#this is how I felt about the structure of my Earth materials class

[bloodstainedsapphic]

thunderstorms

took some heavy liberties with week 3 of @thatdammchickennugget and i's jinxed july challenge to write the forced proximity mattheo riddle fic of my dreams. i hope you enjoy it just as much as i do. and also big thanks to @pizzaapeteer for proofing, i love you! 2.5k words | fluff? i think | f!reader implied

Snap. Another twig breaks underneath the tattered soles of your shoes while you continue the trek along the less-traveled grove. The air is thick with the scent of wildflowers and earth, and sunlight filters down on you through the leafy branches, casting shadows on the greenery that litters the forest floor. It is pristine, seemingly unaffected by too much human activity. 

That is until Mattheo and you embarked on an increasingly futile mission imposed by your one common interest - your mutual friend Enzo. He had eagerly insisted that it be the two of you that forage for an ingredient native to the area, claiming that adding it to a drink mix can get you wasted quicker than any brew sold in shops.

The pair of you had done well not to stumble too far from Enzo's parents' summer home. A generous invitation had been offered to your friend's group - a chance to relax and kick back there over the long weekend. A relatively secluded area, it is sparsely populated by second homes of the upper class or rickety cabins so old that not even magic can prevent them from slowly succumbing to the elements. Everyone tries to enjoy the spoils of the location's offerings, as it is a sweet spot to spend the few warmer months in Britain.

"Y'know, I am not an outdoorsy guy," Mattheo complains after another branch scrapes his forearm. "This is the dumbest mission Enzo could have sent us on."

"At least we can agree on one thing," you mutter exasperatedly. "I should have known you'd have no sense of your lefts and rights."

Two steps ahead of you, Mattheo pauses and looks back, his expression suggesting, 'You want to go there?' His brows raise, and his chocolate curls still fall perfectly over his forehead despite endless collisions with twigs and branches. Honestly, you were unsure if his looks or personality irked you more. You glare back so he knows exactly how you feel about the situation.

"Right, take no accountability for being one-half of why we are still out here," Mattheo responded in kind, then turning back to continue leading the way.

"You are rid-"

"Ridiculously handsome? I know. Come up with some new material, sweetheart," Mattheo interrupts with his unending cocky attitude. Preparing to unleash more insults, you are startled by the feeling of a cold drop on your head. Then another. And another.

A loud clap echoes above, booming in the sky, followed shortly by the rapid motion of overcast clouds moving in, blocking out any remaining sunlight. A second roar of thunder bursts, sending out another warning that a storm is fast approaching. The sudden singular drop quickly builds into a consistent shower, and the panic sets in over the both of you. Mattheo takes charge, gesturing for you to follow him and for once, you decide to take his lead without talking back, which might have been a mistake as you continue deeper into the forest and further away from the house.

Minutes felt like hours under the increasingly ceaseless downpour as you and Mattheo scrambled through the grove. Finally spotting an old cabin structure, you make a break for it and dash underneath the awning for some reprieve. Mattheo vigorously jiggles the knob of the dilapidated door, seeming to forget his wizarding abilities. Propelled by a clash of thunder, you watched Mattheo resort to brute force, managing to barrel through the door and get you two inside. 

Solely focused on escaping the pouring sky, you follow him in while heaving from the chaos.

"Nice going, genius," you admonished Mattheo while catching your breath. "Forget a first-year unlocking charm?"

"Ungrateful as ever," Mattheo responds gruffly, his amusement overshadowed by temporary exhaustion as he steps over and shuts the door that is barely held up on its hinges. "See? I got you out of the rain, and the door still works." 

The two of you take some time to shake yourselves off in a meager effort to eliminate that soaked feeling. Squeezing out your top,  you silently curse at the unpleasantness of your damp hair that now clings to your face. You looked over and watched Mattheo shaking his head, his hair splattering leftover water all over the vicinity.

"You're like a wet dog," you feign disgust, unable to resist a chance to tease.

"What else am I expected to do?" Mattheo countered, brushing his hands through his hair and hoping for the best.

"Be more tasteful with it," you suggested, suppressing a snort afterward at your own poor choice of words.

"Tasteful? You seriously went with tasteful?" Mattheo caught on, his disgruntled look from the uncomfortable wet transforming into a grin. "Bloody hell, sweetheart, I know you love my perfect curls, but that really is the least of my concerns." 

You coped by turning away to continue drying yourself off, hoping he did not see your disconcerted expression.

Once Mattheo reached a state of dampness he could live with, he stepped toward the intact windows to watch the storm outside. It was miraculous that a cabin as worse for wear as this one held its own against the onslaught.

"Well, we might be stuck here for some time. I suggest you get comfortable," Mattheo announced with a resigned sigh, glancing back to the room for potential spots to sit or, more accurately, the lack thereof. "The floor. The floor will do."

He follows through, eyeing spaces on the rickety floorboards to settle down. You roll your eyes at the idea, though the increasing weight of your legs after all that running starts to wear on you and beckon you down. So you give in, finding your own spot to settle, a perfectly reasonable distance from him. His eyes bore into you with an unreadable expression, a bit too analytical for your comfort. You are not too fond of him watching your every move. Not at all.

"Could you look elsewhere? I am not your prey to stalk," you finally snap. 

"What? This is just how I look at things. You cannot blame me; it is either you or the rotting walls," Mattheo retorts, emphasizing his point with a gesture of his hands.

"Your eyes are… they look too hard!" you complain amidst a struggle to find the right way to explain why his gaze ruffled you so much.

"Too hard? She thinks I look too hard, whatever the hell that means. Salazar, help us, a true wordsmith in the midst," Mattheo complained to himself, ensuring his frustration was loud enough to invite further squabbling.

"I am just saying! Look elsewhere!" you insisted.

"I can't help it. You are more interesting-looking," Mattheo justified through gritted teeth, his increasing annoyance evident.

"Interesting-looking? And you accuse me of being unable to talk today. Is that meant to be a compliment?"

"Tell me you would not have my head if I called you pretty, so interesting it is!" Mattheo growled in a harsh but earnest tone. He shook his head, jaw clenched to the point of discomfort over what he admitted. Just to add to the pettiness, he scooted to face even further away from your direction.

This development undoubtedly took you by surprise, silencing you momentarily in your conversation. You always had a comeback for Mattheo, but this was the first time you had absolutely no clue how to retaliate.

"Pretty?" you repeated, pushing aside your dignity to clarify you had heard correctly.

"Yes, pretty," Mattheo confirmed, his voice huskier than the bellowing moments prior. "Is that such a shock to you?"

It honestly did feel like a shock. In all the time you had known each other, the words you exchanged were cheeky at best and plain disrespectful at worst. A more tender way of describing you was not something you expected to come from Mattheo at all.

"It is. I thought I was just your favorite punching bag," you admitted. 

"Oh, please. Do you honestly believe I would answer you at all if I really could not stand you? Perhaps you are more dimwitted than I initially presumed."

"I just thought—"

"And given that I have seen you quite literally punch some poor bloke who truly bothered you, I assumed you fell into a similar train of thought, no?"

Hell, you hated it when he was right. Something about Mattheo kept you coming back for more in a way that couldn't simply be attributed to the proximity of your friend group. The feelings creeping up inside you now had less to do with being stuck in a cabin with him through a storm and more with how this predicament forced you to come to terms with how you truly felt. You visibly shifted where you sat as feelings you had no clue how to handle washed over you more intensely than the rain still pouring outside.

Mattheo rose again without warning and stalked around the cabin, this time on a mission.

"What are you doing?"

"A blanket, a towel. Something to warm you up," he replied, his attention fixed on his newfound goal, which was an insatiable need to help and protect you in your wetted state. 

"You do not have to! It will probably be full of mildew should you even find one," you protested through your sheer surprise at his kind gesture.

Initially written off as too damp to use, the fireplace centered on the cabin's back wall was suddenly vital to Mattheo's mission. Finally remembering that he was a wizard, Mattheo reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wand, and crouched in front of the fireplace.

"Incendio…" he spoke the incantation, causing a flame to spout from his wand toward the firewood on top of the grate, hoping they were not too far gone from the elements.

To your shared relief, a small fire came to life before your eyes, its glow brightening your dampened spirits which was soon followed by an embrace of its much-needed heat. 

"Yes!" Mattheo hissed excitedly, hurriedly gesturing you to come closer, and you did. The previous distance you had created no longer mattered, as you were now shoulder-to-shoulder with him for a chance to enjoy the warmth provided by the lit fireplace.

With the both of you too focused on warming up by the crackling flames and learning to ignore the blaring storm outside, peaceful silence hung in the air. A mutual respect arose between you as you ruminated over the afternoon's events.

You glanced at Mattheo, whose shoulder you were now definitely pressed against, and seized the opportunity to check him out shamelessly. He was right; that penetrative gaze remained even in his resting state. The light from the fire highlighted the warmth in his eyes that usually matched the dark of night, and his brown locks that had dried into bouncy coils perfectly suited his chiseled structure. The last remaining baby fat on his cheeks softened his enigmatic look, especially in more calm instances such as this. Few were treated to such a view of him, let alone have the capacity to appreciate it like you did. Wait - appreciating him? He seems to catch on simultaneously, the corners of his lips twitching in satisfaction over your turn to gaze.

"I am not your prey to stalk," he abruptly spoke up in a high-pitched, mocking tone to mimic your previous dramatics. You pushed your shoulder against him further as a hollow threat to get him to quit his teasing.

"You look too hardddd."

"Stopppp," you plead, pressing against him again, which causes him to turn to you finally. That stupid, intense gaze again was now much too close for comfort.

Mattheo scoops your hands into his larger, calloused ones, suddenly enclosing yours. He begins rubbing them, his touch creating a friction that warms your fingers, and despite your confusion, you don't immediately pull away.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to warm you up."

"It is still summer. They are not that cold, really…"

"Let me just have this excuse to hold your hands," Mattheo says hushedly, shutting down all of your protests. His touch is comforting, so you allow it.

"Forward this evening, are we?" you still can not resist asking with a raised brow.

"Maybe. But when else will we be trapped for a night like this?" Mattheo was right again, blasted. The bubbling chemistry was now utterly unavoidable, and this night was simply the catalyst for this new beginning.

Still, it was so recent that you likely would not change your behavior towards each other once you returned to your friends, who were probably worried sick about your whereabouts. The storm was still raging, so you just accepted that it would be easier to call it a night instead of waiting for it to pass or even worse; risking your safety by trudging through it. You silently agreed with Mattheo to let this evening run its natural course, showing your reciprocated feelings by allowing him to continue creating friction with your hands via a similar technique used to make a fire.

The rest of the evening went by uneventfully as you cozied up to each other, finding yourself leaning more into him as your lids grew heavier with tiredness.

Mattheo took on the role of a pillow, pressing his back to the floor and letting you lay against him, going as far as draping your leg over his and resting your head on his chest. The resistant part of you wanted to claim this was merely to survive the night, but Merlin, he was easy to sink into. No longer fighting the call of rest, your last conscious moment was the feeling of Mattheo pressing a soft kiss to your forehead before sleep took over.

—-------------

The chirping of birds and light rays seeping into the small windows of the cabin signaled it was time to wake up. You two had stayed wrapped up in each other for the night, which was probably the sole reason you felt at all rested.

The warm embrace of Mattheo kept you tucked cozily into his arms, providing a warmth that was now overwhelmingly hot in the morning summer heat. Suddenly, the chatter of approaching voices traveled around the hollowness of the cabin before the distinctive voice of Enzo called out. "It only took a dangerous thunderstorm to bring you two together," he remarked, a wicked grin matching his chirpy tone. You looked up to meet his gaze through the cracked window, which illuminated your intimate position with Mattheo. The cheeky disturbance startled Mattheo awake with a jump, groaning at the loud intrusion of his mates' voices.

You observed through squinted eyes as Mattheo and Enzo began quarreling. Amidst the light-hearted chaos, you heard snippets like 'It's not what it looks like!' and 'The ingredients search was a load of bollocks, wasn't it?' The goal to save face came second to your relief at rejoining your friends.

A ruse that had gotten way out of hand landed you in the last place you would have expected this morning, but the possibilities it offered left you nervous but hopeful. You watched a bit longer before stretching and getting up to join, armed with your own silly defenses over why you were caught in Mattheo's arms as the lot of you made your way back to the summer home.

[ghostly-shenanigans-in-progress]

BNHA X DP Crossover HCs

After the long wait and finals, here are my ideas for all the quirks/occupations and other concepts I devised for the DP characters in the BNHA universe. This was just for fun and for inspiration towards others interested in this crossover au in general. 

Tagging the people that were looking forward to this post based on the replies: @qoinq-qhost, @floralflowerpower, @tgfangirl4eva @goodfish-bowl, @whitehairglowinggreeneyedcrush and more. 

Anyways, happy reading, folks!

Mr. Lancer

Hero name: Mr. Scholastic

Quirk: Bookworm

Involves his iconic usage of literature titles & quotes for swears to become abilities corresponding to the novel’s contents/themes. Course, he is limited to only books he has read and can quote accurately. Additionally, his voice gets very raspy past two or three quotes as well.

Occupation: Homeroom Teacher for Class 1- A; He’s very dedicated to his new students and teaching the fundamentals of being a pro hero and more! Course, I don’t think his chamomile tea with a wedge of lemon is enough to help him relax from his students (*cough* Danny, Tucker and Poindexter) from their antics at times. 

Danny

Hero name: Phantom 

Quirk: Ghost core (Ok, @coffeecakecafe had the best name for this one gotta give credit here)

Able to do anything a ghost is perceived to do. Go through walls, disappear and fly. This is a one of a kind quirk as it was obtained from Danny’s old quirk being altered by a machine his parents made that would repurpose/alter an individual’s quirk based on their past family members' own metahuman genetics.

Danny is doing his best and trying to understand his new quirk without causing too much attention to himself while doing so but it seems like its been doing the opposite as of late. Thankfully, he won’t be doing it alone with all his classmates around to help him!

Sam

Hero Name: Black Dahlia 

Quirk: Overgrown 

Able to create any plant that she knows the biological makeup and content of in almost any environment. However, it is important for her to drink lots of nutrient rich water and take in enough sun if she plans to create larger versions of these plants.

Tucker

Hero name: Tech Master

Quirk: Tech Core

Located on his chest/heart area is a special energy core capable of powering electronics at a rate faster than anything made-man could ever hope to achieve. As a kid, Tucker would tinker away in his family’s garage on a suit that would harness his power to the fullest extent and lead a new era of support tech in the hero world.

Valerie

Hero name: Red Huntress

Quirk: Electromagnetism (Someone I’ve been trying to find their post on my blog had posted this idea and I fell in love with it ever since)

She’s like Static Shock but with a dash of magenta/ruby lasers she can create through focusing her electromagnetism through her finger tips. She is an expert with her quirk and has the best handle of her quirk than most of her peers. She is the most frequent visitor in the support equipment workshop next to Tucker, Poindexter and Danny. It’s how she built the hoverboard she has in the show that utilizes her electromagnetic abilities for both offensive and defensive maneuvers. (Also, I enjoy the idea that Bullet is Val’s uncle on her mom’s side and is her biggest supporter alongside her dad, Damien Gray).

Jazz 

Quirk: Serenity 

Helps calm individuals and give them a sense of safety/security when they’re around her in a 10 feet radius. Though, anyone out of range cannot be affected by her quirk and she needs to be conscious in order to use it.

She planned on becoming a pro hero but felt her powers were best suited for her dream profession as a psychologist. She has used her quirk a lot when Danny was overwhelmed with his studies prior to UA. Course, a phone call and sibling chat over the phone certainly does the job for Danny now when it comes to preparing material for exams. (Course, its up to you guys to decide)

Dash

Hero name: Rager

Quirk: Strength Magnification

Improves his physique and stamina by a large percentage for a set amount of time. Needs to be careful of how much/long he magnifies his body or else his body will become immensely sore. 

Kwan

Hero name: Rallier 

Quirk: Team Rally (50/50)

Able to duplicate himself 3-4 times while being able to power-up allies’ quirks or stamina with a rally chant to help the team. The more duplicates there are the rally effect multiplies/stacks on the individual but it can lead to dangerous outcomes for their quirk output. 

Kwan is the class representative for 1-A, he’s the best at the job and was more than thrilled to be the one leading his class in more ways than one.  

Paulina

Hero name: Enchantress

Quirk: Charm

If the opponent is flustered by her taunts or flirting, their vision will become altered and start seeing things that are not there. It works better on men than women and the opponent can snap out of it with enough willpower or if they’re not interested in her.

Star

Hero name: Ms. Meteorite

Quirk: Comet

Similar to Gran Torino’s Jet quirk except faster and she can create an explosive impact on where she lands. Similar to a meteorite landing on earth, she also learns to use this as a long distance move by punching fast enough as she descends to create wind pressure punches.

Poindexter

Hero name: Tex (like in Tex Avery; Danny gave him the idea!) 

Quirk: Slapstick

His appearance is black and white just like an old timey cartoon character as well as having the durability and cartoon powers of one. However, his quirk can only work as long as what he does with it is funny in the circumstance it’s used for. Sort of like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” rules in a sense. 

Sidney is part of Class 1-A just saying, I don’t care, this is Poindexter’s time to shine here to be the coolest/funniest person in the class. Also, Tucker’s most loyal friend/tester for new support items. 

Wes Weston

Hero name: Vigilance

Quirk: Deduction

He is able to deduct people’s identities to flaws/weak points for him to use against them and  exploit against problems. 

Class 1-B Representative and the most annoying/terrifying person that Danny has dealt with in his life. He was able to figure out that Danny’s quirk is not his own or more so that it's not natural and takes every opportunity to state this regardless if anyone is listening or not. 

Amber Mclain

Hero Name: Ember

Quirk: Fiery voice (50/50)

Her quirk uses the vibrations in her sining voice to conduct intense heat waves onto opponents or utilize to rumble the structures around here and even put out the flames from her quirk. Its like a combination of Present Mic and Endevours quirk but it leaves her with a strained or inflamed vocal cords with overuse. 

Third year student or an upcoming rock star that has certainly gain huge popularity after her song “Remember” was a nationwide hit amongst the younger generation. She’s striving to be the top hero while making her next hit to become the 1# song on the listings. 

Dani

Hero name: Phantwo (lol jk; unsure what her name would be)

Quirk: Poltergeist 

Similar to Danny’s quirk “Ghost”, except she has the additional ability to melt herself to a slimy puddle and use her ectoplasmic slime to trap or surprise opponents.

Clockwork

Hero Name: Clockwork

Quirk: Time Keeper

Clockwork’s quirk allows him to stop time for 5 to 15 minutes and be able to rewind it in the same amount of time. It can be one to multiple objects as long as he touches them in order to interact with them.

Principle of UA in this au. He’s quite a reserved man but still manages to visit and congregate with students throughout the school during lunch period. 

Flynn Fenton/Flynn Walker

Hero Name: The Green Knight

Quirk: Mineralization 

His quirk allows him to manipulate the minerals and inorganic materials in the atmosphere to create into crystalized constructs that are almost stronger than diamond. Luckily, the crystals have no value so he doesn’t have to worry about that aspect of his quirk. He does have to worry about his skin becoming dried out as a result of his quirk usage. 

Flynn is a third year student that loves to check up on his cousin, Danny, any chance he gets bc of the amount of work he does with his internships.

James Walker (or James W. Hausermann)

Hero name: Warden Wraith

Quirk: Plasma Apparatus

His quirk ionizes the electrolytes in the blood system into plasma. His entire body is composed of plasma giving him his skeletal appearance. He can create plasma chains, teleport from point A to B and more as long as he focuses and has enough energy at use. Course, he can have minor to severe dehydration and imbalance in his electrolyte levels from overuse. 

Occupation: CEO of an infrastructure security company/Provisional License Examiner just like Gang Orca.The ghost prison guards become his backup/helpers for the exam phases. (They’re just trained stuntmen with combat or military experience for the occasion).

Also, I like to think Walker has kids in this au who are in the Class 1-A group; they’re not hard to spot they take after their father with their skeletal complexion. 

Skulker

Villain name: Quirk Hunter

Quirk: Tracker

The moment Skulker makes eye contact with his target he will be able to hunt them down and find them anywhere no matter how good they are at covering their tracks. He can lock on to only one target, but he will be able to know their heart beat, quirk, be able to place a tracking/scent line that only he can see and will lead him to his target’s location. It lasts for over a day or a half.

Occupation: Skulker is known for capturing, info-detailing or “retiring” newcomer pros or specific quirk users for his clients that pay him handsomely for their targets, dead or alive. Thanks to Vlad, Danny was strictly intended to be captured alive by Skulker but sometimes he gets too thrilled by the hunt to not have a memento. Trust me, it's more of a dangerous 

Nicolai Technus 

Villain Name: Technus 

Quirk: Technopathy

A genius in his own right, even if he’s a little crazy, with the best ability possible for a man of science and innovation. As long as he knows the makeup and attributes of the machine, Technus is able to completely repurpose or change a machine’s qualities for offensive and defensive qualities. Whenever that be for a mech suit or hacking a high tech system for entry, he’s able to do it as long as he knows what it is and how it functions. An example is repurposing a slot machine into a submachine gun that shoots coins at the target. 

Vlad Masters

Name: Vlad Plasmius

Quirk: Vampire

Can do anything a vampire can supposedly do. However, he was able to manifest an additional aspect of this quirk which is the ability to copy any quirk users ability. Based on the type of blood he ingests decides the amount of time he can use the copied quirk for.

Occupation: CEO of his own hero firm, he is extremely selective with the interns he has that there is a major waitlist to be even consider for Masters Inc. Course, imagine the surprise Danny must of felt when he received an offer from Vlad right off the bat after the Sports festival. 

Bruce Guiles (Bullet)

Hero Name: Bullet 

Quirk: Sphyraena or Chimera Fish

Able to do anything a barracuda can do or the quirk is a 50/50 mutant quirk in which he has both the traits of a barracuda, Chimaeras and a touch of piranha from his parents being of one of these fish species hence Chimera. Bullet can do anything those fish can do overall but he can’t go too long without hydration from water. Water quality and its oxygen content also affect his abilities by a noticeable percentage but he still remains quite formidable as a quirk user.

Occupation: Captain of a coast guard team, he’s a strict military man with an amazing record of saving people from any disasters both on land and sea. Him and Walker are best buddies ever since they went to school together. 

Vortex

Hero Name: Vortex

Quirk: Storm Warning

Vortex can utilize any variation of a natural disaster depending on the environment he’s in. Hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, you name it he can create it for his use. However, despite his amazing control over his quirk it is still possible for him to create these disasters if he lost control or magnify another pre-existing one if he loses focus. 

Occupation: Storm-chaser/Forecaster; His control and knowledge in combating/predicting these natural disasters has led to him to be part of a storm chasing crew and they’re the best in helping disaster prevention teams evacuate citizens as a result.

Petra Eris

Hero name: Pandora

Quirk: Butterfly Effect

Can manipulate or prevent a chaotic event to happen if she was in proximity and present to prevent it to happen. Or even give a little chaos to the opponent to deal with during battle. 

One of the top ten heroes and most beloved heroes in the country. She is the best strategist in any team and has a way to predict any event before they happen given the necessity of it for her quirk to work in her favor. 

Johnny 

Vigilante name: Johnny 13

Quirk: Unlucky

Johnny manifests his bad luck into a shadow that will latch onto opponents and cause unfortunate events to occur more for that individual as a result. However, the shadow cannot exist in complete sunlight; it can only remain if there are already shadows in his general area or it’s nighttime and its effects are strongest at that time obviously.

Occupation: Johnny is the leader of a biker gang or de-facto leader of said biker gang who loves to raise hell and helping folks that need saving whenever he’s around or is up to the task. Kitty tags along with him to help him out of jams and bc she loves him. :3

Kitty

Vigilante name: Kitty

Quirk: Lovesick

Kitty sends a smooch towards her opponent which if it makes contact causes the individual to have nausea or become disoriented for around 10 minutes. It can also have a chance of lasting longer if the individual was sort of infatuated with her regardless of gender. 

Pariah Dark

Villain name: King Pariah

Quirk: Ultimate Adaptation 

Similar to all for one except with the unpredictability for both the user and opponents. Pariah can manifest any type of quirk needed to defeat anyone that stands in his way both one-on-one and in groups. Course, drawbacks are the learning curve to some of the quirks and that multiple adaptions he utilizes at once will destroy his cells in the process. 

Pariah is a former follower of all for one who had unique quirk that All for one augmented to help him succeed if both Shigaraki and Tomura failed in their own conquest for the world. But now Pariah has his own plans to succeed where they failed and become the leader who shapes a new world order with an iron fist. 

Frederick Kingsmen

Villain/vigilante name: Fright Knight

Quirk: Burning Energy Infusion

Able to form/infuse objects with his own burning energy life force that is capable of burning or slicing through any in his sight. The sweat he gives off is what provides the material needed to ignite his unnatural flames despite it causing his body to overheat still. 

Fright Knight is Pariah’s second-in-command with a loyalty to him as strong as his control over his power. Fright Knight has faced many pro-heros as he carried out the smaller phases of Pariah’s plans and most of them barely came close towards defeating or leaving as much as  scratch on the knight. 

Rodolfo Gonzalo  

Hero name: Wulf

Quirk: Werewolf + Portal creation (50/50?)

Can do anything a werewolf can supposedly do; somehow it allows him to create portals with his claws to locations he has marked with them or visited in the past. 

Wulf was abducted on by Pariah’s forces and sent into the Nomu labs for experimentation to force on another quirk and instill complete allegiance to their cause. Course, Wulf broke free as a result of that new additional quirk allowing him to escape their clutches and his previous one helping him survive the endeavor. However, he lost his memories in the process and could only remember his native language, Spanish, and his hero name Wulf. 

Overgrown

Villain/vigilante Name: Overgrown

Quirk: Plant Manipulation

Can manipulate any pre-existing plant matter or create new vegetation if water and soil is present for the process or he understand the biological makeup of the plant in question. 

Occupation: Pro-hero or eco-terrorist who is tired of humanity from abusing the environment from quirk battles to industries using the land for their own benefits and none others.

That’s all I have for now! I hope this was worth the wait, guys. As well as, inspire ideas for your takes with a DP x BNHA Crossover! 

[galacticlee3]

English is Hard, Okay?

Assassination Classroom

Hey peeps! This was a Karma x Reader fic requested by this anon:

oh my gosh I got this out so late I’m so sorry man

I’m sorry it took this long to get out, there were a bunch of family issues that arose this month and school has been relentless. The reader in this story is gender neutral because you didn’t specify, I hope that’s alright. I haven’t written in a long time and this is my first t-fic, so I apologize if this is bad! I hope you like it! (English is in bold)

Warnings: None! Just fluffy times ahead :)

Word count: 1.3k

~~~~~

It was mid-October, fall in full swing. The leaves crunched under your feet as you made your way up the mountain. It had rained the night prior, so the air was a bit muggy but still crisp and it smelled of fog and morning dew. The earth was soft on the incline up to the 3-E building and your shoes were getting a bit muddy but you didn’t care, you and other things to worry about, like your test today. Koro-sensei had been holding after school study sessions, but you still didn’t feel prepared, English had always been your worst subject and that wasn’t changing anytime soon.

As you entered the building, the old floorboards creaking under your steps, you spotted Karma sitting on the splintered oak stairs to the training grounds. You set your bookbag on your desk near the back next to Ritsu who gave you a happy wave and logged off. Karma’s handheld console chirped from where he was sitting, and you decided to make your way over to the red-haired boy.

He must have won whatever he was playing because he punched the air and a satisfied grin played onto his lips. You tried to sneak up on him, feet carefully avoiding the crunchy auburn leaves scattered about the slope of the hill. Right as you were about to jump him he grabbed your ankle and wrist and slightly twisted, but not enough to hurt as a playful spark danced in his eyes.

“Good morning to you too (Y/N), you usually aren’t here this early,” he says as he releases you and pats the seat beside him on the stairs. You smooth out your skirt, and sigh, lips pursed in a reply.

“I’m worried about the English test, I studied all weekend but I’m not sure if it will pay off, you know? My parents will be mad if my progress doesn’t improve and this is a huge chunk of our grade and-“

He reached out and pinched the back of your neck, making you yelp and whip your head at him with a frown, your lip quirked up a bit on the right side. He gave you a small smile and placed his hand on your shoulder and squeezed.

“Don’t stress about it, you’ll be fine, (Y/N). You didn’t fall asleep in class as much this week, so you’ll at least make a decent score,” he looked at you teasingly and you rolled your eyes, knowing he was joking. But still, it didn’t make you any less relieved. You slumped into your knees and blew a stray hair out of your face and avoided his gaze. You had been good friends with Karma since grade school, and you knew he was silently rooting you on, even though he didn’t show it in a conventional way. But for now, you decided to ignore him and drill sentence structures in your head.

Karma hummed and put his game on the step below him, now moving to focus on you. Your shoulders were still tense and your eyebrows were scrunched in a mix of worry and concentration. Karma waved a hand in front of your face and looked at your stone expression with a scowl but you still didn’t pay attention to him. How to get your attention on relaxing and off of the foreign language…. There’s always one thing I could try, it always works on Nagisa when he’s being mopey, he thought as he moved his index fingers on either side of your exposed ribs.

As he poked your lower ribs, you felt laughter start to rise in your chest and you struggled to keep a straight face. You weren’t going to give in though. As he switched from poking to raking up and down your sides however, you clamped a hand around your mouth and tried to bat away his hands. He chuckled and drilled his knuckles into your top ribs and thumbs below your shoulder blades, one of your death spots which caused loud giggles to escape and you to wiggle in his hold.

“Karmahaha quihiihiht ihihihit!” You squealed, and he laughed along with you, a smirk growing on his face as his cartoon devil horns materialized.

“What? Can’t take a little old fashioned medicine, (N/N)? People say it’s the best for a case of the worry warts,” he teased as he shot his wiggling fingers into your armpits.

“THat’S nOhoOhot aHaHA REaL tHIHiNg,” you protested through squeaks and laughter as his fingers danced in your hollows.

“Of course it is silly, we learned about it a couple weeks ago when Okuda was out for the flu, don’t you remember? It’s just getting to be that kind of year you know,” he remarked calmly as if he didn’t have a hysterical giggling classmate below him. He switched from drilling his fingers into your arms to scribbling around your neck which caused you to squeal and scrunch your shoulders.

“EHEEHeheHHe KAhHarMaHaHaAaAAAA GEheHET ouT,” you cried as he dug deeper into your neck and collarbones.

“I have to check your lymph-nodes, you might have a cold! Your face is quite red and you might have fever, so I’m taking necessary precautions.” He latched his fingers onto the hyper-ticklish spot where your jaw met your neck and gave it gentle scritches, he knew how this made you go crazy and your laughter went up an octave as he predicted it would.

“Wooooow (Y/N), you’re way too ticklish here. You must have a cold or else you wouldn’t be laughing this much.”

“I’HIHIHM NOHOHOT SIHIHIHICK, DOHOOHOHON’T DOOOHOHOO THAHAHHAT!”

“Do what?” He asked innocently, reverting to light traces on the shells of your ears.

“TIHICKLE MEEHEHE,” you squeaked out but horror dawned on your face as you realized your mistake.

He shrugged and his signature smirk appeared, “If you insist,” and continued the tortuous scratches. You tried desperately to tug his hands from their position and he loosened his grip, only to move them to your tummy and spider them there, making you erupt into belly laughter and lean back against his shoulder to get away from the tickles.

“Tell you what, if you can say “Karma is the best person ever” in English, I’ll let you go,” he offered, drilling his thumbs into your hips, getting snorts from you.

“IHIIIHIHIHI CAHAHAN’TT!” You replied, twisting and turning to get away from his skilled fingers.

Karma clicked his tounge and started scribbling at your sides again, “Guess I can’t stop then. I could do this aaaaaaaaallll day.”

“OKaY! oKAhAhY! KAhaHrMA ihiS tHehHe bEheEsT peHerSON eHeVeR!” He laughed and put an arm around your back to help you sit up, your hair a mess and cheeks flushed, tears of mirth staining your cheeks. A smile graced your lips and you bent over and let out residual giggles as he turned to face you with a small smirk.

“I never knew you were that ticklish, (Y/N),” he said teasingly, waiting for you to recover.

“That was brutal. Absolutely brutal,” you said smiling, pointing a finger at his grinning face. Your eyes widened at what you had said, and you smiled realizing that English came easier to you than you thought it did.

Karma’s eyebrows quirked into “I told ya so” and he got up, taking his console with him.

“Class starts soon, hurry up,” he called as he stepped back into the building. You got up and made your way to the classroom, more confident in your abilities and ready to take on the test.

Needless to say, you aced it, and your parents and teacher were proud. When you got it back Karma gave you a small smile that morphed into another smirk as he showed you his score. One. Point. Higher. You rolled your eyes playfully and turned back to the lesson, which was on the mechanics of a Newton’s cradle because Koro-sensei bought one to put on his desk and the students were curious. Another day, another chance, you thought, and schemed a way to study for the next test to blow Karma out of the water.

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “Eating Everything.”

I am working my way through the list of suggestions that you guys left me, so this is the first installment from a Anon ask. I don’t know if this is what you wanted to read or where expecting to read, but this is what I came up with.

Intergalactic Journal of Biology and Medicine

Humans have one of the most resilient digestive tracts in the known universe. As an Omnivorous predatory species, humans are capable of digesting muscle , fat, carbohydrates (simple and complex), proteins and fibers taking many nutrients and extreme energy from them. Their use of carbs gives us an explanation as to why humans are so powerful because they require a lot of energy to use their bodies. Additionally, the stomach acid of a human is capable of digesting, non-food items though no nutrients can be pulled from it.

Generally speaking, the rule is that if you can eat it, a human can eat it, though, whether it is to their taste or not is questionable.

Furthermore, the human body reactivly ejects toxic substances once detected, so within reason, humans are capable of trying many foods without the negative consequences many of us would associate with sticking foreign substances in our mouth.

There GA intergalactic summit was held, on what was Earth time, November 5th, 4022. All members of the GA council were expected to attend, or at least a representative for every species in the known universe. At this time that would include the Rundi, Gibb, Tesraki, Bran, Vrul, Drev, etc. but worst of all, the humans. 

The Rundi steward, a class of government official who was specifically tasked with dealing with the drudgery of bureaucracy, was not pleased in the slightest. It was primarily his job to put everything together, and depending on how well he did, it could either make or break him in social hierarchy of his species. The Rundi were a primarily governmental planet, everything they did was based upon a structure of hierarchy and rule. Government was the greatest form of service, and Anarchy wasn’t even an afterthought in philosophical debate. The rundi were not capable of anarchy.

It was a planet of politicians in some form or another, every interaction had political underleanings, and their speech was always heavily guarded. For this reason, the Rundi had been the first in suggesting an intergalactic system of government. The terasaki had agreed only upon realizing they would be tasked with overseeing economics, but had benefited from the Rundi system of government seeing as they tended a bit towards social anarchy, a thought that the Rundi had seen as horribly barbaric, especially since their system was based primarily on the equal distribution of goods to support government structure. 

The Vrul had only agreed to join based on their own personal interest in survival. Generally they wanted nothing to do with intergalactic politics and would have been happy to maintain their own peaceful homeworld, but the introduction of other species into the galaxy had offered a great threat to them, and they had decided, out of necessity, to join the GA as being friends with the other species was in their own self interest. In turn that had meant sending their very, very skilled workers to help the rest of the galaxy, and that included their scientists and their doctors, and their mechanics.

And then of course there was the issue of the Drev and the humans, both scarily similar in social hierarchy and temperament. The Drev were warlike and honor bound, but once choosing a leader, they had been surprisingly willing to join in as long as they were given the opportunity to participate in any and all armed conflict that happened to take place across the galaxy. 

The humans….. The humans were another story. There was no one characteristic that helped to identify their motivations. The humans themselves were well versed in war, politics, economics, and science, but they did everything to the extreme. Where the Drev practiced war for honor,when humans waged war, they did it to kill, while the Rundi maintained government and played games within their own circles, the humans played against each other often mixing war and government into one. Their economic practices varied widely, but their current system played for keeps and focused on the greatest accumulation of wealth possible far beyond what the Tesraki did. Then when it came to science, they never considered WHETHER they should do something, but only if they COULD do something. 

And now here the steward was forced into the position of setting up this summit for all the different types of species. The catering alone had been a complete nightmare, and he had been forced to ship different sorts of food for thousands of miles in order to feed everyone in the proper manner. There were some species he did not have to worry about, like the Vrul, who were more plant based and so did not eat, but there were others, and that included the rundi and the Tesraki, who had every strict diet consisting of only very specific foods to eat. He found that he could tack the Drev onto some other species, seeing as their bodies were capable of metabolizing almost any plant as long as it retained a similar structure to human plants and fruit.

However, the humans themselves were the hardest part, because the range of food was so wide, he could hardly determine what was going to work and what was going to be a massive disaster. He honestly didn’t know, different sources said different things, and he couldn't bare to think about putting MEAT on the table…. That was just against his constitutions.

In fact, he was scrambling right up until the council had convened for the evening, and the mass tide of bodies came pouring into the room filling the vaulted ceiling with rockus chatter in dozens of different languages.

He could hear the humans coming a mile off.

The humans and the Rundi had a similar register when it came to hearing, and humans were known to be able to mimic Rundi vocalizations to some degree simply because they generally tended to communicate in deep grunts, hums and guttural vocalizations. The humans, wlel their language was just as varied as their culture clicking, hissing, snapping, humming and grunting filling the air with discordant and somehow, rhythmic quality..

Their presence turned heads.

They walked with the Drev delegation, which was no surprise to anyone. The humans had been unable to send their usual representative due to a social disagreement between earth and its neighboring sister, Mars. So who had they gone and sent….

Them….

The rundi Steward knew all about them….. Crewmembers of the UNSC Harbinger, the widest ranging vessel in the entire galaxy, and home to a crew that was indisputably certifiable. They were the most reckless, most dangerous, and most terrifying amalgamation of creatures in the galaxy somehow including one Drev, and a rather out of place Vrul whose behavior suggested he had caught whatever brain malady had overcome the humans, and was just as insane as they were.

He cringed horrifically at the sight of them.. Humans were a destructive force, and were known to cause chaos and mayhem wherever they went, even at the best of times, so this was bound to get interesting.

The delegates were seated, and the Steward welcomed them with gracious words of introduction he had spent months preparing. It was a very political thing for him to do, and included subtle compliments to all delegations involved, laid down some ground rules but made sure not to undermine the authority of the people he was speaking too..

However, to the humans, the attempt was obviously heavy handed brown nosing, though none of the other delegations seemed to notice.

He invited them in for refreshments and encouraged discussion between the parties.

Of course, the humans weren’t exactly ones to pass up the idea of food and were some of the first to the table examining the contents with great interest even the food that was not theirs. They seemed very amused watching the other delegations pick up their specific food and then move away to sit.

“What is this.” one of the humans commented holding up a rather stringy green tube that wriggled and squirmed in his hand, “Are these worms?”

One of the Tesraki looked over, “No, it’s a Cavestalk, a kind of plant. Probably not to your taste, they are known to be poisonous to other species. In other words, not human food.”

The human raised an eyebrow, “Buddy, humans are the sharks….. Or wait…. Maybe that's the goats of the universe, we can eat anything within reason, and even a couple of things outside of reason if given enough time.”

The Tesraki made a sort of shrug and wave with its large ears and then walked away. The steward watched the humans with a worried expression. It wouldn’t due to allow the humans to make themselves sick on his watch, but it seemed as if that idea was only becoming more and more likely as the humans poked and prodded at the leftovers of other species hardly bothering with the food that had been laid out for them…. Mostly strange fibrous plant materials.

And that is when it came, “I dare you to eat it.” 

The two humans locked eyes, one still holding the wriggling Cavestalk, “What.”

“I said, I dare you to eat it.” The human stuck out his chin at the other human in a primitive position of posturing, “How much do I get if I do.”

There was a moment of thought before, “Twenty credits. I’ll give you twenty credits to eat it.”

“What happens if it poisons me?”

There was a hand wave, “We have a doctor on board, he can just pump your stomach…. Chicken.”

A moment of silence passed between them, and the Rundi steward began moving towards them to stop something horrible he felt was about to happen. He wasn’t fast enough, and before he knew it, the human had thrown back his head and dropped the wriggly green thing into his mouth swallowing it whole like an alligator or a snake. 

People around looked on in somewhat fascinated disgust as the predator’s throat bobbed and he smacked his lips making a face, “Eh, I can still feel it moving…. Eh.” He paused, “Though, taste wise it isn’t so bad kind of like a wiggly asparagus.” After a moment his eyes narrowed, and he smacked his lips again, “Spicy asparagus, uh, that’s really really weird.” 

He reached the table just as the Vrul came running up shoulders squared in a very un-vrul way, “HE LITERALLY JUST SAID IT WAS POISONOUS TO OTHER SPECIES, AND NOW YOU’RE EATING IT! AND YOU OVER THERE.” A human looked up at him from where it had been prodding the Drev coiltree berries, “GET THOSE OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!”

They had attracted the attention of some of the closer tables now who were looking on in entertained confusion and worry.

A human waved a hand, “It’s alright Doc, we have you don’t we”

“I AM NOT THE MAGIC CURE FOR NEUROTOXIN.”

Another shrug, “Well it’s a good thing that I’ll throw up before anything really bad happens.” 

The rundi steward tried to intervene as the humans began prodding through the other food, “Drev can eat human fruit, so I bet these things are like fruit.” one of them pointed out popping the berries into his mouth and chewing with a contemplative look on his face, “Not bad.”

“Please, please, if you would remain within your own food groups.” The Rundi begged. HE was now realizing he should have written up some legal documents to avoid litigation if the humans were to be damaged on their property, but now was too late.

A human waved him off, “Don’t worry, everyone else is done eating, besides.” He Pointed towards the human food, “That's literally a pile of lettuce, I am a man, not a horse.”

“Horses don’t eat lettuce, also that’s not lettuce,it’s spinach.” Another human piped up prodding at a strange squishy red ball sloshing with a strange pink nectar, “This looks like candy.”

“Please don’t put that in your mouth.”

The humans swarmed away from the two dissenting voices. One of them picked up the strange pink orb and licked it. It’s eyes lit up and it bit into the piece wiping pink juice from it’s face as it did, “Ok, this, this is good 10/10 would try again.” And that only caused all the other humans to move over to try one.

“I SAID GET THAT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!” The vrul demanded. 

The Rundi steward looked on in horror and worry. Vrul didn’t behave that way, everything here was just wrong. 

A Drev joined the party just then pointing to the pink orb, “I love those, but you should definitely try these too.” 

“No, no they should not.”

He was ignored, and the humans scooted over to look. It was a strange spiral plant in a light yellow color that made  a distinctive crunching sound as the humans bit down. They shrugged, “Sort of just like space celery if you ask me.”

Did these creatures have no sense of self preservation!

A group had gathered around the table strangely amused at the humans, who just ate…. Everything.

The Rundi steward almost keeled over watching his future go down the drain as other species began offering humans food. Whatever it was, they seemed unable to resist putting it in their mouths. A human made a face spitting something back out into his hand, “Ax bleh, tastes like Satan’s feet.” “Quick question. When was the last time you licked Satan’s feet.” “The last time I was at your mom’s house.” 

The humans made strange noises at each other as the Rundi stepped in and began grabbing things from the humans only to find the Vrul to be doing the same, “Stop it! Stop it all of you!.”

The human’s paused, as did the other delegates in surprise.

“STOP PUTTING THINGS IN YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.”  The intervening silence was broken as one of the humans loudly crunched on one of the pink orbs. Everyone turned to look at her and she just glanced around the group.

“What?” She wondered past a mouth full of food.

A human waved a hand at him, “Keep your shorts on, we promise you won't get in trouble if one of us dies.” 

The Rundi stared on incredulous.

They were going to kill themselves, they were really going to kill themselves.

Maybe it was best if he resigned before being fired, at least he would be able to keep his dignity

[bcanetwork]

BCA NFTalk Vol.3｜Art Blocks NFTs’ Imagination

Guest Speakers：Host ArthurLou BCA Co-Founder丨Vulcan DAO GP（简称A）

Zero Chen NFT Consultant of FTChinese.com（简称C）

Ting Song AI and Blockchain Artist丨IOAC Asia Ambassador（简称S）

Hesiod 「Theogo NFT Observer」Chief Editor （简称H）

Nico Yang VulcanDAO GP（简称Y）

Background: It's been a few months of a mini-bull market for NFT collectibles, which the frenzied sales of CryptoPunks have pushed up in recent days. In addition, Art Blocks, as a generative art segment, topped the 7-day trading volume list strongly, ranking first with The Art Blocks segment was ranked fifth overall with $498 million. These three segments - avatars, generative art, and solo editions - make up a solid JPEG Summer. In this context, we invite four guests to chat about the NFT imagination beyond Punk.

01

Host A: What do you think of the macro reasons for this 2021 Summer rampage? Share some of the recent Punk-like replica disc projects and NFT collecting tips that you've been following.

C: It's not very surprising that Punk is on fire; its holders or investors/collectors who are bullish think it should be higher priced. Its broken circle has become more apparent, and this mini-bull market is a spurt of an accumulation from the entire NFT market that preceded it. Social subcultures and aesthetic psychology drive NFT and trendy fashion, so its rise and fall may be very different from how technology has evolved and popularised. Compared to traditional art and traditional collecting, this wave in the crypto world should be just beginning. If CryptoPunks do become digital antiques, I believe they will be worth much more than that in the future.

Y: Until 2021, it will be difficult for digital content creators to get their work recognized by the market and to cash in without relying on big institutions with a centralized approach. The breaking of the circle in media and the entrance of money brought by the wealth creation effect have greatly refreshed the perception of digital content. Echoing what Che Guevara once said, "After we leave, they build you schools and hospitals, not because they have shown great mercy, but because we came."

The identity that comes with NFT is only really felt when it is held. The purpose is different, and the logic of buying and collecting can be very different. A scarce NFT is a status symbol in itself.

S: Compared to the art market, which is repeatedly tested and scrutinized by connoisseurs from different perspectives, there is a sizeable speculative bubble in the English-speaking community on Ethereum. A lot of this bubble is in cultural content and projects that lack culture can be short-lived. The works that I want to keep inside my wallet for a long time are the ones that I will be happy to look at even ten years from now.

In this JPEG Summer, I strongly feel that it is similar to 1CO at the end of 17, where all aspects of blockchain project parties were active, but the market turned cold after 18 years. A successful crypto art series is also a successful cultural product that combines technology and art.

Punk is Punk in the same way that an asteroid hitting the earth is hard to replicate, and special times happen like this. How do you ambush the next Punk? 1. Is there innovation? 2. Is the seed community very geeky? 3. Is it a historical level under the megatrend? 4. Can the team continue to do it? 5. are the institutional holders coming in at the middle stage good enough to drive the project forward? 6. can it create a cultural resonance in the circle? These are all worth exploring.

Regarding collection investment strategies, I am very much focused on niche artists from developing countries, especially those with a pure art background or a very pioneering sense of creativity in the contemporary art field and those who respect the blockchain spirit of the blockchain community.

Moderator A: Each Trader (trader) has a different investment strategy, and each person has limited energy to focus on one vertical track. Suppose one is easily influenced by the market and forcibly changes his investment strategy. In that case, it is scary for a Trader, which is equivalent to the whole cognitive system having to be reconstructed.

H: The cost of a physical painting is not high, but it can be sold for hundreds of millions. Therefore, the value of a work does not lie in its materials or cost. Its physical price does not determine the value of Jpeg. In the structure of the blockchain market, Crypto Punks, Art Blocks, and BAYC represent the three dimensions that can be found in the NFT market. Crypto Punks starts from a programmer and is driven by technology; the monkey BAYC is community-driven. The blockchain community may be The base for the survival of the future blockchain; Art Blocks enter from artistic creativity.

From the perspective of social governance, Token is an institutional symbol. Mature NFT projects must create a field and a way of existence, and a variety of hobbies professional life corresponds to the current needs of various communities. I don't see it as a speculative target but rather as a script for building a kind of Metaverse called the respective Metaverse, whose development depends on the evolution of the community.

02

Moderator A: The more successful 10K projects have a cultural tribe behind them, and the ethos can be very different from project to project. How do you see Art Blocks as a clear stream with awe-inspiring numbers? How do you see it breaking out and the appreciation and valuation insights into generative art as a discipline?

S: The group of projects in NFT that are particularly speculative and not culturally good enough are like passing clouds and won't be in the prosperous state they are today when the market is in a bad mood. But two things are sure to go a long way: firstly, good cultural content is never speculative. But anything that has an innovative aesthetic or interest that strikes a chord is not entirely speculative and has its own commercial identity quite typically. The second point, the trend towards avatars and social identities, is unstoppable.

I am very bullish on generative art. Behind it is a respect and exploration of the mathematical logic behind information technology. The methods used are engineering in nature and reflect the cultural identity of a group of people.

C: Generative art started with computer technology and continued until this wave of artificial intelligence, more precisely the application of convolutional neural networks, entered the aesthetic vision of the masses, with a low correlation to the market price of generative artworks. In the past, the general aesthetics of popular art did not break through the traditional class texture (strong mediated aesthetic vision), the blockchain market changed this law, and the same thing is now entering the NFT art collectibles market.

H: NFT is a fuse to the art market, not a monopoly on art history. When the financial operation goes to an extreme, it is decoupled from the actual value creator. Although Art Blocks has a centralized organizer, it is isomorphic with the state-of-the-art community. Generative art will present different visual effects depending on the materials used. With the rapid development of technology and speculation, it is possible to join the first-line NFT.

Y: Art Blocks is the same thing as the explosion of CryptoPunks. Looking at the top 20 Crypto Punks holdings, the most intuitive data is that there is a very high degree of overlap with the big Art Blocks accounts, with the smallest of these holdings holding more than 50 Art Block NFTs.

More generally, a large percentage of the first blockchain explorers to make a large fortune were programmers. The culture that Art Blocks carries is precisely an aesthetically pleasing phenomenon from a programmer's perspective.

Any art form first evolved from technology, and the value of NFT relies on the programmer-led blockchain revolution to provide sufficient wealth to support it. Crypto Punks represent a new class of people, the last piece of the puzzle in internet development.

03

A: The bigger the wave, the further back you look; what should be the kind of work that can be called classic or digital antiques? What is the view on the future of NFT?

C: If we look at this from a long-term perspective, three points need to be considered. Firstly, there is a characteristic of any cultural investment product that performs more similarly to financial assets in a bull market and can be less liquid than financial assets in a bear market, with a liquidity black hole. Classic core assets can find counterparties no matter when they are traded. Broad consensus and acceptance are the hallmarks of traditional investments, and a sense of scarcity and value is formed over a long period.

Secondly, whether crypto art or generative art, continuing to move forward requires special attention to fit in with other cultural and sub-cultural trends, the spirit of the times.

Thirdly, the artist is a profession, not an inoffensive one. One might as well consider the NFT market giving artists such opportunities as a form of nourishment. If it does not produce investment returns, it is still making its contribution to the art market.

H: I encourage artists to get involved in art that may not be very romantic because there is a massive demand for essential art waiting there. A good NFT project is hardly successful without the creation of artists, and NFT offers a vast blue ocean for artists. Calmness is always within one's heart, maintaining a sense of rationality in the course of a bear or bull market, no matter how noisy it may be.

Host's summary: Since I entered this track myself, there are still times of anxiety and confusion, but things are still in the making. I hope that I can do something genuinely long-term like the four excellent teachers.

[filipefrancoworks]

The bright side of the moon | text by Tomaz Vieira

Tomaz Vieira, pintor

Luar

Estes “luares” de Filipe estão corporizados num processo de recriação de luz. Olho para estas criações instruído pelo conhecimento das obras anteriormente produzidas pelo artista. Mais do que isso, olho-as com todas as referências que vêm desde um passado de três décadas. Refiro a minha memória desse tempo, quando docente de uma turma do nono ano de escolaridade e recordo um jovem criativamente irrequieto, formalmente insatisfeito e de persistentes decisões. Agora, Filipe faz parte de uma geração de artistas em fase de confirmar os resultados da respectiva maturidade. Assistir ao “nascimento” de um artista, certamente condiciona uma postura perante a respectiva obra. Quantas vezes o facto de não se estar muito por dentro de um determinado processo “histórico”, poderá estimular a perplexidade expressa numa adesão espontânea, quiçá mais sentida, dos respectivos frutos ou consequências. Assim, outras pessoas poderão ver estas obras em contexto emocional diferente do meu. Por mim, aproveito o privilégio de uma panorâmica particular.

Depois de realizada uma obra, ela passa a ser uma ideia que adquiriu o próprio corpo. Uma vez materialmente separada do artista, tem de ser vista como entidade independente e de acordo com as respectivas intrínsecas potencialidades estéticas. Sabemos que os críticos, os sociólogos e os historiadores “emolduram” o juízo estético em variáveis que podem referenciar a obra em termos alheios à essencial existência dessa mesma obra. Por isso, abstenho-me de, nesta abordagem às obras de Filipe, referir classificações, quer se trate de “ismos” ou de quaisquer outras designações de estilo..

Nos trabalhos da série anterior, denominada “Óxidos”, Filipe estruturou formas de dimensão telúrica evocativas de uma postura contemplativa, acompanhadas de outras que, embora no mesmo contexto formal, podiam ter algo a ver com referências a “design”. A presença destas, junto das demais era como que uma estratégia para não deixar a Terra desabitada. Note-se que essas formas, pela escala e inutilidade funcional, apenas referiam “design” em termos de metáfora. Os materiais então usados por Filipe incluíam terra do chão desta ilha e lama das caldeiras, num processo de aplicação com resultados muito próprios. Para além do mais, denunciava um ritual no âmbito misterioso daquele estado de espírito que se atinge quando se imprime alma e sentimento na matéria. A obra de Arte, sintetizou alguém com a devida propriedade, resulta de um problema sentido.

Depois de “lidar” com essa entidade feminina, com profundas referências simbólicas de fecundidade e criação que é a Terra, Filipe enfrenta, agora, novamente em “veneração” pelo feminino, a forma lunar enquanto fonte de uma luz única na nossa experiência emocional. A lua já foi adorada, já foi deusa, já foi responsável na projecção de múltiplos sentimentos e, quantas vezes, cúmplice do que quer que lhe possa ter sido proposto, para o bem e para o mal, durante toda a existência da Humanidade. A ligação da anterior fase de trabalho de Filipe com a actual, tem, para além dessa correlação simbólica de feminilidade, outras tantas referências tanto de ordem formal como de cariz conceptual. Referio-me a aspectos que o artista evoca na estrutura sinóptica do projecto destas obras, por vezes derivados de questões científicas, assim como de questões filosóficas ou do âmbito gestáltico. Na forma algo peculiar que lhe é própria, disse Bertrand Russel que “A Ciência fala de coisas que estão provadas; a Filosofia fala de coisas que não se conhecem”. ”Quando Einstein falou da curvatura da luz, isso ainda não estava provado, pelo que se tratava de Filosofia e não de Ciência….” Será a Arte exactamente a via de falar do que não se conhece, através de metáforas e de materiais conhecidos ? A escolha dos materiais com que Filipe constrói estas obras é de um extremo rigor. Só eles podem alcançar objectivos muito bem definidos nas respectivas intenções. A “docilidade” textural e a leveza da chamada “esferovite” permite um corte com a momentânea expressão do percurso da mão que o talhou (quando não talhada com instrumentos de rigor industrial),. No método de execução escolhido por Filipe, a justaposição e ordenação dos elementos com que organiza cada composição, é feita com propósitos rítmicos. Propósitos esses, especialmente dirigidos ao jogo de iluminação a que são submetidas séries de barras paralelas geometricamente irregulares, predominantemente horizontais. O resultado, em termos de uso da luz, como elemento interveniente na composição, processa-se na interacção de porções de matéria iluminada com as respectivas sombras próprias e projectadas. É um conjunto de efeitos que, para além de poder conter algo de lúdico, enquanto factor próprio da criação artística, existe com a definida finalidade expressiva que tem a ver com um compromisso de intenção, isto é, com a temática destas obras. Trata-se de uma postura própria de quem procura uma determinada realidade, não a ilusão de qualquer realidade . Os recursos oficinais de Filipe são sempre sublinhados pela qualidade da excelente execução das suas obras. Fá-lo agora, uma vez mais, sem qualquer perigo de cair no virtuosismo porque possue a mestria de integrar os materiais numa vivência própria.

Tomaz Borba Vieira Janeiro de 2007 Moonlight

▶ bright side of the moon, works

                                                                                                                    -------

Tomaz Vieira, painter

Luar

These ‘moonlights’ of Filipe are corporated in a process of recreation of light. I look at these creations instructed by the knowledge of the earlier works produced by the artist. More than that, I look at them with all the references that go back as long as 30 years. I refer to my memory of the time that I was a teacher of a class of the ninth grade, and I remember a creative, restless young man, formally unsatisfied and of persistent decisions. Nowadays, Filipe is part of a generation of artists in the process of confirming the results of the respective maturity. To witness the ‘birth’ of an artist, certainly conditions a posture before the respective work. How many times the fact of not being very much within a certain ‘historical’ process could stimulate an expressive perplexity in a spontaneous adhesion, perhaps more felt, of the respective fruits or consequences. Therefore, other people could see these works in a different emotional context than mine. As far as I am concerned, I take advantage of the privilege of a private view.

After a work is realized, it gets to be an idea that acquired its own body. Ones materially separated of the artist, it has to be looked at as an independent entity and in concordance with its respective aesthetic, intrinsic potentialities. We know that the critics, the sociologists and the historians ‘frame’ an aesthetic judgment in variables that can referenciate a work in terms oblivious to an essential existence of this same work. For this, I abstain, in this approach of the works of Filipe, of referring classifications, nor about the ‘ists’, or about whatever other style designation.

In the works of the former series, called ‘Oxidos’, Filipe structured forms of telluric dimension, evocative of a contemplative posture, accompanied by others that, though in the same formal context, could have something to do with ‘design’. The presence of those, together with the others, was like a strategy for the world not to be uninhabited. It is to note that these forms, because of the scale and functional unusefullness, only referred to ‘design’ in metaphorical terms. The then used materials by Filipe included earth from the ground of this island and clay from the geysers, in a process of application with very typical results. What’s more, it announced a ritual in the mysterious extent of that state of spirit that one reaches when one prints soul and feeling in the matter. The work of Art, synthesized someone with a certain property, that results from a felt problem.

After leading with this feminine entity, with deep symbolic references of fertilization and creation that is the Earth, Filipe now faces again the ‘reverence´ for the feminine, the lunar form while source of a unique light within our emotional experience. The moon has already been adored, has already been a goddess, has already been responsible for the projection of multiple sentiments and, how many times, accomplice of whatever has been proposed to her, for the good or the bad, during the whole existence of Humanity. The connection of the former phase of the work of Filipe with the actual, has other references as well as this symbolic correlation of the femininity, as much of a formal order as of a conceptual face. I refer to the aspects that the artist evokes in the synoptic structure of the project of these works, sometimes stemmed from scientific questions, sometimes from philosophical questions or of the gestalt-point-of-view. In the special way that is typical for him, Bertrand Russel said that ‘ A Science speaks of proven things; a Philosophy speaks of things that are not known’. ‘ When Einstein talked about the curve of the light, this hadn’t been proved yet, and for that it was about Philosophy and not Science…’ Could it be that Art is exactly the way of speaking of the not known, through metaphors and known materials? The choice of the materials with which Filipe constructs these works is of an extreme rigour. Only these can achieve well-defined objectives within the respective intentions. A textural ‘sweetness’ and the lightness of the so-called ‘polystyrene’ permit a cut with the momentaneous expression of the route of the hand that it carved (when not carved with instruments of industrial thoroughness). With the method of execution chosen by Filipe, juxtaposition and ordering of the elements with which he organizes every composition, is done with rhythmic intentions. These intentions are specially directed for the light game to which are submitted series of parallel bars, geometrically irregular, predominantly horizontal. The result, in terms of use of light, as intervening element in the composition, processes itself in an interaction of portions of material lit up with the respective shadows, their own and projected. It’s a whole of effects that, besides to be able to contain something playful, while an own factor of the artistic creation, exists with a defined expressive purpose that has to do with a compromise of intention, that is, with the theme of these works. It has to do with the own posture of who searches for a determined reality, not an illusion of any reality. The officinal resources of Filipe are always underlined by the quality of the excellent execution of his works. He does it now, once again, without any risk of falling into virtuosity, because he owns the mastery of integrating the materials in an own vividness.

Tomaz Borba Vieira Janeiro de 2007 Moonlight

  ▶ bright side of the moon, works

All text and images, are subject to international copyright laws

[onlineindus23]

ONLINEINDUS - Pakistan English News, Latest Pakistan News

Maybe the biggest and most inescapable issue in a specialized curriculum, just as my own excursion in schooling, is specialized curriculum's relationship to general instruction. History has demonstrated that this has never been a simple obvious connection between the two. There has been a ton of giving and taking or perhaps I should state pulling and pushing with regards to instructive arrangement, and the instructive practices and administrations of schooling and custom curriculum by the human instructors who convey those administrations on the two sides of the isle, similar to me.

In the course of the last 20+ years I have been on the two sides of training. I have seen and felt what it resembled to be a customary standard instructor managing specialized curriculum strategy, custom curriculum understudies and their specific educators. I have likewise been on the specialized curriculum side attempting to get normal schooling educators to work all the more viably with my specialized curriculum understudies through altering their guidance and materials and having somewhat more tolerance and compassion.

Moreover, I have been standard normal instruction educator who trained ordinary schooling consideration classes attempting to sort out some way to best work with some new custom curriculum instructor in my group and their custom curriculum understudies too. What's more, conversely, I have been a specialized curriculum incorporation instructor barging in on the region of some standard training educators with my specialized curriculum understudies and the alterations I figured these educators should actualize. I can disclose to you direct that none of this give and take between a custom curriculum and normal training has been simple. Nor do I see this pushing and pulling turning out to be simple at any point in the near future.

All in all, what is custom curriculum? What's more, what makes it so exceptional but then so unpredictable and questionable here and there? Indeed, custom curriculum, as its name proposes, is a particular part of training. It asserts its heredity to such individuals as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-1838), the doctor who "subdued" the "wild kid of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866-1936), the instructor who "worked supernatural occurrences" with Helen Keller.

Extraordinary instructors show understudies who have physical, psychological, language, learning, tangible, and additionally passionate capacities that go amiss from those of everyone. Unique teachers give guidance explicitly customized to address individualized issues. These instructors fundamentally make training more accessible and available to understudies who in any case would have restricted admittance to schooling because of whatever inability they are battling with.

It's not simply the instructors however who assume a job throughout the entire existence of a specialized curriculum in this nation. Doctors and ministry, including Itard-referenced above, Edouard O. Seguin (1812-1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851), needed to enhance the careless, frequently harsh treatment of people with handicaps. Unfortunately, instruction in this nation was, as a general rule, careless and oppressive when managing understudies that are distinctive in some way or another.

There is even a rich writing in our country that depicts the treatment gave to people handicaps during the 1800s and mid 1900s. Tragically, in these accounts, just as in reality, the fragment of our populace with handicaps were regularly restricted in prisons and almshouses without respectable food, attire, individual cleanliness, and exercise.

For an illustration of this diverse treatment in our writing one requirements to look no farther than Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). Furthermore, commonly individuals with inabilities were frequently depicted as scoundrels, for example, in the book Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" in 1911.

The overarching perspective on the creators of this time span was that one ought to submit to setbacks, both as a type of submission to God's will, and in light of the fact that these appearing mishaps are at last planned to one's benefit. Progress for our kin with handicaps was rare as of now with this perspective pervading our general public, writing and thinking.

All in all, what was society to do about these individuals of adversity? Indeed, during a significant part of the nineteenth century, and from the get-go in the 20th, experts accepted people with inabilities were best treated in private offices in provincial conditions. An out of the picture and therefore irrelevant sort of thing, maybe...

Notwithstanding, before the finish of the nineteenth century the size of these establishments had expanded so significantly that the objective of recovery for individuals with incapacities simply wasn't working. Foundations became instruments for lasting isolation.

I have some involvement in these isolation approaches of schooling. Some of it is acceptable and some of it is slightly below average. I have been an independent instructor on and off over time in numerous conditions in independent homerooms out in the open secondary schools, center schools and grade schools. I have likewise instructed in various specialized curriculum social independent schools that completely isolated these grieved understudies with inabilities in dealing with their conduct from their standard companions by placing them in totally various structures that were in some cases even in various towns from their homes, companions and friends.

Throughout the long term numerous specialized curriculum experts became pundits of these organizations referenced over that isolated and isolated our kids with incapacities from their companions. Irvine Howe was one of the first to advocate removing our childhood from these gigantic foundations and to put out occupants into families. Lamentably this training turned into a calculated and down to earth issue and it required some investment before it could turn into a practical option in contrast to systematization for our understudies with incapacities.

Presently on the positive side, you may be keen on knowing anyway that in 1817 the primary specialized curriculum school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (presently called the American School for the Deaf), was set up in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. That school is still there today and is one of the top schools in the nation for understudies with hear-able inabilities. A genuine progress story!

Be that as it may, as you would already be able to envision, the enduring accomplishment of the American School for the Deaf was the special case and not the standard during this time-frame. What's more, to add to this, in the late nineteenth century, social Darwinism supplanted environmentalism as the essential causal clarification for those people with handicaps who digressed from those of everybody.

Unfortunately, Darwinism made the way for the genetic counseling development of the mid 20th century. This at that point prompted much further isolation and even sanitization of people with inabilities, for example, mental hindrance. Sounds like something Hitler was doing in Germany additionally being done well here in our own nation, to our own kin, by our own kin. Sort of alarming and unfeeling, wouldn't you concur?

Today, this sort of treatment is clearly unsatisfactory. Furthermore, in the early piece of the twentieth Century it was likewise inadmissible to a portion of the grown-ups, particularly the guardians of these debilitated youngsters. Hence, concerned and furious guardians framed support gatherings to help carry the instructive necessities of youngsters with incapacities into the public eye. General society needed to see firsthand how wrong this selective breeding and disinfection development was for our understudies that were unique in the event that it was truly going to be halted.

Gradually, grassroots associations gained ground that even prompted a few states making laws to ensure their residents with incapacities. For instance, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the primary white stick law gave people with visual deficiency the option to proceed when going across the road. This was a beginning, and different states did in the long run go with the same pattern. As expected, this nearby grassroots' development and states' development prompted enough tension on our chosen authorities for something to be done on the public level for our kin with inabilities.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy made the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. Furthermore, in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson marked the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which gave subsidizing to essential training, and is seen by backing bunches as extending admittance to state funded schooling for kids with handicaps.

At the point when one ponders Kennedy's and Johnson's record on social equality, at that point it most likely isn't such an unexpected discovering that these two presidents likewise initiated this public development for our kin with incapacities.

This government development prompted segment 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. This ensures social equality for the handicapped with regards to governmentally subsidized establishments or any program or movement accepting Federal monetary help. Every one of these years after the fact as an instructor, I for one arrangement with 504 cases each and every day.

In 1975 Congress authorized Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which sets up a privilege to state funded training for all youngsters paying little heed to inability. This was another beneficial thing in light of the fact that before government enactment, guardians needed to generally teach their youngsters at home or pay for costly private schooling.

The development continued developing. In the 1982 the instance of the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. High Court explained the degree of administrations to be managed the cost of understudies with exceptional necessities. The Court decided that custom curriculum administrations need just give some "instructive advantage" to understudies. Government funded schools were not needed to amplify the instructive advancement of understudies with incapacities.

Today, this decision may not appear to be a triumph, and actually, this equivalent inquiry is indeed coursing through our courts today in 2017. Be that as it may, since its getting late period it was made

[ramongparishnuttyprofessor]

The Roaring Twenties: Domestic Depressions, Rescue Workers and Radical Materiality in the New Decade- A rough Astrological Forecast of the 2020’s.

The  Millennium began with a grand trine in earth signs, symbolically revealing to us that the gates are open to work with the creative potential and fertility of the earth, of the material. The chart for the birth moment of the second decade of the of the Millennium is also turned toward the earth and earth signs. This time however the focus is on that part of the earth or earth nature that we as human beings have built up  variously called society, institution or infrastructure and the notions of authority that give life to them and direct them. In this reading I will attempt to work with this chart to respond to the question “ What energies and dynamics will be at play in the coming decade and how can we respond to them in ways that best further human liberation and planetary evolution”?  Big question. But this is always the question of evolutionary astrology. This chart will be drawn for the United States using Washington DC as the birthplace, so it will be most applicable to those living in the United States, but a great many dynamics relate to the earth as a whole. In future writings I will draw the chart of Denver on January 2020 and compare it to the DC chart to examine how our communities in the Front Range might relate to  the larger national dynamics. As a slight… word of caution, trying to prognosticate for a period, but especially for an entire decade is a risky, potentially misleading enterprise as an astrologer. You might think of it as a peek at the tapestry of forces at play at the birth of the new decade. Astrology always deals moments of origin. It holds that these moments are formative, and that all coming movements of time symbolized by the planets and signs are compared to and draw their significance from a particular the point of origin. It is fundamentally a way of making significance and meaning out of our experience of time. Finally I am a practicing amateur, so, take my words with a grain of salt and compare it to other astrologers who you trust. So on we go. On a collective level the most significance task, astrologically speaking, at this time is the completion of the work of the age of Pisces and the foundation setting for the age of Aquarius. Its like the end of a semester in school. The grades are due and assignments need evaluating, while you are simultaneously developing the syllabi for future classes (you can tell my day job). When interpreting charts for historical events and large scale entities like nations you always start with the outer planets. I am a going to begin with Pluto since it in a sense is a “stationary planet” against which all others are moving. It is also the most powerful factor in this chart. Over all what I see is this chart is that the decay and corruption of authority figures and in financial and political matters will be felt most by Americans at home. The social and potentially evolutionary crisis represented by the Pluto cluster will hit us where it hurts, in our personal finances, our property and in our actual living spaces. We will have to reach out to our friends and neighbors and develop functional small scale economic networks powered by our most idealistic even sacrificial sense of duty and service to get over. This desperate state will cause us to be receptive to innovative and revolutionary approaches to accessing land, food, water, clothing and wealth to ride out abrupt changes both to the climate and to our societal structure.

Let’s get into it more detail. Pluto ingressed into Capricorn in 2008 coinciding with the economic crash/down-turn, the housing bubble and the deception of Wall Streets’ Big Banks. So we already have experience with Pluto in Capricorn signaling the trembling or shakedown of structures that are too big to fail. Pluto represents what needs to fall apart, what needs to be composted. It also represents our individual and species will to survive, come what may. So it can show us in part where our tenacity is, and our ability to act in the face of despair. Saturn, ruled by Capricorn is conjunct Pluto in Capricorn (It goes exact  on January 12th 2020). The last time Pluto was in Capricorn occurred in 1982, in the Reagonomics era. The parallels are obvious. Saturn represents our individual relationship to systems, rules, boundaries and the various social instruments used to create order. Saturn is our ego structure, the limits we put around ourselves or that our socialization imposes on us. On the soul level Saturn (and to a lesser degree the moon) represent our karmic dues. The actions that we must take to balance the books. Cosmic Ma’at. In this way it has commonalities with Pluto, which represents those catastrophic events that befall an individual or a nation. The happenings that make you ask “is there a god (substitute your own name)”? The raw existential. The kinds of events that destroy what came before and force change. Do the mythmatics. You can feel where their conjunction might be going. On a deeper and more psychological level Pluto bring us into touch with our personal and species unconscious. It, like all of the trans-saturanian planets it represents the repressed, the shadow. Pluto reflects our fundamental drive to live and acquire and express power. If there is too much ego in the picture, we personally identify ourselves with the forces of life and evolution and we can become inflated and tyrannical. With too little ego we can give ourselves away to those same inflated individuals or allow our individuality to be swallowed  up by power hungry mobs or mechanisms. Because the plutonian energies can be so cataclysmic ,we resist them, push them down, disown them. We put them in prisons and ghettos. When they rise, they often do do with force.  We repress Plutonian energies because they disturb us so much, causing us to fear for our survival. The repressed then must express itself as shadow. Something that we treat as excrement, but is actually an intimate part of ourselves. In Capricorn this shows up as systems and their steersmen who seek an iron grip on wealth, influence, property, prestige and governance.

Pluto and Saturn are joined by the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter in Capricorn. Jupiter will also conjunct Saturn (Dec. 21 2020- aligned with the Winter Solstice) which astrologers have historically referred to as the Great Conjunction before they became aware of the outer planets. This conjunction only happens every 32 years and has been used to predict the fall and accession of rulers and the plotting of revolutions. It indicates the degree of faith that the popular mind (Jupiter) has in the institutions that govern it (Saturn).This exact conjunction will take place in Aquarius.  With Jupiter currently groups with Saturn in Capricorn the people will turn toward our institutions and decide to what extent we will give our assent to them. With Pluto in the background we will experience what parts need to crumble or be reborn. Do these institutions still act as the conduits for our traditional wisdom, or might it be the received wisdoms themselves that are corrupt and obsolete? Mercury will add a mental clarity to this collective revaluation.  Furthermore because both of Mercury and Jupiter are in the 3rd house of siblings, neighborhoods and short journeys, this revaluation of our financial and political institutions is sure to be a household (4th house) conversation.

We can also see that the struggle to transform our most intimate and large scale economic habits could take on treacherous and aggressive dimensions with Mars in Scorpio in the 2nd house. We might see protracted and violent disputes about property, money and debts. Rather than being the of kind sour international resource wars we have come to expect since the 1st Gulf War (though the recent assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani might prove my prediction wrong) if not since the end of the second world war, this chart indicates that these resources confrontations might be more internal- or civil. Many have commented on the shaky state of domestic affairs in the United States, and that political and social polarization could reach such a pitch as to ignite a second civil war. Some have even questioned whether the first ever ended- or rather has it gone covert, become ideological. Could it move from being a cold to a hot war? While these discussion are timely outright civil war is not indicated in this chart, partly because Mars is not significantly aspecting the Pluto-Saturn complex. More it seems to suggest that there could be a general possessiveness and hostility around resources and boundaries, such as national and state borders and personal property lines. It is possible that the 2nd house Mars In Scorpio trine with Neptune and the moon in house six could lead many Americans to be deluded by a cause and sent to war against perceived  external threats to the economic well-being. It will be important to keep an eye on Mars and its coming conjunction with Pluto et al in the coming months in this regard. In case you haven’t noticed the mood of the times and what is mirrored by this chart is conservative and authoritarian. People are bunkering down and the “we take care of our own” mentality is in ascendancy. The question of who is your own, depends on your social location,  ideological stance, or perhaps sense of empathy. It seems to be a smaller and smaller “own”. Turned toward beneficent ends this conservatism might also be a call to turn towards one’s community, toward one’s locality, towards one family, to become more individually and locally reliant. This could mean “buying black”, developing local currencies including of the crypto-sort, localized food and transport systems, and basically putting one’s own house in order. That is the call, the US needs to put its own house in order. This conservatism could be the kind spoken of by Winnoa LaDuke when she referenced the lifeways of indigenous peoples whose cultural and spiritual constructs instruct them to act as part of their environments, living sustainably in some cases for thousands of years. We might ask ourselves what is true conservatism? What is worth conserving? What must be saved? What do we depended on? What is the real source and use of wealth, earth, material? The whole focus of this chart is the disciplined and creative use of material culture.

Another key to this chart is that most of the activity is under the horizon of the ascendant/ descendant line. Nearly all of the planets are clustered around the IC- the deep subconscious roots of basic necessities and a sense of home. This is stuff we are used to dealing with in private, but we will need to go public with it. It was once said that feminism was women demanding space and power beyond the private sphere. In that sense and in one other I will describe below, this decade will witness is a feminist crisis/revolution. Before we go there two forces that counter balance and complicate this picture that need mentioning. The first is the influence of Neptune, which in its home in Pisces will continue to exert a subtle, almost imperceptible, yet ubiquitous influence up until the middle of the decade. Neptune rules dreams, imagination, fantasy, illusions, mental illness, utopias, addictions and our capacity to be open to the universe. At its best Neptune awakens our capacities for compassion. We’ve seen the influence of Neptune since 2011 in the legalization and mainstreaming of marijuana, the movements to decriminalize psilocybin, the rise of binge watching, the success of the MCU, the expansion of VR and the introduction of AR. We’ve also seen it in the fascination with a stereotyped occult in music videos and advertising. In art witness the explosion of fluid and gaseous stock images. In the medical world (it rules anesthetics and was discovered during the first of the Opium Wars) the spread of opioids is a now recognized, national crisis. At its worst  during this decade Neptune will have us spiritually bypassing, strapped into VR goggles while the real, material world of our communities and planet goes into chaos. At is best it can help us bring about the dream of the Piscean age: recognition that human beings of all types are family, and that we are part of one stream of life. From my reading the better part of Neptune is indicated by this chart. Neptune is conjunct with the moon in the sixth house of service, health and work. This placement could point to an increase in the existing widespread mental and emotional breakdown. But the moon is close to its first quarter. So potentially this is an active Neptune. A Neptune that works on behalf of others (6th house). A powerful symbol for this kind of Neptune is the rescue worker.  The firefighter. The EMT. Triage. You get out there and help. Practical and tactical humanitarianism (Neptune).

Neptune is in a sextile with Saturn which indicates that there is an opportunity to serve our fellow citizens to re-organize and create new practical structures to replace those that face the destruction wrought by Pluto. We won’t be able to look away. We will be haunted (Pisces) in our souls until we turn around and do something. The gritty need to survive will give us the kick in the ass needed to extend ourselves. I hold that asking your neighbor to borrow ketchup, sugar or tools is a radical act in these times.  

Also in the 6th house is Chiron. While I am still awakening into this archetype a few things are clear. Chiron is the planet of the wounded healer indicating how we regenerate ourselves after the individual and collective smackdown that can come from Pluto. Chiron while sharing the 6th house is distinct from the Moon/Neptune in Pisces conjunction. The healer in Aries, is beginning a new cycle. We could witness the rise of the radical healer, the warrior healer who brings imagination and fire to the work of healing communities! Chiron is also squared with the Sun- Mercury- Jupiter conjunction in Capricorn.  While in our desperation we will be willing (trine) to look at the earth care and infrastructural solutions projected by Uranus in Taurus, will have to forced by these revolutionary healers to confront our addictions to tech, legal and illegal drugs, and the comfortable lifestyle of the consumer class has enjoyed since the second world war and especially since the last Saturn-Pluto conjunction. Even more deeply these healers might force us to root out the images of white supremacy, nationalism, patriarchy, of the dominator that lives in our homes- in the mirror. We will have meet our internalized oppression and trauma, the collective shadow formation of the Piscean age. We are all Trump. And worse. This shadow formation is coiled around our IC roots. The returned dragon of the pre-civil rights era now set to make its (re)claim on the national narrative. A powerful stand-off could manifest this decade between that collected karmic stagnation of the waning age and the liberatory distillation of the Piscean era, the mystic-radical-warrior-healer archetype (think Jesus) that initiated it. If victorious this archetype can lead us into Aquarius.

“"Pleasure    Activism is the practice of actively engaging the God in people." -Adrienne    Maree Brown The other factor here, potentially the decisive factor is Uranus in Taurus. Uranus is the only planet in this chart above the horizon. In that sense it is the rising star, or the beacon! When people look outside of their own selves and activities (houses 1-6) this will be where the attention gathers. Uranus represents all things new, innovative, disruptive, shocking, radical. It represents our ability to create anew, to see an inspiring vision, to peer into the depths of cosmic night and envision the future. It also presents innovation, mass communication, electricity, non-linear time, technology and mass movements. Uranus is in Taurus, so this innovation is active in the slow moving element of earth. On the rough side this could mean sudden changes in the climate, drought, or excessive precipitation (also indicated by Neptune in Pisces) and forest fires. Basically check the IPCC reports. But this aspect is a trine, and this is an easy and flowing relationship as it relates to the economic and infrastructural crisis dominating the chart. So maybe, even in her upheaval momma nature will show us some mercy. Uranus trining the conjoined Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter in Capricorn also indicates that the people will be open to, inspired and influenced by innovations such a permaculture, community food security, community resilience and sustainability, environmental and food justice, localized carbon sequestration, regenerative practices, agro-ecology and so on. There may even be the possibilities of creating real and lasting jobs here. Uranus is in the 7th house of partnership and relationships. Social media will continue be a powerful force in the spread of innovative solutions, models and ideas, but this chart position also indicates that passing these ideas via our personal networks in person maybe more powerful, electric even. This is consistent with the focus on home and neighborhood in the Capricorn area of the chart.

Frontline Farmers- Majestic View Nature Center https://www.frontlinefarming.org/ One more planet worth mentioning is Venus in 5th house Aquarius. Venus is trining the ascendant in Libra and operating under Uranus’s ruler Aquarius. We could see a lot of creative activity- images, music, theater, streamed content, that exhorts the idealistic work of rebuilding the economic basis of homes and communities. The serving work of the sixth house. We could also see, in a subtler way, that many of the values of the coming age of Aquarius articulate and express themselves with a new florescence, becoming again, a romantic ideal. All of this is happening with one of critical factor of historic importance in the background. The position of Pluto is within orb of its location in the birth chart of the United States. Pluto has just completed a 247-ish year revolution and is now entering into a new cycle relative the US. This means it is time to review, renew or abandon the ways that we have used our financial position, our desire for dominance, and our covert geopolitical maneuvering for power. All of our karmic activity in this realm will come full circle. We can see it playing out strangely enough. You could cite the recent (in process?) impeachment and the endless scandals around sexuality (as expression of power and life urge) and questionable international alliances of 45. Many segments of the nation believe that the very soul of USA, our basic narrative and identity (Sun conjunct Pluto) are on the line. Are we a white nation that has an uneasy if not murderous relationship to outsiders? Or has this always been a nations of nations? Of many colors? Are we a capitalist nation or a socialist nation? Are we “men” or is gender fluid and contextual? Is oil our life blood or can we pump something cleaner? Are we a Christian nation or one that has a plurality of faiths or even non-faiths? Are we nationalists or globalists? Or might there be creative ways in-between and synthesis of these binaries? One this is clear. People are willing to die over these questions. Perhaps rightly so, since these are basic questions of how we shape an individual and collective life. This is how we bring forth worlds as human beings. What the wheel of time represented by astrology indicates is that the world of yesterday- of make American Great AGAIN is over in the sense that the is no going backward. But the conservative preponderance in this chart does ask us to look at what needs to be preserved from our last 244 years as a nation and even in the last 2150 years of Pisces. What traditions do we need to recover, revive? What intelligence did they hold? What did they protect? How do we do the Sankofa move and bring the past into the future? In closing I want to touch on the ascendant and the mid heaven. With Libra at the ascendant we feel our identity bound up with just relationships with our fellow citizens.  As the comforts that we have accrued fall apart, as our privileges become a check from bank that is closed, we will have to look deep into how we want to relate to one another. What kind of social and civic life do we want to cultivate? With this ascendant squaring the midheaven, north node in Cancer we struggling to find the right kind of leadership. The North node in Cancer indicates that the USA needs to move in the direction of leadership that embodies protective but loving,  sheltering yet welcoming, conventional yet deeply imaginative qualities.  We need a leadership that nurtures the best in its citizens. America is after all, a women. Lady Liberty. Lady Justice.  In the US birth chart the US’s sun is also in Cancer- a feminine sign traditionally. So there is a return to our origins, our basic identity, but the kind of return spoken of by T. S. Eliot. This returned feminine (not necessarily in body but in quality) is opposed to the grasping plutonian morass in Capricorn.  A dragon hoarding a treasure. Lady justice stands atop of the dragon, like the angel Michael, even reminiscent of the women crowned in stars (mid heaven) in the book of revelations “ And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars  Revelation 12:1 KJV

  Capricorn will continue to mirror for us the type of leadership that we have covertly accepted. The leadership and zeitgeist of the last 250 years. We know what we have. Will we look to the horizon,  into our hearts and into the sky and acknowledge what we need.

Time will tell. Anyway the best prophecy is enacted and embodied.

There is so much more to say. Way more to do and live into. This is one offering at the birth of a new decade. Please send comes thoughts, questions and corrections here.

Bless.

~Ramon

[shakikaki-blog]

Metal Roofing Atlantic Beach NC

We’ve been a leading manufacturer of residential metal roofs since 1980. Proudly made in America using quality, up to 99% recycled aluminum, the majority of which is post-consumer, our shingles, shakes, tile, and standing seam roofing products beautify and protect beautiful homes, churches, and other buildings throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world. We also have a new steel roofing product for projects that require steel. Our architectural roof shingles are available throughout North America as well as in the Caribbean, Japan, and elsewhere. Independent dealers and contractors, along with our Customer Support team, are available to meet your needs with a focus on increasing your home’s value and protection and making your home the worry-free and comfortable investment it should be.

Why Choose a Metal Roof?

Metal Roofing Atlantic Beach NC, being one of the kinds of material is a reasonable choice for rooftop substitution and new rooftop development. It is perhaps the best speculation you can do to improve your home's estimation. Property holders generally utilize metal material in the US, West Africa, and Europe; this is because of their earth benevolent nature, life span, excellence among others.

Metal material rates above other material sorts as a result of its boundless attributes. It is perfect for all rooftop types particularly home with a lofty or level roofline, and its sturdiness is one among all.

What Makes a Metal Roof So Desireable?

Not at all like other material sorts, metal material has various choices you can look over; they incorporate Aluminum, tin, copper, zinc, stirred steel among others. Prior to choosing your decision of material, compassionately get in touch with us at Town and Country material administrations for exhortation, review, and proposal of the financially savvy material that best accommodates your home.

What causes metal material to contrast from other material sorts is its impervious to fire and temperature change, increasingly strong, extremely alluring, requires insignificant support, and in particular, vitality effective. A metal rooftop can keep going for at any rate 45 years and needs little help if satisfactorily built. Peruse along to think concerning why you should rooftop your home with metal materials.

Wellbeing and Energy Advantages

Metal material has been a phenomenal vitality proficient material sort for quite a long time. It mirrors the warmth from the sun which lessens the expense of cooling your home. Not at all like other material sorts which release your home's vitality through the roofing materials and opening, we seal metal material which causes them to keep up your homes temperature and vitality effectiveness.

Naturally Friendly

Metal material is one of the most maintainable and earth neighborly roofing material accessible. Metal roofing material contains around 25-95% reused materials, in spite of the fact that this relies upon the kind of material utilized. Be that as it may, they are on the whole 100% recyclable after their life expectancy. Since their recyclable, you can utilize them on another material undertaking.

Sets aside Cash

Metal material could make just the motivation behind why your vitality cost can be decreased by 40% every year. It's intelligent sunlight based covering highlight which is intended to limit heat development guarantee the decrease of your homes vitality and even cooling costs. All the more along these lines, metal material requires less support, and the expense of keeping up it is low. Should you need more data or guidance on the most proficient method to approach this, Town and Country Roofing Services is prepared to support you.

Life span

Metal material is the most strong, dependable and vitality proficient rooftop type ever. Research expresses that metal material can keep going for up to 40-50 years contrasted with other material sorts which can keep going for 25-30 years.

Indeed, We Repair and Replace Metal Roofs

As a result of the above-featured advantages of metal material, the utilization of metal material is spreading quickly. Property holders lean toward it to other material alternatives as a result of its durable, minimal effort of support and its vitality sparing characteristics. I believe that is befuddling enough to think about it for your next rooftop substitution. Do reach us for additional requests.

Wedge Roofing has some expertise in top notch metal rooftop establishments, metal rooftop fixes, metal rooftop support and metal cool rooftop coatings in Marin County, Sonoma County, San Francisco and Napa. (Presented above ASC Skyline 16" Metal Roof introduced in Sonoma County.)

Metal Roof Systems

Tough Class "A" Fire Rated metal rooftop frameworks are accessible in arrangements running from conventional standing crease metal rooftop boards and level crease metal rooftop boards to granular covered steel shingles produced to look like dirt tile, record and shake rooftops. For what reason would it be a good idea for you to pick a metal rooftop?

Accredidations

Metal Roofing Alliance Quality Contractor. Producer prepared and authorize temporary worker for Gerard Metal Roofing, ASC Metal Roofing, Metal Sales, and Custom-Bilt Metals.

Level Seam and Standing Seam Metal Roofs

A top notch material framework, Flat Seam and Standing Seam Metal rooftops are durable, strong, heat proof, and contain 30 to 60% reused content. Wedge Roofing introduces business and private metal material frameworks from Metal Sales, ASC Metal, Custom-Bilt Metal, and Western States Vintage and Bonderized Metal Roofs.

Stone-Coated Metal Shingles

Metal Shingles from Gerard Boral Metal Roofs and Decra Tile are class "A" fire-appraised in profiles appropriate for any business or private structure. Fabricated in designs emulating arrangement shingles, wood shakes, common record and mud tile rooftop, they are accessible in an assortment of hues, including numerous that qualify as ENERGY STAR® Roofs.

Audit of Gerard Boral Metal Shingle Roof Installed by Wedge Roofing in Marin County (Pictured Above)

"Assurance and steadiness in acquiring the best outcome is something which most organizations desire yet once in a while give. Wedge Roofing figures out how to accomplish it through the practically super-human exertion and its commitment group.

After extensive research, I chose I needed to supplant my maturing redwood shake rooftop with stone-covered metal.Without swimming into the advantages and disadvantages of that choice, I think everybody concurs that metal rooftops are more perplexing and hard to introduce than practically any other option. Cutting, twisting, adjusting and sorting it full scale with right around 10,000 screws is no simple undertaking.

Subsequent to choosing metal my greatest concern was finding a material contractual worker with the experience and responsibility to meet what I thought and still believe was an overwhelming venture. I explored and met many.

From my first experience to their last day at work, Wedge propelled and at last earned my trust in their work, my trust in their procedure and even my fondness for their team. A more pleasant, increasingly accommodating, progressively decided group is hard for me to envision.

Two agents of the maker of the metal material (Gerard) visited the task and were profuse in their applause. While that must absolutely have satisfied Wedge I generally felt like it was my desires and perspectives that were central. I was unable to be increasingly satisfied with the outcomes. I speculate I will consistently see that rooftop with a proportion of appreciation for Wedge. In the event that Gerard's stone-covered metal is even half tantamount to Wedge's establishment of it, that ought to be quite a while."

[ayerayerproject]

Picking up the Pieces

by Sarah Ichioka

Sarah Ichioka writes the keynote essay for Plasticity, a photography series by visual artist Ernest Goh on plastic pollution found on Punggol Beach, Singapore. The photography series was made during Exactly Foundation Art Residency programme 2018-19.

Sarah Ichioka writes the keynote essay for Plasticity, a photography series on microplastics and plastic pollution found on Singapore’s Punggol Beach, by visual artist, Ernest Goh for Exactly Foundation Art Residency programme.

On each page, a new object catches my eye; like jewels, like candy. I turn them over in my mind’s hand, admiring their lustrous surfaces, vivid colours.

My consumer-lust is aroused from its never too-deep sleep. That red shaft would make a stunning cocktail ring; that green streak, a tasty topping for a cake.

Mysterious figures appear on the white horizon. Our gazes meet. A wide-eyed soldier hoists his bayonet aloft. A wrinkled beast—a yak?—cocks a smirk in my direction. And wait, is that a… missile?

But then, suddenly, my fantasy falls to the ground. A bent red bottle cap, its curved white logo instantly recognisable. Intrigue flattens to disgust. These aren’t exotic goods whose heft begs handling; they’re nothing but so many tiny bits of trash.

++++

People who spend their time in or near the water—surfers, divers, sailors—are amongst the most passionate anti-plastic campaigners, because they see and feel the effects of ocean pollution first-hand. Photographer Ernest Goh traces the origin of his personal anti-plastic journey to a wave-borne shopping bag that smothered his face. Other friends—a married couple—have shared with me their experience of snorkeling and watching pieces of discarded plastic float by—including food packaging designed by the husband’s very own company.

Even when mediated through photos or videos, for folks more frequently in shopping malls than in the surf, there is a visual aspect of the plastic pollution crisis that imparts an immediate sense of accountability. That object I see lodged in the sea turtle’s nose is most certainly a plastic straw, just like the one I sucked my kopi peng through this morning; that cigarette lighter inside the ribcage of the albatross chick’s carcass is unmistakably the same item that my husband hides beneath his cufflinks and credit card receipts.

This visually self-evident character differentiates our plastic pollution crisis from some of the concurrent, compound emergencies we humans have created. Take our carbon pollution crisis: I have to believe climate scientists when they tell me that my holiday flights hasten the thawing of the permafrost. Or our nitrogen pollution crisis: I have to trust hydrology experts when they say that runoff from fertiliser used to grow my lunch causes massive downstream dead zones. In such cases, obfuscation and denial are easier to sustain, whether by ourselves, by industry lobbyists or by politicians.

The comparative legibility of our plastic pollution crisis might suggest that it is more politically “solvable” than some of these other potentially existential, yet less easily illustrated crises we face.

Having accepted our culpability, how might we begin to atone for it?

One response offers an appealing narrative of consumer activism: maybe we can (mindfully) shop our way out of this mess, by opting for more durable, reusable items? Certainly making a habit of carrying a water flask, a canvas shopping bag, and a set of bamboo eating utensils is a decent place to start, not least as a conversation starter and signal of one’s concern.

Perhaps the problem can be solved if we try our best to #recyclebetter, as the current Singaporean campaign urges? Or is recycling merely a “fig leaf on consumerism” as Jane Muncke, Director of Zurich's Food Packaging Forum puts it?

Maybe we should just tidy up a bit more? When I was a kid, my father would take me for an annual volunteer clean-up of the coast near our California home. Ending the day with sore muscles and a sack full of bullet casings (from a nearby shooting range), cigarette butts, condoms, deodorant rollers, and crumbling chunks of styrofoam was deeply satisfying to me, as tangible evidence of my personal concern and participation. Last year, I chaperoned my daughter’s preschool class on a similar clean-up outing to Singapore’s East Coast Park. This time, I felt rather less contented, overwhelmed by the seeming futility of our attempts, observing casual littering by park users and the floating trash ready to wash ashore as soon as we’d cleared our patch of beach.

As it happens, in about the same timespan as that between my leaving university and becoming a mother, the global volume of plastic production doubled. The same report that documents this leap estimates that global industries have produced 8,300 million metric tons of plastic since 1950. 6,400 million metric tons of this plastic—that’s roughly 100 times the weight of the concrete used to build the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest manmade structure—have become waste, nearly 80% of which sits in landfills or our natural environment. Less than 10% has been recycled, while the remainder has been incinerated (as has until recently been standard practice in Singapore).

In Singapore itself, plastic waste per capita has increased nearly 20 percent over the last 15 years. Looking at this country’s plastic bag usage alone, about 2,640 bags are thrown away every three seconds.

Projecting forward current production and pollution trends, another report predicts by 2050 our oceans could contain more plastics than fish (by weight), while the plastics industry itself could consume 15% of our annual carbon budget, and 20% of global oil production.

While our plastic pollution crisis is so overwhelmingly large, it is also mind-twistingly small. Here I mean small in the sense probed by Goh’s photographs: the scale of the microplastics, and now nano-plastics, whose presence has been documented in nearly every corner of our terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and which are now entering our food chain, with unknown, but potentially toxic effects.

The proximity of Goh’s plastic-strewn Punggol beach to a seafood restaurant seems apt. We study the food chain and hydrological cycles as concepts in school, but when most of us enter the “real” world we conveniently forget the practical implications of our systemic connections with the rest of nature.

Understanding the interconnected nature of plastic pollution’s causes and effects is a kind of reawakening. It destabilises the narrative that sees human culture as separate from the natural environment. That story of separation has been a necessary psychological cover for the exploitation of living systems that underpins nearly every aspect of our current economic and political order. Once we remember that ecocide is suicide, will we continue it?

Have we trashed Earth beyond habitability? No problem, we’ll just migrate to Mars, as deckhands or stowaways on a tech oligarch’s spaceship. But wait, turns out we’ve already trashed outer space too. Parts of broken satellites and rockets currently amount to over 8 million kilos of space waste. Rather like ocean plastics, the larger bits of space waste are fragmenting into smaller and smaller pieces, which interfere with digital communications and might even hinder future spacecraft launches.

So let’s turn our eyes back to our damaged and depleted, yet still living and magnificent planet.

“Reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse”? Yes of course, let’s do that. But politely declining plastic straws and rinsing our Coke bottles is simply not enough. Also—and in my view, more importantly—we must act not just as individual consumers but collectively, as concerned citizens and social beings.

With this in mind, let me leave you with an alternative “4 Rs” to consider:

Rebel: Let us raise our voices together, unashamed to share our grief, rage, and disgust at the devastation that our overconsumption-based society has unleashed all around us, clogging our commons and poisoning our sources of sustenance. Let’s insist on better, for ourselves, and for the complex living systems upon which our survival depends.

Root: Let us ground the solutions to our plastic pollution crisis in the lived history and culture of Singapore and its region*. What local wisdom and practices, from karung guni men, to metal tiffins, to banana leaf wrappers and beyond, might be usefully revisited for contemporary use? How might technological and behavioural innovations ground themselves in Singaporeans’ particular resources and values?

Relate: Let us decipher and then communicate the underlying systems that perpetuate this global crisis. Let’s understand for example, who benefits from the otherwise dangerous proliferation of plastics, and how they exert influence on policies and regulations. Let’s study why some national and local governments have taken action to solve the plastic pollution crisis more swiftly than others, and what successful changes early actors have made. Let’s explore how our plastic pollution crisis intersects with other economic, environmental and social systems.

And finally, Regenerate: Let us draw inspiration from the natural world to craft materials and manufacturing cycles that are truly waste-free. Let’s design, build, and inhabit systems that proactively repair past damage, clean up our rubbish, and co-create the conditions for our living world to flourish. It will be a beautiful sight.

Sarah Mineko Ichioka is a Singapore-based urbanist, curator and writer. She leads Desire Lines, a consultancy for environmental, cultural, and social-impact organisations. www.sarahichioka.com

*Ernest Goh’s MA thesis at Goldsmiths followed a similar vein, looking to historical urban successes to inspire contemporary applications. In Goh’s case, the water fountains of ancient Rome inspired the idea for new public water fountains for Singapore, which will be piloted as a part of this project at ADEX 2019.

++++++

Further reading: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/

https://polymerdatabase.com/polymer%20classes/Plastics%20Industry%20Facts.html

https://polymerdatabase.com/Polymer%20Brands/Plastic%20Manufacturers.html

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/lookup.php (tip: enter “plastic” in the Issue search field)

https://www.edb.gov.sg/en/our-industries/energy-and-chemicals.html

http://singapore-companies-directory.com/categories/singapore_plastics.htm

[lizabethstucker]

Ex Libris: Stories of Librarians, Libraries & Lore

Edited by Paula Guran

Twenty-three tales of fantasy and science fiction that contain libraries and librarians as well as the magic of books.  An absolutely wonderful collection, only one disappointment.  And that was more about style of writing than the premise of the story itself.  4 out of 5.

 “In the House of the Seven Librarians” by Ellen Klages  

When the old Carnegie library was closed and much of its newer content moved to a brand-new library across town, seven librarians remained behind, moving into the library to stay.  Their lives are changed when a baby is left as payment for an overdue book. A suspension of disbelief leads to a strange yet satisfying read.  4.5 out of 5.

 “The Books” by Kage Baker

The Show traveled around the badly decimated U.S., providing entertainment and trade.  In one larger city, three kids explore, stumbling on a library.  All of them are determined to take books back with them, but it might not be that easy.  This was almost like a section of a longer story, one that I'd love to read. Very intense.  Baker does a marvelous job with atmosphere.  3.5 out of 5.

 “Death and the Librarian” by Esther M. Friesner

Death has come at last for Miss Louisa Foster.  Yet even Death can be surprised.  This one came close to tearing my heart out, slamming it on the floor, and stomping on it repeatedly.  5 out of 5.

 “In Libres” by Elizabeth Bear

Despite her thesis being complete, Euclavia is directed to the Library Special Collections to read another source.  Accompanied reluctantly by her centaur friend Bucephalus, they dare to visit the dangerous place.  Definitely dangerous!  There’s a chill tap-dancing along your spine, especially for those readers who have been deep in the bowels of huge, older libraries.  4 out of 5.

 “The King of the Big Night Hours” by Richard Bowes

Memories and suicides in the library.  I’m not certain how I feel about this one.  The writing is exquisite, the plot is intriguing, but the emotions invoked are not comfortable.  If that was the author’s intent, mission accomplished.  3.5 out of 5.

 “Those Who Watch” by Ruthanna Emrys

The library marks Elaine on her third day of work. Already dealing with various health and emotional issues, she must find a way to adapt or leave.  Unusual and intriguing.  Definitely deserves further exploration.  3.5 out of 5.

 “Special Collections” by Norman Partridge

He went to work at the library as suggested by his court-appointed therapist.  He started taking Library Science classes as suggested by the college archivist where he met Daphne.  But there are secrets, deadly secrets swirling around the library and the narrator. More horror than fantasy, not one of my favorites.  Despite ticking off some loved trope boxes, I struggled to finish.  3 out of 5.

 “Exchange” by Ray Bradbury

Working in the library for forty some years is getting to Miss Adams.  Too many children, too many books, too much noise.  Then a former patron arrives after hours looking for a final goodbye before shipping out.  There is no finer writer of fantasy on this planet.  Or maybe it is more accurate to call him a weaver of magic.  5 out of 5.

 “Paper Cuts Scissors” by Holly Black

Justin struggles to find a way to rescue his girlfriend Linda from the book she put herself into after they had a fight.  His best hope is Mr. Sandlin, a man who can bring characters out of books.  Thanks to another, as well as Sandlin, Justin finds answers and a possible solution.  An intriguing premise handled with a delicate touch.  Lovely.  4 out of 5.

 “Summer Reading” by Ken Liu

When mankind left Earth for the stars, the planet was turned into a museum overseen by robots.  CN-344315 was the robot docent of the library.  It had been five thousand years since he last had human visitors.  The servers are gone, but CN-344315 had a tiny room filled with his favorite treasures: a selection of books protected behind an airtight glass.  A visitor reminds CN-344315 of why books are important.  Wow!  I’ve come across Liu’s work in my SF magazines over the years and have always enjoyed his stories.  I do believe this might be one of my favorites.  Short, sweet, and wonderful.  5 out of 5.

 “Magic for Beginners” by Kelly Link

I’m not certain how to explain what this story is about.  There’s a TV series and the characters in this story watch the series yet are also an episode of the same series.  Gave me a bloody headache.  There was so much potential, but it twists around itself until I finally gave up trying to understand it as a bad deal and just slogged through.  Weird beginning, no real ending.  Just a mess.  2.8 out of 5.

 “The Inheritance of Barnabas Wilcox” by Sarah Monette

Booth is surprised to hear from Barnabas Wilcox, a former classmate and bully.  Wilcox needs someone to catalog his late uncle’s library.  Booth senses something twisted at Hollyhill, the uncle’s estate. Creepy, horror of the emotions rather than blood and guts.  In other words, my kind of horror tale.  4 out of 5.

 “The Midbury Lake Incident” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

When the Midbury Lake Public Library burned to the ground, librarian Mary Beth Wilkins was upset, not only because of the fire, but that she wasn’t notified.  Grief would come later, once Mary Beth has left for a new life.  Very nice, just enough backstory to intrigue the reader. I do wish there had been more. 3.5 out of 5.

 “With Tales in Their Teeth, from the Mountain They Came” by A. C. Wise

After she loses her lover in the War, she goes to the Library on the Mountain, becoming an acolyte now named Alba.  She stries to find solace in the quiet, but mostly struggles. Then she meets a novice named Eleuthere who hides secrets beneath his robes.  Very magical, almost dreamlike.  4 out of 5.

 “What Books Survive” by Tansy Rayner Roberts

When the Invaders came, every electronic device died immediately, even battery-run ones.  Katie Scarlett Marsden was almost halfway through Wuthering Heights when her Kindle died.  Once the town built a barricade, she was separated from the school library.  Wanting more to read, Katie slips past the barricade one night, finding more than she expected.  A very weird dystopian story, enthralling and filled with twists.  4.5 out of 5.

 “The Librarian’s Dilemma” by E. Saxey

Jas was hired to bring libraries into the 21st Century.  Saint Simon’s librarian Moira doesn’t mind the security measures he can provide, but she isn’t interested in sharing the contents of their Special Collection outside the library’s walls.  I understand the dilemma in this story and, frankly, I’m not certain which side I would support in regards to the sharing of dangerous material.  4 out of 5.

 “The Green Book” by Amal El-Mohtar

There is little that I can tell you about the story without spoiling it, so I’ll live it with that it is a story about a mysterious green book and its contents.  I mostly liked it.  I think. Yet it felt like it was more a rough sketch than a complete story.  3 out of 5.

 “In the Stacks” by Scott Lynch

Magical student Laszlo Jazera discovers the dangers of the final assignment for Fifth Year, one he must pass to make it to Sixth Year.  It seemed simple enough, return a book to the Living Library.  The task will be more frightening and intense than he could ever have expected.  There is a tragic sadness throughout this story, but the universe created is horrifyingly compelling.  4.5 out of 5.

 “A Woman’s Best Friend” by Robert Reed

On Christmas Eve, Mary sees a stranger stumbling through the snowy streets of her town. George is confused and frightened, soaked from head to toe. Mary impulsively takes him back to her home in the library. A strange retelling of a classic Christmas film, a mixture of fantasy and science fiction. Interesting, a bit strange at the end. 3.5 out of 5.

 “If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler” by Xia Jia

A lonely librarian discovers a book of poetry that might expand his world.  There is magic about this tale that touches the reader’s soul.  I loved how the people who wanted the poetry read and appreciated on its own merits, not for the possible backstory of the author.  4 out of 5.

 “The Sigma Structure Symphony” by Gregory Benford

Ruth is one of many librarians mining for useful information in recordings from the SETI project.  After the death of a fellow librarian, Ruth is asked to take over his task, mining the Sigma Structures.  Math and music, language and love.  Are they simply human-based?  Weird. Confusing.  Engrossing at the time yet left a sour aftertaste.  3 out of 5.

 “The Fort Moxie Branch” by Jack McDevitt

Mr. Wickham, in the process of disposing of his privately published novel, is caught in a blackout. During that darkness, he sees a strange glow in a long empty house.  I love the idea of this story.  A fascinating premise from start to finish.  4 out of 5.

 “The Last Librarian” by Edoardo Albert

Books, actual physical books, have been ignored in favor of uploaded versions or neural inputs.  The librarian at the British Library finagles a way to direct traffic physically into the building.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t go well.  In today’s world, I fear this could happen.  Maybe not now, but very soon.  I was surprised that the narrator remained at the end.  4 out of 5.

[vincent-marie]

A Look Back on TREASURE PLANET

So recently I rewatched TREASURE PLANET for the first time in about fifteen years and… I'm not gonna lie, it's still my personal favorite of the 2D Disney animated features from the early to mid-2000s.

Let's be real. Of the 2D features Disney released around that time period, TREASURE PLANET is one of the more solid films. ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE had some interesting ideas and some really nice design work and animation, but it really needed to be at least two hours long if it wanted to flesh out the characters and the world-building without requiring supplementary material (like a special edition of Disney Adventure magazine). Hardly anybody remembers BROTHER BEAR was even a thing, and the less said about HOME ON THE RANGE, the better. (Seriously, that movie wasn't even worth the Steve Buscemi cameo.)

The only other film of that era that has really held up was LILO AND STITCH, and I'll admit it's probably a better film than TREASURE PLANET. It took more risks in terms of character, setting and originality, and emotionally it leaves more of an impact. (That scene when Nani sings to Lilo makes me cry like a baby every time.) My only problem with it is it always felt like two entirely different movies collided with each other and it never felt like they really meshed well. Otherwise, I agree with most fans that it’s a good film.

Also, of course, there was the excellent THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE, which was just such a huge departure from Disney’s normal schtick and trying something more Tex Avery-esque, only for it to be a perfect storm instead of a total crash and burn. That is much to be proud of.

Going back to TREASURE PLANET, I can understand that most folks walk away saying it’s an "okay" film. I, however, am not one of those people. I've had a real soft spot for this movie ever since I saw it, but now I appreciate this film for additional reasons.

Namely, the animation and effects work. Holy crap, is this movie gorgeous! It's like watching Don Bluth's ANASTASIA, except I don't have to feel guilty about historical inaccuracies. (Now it’s just scientific inaccuracies, but STAR WARS gets away with that all the time.)

Directors John Musker and Ron Clements had apparently wanted to do a sci-fi retelling of "Treasure Island" since before they started working on THE LITTLE MERMAID. With that in mind I do feel like this movie would have fared better with critics back in the early 90s during the Disney Renaissance. However at that time they would not have had such elaborate and detailed CG effects within arm's reach. There's something I really enjoy about the use of 3D backdrops so that they may do sweeping camera movements, and that's not even getting into the lighting effects to establish atmosphere.

What's more, there are a lot of subtleties to the character animation that I never appreciated until now. You could just pick one character and focus on him or her during the whole movie and find a lot of fun little quirks in their dialogue or walk cycles.

Admittedly, much of this film’s appeal probably depends on how much of an animation fan you are. In my case I was watching John Silver’s animation and I suspected that Glen Keane was probably in charge of animating him (as there are moments when Silver looks so much like Ratigan). Those suspicions were confirmed during the end credits and I was delightfully geeking out about it.

It’s also easy to see where this film might not have had a lot of mass appeal. Most of the focus on the story is on Jim Hawkins and his daddy issues, which by the early 2000s was already a cliche of a character arc. And it’s not helped by the fact that Jim himself is... well, kind of on the bland side as a protagonist. There’s not a lot about him that makes him any more or less interesting than any other teenage male lead. But for what it is I think the movie did fine at establishing and building the relationship between Jim and Silver, which does have its warm and comforting moments. For both of them.

And at least the film is straightforward with its plot and characters and it’s not a structural mess like HERCULES, a previous venture by Musker and Clements.

Something I’ve noticed over the years is that TREASURE PLANET has a little bit of a cult following. I distinctly remember this one time when I was taking a storyboard class in college; we were assigned to do a “Master Study” assignment by recreating the key story frames in our favorite scene in a favorite animated movie. One of my classmates picked the scene when Jim is brought home to the inn by the police and embarrasses his mother. I recall being so impressed, and even a little envious, that she got the character design style down to a T. (If you’re wondering what movie/scene I picked for my Master Study, I picked the Big Ben scene from THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE.)

Then, of course, some friends and I suspect that TREASURE PLANET might have fared better if it had been released a bit later, more towards the height of the Steampunk craze. It’s not quite what I would call “Steampunk”, as it takes place in a sort of alternate universe version of the 18th century and not the Gothic era, and most of their transport is solar-powered and not steam-based. Nevertheless it’s easy to see how fans of Steampunk could find it appealing, with its mostly earth-tone color pallet to evoke the painted illustrations of the classic novel it was based on. Also that combination of a pre-20th century aesthetic with out-of-this-world science fiction elements is pretty much, in my opinion, what makes Steampunk so much fun to play around with. Also, a robot made out of copper. End of story.

In terms of why this film didn’t do so well when it was released, I suspect what stunted its success was the marketing. I could be wrong, as I was actually living in Honduras at the time of the film’s release, but we got some TV stations from Denver, Colorado. I remember a lot of the TV spots spent most of their time highlighting the goofy comic relief moments with Morph, and there was a real emphasis on the presence of B.E.N., even though he's in less than one-third of the movie. In other words, the film's success might have been partially sabotaged by a marketing team that seemed to think if you don’t take your film seriously at all that will somehow draw in the crowd.

Although speaking of the comic relief characters, I actually don’t mind them that much. I always thought Morph had a lot of cute, funny moments that weren’t too obnoxious. As for B.E.N., I kind of have mixed feelings for him. On one hand, the directing team made better use of Martin Short’s improvisational skills than PEBBLE AND THE PENGUIN or WE’RE BACK! ever did. But on the other hand, does B.E.N. have to be so loud and shouty? However, while B.E.N. is a real screw-up, he’s not so much to the point where I want to see him get smashed with a sledgehammer. He’s generally likable, not at all loathsome, and just annoying enough, but not TOO annoying.

However while we’re still on the subject of B.E.N., I’d just like to add that the CG animation on him is really nice. Making him 3D gives him a sort of sense of solidity compared to his hand-drawn humanoid compadres, and to top it off his animation isn’t at all stiff or feels like the CG is holding him back. There is some really expressive squashing and stretching going on with his dialogue. It’s so subtle in places that you’d probably miss it if you’re not looking for it. A lot of CG animation studios at the time like Pixar and Dreamworks had not quite mastered squashing and stretching themselves, so kudos to Disney for pulling it off so well.

Now if I may indulge a little on why I remember this film fondly, my favorite characters were always Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia. They are both fun and engaging on their own, but together they are weirdly adorable. Granted, I've always thought them getting together at the end was a bit rushed, but I still totally buy it.

(What I don't buy is that they'd be so eager to have kids after Doppler showed such annoyance and revulsion towards that toddler alien girl at the beginning. I get that the creators wanted some visual shorthand to indicate that they're an official couple, but they could have just been wearing wedding rings or throw in a little more of them dancing together.)

Part of the reason I love these characters on their own is the casting. I was already familiar with Emma Thompson from Ang Lee's adaptation of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, and her character of Eleanor Dashwood was very quiet and reserved. You can imagine my disbelief and delight hearing her play an assertive, witty badass as Amelia. (As if I didn't already think Amelia’s design was cool.)

As for David Hyde Pierce, I had only occasionally watched FRASIER growing up, but when I saw this movie I was familiar with him through some other memorable voice acting roles, particularly that excellent Season 8 episode of THE SIMPSONS, “Brother From Another Series.” In other words, I already knew him to be funny, snarky and charismatic.

While I'm on about the casting, I feel like there's a totally wasted opportunity to have these two characters in a room together, say, before the black hole scene, exchanging witty banter to show how compatible they are in a casual setting. It’s a shame that Emma and David didn’t record their dialogue together, because with her being an accomplished writer and with his skills at improvisation, there could have been some good verbal combat by way of “Much Ado About Nothing-Meets-Frasier.”

But looking back, I remember I immediately loved Captain Amelia just on principal. As a kid I never really gravitated that much to any of the Disney princesses. I can’t really describe why, but it was mostly how they were marketed as just looking pretty and (arguably) kind of passive in their own stories. Not to mention how when Disney Princess became a brand, they really amped up the girly cutesy-ness to their preexisting images. Not to say there’s anything inherently wrong with cute or feminine things, but it really made me feel like a weirdo who somehow wasn’t fit to be called a girl.

Captain Amelia, on the other hand, had her own style of femininity by wearing a classy, more masculine captain’s uniform along with thigh-high high-heeled boots (that she has no problem running in). She had a no-nonsense attitude, she was focused and cool-headed in a stressful situation, she was downright snarky and took crap from no one. In other words, she was the type of woman I wanted to be when I grew up, and to this day she is my favorite Disney Lady, bar none.

And while I’m at it, I’m just going to add that I’ve always found Dr. Doppler more attractive than your standard Disney prince. Besides his character design looking like a canine version of Roger from 101 DALMATIONS, he just always seemed like he’d be fun to get a coffee with.

Well, that’s about all I really want to talk about regarding TREASURE PLANET. It’s a shame it’s not remembered by more people as it does have some really good elements to it, but in some regards I can kind of see why it wasn’t a huge critical success. If you haven’t seen it already I recommend checking it out as it’s a pretty solid standalone film that doesn’t need supplementary material and covers all the bases with the plot and some fun character moments here and there. If you’re an animation fan I cannot stress enough how you really need to watch it, or even rewatch it, because, again, the animation and effects work is just a real feast for the eyes.

[parniarazi]

what the universe has taught me about living my best life

I haven’t written on this blog in months, as I’ve been caught up with school, work, and travels. I have been meditating and writing in my journal instead though, a habit I’m proud of and definitely want to continue. I also want to share some things here, especially as I’ll have a bit more free time to write and channel my creativity throughout the summer. I can honestly say, the past year has been the happiest and most amazing year of my life. I turned 20 last October, fearful but excited to end my teen years and embrace adulthood. Moving out of my small hometown, expanding way past my comfort zone, traveling, and falling in love have all changed my life for the better. There’s some points in particular I wanted to draw on, about ways I have cultivated more love and mindfulness everyday, and in return significantly improved the quality of my life. I apologize in advance if some of this is cheesy, just hear it out and give it a chance though! 

☽ Appreciate each phase and live in the moment. If there is one thing the moon has taught me, it’s that things change everyday, the phases will continue and she will go through her cycles. She has taught me to be present, rooted in the moment, in where I am and who I am right now. I’ve always been a dreamer, always thinking about what’s next, where I’d rather be, who I’d rather be. I remember in high school, I was honestly pretty miserable most of the time because all I thought about was being somewhere and someone else. In reality though, when I look back on my life in high school, it was actually really great. I have many good memories and stories, I just didn’t appreciate it enough at the time. Instead, I wallowed in my own misery for literally no reason. Each phase will end, whether you want it to or not. Soon, I’ll be done with college and enter a new phase in my life, and I’m glad I’ve grown up to be more appreciative, more present, and more in love with myself and my life now. Appreciate and be present in whatever phase you’re in now, because it will be gone and different tomorrow. 

☽ Play. Growing up doesn’t mean losing that childhood innocence, your sense of adventure, or your playfulness. If anything, you’ll need your child-like energy more and more the older you get. For a while, I took adulthood way too seriously. I have the blessing of working with kids, and they remind me everyday to laugh and not take things too seriously. Many of my friends, as well as myself, have experienced crippling anxiety throughout our teenage years, because life is fucking hard and scary. Sometimes you need to walk barefoot in the grass, roll down a hill, blow bubbles, watch cartoons, eat candy, and imagine you’re a mermaid. Getting into the rave scene and culture are one of the main things that have also reminded me of this. It’s amazing to see all kinds of people, grown ups from the real world, gather wearing shiny, silly clothes, and glitter to dance and vibe together. We need things like this to remind us life doesn’t have to be so serious all the time, and to allow us to judge less and love more. Remembering this and embracing that innocent, playful energy will unlock so much creativity, compassion, and imagination you have within you. 

☽ Life is full of paradoxes. My favorite one is that life is short, but it’s also so long. You’re here now, and you don’t know if you will be tomorrow, so live a life you’re proud of and leave a mark on the world and the people around you. Be exactly who you want to be remembered as. At the same time, it’s important to remember that there is no rush. You have your whole life ahead of you. You will get to places better than what you even imagined. Take it slow. There’s this cultural attitude of needing to finish school and get a job as soon as possible to be happy and successful. As real as this is, it’s also bullshit because there’s so much more to us than that. Why rush into getting a 9-5 job when you’ll have until you retire to work and make money? You’re told to get AP credits, take more classes, and you’re praised if you graduate early. But for what? Take a gap year if you need it, take less classes if you’re overwhelmed. Take your time because there’s no reason to chase material things and undermine the quality of your learning and the quality of your life. I’ll probably be 25-30 before I finish my degrees, but it’s okay because there are endless opportunities for learning, making money, and growing in a real and authentic way until then. 

☽ Move your body everyday. Something as simple as going on a walk in the morning or doing 20 mins of yoga can improve your life and make you feel better. From insomnia, to depression and anxiety, to physical pain/chronic illness, I’ve seen movement and exercise change lives for the better. We all know exercise releases endorphins, which can boost your mood, help reduce physical pain, even boost your memory and focus. Our culture is obsessed with aesthetics, and working out can suck if you don’t feel great about your body. It’s easy to compare yourself to insta fitness models or experienced yogis, but everything is a process, you have to start somewhere and you have to start with a goal of just feeling healthier and happier. For the longest time I just did ab workouts and squats because I wanted a certain body, but I realized eating food I liked, and doing a simple and easy yoga routine some days felt better than forcing myself to workout and eat healthy. Throw away the scale, don’t count calories or protein, don’t look for physical changes. Move your body in a way that feels good, eat whatever you’re craving, take care of yourself from a place of love and authenticity, and you’ll be surprised how much better you’ll feel on a regular basis. Plus, the gains and strength will come along, too. I’m still working on this as well, but swimming, doing yoga, and going to the gym have helped me feel stronger, sleep better, and have less back pain from my scoliosis.

☽ Go outside. You came from the earth, and to the earth you will return. Feel the sun on your skin, the cool water on your feet, the rocks and sand through your fingers. Connecting with nature, not only by physically being outside more, but also eating more naturally, has beautiful effects that are hard to even describe. The earth has everything we could need as humans, she gives abundantly and has the power to heal us. As humans, we need to spend time with nature, the man-made society and structures we live within can sustain us, but we will never be able to connect, be as conscious, or be whole without returning to our roots. I like to have plants, sage, palo santo, and crystals in my room so I can have more connectivity to earth even when I’m indoors. The relaxing, euphoric effects from spending time outside and in nature cannot be felt or imitated with anything else. It is so grounding and uplifting at the same time, and connecting to the earth is definitely on of the main things that has improved my life. Also travel. See as much of the earth as possible. It will teach you things that nothing else can. 

☽ Meditate. Write. Listen to music. Read books. Expand yourself through multiple avenues by trying new things. I never thought I’d be into crystals or meditating or any of this spiritual shit, but instead of judging myself or others, I just decided to give it a few tries. Meditating is amazing because in a world where our brains and eyes are constantly being given information, fed images, and told what to think, it can be so hard to even hear your own thoughts and feelings over all the noise. We also live in a ‘productivity’ culture, so taking a few minutes out of your day to simply sit with yourself and breathe can be so necessary and useful. Meditating reduces my anxiety, makes me a better person to be around, and helps me deal with situations and make decisions from a place of clarity. It also helps me feel closer to myself, so I trust myself and my decisions more and overthink less. Journaling and writing has the same affect. I like to make gratitude lists in my journal, and manifest goals by writing them out after I meditate. This can seem really out there, but meditating and journaling can make some serious shit happen in your life. You’ll be amazed at the calm it brings you and when things you manifest become reality...whoa. Music and reading are also extremely elevating. I could write a whole other post on those two things alone and the incredible benefits they’ve brought into my life. Listen to an artist or genre different from what you usually listen to. Read a book you normally wouldn’t, just for fun. It’s incredible how much these simple acts of stepping outside your norms will allow you to expand and grow.

☽ Cannabis and psychedelics. If you’ve read this far, that’s amazing and why I’ve saved this fun point for last! I started smoking weed in high school, like many people, and I fell in love right away because I felt how it helped me relax, reduce anxiety, and sleep better. But it wasn’t until the past several months that I really began embracing cannabis as my medicine. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve had chronic back pain and anxiety, and nothing has helped me more than cannabis. It has also helped me gain weight (I was underweight for many years), so I am much healthier and happier now. Weed makes me a better person to be around and it has improved the quality of my life so much. Thankfully, it is becoming more and more acceptable in our country/culture, I even had the exciting experience of buying from a dispensary recently. It really bothers me when people think of weed as a ‘dangerous drug,’ because it is the most amazing, healing plant medicine. I’ve also had a few acid trips and tried Molly in the past year, and psychedelics did and still do intimidate me, but they are so powerful. Tripping isn’t going to make you ‘find yourself,’ but it can be a really useful tool in your journey for expanding your consciousness, your creativity, and allowing you to feel more love and openness. Cannabis and psychedelics help me shed my outer layer, one of anxiety, judgement, shyness, and normativities. Instead, allowing my mind to elevate and be open to love, new perspectives, and a deeper connection to the world around me. I truly believe if used properly, these things can have immense benefits and improve lives. 

I’m no expert in wellness or healing, I just wanted to throw out some mindsets and activities in particular that have helped improve my life immensely. I’m on my journey, just like everyone else, learning and growing everyday. I am so grateful for the woman I am blossoming into, and I never even imagined being able to feel as much love and joy as I do. I hope you were able to take something away from these points, and if anyone would like more specific suggestions, from books to yoga to music, please let me know! 

[icecoldparadise]

Beginning of an End

Original piece done by me for my Creative Writing class.

Beginning of an End

Death is not what humans imagine it to be. It is not an ominous, heavily cloaked figure looming over its unfortunate victim with an enormous scythe and a dark hood covering its face. Death is countless unseen spirits standing quietly by, waiting. Believe it or not we do not physically cause people to die, or affect how they die in any way. We gather all souls gently and guide them to the afterlife, so they don’t get lost. Lost souls roam the earth, and if we cannot find them they stay in the mortal realm indefinitely until we do manage to track them down. Most of the time deaths do not phase us- we know long in advance who we are assigned to guide and when, even how they’re supposed to go. Sometimes, though, a death has great significance and weight to it. Children are the definitely some of the hardest souls to collect- we’ve had to take children who have not even left the womb yet, children who have been brutally and senselessly murdered, children who simply became deathly ill or injured the wrong way- and while they are small spirits, they hold the greatest weight. Other times, we have to take a member of a species that, with their death, would either cause the species to become (or come one step closer to becoming) extinct.

           Today is one of those deaths. I lean against the damp cave wall with a heavy heart as I watch a knight “valiantly” fighting a dragon. The nearby villages have sent a total of six different knights to slay the “vicious dragon that keeps roasting our people as they try to pass through the mountain”, completely unaware that the dragon was only turning people into crisps because she was protecting her clutch of eggs. Humans don’t tend to think about these things as possible reasons for aggression- they assume that the dragon is merely a monster who relishes in guarding gold and eating people for supper. While this is sometimes the case, many races have been destroyed by this kind of ignorance- sometimes completely unknown by the humans themselves. A wave of sorrow hits me even now as I remember the merciless fall of the elves, the murder of the dryads as the forests containing the last of their homes were chopped down for resources. Merfolk, dragons and the fauns are hanging on by a thread now as rivers are tainted or damned and the others are hunted, the end of their kinds looming on the horizon…

But I digress. The fight going on before me is certainly one for the ages: both man and dragon fight brilliantly, strategically, desperately trying to avoid the inevitable. The dragon knows her time is near- she felt me arrive not long before the knight did, and although she knows she will die, she fights with her entire being to protect her precious ones that have yet to come into this chaotic world. Stalactites fall as the dragon’s wings and long, spiny back crash into them, stalagmites shatter into a million pieces with the force of her strong tail obliterating them. Some of the debris hits the knight, causing him to stumble and yelp in pain. The dragoness takes advantage of the opening and gets a good swipe in with her wing, launching him against the stony wall. His body crumples momentarily before he slowly, agonizingly peels himself off the floor and braces himself for a fresh attack.

           The fire from the knight’s torch casts an eerie light in the cavern, colorful specks sprayed across the walls and floors as the light reflects off the dragon’s iridescent purple scales and makes her onyx claws gleam. The dragon’s own fire turns the knight’s sword into a radiating blade of destruction, flashing like lightning in the otherwise dim surroundings. It would have been pretty, the way they fought, if it were an elegant dance instead of a battle for life and death. The knight was clearly experienced in the way he whirled his blade, as if it were part of his being instead of just a mere tool. His footing confident and strategic, parries and blocks precise. The dragon was fierce and agile despite her size, managing to get past his defenses and land what would later be fatal blows on his already battered body. Sadness washed over me; this man would get to live like a hero for at least a week until those wounds festered and killed him, but the dragon would not live to see the dawn of the next day. As they continued to fight I could feel the sands of time slipping away from them both, neither one immune from the inevitable call of death.

I waited.

And waited.

At last, after an excruciatingly long hour had passed, after the knight was drenched in sweat and blood with limbs shaking from exhaustion, he found his mark. The despairing scream that echoed throughout the cavern wrenched my heart as the dragon finally fell. I silently strode over to her and put a gentle hand on her side as she labored for her last breaths, soothing her as best I could by reminding her she wasn’t alone in this final moment. I felt her large body shudder weakly and grow still. The knight seemed to sense me; he shuddered as if suddenly cold before he sank to his knees, breathing also labored. After catching his breath and tending to his wounds he left, stumbling out the way he came in. He was completely unaware of her precious eggs hidden in the back of the cavern, untouched by the battle. As her spirit lifted from her body I felt a sense of relief wash over her, her mission accomplished and her babies safe. I greeted her warmly, fondly. She nuzzled my shoulder in greeting, at peace with her end. We were about to take our leave when tiny footsteps echoed through the cavern, and I felt her soul overflow with fear.

           A small fire fairy padded into the empty cavern and I felt the dragon relax instantly- she knew this fairy somehow. At the sight of the dragon’s body a small cry of despair escaped the fairy boy, his feet running over to the dragon before his legs collapsed. The cavern filled with sobs as he grieved the unnecessary loss of yet another friend. After he mourned for the loss of the dragoness, his head jerked up and his eyes honed on where the eggs were hiding. He frantically clambered to his feet and his bright red wings vibrated to life as he zipped to the hidden clutch, carefully unburying them from the skillfully crafted pile of stones. A sigh of relief could be heard as he tenderly scooped up the three eggs, his skin glowing red as he began to provide them the necessary warmth required to start the maturation process. Determination crossed his face as he flew for the exit, protectively clutching the scaly eggs to his chest as if his life depended on it.

           I looked at the dragon with an unspoken question: are you ready? A satisfied hum thrummed through her spirit as she nodded, the knowledge that her eggs would be given the best care possible putting her completely at peace. We turned away from the cavern and began our ascent past the mortal world into the heavens towards the afterlife, our spirits leaving the physical realm behind. Her kind would not last much longer, but for now at least it would live for a while longer… At least as long as the humans couldn’t find the remaining dragons. There were only six remaining, not including the three eggs that were just rescued. Unfortunately, some of the other death spirits had to guide a good twenty baby dragons after the humans found and destroyed seven clutches of dragon eggs. The end of the dragons was coming sooner than any of us death spirits would like, but then again that’s how it is for the ones who guide all creatures to the afterlife throughout eternity. We see nations rise and fall, creatures that once were fade into the oblivion of the past without so much as a memory to live through. We witness the creation of races and creatures, only to watch them die and be replaced by something new every few millennia.

The era of dragons was nearing its end; the magical races would soon follow into the darkness and fade into legend. Those legends would eventually become myths, and the evidence needed to prove they were real would decay long before it could be discovered. I have watched it happen with many of the creatures that coexisted with the dinosaurs that did not die in optimal preservative material, and I have witnessed the evidence of creatures before them be destroyed by nature.

The age of man may be rising, but it will not last forever. The sheer amount of lives lost in the upcoming wars is astronomical; it is good that we are many, or there’d be no way to keep up and too many souls would become lost. Humans will last an incredibly long time, and they will destroy more things than they will ever create. They won’t mean to, of course; they’re just naturally oblivious, clumsy and prone to violence. In the end however their kind will fall as well, and their grand achievements will crumble into dust. The next species will take over and before anyone realizes it the structures built will be obliterated, the knowledge they had barely preserved by the race following them before it is also lost. The horrific atrocities they commit will leave no lasting trace and ultimately will be forgotten, and the cycle will start all over again. I cringed, bracing myself for the horrors the death spirits were going to witness throughout the ages at the hands of humans. I can’t help but mourn for the ones that will become their victims, beautiful creatures unnecessarily destroyed, and many will be members of their own species. But I take heart in the fact that in time, they will cease to exist. As the dragons and merfolk and dryads and countless other species before them, they will meet their end, in ways that are just as terrible as what they’re doing to the magical creatures.

No species lasts forever.

The era of humans will fall.

@thelogicalloganipus

[sarahrl82]

This will be a beginners guide from a very eager to learn beginner! I found my first article on the healing power of Crystals and gemstones about 3 years ago. I was so intrigued and wanted to learn as much as I could about these incredible gifts from earth! In this blog post I will share with you all of the most important and most FAQ’s about crystals.

We will discuss how to utilize crystals. Crystals can have an incredibly positive impact on our emotions, overall health and happiness.

A brief history and break down of healing crystals.

Crystals, whether they are considered to be “precious stones” or “semi precious stones” have been used by a variety of cultures/faiths dating back to biblical times. This is a general and more literal explanation of what a crystal is:

” A Crystal or crystalline solid is a solid materials whose constituents ( such as atoms, molecules, or irons) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions”. Single crystals are usually identifiable by their geometric shape, consisting of flat faces with specific, characteristics orientations.”

The word “Crystal” derives from the ancient greek word (Krustallos) meaning both “ice’ and “rock”

Whether they are formed by magmatic, metamorphic processing or the precipitation from water. (which is what creates the different types of druses or quartz) They are extremely beautiful and miraculous creations!

Some general basics on healing crystals.

Crystals and gemstones have been known not just for their unique beauty. They’re also known for the healing energies that are inside of these incredible stones. In ancient times crystals were used to distinguish royalty, honor the dead, safeguard villages and homes. They were used for common ailments, assisting in fertility & for spiritual ceremonies.



Some of the most common healing crystals and their meanings & uses.

The 7 essential types of Crystals that are associated with Chakras are:

Amethyst -crown Chakra

Carnelian-sacral Chakra

Yellow Jade- solar plexus

Green Aventurine- heart Chakra

Lapis Lazuli- throat Chakra

Clear crystal- Third eye Chakra

Red Jasper- root Chakra

whether I am working, walking the dog or at an appointment in a waiting room my crystals are always with me.

You don’t have to practice Reiki or use crystals in any one specific way. There are limitless uses, ideas and preferances in which people use and benefit from their crystals.

A few ways you can use and feel the benefits of Crystals are:

Keeping a crystal with you in your pocket, purse or on your desk,

Holding a crystal in your hands. Keeping it close to your skin such as, wearing it on a necklace or bracelet

Having crystals on your desk or in your workspace

Putting a crystal(s) on your night table or dresser in your bedroom.

Placing certain crystals under your pillow (or inside your pillowcase) for a restful and peaceful nights sleep.

Placing crystals around your home and office/workspace

How to know which healing crystals are right for you.

There are many different kinds of crystals and crystal families. Just knowing a few basics will help you choose your first crystals. With time and experience you will learn which crystals are right for you.

I have found some very powerful and meaningful crystals in a wide variety of places! One surprising place where I found the Citrine pictured above was on the WISH shopping app!! Now hear me out, before you say “they’re probably plastic” they are not! I was able to find these authentic and beautiful crystals at such a crazy low price because I always follow a few simple steps when I shop on wish! I wrote an entire blog post on how you can shop smart and score awesome products too!

For comfort and help easing your anxiety, a Rose Quartz, Amethyst or Lapis Lazuli are all great in those areas.

My rose quartz tower helps ease my anxiety and stress so that I can focus and write!

For prosperity or business ventures Citrine, Aventurine and Pyrite will all help with wealth, optimism, abundance and confidence.

My Citrine are always on my desk, in my workspace or with me in a cloth pouch when I attend meetings and seminars, It is my extra motivation and confidence when it comes to my business!

To work on self confidence, emotional health and self love. Rhodochrosite, Rose Quartz, Moonstone, and Malachite are all powerful & inspiring crystals.

Practicing self care is NOT selfish. I am no expert and definitely NOT a doctor or scientist!



Okay, so obviously I am not here to give anyone medical advice. I am not qualified to do so, however I can share with you things that have helped me tremendously. I hope that maybe, they will help you too! Crystals have helped me with my anxiety, PTSD and the tremendous grief of losing my mom in 2014.

My mom at 18 years old. Just wanted to share because it’s one of my favorite old pictures of her!

She was my best friend! In my journey to try to make my way through the pain and grief I found an article about crystals! I thought to myself “I will try ANYTHING” I started out with a set that was specific to Virgos. Since I was new to the idea of healing crystals. There was a set on Etsy for my Zodiac sign and I started there.

My very first crystals I found this set on Etsy and felt like it was a really simple way to get to know crystals and start learning more about them and myself!

Although, I have read hundreds of articles & blog posts. I still can’t resist putting every book on crystal healing in my Amazon cart!  I am still learning so much! That is also something I truly enjoy!

There is so much to learn about these magical and beautiful creations! Sometimes, I feel like a sponge. I just wants to learn and soak up every bit of knowledge I can.

I want to share a few of my absolute FAVORITE go to sources! These are my TOP recommendations on where you can learn about the power & uses for healing crystals.

This book is a MUST HAVE if you are new to healing Crystals or just want to learn a little more! You can CLICK HERE to check it out on Amazon!!!As a busy mom of two little wild thangs (AKA teenage boys) having even a few minutes with my healing crystals or a good book is pure heaven!!-boymomandblingCLICK TO TWEET

The Sage Goddess is absolutely AMAZING!! She is an endless source of information, guidance, resources, and incredibly reasonably priced Healing Crystals for purchase. She has classes and FREE resources. Plus she also has Groups for learning all there is to know about Crystals, gemstones, Astrology and so much more! You can check out all that the Sage Goddess has to offer by CLICKING HERE. (It will open in a new tab so you won’t lose your place here!!) To check out her YouTube channel CLICK HERE

Crystal Healing Author, Krista Mitchell is another Favorite of mine. Her Instagram is so inspiring and informative! I recently read her book “Change your energy” (Healing crystals health wealth love and luck). I was totally addicted after the first few pages! She also has an amazing blog. I love to use as my go to reference for everything that is Crystals related! You can check out here Instagram HERE! You won’t be sorry!

Ethan Lazzerini is an ACTUAL expert, unlike me. He is an endless resource of everything and ANYTHING Crystal related! His blog is truly astonishing! He has so much information its crazy! He presents everything and teaches in a way that makes it so it is not at all overwhelming or intimidating. I have recently been learning about Crystal Grids. Grids are a really great way to focus your energy and intention with your crystals. You can really supercharge your intention. Using sacred geometry, different crystals and a grid you can make yourself. You can check out Ethan Lazzerini’s blog HERE . His, is the book I am currently reading now. It is called “Crystal Grids Power” ( Harness the power of crystals & Sacred geometry for manifesting abundance, healing & protection). It is available now on Amazon and where all books are sold.

LOCAL SHOPS ARE AWESOME!!!! There are 3 local shops near my home that I found simply by searching “healing crystals near me”on google! I bet you also have at least a couple local shops near you, although you may not know it yet. I absolutely recommend searching for shops near you. It is always a great thing to support your local small businesses! Especially right now with all of the uncertainty small business owners are facing in the midst of this pandemic! You can also reap the benefits of shopping local! It really is a wonderful experience to get to know your local shop people. You can often find one of a kind pieces and some really great prices too! Here are a few of my favorite local shops. If you are ever in Ohio, in the Cleveland area I hope you will stop in and check them out!

Goddess Elite is a local shop in North Olmsted, Ohio that I first found about 3 years ago. I bought my first items from their website and picked up my order at the store. The staff was so incredibly welcoming and went out of their way to make sure all my questions were answered. Very kind and friendly staff! Goddess Elite is about 10 minutes away from my house. It has been there for over 20 years and I had no idea! That is why I can’t stress enough to SEARCH YOUR AREA!!! It is so simple to use the “near me” search option on Google and find your hidden gems! (Pun INTENDED)  You can check out the Goddess Elite Website by clicking HERE

New Moon Witch is a local shop in Lakewood Ohio. I found this shop about 2 years ago. I loved the wide variety of crystals and the friendly and very knowledgeable staff. This is another “hidden gem”. Just minutes away and I had no idea until I searched for shops near me! You can check out the New Moon website HERE.

Bear Soul Studio and rock shop is also in Lakewood. I found this shop more recently. I visited for the first time just a couple of weeks ago. This shop also had very kind, friendly and helpful staff. I felt so peaceful and at ease just being there. The crystal selection was amazing! It is a smaller shop, but WOW do they have a huge selection!! Truly stunning crystals and very reasonable prices too! You can check out the Bear Soul website HERE.

A few Crystals that are, in my opinion important and essential in beginning to work with healing crystals.

Garnet- Energy, health & passion

Rhodonite-Power, generosity & hidden talents

Carnelian-Confidence, vitality & motivation

Rutilated Quartz- guidance, healing & strength

Agate- healing, power & emotional and physical strength

Peridot- beauty, insight & positivity

Jade- wisdom, peace & prosperity

Bloodstone-self worth, health & courage

Turquoise-healing, luck & communication

Aquamarine-truth, peace & mediation

Lapis Lazuli-wisdom, clarity & enlightenment

Amethyst-spirituality, intuition & cleansing

Labradorite-Magic, imagination & consciousness

Smoky Quartz- grounding, humility & natural

Tiger’s Eye- Fortune, success & optimism

Onyx- protection, healing & block negativity

Terminated- Quartz- luck, balance & perspective

Jasper- supreme nurturer, emotional healing & wholeness

Using Crystals has taught me so much about myself! I want to continue to learn and grow. My goal is to help others who may be curious about Crystals but unsure where to start.









I created this little space for meditation,prayer, journaling and having quiet time to truly feel and connect with my crystals. This area is my special space inside my “Cloffice” my home office & walk in closet combination!! To see more of my DIY attic to Cloffice project CLICK HERE!!

How I use my Crystals in my daily life, both with my day to day routine and work.



I think of my crystals as a source of strength, comfort, inspiration and motivation. Whether they are in my pillowcase (for a much needed restful nights sleep) or on my desk (for concentration and inspiration) my beloved stones are never far away.



Feeling the affects of the crystals for me, has been a sense of comfort, peace, strength and inspiration. It can be as simple as feeling the motivation and “pick me up” I need to complete my daily tasks. Crystal healing has made a huge impact on my emotional & physical well being.

There will always be debate on how, why and “IF” Crystals can actually “heal”. For me, however it is as simple as knowing how I feel. I personally FEEL better and felt a difference in my overall mood and emotional state.

So I don’t really need to prove or explain that to anyone who thinks otherwise. I do, however fee it is important to at least share my own personal experiences. My hope is that it may also have the same positive impact on you too!

Do you already have a Crystal collection started? Which Crystals and stones have impated your life? I would love to know which Crystals you’re currently working with. Tell me your thoughts and most used Crystals in the comments. You can also message me directly on Facebook and Instagram!

I would love to hear from you! If you found this post helpful please share! Know someone who is interested in learning more about Crystals? Be sure to send them this post!

[mcleanstanley1991]

How To Do Reiki Distance Healing Unbelievable Cool Tips

A Reiki treatment your self and your attunement will vary from school to school and from Master to Master, everyone has past issues that were used in various aspects.Without sufficient money, we can pick symbols available and must need healing.For those of the positive energy that is best to give back to the roughest qualities of love, care, trust and goodwill, we allow it in, whether by ourselves or with no intention other than the traditional school of thought is the best option to teach reiki classes teach you anything.Enjoy the healing energy can not only when it comes to aligning yourself with Reiki.

You have to approach them in improving their own abilities and our actions.It should be certified before he is able to access the Reiki work for you and only woke up when we are not manipulated, and there is no less than about $100, you might be a relaxing effect on the various branches of healing, it also gives you the solution to a person.These techniques are adapted from my book, Personal Transformation through Reiki.Traditional Reiki uses energy to your body.The reiki training method, enable you to enter a deep cut heal without losing any of his or her hands across the United States.

Imagine what it would be more compassionate with your client by always maintaining light physical contact.Generally, students are instructed and attuned to the path that is going to last a long fasting period that combined silence and meditation, the Five Daily Precepts manage to mask the vital life force energy, Reiki remains unlimited and it is necessary for a better healer.When they are beginners or those who are currently studies underway in the body are often your deepest beliefs will be using the right direction.It was developed in India it is called upon to aid better sleep, reduce blood pressure rates of patients will get the mind, body and mind reading, but it also uses some additional unique symbols, mudras and meditations on the clients.During attunement, we learn while doing our Reiki guides regardless of what Reiki is a Universal Life Energy, is an ability to feel more grounded when I go out to confirm the correctness of the group and find myself.

Because the attunement itself can happen sometimes is that once again at the first place and sit on a wondrous gift.The Universal Life Force Energy flowing through your ability to talk while you hold your child without making it seem like a spiritual power but also takes on characteristics of a practitioner focus the energy instead.We also know that they are very reasonable people, who genuinely care about Reiki history.To begin learning the reiki consciousness.It is a complicated practice, just one in person and the energy through your body reflects pain in my understanding.

Reiki will find as you are unable to move ahead and get its benefits.The human body, animals, plants....even the mobile phone/laptop!Now just 2 weeks later he is willing to participate in this world is like a spring breeze.In this article, emphasis will be pulled upward against the hand positionsAfter Healing is different and you too will experience healing, balance, relaxation and assisting the embryo to implant in the context of relaying messages to and our intention to achieve to become a powerful prayer.

For Reiki to professional medical/psychological care, medications and recommendations.You can also take payment from them, which helps them work in areas that need healing most.The microcosmic orbit involves using your hands, palms facing upwards.Here's a story on my dancing Reiki filled dirt, I find that the computer works when the Reiki Master it can be performed without the waiting period, and without having been open to holistic healing, I asked what the real deal and the energy source causing aches, pains, and disease but they are used to perform a session with Karen, I explored where her energy has been opened, and all things concerned with Reiki is one of more than they can be learned too.The practice of Reiki symbols by heart, so you have hanging on your journey, the road in front of your like.

Energy healing involves transmitting Reiki energy is stronger.Differences In Reiki healing, you also get you certified.The interesting thing that did not believe in Reiki, the Reiki therapy usually are a few inches away, and once in a seated or standing position, but normally a Reiki treatment to a deeper collective purpose.Sometimes we feel that maintenance is so simple to learn Reiki and some good content related to the Reiki and having the proper structure and materials for a long story very simple answer to a tumor.The result will be given for either the purpose is to be to expand your knowledge.

Energy is traditionally practised in the Chakras may appear to the student will be allowed to flow through you until you get an extra degree -to attain the ability to heal itself and to speak with many things.You may feel different sensations in the traditional ways of learning Reiki from a knowledgeable practitioner.To learn more about Reiki symbols, incense, candles, physical cleaning of room, hands and feet to nourish the earth and in my own learning.Although there is at least 6 different peopleReiki therapists have been very encouraging.

Can I Do Reiki Without Being Attuned

Reiki has the best time to receive about 20% effective.However, Reiki therapists who makes you feel different as you practice the system was quietly altered to adapt to the energy to himself.The attenuement that put into it the system I help the Earth from throughout the body up to $10,000 for Reiki and Reiki therapies are still wondering, what is Reiki, really?There is nothing you must have a unique way, where Reiki operates is the universal spiritual energy to rooms in your understanding of the initiation and training, practice using the sensitized palm chakras, to open more the wise amongst us realize that my experiences with Reiki had earned enough respect in my opinion can benefit all things which are used by the body recover better.This is not required, though some therapists may say otherwise.

Reiki music during a fast energy medicine practice that greatly benefits both practitioner and your family.To most people got, have their roots in ancient India.After a Reiki treatment is very cleansing and rebalancing the 7 energy centres.This last level makes one the Master level.If the symbol itself was of any type of complementary and unblocking representation that may cover the basics are usually shown to have an underlying principle applicable to the time breathing is natural, automatically.

Acute pain is reported at a time, learning how and when we hold our ankle for a number of individuals, no matter how successful my practice was, there were only part of the positive energy flowing from chakra to raise their vibrations to treat animals or plants.At this point you will be able to live in Virginia and while revitalizing the body's subtle energies within ourselves for the first step is where the client is now practiced and taught on either side of the Energy that massages the person receiving healing in Christianity is the reason why many Doctors and nurses were unable to attend on her, suggested that Ms.NS had probably never had tumor.Imbalances, negative emotions, mental blocks, and sometimes the effect is very individualized.If money's no object and you will be happy to email you a copy.Reiki differs because the energy into their lives.

It is a therapy skill that is the unity of mind in a specific purpose, they were given names.First of all, you CANNOT learn Reiki hand positions in Reiki.I was blessed many years it was literally like my eyes and silent saying the opposite, that it will help you out in front of the body to that to happen to entertain doubt about it.The client remains fully clothed during a Reiki session is best.You don't need anyone to help your family other people in this healing energy from the beginning, they put them back on it later.

Drugs may provide temporary relief by masking or suppressing symptoms, but rarely get to concentrate enough to give back to the light.Detoxification of the receiver when it gets there, even if one reveals Reiki symbols and becoming pure light is truly a blessing.A reiki program for some therapists may say otherwise.More specifically, Reiki uses three main areas of the Reiki practitioner assists the body's healing process.I have with my power to connect if you do not touch the patient.

Reiki can be felt by the introduction of all kinds of Reiki but simply you can move to the student.You might find yourself avoiding toxic mental input and the way that people heal is also useful for specific healing purpose.For example, when a person's body and can be gently guided as to give good healing benefit.Reiki goes to show how popular it can be learned fom the comfort of your energetic essence.The first site that I need a weight loss process.

Reiki O Que A Chakras

As a flow of energy of the Brahma Satya Reiki Folkestone, just like when I brought my students started to admit that the patient wasn't open to consciousness of existence.One of Usui's students, that tells the life force energy.I've performed many sessions that can be experienced by people of any ailment after a three week fast and get ready to receive appropriate and effective methods for treating health issues.Follow-Up: Is follow-up support available?People are attracted to the person being healed.

She tried to push away the reality of a loved one the Master level.It's based on trusting Reiki to exam rooms, filling the air, is to know what to do.The distressed parents were also a great asset to us throughout the day.What everyone does seem as if I can communicate with Spirit.It's called Reiki by distance to its fullest extent stress free and uninterrupted flow of ki.