daughter. Ms. Majic woke up to media inquiries and a dilemma.

“There’s a decision to be made,” she said in an interview. “If you’re going to say something, what are you going to say?”

Ms. Majic recognized she would probably never be handed a megaphone like this again. “He was a bit unlucky, really, that it was my Twitter account,” she said.

She settled on this: “You’re a man with great responsibilities. May I suggest more care on Twitter and more time learning about #climatechange.”

Instantly, Ms. Majic became something of a local luminary as her progressive city strained to process Mr. Trump’s victory. Days later, at the London chapter of the global Women’s March, one attendee’s sign read, “@Ivanka, loving your work!”

In the years since, Ms. Majic has celebrated an annual “Trumpiversary” to mark the occasion. But one news clipping from the time still grates.

“There was one article that said, ‘Ivanka only has 2,700 followers,’” she remembered. “I was like, ‘That’s quite good for a normal person!’”

_______

Karen Yourish and Larry Buchanan contributed reporting. Kitty Bennett contributed research. Produced by Gray Beltran and Rumsey Taylor.

🍁🏈🍂🍻🍁🏈🍂🍻🍁🏈🍂🍻🍁🏈

[dancingqueen707]

6/24/18

IAL #36 My VLD S6 review + My Predictions for S7

Hey hello guys welcome to another Sunday and so it’s been a week since s6 of voltron dropped and literally the fandom is dead. If you are from my writing blog my author name is Tidus S. Queen but on my personal account I am Kat. I am going to be telling my opinions about this season and how good and amazing it was

Disclaimer: these are just are my options please respect them if you don't care just dont read the post and have a nice day. I am also giving 0 hate to ships this is just my views/take on the latest season.

Because I am way to obsessed for this show I rewatched S3 to S5 before the season dropped so I knew everything for this season.

My thoughts on Lotor:

S5 cliffhanger was Lotor and Allura going to the Altean world called Oriande to learn more about altean alchemy. Then we learned about lort how he is literally a space indiana jones and zarkon was a prick as a father to him and you feel bad for him. I’m gonna state right now I NEVER TRUSTED NO MATTER HOW HOT HE IS. The first time we meet the prince lotor is in S3 when he literally was teasing the paladins and to see if they can become voltron, but they can't because we lost shiro in the astral plane and he died in the s2 finale. So yeah thanks dreamworks for hurting me in the feels.

One more thing I wanted to point out Dos Santos one of the co-executive producer said that lotor was gonna be like a “justice league villain” in an article and as someone who loves superhero and villains I knew lotor was going in to help voltron with a bigger ulterior motive and once he got it the quintessence he literally played himself because he actually had real feelings for allura but we then learn this season that he killed f the alteans hw saved to get more enriched quintessence. Do i Feel he is not dead? Nope we saw no body therefore there is a total possibility we are going to see lotor in future seasons . Do we think he get a redemption arc like zuko? Maybe there are a lot of possibilities

My thoughts on Allura and Lance :

Another character I want to talk about is Allura guys I felt for A llura for this season so much because she literally got played by lotor all allura wants to do is see her people and altea again. We know that Allura loves her people and her dad and she lost her planet to the galra since the very beginning of this show. The question I have been seeing non-stop is that do you think Allura is using Lance as a rebound ? NO NO NO Allura will never do that to Lance ,and Lance respects her too much to be a douche to her he cares about her he is protective friend ( i don’t blame him} . lance did get friendzone this season yes but he is not gonna be a douche to Allura because he got friendzone. Lance has manners and respect Allura. I love their platonic friendship in my views. If you ship them romantically I respect you

A lot of people are hating on dreamworks for pushing Lance over this season. Hello hi people who are thinking that that is how the vld staff and created story tell the characters arcs in this show. Do I want lance to be happy? hell yess. But Lance can’t just get random happiness as a writer and creator of any story you have to make characters suffer in order to make them grow in a story. I know personally think they are setting up Lance's arc for that reason .In my eyes lance and allura friendship are going to get stronger as the seasons progress.

My thoughts on Keith: FINALLY FINALLY WE GET THE ORIGIN STORY OF KEITH’S PARENTS AND HIM AHH IM SO HAPPY THANK THANK YOU DREAMWORKS. Also keith has matured so much found his mom and probably bonded with we the two years that him and his mom were on space dolphins. I think that Keith need the 2 year gap with his mom. He probably learned stuff for her and he now understands his origin. Keith becoming the black paladin he is now the leader that shiro wanted him to be reference in s2 when they were going to the BOM headquarters. Keith also got a pokemon wolf when everyone else was playing dnd space version. Keith go shiro back and his mom and he has definitely grown since season 1. His fighting scene with shiro was so heartbreaking to watch but he knew how to handle the clone and respect kuro. Shiro is Keith father figure form what we saw in the flashbacks with keith dad wearing Shiro’s outfit from season 1 -2 and their bond is so deep I love them so much. I do believe that Shiro did save Keith and I love their brotherly love I really do. You ship them relatively good for you I am not hating on the ship this is just my opinion on their bond.

My thoughts on Romelle: I love this pretty altean conspiracy theorist who literally busted lotor. I love romelle I hope we see her in future seasons.

Thought on Hunk,Pidge, and Coran : they did amazing the whole season hunk defeated galra with galran policitiscs. Pidge our wonderful pidge saved the universe.. Coran has muscles he looked amazing and did great this season.

My opinions on the 7 eps:

Ep1: Omega Shield

We meet lotors nanny. (she reminds me of space yazma from the emperor's new groove lol”

Hunk learning galra politics are schooling the galrans to stop fighting (im so proud our diplomatic boy )

Ep2 : Razor Edge (more like keith and his mom bonduing ep and I’m all for that”

I love krolia, i love we get keith’s origin about his mom and dad how they met, how she got there

Texas kogane saving keith name from being yorak (lol)

BABY KEITH

They she protected keith from the blast (ahh my heart the feels)

How keith and shiro met (finally i have been waiting since s1)

How keith acted in the garrison (poor boy he fought someone )

Keith gets a pokemon who loves and it is very valid to be (also what's it’s name yorak or keith dad’s name?)

Ep 3:Monsters and Mania

The chilliest ep for the paladins

The dnd ep is my fav. I love dnd i got all their jokes about dnd

Kuro being a literal nerd yass

Lance is an adorable dork and i love him

Pidge growing to defeat coran

Allura looking like a queen being amazing with a bow and arrow

Hunk rocks every look i love how his va tyler labine made him talk man oh and punk friendship is just beautiful

Ep 4:The colony

Romelle losing her brother over quintessence

Her not believing in lotor

The ep allura threw lotor and he deserved and it was right after they kissed

Romelle being a literal badass

Ep 5: The Black Paladins

Keith and Kuro fight was so beautiful and emotional

Keith being the black paladin and has matured so well

I loved this episode too it was amazing the animation everything the soundtrack is beautiful too

Ep: 6: All Good Things

The ep that allura dragged lotor when they were fighting between the dark voltron vs good voltron

I called that lotor was gonna make a bad voltron

Allura summing the blazing sword

Coran needs to wear more muscle tees and show of his muscles more

Ep 7: Defender of all universes

The actual ship that matters the castle of lions has to be destroyed to close off the quintessence field

And the montage yeah that gave me all the feels

SPACE DAD IS BACK

Looking amazing with white hair he is now a silver fox and he gets to rest FINALLY

Allura doing her own version of avatar state to put shiro essence into the clone body

The ending and the parallels . ALL THE PARALLELS THIS SEASON

I CAN’T WAIT FOR SEASON 7 WE GOING BACK TO EARTH

My favorite episode was ep 3 because I love dnd and everyone got to just chill and play game.

My thoughts on season 7

Road Trip season i heard it's going to be from the co executive said in a recent articles

I want keith to play dnd so badly I want him to hang out more with the paladins and be super goofy

Shiro actually seeing matt again

I want to see hunk’s and lance’s galaxy garrison stories

Lance arc might happen

What’s keith pokemon wolf name?

And his dad name?

Hagger is gonna be the new villian along with sendak

I have no idea what else is gonna happen next season but i’m already hyped for it

If you have read through this whole review thank you for reading it sorry it is full of rambles but this is just what I think of this season. I loved it. I hope you are having a nice day, night or ,afternoon and what are your thoughts on this season? Did it make it or break it for you? What do you think is gonna happen in s7 or future seasons? Please like or reblog and follow my main or my writing blog I post these IAL every sunday at 9EST. And again thank you for reading my review.

[sugarwaterradio]

Professional Athlete: Hollywood Pedophiles Are Real, Drink Adrenochrome

Boxer David Rodriguez usually fights in the band. But lately, the martial artist came out to provide his 2 cents on Hollywood pedophilia rings. Assuming you are not aware, an increasing number of is coming out that reveals there’s a major issue in Hollywood, and anywhere else. The viral documentary, Out of Shadows sheds lighting on just how bad things are actually. by Marco De Francis, visitor writer Rodriguez states he’s connections in Hollywood and will verify that there’s an enormous kid abuse issue that’s been going on for many years. Heavyweight Boxer, David Rodriguez, Says Hollywood Pedos Actually are Real And’ actually Drink Adrenochrome’ Though the great news is actually there is a sting operation trying to have it all down. And any day today, news of most of this is going to hit the presses, based on Rodriguez. Within the video below, Rodriguez directs the world what he understands. He claims that there are actually pedophile rings currently being taken down. That there are actually kids sacrifices where folks in fact drink adrenochrome. Adrenochrome is a drug produced from tortured individuals, typically kids. In case you believe that is all ridiculous bull have you noticed that?

Adrenochrome How about this adrenochrome patent. Or perhaps the one. Rumor has it, best pedophile rings as well as human trafficking facilities, pick the drug from tortured kids. Rodriguez says he understands folks in Hollywood and states it’s genuine. Perhaps Barack Obama’s brother printer hl2270dw has published about this on twitter. Malik Obama? ObamaMalik On top of all the that…THIS!? 3,045 folks are actually speaking about this But before you decide to go grab the bottle of yours of Bourbon to drown at bay the tears of yours, which happens to be a very standard reaction, you need to recognize that people that are good are actually doing a thing about it. Rodriguez says I gotta inform you, a great deal of you do not love Trump though he is doing the best thing right now. Rodriguez is not the only one that believes that.

Have you ever read of QAnon? This’s the alleged optimistic military operation which is actually taking down the full state. And frankly, after dumping through a huge number of Q posts & proofs, I feel it actually is what it promises to be. Check out this Q evidence video clip, and in case you’ve proof that disproves it, make sure you write about it with me. Since I could not disprove any kind of of it. Should we trust Rodriguez? I do not understand. He is simply speaking into the fujifilm finepix a303 in an off-the-cuff approach. Though the testimony of his may result in an investigation. Or perhaps, at the very least it must, in case you ask me. I will not theorize way too significant about what he means with all he says. But in case you put the testimony of his to the dozens of specifics, including Allison Mack’s participation for NXIVM, Harvey Weinstein’s conviction, as well as Jeffrey Epstein’s murder ahem – excuse me – suicide, next it is beginning to are like there actually is a tremendous pedophile network about high profile individuals. And based on the documentary Rodriguez speaks regarding, Out of Shadows, other officials and the CIA are definitely covering up institutional kid abuse. https://youtu.be/MY8Nfzcn1qQ Here is the video clip of Rodriguez. Below the video, is actually the entire unedited transcript. https://youtu.be/C0Ef1hHpFlM START OF TRANSCRIPT As you all know I have been engaged in boxing and becoming a pro athlete for a quite a while. And um.. I have created several connections.. I have created several effective connections with mma fighters, UFC figures, expert fighters. I have been in this arena, where I rub shoulders with several big names. You know. I have existed Tony Robbins. I have been about, you know I have absent out there with like Opera. I have gone out with a great deal of people that are big. And had.. you understand been in a position to meet a great deal of people that are big as well as talk to them like I am speaking to you all. I just need to point out one thing. And I understand a great deal of you’re doubting that. But this’s the truth, male. There’s a huge sting performance going down. It is happening, and I am telling you male These pedophile rings are now being taken down. It is ahh Hollywood ain’t awesome any longer. Hollywood is actually going down. And I still speak to the sources of mine. I still speak to folks. Which are required and Pay attention. There’s a huge operation going down. And they are And they are getting taken out. And everyday is actually confirmation to me. It is an It is a secretive thing. Though I believe it is likely to come out. They are saying it is likely to turn out on the press um when it is all said as well as done. And I think what is going to happen is actually going to truly shock a great deal of you. I mean a great deal of you’re gonna kinda comb this off & be similar to, I always knew it was there. Though I do not believe you realize just how common this pedophile rings truly are in Hollywood. And also within um In the sports activities arenas.. And in Hollywood And for political arena I mean almost everywhere male. It is awful. And It is ahh It’s man trafficking. You discover And sex trafficking is actually probably the hottest thing, probably the biggest commodity right now. And I think um Once that all is released to the surface area a great deal of you’re likely to be disgusted & and feel extremely dirty for perhaps knowing the info. Um I gotta inform you, a great deal of you do not love Trump though he is doing the best thing right now. This guy is actually uh spearheading this entire thing it is an impressive thing to watch. They are moving following the cartels with man trafficking. They are going after the kid pedophilia rings All these highways lead to Clinton Foundation as well as Haiti. They lead to I am trying not to hand out a lot of info but um Jeffrey Epstein you understand, everyone knows he did not kill himself. Um Harvey Weinstein is actually dropping substantial quantities of info. Ah There is a lot going on right this moment. And it is gon na come to the surface area. And you all are planning to see that. And you all are actually going to experience something happen that is just absolutely amazing. We have to protect the children of ours, male. We are just You know Corey Haim is actually approaching available with documentaries. These individuals are wanting to leak info. Though it is all likely to come out at the proper time. And ah like I stated Hollywood is actually going down. It is fucking going down! It is sinking as the Titanic. And they are all attempting to bail themselves out there. And they are all attempting to jump ship. And several of probably the biggest celebrities that you understand were involved with this specific shit. And I am not going to disclose any names But um I’ve friends that are I am gonna just say it I am not bragging or maybe anything that way. Though I’ve friend are actually A list celebrities that are actually people that are good and they shed a number of names to me I was as whoa! I can’t think that. I mean I cannot You think You cannot realize that you will find kids sacrifices where folks in fact drink adrenochrome. Where they terrify the kid very much And this’s tough to swallow This’s difficult to even grasp though it is a real ancient ritual to terrify primarily kids, because they are a lot more clean, they are adrenal glands are more clean terrorize them to the stage where they are very afraid and they are pumping out very much adrenaline and they are and so terrified. And you eventually eliminate them and you consume the blood of theirs and it as the supreme aphrodisiac, it is as the water fountain of youth. It rebuilds collagen. And it And it ahh.. does many sorts of ahh enhancements because of the body. It is a sick. It is a sick, sick, sick, ill, ritual ceremonies. And today they bottle it up as well as promote it within the vials. And folks purchase that shit. It is a drug. And in case you see You know I have looked at before and subsequent to pics of several of these celebrities that were on adrenochrome, allegedly, and next off and it looks as they aged 20 to 30 years in a question of a month. This shits real. And I do not care whether ya’ll telephone call me looney, a conspiracy theorist. I am not. I understand others in that company that that ahh are actually verifying to me what I realize. And this’s an operation moving down. And I cannot wait to notice these dominos fall male these parts of shit get removed, trigger it is time. And I feel I actually do think, on a religious level, it is a question of a mass awakening taking place at this time. I think our earth is actually going through a worldwide shift of consciousness to the place we’re all waking up and discovering the simple fact of what what actually is this matrix what’s actually going on in this particular truth. And I believe that um that we are likely to haver to cope with a great deal of great and a great deal a large amount of ugly. And bring about you gotta have both. You gotta understand the dark side as well as the good side. And I think the deep side is actually likely to reveal itself. And you all are actually likely to be extremely very um bothered by that. And disgusted. I mean, in case are actually In case you’ve some sort of effective grain left in you or perhaps some great of a morality, you are gonna be disgusted with everything you see. Ahh You know I am sitting back patiently with this particular quarantine kinda knowing this info kinda like, impress this shit is actually going down. I everyone knows the economy isn’t going to actually be the exact same. I do not understand what is going to take place there. There’ s rumors serotonin to a gold backed dollar. And eliminating the Fed. I cannot I cannot validate any of this Though I can I feel comfortable enough I do understand the pedophile rings are actually going down. And we’ve ships in the Caribbean at this time intercepting medications. Trump has sent large battleships out they are fighting the cartels. I mean This’s going down. Now I believe that the virus was a worldwide episode by way of a it would have been a bioweapon. I do think that. I believe the virus does are available but never to the level they say it’s. I think Fucking everybody is actually dying of this coronavirus but wig ahh.. breaking down of various other ailments and then they are thinking it is the coronavirus. I do not realize I am skeptipal skeptical about everything that. Though I do know Hollywood is actually going down today. And I just needed to say the little piece of mine. There’s a silver lining within this within this particular quarantine and in this particular lockdown. And I feel all of us simply have to be patient to find out what surfaces. And it’s going to um There’s a documentary online which came out that a good friend sent me called From the Shadows It is possibly in the shadows of from shadows. But I’ve to check out. I believe it is out the shadows. And it is on YouTube I ahh.. I will check it out. Um it is actually good. Goes in level about this material. And um You are gonna to simply find out how disturbing and just how ill these fucking individuals are actually. Um Ahh You learn Sigh You understand, right now everybody just stay diligent. You know Keep your sessions simple. It is an exciting moment to be alive in the opinion of mine. I believe this’s an extremely exciting moment to be alive. Though I think a great deal of earth shattering breakthroughs are actually likely to be occurring. You know I believe the path where going is actually like for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. And I believe we are going to begin coming into a great deal of ahh ahh preventive medication, remedies organic ahh You know treatments as well as um remedies for diseases. And I believe we are going to have a lot of breakthroughs today is such an exciting moment to be alive. So that is the positive note of mine on it. And I believe many of us have to um pay attention.. you understand I am learning how you can mediate now. I am praying each day. I am staring to you realize I never ever used to do that within boxing. I was constantly go go go go go locomotive locomotive train locomotive battle strong guy. And now Im beginning to sit just and back you know as enjoy the view as look at the perspective You know like That is all of Mexico above there. All of Mexico. All right there. I am simply enjoying going out edge. I am enjoying being with the family of mine. I am truly keeping it simple. And simply quite ahh down to earth male Though I am telling you what is happening today is a really very exciting time. So pay attention. Keep the ears of yours to the ground. And understand that things that are big are happening. And I am I am convinced on that. Um yeah what it is in no way going to be the exact same. I think the same as when the web came out it altered humanity. It altered consciousness for you understand humanity’s consciousness. It was a change the internet. There is pre internet and then there is each technology was moving somewhat.. it had been moving slower all through time, for a huge number of years. But as soon as the web struck boom, it was as an explosion of technological breakthroughs and information and ingenuity and inventiveness, directly after the web. I believe that was a change in the planet, right. I was a change a change in consciousness. I believe the exact same thing is taking place today with this worldwide shutdown um the economy actually being wrecked. I believe it is going to permanently shift the consciousness of ours. And we are moving into a more religious way of being in case you chose the route in case you chose the route. And I believe it is really important that um we concentrate on the great things. We we go inside. And um actually pay attention to ourselves as well as what we really want in daily life and be a lot more innovative. Anyway that is my 2 cents. Thank you just about all for tuning wearing. Um I just needed to provide my 2 cents, that is it. Thank you all. You’ve a great day. I am hoping you love the day. Go for a stroll. Go for an operate. Um Looking at all of the folks asking questions I cannot read lead to the sun’s in the face of mine a little bit. But yeah it is a paradigm change, Sonya. It is a paradigm shift. And so huge things happening. And I feel we simply gotta be patient.

https://www.music-realestate.com/quick-radio-play/ Read the full article

[evanvanness]

Week in Ethereum News, Dec 15, 2019 annotated edition

Full Week in Ethereum News for Dec 15.  This is the annotated edition: 

Eth1

Latest core devs call. Notes. Lots of EIP1559 (fee market change) discussion now that it has been implemented. Decided to go forward with EIP2384 for Muir Glacier, anyone can propose changes afterwards. Also lots of talk about 1962 precompile calls.

Update your clients for the Muir Glacier fork in early January. Geth, Nethermind, Besu all are ready. Parity, Aleth are coming.

Piper Merriam on the 4 steps to an eth1 stateless client network

Background on eth1 very long-term sustainability problems and options

Annotations: EIP1559 is a big deal.  It locks ETH in as part of the protocol and eliminates the possibility of economic abstraction [economic abstraction was heavily discussed in 2016 and if I recall correctly was pushed by Gavin] which would destroy ETH’s value.  If ETH had no value, then the amount of things that Ethereum can do drops by magnitudes.  We’ll have EIP1559 in eth2, and we may be getting it sooner rather than later in eth1.  While I have some reservations (ie, really cheap transactions will go away), on balance it is a good idea.   

The Muir Glacier fork is also coming.  I’ve noticed quite a bit of pushback in the community about how the difficulty increase (sometimes called the “Ice Age” or “The Bomb”) is being pushed back 4 years with no reduction in issuance.  Personally I think we are overpaying for security, but any issuance reduction should be mild (in fact, I had a proposal to do so in exchange for progpow and funding public goods!) and based on sound analysis, not “yeah, it’s December (which tends to be a bad month in capital markets) and the price is down so....wah.”  4 years is also too long in my opinion, but the conspiracy theorists seem to forget that the actual pull request came from Eric Conner, known as one of the main proponents of #ETHismoney, among other things.  They should do their own pull request if they want a different parameter.

Meanwhile, Piper’s post on what is engineering and what is research on the way to an eth1 network of stateless clients is definitely a mustread.   The idea of keeping eth1 around for years is a worthy insurance policy in case there any implementation hiccups in phase 2, though I don’t anticipate we will need to keep eth1 around so long.

Eth2

Lighthouse public testnet, v0.1, the “first with a mainnet configuration”

phase 0 spec v0.9.3

Notes from the last light client call

Undertanding eth2 staking deposits

Aditya Asgaonkar explores cross shard communication

Editorial note: ignore any fake news about launch date changing.

Annotations: The launch date isn’t changing, despite Justin’s love for crypto launch anniversaries.  It’s still scheduled for q1, though I don’t expect it until late in q1.  Of course, this is a software deadline and we’re still 3.5 months out, so it could slip, but I remain optimistic.

Lighthouse, among others, has done an amazing amount of work, and they launched their Rust client this week.  I haven’t run it yet,

Meanwhile, Jim Mcdonald is doing a centralized Eth2 staking service and has had some good content marketing lately - this one on understanding the deposits, as well as the recent one on understanding effective balance.  Others should up their game!

Layer2

Celer light client SDK, runs in the browser

Annotations: Celer continues to work.  Otherwise a layer2 light week, obviously.

Stuff for developers

Solidity v0.5.14, defaults to Istanbul, SMT/ewasm updates

Remix IDE v0.9.2

Ethcode v0.8, now supports Vyper. available in VScode

Deep dive into eip1167 minimal proxy contract

0age: the more minimal proxy

Automated deploy to ENS and IPFS

Steve Marx: destroying the indestructible registry

Blocknative’s onboard.js to easily support many wallets

Runtime Verification: K vs Coq as language verification frameworks

Annotations: Interesting to see the posts written about minimal proxy contracts lately.  Not sure what has prompted that.  I probably should have noted in this section that the Remix update included a Quorum plugin, though I noted that below.

Ecosystem

Can Ethereum rollups beat Visa’s 2000 transactions per second? Iden3’s analysis of post-Istanbul Ethereum throughput limits with rollup.

How Infura manages nodes with VIPnode

Parity’s update on grant progress: 75% of grant paid based on milestones

Networking: Waku spec v0.2 and Whiteblock’s no tag back gossiping

Annotations: You like how I faked you out with Betteridge’s Law of Headlines?  (Betteridge’s Law: the answer to any question in a title is no.) But the answer is yes.   Rollup chains aren’t live yet, but they will be in 2020.  And they’re a sort of half layer 1, half layer 2 arrangement, though I often put them in layer 2 in the newsletter.  That’s because data goes onchain (ie, on eth1, ie on layer 1) but there’s a rollup chain that does all the transaction execution off chain.   ZK rollups provide validity proofs that the transactions are correct.  Optimistic rollup provides crypto economic validity that the transactions are correct - that is, if anyone submits an improper transaction, you slash their bond and take their money for cheating.

 Parity’s update was apparently the shot before today’s post saying that they’re quitting Ethereum. Disappointing but not surprising, that they are going to work on their in-house Polkadot product instead.  If we’re being honest: their client has been in mainenance mode already.

Networking: I'm excited to see Dean and Oskar do great work making Whisper into more than something that is barely a proof of concept, so this should be a good thing for Ethereum.

Enterprise

Nike files a patent application for tokenized shoes on Ethereum and breeding them, a la Cryptokitties

BancoSantander repurchased and cancelled the bond mainnet, of September 10th, 2019 issuance date. “This unequivocally proves that a debt security can be managed through its full lifecycle on a blockchain”

“Seize the day: public blockchain is on the horizon” Forrester/EY enterprise survey says 75% will use public chains (read: Ethereum) in the future

Paul Brody op-ed: If you build a blockchain, will anyone come? “Public blockchains like Ethereum offer a better choice for enterprise users”

Quorum plugin for Remix

Hyperledger Besu v1.3.7 – critical fix for mainnet users, muir glacier compatible

Annotations: Enterprise sure looks like an Ethereum moat, doesn’t it?  As I tweeted out today, EY’s Paul Brody said on Reddit something I 100% agree with.  “there is much more headroom in 1.x than most people think. I just gave an internal talk this morning about how so many people misunderstand scalability and that most of that talk about Eth is just fear mongering by the private blockchain crowd.”  

Nike’s patent application is written to be purposely ambiguous as to whether it is blockchain agnostic (it’s a patent application, the whole point is to reserve the right to sue someone!) but also leaves little doubt that it’s on Ethereum right now.

And of course, BancoSantander continues to drive mainnet use forward.  Innovators in this space for years now.

Governance and standards

Extending MolochDAO’s features: TheLAO, Moloch and MetaCartel to standardize for venture-style investments and accommodation of security token standard

Maker’s governance security module puts a 24 hour delay on all governance decisions. This was in response to Micah Zoltu’s “how to turn 20m into 340m in 15 seconds.” The 0 delay was explicitly a tradeoff as MCD launched to ensure that Maker could respond nimbly to any problems.

Vocdoni: an app for anonymous, onchain voting

Annotations:  Keep an eye on Vocdoni.  It’s built by Catalans, and while they haven’t talked about it much, it seems clear they’re building tools that they wish to use in their own quest for the right to self-determination.

It’ll be interesting to see if the governance security module passes or not.  At the moment, it has not, because after Micah’s article, a bunch of people voted their MKR in favor of the status quo (to up the amount needed to execute Micah’s attack).  I imagine it will, but I believe there are many within the ranks of Maker holders who believe that the 0 delay is still a good idea.

Application layer

Sablier is live on mainnet, continuous streaming money

Synthetix inflation changed to exponential decay in the inflation rate with a 2.5% terminal rate

Set Protocol integrates Compound’s cTokens so sets earn interest

RealT’s first property sells out

Undercollateralized lending as next DeFi trend?

Kong.cash releases their whitepaper. As seen at Devcon, Kong is physical crypto cash

Annotations: Sablier is such an interesting primitive.  Stream money by the second to someone.  Imagine paying your rent or payroll or salary that way.  

Synthetix keeps moving, you have to admire their pace of execution.  They seem to be considering adding ETH as collateral in their system, which makes it much more interesting to me - though all crypto is pretty correlated these days.

Kong is super cool.  I am definitely keeping a hold of my KONG from devcon.  Just be careful not to fold it, as I hear that can break the circuits.  

Set keeps shipping interesting stuff.  Love the idea of a trading Strat that either holds ETH or puts it into cDAI/cUSD.   And undercollateralized lending seems like something that will happen, whether it be Union or Trustlines or one of the other ideas.  I’m also quite pumped about RealT, it just sucks that they can’t offer it more seamlessly.  If they could, I think the demand would be high. 

Tokens / Business / Regulation

SEC charges fraudulent ICO

Saga goes live on mainnet with an algorithmic version of the IMF’s SDR

ING is planning to get into crypto custody

ConsenSys Activate’s standards for token launches

Annotations: Nobel winner Myron Scholes advises Saga.  That’s just such a clickbait title that I refuse to use it.  I’m also quite skeptical that anyone wants SDRs.  I got much more bullish when they switched from SDRs to USD.  

ING getting into crypto custody.  Fidelity made some noise about supporting ETH too.  Even in cryptowinter, this stuff looks like it is here to stay.

General

Speeding up verification of groth16 batches

Simple explanation of circuits and zero knowledge proofs

A comprehensive primer on recursive SNARKs

“design a circuit construction protocol (such as used in TOR) that is 1) non-interactive, 2) immediate forward-secret, and 3) requires only O(n) message exchanges”

Filecoin launches testnet

Using reinforcement learning to model selfish mining incentives

Will quantum supremacy affect blockchain?

Annotations: Filecoin launches a Testnet. Oddly, I have yet to hear from anyone who has tried it.  

Lots of crypto stuff.  I’m not a cryptographer, so I sometimes feel a bit lost and should probably spend more time in the crypto books.  I like the explanations, it’s great to see that blockchains have really given zero knowledge in particular a boost.   ZK stuff is the future of this industry.

[emperorren]

some thoughts by a long term multifandom-dwelling, meta-enthusiast shipper who has been countless times baited, disappointed, lied to, and kicked in the face by writers and showrunners backpedaling and boycotting their own narrative, taking impossibly stupid decisions, and being overall dumb as fuck:

“canon” is a non-entity. or at the very least a fluctuating notion, especially in the case of huge franchises (think of m*rvel). canon is incessantly rewritten, challenged, distorted, contradicted by new material. think of the ha n-leia romance, how it was a happily ever after at the end of the original trilogy. think of it now. there are old fans who utterly rejected the new trilogy as something essentially extraneous to the star wars story; for them, han and leia are still living their HEA, han is still alive, ben solo was never born, and nothing bad happened. This remains true for them as long as they ignore the new material, whose canon validity is disputable, if you’re a “purist”. These characters aren’t real, they are the product of someone’s imagination, and literally the only thing that separates your canon from THE canon is that the latter is imagined by someone who happens to be in charge of the commercial version of story. When none of this is real, several things can be true at the same time.

i’ve come to terms with the fact that shipping as we intend it doesn’t operate on the same level of mainstream storytelling. Mainstream storytelling is usually black/white and pretty straightforward; shipping exists in the margins and between the lines. For most mainstream writers, “romance” has a very narrow meaning. Very specific stuff has to happen to create “romance” (kisses, sex, googly eyes. “I love you” “I know”). Shipping doesn’t need those things. The shipper gaze is inherently transformative. The real essence of shipping is taking things that aren’t intended to be romantic, and RUNNING WITH IT, changing them, developing them, making them romantic in a way that the wider audience wouldn’t understand, or wouldn’t have the patience to follow in depth.

this is why we saw things as the interrogation and the duel and our brain wheels were immediately set in motion to come up with a million exciting scenarios. If we had seen a romance unequivocally blossoming between these characters, most of us (me included) wouldn’t be so drawn to this pairing.

some of us don’t even like mainstream romance. When people are like “huh, why do you ship this crack pairing instead of the canon one?”, well, this is the reason. Some of us feel a sort of disconnection from standard romantic narratives (and that’s because they are usually written by straight, cis, male writers, and designed to appeal to a generic and primarily straight, cis, male fanbase with little imagination. star wars, I’m afraid, makes no exception.)

because of the above, and because the perception of what qualifies as romantic is deeply subjective, it makes even less sense to talk about “canon romance”. 

I can see two characters holding each other’s gaze for 10 seconds as more romantic than two characters having a long make out session. I can hear a “forgive me, rey” uttered in a mouthful of blood at the end of ix and read it as more romantic than a kiss. Get what I mean?

Lots of us, however, care for those kisses and for an explicit validation. It’s okay, of course. It’s completely okay and natural to want that to happen.

but, again, experience has taught me not to pin all my hopes on THAT. Thing is, the canon story isn’t under our control. It just isn’t. It’s in the hands of a bunch of professional writers we don’t know personally, who do this as a job, who might or might not be emotionally invested in the story they’re telling, who’ll move on new projects as soon as they wrap up this one, and who - i repeat - approach this stuff with a professional attitude (whether they’re good at it or not, it’s another issue), not an emotional one.

what is under our control is how we handle our fandom experience. The ship is ours, and we make what we want with it. Fanart, fanfiction, meta, headcanons. They gave us the basic bricks, we create the building. None of this is less valid than what happens in Rian Johnson’s or Colin Trevorrow’s head. They just happen to have a higher budget. At the end of the day, though, they’re creating a huge toy machine that we’re going to use as we like. 

the biggest ships EVER, the real fandom behemoths, are usually the ships that “never happened”. Why? because no male writer ruined them because their stories were not completed, and it’s a natural human instinct to want to complete a story. Which means fandom tends to gravitate, by default, towards those pairings that weren’t given closure, or were treated unfairly, or had a lot of sexual tension but no resolution in canon.  

I see a lot of (understandable) anxiety over what I’ll call “the j*hnlock fiasco* and LET ME TELL YOU ONE THING:

YES, the TJLC turned out to be a bunch of crap, but in the end, who ended up living in the same house, taking care of a child, and being FOREVER BROS? As someone who witnessed the whole thing from the sidelines, with no dog in this fight, I have zero doubt that Sh*rlock/Watson is, has always been, and was confirmed to be the central relationship of that show, and of that verse in general. The conspiracy theorists fooled themselves (and caused a lot of harm to both their followers, and those who disagreed), because they made it unnecessarily complicated, and pinned their whole understanding of “canon” on something very specific that they were repeatedly told wouldn’t happen. but regular shippers? I know a couple, and they were satisfied with what they got. (frankly, I loved the ending of Sh*rlock, because it left things open for EVERY shipper. I would LOVE for SW to pull a number like that. I wouldn’t feel cheated, at all.)

meta is great. as i said, I’m a meta enthusiast. But please remember that even the greatest meta is nothing but an attempt to make sense of things that remain largely outside of our purview, with limited information, no access to what is in the making, and no confirmation that the writers are actually as competent as said meta needs them to be. Enjoy the speculation. Don’t marry yourself to one. Be a speculation whore. No commitment, no regrets. Worst case scenario, it’ll be excellent fanfiction fodder. 

none of this is an admission that *re/ylo won’t happen in canon* or an encouragement to stop believing it will. This is simply my attitude towards shipping IN GENERAL, and—after countless disappointments—I though it might be helpful for others, too.

remember: 

in december, we’ll see these assholes battling AGAIN, and being intense again, and we’ll be obsessing over inane details and speculating and dissecting microexpressions and shit EXACTLY LIKE WE’VE BEEN DOING SO FAR.

sure, a lot of these things we obsess over might be completely accidental (it’s always good to keep it in mind)—but that’s part of the fun, in fact, it’s the WHOLE POINT OF SHIPPING.

TO CLARIFY:

(because I’ve seen some bizarre interpretations of this post)

while the shipping fanbase might be predominantly female and/or queer, this isn’t a rule. Contrary to what some media outlets and popular forums believe, SHIPPING ISN’T A GENDERED ACTIVITY, and I, for one, am ENDLESSLY PISSED AND FRUSTRATED at the constant, blatant misogyny and gatekeeping with which shipping and fanfiction are treated in mainstream fandom circles. The shipping fanbase is an extremely diverse group, composed by anyone with a more transformative approach to fandom (which isn’t in an either/or relationship with the curative approach, mind), anyone who, for whatever reason, might feel dissatisfied with or underrepresented by mainstream narratives, especially the very simplistic ones we normally see in blockbusters. At no point this post wants to reinforce sexist assumptions about shipping and fanfiction as inherently *female*. 

what I’m also NOT saying, is that we should just passively accept this divide between what we WANT to see and what mainstream fiction gives  us; that we should just suck it up and stay in our lane. No, fam, I’m just presenting the way things (I think) are in blockbuster fiction, and saying that SW is (probably) no different in that respect. But we should definitely fight to change this status quo, and make demands for more diverse, inclusive, non-standardized romantic narratives.

[uwcvoices]

Interesting Thoughts 2: It May Be Too Late

1. Take a step back and try to think about the big movements in life that affect you. Not the day to day minutia, like where you go to eat and about how some guy stared at you on the subway, but instead things like, “What is the function of the building I’m currently in? Who built this building? How much money did it cost? Where did these people get this money from?” Weird, complicated things like that. Those are the important things. That’s how you become a high flyer.

2. It is the year 2200 and the planet Earth is finally being destroyed. Luckily, two separate alien races have been kind enough to take some humans in to each of their home planets. The two planets differ in only one aspect: the populations. Planet A is inhabited by Agorrans, blue human like aliens that have a crime rate of 0.1% (1 alien per 10000 aliens commits a crime). Planet B is inhabited by Zippys, green human like aliens who have a crime rate of 5%. Which planet do you pick, and more importantly, are you a racist? Also, are you a bad person?

3, Whenever you hear of these great people who start these massively successful non­profits, or social justice movements, or create a master piece of art, half the time this event is always triggered by something, like the death of a relative or friend. My question is, we know there are horrible things happening around the world. Just look up “ongoing conflict 2017 wikipedia”. Look up “Chinese housing bubble”. Go on liveleak.com. Horrible things are happening/will happen soon, 1000% sure. Why does something have to happen close to us in order to trigger action? (I’m also partially asking myself this). Why do we get sad when one person dies near us, but not sad when one thousand die elsewhere? Is sadness a function of distance?

4. People like to make fun of conspiracy theorists but in my opinion it’s a low hanging fruit. Many of the major wars the US has been in were the result of a big lie – such as the Gulf of Tonkin (a US false flag) which triggered the Vietnam War, the WMDs in Iraq (were never there), the sinking of the Lusitania (which was carrying large amounts of munitions, and wasn’t just a civilian transport ship) which caused the US to fight in WWI, and which laid the roots for WWII. It is common knowledge the CIA fed thousands of people LSD and who knows what else (they destroyed the rest of the evidence of MKULTRA), the NSA, if they really want to, can find out the location of 99% of US citizens at any time if they want to thanks to your Handy Dandy Personal Tracking Device TM , you can’t even remove the battery from your Iphone if you wanted to, and, if the US had nuclear subs in the 50s, what in the world do you think we have after 67 years of pouring half our government funds into military research and development? At this point, if you aren’t on Tails Linux using Tor and using a gutted Blackberry (Just like Obama), you ain’t free. Say hey, NSA.

5. Where does money come from? They print US dollars at those mints in Colorado, right? Well, if you thought that, you’re only 5% right. 5% of our money is printed. The other 95% is created by banks when they give out loans, so really, money is debt. The more debt there is, the more money there is. This presents certain problems. Say all of the money in the world is represented by 1 dollar, and there are only 2 people on Earth. You have this 1 dollar, and you loan it to the second person for 10% interest. He returns the dollar to you on the second day, but he still owes you 10% interest. Where in the world does he find this 10% from if there is no money left in the world except for what you have? Surprise, that is how the real world works. We are taking money from the future to spend in the present. Number two: Economists usually say that 3% growth is needed annually for countries to function normally. But really, 3% growth this year is much larger than 3% growth last year; the economy relies on exponential growth in order to function normally. Is that normal? Does that make sense? Can’t a country just maintain itself? The answer to all of those questions is No. The system is perpetually running away from the next Big Crash. Big Crashes that leave millions Unemployed TM  and Starving TM . So, Get Out While You Still Can TM. If you’re interested in learning more about this, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nBPN­ MKefA&list=PLmpODdsfprYH4Fhsso8PVPQBNxVDQSgb_

6. http://www.valuewalk.com/wp­content/uploads/2016/08/Inflation­Things­You­Need­vs­Things­You­Want.png

Look at this graph. Just look at it and think a little bit. Actually, think a lot. Think really, really hard. Because chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re paying over $30,000 for a college education. That’s all I’m going to say. I’ll leave this one to you. If you need a little help, go on khanacademy.com and look at the stuff they teach you there for free vs. the stuff you learn that you pay for in college. OK I’ll go away for real now.

7. I think that’s pretty much it for this piece. Now, you may be asking, “OK, Smithe. I read your bullshit, racist tripe. Now what do I get out of it? Why should I ever read another one of your dumbass looney posts again?” That’s an interesting, and valid question…if you recall from the last interesting thoughts post, I said this: “Two years ago about 1 Bitcoin cost $205. Now it costs around $1000. If you aren’t interested in such topics, MAKE YOURSELF INTERESTED.” Well, if you had followed my advice, or even asked me what the hell Bitcoin is, (I’m free to talk!) I probably would have introduced you to the world of investing in cryptocurrencies, which I joined right after making that post. So far, through investing (and I’m just a noob, I didn’t know shit about investing before I started), I’ve more than doubled my money over the course of about 4 months, and it wasn’t just a couple of pennies I made either. For comparison, a good investment on the stock market is making 15% over the course of a year. And, because you guys probably go to expensive schools, you probably have some money to throw around. Why not skip buying the next expensive meal at some sushi place (that you probably won’t enjoy that much anyway) and throw it into investment every now and then? Even if you’re cautious, like I was, you could still end up making a couple hundred bucks over the course of a few months. So, to wrap up, not only is this publication valuable to read because I have good ideas, but there is also now a FINANCIAL incentive to reading it.  When’s the last time you got paid to read a Buzzfeed article, huh? Also, just a disclaimer, I’m speaking to you as a friend here, not a financial advisor. It’s possible you could lose money, and all decisions you make are your own. Also, the market is very volatile as of late so I would recommend only entering in if you get a good deal.

~~~~ If you found this publication extremely interesting, google the TV show “World Peace” by Million Dollar Extreme, from which I draw heavy inspiration, and watch an episode or two. If you didn’t find this publication interesting, well…my friend, It May Be Too Late TM .

—

John Smithe Alumni

[oswald-hanciles-posts]

THE OSWALD HANCILES COLUMN (July 25th 2019 edition)

PONDER MY THOUGHTS BY Andrew KeiliPRES. BIO: “THE REPORTS OF MY DEATH ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED.” Who wants our President dead? Well, President Bio should not be unduly worried as he is in good company as we learn later in this article. The fact is that conspiracy theorists also abound.I, more than most people acknowledge that conspiracy theorists are in our midst. One of my uncles in my village of Baiima prevailed on my dad to open a shop for him. Unfortunately, he got his two rascally sons to run the shop, which obviously ran at a loss as things kept disappearing. He was made to believe by his sons that his neighbor across the road, another relative had “Indian magic” and made things disappear from the shop with a wave of the hand. This was the story line he had for us when we visited on holidays. The neighbour had one ear clipped off during an altercation with someone on the train, who chewed off one of his ears and the half ear was very noticeable. My uncle was explaining this “Indian magic” phenomenon to me on one occasion when the neighbour popped up in his front verandah in his “bobani”, yawned and stretched his arms up-obviously out of tiredness. “You see what I was telling you, Karmoh”, my uncle exclaimed. What?, I asked. He hid behind the door, peeped through a small door opening and touched his ear as if he was going to clip it- obviously calling my attention to the neighbor with the clipped ear. “Shhhh-He is signaling again. More things are going to disappear soon”, he tried to convince me. No matter what my protestations were, he kept insisting the neighbour had “Indian magic”. The poor neighbour did not even notice he had such powers! The sons emptied the shop in no time and that was the end of the business!The way some people try to convince others that the President is sick is worrisome. It has been going on for quite a while and more recently the rumour has got translated to death. There was a time when the rumour mill was rife with talk that President Kabbah had died when he was in office. President Koroma also endured “many sicknesses” and “near deaths”. But why do people wish our leaders dead? Why the false news and exaggeration? In May 1897, the great American humorist, novelist and social critic Mark Twain was in London. It was one of the stops on a round-the-world speaking tour he’d embarked on in 1895. He hoped to use the fees from speaking engagements to pay off the considerable debts he owed in the United States, due to a series of unsuccessful investments and publishing ventures. While Twain was in London, someone started a rumor that he was gravely ill. It was followed by a rumour that he had died. According to a widely repeated legend, one major American newspaper actually printed his obituary and, when Twain was told about this by a reporter, he quipped: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”   The story is also told of Northeastern University political economy professor Barry Bluestone who found himself quickly eating his words after publicly wishing death on President Trump. During a lecture about the rule of law and inequality in the U.S., Bluestone told his students, “Sometimes I want to just see him impeached. Other times, quite honestly — I hope there are no FBI agents here — I wouldn’t mind seeing him dead." The video was posted on YouTube, causing controversy for the private Massachusetts-based university. Northeastern quickly issued a statement to the Boston Globe condemning the video. “The university and its leaders steadfastly oppose violence in all its forms,” the statement read. ……As a result, we have decided to take down the video of this event.” Realizing that the university didn’t back him and that his 17-year career at the school may be at risk, Bluestone attempted to conduct some quick damage control, calling his comments “stupid”. "What I should have said is, ‘I would love to see him disappear, I’d like him out of the White House,’” Poland's leading Archbishop deplored comments by a senior conservative priest who had wished Pope Francis a quick death if he does not open to "wisdom." Krakow Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski said he heard about the comments with "great pain and regret". In his speech, Staniek, who is a prominent theologian, said he was praying for wisdom for Francis and a "heart open to the Holy Spirit, and if he does not do that, for a quick passage to the House of the Father," meaning death. He said that Francis has departed from the teaching of Jesus and was wrongly interpreting mercy as opening up to Muslims and allowing communion for divorced Catholics, who, according to the church, live in mortal sin and are not allowed communion. Nigeria has had its share of Presidential deaths and “exaggerated deaths”. From the reality of death for Sani Abacha and Yar’Adua to the constant rumours about President Buhari, the rumour mill has always churned. In the case of Abacha, one columnist quipped “Till now, we cannot tell with confirmed certainty if it was liver cirrhosis that killed Abacha or the mysterious “Indian escorts.” In Buhari’s case the President’s spokesmen constantly talked about his  “annual vacation” and “medical trip” to the United Kingdom. As rumours swirled about the President’s death, one supporter wrote: “Those who want the President dead are malevolent souls who are still sore Buhari defeated their candidate in the 2015 election”.Let’s come back to our own President. Seriously, why would anyone want our President dead? Rumours have swirled a while about him not being well, only to find out that he robustly copes with his punishing schedule. It would seem this time the rumour went from sickness to death. The situation was not helped by the President’s spokesmen keeping mute on his whereabouts. Rumours were rife that he was in a hospital in London.  When nobody could trace our President, the Deputy High Commissioner in the UK muddied the waters, lending credence to the maxim “silence is golden”. No doubt the Press release was puerile and further raised suspicions.The Release started with- “This is to inform all that our President Julius Maada Bio is very Well and Hearty.  He is only relaxing and enjoying a little break from his very hectic schedule in London.”. She might as well have said “Our President is chilling!”  It continued- “VP The Honourable Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh is holding the fort and he knows that the President is very well and fit and that there is nothing to worry about.”. Why for goodness sake was the VP brought into the equation? “There is nothing to worry about” reminds one of the Krio statement attributed to a thief -“Una lef me, a nor go run away”.  Suspicions were further raised. Then the press release went for the jugular of detractors- “It is unfortunate that some people are still bent on spreading lies. It is unfortunate that the rumour is said to come from the High Commission. I can authoritatively state that it just a figment of someone’s imagination and nothing else.” Come to think of it, Governor Clarkson’s prayer could have come in handy here! Non-government commentators like Dr Sylvia Blyden seemed to tell us more about the President’s whereabouts in Kenya-with pictures and all, than any government spokesperson. Anyway, all is well that ends well. Someone said, “Being a good Catholic, he resurrected from the dead three days later in Kenya”. We were all pleased that our President was vacationing with his family in Kenya and even had time to discuss ways of promoting tourism and boosting trade between Kenya and Sierra Leone with the Kenyan President.The President’s media team has not covered itself on this issue with glory. There is nothing wrong for the President and family to go on vacation, especially with his recent punishing schedule of local and international travels. Many others have also legitimately questioned his spate of overseas visits with a coterie of government functionaries to a host of countries and wondered about the costs and benefits to the nation. This is always fair comment that  his spokesmen have an obligation to address. A President is not judged by the number of trips he makes to foreign countries. There are legitimate questions to be asked-“Does he bring home the bacon?. “Is he running to stay in the same place?”. When there is a news blackout, the rumour mill takes over. Such rumour mongering may be a response to the failures of the government to properly communicate with people. When people cannot get reliable official information, they make up their realities and hawk them around until they acquire some truth value.One Nigerian columnist writing on such an issue opined: “Until our leaders learn to preempt rumours by making their health conditions public information, they will expend themselves putting out fires. In the post-truth world, rumours and fact-free truths travel the world without a visa and debunking them, unfortunately, sometimes assert their validity.”I wonder the point of rejoicing at someone’s death when none of us is beyond mortality. Death is one of life’s many realities. We must instead pray for our leaders. Nowhere is prayer more needed than for the leaders of our government and nation. Whether your prayer is for the President, Parliament or the Judges of our land, they need prayer support. Even our Policemen!No matter who is leading our country as President, we offer our prayers on behalf of his/her position. I rather like this prayer I have edited for our President after all this death wish. “Almighty God, thank You for our President who has pledged his life in service to our country. Give him a true servant spirit. Anoint him with the Holy Spirit’s power, that he might feel Your strength in every situation. Let integrity and honesty guide every decision as He first looks to You for divine help. Turn his heart from distractions and temptations that could bring harm rather than help to his life, his family, and to the people he serves. Make him a leader in every respect, morally and spiritually strong. Enlighten his mind with discernment, wisdom, and fairness. When others tempt him to embrace arrogant power rather than humble service, give him an undivided heart. Help him to stand firm, knowing that You will fight his battles with him. As You surround him with godly counselors, give him accountability to them and the people he serves, but first and foremost to You. Bless him with joy when righteousness and goodness prevail. But give him a heart that weeps for the injustices and sorrows around him. Guard our President against unfair criticism and unfounded accusations. When he stumbles, give him the courage to admit his mistakes. Strengthen his character, guard him against hurtful compromise, and give him a listening ear for the people he serves. In danger, surround him and our country with Your angel protection. From the time he begins in office until his time is complete, may he serve you and our country as a true leader with an undying love, an unswerving faith, and an unending hope in the only One who can make our country great.Amen” The death of our President is greatly exaggerated. Let us pray for him that he may lead us with discernment, wisdom and fairness. Ponder my thoughts lled from SLAVE SHIP-FREEDOM SHIP Group 1 forum ☝🏾Posted by Engineer Andrew Keili in SLAVE SHIP-FREEDOM SHIP Group 3 forum. (Engineer Andrew Keili has over 20 years as a mining engineer in the diamond and titanium industries in Sierra Leone.  After the RUF rebels attacked the Sierra Rutile mining where he was working in 1996, Andrew Keili joined two other veteran  mining engineers  - Alex Kamara; and Tani Pratt  - to establish the engineering consultancy, CEMMATS. CEMMATS has grown up to be incomparably successful in Sierra Leone; clinching engineering contracts in African and Asian countries; providing employment for hundreds of Sierra Leoneans over the past twenty years.   Andrew Keili was an aspirant for the SLPP candidacy a couple of years ago. He failed there!Andrew Keili was Vice Presidential candidate to the candidacy of Kande Yumkella of the NGC in the 2018 presidential election.  He failed there!!Methinks, Engineer Andrew Keili should just eschew politics and stick to writing where his talent obviously shines. I pause, Oswald Hanciles, The Guru.  July 25, 2019 12:40 hours in Freetown, Sierra Leone When I grow up, I will want to be an excellent a writer as Engineer Andrew Keili!! Look for the three best Sierra Leonean writers today and Andrew Keili will be one of them.   Andrew Keili is probably the best columnist in Sierra Leone today! (Of course, that does NOT include "The Guru" - of THE OSWALD HANCILES COLUMN  -  in that contest!!💪🏾💪🏾). Andrew Keili writes his wisdom, and profundity with captivating wit.  'Nar Andrew Keili wan grain normore sabi cuss man pan ee article dem and di cussed would applaud him! The downside of Andrew Keili's writings is that he is always too nuanced; using a surgeon's scalpel even when a butcher's axe would be  necessary.  But, then, what would you expect of this son of the first non-Krio bishop  of the preeminent Krio church in Sierra Leone? I pause, Oswald Hanciles, The Guru.   July 25, 2019 12:24 hours in Freetown, Sierra Leone

[globalsciencetech-blog]

How to Get Bitcoin

If you're looking to get into the game of Bitcoin and hold your own coins, there are many options available. Here are some of the different methods available for acquiring some Bitcoin of your own. Buy them from an exchange One of the most common ways to acquire bitcoins is through an exchange. Websites like Bitstamp, BTC-E, or Cavirtex here in Canada, allow you to purchase Bitcoin. They don't sell Bitcoin themselves, but how it works is the exchanges pair you as a buyer with a seller who's selling for whatever price you're looking for. This sounds like a great option, and in some ways it is, but it has its disadvantages as well. One of the major ones is that the exchanges require you to add your personal information to them via Know Your Client legislation that's present in many countries in regards to currency-related businesses. This might not be a concern for everyone, but in a post-NSA scandal era, it's becoming more and more clear, at least to me, that data you put out there is more accessible than you think. I might be a little paranoid, but who knows what might happen in the future. After all, just ten years ago the idea that the government is spying on everything we do was purely the realm of tin foil hat conspiracy theorists, and now it's just common knowledge. Who knows what's next? As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of the exchanges. The idea that I have to give up my personal information to an entity which might have to release that information seems to go against the spirit of Bitcoin. Fortunately, there are other options. Mine them Of course, there's only one place Bitcoins really come from; mining. Every Bitcoin you'll ever own, see, or hear about, was at one point mined via the Bitcoin mining network. If you find yourself in possession of a mining rig, go ahead and mine away! Or if you have a computer fast enough to make it worthwhile, that's cool too. But be careful! If your computer isn't cooled properly, you run the risk of overheating it, which could potentially brick it. Frankly, mining with your computer isn't really worth it. Not anymore. As the mining difficulty increases, it becomes more and more difficult to gain any profit from it. And unless you have a dedicated mining rig, your chance of getting any sort of return from mining is pretty low. Some argue that mining is on its way out, and even buying a dedicated mining rig isn't really a valid option anymore. I disagree, but that's a topic for another day. Buy them from a private broker If you're able to find a private broker, you can hook up with them and exchange. This has some obvious benefits, but it also has drawbacks. First off, it's completely anonymous. Even if you meet in person, there's no reason you need to use your real name, or any details about yourself other than your wallet number so they can transfer the funds to you. And if you pay cash, the banks can't trace it either. So if that's a concern for you, you're in business. But of course with anonymity comes some risk as well. Dealing through an exchange, the risk of getting ripped off is lower. Of course, exchanges have disappeared in the past, taking everyone's Bitcoins with them, but the bigger, more established exchanges have had time to build their brand and prove themselves as more trustworthy. You may pay a price premium for that anonymity as well. From my experience, it can be as much as 15-20% higher than average exchange prices. But again, if anonymity is important to you, that's a small price to pay. When you trade with someone anonymously, you don't have the security of the exchanges. They could be legit and honest, but they could just as easily be shady and willing to rip you off. That said, buying from a private broker is my preferred method of purchasing Bitcoin. But it's important to have safety measures in place, otherwise you're leaving yourself open to getting burned. Accept them as payment for goods and services This one is so obvious, yet often people forget about it. Amidst all the investors getting involved with Bitcoin and the excitement around the movement, it's easy to forget that Bitcoin is not just a hot commodity or high value stock. It's designed as a form of currency. And if you run a business, you can accept Bitcoin as payment instead of cash. There are many different businesses which accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. If you live in Canada, check out this directory of businesses which accept Bitcoin. In fact, several directories have popped up to help people find local businesses which accept Bitcoin. And, if you're a denizen of the web (and if you're reading this, you obviously are), there are tons of places which accept Bitcoin as payment. Tiger Direct, Reddit, and WordPress are just a few of them. In short, there are many different ways to acquire Bitcoin. Some are easier than others, but with so many options, you're certain to find something which works for you. Get into the game now, don't miss out!

[iitsqii]

6/24/18

IAL #36 My VLD S6 review + My Predictions for S7

Hey hello guys welcome to another Sunday and so it’s been a week since s6 of voltron dropped and literally the fandom is dead. If you are from my writing blog my author name is Tidus S. Queen but on my personal account I am Kat. I am going to be telling my opinions about this season and how good and amazing it was

Disclaimer: these are just are my options please respect them if you don't care just dont read the post and have a nice day. I am also giving 0 hate to ships this is just my views/take on the latest season.

Because I am way to obsessed for this show I rewatched S3 to S5 before the season dropped so I knew everything for this season.

My thoughts on Lotor:

S5 cliffhanger was Lotor and Allura going to the Altean world called Oriande to learn more about altean alchemy. Then we learned about lort how he is literally a space indiana jones and zarkon was a prick as a father to him and you feel bad for him. I’m gonna state right now I NEVER TRUSTED NO MATTER HOW HOT HE IS. The first time we meet the prince lotor is in S3 when he literally was teasing the paladins and to see if they can become voltron, but they can't because we lost shiro in the astral plane and he died in the s2 finale. So yeah thanks dreamworks for hurting me in the feels.

One more thing I wanted to point out Dos Santos one of the co-executive producer said that lotor was gonna be like a “justice league villain” in an article and as someone who loves superhero and villains I knew lotor was going in to help voltron with a bigger ulterior motive and once he got it the quintessence he literally played himself because he actually had real feelings for allura but we then learn this season that he killed f the alteans hw saved to get more enriched quintessence. Do i Feel he is not dead? Nope we saw no body therefore there is a total possibility we are going to see lotor in future seasons . Do we think he get a redemption arc like zuko? Maybe there are a lot of possibilities

My thoughts on Allura and Lance :

Another character I want to talk about is Allura guys I felt for A llura for this season so much because she literally got played by lotor all allura wants to do is see her people and altea again. We know that Allura loves her people and her dad and she lost her planet to the galra since the very beginning of this show. The question I have been seeing non-stop is that do you think Allura is using Lance as a rebound ? NO NO NO Allura will never do that to Lance ,and Lance respects her too much to be a douche to her he cares about her he is protective friend ( i don’t blame him} . lance did get friendzone this season yes but he is not gonna be a douche to Allura because he got friendzone. Lance has manners and respect Allura. I love their platonic friendship in my views. If you ship them romantically I respect you

A lot of people are hating on dreamworks for pushing Lance over this season. Hello hi people who are thinking that that is how the vld staff and created story tell the characters arcs in this show. Do I want lance to be happy? hell yess. But Lance can’t just get random happiness as a writer and creator of any story you have to make characters suffer in order to make them grow in a story. I know personally think they are setting up Lance's arc for that reason .In my eyes lance and allura friendship are going to get stronger as the seasons progress.

My thoughts on Keith: FINALLY FINALLY WE GET THE ORIGIN STORY OF KEITH’S PARENTS AND HIM AHH IM SO HAPPY THANK THANK YOU DREAMWORKS. Also keith has matured so much found his mom and probably bonded with we the two years that him and his mom were on space dolphins. I think that Keith need the 2 year gap with his mom. He probably learned stuff for her and he now understands his origin. Keith becoming the black paladin he is now the leader that shiro wanted him to be reference in s2 when they were going to the BOM headquarters. Keith also got a pokemon wolf when everyone else was playing dnd space version. Keith go shiro back and his mom and he has definitely grown since season 1. His fighting scene with shiro was so heartbreaking to watch but he knew how to handle the clone and respect kuro. Shiro is Keith father figure form what we saw in the flashbacks with keith dad wearing Shiro’s outfit from season 1 -2 and their bond is so deep I love them so much. I do believe that Shiro did save Keith and I love their brotherly love I really do. You ship them relatively good for you I am not hating on the ship this is just my opinion on their bond.

My thoughts on Romelle: I love this pretty altean conspiracy theorist who literally busted lotor. I love romelle I hope we see her in future seasons.

Thought on Hunk,Pidge, and Coran : they did amazing the whole season hunk defeated galra with galran policitiscs. Pidge our wonderful pidge saved the universe.. Coran has muscles he looked amazing and did great this season.

My opinions on the 7 eps:

Ep1: Omega Shield

We meet lotors nanny. (she reminds me of space yazma from the emperor's new groove lol”

Hunk learning galra politics are schooling the galrans to stop fighting (im so proud our diplomatic boy )

Ep2 : Razor Edge (more like keith and his mom bonduing ep and I’m all for that”

I love krolia, i love we get keith’s origin about his mom and dad how they met, how she got there

Texas kogane saving keith name from being yorak (lol)

BABY KEITH

They she protected keith from the blast (ahh my heart the feels)

How keith and shiro met (finally i have been waiting since s1)

How keith acted in the garrison (poor boy he fought someone )

Keith gets a pokemon who loves and it is very valid to be (also what's it’s name yorak or keith dad’s name?)

Ep 3:Monsters and Mania

The chilliest ep for the paladins

The dnd ep is my fav. I love dnd i got all their jokes about dnd

Kuro being a literal nerd yass

Lance is an adorable dork and i love him

Pidge growing to defeat coran

Allura looking like a queen being amazing with a bow and arrow

Hunk rocks every look i love how his va tyler labine made him talk man oh and punk friendship is just beautiful

Ep 4:The colony

Romelle losing her brother over quintessence

Her not believing in lotor

The ep allura threw lotor and he deserved and it was right after they kissed

Romelle being a literal badass

Ep 5: The Black Paladins

Keith and Kuro fight was so beautiful and emotional

Keith being the black paladin and has matured so well

I loved this episode too it was amazing the animation everything the soundtrack is beautiful too

Ep: 6: All Good Things

The ep that allura dragged lotor when they were fighting between the dark voltron vs good voltron

I called that lotor was gonna make a bad voltron

Allura summing the blazing sword

Coran needs to wear more muscle tees and show of his muscles more

Ep 7: Defender of all universes

The actual ship that matters the castle of lions has to be destroyed to close off the quintessence field

And the montage yeah that gave me all the feels

SPACE DAD IS BACK

Looking amazing with white hair he is now a silver fox and he gets to rest FINALLY

Allura doing her own version of avatar state to put shiro essence into the clone body

The ending and the parallels . ALL THE PARALLELS THIS SEASON

I CAN’T WAIT FOR SEASON 7 WE GOING BACK TO EARTH

My favorite episode was ep 3 because I love dnd and everyone got to just chill and play game.

My thoughts on season 7

Road Trip season i heard it's going to be from the co executive said in a recent articles

I want keith to play dnd so badly I want him to hang out more with the paladins and be super goofy

Shiro actually seeing matt again

I want to see hunk’s and lance’s galaxy garrison stories

Lance arc might happen

What’s keith pokemon wolf name?

And his dad name?

Hagger is gonna be the new villian along with sendak

I have no idea what else is gonna happen next season but i’m already hyped for it

If you have read through this whole review thank you for reading it sorry it is full of rambles but this is just what I think of this season. I loved it. I hope you are having a nice day, night or ,afternoon and what are your thoughts on this season? Did it make it or break it for you? What do you think is gonna happen in s7 or future seasons? Please like or reblog and follow my main or my writing blog I post these IAL every sunday at 9EST. And again thank you for reading my review.