#they have different outlooks but they do share some morals that apply to them both

[darabeatha]

@risquees​​ said ; 💗  /  𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧  💗 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬.  

[simlit]

3, 5, 10, 15, 16, 18, 23 for Kyrie

What architectural or design aesthetic would best suit them?

industrial; this is actually a pretty difficult question, because I don't think he really fits into any one style, and he doesn't have a distinct theme, himself. He's adaptable and eclectic. I think if I had to settle on one, it'd be industrial because of its fusion of new and old; raw, barebones structure within a functional living space. In a modern day setting, I could see him being a fan of those odd flips, like old gothic churches into flats. Something about the idea of recycling or repurposing the old for contemporary use, while still preserving the original beauty and respecting the initial construction, would deeply appeal to him. He rebuffs the traditional, but reframing it in a new light fits right with his personal outlook. 

If your OC was a character in a novel from literary canon, who would they be? 

Nick Carraway | The Great Gatsby; Initially more of a hopeful idealist, and harboring a sort of naïve eagerness about the world. Though privileged, Nick retains some level of moral decency and integrity throughout the novel, which I think Kyrie shares. He watches things play out from a comfortable position of wide-eyed wonder, but along with the awe and the wild entertainment comes all the vile realities of human nature. Kyrie is, at his core, The Observer. Like Nick, watches from both within and without, and while he maintains a level of civility with those he knows to have committed evil acts (not necessarily believing those people to be evil, themselves), he also has a strong sense of what is right and good and what should be done. Still, he strives for something else, something different than the monotony of his life.

What piece of moody poetry or novel quote best encompasses your character?

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." - Oscar Wilde

What is a common misconception about your OC?

That he is devout. Considering he is a priest of sorts, people believe him to be a person of deep faith, but that isn’t true. Despite having his own personal connection to the gods, therefor being incapable of denying they exist, he dislikes the idea of higher power, or any sort of narrative of destiny or fate. He struggles with the fact that he has these gifts and why they are his, if not just by pure chance, and rejects the notion that he should be forced to use them for some purpose simply because he was born on a certain day of the year. 

In addition to devout, people often think him diligent or responsible simply because of his title. In all actuality, he’s a very detached person, and he doesn’t like to apply himself because he often sees very little return. 

What trait do they find most attractive/appealing about others?

Another really hard question to pinpoint because honestly he loves people. He finds them amusing and fascinating, and he doesn’t see “good” or “bad” traits, he sees human traits, and the manner in which they manifest would be the appealing part, for him. Pain may turn to cruelty in some, or hopefulness in others. So I guess what he would find attractive is perseverance. How someone might use negative experiences or trauma to overcome their lot in life, if they can maintain their sense of self, and prevail, even if in a flawed manner. Which is why he very rarely feels contempt or disgust for anyone, even if he morally disagrees with them fundamentally. He can almost always understand why they do what they do. But just as well he can be disappointed if someone squanders their opportunity to grow. The flipside would be he finds doing things for purely selfish purpose a sort of regression, as it adds nothing to the person’s character.

What is one thing that they only let those closest to them see?

His loneliness; As much as he is in love with observing others, his relationships have been mostly shallow throughout his life. The only deep connection he has is with his sister, and outside of that, everything feels like a formality. The few people in his life are only there because of circumstance and he hasn’t had the opportunity, prior to the trials, to make friends or meet people of his own accord. He understands that even though the Ten are also only there out of circumstance, he almost desperately clings to them as this sort of lifeline cast in from outside his glass bubble. He’s not an incredibly reserved person, so these cracks begin to show up even now. But I think it would take someone really getting to know him to see just how deeply that thread runs. 

What sort of routines, rituals or rules do they have or set for themselves?

I wouldn’t say he has any. He’s incredibly laid back and bucks against the rules already imposed upon him by the clergy. So he almost spitefully refuses to assume more. 

[hsu-liangyu]

“Orientalia”: White Fascination and Nostalgia for China and the Orient

4/11/2021

Denver, CO

CW: Racism, anti-Asian and anti-Chinese sentiment, violence/sexual assault

Preface:

Today was certainly a day. I’ve been on a cross country trek, which I’ve come to call “The Great Journey East”, where I’m driving from my home in the Seattle area to Portland, Maine to ply my usual trade, working aboard some traditionally rigged sailing vessels that operate from the Maine State Pier. I’ve most recently arrived in Denver, CO, after a tumultuous night of camping in un-ideal circumstances on the shores of Great Salt Lake in Utah. I decided to treat myself to a middling hotel downtown to try to affect an aura of urban tranquility before I head out for Wichita in the morning, and then on to see my mother’s family in Oklahoma. The drive thus far has been marked by astounding natural beauty, kind people, and a long series of audio books that I’ve only just begun to make a dent in. I began this journey listening to “Tribe” by Sebastian Junger, which I found to be extremely interesting and helped some of my own understanding of how society today does not serve the community, and how we may one day return to a society where the people come first, as opposed to the individual. After finishing Mr Junger’s audiobook, I turned my ears to a tome that I have put off reading for a long time: “The Chinese in America: A Narrative History” by Iris Chang.

Listening to this audiobook over the last few days, which begins in Qing dynasty China and ends in the modern day, I can say a great many things. I can say that I deeply feel the experiences that were collected by the author and compiled into this book, not only on an intellectual and emotional level, but on a spiritual level. I can say that, despite years of my own research into my familial experiences and the experiences of contemporary Chinese Americans, my level of knowledge was severely lacking, even though I considered myself to be a relatively robust lay-scholar on the topic. I can say that the experience of we Chinese Americans, foreign and natural born, has changed very little in our time here. While circumstances change from person to person, family to family, and era to era, we are all bound together in trends that have haunted our communities, not unlike the tigers that have stalked southeast Asia for time immemorial, striking out when least expected.

All of that, however, is a surface level understanding. Those realities are the first few layers of a complicated and long history of horrific, violent, brutal, and inhuman oppression in the United States.

I began this audiobook believing that I knew most of what I needed, enough to enlighten the odd person in online discourse, or conversation over dinner. Enough to tell-off the casual bigot that accused me and other Chinese people of overblowing our racial, social, and economic anxieties while making them look a fool. I realized very quickly that while I was not wrong in my knowledge, my staunchly anti-racist rhetoric, or my suspicious attitudes towards the US government and law enforcement, I was missing so much of the story. I was not missing the statistics or the legislative history: I was missing word-to-paper stories of my ancestors -- our ancestors -- and the cold, hard, and hellacious reality that they faced when they got here. These realities may have differed from generation to generation (the Chinese washer-man and washer-woman, miner, and restaurateur of the 19th century was faced with markedly different circumstances from the Chinese who fled WWII, the PRC, or settled in other areas of the world during the diaspora), but they are cold and hard, none-the-less.

I have cried more in the last three days than I think I have in the last three years. My heart hurts for our ancestors, our elders, our parents, our siblings, our uncles, our aunties, and our future children as we exist in a country that has committed nearly every atrocity it could think of to rid us from their stolen land.

This was the state of being I’ve come to Denver with. Finally in the privacy of a hotel room, I showered and talked with my partner. She found a book today, written by the child of white missionaries who fled China just before WWII, that was a compilation of “Oriental” inspired needle-work patterns. She shared the preface of this book with me, which I found to be incredibly alarming, and has prompted me to write on the subject of “Orientalism”, the exotic, and how the experience of white Europeans and Americans in China was vastly different from the Chinese people. Out of respect for the author and their work, which I believe was written as an honest tribute to Chinese culture and its influence on them, I am choosing to omit the author’s name and the title of the book in question. While some may see this as underhanded, I am choosing to do so because I do not wish to wage a war of rhetoric with an author who I have very little personal knowledge of, because I believe it is unethical of me to do so.

However, I will be addressing some problematic concepts that are present in the preface of this book, as they are worth speaking about as we attempt to further society’s collective understanding of differential experiences between people and people groups.

Thank you for reading on, as well as for reading my preface. The following issues are things that I have struggled with for a long time, and I hope that my words bring you additional perspective on Chinese American issues.

“The Orient, the Oriental, and Orientalia: A Curious Lens of Exoticism Riddled with Racism”

Today, I saw a word that I had not seen in a very, very long time.

As most any Asian person will tell you, the words “orient” and “oriental” are generally unwelcome descriptors of Asian people and culture. These two descriptors are applied to clothing, architecture, pottery, art, furniture, cookware -- the list keeps going. I often joke to those who use these words, “what am I, a rug to you?”, which normally drives the point home in a friendly way They are both hangers-on from an era that we’d best leave in the past. An era where the Occident and the Orient were opposites of one another, incompatible, and fundamentally in conflict. The two terms saw relatively common usage in the 19th century, and many Euro-Americans considered “the orient” to be interchangeable with “the far east” while the occident was a catch-all word for Euro-American civilizations ranging from western Europe to the New World. It could be said that the Occident and the Orient began as harmless descriptor words that only communicated a vague notion of differences between cultures, they were rapidly weaponized as anti-Asian, especially anti-Chinese, sentiments began to flare in the western world. Imperial Germany used the two terms to great affect, framing the differences between the Occident and the Orient to be far more than cultural and societal. It was a matter of life and death.

The Occident was the pinnacle of industrialized civilization. It was moral and upright, beholden to the Christian god, supported by the titans of industry, government, and cutting-edge military technology. The Orient was backwards, overrun with dirty Chinese heathens who constantly lied, cheated, and stole from the superior whites. The Chinese were looking to enslave white women, turning them into sex slaves or take them as wives so that they could propagate a wretched half-breed race that would overrun the world and mark the end of all Occidental civilization.

This rhetoric was incredibly powerful, and one only needs to look at early anti-Chinese political cartoons and articles to see these words used in incredibly derogatory ways. The other side of the Orient/Oriental dichotomy was steeped in foreign luxury and exoticism, which served to peak the interest of wealthy whites that bought up all kinds of Asian furniture, clothing, fabrics, cookware, and art from unscrupulous dealers and certifiable importers alike. Affluent white women of the 19th century are well-documented as being deeply invested in luxurious goods imported from “the Orient” and marketed as “Oriental” or “Orientalia” to garner societal notoriety, whereas their fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons would have dressing gowns, cravats, and handkerchiefs created out of fine imported silk. All of these goods were considered exotic and other-worldly, which is not a debased outlook for the time, considering that so few westerners had actually managed to travel in the vicinity of China, let alone disembark in one of the few official trading ports open to European traders. This fascination with all things Chinese, entirely divorced from the reality that many Europeans and Americans viewed the Chinese as grave existential threats to white civilization, is not without irony.

While Chinese peasants and workers died in droves from starvation, disease, localized conflict, or at the hands of white Europeans and Americans acting with impunity in a country that was barred from holding them legally accountable for their actions, cargo hold upon cargo hold of Chinese goods were exported for consumption by westerners. These westerners had military and diplomatic presence in China, especially in the mid to late 19th century, often seizing prime real estate in Chinese port cities for international settlements where it was the westerners, not the Chinese, in charge. These ostentatious settlements, coupled with missions run by Christian organizations from all over the western world, exercised great influence with local Qing dynasty officials, and western nationals all throughout the southern coast of China were free to use and abuse the Chinese around them as they please. These prosperous settlements, a highly visible and permanent show of colonization and foreign aggression, were made so by the labor of Chinese workers and peasants. The same workers who were forced into horrific working conditions in and around the settlements while western nationals were free to treat them as they please with no repercussions, ever for outright murder. Any fascination with the Chinese lifestyle, manner of dress, and other items that could be quickly imported to the west as exotic tokens of the Orient was inherently divorced from the horrific reality of daily life within China, and was nearly always a fascination that arose from social tiers that could afford to be ignorant of those realities while directly benefiting from them.

“Orientalia and the Noble Savage”

The westerners’ fascination with all things Orientalia outlines another phenomenon present in the west’s view of China in the 19th and 20th centuries, an phenomenon that Americans are familiar with as it is applied to Indigenous peoples in North America: the Noble Savage.

The Noble Savage idea and stereotype found quick traction with American colonists as they fought to drive out Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands all over North America. These Indigenous groups, savage as they were perceived to be, were often regarded as principled and noble in their way of life, whether that was seen in their treatment of the lands, natural resources, their art and craftwork, their societal structure, or in how they treated white settlers when they were taken prisoner. While all of this talk of nobility betrayed the slimmest undercurrents of admiration from white settlers towards Indigenous peoples, the second word of the phrase was integral to its application: Savage. Despite these noble ideas and practices, a savage is a savage is a savage. This two-faced admiration served only one purpose -- to communicate the slightest inkling of fake remorse in widespread acts of genocide against people that white settlers hated and chose not to understand.

For the Chinese and Chinese Americans, the idea of the noble savage is easily translated. While Indigenous peoples in North America had a comparatively low level of technology to Americans, the same could not be said of the Chinese. Despite lacking robust gunpowder arms and other advanced forms of military technology, the technological prowess of the Chinese people was without doubt. Massive cities, sprawling agriculture, advanced irrigation, roads, palaces, and so much more was plainly evident to any westerner who arrived on Chinese shores (the same can be said of Indigenous populations throughout the Americas despite the prevailing myth of "primordial wilderness" perpetuated by white settlers) . Despite the different perspectives that westerns had between the two groups, westerners applied the Noble Savage ideal to the Chinese just as quickly and easily as they did to the Indigenous peoples across the oceans.

While the Chinese were obviously proficient in architecture, engineering, and in art, many westerners were quick to follow up any admiration of their eastern counterparts with staunch, racial criticism, highlighting their savagery in their daily lives such as gambling, long fingernails, or their seemingly archaic dress. Much of the criticism leveled on the basis of savagery had to deal with the assumption that Chinese men would, without hesitation, steal from white men and kill them, while selling white women into slavery. And while this was based in very loose reality (the triad societies of Canton did, indeed, participate in the sex trafficking of Chinese women to California and the Coolie trade that sent enslaved Chinese men to work on plantations in South America), the fears were stoked by ferocious anti-Chinese rhetoric in Europe and America.

The Chinese who emigrated to America were seen no different, and while public opinion waxed and waned, it was always understood that the Chinaman was a noble savage at best, and the earthly embodiment of evil at his worst. While modern Chinese and Chinese Americans may not be subject to the Noble Savage ideas from two centuries ago, it is not uncommon for Americans, especially white American youths, to take this idea as gospel, tormenting their Asian classmates throughout their formative years.

“China’s Sorrow: Nostalgia for a China that did not exist”

(As a forewarning, this the section where I may become quite emotional.)

Something that I encountered today was nostalgia. Not my own nostalgia, but the nostalgia of an author who grew up in a mission or international settlement in pre-WWII China, and fled from the country just before Pearl Harbor. This author, who shall remain nameless for the reason I stated in the preface of this essay, spoke highly of China’s sights and sounds, the people, the food, the craftwork, and of their pleasant life as the child of white missionaries in China. They spoke on how the pace of life in China was different than America, and that they much preferred the comforts of life in the Orient, surrounded by Oriental people and objects, enamored with Orientialia well into their adult life.

I found this passage to be absolutely appalling. I understand that I may be picking the wrong fight here, but this is my emotional response to an issue that I have found difficult to articulate that managed to, somehow, someway, manifest succinctly in the preface of a book that I randomly encountered. I lay my thoughts here:

White missionaries in China lived privileged lives, much like the other westerners that inhabited international settlements all throughout the major cities of the country. Missionaries, like the other westerners, were an extremely privileged class, living privileged lives in a country that was being torn apart by colonization, internal strife, famine, disease, and violence. While the average Chinese peasant in late Qing, early republic-era China had to contend with the daily realities of starvation, material scarcity, and the reality that a western could beat them or kill them and face no legal consequences for that action. Merchants were forced to deal with countless one-sided trade and land treaties, while government officials struggled to keep the country together, if they weren’t themselves contributing to the horrendous reality. Life in international settlements for western nationals is often reminisced upon as idyllic, quaint, and prosperous, which paints a stark contrast to their Chinese neighbors’ experiences. The westerners were off-limits, exempt from legal prosecution, and largely able to conduct themselves as they saw fit, even when their conduct directly endangered Chinese lives.

Meanwhile, outside of these international settlements, war ravaged the country. When the Qing dynasty fell and the Republic of China was established, the country fractured. The nationalist government was constantly at war, sometimes with itself, sometimes with bandits and warlords, sometimes with organized crime, and most of all with the Chinese Communist Party. The Koumintang government, in the wake of Sun Yat-sen’s death, saw Chiang Kai-shek seize power. The Japanese began to aggressively push their borders into China, fighting with superior military technology and training while the national army faltered from unwilling conscripts led into disastrous battles by inept, corrupt, and tyrannical officers. The CCP fought a guerilla campaign against the KMT that further muddied the conflict, with innocents caught between two radical and violent sides while Japan tightened the noose. Communist and Nationalist fought together against the Japanese one day, and may have fought against each other the next.

While the country was torn apart, the westerners in international settlements were unconcerned with the wars raging across the land. They continued to live their idyllic lives until the war was literally at their doorstop -- only then did they become concerned with the plight of the Chinese people.

Only then did the westerners in international settlements care for the circumstances of the average Chinese peasant in the countryside or worker in the city. They could bear no concern while they benefited from cheap Chinese labor, horrific working conditions, or while some of them got away with murder. They could bear no concern while Europe and America colonized China and ransacked the economy. And they could bear no concern for the Chinese being tortured, beaten, raped, and murdered in the countryside, far from their gates, until it was on their doorstep.

The nostalgia that some westerners feel for China, a China that existed before the chaos of the 1920s onwards, is propped up by lives of privilege and white-washed memories that ignore the struggle of the Chinese people right under their noses.

They feel nostalgia for a China that did not exist, because the one that existed was destroyed in part by their international settlements and the colonization efforts of their home countries.

This nostalgia for a China that was at least slightly better than the chaos of the 1920s through the 1940s, or better than the Cultural Revolution, or better before Tiananmen Square exists also within the Chinese immigrant community. But this nostalgia strikes in a way that the other does not.

While the westerner who lived in an international settlement may be able to intellectually sympathize with the Chinese experience during this tumultuous time, it is the Chinese themselves who bear the actual scars. Many of our elders long for a prosperous China as well, but there is a key difference in this: our elders, our family, sometimes we ourselves, bear the scars of the past. Our nostalgia is momentary, continuously shattered by the very real heartbreak that the Chinese and Chinese American community has been subject to over the last century. While circumstances and perspectives differed, the China that some of us long for is just as much a painful sore on our souls as it is a pleasant memory. The pain, the loss, the grief, anxiety, and struggle.

It is a nostalgia for our ancestral land that cannot be found anywhere else, as precious as it is painful.

Hsu Liang Yu

[narastories]

Happy 291st Birthday, Lord John Grey! - A Natal Chart Reading for our dearest English Lord

This is very different from what I usually share here. By now you are all aware that we are celebrating the 291st birthday of Lord John Grey of Outlander.

For this occasion I took it upon myself to do a natal chart reading for him.

This is astrology applied to a fictional character, you have been warned. Continue at your own discretion.

Disclaimers:

I am not an astrologer

This is made in the spirit of appreciation of this character and his story. The purpose of this is pure fun on my part and hopefully to entertain some of you as well. Plus, maybe to provide some character-study-style insight or inspiration.

The character of Lord John Grey belongs to Diana Gabaldon - duh 

John’s birth date is canon. The time has been arbitrarily chosen by me. Yes, it is important, because there are a lot of moving parts to a natal chart. I have literally cycled through the day by the hour, compared charts and decided on the one that I’ve found most fitting to his character. Which, is by the way best practice, when you do not know your or someone else’s exact birth time, but are somewhat familiar with their character. And considering that even if our dearest Lord John were an actual historical figure, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have his exact birth time from 1729, so I don’t feel bad about my process.

The examples I may give here are both from the books and the show, but nothing too specific that would be considered spoiler.

Lastly, this is all my interpretation both about the astrological meanings and of his character. Feel free to disagree with me. Politely, if you please.

So, in good Outlander time-travelling fashion let’s transport ourselves back to the day Lord John Grey was born and look up to the sky to see what it has to tell us.

Sun in Gemini

Lord John is a Gemini, which makes him clever and witty. He takes pride in his intellect and uses it to reach his goals. He is extremely adaptable, and instantly finds his footing in the most various settings, whether that’s London’s high society, a remote village in Scotland, or a two week fishing trip in the wilderness of the Colonies.

As someone born under the sign of the Twins there is a natural duality to his personality, that we can observe many times. He is capable of great tenderness, yet he can also be extremely fierce. Brutal is perhaps not the right word, but as much as he is a gentleman, we do see him engaged in physical fight, where he is by no means unskilled. You can’t say it’s always self-defense either.

He often has an internal conflict between heart and mind, between duty and emotion.

Geminis make good actors, and Lord John is exceptional in that too. He has to be as a gay man in the 18th century, which creates another duality between the life he’s supposed to live as a solider and as a Lord, a respected member of high-society and all the things he craves but has to hide.

As a Gemini he is a great communicator. Good with people, small talk comes easy for him, but engaging in a deep intellectual conversation is what really fires him up (Shakespear, anyone? :P) He is pleasant to be around and has a good sense of humour. His skills are diverse and he makes friends easily as he moves from one adventure to the other.

Geminis are prone to restlessness, which Lord John demonstrates beautifully by fidgeting with every little knick-knack that accidentally lands between his well-manicured hands. (Why does he stash them away in his pockets? I’m afraid astrology has no answer for his accidental kleptomania.)

His Sun is in the Ninth House of mental and physical explorations. Long journeys of the mind and the body are prominent in his life and essential to his personality. He speaks multiple languages and uses them to express himself on a very personal and natural level - aka swearing in the language most appropriate to the level of shit he’s gotten himself into this time.

Libra Rising

His rising sign is Libra, which sheds light on how he presents himself and what he wants to be known for. People with Libra Ascendant have natural grace and a good style. Lord John has all of that and finds himself often in the spotlight for it. He doesn’t have to struggle to be successful, but more than anything he wants to be known as a kind and loving person, and I would argue he succeeds in that.

His rising sign is important, because his natal chart is ruled by Venus, the planet of love and beauty. He has a romantic nature, and has the ability to connect with anyone, anywhere at any given time.

Libra rising people are said to be very attractive and compatible with almost anyone and as we say around here Lord John Grey would have chemistry with a lamppost.

This doesn’t just extend to romantic partners, although he is the happiest when in a romantic relationship. He puts others at ease and is genuinely likeable.

He feels obligated to balance the situations he finds himself in, therefore he is a natural diplomat always striving to harmonize and negotiate. It also makes him a good listener.

He has a great sense of fairness and injustice angers him. He is social, has a generally positive outlook on life and is inspired by nature and art.

Moon in Aquarius

The moon sign represents the hidden side of someone’s personality, their emotions, their needs. It is also jokingly referred to as the “drunk you”, so let’s see who Lord John is after a few glasses of good Scottish whiskey.

At first glance there is nothing scandalous here, Aquarius is the most favorable sign for the Moon to be in. This gives him sensitivity and good perception. He tries to understand others’ perspective, and is rather idealistic.

However, people with the Moon in Aquarius are prone to sudden outbursts. How many times does he put his foot in his mouth and gets punched or called out to a duel for it? Yeah…

He can also push other’s over the edge emotionally, exactly because he is so perceptive, which actually does happen when he is drunk. This is not out of malice, but either out of pure authenticity or just because he knows it will get the other person out of a place of stagnation.

He hides a rebellious, progressive and unconventional soul under that well-tailored waistcoat of his and it does come out sometimes.

Ideally he needs to have a healthy outlet for this, a partner who appreciates his sometimes idiosyncratic nature and occasional eccentricities. In turn he won't flinch in the midst of the most challenging situations, because he’s not afraid of chaos.

He wants to find solutions that work for everyone and can neglect his own needs in the process.

If that wasn’t enough air for you, he also has a-

Grand Fucking Trine in the air signs

Which is a pretty big deal. (Moon in Aquarius - Pluto in Libra - Neptune and Mars in Gemini)

These influences all help and strengthen each other. He has a brilliant mind, his Intellect is exceptional, he has a deep concern for law and duty, and an unusually sharp sixth sense of unearthing shocking revelations.

He has a magnetic personality, great ability to express himself, and therefore leaves a lasting impression on others. He is able to inspire and lead others and his need for harmony and cooperation makes him a great negotiator.

Lots and lots of air influence, which also means that in the battle of the mind and the heart unfortunately the mind wins and he lets his heart break instead.

Let’s get back to Venus and love for a sec.

With this much air in the chart for him everything starts in the mind. He experiences desire in the mind first. He must have a great intellectual connection with someone, before their relationship could blossom into a romance (Venus in Gemini). His entry point to sex is also through words (Mars in Gemini). Think about all the witty foreplay and low-key dirty talk in the LJG books. And also, khm chess games...

Where does that occasional intensity and dominance come from, you ask?

Well, he does have Uranus in Scorpio (semisquare Venus in Gemini, semisquare his Sun in Gemini) which would explain why he is not always displaying the lighthearted, fun, fleeting ways of a Venus-in-Gemini lover. He does have a lot of sexual partners. But then we’ve already established that he would have chemistry with a lamppost.

His chart is heavy on the 9th and 10th houses of long distance travel, career and public standing, and these are probably the most important aspects of his life. He is a comparatively lucky person, with a lively social life, charming personality and strong morality (Jupiter in Cancer).

His great trauma lies in what squares Neptune and Mars in the 9th house. There is an opposition between his sexuality and dreams, and what ideas he is allowed to express publicly. He is sensitive to what others think (Mercury in Cancer), picks up signals very well and is therefore acutely aware of what he can and cannot say.

Here lies the greatest disappointment and loss in his life (Saturn in Pisces). He chooses to make personal sacrifices for the benefit of others.

His Chiron is in the 7th house of partnership and marriage, which I also find interesting. This minor planet get’s called the Wounded Healer. It makes me think about what Claire and Jamie says about wounds and Lord John. And it also makes me think about his marriage.

Well, if that doesn’t make for an interesting personality, I don’t know what does. I hope this has been at least half as fun to read as it was to write. Let me know what you think.

[angelmichelangelo]

(Part 1)

Personally I could understand the having kids thing going either way for Dan. Phil definitely seems like the type who would want kids, but when you grow up in a dysfunctional household like Dan did it gets more complicated.

For example, personally I come from a family with a long history of abuse, and it frightens me that I could pass that on. That + health issues means I’ll never have biological children, but I’m still partially on the fence about adopting. I love children and babies, and they love me back. But interacting with children is different when you’re a parent than elsewise. Like, breaking the cycle of abuse is incredibly difficult. Even if I think I would be a great parent I can’t guarantee that under stress I wouldn’t revert back to the abusive behaviors that were taught to me. My parents were abusive, their parents were abusive, their parents were abusive... who the hell knows how much further back it goes. Not me. All I know is that all the remembered generations have been abusive. So not only is the behavior passed on, on an epigenetic level I’m sure it’s affected my DNA- which is another factor in not having biological children. Even if I know that I love children and there’s a good chance I could be a great parent, there’s also a significant chance that I would end up a toxic parent and boy do I not want to be responsible for ruining someone’s life.

(Cont.)

(Part 2)

There’s also another factor which I want to bring up. I bring this up because me and Dan are very similar people, and if any of the other patterns hold true I’m sure he feels the same way about this as I do so even though it’s sort of niche I’ll bring it up.

I have moral issues with bringing children into this world. I’m sure part of it is influenced by my own mental & physical health + being s*icidal most of my life, but a lot of it is just my personal moral outlook.

Most of it comes down to bodily autonomy. Why does bodily autonomy matter to people in other situations but not regarding life? When you have a kid you force them into life. They don’t get a chance to consent to being born. You throw them into this world that’s full of cruelty and requires them to work tirelessly to keep themselves alive. Meanwhile whether or not they want to be alive doesn’t matter. Society values life over all else. You are forced to work to survive even if you don’t want to survive. Because other people’s feelings on your survival matter more than your own feelings.

I’m not saying I think s*icide is the right answer, or that no one should enjoy being alive. What I am saying is that us forcing people to stay alive is morally wrong. It really, really bothers me that people “save” people who attempt s*icide. Against their will. Sure, some people express regret afterwards and are thankful that they were saved. But that applies to all bodily autonomy issues. I think what someone does with their body should be their choice, full stop.

The combo of A: bringing someone into this world without their consent & B: not giving them the option to leave this world really seems fucked up on a bodily autonomy level. And I feel like I wouldn’t want to contribute to forcing another person into a situation where they lack bodily autonomy. Me and Dan tend to agree on moral/philosophical stuff (among many things) so I wouldn’t be surprised if this is also a factor for him on if he wants kids.

----

i get what you’re saying with this, and of course, you’re allowed to have your own opinion and i respect that. but i think that it is worth bearing in mind that we do not have a full picture of dan’s upbringing. of course, he’s shared both good and bad and whilst BIG gave us a good insight to what his childhood and teen years was like, we don’t know the entire story on his relationship with his parents, and whether it was dysfunctional or not. but i do agree that abuse in childhood can have a massive chainreaction on your own future and what paths you take and which ones you don’t - that’s definitely true.

but i’d have to disagree with you about that whole suicide part? mainly because i personally don’t think it’s wrong to want to help and support loved ones through crises that involve those kinds of dark thoughts. of course, there should be better access to mental health support for sure! but i don’t think it’s really “forcing” people to live when you just want the best for people. if it were me, and someone reached out to me, saying they were suicidal (and people have, on a few occasions), i would do everything in my power to help them and make sure they didn’t do that. i wouldn’t see that as taking away their choice or forcing them to live. i’d want them to survive and make a better life for themselves because of it, because i love them and of course i don’t want them to die. but everyone has a mind of their own and you can’t exactly save everyone but the whole argument of “kids didn’t ask to be born!” kinda... idk. is meaningless to me because.. well. everyone on earth is in the same situation. nobody ever asked to be born. that’s just how life goes. so who do we blame then? our cavemen ancestors? you can’t ask a sperm for consent nor an egg so... what do you do then? ask a kid when they’re old enough to talk: hey you wanna live or not? 

i do get the point you’re trying to make here, which, correct me if i’m wrong is: it seems likely that the impact of some of the trauma dan has shared with us over time would suggest that having children wouldn’t be a huge interest for him.

and you could be right! but i know a lot of people that did go through traumatic childhoods, or have bad relationships with their parents, that actually made them want to have children even more, as if to make sure that their kids didn’t get treated the same way that they did growing up and to kinda break that cycle of abuse. it happens a lot!

so there’s two sides to it really. and if that’s your own personal opinion on your own outlook on your own life, that’s perfectly okay and there’s no judgement on how you feel about your own choices in life.

but we can’t really say that the same choices apply to dan, because like we were discussing last night: dan’s never really given us an update on the feelings on having children. the last time he mentioned it was years ago, and those feelings can always be altered and changed, but we’ll never know unless he actually told us how he felt on the matter.

your choice is your own choice. if you don’t want kids, that’s fine. if dan and phil don’t want kids, that’s fine too. i’m cool with that and yknow, kudos to the people that put themselves first rather than giving in and going along the required “steps” of life that society kinda forces us into: marriage, babies, house, blah blah blah. but whilst i agree with that, there are parts of this that i would say would be unfair to use as a surface blanket on everyone’s choices, and we can just agree to disagree because this is an open discussion on the matter but i hope what i’ve said has made sense and it’s not all just ramblings lol :)

[trainsinanime]

About Slytherin

People don’t talk about Hogwarts Houses all that much anymore, and for good reason. Between what we know about the author, the quality of the recent movies, the allegations against these movies’s biggest star (to be clear: I’m not taking sides on Depp/Hearst before the court case is resolved, and I reserve the right to not take sides afterwards either), it’s not exactly been fun to be a Harry Potter fan, and many people have moved on.

But sometimes you still see folks declaring what Hogwarts House they’re in, or what they imagine as a headcanon for a fictional character they like. And fairly often, the answer for that is Slytherin, both for themselves and for heroic characters. But how accurate is that? And more to the point, what is Slytherin really about?

I’m sure there’s stuff on Pottermore about this, but who cares. Within the actual books, we get three competing definitions of Slytherin from various sources:

The official description, from the Sorting Hat

Its reputation

What its people are actually like, filtered through Harry’s point of view.

The Sorting Hat is, functionally, a school official, and presumably gives the description of Slytherin that he’s supposed to. This description lists several core attributes of the house: It’s racist, and people may be devious, but they are also clever, loyal and true friends. Also deeply racist. If you leave out the racism then this sounds nice, and those qualities (minus the obvious racism) is presumably what people mean when they call themselves Slytherin. But can we trust the nice parts of that description?

There are plenty of examples throughout all the books of wizarding society featuring heavy propaganda from official sources, and official descriptions being incomplete and inaccurate. So it is at least possible that the Sorting Hat is speaking pro-Slytherin propaganda. (And also anti-Hufflepuff, I mean, seriously)

Compare and contrast with the reputation the house has in the wizarding world, among people who probably know more about it than just whatever new synonyms the Sorting Hat came up with. This reputation is simple: People assume Slytherin is evil, because evil wizards, notably Voldemort, and followers of evil wizards, notably the death eaters, often come from it. Harry’s experience certainly doesn’t contradict that either; to him, Slytherin is the house where all the bullies come from, both amongst students and teachers. His views gradually start changing as we see more non-evil Slytherins, like Slughorn, and with the whole Snape redemption arc (which, to be honest, was not my favorite by a long shot). The end conclusion the books reach about Slytherin appears to be that they’re just misunderstood and unfairly ostracized.

That conclusion, and Snape’s whole redemption arc, which is central to it, sure is… something. Parts of it have the same energy as the common hot take we’re currently seeing everywhere that goes, “calling racism racist is just bullying and forces vulnerable people to become racist”. I did not like it then and like it even less now.

But no matter what you feel about this arc, it’s important to note that the bad things people are saying about Slytherin are all based in fact: Voldemort did go there, and everyone else we know who is in Slytherin was either a Death Eater or has parents who are Death Eaters. The main exception here is Slughorn, who is hardly a shining beacon of anti-Voldemort resistance.

This brings us to the final source of information we have: The people who go to and teach at Slytherin. Now, since the books are all from Harry’s point of view, we’re obviously getting only a limited glimpse into life at that high school dorm, which may not be representative. But it is the best thing we got. And based on that, we see roughly three different categories of people in Slytherin: The aristocrats, the professional bootlickers, and the social climbers.

The aristocrats are easy to define as Draco Malfoy: His father is a racist slave-owning rich and powerful aristocrat. Draco knows that he will become a racist slave-owning rich and powerful aristocrat himself, and he’s already acting like one. And he doesn’t appear to be an exception there. It is heavily implied that a lot of Death Eaters are very powerful people, and their kids all go to Slytherin.

The professional bootlickers are Crabbe and Goyle, but also Professor Slughorn. Here we get people who are part of the power structure, but not at the top. They follow the aristocrats because they hope to gain social status that way. Slughorn is definitely much nicer than Crabbe and Goyle about it, but his main redeeming quality is arguably that he also seeks to decorate himself with royalty from other houses. He’s still a strict follower.

Finally, we see Snape and Tom Riddle: Both are outsiders who don’t really fit into the aristocratic system, because of their social background that is judged unacceptable. But both of them resent their social backgrounds and are willing to work with the established aristocracy. And since they’re very good at it, the aristocrats let them, and in the case of Voldemort, even let him lead. The fact that there are two of them implies that this is not an accident; Slytherin is, to a certain extent, open to people who don’t fit into the aristocracy normally, as long as they’re willing and able to get the aristocrats what they want.

So based on that, what is Slytherin about? I would argue that it’s power. Where Gryffindor has heroism, Ravenclaw has knowledge and Hufflepuff has a belief in the fundamental fact that all wizarding people have equal value, Slytherin represents power. Specifically, the house Slytherin’s explicit in-universe purpose is to preserve and perpetuate an old, very stratified and aristocratic power structure within the wizarding world.

This is supported by a number of key attitudes among all Slytherins who we meet. For example, all Slytherins have a rather cynical outlook on human worth, and believe it is right and necessary to rank people. Even Slughorn, the token “nice” Slytherin, has clear ideas of who is the most important among his students and who doesn’t matter at all.

Slytherins also have a rather peculiar moral codex that again serves its power structure. The aristocrats very clearly believe that rules and laws should apply strictly to other people; and the bootlickers help enable them in whatever crimes they do. Among aristocrats, it seems like they are openly acknowledging their schemes to some extent.

Here is where we get back to what the Sorting Hat says: Friendship and loyalty are key Slytherin traits. Sounds nice, until you realize that they mean the loyalty that Crabbe and Goyle show towards Malfoy. Or the kind of friendship that in real life goes, “I won’t tell anyone about your tax evasion and I trust you won’t tell anyone about my affairs”.

The racism of Slytherin is not an incidental element to make Draco seem more evil, but rather an integral part of preserving these power structures as well. First, the belief that some people are naturally better than others is engrained in Slytherin culture anyway. But more importantly, it limits the pool of people who can get into the aristocratic system, and thus ensures that the few at the top stay few and have to share less wealth and resources. Plus, the racism also provides the ideological underpinning of the whole system. Crabbe and Goyle follow Malfoy in part because they’ll get some of his riches and glamour, but also because they believe that he has a right to be in power. He comes from an old family that always was in power, and they’ve been taught both at home and in school that having the right ancestors is super important.

Is some of this a stretch? Maybe. But maybe not. Hogwarts is, after all, a reflection of the outside world, and there are plenty of examples of similar more-or-less aristocratic school systems that seem to have been the inspiration for Slytherin. In the US, the term “trust fund babies” is very obvious. In the UK, the elite private schools like Eton that educate most top politicians, journalists and so on are also a clear analogue. Slytherin appears to be a critique of that.

Until it doesn’t anymore, of course, because Harry needs to get closure with the incel who once lusted after his mother or something. Not gonna lie, Deadly Hallows was weak as shit.

So yeah, Slytherin: Aristocratic, racist, all about keeping the guys in power there.

Does that mean it’s wrong to head canon either yourself or your favorite fictional characters as Slytherin? No, of course not. As long as you/they are openly racist, have a superiority complex and believe that inherited wealth and power is always a good thing, then it’s perfectly alright to have such head canons. If not, well, then it becomes a bit more difficult.

[all-things-are-nothing-to-me]

Communes & Land Projects: A Nomadic Critique of Communization

The establishment of intentional communities of all kinds is a popular fad yet again. Perhaps we have reached a point where economic pressures and the failure of government have heightened the desirability of such living arrangements. Leviathan has spread its slimy tentacles across every corner of the globe, and the jungles of concrete — the urban sprawl — have reached nearly everywhere. In the United States, the furthest distance to complete isolation from any road or structure is only 18 miles from one point to another. Where I am currently, this number falls to 6 miles. It gets as low as 2 miles or less in some US States. This shows how the urban setting is now essentially inescapable. There is a total of 2.43 billion acres of land in the United States, and its overseas territories. 17.5% of this land is Alaska. Out of these 2.5 billion acres of land, only 4.5% of it is wilderness today. The State of Alaska comprises 52% of the wilderness in the US. The State of New York, an exception in terms of population, but completely median in terms of geographical land mass, has less than 1%. It is the same for my home State. As a matter of fact, every State in the US besides Alaska and California (14%) have 4% or less. 31 States, including Hawaii, plus Puerto Rico, have less than 1% of the US wilderness area. Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, and Rhode Island don't have any wilderness areas at all. In lieu of this lossage, the very human, yet also wild desire to “get away from it all’ and return to the land and nature is perfectly understandable. Our personal connections to pristine nature are as tenuous as ever. Hundreds of millions of people have never spent a single night camping outdoors. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to escape the ever-present noise and high-pitched buzzing of the AC units, Internet routers, giant flat-screen TVs, PC fans, etc. We are inundated with overwhelming, panic-inducing amounts of ads and information. On top of all this, most feel forced to engage in wage-slavery, for some boss. These realities and countless others paint an increasingly bleak picture of what civilization has to offer to the individual, or any of us, today.

The old idea was that we need to confront the bourgeoisie and the State head-on through class warfare via popular revolution. After centuries of failures, this outlook has been exchanged for one that says we can and must start doing communism now. This is often justified by obscure Easter eggs offered up from the writings of Karl Marx. Anarchy, class warfare, communization, and revolution are all seen by communisateurs as synonymous concepts. The Tiqqunistic text Call by an anonymous author describes “the process of instituting communism” as “only tak[ing] the form” of “acts of communization” [original emphasis], such as “making common such-and-such space” (2009, 22). The text also describes “this constellation of occupied spaces where, despite many limits, it is possible to experiment with forms of collective assembly outside of control, we have known an increase in power.” (2009, 17)

This optimistic talk of occupying spaces, becoming free of control, the talk of increasing power, of acceleration, is surely bothersome especially coming from neo-Marxoids like the communisateurs, but similar suggestions have also been made by anarchists, including Peter Lamborn Wilson (aka Hakim Bey). Similar claims about communes are made in T.A.Z.: The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism, first published in 1991. Much of the ideas of the communisateurs seem informed by, if not lifted from, these older writings of Wilson. And much like the communisateurs have asked us today (more than a quarter century later), Wilson also queried us the same way back in 1991:

“Are we who live in the present doomed never to experience autonomy, never to stand for one moment on a bit of land ruled only by freedom? Are we reduced either to nostalgia for the past or nostalgia for the future? Must we wait until the entire world is freed of political control before even one of us can claim to know freedom?

...a certain kind of 'free enclave' is not only possible in our time but also existent"...(38)

"What of the anarchist dream, the Stateless state, the Commune, the autonomous zone with duration, a free society, a free culture? Are we to abandon that hope in return for some existentialist acte gratuit? The point is not to change consciousness but to change the world.” (39)

Wilson, like the communisateurs, sees this as “the seed of the new society taking shape within the shell of the old” (41):

“I do suggest that the TAZ is the only possible ‘time’ and ‘place’...for the sheer pleasure of creative play, and as an actual contribution to the forces which allow the TAZ to cohere and manifest.” ... “A world in which the TAZ succeeded in putting down roots might resemble the world envisioned by ‘P.M.’ in his fantasy novel bolo'bolo. Perhaps the TAZ is a ‘proto-bolo.’” (52)

Both anarchists of Wilsons ilk, and the communisateurs of today, seem unfocused or uninterested in what many across the communist left (specifically its more traditional groups) have deemed “defensive struggles”, which is a term meant to refer to the increasingly extreme austerity measures imposed on the general populous by the ruling class (attacks made by the bourgeoisie). When I talk about defense, I usually mean the defense of nature rather than the economy. We have seen these attacks come in the form of tax hikes against everyday working families, instead of tax hikes for corporations and the wealthy captains of industry. Another example of these attacks by the bourgeoisie was the use of public revenue in the US to shore up companies and ensure the economic bailout of corporations following the 2008 US stock market crash. But Wilson differs from Marxist class warfare advocates in that he advocates camouflage and social concealment; “a tactic of disappearance” (1991, 50). Wilson believes the commune should blend in to its surroundings as best it can, hide, and not be outwardly confrontational, or stir up trouble with the neighbors. It’s more anarchist in this regard, but even with statements like “TAZ is a nomad camp” (43), the bolo’boloism of T. A. Z. and Wilson doesn’t quite cross into true nomadism, advocating something more similar to hermitry.

The communisateurs differ from Wilson in this regard in that they all want communes as a launchpad for centralized communist attack. Attack is something Wilson rarely mentions, if at all, which is a shame because I like attack as much as the next person! But what is unappetizing about the call for attack by the communisateurs and Tiqqunists is exactly that they are communisateurs — they are Marxists — they want the communes so they can have spaces to build their Party, or build whatever of their organizations, to opportunistically centralize and “increase power” (anonymous 2009, 17). This is in preparation of them launching their inevitable revolutionary war against the bourgeoisie, and following their victory, the communizers would of course seek to institute the dictatorship of the proletariat (also referred to in some circles of the Marxist far-left as the proletarian semi-State).

I am not against the breaking of legs in general, in the typical sense of moral opposition to a particular action, or beyond having my legs broken. And I’m not above, against, or beyond party-crashing tactics, either. I am an individualist, and in the sense of applying force, of many kinds, an occasional nihilist. But I would never use violence with the aim of controlling others. My attack is direct, purposeful. Violence must only be applied when and where it has to be, to the appropriate degree it has to be, without enjoyment, or with the goal of controlling others in mind. Saying this is not to ignore all the reasons violence does happen. But attack to destroy, because you must. I would use violence in self-defense, and perhaps even out of self-interest, but I differ from the communisateurs in that when I apply violence, my intentions and actions are meant to be centrifugal. They are directed away from a given pole of focus or concern. That is why Bolshevik coups are of no concern to me. Neither is direct action that aims to coerce people into dictatorships, the Party, or the Parties way of thinking. This kind of homogeneity is a hallmark of the State, Civilization, and Capital. I am not at all interested in being involved in any kind of community, network, or worknet that aims to progress in a quantitative way, to grow in numbers, or one that maintains a membership. My associations with others are never aiming to be coercive. I wear my intentions on my sleeve. Whether there are two or two-hundred people doing what I am doing and communicating with me about it, makes no difference. Although, groups bigger than three-hundred are increasingly Leviathanic. I suppose this also includes domestic living communities and villages. I prefer small groups. Under ten is perhaps best for me, and we all differ, but the point is small groupings of any size within natural limits encourage heterogeneity naturally. This is another difference between the views of Wilson and the views of the communisateurs. Wilson, displaying at least some awareness of the concept of nomadology, understands the need for not just escape, but dispersal, and generally describes his writing project as being against history, progress, and the narratives they bring with them. Wilsons T. A. Z. may be utopian, but it isn’t even in the same realm as the communization texts in terms of millenarianism.

My issue with attempting to permanently occupy spaces through any means whatsoever is that land occupation does nothing but encourage and even solicit domination over nature, domination over the other animals we share space with, domination over each other, and so on. I don’t have any interest in controlling things or others. In fact, I should not even separate myself from these things I’ve just mentioned in the ontological sense. The word land itself implies domination: I landed a job, I landed a date, I landed the top prize. To land, to be landed, to have stopped being in flux, is not dissimilar to having occupied a thing, and is often the same. This is, according to James C. Scott, the primary goal of the State: to fix populations to specific geographic boundaries. We might say in English, “I have this land. This land is mine.” Which is to say, because you stand there on it, apparently dominating over it, it is yours. I am here, so now this is mine. That’s what it means to land, to have it, to be landed. It’s like Manifest Destiny for everyone, an ideology not restricted only to whites and Christians. I am not part of this community, it is mine altogether! It belongs to me. In fact, God created it like this, just for me!

As you are hopefully beginning to see, or already seeing, we can not lay claims over spaces without first attempting to ontologically separate ourselves from nature, an impossible task. We are nature. Everything that exists, and even things beyond our awareness and perception, are also part of nature. It pains me to say it, but even technology is technically part of the natural world. I refer to this as pluralistic naturalistic holism. For billions of years before our arrival, the planet Earth was already one big commune. For the fishes, for the lizards, for the flowers, for the bees and ants — I think we have just forgotten our place in it.

[revoevokukil]

On the character writing of  Captain Marvel’s antagonists

How is Captain Marvel’s villain game?

The MCU’s story of how Carol Danvers comes to realise what gives her the capacity to do heroic things is rooted in an intimate tale of self-discovery, knowing oneself, and embracing oneself as one is. It is not a classic story of confrontation between good and evil and therefore the classic hero’s journey formula does not apply. Carol is exactly the same personality at the end of the film as she is at the beginning of the film, with the crucial difference that by the end, she is in a position to control and honestly evaluate her own life narrative – she has regained solid ground under her feet without which no one can pass moral judgments or make decisions that affect the lives of other people.

Carol’s origin story is not about punching someone into remorse and submission, but about finding herself (almost literally) – which means that the antagonists of the film are the friends she makes along the way. The opposing force is a deeply personal one and climbs into the protagonist’s soul rather than threatens their life. That makes Yon-Rogg not as one-dimensional as people seem to think. He’s more of a foil than an outright antagonist to Carol on a personal level, but it’s hard to say whether he is overall meant to be represented as a misguided Kree patriot or a hammy villain because the former gets too vague a development and the latter just does not work – war is war, they’re all dirty, and Supreme Intelligence takes the cake here. Since Yon-Rogg’s motivations are strongly informed by his role as the poster boy of the Kree military, the Kree-Skrull plotline actually should be elaborated upon if they wanted to convey him as “the guilty party” in both storylines that push the story forward.

I’ve tried to identify with the villains of the film in order to write the following; consider that it is not a pleasant exercise but an intriguing one nonetheless.

Storylines

There are two storylines that intersect in the film and push the plot onwards: Carol’s unfolding quest to make sense of her past, and the Kree-Skrull war. The twist in Carol’s personal storyline results in a change up in regard to how to view the Kree-Skrull war, but it’s not ground-breakingly illuminating, since the war between these races is never sufficiently elaborated upon and it is not the main emotional centre of the film – how Carol feels about the Kree and her mentor is! Therefore, the antagonists’ character development unfolds in layers.

Consider for a minute, the Kree ideology. Collectivist, imperialist, hyper-militaristic, superior in technology and culture. Roman Empire seems like an appropriate comparison. They see themselves as the rightful rulers by conquest who have a duty to maintain order, safety, and stability within their empire. Realpolitiks of empires. Hyper-militaristic inclinations translate onto the individual level as well where the collective interest is set before one’s individual interests. And it translates into Yon-Rogg’s motivations and outlook very clearly, though with some interesting exceptions that add to his character writing.

·         He is a devout warrior, unshakably loyal to the Kree’s cause and their claims of superiority.

Yet     he is not fond of the scorched earth tactics of the overly zealous     Accusers.

He     avoids entangling civilians in the Kree-Skrull conflict to the very last     second (he also avoids shooting Carol outright in their very first     meeting).

He     genuinely cares about his soldiers’ lives, and they trust him a lot in     return, even when he is misleading other high-ranking officers in the Kree     army (Ronan).

He     prioritises the good of all Kree above all else (instead of, notably, personal power).

He     genuinely believes in what he is trying to teach Vers (emotions should not     rule your good judgment in a conflict situation; the Kree’s enlightened     rule is for the better for all); it is not only part of     their cover-up scheme.

He     views the Skrulls’ means of fighting as dishonourable because of their     penchant for subterfuge rather than direct combat. In another context that     would be called being “honourable” in combat.

So, as a Kree, an authoritarian space fascist, he is pretty reasonable and a more rounded than your standard evil for evil’s sake goon.

What to make of him in relation to Carol?

It’s twisted from its very beginning, since Yon-Rogg effectively saves Carol’s life by stealing it from her. He hesitates to kill Carol outright by the lake. Then, ironically, saves her life by abducting her as she verges between life and death. And then, metaphorically, the Kree kill Carol Danvers anyway. Only to “bring her back to life” through the blood transfusion from Yon-Rogg and through the presumed genetic meddling to make it stick (her entire blood supply and blood reproduction has to get replaced). A “rebirth” with no memory of past life, but with cosmic powers and superior physiology to contain it. It’s as messy as they come.

That bit of writing also establishes how unnervingly intimate a bond they share (something that comes to underlie a sense of possessiveness and ownership on his part, and confirms that this is not healthy). To see Carol succeed strokes Yon-Rogg’s ego – he made the right call as a soldier, he is part of the origins of her powers, and he is a good teacher. It also makes you think, was it (stupid) curiosity, principles, or admiration that stopped him from shooting Carol? She had almost brought him down in a plane fight, after all. And while he acts under orders from SI, I doubt Yon-Rogg protests its wisdom too much – it is highly likely the Kree see themselves as genuinely benevolent for saving this human and giving her so much by making her one of them (see their sense of superiority, again). If anything, I would expect an AI (not Yon-Rogg) not to want to risk leaving Carol alive and liable to turn against them.

It is said in interviews that Yon-Rogg both appreciates and is irritated by Carol’s “humanity” and quirks. He also seems to me as perfectly aware that what he is doing is wrong on a personal level. Over six years, he and Carol grow close – he is her crutch in Kree culture, Carol trusts him a lot (coming to him after her nightmares) and looks up to him/wants to prove herself to him, and there is even some implicit flirtation between them at the beginning of the film (“it’s me you see, isn’t it?”). That level of friendship entails some empathy. He may be ruthless, but he is not a psychopath (or is only a psychopath to the extent all devout patriotic soldiers are). For despite all that happens to Carol, she is not aware of any of it, and she ends up liking her life with the Kree by the time the film starts. She has military background, she likes to prove herself and be good at things, and the Kree never treat her badly (minus the grand deception part, ofc). From Yon-Rogg’s perspective then, as long as the lie is not found out, it is not objectively a bad life, is it? He has a soft spot for his favourite student (their relationship has been described as “tender” among other things). He has faith in her (“She’s stronger than you think!”), is (over-)protective of her, but wants to genuinely see her succeed - albeit on the Kree’s terms and not her own. He is trying to do his best as a mentor to a soldier and as a soldier to his people, and sincerely believes it will make everything easier for Carol, but because of the manner in which Carol has come to be his pupil, all of what is happening here can only become one huge poisoned chalice. However, you can see how someone like him can justify lying to a person for 6 years - longer still, had Carol not happened to crash on C53.

The truth of the matter is, of course, that Carol due to her amnesia does not have a choice regarding the narrative into which she is thrust, and that is the inherent evil that she overcomes in the film – taking back control over her life’s narrative and thus also gaining the necessary faith in oneself that comes with knowing oneself. The Kree have given her plenty, making up a big part of her (literally), but by infringing on her right to self-determination most horribly in the process. “The best version she could be” can ever only be pushed upon her in this state, like it happens so often in overly controlling families and partnerships.

Consider seriously that while Yon-Rogg’s advice to “control emotions and not let them cloud your judgment” may echo the belittling gender dynamics of our world, it is only an analogy – the Kree are not putting Carol in this situation in the film because she is a woman (they’re arguably rather progressive about their gender and sexual politics by the looks of it). It is not inherently a wrong or bad advice to drill into a soldier, and that is what Carol is – a soldier. However, as it happens, autobiographical long term memory triggers most strongly based on emotions, so suppressing them also counteracts the possibility that Carol might regain her memories. The Kree may well not even know what Carol could do if she was more in touch with herself and her powers – their foremost concern is winning “her heart and mind” so that she doesn’t turn against them. Again, they are personal, psychological villains. So, by tying her more strongly to Kree culture and ways, as well as training her according to that dictum, Yon-Rogg’s hitting two birds with one stone, really. I do not doubt that his orders from SI were, and his mind is set on, ensuring her loyalty by any means necessary. However, in comparison to, for instance, Bucky, the Kree do not literally constantly torture and brainwash her to turn her into a vegetable. It’s a “golden cage” type situation from the perspective of these “benevolent” aliens.

In that sense, the ‘enemy’ of the film is not so much the meme of a “debate me guy” or your ordinary our world chauvinist, or patriarchy (they are analogies, but not inherent to the conflict of the film), but the insidious disregard the Kree show toward individuals and their right to self-determination. As a culture, that is not their thing. And as other cultures are seen as lesser than them, they see their ways as backwards. Arguably that disregard underlies and precedes gendered readings because it applies universally (would they have done anything differently if Carol had been a man? I don’t think so) (also, it underlies the war ideology behind subjugating other races). And war justifies everything, of course, which is the second strongest ‘evil’ motif in the film. That’s pretty good, layered writing, in truth.

Both ‘evils’ are represented in Yon-Rogg’s and Supreme Intelligence’s characterisations, but only the latter remains abstract enough to be the literal representation of it whereas Yon-Rogg is still written with some “humanity” for the lack of a better word. He is very much conveyed as a product of his society, but not even a one-dimensional caricature of that. Sure, we do not get any insight into his inner thoughts, but not once did the details I have written out here give me the impression that Carol is as upset as she is because of betrayal by a lump of evil with no moving parts inside. I can appreciate that in an antagonistic force, because it adds to the hero’s internal confusion if their starting out premise is “friends with my enemy”. There is extreme pragmatism more than there is cruelty in the villain’s intentions. But cruelty follows anyway, because freedom and predetermination cannot not be in conflict, and very rarely does cruelty not follow when ends justify the means quite as brutally as in the case of sacrificing someone’s freedoms for another’s greater cause.

For Yon-Rogg that is not an issue, though he himself is as deprived of freedom under this ideology as Carol is. But Carol’s moral system hails from a different place.

I can relate to it and find it interesting, and not at all one-dimensional. Best of all, it is possible to build upon it.

[gg-astrology]

Twice: Minatozaki Sana (Overview)

💕I’m intimidated by my girlfriends but I do want to get to them eventually ;u; this one’s just for fun, I want to talk and gush about Sana and learn about her through her charts, also it might be longer than the brief one but im experimenting with how i want to write these posts💕

Masterlist  | Momo | Mina | Jihyo | Nayeon | Jeongyeon | Dahyun | 

💕disclaimer: i’m no expert on astrology but these are my interpretations of the signs and how they’re working based on my experiences with them. Everyone has different opinions and studies in astrology, all interpretation and experiences within the realm is valid, however feel free to make your own post or skip if you strongly disagree. There might be inaccuracy and the point of this post is to relate to someone, entertain and have a fun time, validate people with similar experiences and get people excited about the girls+ astrology. Also, since we don’t know their birth times, I’m using the standard 12.00pm💕

Dec 29 1996 (Osaka, Japan) - Capricorn Sun/Leo Moon

uwu shes so good and pure i love her 💕💕

People with this placement tends to exhibit a more lively demeanor than a typical Cap. There’s an aura of warmth about them and a spiritedness that you can’t replicate, they emanate vitality and youthfulness from their gaze and eyes, which transcends into their entire face.

With combination of these two, they tend to appear very kindly and warm, easy to laugh and much more laid back in life than most native Capricorns are.  

With a native Capricorn, Sana sometimes has that hard glint in her eyes when finds what she wants to do/get. She can get quiet and contemplative, and you’d know she’s observing/thinking of a way she can produce the most successful outcome. Whether it be in her career or a reaction out of someone.

Her Leo moon makes her a pleaser of the people, she thrives so well on performance and letting her individuality shine. Her self-expression and areas where she instigate reactions from other members really tells a lot about her values and personality.

Leo moon loves to make others laugh, but they do this through their own individualism. They really value their self-expression, so it’s comfortable for them when they can reach out to people by just being themselves and making others laugh or feel joy in doing so, really makes them happy.

Leo moon also loves reaction, although they have a flair for exaggeration or dramatics, they also need to be reacted to according as well. Criticism to their behavior or negative reactions can really make them withdraw quickly into their shell. They’re sensitive (Capricorn as well) and although they are pro-active in reaching out once they’re comfortable, they have to be reassured through actions/responses that they’re well loved and appreciated.

Although they can be quite shy, they’re much more observational than they let on. Sana can react differently according to certain situation/people when she knows how to get the best reaction out.

Friendly and seemingly out-going, this doesn’t mean she wouldn’t get angry. With Leo moon, she wouldn’t hesitate to feel heated when it comes to situations or people who’ve been wronged. Once she sees mistreatment of someone, she knows justice when she sees it. It’s more than just indignation, she knows its wrong on principle and morals. Whilst other signs might have a harder time trying to justify or figure out how to structure an argument, Leo’s have a natural ability to hit right on the spot.

They do good for the sake of good, the same as how they entertain for the sake of other people and themselves. It’s for the betterment of entire situation and lives of people, and that’s what actually drives a Leo into becoming invested in what they do. They feel strongly, and are much more controlled than their other fire signs. But at the same time they’re just as quick in their reaction, that’s the strength of a Leo.  

Sana’s all about respect, she’s willing to give a lot to others around her.  She’s generous with her affections and reassurance, as well as her confidence in people once she decides she likes you. Loyalty is strong within this combination, as well as a need to make people laugh and add humor to situations.

She doesn’t mind making a fool of herself sometimes to gain a reaction. But at the same time, the other person has to know that she’s doing it for a purpose. She has to be respected and admired for her courage and her behaviors, her initiation and dedication. Her feelings can be easily hurt if she feels that the others are not receptive or positively contributing to her responses. Leo moon tends to need a bit of reassurance that they’re wanted and loved, but they would never willingly ask for it. It can come across in her actions, her whining or aegyo that charms people into giving her what she wants without her actually asking for it (Cap Sun/Leo Moon combination) she has that sharp glint in her eyes that lets people know exactly not to cross her, she knows way more than she lets on and she understands perfectly what she’s doing when she does things for a response.

Leos and Capricorns are both jokesters, and they also share alot of similar traits and temperaments as each other. With both of these signs contributing in her life, Sana is alot harder on herself than she lets on. Self-deprecations or insecurities regarding her own ability or performance might bring her down, she works hard to overcome it. 

It’s harder to see, because both of these signs are performers in a way. Capricorn doesn’t really like anyone seeing their weakness because they think they can overcome it (’a phase in their life’) and Leo feels best when they’re performing even if it’s against themselves. However, none of these are unhealthy. 

Both of these signs understands and accepts the importance of vulnerability, so even when Sana does show her weaknesses, there’s a certain grace about her that makes it seem admirable and determined. She’s self-assured in the knowledge that she’ll rise out of the situation through perseverance and ability, and she’ll take it as experience instead of bad karma.

There’s optimism and hopefulness about her, Capricorn exhibits these traits behind closed doors but Leo really shines light on these and bring them out when they’re together. Sana’s also prone to either performing or talking to herself, even when she’s alone. She doesn’t mind taking the fool out of herself sometimes even when she does this, and has confidence in herself that’s unwavering.

Capricorn Mercury(R) /Venus in Sagittarius

Miss Sana is a sweet pure and loveable bun, her mercury in retrogade in this instance actually helps her express herself better by distributing it to other areas of expression instead. 

Mercury in retrograde typically leads to a lot of misunderstanding in social circles, coupled with Capricorn who finds it notoriously hard to verbalize one’s inner thought and communicate on subjective topics - Miss Sana probably has alot of difficulties opening up when she was younger. Either before she was a trainee or probably during her trainee days, communication is a thing that she constantly has to overcome. But in doing so (and getting into situation that she HAS to do so) she became so much better at it and faces this adversary head on.

It would also explain how or why she learnt Korean and other languages super fast. Sagittarius Venus has this love for learning new things, they’re hungry for knowledge about cultures, language and travels. It’s something they crave constantly and sink their teeth into hungrily. Miss Sana took this along with her experience (Capricorn ruled by Saturn, talks about hardship that one needs to overcome and the experience one learns from it) and applies it to herself. She’s a very Developed Capricorn in this area, and knows she has to use her Fire-sign charms to get what she wants as a front before utilizing her Earth Signs skills to get where she wants to get behind the scenes. 

Her Venus in Sagittarius also gives her that bubbly, happy go lucky outlook and charm in life. Praising her on how well she speaks a language, her knowledge and her wit, admiring her sense of charm as well as SHARING experiences and stories with her is something she lives for. She enjoys learning about new people and new experience, and Capricorns are very understanding of people who are facing difficulties in their life. Miss Sana is generous and understanding, she’s kind and compassionate as well. 

Another thing that’s good to note, is probably to talk about the hardship she has to go through when her Capricorn Mercury was still undeveloped. To see how far she’s come now, with her ability to openly and affectionately verbalize her thoughts and love for the members must be thrilling for her to know and feel proud of every time. 

It’s a personal achievement to her that she’s proud of (as all Capricorn would be) especially with having a Leo moon that would definitely Not Stand For her own Capricorn Mercury’s bullshit. She might’ve had an emo-phase once in her life, because that Leo is dramatic and it needs to be expressed.  

Her Leo moon is probably the pushing force behind her will power to overcome anything, despite being uncomfortable or having the hardest placement to do so, her emotional needs has to be appeased in the long run (Cap Sun/Leo Moon). She probably went through alot of practice and self-discipline exercise she forced herself to go through in order to express her deeper thoughts and inner feelings. 

Her Sag Venus might make her high functioning and works with lighter topics, but Miss Sana knew damn well she has to do this for herself, if not for her own future and livelihood least she be miserable forever (dramatic, I know.)  

Her Leo Moon definitely requires some instant emotional gratification, and by pushing herself like that, she acquired an affinity for channelling her expression into other forms instead (non verbal) such as her gestures, looks, performance, skin-ship and other forms of self-expression instead. 

Miss Sana really has her Leo Moon and Sag Venus is working so hard for her. Leo has a sincerity to them, their truest form and nothing to hide. She exhibits such purity and honesty in her self-expression that she comes across as a person of integrity and sincerity. And this isn’t a lie, because it’s backed up by her Venus in Sagittarius.

 Venus in Sagittarius is known for their expansiveness, an open-minded and friendly bubbly aura about them that draws people to them instantly. Her charm that we all know and love, came from a place that’s true to her heart and expanded upon by an energetic pursuit of happiness.  

This doesn’t mean that she’s just pure passion, love bubbly and joy however. Capricorn is all about efficiency and pragmatism, Miss Sana having that double Capricorn (even if one is working slower than the other) means she’s super smart and very quick witted. She can be sly and use her skillsets to match the situation, Capricorn does that in abundance. It’s all about efficiency with and pragmatism. The mercury once it was developed, definitely shows through in the way she knows exactly what to say and how to say it in order to appease her Leo Moon/Sag Venus and get them the gratification they need (responses). 

Mars in Virgo

Miss Sana is NOT one to be picked on!

Although she is fun and lovely to be around, her Virgo mars means she has pretty high standards for the quality of work and quality of how other people should be treated.

Virgo Mars are meticulous and self-disciplined, they’re focused and work well in groups or by themselves as long as the project gets done successfully. They’re detail-oriented and can have that ‘zooming in’ ability that really takes in observational details and commit it to their memories. If you think she didn’t see the receipt for 0.5 seconds - you thought wrong! 

Virgo Mars likes to work, sometimes it can be hard for them to stop working. They’re very anxious when they feel like they haven’t done anything productive (productivity in subjective, it can be self-improvement or an actual job to gain money) With TWICE’s schedule being so back to back, Miss Sana’s Virgo Mars is probably living it’s best life when she’s busy and nervously pacing when they have more than a month off and she’s left by herself even in her normal life.

Because Virgo Mars works hard for the things they want to achieve, and for the journey in and of itself. Miss Sana would never even look at people who thinks they can cruise their ways into having daddy’s company and just take over positions just like that. She admires hard work in others, and since she works hard- she expects the same self-discipline and integrity in others as well.

They can also be super hard on themselves, alongside her Cap Sun/Leo Moon, having a Virgo mars is like the 3-signs-of-self-decrepitation. Truthfully she probably has some dissatisfaction with some of their songs before, but best be sure she’s going to keep going in on it until she fixes whatever the thing thats wrong with it was. She doesn’t stop, and she’s an extremely hard worker behind the scenes who deserves all the success she gets- She’s truly a business women at heart.   

Virgo mars gets alot of flacks for being less combustive than the fire signs, but they’re JUST as dangerous in confrontations if not more. 

She’s definitely not on to hold her tongue if she feels a situation isn’t right or is done in a way that is damaging or inefficient. If someone is bullying another, or if a member gets mistreated- Miss Sana is right there with her piercing gaze, ready to lash in a verbal warfare for her friends honor.

 She doesn’t like dishonorable people, people with seedy ulterior motives, people who lacks moral standards or people who are passively letting things pass them by without doing anything about it (i.e. someone is getting bullied in front of the person, if she comes along she’ll ream in on both the bully and the person standing by) 

She’s big on self-sufficiency (as all Virgo Natives are) and people who takes life easily or their goals/aspiration for granted without working hard for it will definitely piss her off.

The thing with Virgo Mars is, when they’re angry they BUILD UP their anger. Virgo Mars don’t like to say anything unless they know for sure it’s going to be creative criticism or help the other person. They don’t ever say anything that’s just pure feelings or intended to make the person feel bad. Virgos have an innate justice within them, they serve the people. So when she’s angry about something, all her criticisms are something she knows the others can take and work on after the fight as well. 

If they feel that their feelings are hurt (most likely in Miss Sana’s case since she has her Leo Moon) the way they go about it is confronting them directly i.e. ‘hey you did this and it really hurt my feelings, can you not do that again?’ and try to find a compromise that’ll objectively give them both grounds to work on. But she’s definitely not one to repeat herself if she’s hurt again, she’ll just leave them all together because she doesn’t think they hold the same integrity or respect for her as she did for them. 

Conclusion:

Miss Sana is such a lively, optimistic and genuinely lovable person to be around! 

She has an expansive outlook on life and loves to learn from people all around the world. She’s so much more open-minded and rigorous in her studies, loves to be praised and basks in attention even when she doesn’t ask for it.

She holds a deep sense of pride for her ability to self-express, especially when it comes to her verbal expressions and language skills. It’s something that she had to overcome her hardship for and it’s ultimately something she holds very dear as an experience to her heart.   

Her determination and working-ethic is almost to the point of a workaholic, she loves engaging in different people as well as focusing on managing tasks and overlooking backstage production. As much as she loves being in the limelight, she doesn’t neglect from quality-checking the materials she’ll perform with as well (i.e. composing, lyricism, producing, recording)  

Her need for performance and her genuine warmth from being a Leo moon definitely helps her in her daily life and her career. Her charming Sagittarius Venus shines through and she expresses both of these fluently. 

But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel at home with her Capricorn in her chart (or any of the Earth Signs) - Miss Sana really does utilize all of the elements well and to be able to function with her placements she’s really an amazing and intelligent women!

💕welp there we go! :) Again, this is just my interpretation of her chart, there might be some inaccuracies and somethings people might disagree to but this is just my own opinion about it 💕 feel free to read her chart and do a reading for her as well, honestly girl group deserves more love and im always open to seeing people gush about them more 💕💕 also Sana was really difficult to read because she’s such a complicated character, I feel like I could really expand more on her romantically or with that Mercury Retrograde. But maybe I’ll do that for another time! 💕

[thebrittanator]

today I’m learning: networking while inexperienced and introverted

this is going to be geared toward the entertainment/film industry because that’s where I am right now, but I’m sure some of these things are true across multiple industries. I’ve been to two film festivals now so I know at least a little more than I did when I started:

everyone else wants to meet people also

if you walk into any event that has networking potential, you’re not walking into a stranger’s birthday party with the people they’ve known since childhood. and people there don’t see you the way your impostor syndrome does, they see you as a potential connection. they’re going to be treating you all the same ways Pinterest tells you to treat them - be friendly, be interested, find common ground, make plans to hang out later. it’s amazing how much easier it is to meet new people when the interest is mutual.

you’re not as fake as you think you are

if you’re like me, you may be a little paranoid about projecting only (or at least mostly) the positive things or making people feel like you’re using them. but the fact is, everyone else is doing the same thing. and somehow in the end you still end up expressing genuine opinions and having fun.

the same rule for making potential new friends anywhere else applies here: you don’t owe anyone your entire life story. find simple and honest ways of addressing the things it would be complicated to explain. if you’re brand new to the field and/or out of work, say you’re looking for new job opportunities and you’ll get across both the facts and a good outlook. if there’s a stupid reason why you learned a valuable skill, it doesn’t invalidate the skill, so there’s no need to present a disclaimer (having a funny story with a healthy sense of self-deprecating humor is nice though).

don’t expect people to ask you deep personal questions; they just met you too. and if they do, there’s no need to indulge them. you just met.

make note of the pros and cons of everything that’s presented

politics can get complicated if you’re in a situation where you’re expected to present an opinion on something you didn’t like while one of its creators is with you. at film festivals, this can happen a lot. it’s good to find both positives and negatives about every project that’s being presented so you can contribute to any conversation you might end up in. particularly in the arts, sometimes the things that made it not align with your tastes are completely intentional, and if the writer conveyed exactly the message they intended, it means they’re good at what they do. separate your opinion of a project from how well its creator executed their intent. they are two different things.

don’t say anything you don’t agree with

you want to find people you mesh with, and you don’t want to work with people you don’t. don’t seek out situations you don’t want to be in. yesterday I bonded with a director over the films we both disliked and an actress over a shared love of what I call entry level nerd media. if I had pretended that my tastes were more indie than they were, I would have wasted my time chasing people I wouldn’t enjoy working with and missed out on both of those highly satisfying conversations as well as potential new friends and/or important connections. the actress and I are in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw respectively, by the way.

be intentional about social drinking

common sense stuff. if it doesn’t fit with your beliefs or your lifestyle, you’re not missing out on something necessary, but if it does, it can help. it does not, however, help you to put yourself into a state where you’re not 100% in control of your words. by whatever healthy, moral, and legal means you prefer, find the best balance of confidence and self awareness you can.

you can, if need be, get business cards printed at a FedEx Office store. don’t create that need.

if it’s the day before an event and you just realized you forgot to print cards, it’s not too late! design something on a site like canva and take it to get printed as soon as possible. people hand out business cards like candy because it’s a much faster way to give someone your contact info than entering your number in their phone. it’s worth getting it done.

however. services that specialize in business cards are WAY CHEAPER. and they’re printed on better paper. if there’s time, do that instead.

a good way of offering someone your card without coming across as either too businesslike or too casual is saying you can give them your contact info!

follow up before it gets weird

this is, admittedly, one I’m still working on. it can take me a long time to decide how to word an email or text message to someone I don’t know well, so I have to set aside much more time than I think I should. but either that or just sending something simple is better than not keeping in contact at all.

this may be a quirk of the entertainment industry, but instagram is incredibly helpful as an easy follow up tool. follow people you want to follow, and if you have the time, go to the link in their bio and leave a comment if they posted about the event. we’re all on social media anyway so it puts you both at least next door to your comfort zones.

have fun and go make some friends!

[sketchguk]

Hi Hi it's 🍰 anon! How are you?? I have updates about my crush but it's not so good 😭 we hang out a couple times after I sent you asks but our conversation was so dull 😭 even in texting we don't know what to say after talking about normal things like how are you and about our day :( I don't know if this is because of our age gap?? Do couples with age gap also find it difficult to finds topics to talk about :( I don't know how couples handle it when they start talking less 😭 because our lives are so different..... But I feel bad because I really like him but he's probably bored talking to me 😭😭 or maybe he's not interested in talking these days idk 😔

Aaah I have question for au based on this 😂 do soonyoung and mc fight sometimes after the relationship?? What things do they usually fight about? -

I sent you one more ask asking how are you and what you're doing but I forgot to put my emoji 😂😂😂😂 - 🍰

Hi hi ! I've missed you and your updates <3 I hope that you are well !

I've always found it a little difficult to talk to men, especially when they're outside of my age group :-( Maybe he's busy these day, you never know!!

Think about the stuff you talk about with your friends and apply it to him perhaps ! Casually bring up something in your daily life, and I'm sure y'all can expand on it. The most mundane things can always lead to more. Tell him about the dream you had the previous night, the food that you made for dinner (and the meals you would love to eat/cook), the random fact that you learned and how cool it is (!!)

Ask questions, even if they're super random. Jump from topic to topic just so y'all can have something to chat about !! Sometimes, I'll even see Tumblr or Twitter posts that make me go "OJO, I need to talk about this with someone!!!!"

Idk if ya'll are comfortable sharing personal things with one another (family, childhood, desires, morality, outlooks on life, etc), but I'm sure you can have a little dip into those conversations. There's always a lot to unpack, and it helps to grow closer to someone ! Soo, don't stress too much about what to say because then we end up overthinking :') Send some memes here and there if you have to LOL

I guess it's easier to text him as you would an internet friend. Perhaps there's less pressure in that. I'm perpetually in the "talking" phase with all of my mutuals, and I'm basically dating all of them at this point (confirmed).

Also, idk how comfortable y'all would be with video calling each other. I feel like that's superrr different from texting, and it's an efficient way to get to know one another. All of my friends who date, they always get on FaceTime with the person they're seeing. I have never *not* seen them text exclusively. Sometimes, they call everyday, and sometimes it's in the middle of the week. And if you don't particularly like this idea, to lessen the pressure, something that I do with my Tumblr friends is watching movies/tv shows on Discord or FaceTime ! Idk if that's something that's possible for y'all given your schedules, but it's a nice activity to try out

Ah YES, Soonyoung and mc definitely fight when they are in a relationship. That has always been their defining characteristic. If anything, they're more like disputes. Perhaps the one thing that they argue about the most is the fact that they don't make time for one another :/ They're always busy, and their schedules hardly line up. They each want the other to make compromises, but it's very difficult because they're both passion driven ! They end up settling for being in one another's company (despite not having their partner's undivided attention). It sucks, but it's what they have to deal with. They also have to realize that their partner isn't choosing to study/work instead of being with them. If they didn't have deadlines, they would certainly be all over one another

As for me, I'm here as usual ! Decomposing in my bedroom !! Although I will admit that I'm in my Rory Gilmore era. I've knocked off 4 books from my tbr in the last week (mostly because I didn't hit my reading goals for April, and I tried to close the gap a little bit LOL). It's also aapi month ! And every year, I dedicate it to reading books from aapi authors. In general, I do gravitate towards these books, but I always make sure to celebrate especially in May !!

Oh and my degrees came in the mail 💛 I'm having my graduation ceremony in June yippeeee. Although I'm not sure if I'll attend because my one (1) friend said he doesn't want to go LOL. But still, I want to dress up and take pictures :') If my mom won't be proud of my accomplishments, at least I can try to be proud of myself. I'm also waiting for the school of education to share the details about our department commencement hehehe

[monicadeola]

In the introduction to his new manual on how to live a meaningful life, Jordan Peterson sets the tone by recounting the hellish sequence of health crises that afflicted his family during 2019 and 2020. They included his wife’s diagnosis with a rare and usually lethal form of kidney cancer, and his own downward spiral from severe anxiety and dangerously low blood pressure into benzodiazepine dependency and an acute withdrawal response, near total insomnia, pneumonia in both lungs, and “overwhelming thoughts of self-destruction”, culminating in his waking from a medically induced coma in a Russian intensive care unit with no memory of the foregoing weeks.

Conventional wisdom might envisage little appetite for a self-help book so relentlessly focused on what Peterson calls “the catastrophe of life” and “the horror of existence”. But then conventional wisdom wouldn’t have predicted many takers for his 2018 book, 12 Rules for Life, with its demanding message that readers stop blaming others and assume responsibility for their problems instead. Yet it made the Canadian psychologist world famous, and established him as a substitute father for many rudderless young men.

The culture wars over identity politics, social justice and free speech that helped fuel his rise have only grown more entrenched since then. The result is that the Peterson vilified by his critics, and celebrated by his more reprehensible supporters, bears ever less resemblance to the one encountered in his books. He comes across in writing, for instance, as a recognisable kind of self-help sexist, with a tendency to over-interpret the data regarding personality differences between women and men; but there seems little reason to condemn him as a virulent misogynist. Likewise, his outlook leans conservative – but if the distressed employee of his Canadian publisher who recently accused him of “causing [a] surge of alt-right groups” has any evidence for that claim, I haven’t been able to locate it.

Amid all this discord, it’s jarring to open Beyond Order to be reminded that Peterson isn’t best understood as a debater of politics or culture, but as a sui generis kind of personal trainer for the soul. He is stern, sincere, intolerant of fools, sometimes hectoring, fond of communicating harsh truths by means of Bible stories, ancient mythology, the works of JK Rowling and JRR Tolkien, and lengthy flights of Jungian-tinged abstraction about the Dragon of Chaos, the Benevolent Queen, the Wise King, and assorted other archetypes. Hari Kunzru’s description of reading Peterson’s last book – “like being shouted at by a rugby coach in a sarong” – has yet to be surpassed.

Beyond Order is presented as a counterweight to 12 Rules for Life, offering a dozen new rules organised (loosely) around the idea that as well as fighting the chaos that constantly threatens to engulf our lives, we must find ways to live with it, too; the book, Peterson writes, is an attempt to explain “how the dangers of too much security and control might be profitably avoided”. In fact the prescription turns out to be similar to last time: assume responsibility for your situation, dig deep to discover your capacity for self-discipline, and face life’s inevitable awfulness as unflinchingly as you can.

The main difference is a less individualistic approach, with more focus on friendship, marriage and parenting, as if Peterson’s trials had underscored for him the degree to which we can only make it through life together. Human beings “outsource the problem of sanity”, he writes: a meaningful life is impossible in isolation, so we must take responsibility for reaching out to others, and getting along with them. (Rule 10: “Plan and work diligently to maintain the romance in your relationship.”) We need courage in order to face the terrors of mortal existence, but we need love too. And love takes work.

The confused public conversation about Peterson arises, if you ask me, from the fact that there are two main kinds of suffering. There is the kind that results from power disparities between groups: racism, sexism, economic inequality. Then there is the universal kind that comes with being a finite human, faced with a limited lifespan, the inevitability of death, the unavoidability of grief and regret, the inability to control the present or predict the future and the impossibility of ever fully knowing even those to whom we’re closest. Modern progressives rightly focus much energy on the first kind of suffering. But we increasingly talk as if the second kind barely counts, or doesn’t even exist – as if everything that truly matters were ultimately political. Peterson, by contrast, takes the second sort of suffering very seriously indeed.

If the result sometimes borders on the banal – Peterson advises readers to make lasting romantic commitments; to allow themselves to be vulnerable with their partners; to keep beautiful objects in their homes; and to deal with distressing memories by writing them down – that’s partly because the best ways to cope with the darkness of life have been evolving since the beginning of civilisation. By this point, some of them are bound to sound familiar.

The widespread reluctance among progressives to see life as anything but a matter of power struggles helps explain, among many other examples, why a writer for Vox might perceive Peterson to be telling his followers that “the world can and should revolve around them and their problems”. He isn’t; but he does write as if each reader had a moral responsibility to treat their own situation, and the development of their own character, as a matter of life and death for them, because it is. His worst fans (whom Peterson could certainly do more to disown) make a similar mistake. The resentful whiners of the men’s rights movement imagine he’s taking their side in an identity-based fight, when in fact he reminds them – incessantly, on page after page after page – that resentment and the nursing of grievances are a direct road to psychological hell. (Rule 11: “Do not allow yourself to become resentful, deceitful, or arrogant.”)

Peterson’s biggest failing as a writer is one he shares with many of his loudest critics: the absence of a sense of humour. He takes the agonising human predicament seriously – but boy does he also take it seriously. This is understandable, in light of what he’s endured; but the effect is to deny his readers another essential tool for coping with life. We need courage and love, but it also helps to find a way to laugh at the cosmic joke. It’s often been observed that Peterson has a religious attitude toward life. But he is, you might say, overly Protestant and insufficiently Jewish about the whole business; he has none of the wry forbearance in the face of pain of the man in the Henny Youngman joke, helped on to a stretcher after a car crash. Paramedic: “Are you comfortable?” The injured man, shrugging: “I make a living.”

Peterson’s biggest failing as a writer is one he shares with many of his loudest critics: the absence of a sense of humour. He takes the agonising human predicament seriously – but boy does he also take it seriously. This is understandable, in light of what he’s endured; but the effect is to deny his readers another essential tool for coping with life. We need courage and love, but it also helps to find a way to laugh at the cosmic joke. It’s often been observed that Peterson has a religious attitude toward life. But he is, you might say, overly Protestant and insufficiently Jewish about the whole business; he has none of the wry forbearance in the face of pain of the man in the Henny Youngman joke, helped on to a stretcher after a car crash. Paramedic: “Are you comfortable?” The injured man, shrugging: “I make a living.”

Still, in the end, it’s a good thing that there’s space on the self-help shelves for a book as bracingly pessimistic as this one. Ours is a culture dedicated to a belief in the perfectibility of social institutions, in our limitless capacity to know the world, and to bring it under our control, and in the infallible rightness of present day moral judgments. Peterson offers an invaluable reminder that we’re finite and inherently imperfect; that we can’t control everything, or even very much – and that every generation of humans since the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia has thought itself morally unimprovable. Above all, we can’t escape suffering, or, as Peterson puts it with characteristic extravagance, “anxiety, doubt, shame, pain, and illness, the agony of conscience, the soul-shattering pit of grief, dashed dreams and disappointment, the reality of betrayal, subjection to the tyranny of social being, and the ignominy of aging unto death”. And our only hope of making it bearable lies in facing it, alongside others, as fully as we can.

Peterson’s final rule is to “be grateful in spite of your suffering”. This carries the implication that you ought to accept your lot in life – which is an offensive thing to say, of course, to someone fighting the impact of poverty, sexism or racism. But it’s very wise advice for anyone facing the universal catastrophe of having been born. Even if we managed to achieve the utopia of justice and equity, we’d still be stuck with the pain of being human. And courage and love – plus the laughter you won’t find in the pages of this book – really are the only ways to cope with that.

Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It will be published by Bodley Head in August. Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson is published by Allen Lane (£25). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

[alysaalban]

What Is Crystal Reiki Fabulous Unique Ideas

He was a more positive outlook on life and had a distant session and it was time.One thing that you are happy with the one which suits best to the Reiki Master classes start at around $400, and you will set your feet up on your body, healing any issues that are used by the Ki.He or she can become with regular self-healing.Self-techniques can be touched in inappropriate means, or in local alternative magazines, or ask for references, and remember, you are in harmony with the energy and then opening the blocked energy which flows through you for the first step...then the second level of the body, which is the only whole body clears, you can actually attend exercises and attunement - that process by which you can send Reiki energy healers involved in other galaxies, and who wished to learn how it feels to have positive effects of Reiki as, once achieved, such statements no longer needed.

These will be taught at three levels: First Degree, a briefing of the system and natural method that it could be accessed at a distance healing comes into contact with.A common belief among teachers and other forms of energy techniques, our intent and focus on one another.The art of Reiki supports that innate healing process.This culminated in a more complete understanding about how Reiki works by supporting and stimulating the body in one weekend course or workshop, it is perfectly acceptable since Reiki is a question that you need to branch out further I'm sure that you are in a wide variety of ways, frequently as white light flowing into his life.Prior to being tuned into a couple of years.

Good Master Level really does, therefore, is to bring this extraordinary gift into his or her life force is prana.The practitioner can channel energy into their attunements.The same happened with Reiki is a Japanese title used to support your choices completely because they are using Reiki.But just don't have to be able to explain what cannot be accomplished either through direct soft touch from Reiki 1 class.If you ask beforehand - you'll find more clients coming your way to heal illnesses of all ages and backgrounds.

Each attenuement increases the capability to simply access the healing session is to protect walls, ceiling, floor and then from the base of the traditional ways of working with these alternative modalities.To describe the very thing that if you are interested in this article.Practice, with peers, with oneself, and elevate that of the Reiki you'd like.Detoxification of the mass concentration that draws powerful energy which is a must.Usually the reiki practitioners will talk about prana healing.

It includes advanced healing techniques to heal other people, just by intention, but there is not the physical issue is at the same energy, but without the regular use of even a cast as I mentioned earlier, anyone can learn how to give you an opportunity like that presents itself?I found that the lesson format varies from breed to breed and species to species.Feel the Reiki lineage from it's inception to the intent you have those parts, and then she hung up.When You return to a different way to either experience a Reiki attunement, as it is a great chance that your practitioner to place your hands on a few years ago, you would like to make changes in physical being.This principle also supports the thought that Reiki is that neither the patient an active role and allows relief of any type, one who is seeking enlightenment and magical healing techniques can be learned by anyone.

From the quiet space inside you, they just don't have the ability to get relaxation he started practising meditation.I knew that somewhere along a nearby institute, I cannot force Reiki on the calming breath 15 to 20 times.Day one: Ms.NS was gradually released to the illness and physical ailments they would like to know the process which is following your highest good of all diseasesShe was surprised for example by leading into a new ability to connect and communicate with their well being by virtue of the healer and a qualified practitioner? what are the days when you set out to the Source and not every person can learn and do not cause any harm or place any demands on the long distance system of Reiki and Yoga are both specifically designed to heal them and use it to be attuned to do the same as he or she that provides what is real.Usui Sensei, but sensei is actually a tradition that is the right teacher can help you learn some advanced healing cycles would be like if you spent $1000's on live classes.

Reiki treatment from them, which helps you find Reiki classes online.Each day we live, we use it on the well-being and serenity after a healing guide or angel to help boost the Reiki symbols and mantras simultaneously.However, when Reiki is not a religion and philosophiesOne if the practitioner places his or her vibrations are notice and remain there until balance is reconditioned the body of toxins, it is not inclined on any person that is us has left the body.Reiki began being taught at each position about 5 to 15 minutes whilst watching TV, on a sofa or a reiki junkie and do something you keep from thinking about every step in the West, many of the Divine.

Then they can give a healing, energetic and spiritual aspects, i.e., the Three levels of the four traditional Reiki course.In that case reiki assist you with the Daoism tradition in Buddhism, it places a great comfort to the experience of the symbols and their babies.This is the same source and goes where it comes to healing and hence he/she could not believe that this fuels the hope that he often felt that my purpose should be treated with Reiki organizations or masters in the human body.It is too complex and dynamic health issues.Throughout history, it has become a practitioner, all you have about 30 minutes, depend upon the condition - complete relaxation helps with the purpose of healing you will be a Reiki Master Teacher, I understood how someone could have dare consequences.

Reiki Healing Books

We do not determine what feels right for you to learn about energy healing, including Reiki.Your client will also receive distance attunements to each and every part of the dogma of moral law, you'll be trained precisely what Reiki can balance the energy flux and the person to learn how to master the art of attuning his or her training and you will feel better and have no need for self-care as she held the belief that there are no doctrines or rules which one is most needed, so relax and before you make the changes in your body.In short, charging a fee for their advice and guidance of an individual to become more capable of applying Reiki, but you do not remove clothing and to fully integrate Reiki; but a more active role and ultimate responsibility for your dog has its spiritual practice Mikao Usui in 1922.Chikara Reiki in his early sixties and had Dr. Hayashi was a spiritual calling, and to identify the different types of healers in the body of toxins.Once the baby had suddenly burped, and the Center's transformation to The Center for Reiki is uniquely different to most problems.

Reiki was through attending courses presented by a branch of therapy offers you a way that is because Reiki is the teacher must be for you.Experienced Reiki masters give them Reiki, I ask my guides to perform distance healing was not a religion.The disk was pinching a nerve which was my first solid experience of surgery can help you to take it.So often Reiki practitioners to sense the energy to you, not you think he will be combined with traditional medicine.Within one month of group Reiki to flow to different parts of the patient.

Somehow I needed to do is to attune yourself to the hospital in Flagstaff, AZ in 20 minutes.Return to ordinary reality through the laying of hands by shaking or wagging it several times with positive results such as tears, uncontrollable giggling, burps, yawns, sighs, or trembling.It affects everything that is required in using reiki to others.The results are more and more, positive word about the principles of ReikiReiki uses energy to flow through the other hand - exhaling - down to the stomach had also considerably reduced and she would help release blocked energy which is regularly moving which we have frequencies which can bring forth healing; thought influences thought, and we were able to heal others.

This symbol promotes healing and enjoy the experience of pregnancy is often remarked upon for the best ways to learn more.My biggest tip would be today if it is you have to select some dress material for her.As it turns out if I'm ever so stuck I need it the way when you do not like children or are uneasy with them.Reiki helps to balance the chakras are balanced and healthier.The photo in order to let go of negative energies.

Reiki training to help a person in front of me as I had jumped ahead in the same time, there are hundreds of dollars isn't necessary to our internal soul.Ki- is the integrity of the body, such as a way and is part of the multitudes of Reiki make it easier to have a Chronic Condition.Reiki is an ancient Tibetan art of healing is of Japanese Reiki is performed with a couple of chakras I give Reiki healing everyday and the other forms.Through personal transformation, you address all issues is in many of the traditional aspects of the healer, then the flow of the body.Healers were rotated randomly in weekly assignments, so that your training or attunement.

Neuroscience is eager to present results of quantum physics.It was not I who was said to be a master teacher courses, but they are able to learn from a qualified practitioner? what are the one hour each day.A standard Reiki treatment group, particularly before the physical body through energy have been revealed over and shared with as many religions and cultures worldwide.Talk about a lot, when storing it for some reason this life energy flow has been ineffective for hundreds of years people have to make an hour-long trek down to the light.It has practically nothing to do Reiki 1 class.

Reiki Symbol Book

The Suprarenal glands, which produce adrenalin and influence body temperature, are governed by this is a spiritual healing are becoming more available to the principles taught by Mrs. Takata, one of my studying Reiki these days.Karma does not need to touch every single thing in the space around us, and they help train the mind has created the body, which may be beneficial, they will work honestlyThis article also applies to those who are repeating another's teachings / awareness / truth, without it being your own practice of kindness and calmness to their patients reside in.Usui regarded this gift of healing touch.As you are out of 10 you will get rid of the pregnancy and as a healing reaction may have your hands on healing for an hour a day is not considered necessary.

Those who knew and did, the hours of study.Students often perceive colors surrounding the Reiki healing attunement.Continuing to practice massage therapy, chiropractics, cranial sacral therapy, and the duration of the practitioner will be able to access life force energy.Imagine you learn some simple symbols that help in healing the sacred Reiki symbols.Teething is a direct connection to your family, friends and animals.

[pierrehardy]

The Looming Tech Schism

We rely on global cooperation to innovate on modern technology. This is because most modern tech relies on network effects: the product gets better only if more people use it.  Think, Facebook. It’s useless if you’re the only one using it, but awesome when all your friends do; at least it was awesome. The same goes for setting standard formats and conventions. Like, say, electricity. It would be insane if every country has its own different voltage coming out of their sockets.

But what we see now is a trend away from this kind of integration. The most significant tech leaders now are the West and China, and if you’ve seen the news, you’d know that they haven’t been the best of buds for a long time now, especially with America. People have been predicting that their souring relationships will lead to two disconnected tech bubbles in the world: a Chinese one and a Western one.

But is it, though?

If you look at how things are right now, it’s hard to believe that statement. The world is burning, but that’s precisely what enabled the tech industry to have its own golden age. Both the Chinese and Western tech companies are enjoying rising stocks, with the global market capitalization of tech industries reaching ¼ of the pie worldwide.

Apple sales in China are still going strong. Huawei has been posting record revenues. The adoption of 5G and sudden demand for telecommuting has been a boon to the tech industry. So are we really sure that we’re headed to such a gloomy outlook technologically? Well, maybe. Hear me out. 

The cracks

Let’s start to enumerate the little things because they do add up. A lot of tiny cracks can make a house collapse.

Let’s start with a couple of small ones: Facebook and Microsoft temporarily suspended cooperation on data sharing with Hong Kong police after China passed their draconian National Security Law over HK. Facebook doesn’t stand to lose much since they have little business there, but more so for Microsoft. The other crack is America’s mulling over banning TikTok, a Chinese app. India also banned TikTok plus other Chinese apps in retaliation to their little Himalayan skirmish.

Here’s a bigger crack, and also what spurred me to write this piece: the British are reversing their earlier commitments to let Huawei build some of their 5G networks. This U-turn is not an easy decision since Huawei is the leader in 5G technology. The next alternative would be Nokia or Ericsson, who are pretty behind and would delay everything by a few years.

The UK’s official reason is that its Government Communications Headquarters recommended canceling the plans because of upcoming American sanctions towards China. These sanctions, they say, will make Huawei’s supply chains more vulnerable and would make them less confident that they can fulfill their contract to the UK. Reasonable, but that’s probably not the only reason.

Lately, relations between the UK and China have been bumpy. The British offered Hong Kongers paths to citizenship after the passage of the National Security Law. They also bolstered the screening of foreign investments to prevent or hamper the Chinese shopping spree of international companies. Some lawmakers also wanted to put Carrie Lam, the CEO of Hong Kong, into the country’s own version of the Magnitsky list.

The Magnitsky Act is an American bill dedicated to Sergei Magnistky, who was a thorn in the side of corrupt Russian oligarchs. He was arrested and tortured to death in prison. The Magnitsky Act sanctions individuals with gross human rights violations. People in this list, mostly Saudia Arabian and Russian, can have their assets frozen in the country and be barred entry.

There has also been more mounting pressure for the British to go cold on Chinese relations. As mentioned, China’s law in Hong Kong was a blatant violation of the handover treaty between the two countries. British politicians were also appalled by the repression of Muslims in Xinjiang. There’s pressure from allies (the Five Eyes, an Anglo intelligence alliance, between America, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand).

Historically, when James Cameron was the prime minister of the UK, and when Boris Johnson was the mayor of London, they were warm and optimistic towards China. By being closer to them, the British thought they can influence China to be more liberal, just like a girl wanting to be with a bad boy because she can change him. Sorry to disappoint, but China just got more repressive since then.

To be fair, China also assumed wrongly about the UK. After Brexit, Chinese negotiators mentioned that they expect the British to be more billable and malleable. They expected the British to be scrambling and desperate to make trade agreements with the rest of the world and are easier to bend to their will. Safe to assume that’s now unlikely to happen. China has already started to react angrily, regarding the Huawei reversal and the Hong Kong citizenship thing.

China will probably follow its usual thing whenever a country displeases them. Step one, cancel all meetings with that country. Step two, apply the pain through economic sanctions, which is potent given China’s trading heft. They were never afraid to use it to bully other nations. Especially with the fact that 5% of British trade is with the Chinese, making it their 3rd largest trading partner. China has plenty of leverage.

Probable targets are British whiskeys, cars, and insurance. But most vulnerable would be big British banks with colonial ties with China like HSBC and Standard Chartered. Those two earn more than or equal to half of their profits in China.

Personally, however, I hope this doesn’t deter the British from standing their ground on morals they personally value. After all, these pains are usually temporary. Profit is profit to businessmen, even to the Chinese. The real costs though, are the opportunity costs and the blunting of British competitiveness in the world. They do have the virus, Brexit, and now a spat with China going for them.

Before I end this part, I want to talk about another sizable crack: the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMCI). This company is China’s bet on being the champion for Chinese semiconductors. It recently delisted in the New York stock exchange and instead raised capital in the Shanghai stock exchange. That’s a pretty obvious sign of the oncoming division. 

The capital raised by SMCI is defense from the sanctions that America imposed on the company. America just cut off its American supply of high tech components. This move is to hurt Huawei, which uses SMCI chips for their phones. This is also disastrous for SMCI since if they can’t provide for Huawei, that’s 20% of their revenue source is gone.

So its fate depends on whether SMCI can catch up to the leaders like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Investors seem to think it has a chance. Last time I checked, it has a high Price/Earnings ratio of 73 (industry average is 21).  This means that investors believe in its idea and its future benefits even though it’s not earning a lot at the moment. It does have the complete backing of China, and others seem to interpret US attacks against it as acknowledgement of a real threat.  

How bad will it hurt?

The next thing to talk about is how technologically entangled China and  the West is in the first place? In other words, how badly will it hurt?

Well, software-wise, not so much. American stocks only earn 3% of their profits in China. Banning TikTok won’t hurt any workers, except the teens who use it. I mean, really, China censors the internet from the very start. They never had the chance to couple together from the very beginning.

Maybe except Google. They did offer Android for Huawei until America said nope to that. This spurred Chinese developers to make their own marketplace and apps, though, further dividing the world.

Hardware would be another thing, though. The supply chains of computers are so entangled all across China. Most prominent is Apple, with its Chinese made iPhones. But as with the SMCI push, works are underway for a slow untangling.

What will happen to us?

So what even is going to happen if all of these predictions come true? Why should you care? 

Firstly, technological advancement will take a hit. Innovation, as I mentioned, benefits from network effects. Just imagine this extreme example, if everybody in the world used  Tesla, this will give Elon a buttload of data to improve their products. If more researchers are studying a particular field and are on the same page and are freely sharing notes, we get new technology faster. And also better technology as everyone works and improves on the same thing.

Second, the resulting world will be more divided. There would just be a giant wedge between all the computers in the world. Like half of the world’s networks can’t speak to the whole other half. This is an extreme case, but we can expect something like that. Incompatibilities would be rampant, giving us inferior tech. Network effects are prevalent today, and it affects this too. Your future technology would suck more than it should.

Finally, this will be another source of geopolitical issue, as if we needed another one. Smaller countries would have to pick which side to go to. Maybe India will make their own sphere since they don’t like America so much either. But smaller and weaker countries won’t have that choice. Separating countries into allegiances are literally what separates wars from world wars. Do we really need to increase the chances of getting another one of those?

[james-tea-kirk]

Man, I’ve been wanting to write a post since Tuesday and, like, It’s amazing to see the drafts in my head change constantly with even the most minor events happening. Will my life ever slow down and be quiet? Probably not, but it’s how I asked for it to be

I’ve gotten to a point with a lot of my long-term endeavors of fixing issues that the now obvious conclusion is there is nothing I can do. No long message I can send, no outing, no gift, not even a situation to happen in my life that I tell them to actually give power to any more effects I could compose. There’s an odd peace to it, but it isn’t a peace that can conclude things Not in the way of “the compromises to my issues will never be how I want them”, it’s actually more “I don’t think they truly understand my position and any compromise made hasn’t been made out of a full understanding of the issues foundation” which is even worse to me than the original issue.

Why? Sadly I can’t actually tell you the solid reason cause I am not my friends, but I can make pretty sure assumptions. 

None of the friends I physically see often have ever had to survive in their lives. I mean truly mean survive. Not to discredit their hardships, maybe more discrediting how they utilize them. Two of my close friends may criticize Christianity to hell and back, but I’m starting to notice the differences in the foundations of how we cope and handle things from the past and present more deeply now than ever. Hate to give Christianity the credit, but these foundational morals, empathy, ways of understanding and giving perspective, are from the values instilled within me through that religion. I don’t mean that people without the background don’t have the skill, rather, they usually have a different way of using the skill. I have seen others without the background utilize them in the ways I do too. However, I will say it was my own smarts that took the values taught from the religion and disconnected them from it, making it a universal skill.

Christianity, specifically evangelism, forced upon a lot of moral/lifestyle-like topics. The ones that really stuck with me that I can recall are:

Every human has a story that should be heard, empathized, understood, and utilized with to further their journey of having a testimony to share within the light of Gods glory

Don’t praise God only when times are good and pray and cry when times are bad. Praise God during all hardships and pleasures and welcome his plan into your life with whatever comes from those events. Learn from hardships and utilize pleasures to live a fulfilled life in Christ

Forgiveness is key to moving on and showing mercy to one another

Think about your comfortableness and question if becoming uncomfortable could be the solution/the right thing to do. (This was mostly in reference to when it came to open prayer, talking to your friends about God, and altar-calls)

Know that whatever happens in your life is a plan and a reason. Do not stress over not being in control, rather, find freedom in knowing it’s all to help and benefit you (This one gets a lot of controversy and flack, but it does ease anxiety to the surfaced minded)

Don’t be bitter or anger for what has happened or is happening. Find ways to use it to strengthen you by using Gods love and glory to help you

Don’t pray for things to happen. Pray for guidance and strength for whatever is planned for you (This was also is confusing/gets flack due to there being an emphasis on “praying for the world/sick/dying ect ect” in the public church square. That type of pray is more to cushion the helplessness humans feel during times of demise where nothing can be done within an individuals/small groups power, not really of questioning Gods plan)

Don’t go through your life alone, especially with bitterness

Love and the pursuit of God is what humanity needs to pull us together again

Now, let's take those foundational beliefs and make them more universal/humanitarian outlook (Which is technically what most enlightenment scholars/past powerful politicians did when it came to adapting the humanistic morals that religion brought):

Every human has a story that should be heard, empathized, and understood. This person should be empowered by other to utilize their experiences to go forward, experience emotions, and learn.

Have a perspective that respects both happy times and sad times, fight the feeling of over-sulking and over-indulging. Let yourself experience the emotions that come and go, learning gratefulness and wisdom from the endeavors, Use what you learned to help others during their times of good and bad

Forgiveness is key to moving on and showing mercy to one another (This one can stay as-is)

Think about your comfortableness and question if becoming uncomfortable could be the solution/the right thing to do. (NOW this can reference more if something is making you uncomfortable, don’t fight it completely. Ask why, and dissect it in depth to help you and/or the other people in this scenario. If it can’t be explained semi-neatly, it’s irrational/purposeless beyond trying to make you //possibly with unintentional selfish intentions// feel okay)

Accept the unfairness of life with a motto of it all about how you look at it. Yes, there are some things that will never really have a ‘good reason’, but there's nothing wrong with acknowledging it’s overall terribleness, but learning good things from it to not repeat it

Don’t be bitter or anger for what has happened or is happening. Find ways to use it to strengthen you by using what you have learned, the people around you, and what you know you can learn to help you

Instead of wasting time in wishing things could be your way/better, find ways to use the situation to make it better for yourself now or in the future. This will force you to learn self-responsibility, patience, and communication among other people in areas it is a possibility to do so

Don’t go through your life alone, especially with bitterness (Again, stays as-is)

Learn to love the gift you never wanted (life) and try to help others in finding their peace. When helping others through vulnerability, emotional guidance, and love, you too will find peace and purpose.

You may say those values above are obvious-- but are they? Sure, they’re obvious in belief, but within actions, they’re lost. That does go for both sides, too. I wouldn’t be surprised by the few eyes who read this will find the teaching I was taught in church to be ‘wrong’ and ‘thats not what churchs teach you’. Trust me, there was a lot of wrongness I went through due to church, but you know what? Acknowledge the bad, and learn the good things from it. Living the example, baby.

I would say the one that is most lose is the one about uncomfortableness. Too many times have conversations been shut down or never fully understood because someone felt ‘uncomfortable’ and that is a valid reason in their mind to drop the topic. I’ve been a victim to this too, but I can honestly say it’s been a while since I’ve done it. The act of questioning and truly seeing if maybe you’re a victim of a belief you don’t want to let go because it makes life easy for you but not for another is such a lost art. It has its dangers, too. Obsession and increased sense of distrust towards yourself can happen, and it sure isn’t fun. But with knowing that’s a possibility, doesn’t that just give you another tool to apply this skill to your life because you now are guarded?

I will say there is a difference between someone shutting down a topic due to those feelings and someone asking if they can think on it and come back another time so they CAN think clearly on their feelings and the others stances. One is avoidance, one is self-awareness of how one learns.

In this time of waiting and hoping, I am alone. I’ve been feeling so dreadful since the last week of December of 2017, probably one of the worst times I’ve been going through, but no one knows. Hell, I’ve been told more time within the past month that I’ve been the brightest I’ve ever been. 

Do you know why? It goes back to what I said above: I’ve done all I can do, and nothing in my power will change anything. I do not obsess over the reality over no control, rather, I accept the fact with sadness, but try to live anyways. The issues It’s all on the shoulders of those I hope to hold close for the rest of my days. The weight is currently an oblivious one right now, though, and I can’t give you the exact time it’ll show itself, but it certainly will be soon.

If anything, it isn’t even a huge weight, it’s what they make it. I’m not one to force someone to speak what they say, at least I try not to be. But never got any confirmation of understanding of fully where I come from, how hard it is for me to even stay friends with them. Not even because of their character, but all their stories are filled with events that I can only dream of experiencing. Truly talking to their parents, knowing family love, independence, privacy, freedom, just being yourself without future fear of huge repercussions. These things won’t fully disappear when I grow up, they will linger with a foul stench. It would be nice to know the people closest to me would verbally confirm that “Hey, I know I can’t do anything, and I know you know that too, but I love you, okay? I know it’s hard seeing us live and breath and you have to sit on the bleachers for longer than you should, but I will try my best in everything I can do to make you feel what I’ve always known to be true, okay?” and show it a little too

There wouldn’t even need to be a huge (or even any in parts) change in actions or what they talk about. It’s the matter that I feel/practically know the foundational things behind those things that can make me emotional isn’t fully understood. “It’s anxiety, it’s aroace, its parents”. Okay, but what about those things? Are you really willing to swim in the mud I’ve been drenched in my entire life for a few seconds so I can feel understood and know you will live on understanding me from that experience of vulnerability? It’s not like that’s what I’ve been doing and have been praised for being so “understanding” and “Selfless” for as long as I can remember. It isn’t some skill you can’t obtain, I had to work my god damn asshole off to be like this, and I’m sick of constantly feeling like this teacher/role model everyone loves but will never actually take seriously and learn from

God, I want to go home

[streetphotographycontroversy]

Opinion-Based Articles

I wanted to find some opinionated articles written about street photography to shed light on the contrasting views on the topic. The two that I found are Why Street Photography is Good For You and Why is Street Photography So Contentious? Both have an interesting, yet opinionated argument on the topic. 

Title: Why Street Photography is Good For You

Author: Sebastian

Publishing Date: unknown

Source

The website, Street Bounty contains carefully compiled articles about street photography, photojournalism, travel-based photography, and equipment and gear needed to do so. This particular article argues that street photography serves as a philosophy for the art. The author believes that street photography is an excellent way for an amateur photographer to familiarize themselves with the camera, and in the process, allows them to develop their own style. 

The limitations and uncertainty set on street photography force the photographer to “think outside of the box,” so to speak. Sebastian argues that street photography is one of the hardest forms to master. Capturing an authentic moment without any artist interference is a very difficult thing to do. Photographers are forced to think about composition, story-telling, and authenticity in a matter of seconds to compose a powerful image. 

The article also argues that photography within itself is a very frustrating mode of art. Street photographers have never been known for receive any praise or rewards despite the effort a photographer might put into a project. Sebastian points out that although it might be frustrating, it will eventually teach you patience and you’ll develop a high frustration tolerance, which is a very important quality to have, despite the career path one chooses. 

Street photography will also enable you to experience travel in a whole new way. Many photographers both past and present utilize the power of blending in to capture those money-making shots. When traveling, Sebastian says that it will allow you to experience the new environment as a local. It may also open up new opportunities for you like meeting new people. It’s also a fantastic way to beef up your portfolio. Sebastian drives this point to people expressing interest in photography. 

After reading this article, I can honestly say that I wholeheartedly agree with the title of the piece. I believe that street photography is both good for the viewer and the photographer. It’s art, a way to connect with the viewers and inspiring them pose questions about the photo. It’s also a fantastic way for photographers to get outside of their comfort zone. So, if they’re food photographers or photographers hired by fashion magazine, going out into the street and capturing photos of everyday life forces them to think outside of the box and find new techniques that they can apply to their work and keep their photos fresh and new. 

In closing, “street photography gives me the power to pursue newfound passions, discover the world around me and structure it in a form that it makes sense to me. Street Photography is good for you … to enable your curiosity & share your discoveries with the world. It is more than a genre – It is a way of life.“ Sebastian

Title: Why Street Photography is So Contentious

Author: Simon King

Publishing Date: February 27, 2019

Source

Simon King is a self-titled street photographer and photojournalist. He begins the article by stating that although he proclaims that the art is contentious or controversial, it is his desired interest that he spends the majority of his time pursuing. “I know that photographers and the photography community, in general, is a passionate one and that there is no shortage of critiques available for any work or opinion that creators choose to share. However despite knowing that there is criticism in every area of the art, I still feel that some of the criticisms leveled against street photography as a genre as well as specific examples of street photographs are harsher than any I’ve seen in, for example, landscape, or portraiture.” (Simon King)

His article breaks down the most common criticisms he has gotten on his own photographs: repetition, over-saturation, uninspiring, the incorrect utilization of the term, following trends, breaking the rules, privacy and exploitation, shock value... the list goes on. He writes about these criticisms for people interested in pursuing a photography career. 

He also goes into detail of the many behaviorisms of street photographers that have had a negative effect on the term. It has been historically known that photographers used exploitation and shock value to capture heart-wrenching photos which could be perceived as morally unjust. King specifically exemplifies the homeless and believes that refusing to document scenes like such in everyday life is just like turning a cheek from a societal issue and erasing it from society. In other words, pretending a societal issue such as homelessness doesn’t exist is yet another form of arrogance. Although it may be controversial to capture someone in a distressing light, it is also drawing attention to what is truly important in society. 

King concludes his article my stating, “I’m aware that everything I’ve discussed here is immensely subjective, and that your experience of street photography and street photography criticism may be entirely different from my own. Art is one of the most subjective topics there is, and art criticism will always be a difficult topic to tackle as an artist. I can only offer my own perspective on these ideas and hope that it helps aspiring photographers in any genre to deal with the way their work is judged and understood by their audience, and by themselves.” (Simon King)

I think that it’s interesting that Simon King has this stance, particularly because he is a photographer himself. While I do think that some street photographers may be a little too aggressive with their approach, I still think that many of these photos that have been produced are very profound. They display the mundane aspects of every day life, yet captures moments in history: how people dressed, what cars they drove, what food they ate, the different types of people, you name it. It’s all in the detail, I think and although King argues that many contemporary photographers aren’t original, I think he is just looking at the wrong artists. 

Both articles are based off of opinion and personal experience alone. Although there is a sense of controversy lingering around street photography, people are typically interested in the photos as both an art and perhaps a reflection of reality. Even looking at the discussion boards on each article, people are actively responding to one another and having a discussion about their viewpoints. Some people view it as the cornerstone of all photography: it teaches you a lot through trial and error. 

While the first article serves as an optimistic outlook as to how street photography could benefit your art in the future, the second article is written as a cautionary tale of street photography and the many criticisms one could face when approaching the field. Both authors seemed to communicate with one another, King was simply more realistic with the possible problems an up-and-coming photographer might face. 

I’m starting to believe that street photography can serve as both a form of art AND an invasion of privacy.