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sirfrogsworth · 9 months ago

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@vanriblogs asked for some product photography advice and it is easier to make a post rather than trying to fit everything into a reply.

Plus this might be of interest to other folks as well.

This is an example of her products.

I like your product photos a lot. Making a compelling photo of something semi two-dimensional is difficult. Adding interest with a neat background goes a long way and you do a great job of not making it too distracting.

Another approach... since you can't make your products more three dimensional, you might consider placing them on objects that are more three-dimensional.

It sounds to me like your biggest issue is mitigating unwanted reflections. Which is actually like 90% of the problem solving involved with high level product photography.

The easiest technique is to go outside on an overcast day. The world would be your light source and the only reflections would be of your camera which you have to deal with no matter what. But this kind of lighting is a little boring and weather is not very reliable.

Glossy items create what are called "image-forming reflections" on their surface. That means a picture of your light source covers your product. So what you have to do is make the light source attractive rather than the product. And typically that is done with gradient lighting.

And the way you create these gradients is by projecting a ball of light onto diffusion material. (Though for tall cylindrical objects like bottles, you would project a vertical strip of light.)

The light slowly fades away through the diffusion material which causes gradients like in this photo of my $8 gas station Aviator knockoffs...

The lenses reflect a distorted view of my light source.

Softboxes use a homogenous diffusion approach. Every inch of the surface area outputs the same intensity of light. But this kind of diffusion you are intentionally creating a hotspot that graduates away.

The industry standard gradient diffusion material is Lee 216 or Savage Translum. It's a bit pricey but a roll lasts forever. The Savage is a little thicker and more heavy duty. The Lee doesn't hold up as well but is easier to craft into different modifiers or you can hang either brand off a light stand with a boom arm. Karl demonstrates using diffusion material for gradients in this video.

If you can't afford the expensive stuff right now, you can double up tracing paper and get a similar effect.

All that said, I actually think there is another light modifier that would be perfectly suited for your particular products. And I know I look like a huge Karl Taylor fanboy (because I am) but he really is the only one doing high quality education about this stuff and he is one of the world's top product photographers.

So you might try... the Karl Taylor Light Cone!

I know that looks like a late night informercial product for photographers, but it really does work as advertised.

It is a great way to get rid of all unwanted reflections with the small exception of your camera lens which can usually be removed easily in Photoshop. The idea of the light cone is it completely surrounds your products with gradient light sources

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It comes in three sizes. Big, medium, and smartphone. I think you can use the medium with your camera and the size of your products.

If you can't afford it right now, you can construct it out of tracing paper or similar diffusion material, but I'm not sure if that would be hard to get standing upright. Though you can actually turn the cone sideways too. You just have to get creative and problem solve with the space and equipment you have available. As long as you understand the principles the rest is just trial and error.

Depending on the object, you may need up to 3 lamps to get a good result but I think you can get by with two for now. It is very important they are all identical and have the exact same bulb. You will get more control if you can find lights that project a smaller ball of light onto the diffuser. That way you can back them off to make the ball of light bigger or move them closer to make it smaller.

Karl has a series of tutorials on the V-Flat World website.

Karl also has an entire education platform and you could subscribe to for a month and cancel when you have learned what you need to know. I have learned more from Karl than just about any other photographer so I can vouch for the quality of the info there.

His YouTube page has a few shorter and less in-depth product photography videos that you might find helpful as well.

Just so I don't sound like a Karl Taylor marketing robot, I also really like Martin Botvidsson. He isn't as good of a teacher, but if you are good at learning by watching others do the thing, you can absorb some good stuff from him. He also works in a much smaller space which might be useful to observe.

And Workphlo has some tutorials as well along with some surfaces you may find useful.

Now, the one thing that is important to keep in mind...

These folks all have the fanciest cameras and the fanciest lights and one of the biggest complaints they get is, "I don't have expensive gear, how am I supposed to get good photos?"

And then they constantly have to explain the principles of lighting never change and you can get good results with desk lamps and a smartphone.

Here is a video from Karl proving this point while doing a wine bottle shoot with desk lamps.

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Don't fall into the fancy gear trap. You can work with what you have. It just takes a little patience and a lot of trial and error.

I took this stapler photo with a smartphone and two $40 video lights.

And these bottles too...

It was the knowledge in my brain that got these results. Fancy gear can make it much easier and it is more necessary as you get into more complicated setups, but that is something you grow into over time.

In any case, I wish you luck.

Feel free to ask questions if you run into a speed bump along the learning curve.

#photography #product photography #Youtube

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athenaluciscaelum · 8 months ago

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Pairing: Dante x Reader

Rated: General

Words: 1436 word

Warning: None

Disclaimer:

This is my first blog for writing anything to be open for public scrutiny, so be kind, I do not intend to take any scrutiny for task I'm doing out of my passion, and I am not getting paid for anyway. A constructive criticism in right tone can be welcome. But anything unkind or disrespectful or homophobic or any hate shall be deleted. I do not entertain such things and I do not mind simply deleting them. This being said I will try my best to put trigger warning rightfully in every post but if sometimes, I miss something. You can let me know and educate me on topic respectfully and I will add it promptly.

How he knew?

Let's Rock!

The neon sign reading "Devil May Cry" flickered at the crack of dawn in the not-so-well-off part of the city, situated beside a strip club called Love Planet, which barely helped its image. Not that Dante was one to care about image. But now and then, Dante thinks about the life he witnessed as a child. He was raised on the outskirts of the Red Grave city, with big fields and flowers surrounding Sparda's mansion, the mansion was adorned in a Victorian style. It was a home Sparda and Eva built. After 2000 years of roaming the realm of humans when Sparda’s eyes caught a lady of such elegance that he felt what he hadn't felt in 2000 years: love. Offcourse , he felt platonic love and sympathy for human being, but love that one year, burned their skin, made them smile even in the darkest times. It was different, it was something he never thought he wanted, but that's what now he needed. This led him to settle down and build a family. Or that's how it was in Dante's mind.

Dante thought of his parents' great love and him and his brother being the product of that love. He entertained the idea for a second if he would ever feel such a burn. He let out a huff as he raised his hand to pick up a magazine from his face; it was a Playboy magazine. He sighed, not that he was exactly in the mood for anything of the sort, but he was bored and this was the closest magazine to him. Knowing his lazy self, he settled for it.

Dante lowered his feet from the top of the table to the floor and sat in a chair. He looked around; beer and whiskey bottles littered the floor, magazines and books were all around, posters were chipping off the wall, and the place smelled gloomy with dust everywhere. Pizza boxes made the place stink. His spine lowered, he put his face in his hands and he ran a hand across his face and felt his stubble. He heard a word in his mind, "old," and for the first time, he thought, "It is all so boring, what am I doing with my life?"

Nothing a walk won't fix, right? Not that he had any job or cash on him to entertain himself with strawberry sundaes, pizza, booze, or flirting with random women at a bar. Anyway, a walk it is, he thought.

It was early morning. Dante stood up, dusted his pants and put on his clothes. He went to the bathroom; he never liked looking at himself in the mirror. But he splashed some water on his face, his stubble was way too grown for his liking, making him look older. The word "old" echoed in Dante's mind. He shook his head, brushed his teeth, and grabbed his coat from his leather couch. Dante walked through the city. It was too early for anything to be open or anything to happen, not that he wanted to see anyone in particular or was looking for something. Dante looked around and found a public library. For the first time, he felt his heart speak to him. Just. Go. In. Dante frowned, was it my heart? Or my demon? Certainly, something smells sweet, unlike a demon stench. This lured him; he always thought how Sparda knew that Eva was 'the one' after so many years.

Dante suddenly cut the line of thought. Why should I care? I exist, so he knew, how? Is irrelevant. Dante walked in, the clock struck at at 08:00 AM. He didn't expect anyone to be there and to his satisfaction, no one was. Good. Very good. This he likes.

Dante strolled through the rows of books. To him, books never smelled great or soothing like Trish and many book lovers claimed. All he smelled was dust, gloom, and old paper.

As Dante walked through the rows, he could swear he saw someone sitting in a row surrounded by piles of books. His heart made the decision, his feet made him walk to this 'someone', before he could even comprehend he was standing in front of this sweet-scented person whose eyes looked up at him curiously from where they were sitting on the floor surrounded by books. They blinked at Dante, head out of the book, their voice small, soothing and Dante couldn't help but just stare. His heart beat strong, and his skin burned. He wasn't sure himself. He just stared.

And they spoke, "Ummm....do you want something?"

Dante looked away from them; his icy blue eyes wanting to take in the form before him more, but he played it cool.

Dante spoke in his usual carefree tone, "No... I was just bored...."

You were so quick to jump to conclusions; he was in the library and bored, so he liked books, you deduced. Or you just wanted to push your favourite novel on someone. You spoke genuinely cheered, "Well, try reading 'Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexander Dumas; it is certainly full of drama! And you look like you like theatrics with your elegant coat and those boots!"

You grinned and suddenly realized you were rambling as you saw Dante's face in a little frown and eyes surprised. You covered your mouth and internally cursed yourself, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to assume! I-I-I-I..." And your words failed you, after reading books all day only to fail.

Dante smiled, and let out a chuckle, he smiled genuinely for a long time and spoke cooly, "You're full of suprises...."

You eased and felt comfortable, you stood up and smoothened ensemble you choose for the day. Dante just stood their taking in you form. Usually people who did not knew Dante personally which were very few, they stayed away from Dante, he has image he maintained and he was intimidating in general, not that he was much into interaction, only strager who ever came close to him willingly were men or women interested to take on to handsome devil for a good night. Anyway...you smiled extended your hand with friendliness and smiled, "I am Y/N, nice to meet you, what is your name, mister?"

Dante snapped out of staring at you discreetly, he was too overwhelmed by the scent. He smiled and took your hand in his to shake, ohho so soft and delicate hands, "I am Dante, no need for mister....just call me Dante."

You stumbled and felt embarrassed, "ohho...right...Mister Dante... I mean Dante...right...."

Dante leaned against a book shelf trying to be cool..Athena looked around and took out the book, 'The Count of Monte Cristo', she handed it to Dante, "Here...read it...you will certainly enjoy it, the main character name in the book is Edmund Dantes... something common between you two." You smiled, so effortlessly...Dante looked down at book and run finger through his hair, "Hmm...as much as I will like it, I do not have library membership to get it issued..." You nodded, "Ohho....come with me..." You held his hand without second thought, he was lil suprised how natural and easy everything felt with you, he smiled, he felt your soft hand grip against his rough leather gloved hand, would you mind if he just felt your hand, just a little? Before he can decided, you both were outside the livrary near the locker, you took out your satchel and handed him your hard copy of the book, "Here." You looked at the clock at the entrance of the livrary read 09:00AM. You panicked, "Shoot! My lecture starts in fifteen minutes, I got to go!" You started to dash off without second thought. Dante called out, "Wait, sweet cheeks!" You blushed at the name and turned embarrassed, also little shocked, "What? I'm in hurry..." Dante held up book in his hand, as he spoke, "How am I suppose to return this, after I am done reading?"

Athena mentally smacked herself for giving her precious book without a way to get it back, but somehow it was so easy and cozy around Dante, she spoke in hurry, ready to haste, "I am here everyday from 07:00AM to 08:45 AM and 04:00PM to 06:00PM, except weekends...!" You said it and ran as fast as you could.

Dante looked down at book, it has your scent lingering on it. Now he has to finish book as soon as possible, after all he gotta return it back. He smiled to himself.

As he walked back home with new 'hope', Dante sighed, 'so that's how he knew.' And now Dante knows it too.

Tags: @marshmallows-and-champagne

#dante devil may cry #dante sparda #dante x reader #devil may cry #dmc dante #dante #dmc fanfiction #romantic

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femmefatalevibe · 2 years ago

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Femme Fatale Playbook: How To Thrive In Your Single Era Without Losing Your Mind

For the "hopeless romantic" types or individuals who crave intimate romantic relationships, here are some tips to make the most of your singlehood while setting yourself up for a successful new partnership.

Leverage other outlets to satisfy your needs for emotional and sexual connection:

Invest in your friendships to get that emotional intimacy you crave. Platonic relationships can offer as much depth on an emotional and intellectual level as a romantic partner. Plus, you are more likely to have multiple friends vs. multiple partners, which allows you to engage in different types of conversations, learn about a diverse array of subjects, try out more activities, and appreciate different senses of humor/personalities along the way.

Embrace your single era to further explore your sexuality on your own terms. Try out different toys, entertain yourself with erotic novels, films, and podcasts, invest in hot lingerie or sensual perfumes/beauty and skin products, and educate yourself with books like Come As You Are, She Comes First, Yes Means Yes! and essays on female sexuality. The Quinn app is also a great example of ethical porn made by women, for women. Give yourself some alone time to get real with yourself about your likes, dislikes, fantasies, and hard nos. These self-love practices will allow you confidently and clearly ask for what you want once you find a lover you deem worthy of sharing these intimate experiences with you.

Take time for self-reflection and discover your "ideal type." Create a partner compatibility blueprint and non-negotiables checklist:

Being truly single provides you the time and space to truly get to know yourself. Give yourself the gift of introspection – consider your current lifestyle, interests, habits, values, daily routine, and any ways you plan on changing or evolving these aspects of your life over the next few years. Consider the qualities you like about yourself and those you admire in others (friends, family, coworkers, fellow students, mentors, etc.).

Complete a self-intake to reveal the qualities that would demonstrate compatibility in a partner. Clarify the personality traits, values, and lifestyle habits you look for in a partner. Then, consider your physical type and any other more surface-level qualities you look for in a partner (e.g. a certain level of education, upbringing, languages spoken, profession, morning or night person, any dietary or fitness habits, etc.) to construct your ideal type(s). While you may not ultimately end up with a partner that 100% fits into one of these personas, knowing what you're looking for helps you know what you don't and streamline your vetting process

Use this information to create a "non-negotiables" list to help you easily detect whether someone will be compatible with you from early conversations or, at the latest, after 1-2 dates. These qualities will be very personal due to our own beliefs, lifestyle, and goals – know if something like someone being a smoker, having certain family obligations, dietary restrictions, or having certain political/religious beliefs would be a dealbreaker for you.

Consider dating as a networking tool. Live your life and allow potential partners to enter your purview organically:

Do not make dating into a mission-based, isolated pursuit. Reframe dating as an organic evolution of your social life, leisure activities, and time used to explore your interests. Go out to bars, lounges, coffee shops, and parks. Join activities, social clubs, and interest-based meetup activities (book clubs, sports clubs like a tennis club, and art gallery memberships are great options as well). Take classes based on your interests – like a cooking class, language class, art class, writing class, coding class, etc. and be open to mingling. Having a shared interest is the first step to lifestyle compatibility with a partner.

Be open to accepting invitations to group dinners, hangouts, dinner parties, cocktail events/happy hours, beach days, etc. These social outings are a great way to connect with friends of friends that you probably wouldn't meet out in the wild but are more trustworthy (and are more likely to share compatible attitudes or lifestyle habits) due to your mutual connections.

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daggerzine · 7 days ago

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Don’t Need You: the herstory of riot grrrl Documentary Film Review (Urban Cowgirl Productions-REVIEW BY DINA HORNREICH)

If punk hardcore was considered a totally aggro-male/hyper-masculine super aggressive pressure cooker of a mosh pit fiasco, then why would girls fight their way to the front for inclusion in this fiery cauldron of fearsome frustration? Because the double-standard that “girls can be sad, and boys can be angry: but girls can’t be angry, and boys can’t be sad” is total bullsh*t! But that’s the manufactured party line that gender essentialist ideology perpetuates which has created “the pink tax,” “glass ceilings,” and other artificial barriers to gender equity in the “marketplace.”

As I’ve already articulated: Riot Grrrl (& Queercore/Homocore) were another sub-counterculture which uniquely adopts a loud (often campy) Punk idea that is overtly informed by more academic feminist and queer approaches as a deliberate artistic movement involving the work of Bikini Kill, Babes in Toyland, Mecca Normal, Team Dresch, Pansy Division, and Tribe 8. The “Don’t Need You” documentary looks specifically between an Olympia, WA and Washington, DC nexus involving a so-called “third wave feminist” revolution suggested by this ad hoc collective of bands (i.e. musical artists) like Bratmobile (Alison Wolfe), Bikini Kill (Kathleen Hanna), Heavens to Betsy (Corin Tucker), Chalk Circle (Sharon Cheslow), Bonfire Madigan Shive, Ian Mackaye (Fugazi), and Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening) whose daringly outspoken efforts succinctly captured a mid-90s feeling for appropriating a “punk attitude” in order to submit their “[love rock] revolution girl style now!” ethos which co-existed regularly with “twee” and “chickfactor” spheres. If you can recall the Halo Benders’ lyric about “Looking is free, but touching is gonna cost you something…” then you should be able to catch up pretty quickly on their vibe?!

While there was also a feminist self-defense CD compilation in 1995 called “Free to Fight!” this film also does a good job capturing the spirit of this movement which has minimally inspired a strain of Girls Rock Camps. It also helps to remind me of when I started more seriously contemplating these iterations of feminist movements when a professor I had in college read to her classes the introduction to her then forthcoming book, Third wave agenda: Being Feminist, Doing Feminism which offered a key scholarly piece about the riot grrrl movement (by Jen Smith who gets mentioned in the documentary).

I remember this new idea of “third wave” feminism very well; mainly because after our instructor finished reading her introduction she looked directly at our room full of students and said “you are on your own!” And to my dismay, she was kinda right about that; but being excluded from her feminist efforts still left me a lot to ponder. It fostered me another gateway to understanding two certain realities that I continue to grapple with: females need to be educated and we need to have professional careers for financial wellness. Furthermore: those are non-negotiable facts, and punk (as an overtly hostile domain of intense masculinity) offers preparation for trying to fit into the cut-throat competition of this “rat race” – and other realities of living in the "mosh pit" of this ever resilient “man’s world.” In fact, Heavens to Betsy's song, "White Girl" remains anthemic for me on my personal journey as it reminds me that changing the world starts by looking inward.

As such, the film further validates an iterative need for DIY efforts in self-expression and creativity that challenges the artificial social constructs that Arlie Russell Hochshildso eloquently articulated in The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling. This is because culture, politics, and emotion are crucial considerations, especially in this 21st Century; and punk has always been a perfect outlet for articulating those issues for lost girls, troubled boys, and everyone in-between (or beyond)! And the ongoing backlash (and litany of distortions) that we continue to face for trying to raise these challenges, only further reinforces our need for furthering these efforts. Resisting “cancel culture” and similar attempts to dismiss our efforts as “fashionable” (or otherwise temporary “fads”) isn’t always easy; but the fact that women are outliving men (or are otherwise required to be more self-sufficient than previous generations of women) means that we have no choice but to keep on living! Fortunately, NYU Libraries(and others) are helping us to do that.

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biblioflyer · 2 months ago

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Section 31: The Movie (No Spoilers Review)

Long time followers will not be surprised to learn I didn't like it. Why might surprise you though. Normally my shtick is constructive criticism and analysis, and I'm going to try really hard to say on the rails, but I really didn't like this movie.

Look, I made a certain kind of peace with the notion that this would not be my kind of Star Trek story when it was announced. So I tried to be in the right mindset. In some ways I was pleasantly surprised in how it dialed back the nihilism and atrocity apologia quite a bit.

For once Section 31 is not attempting to solve the problem of an existential threat to the Federation through a half baked Xanatos gambit featuring rationalizations for genocide that don't really stand up to any serious scrutiny. So there's that. If we're grading on a curve, maybe assigning Star Trek what in education world we refer to as Individualized Education Plan, the absence of a poorly conceived moral justification for genocide is worth at least one star.

But anyway, I was mentally prepared for a story about people who are very much not Starfleet and I was prepared not to hold this against the film just because it wasn't my Star Trek.

Except it was boring. I wasn't invested in any of the characters or their stories. I suppose this also kinda, sorta functions as an origin story for Rachel Garrett and the iron nerve that would see someone choose to lay down their life for their principles not once, but twice even after being offered a reprieve from imminent death. But its all just so cliched and dull. It also doesn't really sell the idea that Garrett is someone with the capacity to go solemnly and knowingly to her certain death because its the right thing to do. Section 31's Garrett is a junior officer babysitting a gang of unstable criminals. She never really pays a price for choosing her Starfleet principles and the conclusion of her arc is that she's a bit cooler under pressure and less uptight for having stared down mortality.

It wildly gyrates from John Wick to Suicide Squad to Guardians of the Galaxy, and just never develop any fondness for any of the characters. The fight scenes are too long, the choreography doesn't do anything I find all that novel or impress me with the skill of the actors or their stunt doubles, and I don't feel whatever tension or uncertainty I assume I'm supposed to feel. The final bought of fisticuffs does up the ante in terms of how much violence a Trek fight will show but that kind of made it worse in that the extra bit of ick doesn't actually compensate for the lack of suspense.

Ultimately, its a film that unsurprisingly leaned into many of my complaints about Discovery. Which I think is actually an underrated show that is hated for the wrong reasons. But it often suffers from bizarre and self contradicting story logic, a shallow sense of the core principles its trying to espouse, and rather boring and drawn out fight scenes that just seem to eat up time. Fisticuffs are not new to Trek, but for the most part other shows just get it over with because with their less elaborate sets and FX, there's only so much they could do to make the fights visually interesting if the fights weren't narratively interesting.

I assume the people who are constantly complaining about political correctness or wokeism will find something to complain about, but it really doesn't have any of the shallow idealism of Discovery and I actually find I miss it. Discovery's first season in particular had a lot to say about struggling to remain decent in indecent circumstances, but Section 31 only sort of has anything to say.

Where it does have anything to say, I suppose maybe if you squint there's a subtle retcon where Terran evil is no longer genetically predetermined as alluded to in S3 of Discovery, but rather a product of a monstrous society that makes people into monsters in order to survive. Codas like "there are no righteous tyrants" (and I'm paraphrasing because I don't feel like going back to pull the exact quote) feel significant but its frankly pretty vestigial as moral messaging goes because the Terran Empire is so cartoonishly evil and nonsensical in how its institutions operate.

And anyway, I don't know who that message is for? The handful of internet edgelords who fully acknowledge they want a Caesar to "cross the Rubicon" who probably aren't going to watch this movie anyway because Trek, especially modern Trek doesn't glorify and center their Hobbessian worldview? It just feels like the sort of empty, placeholder philosophy that anyone can get behind and anyone can feel like it represents them and their virtues and assume its an explicit condemnation of whatever real world figure they hate. Which just feels so cowardly and dull.

When it comes to storytelling about trying to be a good person amidst terror and horror, Section 31 like Discovery and Picard, is just Diet Expanse. Or maybe in this case, its the Guardians of the Galaxy without any mirth.

Star Trek Into Darkness is no longer my least favorite Star Trek movie.

#star trek #section 31 #section 31 review #section 31 spoilers #spoilers #philippa georgiou

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qqueenofhades · 2 years ago

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there definitely is the lack sympathy and solidarity between the oppressed groups of people around the world.

ethnic russians have been colonizing the central asia, the western asia, the caucasus, the eastern europe and oppressing the natives of these lands for CENTURIES!

russia has established the hegemony of the ethnic russians and hierarchy where the people of the caucasus and central asia are not considered as white thus are discriminated against. even other slavs like ukrainians and poles (who are indeed seen as white in the russian power sphere) are percieved as lesser disposables.

if the westerner leftists understood that the social constructs and power dynamics around the world are constantly changing, have changed throughout history and are different depending on the region and depending on which country/people are the global powerhouses in said region, the discourse would be much easier and more productive.

i'm west asian myself who used to be naively optimistic about the us anti-imperialist leftists, but ever since the war in ukraine, my delusions have shattered beyond repair... the us americans live in their own bubble and want to see the world through that usa-centric bubble's lenses. you see someone try to educate them about the situation and realities of other place and people and said usa americans will accuse those people of horrible stuff bc usa americans hate it when their simplistic worldview ideologically rooted in puritanism is being challenged.

a good example is how the middle easterners are either talked about as "white" or "poc" depending on whether or not the us americans want to sympathize with them and admit that the middle easterners are the victims of oppression/imperialism.

i can't blame the people of africa, latin americans and other people who suffered bc of europe and the us for falling for russian propaganda, but seeing ourselves as the only katniss everdeens of the world won't solve anything.

I mean... yeah. As I've written about a lot, the perspectives of so-called "anti-imperialist" American leftists, both in regard to the Russia-Ukraine war and overall, are generally absolutely fucking dismal. Both because they lack any sense of historicity, nuance, or attempt to deal with complex issues, and also because they are, as you note here, still myopically fixated on the US as the center of the world, the only agent of actual change, and the cause of everything bad ever. They are good at weaponizing the language of social justice and accusing everyone and everything of racism, but they rarely seem to have a sense of what that actually means outside the American context, and frankly for that matter, inside it.

A lot of "anti-imperialist" leftists are only opposed to American empire, which they think is the only empire to ever exist (as if European colonialism and empire didn't create America; as if the Roman Empire didn't create Europe, etc. etc.) Because the Republican right opposed the Soviets during the Cold War, plenty of modern leftists have now decided that that means the USSR/Putinist Russia is actually good after all!!! It's a meme ideology with absolutely no substance or internal coherence, because it's completely based on shallow and distorted mirror-images that they adopted solely out of contrarianism. They borrow the language and symbols of Marxism-Leninism in their fantasy online lives, they decide that this makes them Communist Visionaries, and they trade purposefully-misinterpreted jargon in their Twitter echo chambers without ever attempting to consider either what it really means or how these extremely fraught symbols were interpreted and used in the real world. They want to proclaim that Communism Good!!!, so they do that, and any and all nuance or actual example to the contrary is just Neoliberal Corporate Bootlicking. Or something like that.

What's funny, of course, is that the "anti-imperialist" leftists are still relying completely on a sense of Western exceptionalism and intellectual imperialism, wherein their own interpretations are always to be preferred over anything that the Savages might be saying; the Misguided Natives just need the Wise Western Man to correct them and show them why Tankie Communism is Good! Which, of course, is the exact vernacular of European Christian white-supremacist colonialism from the 16th to 19th centuries, and seriously calls into question any remotely accurate claim to being "anti-imperialist." Like, do you know what those words even MEAN? Or like, ANY words?

As I have said in earlier posts: yes, it's understandable, if disappointing, that people from Africa/India/Latin America, all of which HAVE suffered extensively from actual Western imperialism, have proven susceptible to Russian propaganda about how the current conflict is all the Evil West's Fault. But it's even more disappointing that presumably educated and "enlightened" Western leftists who trumpet their anti-imperialism have become such cheerleaders for a genocidal fascist imperial regime, simply because they think that anything America opposes is morally and/or structurally good. Which is just so facile and stupid on so many levels, not to mention ignores the reality of the Ukrainian war and its root causes on pretty much every front, but for them, that's basically par for the course.

#anonymous #ask #history #russia ukraine war #politics for ts

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mitigatedchaos · 2 years ago

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So I stopped by because someone privately linked someone (not prodigal) having a fit, which presented an opportunity to try making that last image.

[ @athingbynatureprodigal ] writes:

What’s sought is a criteria for “developed country” that wouldn’t include “Eritrea, but Putin and Elon Musk and the Waltons just bought vacation homes there.” Trains, healthcare, democracy, and lack of religious whackos killing people seems like at least as good a set as “well, it was on the US side during the cold war and has some rich people in it.” If you’re gonna call the former dumb, there needs to be more justification than “well I happen to use different criteria, which are equally arbitrary.” Both of those are vibes-based.

The question is, what is being "developed" in "development" of countries? In real estate, an "undeveloped" lot would be one that hasn't been built on yet, whether that's for a public park, which would be considered light development, or a house, or a factory. A "developing" lot would be a lot that's in an intermediate state of construction or addition. Then of course there is "brown field development," where previous construction has been built and is now getting in the way of new development.

So I would say that when we say a country is "developed," we're mostly talking about a country's capital front. (Mostly productive capital, but also housing, etc.) Safety, adherence to law, education, etc are all inputs to that front.

In accordance with the O-Ring theory of economic development, the average correctness of each node in a production chain increases the ability to create a highly-complex, high-value product. This requires a predictable environment etc etc.

@official-kircheis If we're looking at countries with tremendous capital fronts, the United States needs to be in the analysis, so if it's not "developed," well obviously it's also not "developing," so you need to describe the secret third thing that it is. (Obviously the United States is a diverse country, and it can be sliced in ways that make it more comparable to other "developed" countries in your sample.)

But this gets into why I've been on a social media hiatus. Or maybe "how."

During the past 2 weeks, I built a new PC, and I've been putting in a lot of hours into learning to use Stable Diffusion and probing the capabilities of these new AI art systems.

Reading social media gets me annoyed and distracted. And Kircheis' take was inflammatory and bad, but it's not nearly as bad as Twitter. (For one thing, it's obviously adjacent to nationalist shitposting. In fact, it most likely is nationalist shitposting.) However, there was a lot of information gain on social media before. Now that we're not in a fast cycle (like national riots or the opening of the pandemic), I've brawled with enough partisans to get a sense of how they think, and I got my hands on more obscure information, there isn't as much information gain there.

While I use Tumblr to report my findings, and 300-500 words is a comfortable length for explaining concepts while not taxing the attention too much, there are issues with taking things on an issue-by-issue basis (including in a reply format).

Often, if I talk about stuff, I won't do it. So I'll just say it's something to chew on for now.

#the blue website #politics

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thatsonemorbidcorvid · 2 years ago

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All this stuff makes me feel powerless. Like, i can care for and help the people in my space and do my best to make sure everyone is respecting each other.

But the world is so big. It's scary.

I hear you anon. I’m going to copy across my advice from this post, which I’ve found has helped me. Sending love your way.

Find a creative hobby that allows you to relax, and express your frustration. Make art about it. No one else has to see it, including you once it’s done, but get it out of your head and into the world.

Pick a short term goal that is achievable, and work towards it. That might look like getting period products provided free in your place of work or education, organising consciousness-raising meetings for other women, or raising money for a meaningful cause. Make it something that’s realistic, and that you can see change as your work pays off. Get local, if you can.

Pick a long term goal that you can work towards by incorporating it into your life. That might involve your employment, volunteering for an organisation that you believe can make a difference, or constructing your life in such a way that you can work on the project independently. This goal should be one that you feel a personal connection and drive for, something you feel is hugely important, but also something you think you, specifically, can do something about.

Allow causes that are not central to your goals to pass over and through you. These should be causes that you don’t have a personal connection with, and that you can’t contribute to. For example, anti-FGM is not a cause I can help with - it’s not a place where I belong. What I can do, is make space for women who can work on it, and support their efforts when and where I can. Overwhelming yourself with the enormity of the task only leads to paralysis - letting the weight be shared, while taking up your portion, allows you to move forward.

Find like-minded women, who can support you, and who you can support. You can also work together on your mutual short and long term goals, and network to find other women who are knowledgeable and experienced in the areas you want to focus on. Plus, you can have running jokes and share silly memes.

Rest and recharge when you need to. Trying to grind through burn out doesn’t help anyone, you included. Taking time out allows you to come back stronger, more determined, and more effective. This goes especially when something hits close to home - give yourself space and time to mourn when you need to, but don’t allow the enormity of it to overwhelm your defences more than it absolutely has to.

Act on your principles when you can. Choice between amazon and a female-owned local business? Act on your principles. Chance to raise awareness of an important cause with people in your life? Act on your principles. Opportunity to defend another woman’s character? Act on your principles.

Have hope. It hurts like hell and makes all the difference.

#advice

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rekikujo · 2 years ago

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GRADUATION TRICKSTAR STORY TRANSLATION

Chapitre 2 ⤵️

[After school of the next day. Yumenosaki Academy, Student Council Room.]

Tori : What does it mean that Yumenosaki Gakuen will be closed!?

Shinobu : ..................

Mao : EH, calm down Tori. Don't be too loud. Everyone is still tired from yesterday's [Return Festival]

--No, they're still feeling dizzy from the [White Chocolate Festivale]. Look Sengoku's eyes are spinning in surprise.

Shinobu : Meet each other... This, my eardrums are ringing.

Yuzuru : It looks like a small animal and is adorable.

Soma : Why is Fushimi-dono lying down under the desk?

Yuzuru : Is it an enemy attack?

Tori : Don't be silly, listen seriously!

Mao : I'm listening seriously. I mean, if you want to have a normal conversation, you sould cool down.

Tori : Don't be arrogant! It feels like i'm already the next student council president, so i have no obligation to listen to Isara-senpai, who ended his term and became a regular student!

Mao : Don't ignore the voice of ordinary students, you've become a tyrant inoka.

Tori : Don't be so picky, just give me an explanation that i can understand! Hey, what are you talking about? ES suddenly announced this morning that Yumenosaki Gakuen will be gone from next year?

Yuzuru : It feels like it’s misleading to say that it will disappear. According to the announcement from ES, from next year Yumenosaki Gakuen &co. Idol training schools nationwide such as Zupuro Reimei & Shuetsu. It is said that they will be integrated into a single educational institution called ES Academy. Our Yumenosaki Academy is also « ES Academy/ Yumenosaki Branch School » It will be named like this, so in effect « Yume no Saki » the name « Gakuen » will disappear. The school building will not be demolished, and i think the expression « closed school » is somewhat inconsistent with the facts. It’s just that the name of the school will change.

Tori : Do you really think so? You think you can convince me with such a childish explanation, Yuzuru? Only the name changes, why not!? I personally checked the flow of money by relying on a messenger, so i know! « ES Academy » is trying to completely overwrite Yumenosaki with your own color! It’s trying to dominate! The look and interior of the school building, the uniforms, everything, they’re trying to change and standardize everything to that of ES Academy. The walls were repainted, the unnecessary school building was demolished and the ES Academy facility was built. I'm trying to remake idol training schools all over the country, each with their own individuality, into exactly the same mass-producted schoolhouses! It's like a cram school that has chains all over the country, and it's a school with no taste or personality! Isn't this a conspiracy theory? If you read the flow of money, you can read thoughts and the future!

Yuzuru : You've grown up, baby. Yuzuru is deeply moved.

Tori : Dont' make fun of me! I'm serious!

Mao : Even if it is said...... You don't seem to like it, but that's what ES decided to do, so it can't be helped. Money and personnel are already working. Construction work has started here and there. We can't overturn ES's decision even if we're sorry now.

Soma : I agree with you, but it's not what you in "Trickstar" say.

Mao : I'm grown up too. My high school life is over.

Tori : Don't just talk over there! Listen to me properly! I d'ont know anything about "ES Academy" or anything like that! Why are you always doing selfish things without my permission!?

Mao : Are you a king or something? There's no law that says you can't do business whitout your permission.

Tori : But we're students at Yumenosaki's school, right? In other words, "it is dishonest to make decisions on your own whitout listening to the opinions of the locals! At least talk about making sense of it! What a surprise! Terrible, terrible!

Mao : After all, we're just a student council, not Yumenosaki's management team. I don't have the right to say anything about the management policy of the academy, originally. You can't go against what the academy has decided, basically.

#enstars #ensemblestars #graduation #translation #trickstar #story

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jaidonschool · 18 days ago

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Stream of consciousness reflection after mtndao

Stream of consciousness reflection:

I choose not to embody a common archetype Though it grants harmony, belonging, social role It is not truth. There is more to decision making, understanding the world, etc. When given the choice out of curiosity I usually choose a less known option Maybe my goal is to make the best choice, and I need complete information to do so Maybe I would rather feel the edge of my existence than get lost in societal flow Exploration > established paths. Because I have to cope when the boundaries are too established Maybe I'm afraid of foresight. I'd prefer not to know who I will be in 1 year. I want to be special, above the standard path: wife, picket fence, dog… This is the pinnacle of thousands of years of societal evolution. But if I accept that is the point of life, I will be depressed at its lameness…

Agency low level throughput Agency premium few clients Digital products 9-5 employee Mtndao gave me a dream. And I am alone again

I'm not as wealthy as I thought. I used to be a starving dog, starving to help someone with my design skills. Now we have a big fish and are less diligent. But more confident. And evolved mindset. These options will shape me. But what is the point? What shape is the goal? Happiness? Wealth? Relationships? Skill? All? Balance? Growth?

Some happy time for myself Monetary shelter The long game: expanding the scope of possibility, improving efficiency, and enlightenment: purification of mind, education, consolidating pragmatic knowledge for psychophysiological health, and constructive comportment within the cutting edge matrix.

A humanist, lifeist, technologist take

Happy with nothing [minimalist room] A hunter [primitive human in the rain]

This whole discussion is to alleviate internal conflict The competing desires in my mind and my new worldsim update The social pressure of job/status/wealth My personal pressure to be unique, great, loved Is this the boundary between the absolute and the relative? Yin and yang? Internal and external?

Perhaps this itself is the challenge, the art To life life with a whole heart

What is the question I'm trying to answer?

Humans have mental bandwidth beyond the survival algorithm. Maybe it's a curse.

Lifestyle [business] vs performance [business]… Perhaps I only focus on survival, because I have no better answer. Capitalism: Tension for competition and survival creates Tapping into society, business, getting embedded in the machine, funneling resources to your kind.

Feel capitalism, survival mode Without forgetting:

Essential human jobs that aren't monetarily benefited (mothers, teachers)

Environmental destruction

Wealth inequality

Short term thinking

Monopoly

Exploitation

Social alienation

Don't be a scammer

I already exploit myself, alienate myself, devalue essential human jobs, forget the environment. I am on the bad side of monopoly and wealth inequality, so this won't be an issue until I'm on the other side.

I want to reduce the mental burden of choice. Meaningfully decrease choices. To do this I can:

Decide via dice

Decide via big picture ranked priorities

Decide via d/acc or EA …

Just one of those slow days Type II fun is not always fun Just keep pushing and it will be worth it We have to do something with this life, don't we? Is it about the money? It can buy lifestyle, awe, status, releif – it kinda is - it's kinda about everything All this thinking gives the illusion of control, when action and chance plays a large role

…

Perhaps by curiosity I walk down the path to the end just to know what's real. I did that with service design. With 312. And where did it get me. Am I happy with what happened? It was a good use of school. But I certainly don't want to do that again.

I am now interested in money, business

…

This was my first ever task in Service Design, a general prequarter assignment writing exercise. But I still feel very much the same way even after 5 years

For some reason, it makes me happy to think I haven’t changed much. Maybe it’s because I’m more scared of change these days

I think the core of it is here: “an easier path to determine the optimal society is found in focusing on "mechanics of humanity": subjective moral truths inherent in being alive, conscious, and human. Similar to how smiling makes you happier, working from this moral overlap is a self fulfilling prophecy that shapes perception and reality, in so embracing the limitations of being alive in the most healthy way.”

What I say becomes true, like a fake smile Making the right decision is a matter of clarity and alignment When you don't know, try When it comes to my career path, I say "making cool things with friends" - I believe it can happen!

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craftingtableus · 1 month ago

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How to Choose the Right STEM Toys for Your Child

STEM toys are becoming more and more popular with parents who want to help their kids learn important skills in science, technology, engineering, and math. These toys help kids be creative, solve problems, and enjoy learning. But with so many choices out there, picking the right STEM toy can feel overwhelming. This guide will give you simple tips to choose the best STEM toys for your child’s age, interests, and learning stage.

Know What Your Child Likes

Before buying a STEM toy, think about what your child enjoys and what they are good at. Every child is different. Some like building things, while others might enjoy computers or robots. Watching how your child plays can give you a clue about what they like best.

If your child loves building towers with blocks, they might enjoy toys like construction sets. If they like gadgets or computers, coding games or robot kits could be a better fit. Picking a toy that matches your child’s interests will make learning more fun.

Pick the Right Toy for Their Age

Choosing a toy that fits your child’s age is important. Toys that are too hard might frustrate them, while toys that are too easy can get boring quickly.

Check the age recommendation on the toy’s box. Here’s a quick guide:

Toddlers (Ages 1-3): Choose simple, colorful toys that teach basic ideas like shapes and numbers.

Preschoolers (Ages 4-6): Look for hands-on toys like simple building sets or science kits.

Kids (Ages 7-10): Try more advanced toys like robot kits or electronic circuit sets.

Preteens and Teens (Ages 11+): Choose more detailed projects like coding kits or STEM electronics kits.

Choose Toys That Teach Something

STEM toys should be fun, but they should also teach your child something new. Look for toys that build useful skills like:

Solving problems

Thinking creatively

Understanding logic

Learning basic coding

Trying out experiments

Reading product reviews can help you find toys that are both fun and educational.

Toys That Let Kids Be Creative

The best STEM toys let kids use their imagination. These toys don’t have just one way to play—they let kids build, create, and try new things.

Building sets, coding platforms, or modular kits that allow kids to create different projects are great choices. Toys like these keep kids interested and help them learn to think in new ways.

Make Sure the Toy Is Safe

Safety is always important. Check that the toy is made from non-toxic materials and doesn’t have small parts that could be a choking hazard, especially for younger kids.

Look for safety labels like ASTM, CE, or CPSC. Durable toys made from good-quality materials last longer and can handle rough play.

Easy to Use (and Some Parent Help)

Some STEM toys, like electronic or coding kits, might need adult help. Think about whether you have time to join your child during playtime.

Look for toys with clear instructions and online guides. These can make it easier for both you and your child to enjoy the toy together.

Set a Budget

STEM toys come in different price ranges. You don’t need to buy the most expensive one. Many affordable toys work just as well.

Read customer reviews and compare toys to find the best one for your budget. Sometimes, it’s better to buy a toy that can be used in different ways instead of several single-purpose toys.

Make Learning Fun

The best STEM toys are both fun and educational. Kids learn better when they enjoy what they’re doing.

Toys with lights, sounds, or games can make learning more exciting. Learning platforms with rewards and challenges can also keep kids motivated.

Types of STEM Toys to Explore

To pick the right toy, it helps to know about the different types of STEM toys:

Building Sets: These help kids design and build things. Examples are LEGO sets and magnetic blocks.

Coding Toys: These teach kids about programming through games and robots.

Robotics Kits: Kids can build and program their own robots, learning about mechanics and coding.

Science Kits: These let kids do simple experiments to learn about chemistry, physics, or biology.

Electronic Kits: Kids can build circuits and gadgets to learn how electronics work.

Math and Logic Games: These improve thinking and problem-solving skills through puzzles and strategy games.

Encourage Ongoing Interest

Kids’ interests can change over time, so look for toys that can grow with your child. Toys that can be expanded or upgraded keep kids engaged as they get older.

Joining STEM clubs, workshops, or online groups can also keep your child excited about learning. These groups let kids share ideas and learn together.

Conclusion

Picking the right STEM toy means thinking about what your child likes, making sure it’s the right level for their age, and checking that it’s safe and educational. The goal is to make learning fun and exciting for your child.

A great option is the STEM electronics kit from Crafting Table. Their Python Starter Kit is perfect for older kids and teens who want to learn about coding and electronics. This kit teaches Python programming and electronic circuits, helping kids build important skills while having fun.

Choosing quality STEM toys can give your child a head start in science and technology, preparing them for future success.

#craftingtable #STEM electronics kit

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agapewizard · 2 months ago

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➝ Worldview and Choices — Align Perceptions with Reality. 🔑

The way we see ourselves, the world, and other beings is part of the root causal problem. This has been briefly introduced with the concept of axioms that shape our way of living. Our perceptions are being manipulated to construct an unrealistic illusory way of living that is not in harmony with Natural Law. Worldview shapes the way we manifest consciousness in our lives. What we spend time on and what we pay attention to is what we think about and that affects the way we feel and act. How and what we think affects our perception of ourselves and the external reality. This understanding does not mean to only look at the positive while ignoring the negative in the world or ourselves.

Our minds and hearts have fallen into darkness to produce the conditions we see manifested by our collective behavior. The negative effects, symptoms and problems that we are collectively co-creating need to be recognized. Understanding the root causal factors of how and why our current condition is happening puts us in a position to act in a way that is different, to produce a different result, because we know and truly understand how not to produce the same result. Solutions to a problem require an accurate honest assessment to determine the actual nature of the problem by facing the truth, both positive and negative, even if it makes us uncomfortable. Why are we experiencing this current condition? How are we being deceived and manipulated? How important is truth? What are the motivational factors that drive certain behavior?

Making decisions based on lack of knowledge and understanding is rooted in a state of internal confusion whereby we do not understand foundational principle root causal factors, so we continue to perpetuate more of the same because we do not recognize that our actions are based on a lack of understanding. If proper, accurate, correct understanding is reached then our decisions will not create more of the same. Our choices will not be based on confusion from lack of information, lack of knowledge, lack of understanding, but will be based on truth of the reality and these foundational root causal factors that will allow us to see things clearly and not make decisions that lead to the same results.

“In order to change an existing paradigm you do not struggle to try and change the problematic model. You create a new model and make the old one obsolete.” – R. Buckminster Fuller

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking that created them.” – Albert Einstein

To think that we can fix things by becoming part of an institution of control such as government, police, military, banking, religion, etc., is action based in confusion. A person can have good intentions in following one of the preselected paths that are part of the problem, yet think it will create solutions. Doing the same things again and expecting different results is not productive. As the saying goes “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Basing decisions on lack of critical knowledge and understanding is ignorance of the root causal factors and acting in confusion to try to manifest what we want or wish to have. Supporting controlling institutions to control others is not the solution. Education out of darkness by bringing clarity of understanding is part of a solution.

People often want to be a part of something greater than themselves, it gives one a greater sense of purpose. Our beliefs and faith in something can be misplaced by the definitions and meanings we have associated, related and identified with our so-called higher purpose. We will be very content with continuing to believe in such a construct. This is how most institutions work: military, police, religion, government, etc. People give of themselves to be a part of a greater higher purpose, or so they believe it to be. Many people can’t discern what truth from fiction is and end up giving of themselves to false institutions believing that they are a part of a greater higher good.

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” – Carl Sagan

There are always aspects of truth mixed into the control structure to make you believe it is for good. These are illusions and attachment to them. People will be in denial, not wanting to admit they were deceived, manipulated, fooled, tricked, duped, conned, scammed, screwed, bamboozled, hoodwinked, lied to, that they made a mistake, that they were unaware, uninformed and most of all wrong. So instead of course correction, they continue down the path to self-created suffering and keep everyone down by their ignorance and denial. People want to do good, they truly do, but they lack the ability to discern what is good, they don’t trust themselves enough or don’t want to take the time it takes to discover, and so they get led down a false paths. Only by addressing the root of the problem and correcting the source cause that is responsible for creating the condition we experience will we be able to effectively change things for the good. We are required to let go of attachments to false beliefs in illusions that lead us on erroneous paths.

Our perceptions can be in low frequencies due to limited alignment with the truth. Our perceptions do not intersect with the truth frequently enough, so we have a low frequency of perception. The truth and understanding of reality we gain by aligning our perceptions with and seeing reality as it is, increases the frequency of interaction with the truth in our lives, but also increases the frequency of our being. The more our perceptions align with the truth, the higher our frequency of functionality with universe/reality will be. The more our frequency of perception and being attunes to the basis of truth in reality, the higher our frequency of being becomes, expanding our consciousness which is the true force of love. At first we may not have an accurate perception and understanding of reality. Our conscious awareness is low, and therefore our level of consciousness is low. As we align our perceptions with reality, truth, what ‘is’, we increase our conscious awareness of reality, and we expand our consciousness, which is the force of Love. Increasing consciousness and Love is done by less wavering from the truth and instead more resonance and alignment with it.

“I’ve come to realize that the biggest problem anywhere in the world is that People’s perceptions of reality are compulsively filtered through the screening mesh of what they want, and do not want, to be true.” – Travis Walton

Dysfunctional beliefs and cognitive distortions are possible because we choose to accept falsities, deceptions and illusions that sound good as an explanation or allow us to feel-good about ourselves or our current way of living. Our perceptions, beliefs and worldview should align, harmonize, unite, etc. with the truth of what ‘is’ occurring, both around and within us so that we have the ability to respond from a place of understanding what is happening. The nature of the problem lies at the level of belief. Belief is the foremost causal factor underlying what we experience. We believe in falsehoods and reject Truth.

If our view of ourselves is based in indoctrination, tacitly assumed to be valid, or influenced by dysfunctional interconnected beliefs, we are not following our true desires of what we want to live by and uphold in our own lives. If we claim to be for non-violence and not doing harm, yet we have been conditioned into engaging in such behavior without recognizing it for what it ‘is’, without truly being consciously aware of what we do, then these conditioned beliefs are preventing us from actualizing the core desires we want to live by. We are failing to live up to how we want to live our lives because we are not aware or unwilling to face the reality of our condition we find ourselves in. Conscious awareness of ourselves and reality can be increased so that we become more aware of what we think, feel and do.

The biggest reason for not changing is the “feel-good” about ourselves comfort of thinking the way we are and what we do is great, perfect, good and doesn’t need to change. We like to believe what we do is good, and that we don’t do wrong, so there is no need to change anything since we are not doing any wrong. The realization of the truth about ourselves and how we behave is the first step of becoming uncomfortable about what we actually do and our current state/condition, and then progressing towards self-improvement and change.

We like to think we uphold what is true, what is right and good, and by extension that makes us true, right and good. When we are faced with the conflict of how we perceive ourselves to be in alignment with the beliefs we want to live by, and the actual actions, behaviors and habits we engage in, it creates cognitive dissonance where two conflicting beliefs cannot be mutually held in harmony, in unison, in integrity, in coherence. These two conflicting beliefs create internal conflict, internal opposition, and we often rely on denial (avoidance coping) to excuse, justify and reason our current way of living as true, valid, correct, accurate, right and good, because we like to see ourselves that way, and don’t like to admit to ourselves that we aren’t 100% perfect and will never be. It is much easier to stay living a certain way that we already are doing, and not admitting to being wrong, unaware, uninformed, manipulated, etc. which would present us with opportunity for change, betterment, improvement and personal evolution. The security of believing the current conditioning and way we are living is far too comforting and provides the mindset to feel-good about our current lives. In avoiding the true source of the reason we do things, it allows us to attempt to protect ourselves from psychological damage, i.e. cognitive dissonance kicks in.

People believe in things that are not there, illusions. Our society is founded on sleight-of-hand magical trickery. Passing a law is sorcery. Something is wished into existence like a magician who pulls a rabbit out of a hat. If we want to believe that is what happened then we believe it. If we know there is another explanation we can sense something is not right even though it appears to have happened. Illusions of sorcery appear to be real until we know how they work. Being tricked and fooled by sorcery modifies our behavior in alignment with the belief we now accept. This is the spell that is cast upon us. Belief constructs are manifested into existence at the whim of a pen or spoken word. We then accept them and conform to them as we live our lives in these illusory constructs.

Truth unites. Lies divide. Love embraces truth. Fear rejects truth. There is an effort to promote spiritual unity by respecting everyone’s beliefs. This has not achieved unity but has created separate fantasies for everyone to remain attached to as part of their identity. To be unified requires being on the same page of understanding basic truths, not beliefs that make us comfortable and feel good in contradiction to what ‘is’. Common ground is what unites. Believing in fantasy illusions and deceptions is not the basis for unity. Consider if you would want to be friends with a psychopath, or a serial killer. Would you trust your child with them? That was an extreme example, but it illustrates that the more of a divergence in our values and ways of living, the less common ground there is to develop strong bonds in a relationship. There are extreme worldview illusions that create a divergence in ways of living and understanding truths.

A false dilemma or dichotomy is black and white thinking that creates false limitations in choice when there are indeed other options available. This is not to say there are no situations where there are indeed limited choices. The false dichotomy setup can be done with two or more options that try to limit possibilities of other choices or actions taking place. This can be expressed by people who may not be aware of what they are doing.

Having someone accept a false dichotomy and forcing them to choose between limited possibilities that you control at the outset is employed in many ways. In the film The Last Boy Scout, the main character asks people “head or gut?” because they are either getting punched in the head or in the gut. You can ask someone do you want to get slapped with the right-hand or left-hand. It doesn’t matter what they choose, they are getting slapped either way. You can ask a child if they want to eat carrots or peas for supper, either way they are going to eat the vegetables that they don’t want to eat. Presenting a choice, no matter how false or illusory it is, is much more appealing than being forced in a direction that is already predetermined. When someone believes they have the power to make a choice in their lives, they think they are free and this makes them happy to have some form of control over what goes on in their lives. This can lead people to believe there are only certain choices one can make in life. Other ways of living, deciding and behaving are ruled out of our imagination that would allow us to conceive of another way that might be better in which to live.

A false dichotomy presents an illusion of choice between limited possibilities in order to constrict a person’s consciousness and imagination from envisioning and choosing other possibilities. One of the most effective false dichotomy deceptions employed consistently across the planet is that of voting. Politics is based in deception on many levels and voting is the biggest trick to get people to think they have control and power over what goes on in their lives. People like to believe that voting makes them responsible and good citizens. Voting is an abdication of personal responsibility in which you allow someone to re-present you instead of you presenting yourself as a self-governed, self-ruled, self-realized, sovereign being. People hop around or stay dogmatically allied to one particular party or another and round and round it goes in a circle because we believe it works and we are helping to create change and betterment. When in actuality, the change is that more of our freedoms are eroded and more control is implemented. People don’t want the responsibility of true freedom, they want to give away their responsibility to others and think they will be free.

Animals can be trained in a similar way such as with positive or negative reinforcement behavioral conditioning. Specific events are repeated eliciting certain choices and patterns of behavior that become conditioned. We believe doing certain things is good for us because it will get us the result we wish and want. This has been conditioned into us. Understanding how this operates and being able to implement false dichotomies places a manipulator in an advantageous position to carryout mind control.

Imagine what is possible with our true potential in freeing ourselves from the various forms of mind control that keep our minds and hearts limited and disunited. Life and the way of living of everyone on the planet can be different but we are holding ourselves back by buying into a fear-based consciousness of thinking the answer is with external control. Society promotes the current control structure through the news, television series, movies, education, literature, newspapers, etc. The dark occultists and controllers are speaking their version of reality into existence for others to believe in, which we accept, and we live within the parameters set forth by those who dictate the illusory reality.

Worldview Extremes of Randomness and Determinism

Randomness

Randomness and determinism are both based in the illusory polarity of fear. Randomness is the left-brain imbalance that holds mostly left-brain based ways of being with barely any use of right-brain modalities of thought. Intellect can be strong in left-brain imbalance such as with some scientists, doctors, lawyers, mathematicians, etc. Over use of the left-brain modalities dampens the use of the right-brain modalities which suffer from lack of usage. Living and being driven purely by the physical five-sense-only worldview is a left-brain imbalance. Most of society is geared toward left-brain development with right-brain modalities suffering.

A randomness worldview involves believing:

The universe is an accident arising from an infinitesimal singularity for no reason.

There is no underlying intelligence in nature but random principles coming together.

Natural Law does not exist; we don’t create through what we choose to do, there is no Spiritual reality

Existence is purposeless, other than to continue existence: survival.

This type of thinking is the basis for atheism and scientism, worshiping at the altar of science as the be-all end-all of the explanation to all things, and also the basis for solipsism where nothing can be known. Scientism is a limiting worldview based on the five sense perceptions and the technological instruments we use to extend our ability to perceive the physical reality. Everything is a dead machine of parts with a little bit of life on earth. Viewing the universe and our bodies in a mechanical way is a limiting worldview from outdated Newtonian science. Scientism is believing everything can be explained through the five sense perceptions, while solipsism is believing only one’s perceptions are reality. Both are ideologies where man determines truth and this leads to moral relativism.

Believing there is no objective truth, that there is no this or that, is what leads to moral relativism of no right or wrong. This belief justifies having total freedom to do whatever we want based on our perceptions, comfort level and way of seeing the world. There is no acceptance of objective moral principles. What feels-good to our five-sense-illusion is “good” regardless if another being is harmed. This leads to playing “God” with the lives of others, as masters and controllers.

Determinism

Determinism is a right brain imbalance where left brain modalities of thinking dampen and suffer from infrequent use. It is often demonstrated by a lack of attention to the physical world and focusing on matters of another realm. Right-brain determinism consists in believing:

God controls every event in creation.

All occurrences are preordained.

Free will does not exist.

Change is impossible and action is meaningless.

“God” is viewed as involved and in control of everything, responsible for making the universe continually function like clockwork. Free will does not exist as decisions are determined by the will of “God”. Instead of the randomness of no overriding Natural Law in our lives, determinism negates free will to uphold a conception of Natural Law where change is impossible; it is all preordained by “God”. It tends to lead to accepting the will of authority. Extreme determinism from chronic right brain worldview and modalities of thinking can manifest in lack of a measure of emotional control. Many people who think in such ways are found within religious extremism. All events happen whether we want them to or not. We can’t take the reins of reality and change direction. We are puppets without free will.

Accepting any of the characteristics of either of these worldviews does not help us to reach the potential for our evolution in our journey to increase, expand and evolve consciousness. They are not based in the expansive force of Love. They do not lead to freedom, peace, harmony, or anything uplifting and good. Those who base their way of living by accepting such ways of viewing reality will not produce the experience and results that are based in the force of Love. These are belief systems and are not based in Natural Law principles of Truth.

Balancing the left and right modalities of consciousness in the way we live, think, feel and behave prevents us from living in the extremities of randomness and determinism. Randomness does not understand the underlying principles in the universe that will allow us to achieve what we work towards if our thoughts, emotions and actions are in unison and harmony with Truth. Determinism establishes everything as predetermined and controlled where we are supplicant to a higher authority that we should fear; we don’t have free will to create what we experience. Reality exists as a synthesis of the two principles each ideology rejects: the random component of free will and the deterministic component of Natural Law.

Our choices and decisions based in the force of love or fear determines the quality of our experience. We can align with truth and Natural Law to create freedom and peace or we can choose not to align with these foundational principles and experience more enslavement and suffering. Free will and Natural Law can be understood by recognizing it in operation throughout history, the present and what will be. We are all bound by our free will decisions and those of others. If our goal is to align free will with Natural Law foundational principles that are in operation for our own benefit, betterment and edification, then we will create freedom, harmony, peace, and order. We will continue to co-create self-inflicted suffering as long as we don’t learn the lesson.

#worldview #humanity #perception #reality

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