#was very popular in our society but in the year 2023 I think we are (very) slowly realizing that these kids weren’t unpopular nerds | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

figandthewasp · 1 month ago

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@tiarnietalks PLUTO IN AQUARIUS!

We ride at dawn Alien Witches!

248 years in the making!

Aqaurius- fixed Air- ruled by Saturn & Uranus.

“All geniuses are misunderstood; that's built into the definition of the word. To succeed, one must develop thick skin regarding our basic need for approval. To hold the truth with which everyone agrees is easy; to hold one against the tide of popular assumptions is vastly more arduous. How does the psyche adapt? There are healthy answers, or all geniuses would be mad as well as misunderstood, & they are not.” Steven Forrest

Pluto has been in & out of Aquarius since March 2023, showing us glimpses of what the future may hold, but today, November 20th 2024, he has made his full ingress into Aquarius where he will stay until January 2044!

1777 was the last time Pluto was in Aquarius!

This fixed Air archetype can be highly rigid, questioning everything, often needing proof; there is an intellectual superiority complex & a very black & white mindset. Just look at the division that happened in the world when Saturn was in Aquarius in 2021-2023! Family breakdowns & separations because of opposing views, cancel culture, etc. Aquarius isn't all butterflies, hippie communes, & rainbows my friends, that's Pisces energy but there will be a deep compelling urge for equality, freedom of speech, brotherhood & a love of humanity rising within this transit!

Aquarius energy is the loner, the eccentric, the rebel, the genius, the individualist; often seen as crazy & highly misunderstood. Einstein & Elon are both seen as crazy, definitely ahead of their time, have their North Node in Aquarius & are the true pioneers, wayshowers, & inventors. Like them or not, this is Aquarius.

Science, new technology, new medicines, new ways of living life, sci-fi, space, aliens, the esoteric & time travel all belong to Aquarius.

There is an objectivity & detachment to the Aquarius archetype, which is great for giving perspective, & we are going to need a lot of that over the coming 2 decades!

Watch group think & be discerning!

Pluto in Aquarius sees a BRAND NEW WORLD!

Collectively, the world will never look the same again.

We are going to witness things we have NEVER seen before, I mean it's already happening! AI, robots delivering food, drones, cloning, the metaverse, far right. Within days of Pluto's 1st ingress back in 2023 we saw the creator of the AI software quit! Umm, yeah, can't make this shit up! Things are accelerating! What's real & what's not! Its worlds within worlds. It feels like a HUMANITY REBIRTH to be honest! A full breakdown of society precedes the breakthrough of a new one. It's big. Remember, Pluto destroys, he exposes the TRUTH, you can't hide from Pluto, & Aquarius is the seeker, so this new phase of destruction & excavation is going to be HUGE! People will be more accepting of who anyone IS or wants to be, thank the lord; it's gonna get weird though, so be prepared for that! I believe people will embrace who they really are more too, especially if they have been doing the work on themselves & have a stable understanding of their psyche, traumas, patterns ect, if not they may feel isolated & allow fear, confusion & control to take over. Pluto will be in the first decan of Aquarius until 2031!! The Lord of Defeat, the 5 of Swords, which represents conflict, destruction, competition & disagreements. OUCHY! Aquarius is ruled by the Star though representing faith, hope & renewal! Pluto in Aquarius makes a supportive trine to the South Node in Libra until January 29th 2025, really assisting us in clearing all that karmic debris, it might even feel like a huge hangover or an exciting new space opening up! As Pluto trines the South Node of fate, he makes a sextile to the North Node in Aries, offering an opportunity to grow into more of who you are, to cast OFF the old & truly shift gears, entering brand new terrain! I love this aspect for us! On the micro, look to your Aquarius house, this is where you will be injected with creative originality, where you are being asked to reform, transform & revolutionize that part of your life. What rules of your own must you break?

Pluto in Aquarius is just getting started & will be a HUGE topic of conversation over the next 20 years as we witness many new ways of living, innovations, realizations, inventions, humans or fake humans, quantum shifts, time travel, new galaxies, all of it, it's all NEW (knew) as we truly advance & evolve. We have never been in this space before, there is mystery & magic. Expect the unexpected, hello, Pluto in a Uranus ruled sign. Shit is gonna get weird! Reform. Reveal. Radical anarchy! It's the revolution to evolution!

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bodyalive · 11 months ago

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On the Texas Border, Folk Healers Bring Modern Touches to Their Ancient Practice

Known as curanderas, they carry on a tradition long revered in local Hispanic culture.

By Edgar Sandoval

Photographs by Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas

Edgar Sandoval grew up in Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley, where Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas lives and where both covered this story.

Dec. 16, 2023

On a recent day, Chriselda Hernandez heard a knock at her door in the Texas border town of Edinburg. It was a college student who said she was suffering from a string of bad luck. A drunken driver had crashed into her car. Then someone broke into the new car she was driving and stole her laptop. “I need a limpia,” she pleaded — a spiritual cleanse.

Ms. Hernandez moved to an altar in her living room that bore an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Slowly, she mixed a concoction of sage and palo santo, a wood native to South America, and lit it with a match. Then she turned back to the young woman and waved the healing smoke over her body.

“You are holding on to something,” Ms. Hernandez whispered to her. “Let it go. There is no shame.”

For generations, Hispanic communities along the Southern border have turned to curanderas, or folk healers, like Ms. Hernandez, often seen in the popular imagination as old women with candles and religious icons operating in the shadows of society out of rusty shacks.

But the ancient healing art has entered the age of Instagram. More and more younger people are taking on rituals they learned from their grandmothers and deploying them against 21st century problems. They conduct limpias on public beaches, trade recipes online for blocking “envy energies” and sell artisan candles bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in shops. Their clients are often college-educated, like Clarissa Ochoa, the young woman who went to Ms. Hernandez for help.

“I think it’s an honor to be a curandera; it is something very beautiful, but also very limiting,” said Ms. Hernandez, 42. “I feel like we are breaking those boundaries, that curanderas are just herbs and little old ladies. My calling is just to heal whoever I can.”

A culture of folk healing preceded the arrival of Spaniard conquistadors to Latin America and Mexico. Over time, curanderos, a term used for healers of both genders, began mixing Indigenous rituals with elements of Catholicism and influences from Asian and African folk traditions along the way.

The practice has taken hold in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, located a stone’s throw from the Mexican border, in large part out of necessity. Hidalgo County, home to McAllen and a majority Hispanic population, has one of the highest rates in the nation of people without health insurance, and many people rely on curanderas for lack of other affordable options, said Servando Z. Hinojosa, a professor of anthropology who teaches a class on Mexican-American folk medicine at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Mr. Hinojosa said many Hispanic residents also tend to be mistrustful of the medical establishment. This is especially true when it comes to mental health. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that while the number of Black, Asian and white people who have sought mental health care treatments has climbed in recent years, there has been very little movement among Latinos.

“There’s an element of distrust, but there is also structural alienation,” Mr. Hinojosa said. “They are a population that will seek affordable resources, and they will go to where the products are and where the advice is to be found.”

In the past, the medical establishment has warned people not to rely on folk remedies for physical ailments, some of which can be harmful. Many Latino children have fallen ill and even died after consuming such remedies known as albayalde, azarcon and rueda, powders often used for stomach-related illnesses that have been found to contain lead.

Curanderismo has become so accepted in the Rio Grande Valley that it is not unusual to see street signs and TV ads advertising folk healing services.

Ms. Hernandez said her great-grandmothers had both been parteras, or midwives. When she was a little girl, she said, she discovered that she possessed her own set of gifts; as she grew older, she said, she began interacting with an entity she believes to be the Angel of Death, Azrael. She works at a cellphone call center and lives with a girlfriend in a modern house in the suburbs of Edinburg, a city close to the border.

“You make it your own. There is no right or wrong. You do what’s right for you,” Ms. Hernandez said.

Another modern folk healer, Danielle López, 39, a former student of Mr. Hinojosa who said she also learned she had a don, a gift, as a young girl, has embraced the moniker of millennial curandera. She has combined the old traditions she learned from the grandmother who raised her, Consuelo López, and an aunt, Esperanza Rodriguez, with new skills learned at institutions of higher education.

Her academic record includes a master of arts in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in Mexican-American literature, medical anthropology and Latin art history at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is completing a doctorate in English with a focus on borderlands literature at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she is also a lecturer.

“For me it’s a continuity,” she said of her spiritual work. “I feel like we need it more now.”

It is not unusual for people to ask her for trabajitos, little jobs, including blessings, limpias and home remedies, when she is not buried in books. Not long ago, Ms. López got a request to bless a new business for a friend. When Ms. López cleansed the establishment with a bouquet of roses, six petals fell, prompting her to warn her friend that six people “did not have good intent.”

“They may say they are happy about her new business, but they are not.”

She also sometimes offers more science-based advice. When people tell her that they are feeling anxious or cannot sleep, she recommends that they cut their intake of sugar or caffeine. Because the advice comes from a curandera, she said, people tend to trust that she has their best interests at heart.

The concept of a curandera is so pervasive in Latino enclaves that in September the Texas Diabetes Institute, a state-of-the-art facility operated by University Health on San Antonio’s west side, a historical Mexican-American neighborhood, brought back to its lobby a sprawling wall-size painting, “La Curandera,” by the Chicano painter Jesus Treviño, who died early this year. The painting had been removed for restoration.

Still, when it comes to luck and matters of the heart, many people avoid professional help and turn to curanderas, because there is no substitute, said Sasha García, 39, a curandera who is known for her fire-red hair.

In northern Mexico, where Indigenous culture is not as widespread and the Catholic Church’s hold is stronger, Ms. García said, her ancestors often operated in the shadows to avoid the stigma associated with folk healers. By contrast, on the American side of the border, she not only feels freer to practice openly, but some Catholic priests stop by for her counsel, she said.

Ms. García welcomes clients at La Casa de la Santísima Yerberia in the city of Pharr, near McAllen, next to two imposing statues of La Santísima Muerte, skeletons each wearing red and black robes. Ms. García reminds people that while the image of La Santísima, a Latina version of the Grim Reaper, may evoke frightening emotions, death is to be revered.

“If you pray to her properly, she can heal and deliver love, freedom and wealth,” she said. “I only ask her for positive things.” (She laments that criminal elements along the border and in Mexico have appropriated the image.)

On a recent afternoon, Jocelyn Acevedo, 27, a frequent client of hers who runs a credit repair service, arrived for her monthly limpia. She had heard about Ms. García four years ago and after the first limpia, she said, she saw her business begin to boom. She was so convinced by the session that she since has regularly driven 60 miles from nearby Starr County, near the Rio Grande, for her sessions. She now has a tattoo of La Santísima.

Ms. García instructed Ms. Acevedo to rub three coconuts all over her body. Ms. García then broke them on the ground to release what she said was the negative energy her client had been carrying.

“Did it work? Of course,” Ms. Acevedo said.

Ms. García has embraced touches of modernity along with the old customs, including consultations now offered over FaceTime. Her clients have responded with their own offerings from popular culture, including a sign one brought in that now hangs on the front door: “Witch Parking Only.”

“No one listens,” Ms. García said with a smile. “The word may be becoming more modern, but we curanderas are still here. Just don’t park in my spot.”

Edgar Sandoval covers Texas for The Times, with a focus on the Latino community and the border with Mexico. He is based in San Antonio. More about Edgar Sandoval

#healing #folk healers #NYT #Body Alive #Edgar Sandoval

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byericacameron · 1 year ago

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Hi! I figure you have a ton of asks so I’ll try to keep this brief but I read Island of Exiles in fifth grade (a little young? maybe. but I had free rein of the library and inhaled books faster than my parents could keep track of), and it absolutely changed my life. Not only did I love it (and find out just how much I could ship a ship, that is, as much as a fifth grader can), but the existence of a third gender in your fictional society started the wheels turning in my own mind of just how much I wanted that, and honestly, I don’t think I would have figured out I was nonbinary if not for your book. It was a long and hard journey of identity and it would have been so much harder if my sheltered self hadn’t had anything or anyone to relate to at all. Not to mention how me and my twin incorporated your magic system and world into the stories we’d dream up for hours every night. A few years later, I went looking for the other books and ultimately gave up on reading the rest of the series because the third had been out of print at the time and I didn’t think I’d be able to handle another cliffhanger ending of the second if it was like the first, but this time, unresolved forever. But recently I started thinking about it again, did some googling, and saw they were re-released— and let’s just say that my day and maybe my year is made. I’m so unbelievably excited to fall in love with this universe and these characters all over again. From the bottom of both my heart and that of my eleven year old self, thank you for sharing your writing and, by extension, your soul with us all.

Okay, first off...

And possibly all of my 2023. Many readers assume that authors receive hundreds of emails and messages, but for a lot of authors who aren't New York Times bestsellers, that's not true. Messages like this are incredibly rare, and I deeply appreciate you taking the time to send this to me.

It means more than I can say that you identified so strongly with the way I described gender and society in The Ryogan Chronicles. A huge part of why I included a standard third gender and made bisexuality a more standard norm is that I wanted people to see how easily we could shape our society to be just as equal and inclusive. For readers who had never heard of intersex, trans, bi, or ace people, this was a chance to see them portrayed in a story where they could go on adventures and live in a world where they weren't judged for who they were but for what they did. I hoped this might help some readers understand those who were different from them. It's even better if the story somehow helped you figure something out about yourself.

Writing and reading have helped me figure things out about myself before, too, so I know a little bit of what you're feeling. For me, it was a lot later in my life that these realizations came because representation like I now include in my books didn't exist in any of the stories I read growing up. Maybe if stories had been more inclusive when I was in elementary and middle school, I would have walked a very different path in my teens and twenties.

Honestly, it's the rare messages like yours that kept me working toward re-publishing the Ryogan Chronicles series even after my original publisher pulled them from print. I knew it was unlikely that the series would suddenly explode in popularity or anything like that, but it was worth the work for the few people I knew would care about being able to finally reach the end of Khya's journey.

As a bonus, because I had complete control over everything that went into the new versions, I was able to include multiple maps and other special features to make the books even more special.

The whole series is finally available again on Amazon. I hope you enjoy the final book even half as much as you enjoyed the beginning of the series, and maybe one day you'll come up with your own wonderful world that can help the next generation figure something out about themselves. Keep reading and keep writing, even if it's just for yourself and your friends/family, and thank you again for letting me know you were out there. Readers like you are exactly why I wrote this series, and you're also why I made sure I eventually got these books back out into the world.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope you have a wonderful New Years full of new stories and wonderful new experiences!

#asks #ryogan chronicles #favorites

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reflections-in-a-critical-eye · 1 year ago

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It's not like I have this on my schedule, but somehow it seems like I end up making a list with thoughts in the middle of the week. They pile up and most of the time, a lot happens in one day.

Someone sent me an ask about Taemin and Key making colorist remarks towards Minho because of his tan. It's also been extensively talked on twitter currently. Yes, it did happen and Shawols are sharing their thoughts, making extensive use of Weverse. No cursing, death threats or cancelling anyone immediately. I think that's an admirable behavior from a fandom that expects certain standards from their own members, but also the kpop artists they like. The remark was indeed wrong to make. Just because something is rooted in a country's history, it doesn't mean it can't be criticized. Our behavior and mentality changes with the times and it is our duty to be informed as members of society and to take into consideration prejudices we have. We're also connected globally and we know what's around us. We also shouldn't sweep under the rug or consider it part of the culture as a way to excuse various -isms and -phobias. But so far, I've witnessed a respectful debate over this, which is very good. Cancelling someone immediately is a waste of time, especially without given the chance for them to learn from it. This could be a more sensitive topic for other people and they have all the right to share their thoughts. For me, Taemin and Key are still the artists that I like and if they do something regarding their remarks, then I'm hoping it turns out well.

I'm not interested in those popularity awards and all the voting efforts because it's not the way I wish personally to engage in a fandom, but I've briefly seen what is happening with the voting for Fact Music Awards. I'm not surprised at Army's behavior and the choice to deal with it the way they do. It all tracks with the usual modus operandi. Perhaps I'm naive once again, but isn't the most obvious solution to just let people simply vote for who they want? Do personal choice and thought have again little importance in that fandom? Or is this pettiness because JM and JK are usually more popular? Absolutely ridiculous issue, but once again it leads to obscene comments which is usually the worst outcome and the most common.

I don't have that much more to say about Jungkook's collabs and how army in general has been responding to that. I'm also done with having that fandom be the center of influence. I find it all irelevant. Everyone can see there's no unity and most of it it's a facade in terms of those who are actively engaging online. Whatever happens, they can twist and turn in order for their current opinions to make sense.

JK's career choices are very far from everything I'm interested in and so be it. I wasn't on tumblr back then, but I would have said the same thing about Jimin and his involvement with the Fast X soundtrack collab. A mess that I almost refuse to acknowledge. The only way I can understand it is he did it for the money and because it's a famous movie franchise. Which I get wanting the money, I really do (at least he released his album that is 100 percent Jimin). I'm not gonna praise everything my fave does just because I'm his fan. Just as it's the case with Jungkook now. It's his choice to release these songs which are deals that involve a lot of money and Western exposure and it's my choice to not like it and talk about it. That's it. I'm also not canceling him, lol. How could I?

For the first time, I find myself liking an idol only based on his looks and it's so refreshing to not know almost anything? I don't care about his music, his ships, any potential drama, nothing. It's just Jeonghan and is beautiful hair and thanks to Paris FW and the YSL show in early 2023, now I follow focus accounts with cute pictures 😊 Oh, he's a libra like Jimin and born in the same year 👀

I've started watching Cassandro, I'm only half way through it because I had to prepare dinner and then I read for a bit. But it reminds me once again how good of an actor Gael Garcia Bernal is and how his filmography is so freaking cool, from beginning until today. He's always taken "risks" and it paid off.

And speaking of reading, there's this article in The New Yorker (I'll link it below). It takes a bit more than an hour to finish, but it's worth it and I really recommend it. The subject focus is Evy who at the age of nine, spent a few months in the 1970s in a villa with other children where doctors/researchers did experiments. What the article is actually investigating, alongside Evy's journey as well, it's these institutions that were opened in Austria in the second half of the 20th century and which were basically places of torture. And as barbaric as it sounds for that period, the existing mentality of some researchers at that time was that in order for children to grow up as functional members of society, they had to learn how to behave. Forcefully. The focus was mostly of sexuality and how expressions of it must be eradicated through punishments and medication. Coming from a working class background, living in an orphanage, having too much energy, were all elements that had to be punished and converted. It ties with fascist ideology not only through ideas, but also with the people who used to run these experiments. There's a lot more in the article, some of it shocking and heartbreaking and it's hard to grasp how those kids had to live with that trauma.

#m thoughts #m middle of the week list

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notacoolgir1 · 1 year ago

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Romanticise Your Life!

Find the beauty in the little things...

(but only if you look good while doing it)

Social media has exploded in popularity over the last fifteen years, becoming more complex and intelligent every day. This social networking surge has affected the very core of how we function as a society and will probably continue to do so for years to come. Though we might think that technology evolves with us, the rise of social media has led me to believe that we are the ones who have adapted and will continue to do so. Diving deeper into this, the people who have had their perceptions of themselves and the world around them changed and distorted by social media the most are women.

Over the years, women have slowly become accustomed to the airbrushed perfection of runway models and actresses seeping into our minds while trying on an outfit or looking in the mirror. However, the clear distinction between reality and fantasy has become somewhat of a savior when desperately attempting not to slip into a pit of self-hatred as a woman. Though it still hurts deep down, we are at least aware that magazines, advertisements, and movies are touched up and perfected, and we cannot expect ourselves to replicate something that simply isn't real.

This is getting more complicated now. The lines of what is real and what is not are more blurred than ever, and the idea that to be a woman is to perform has never felt more real. Why? Where does this come from? As platforms like TikTok expand, there is a distinct rise in a particular type of content made to dress up and makeover the everyday into something glamorous and beautiful. One way of referring to this kind of content is "Romanticizing Your Life". While this idea of romanticizing your life is not harmful in itself, it has been totally warped and misconstrued when placed in the context of social media and content consumption in 2023.

I feel like there is a big difference between romanticizing your life in practice and showing other people how romanticized your life is. Practicing mindfulness to take notice of finer details, making time for yourself and enjoying self-care, and showing gratitude for the smaller things in life are all ways I believe you can romanticize your life in practice. It's about feeling content, fulfilled, and happy. This is personal to you; you know the ins and outs of your life and what makes it great better than anyone. The message gets lost once you introduce social media to the concept, and most of us don't even realize it.

Social media, especially TikTok, instills this need to perform and show off, leaving a lot of people feeling unfulfilled and unhappy with their own lives. This is a problem for anyone who uses social media, but it varies depending on the media you consume. Aesthetically pleasing, romanticizing your life content is a lot sneakier in bringing about this need to perform, and it affects women in a drastically different way. These montages of the beautiful things present in everyday life are always accompanied by a perfectly made-up woman. Shots of beautifully blown-out hair and perfect nails, coordinated outfits, and outstretched arms posing by the beach

You are no longer romanticizing your life; you are romanticizing yourself. Are the simple joys in life still simple joys if you must look good while experiencing them? These videos are often consumed for inspiration purposes, helping to show people how joyful their lives can be, but this is overshadowed by the idea that you need to look beautiful in order to experience beauty.

This feeds into issues surrounding the male gaze and self-objectification; women are already conditioned to view their bodies according to how others view them because of their exposure to objectification. Trends like this only heighten that. This idea that romanticizing your life comes with looking beautiful while doing so only increases the need to self-objectify and arguably does more harm than good.

Life is beautiful; tiny things we take for granted are beautiful, things we never normally see the beauty in. You deserve to experience the world's beauty regardless of how you happen to look; it does not devalue the experience or make your life any less romantic. Experiencing the simple joys in life, embracing the moment, and exuding gratitude is the most beautiful thing of all; how you look while doing it, frankly, does not matter.

Peace and love <3

#feminism #social media #male gaze #beauty standards #tiktok

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whamss · 2 years ago

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sorry to bring discourse thoughts here instead of on my private twitter account where nobody has to see it (especially because this is very much twitter-tier drama i feel like), but when it comes to discussions about the ratio of m/m work produced on ao3 vs f/f works i always found it absolutely crazy how people advocating for more f/f works always seem to stress that it isn’t that we need to be making LESS m/m and more that we just need to reflect on our willingness to write about male characters with depth and complexity over female characters, and how some underlying misogynistic thought may be at play for why we do that. yet people who consume/write mostly m/m who argue against that notion always just seem hell bent on justifying why we don’t need to be writing more f/f fiction in the first place and why they are completely justified in completely ignoring the existence of women in media in the first place. like lesbians saying that wlw deserve fanworks of similar quality and attention as mlm is like. an attack on their sacred right to write about men fucking each other in the ass or something.

i don’t think that we’re wrong in pointing out that, maybe not consciously, but on some level there’s a definite widespread reluctance in fandom to look at women in media and think about their characters beyond what’s delivered to us at a surface level. now it isn’t like everyone is like that, obviously, but when it comes to what people are willing to write, and what people are willing to read it definitely feels like male characters on average get way more? and you can see it so easily. over 5 million m/m works on ao3 and f/f doesn’t even break a million (last i checked), and i guarantee at least one third of that has f/f ships as background couples with little to no substance.

i’ve seen the argument around about how women in media are boring and that’s why men get more attention, and i feel like that’s an argument that could’ve worked in like 2013 anime communities when most of what got popular seemed to be shounen anime with primarily male casts but in the year of 2023 i just don’t think that’s true? like, at all. and not to mention that a character being ‘boring’ or lacking substance never seems to really keep male characters from gaining popularity. when people see a male character without much going on they seem to think “well how can i MAKE him interesting?” and so even the male characters with the least amount of substance can still get fanworks waxing poetic about their deep inner lives and struggles. but you never see that with female characters of similar quality, never. and the sad thing is that even as more media comes out that shows us female characters with rich narrative struggles and complexity we STILL don’t see that in 99% of fandom, save really for fandoms for media with female-dominated casts. so evidently it isn’t a ‘women are written bad’ problem. what is it then?

misogyny is such a no-no word in fandom and really i don’t know why. misogyny as a concept is something so deeply ingrained in society, i think that just about everyone regardless of gender or social status is guilty of some form of misogynistic thinking consciously or otherwise. and like i can totally get how it can feel like a personal attack when some random person online talks about the glaring lack of f/f works on ao3 and tosses out the word ‘misogyny’ as a possible root cause for why that gap exists. but also i feel like we as writers, artists, consumers, etc need to be willing to take a step back and recognize Why do people think this? why are we so unwilling to look at women in media with the same deeply analytical gaze as we do men? it isn’t to say that anyone who focuses more on m/m ships or writes mostly about men is a raging misogynist who hates women but i do think that there could be some unconscious misogyny at play, when looking at the bigger picture.

besides that i just think in general we as a society need to be more open and willing to listen when wlw in fandom bring up these issues. nobody is saying you can’t write about men but listening to wlw and having these discussions is important! it can be enlightening! and god i am just begging people to watch a piece of media and try to really pay attention to the women in it. not necessarily even for shipping but just like. look at the female mc and Think About Her the same way you think about men and try to reflect on her. what do you think is going on with her? what do you think she’s thinking as she does what she does, goes through what she goes through? what kind of conclusions can you come to about her deeper character from the way she acts on screen? and how do those compare to male characters who you think are written of a similar caliber? you can learn a lot from it, i think. and that willingness to extend critical thought to characters of all genders is extremely valuable.

#discourse #ao3 #rant #i guess #talk tag #why rant on twitter when you can rant for over 800 words on tumblr

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vlyteng · 2 years ago

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Fast fashion is out, Slow fashion is in!

The detrimental effects of the fast fashion business on the environment and society have come to public attention in recent years due to social media. Fast fashion is the activity of mass producing inexpensive, trend-driven apparel that encourages consumers to buy more in a short time span and soon discard it due to the garment going out of style or because of its poor condition after a few washes. As a result, there is now a culture of wasteful fashion consumption, which is terrible for the environment. One of the biggest fast fashion companies of our time, SHEIN, reported an eye-dropping revenue of USD 22.7 billion in just 2022 (KrAsia 2023). This can be due to the influence of microcelebrities and how quickly people jump on to new trends without thinking about where their products are coming from. As consumers are becoming more aware of the origins of their products, companies are also starting to implement more sustainable and eco-friendly fashion to their businesses. Some companies that are working towards a more sustainable fashion industry include Monki, H&M and Levi’s. I believe many people have already explained what slow and fast fashion is, so I will be sharing some ways to minimise waste and to make more sustainable fashion choices!

Recently, thrifting has also become a trend! Thrifting refers to the act and process of purchasing old products from secondhand shops (Okafor 2022). However, thrifting can be done online now such as through Carousell and Facebook Marketplace. According to ThredUp’s Annual Resale Report from the previous year, thrifting is developing into a global phenomenon and is anticipated to increase by 127% by 2026 (Quick 2023). Thrifting has become popular since users on social media have started regularly posting their thrifted gems online such as TikTok and Instagram.

To be able to thrift, we need people willing to sell, or even donate old clothes, which is also a sustainable way to participate in fashion. We may not notice this issue but there are a lot of people that do not have access to basic necessities such as clean clothes, running water and food, the things that most of us take for granted all the time. Donating clothes to the needy and those living in poverty is not only a meaningful and kind gesture to those that need your help but it’s also good for the environment! Your old clothes or pieces that you don’t wear anymore won’t end up in landfills but will be relayed to someone that needs it more than anything.

Don’t be afraid to play around with old clothes! After a certain period of time, we may find a piece of clothing boring or not suitable for our aesthetics or taste. To spice things up, we can experiment with tie dye, bleach, embroidery and more on old pieces. If you’re handy with sewing, you can even take apart old clothes and turn them into completely new creations such as tote bags, blankets, pillow covers and more! How cool would it be to have your very own blanket made out of a bunch of old clothes?

This is more on the obvious side but buying less clothes can directly help protect the planet and those suffering due to unfair labours. Oftentimes we get the feeling that we “don’t have anything to wear” or “don’t have enough clothes�� but this is far from the truth. On average, clothing is typically worn for seven times until they’re disposed of (Nizzoli 2022). In 2022, the population is buying 60% more clothes compared to 2022 (Nizzoli 2022). This results in an 18.6 million tonnes of textile waste and clothing to be thrown away globally each year (Nizzoli 2022). Whether we subconsciously think that we do not have enough clothes or are peer pressured into fitting in or catching up with trends, this can severely affect the environment as we are contributing to a large amount of waste for absolutely no reason. Before you purchase anything, think about where this product comes from and whether you really need it. If you don’t, put it back, the planet and your wallet will thank you!

Last but not least, wash your clothes correctly! I cannot stress this enough, a good pair of jeans can last you a good five years but only if you wash it properly and take care of it. Clothes come with wash instructions on the back or on the tag and it is recommended that we follow the given instructions. The best way to keep your clothes in tip-top condition is through hand washing but obviously it’s hard to do that in the 21st century due to how busy our schedules are. Some tips to take note of are to wash them less frequently (but not until the point where they stink), avoid drying clothes in the dryer as it strips the colour of your clothes faster and to avoid using hot water when cleaning.

While I understand that some people have no choice but to choose fast fashion options, it is so important that we are mindful when choosing the clothes we buy and not take it for granted. Quality over quantity is the most important tip, choose clothes and accessories that are timeless or compliment each other so they can be worn for many years to come no matter the occasion.

References

KrAsia 2023, Shein’s Growth Threatened by Multiple Challenges, KrAsia, viewed 10 June 2023, https://kr-asia.com/sheins-growth-threatened-by-multiple-challenges.

Nizzoli, G 2022, How Many Times Do We Wear Our Clothes? (Not Enough!), Project Cece, viewed 11 June 2023, https://www.projectcece.com/blog/506/how-many-times-do-we-wear-our-clothes/.

Okafor, J 2022, What Does It Mean To Go Thrifting?, TRVST, viewed 10 June 2023, https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/fashion/what-does-it-mean-to-go-thrifting/.

Quick, C 2023, Here’s Why Thrifted Style Is One Of The Biggest Fashion Trends Right Now, Her Agenda, viewed 10 June 2023, https://heragenda.com/p/thrifting-becoming-popular-among-millennials-and-how-to-shop-second-hand/.

#mda20009 #slow fashion #fast fashion #fashion #fashion tips #digitalcommunities #digital communities #week 7 #thrifting #thrift

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thrifty-swiftie · 2 months ago

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a deep dive into cancel culture and the negative effects it casts upon on individuals and american society

a research endeavor from may 2023. i had nothing planned to post this fall but figured due to the whole "beyoncé is killing people!" thing on the internet going on these past few weeks, i may as well bring this baby back. enjoy, be kind!

in recent years, the term “cancel culture” has risen in popularity on social media. the act of “canceling” somebody can be traced back as early as 1949, with rodgers and hammerstein using the term cancel in their musical “south pacific”. on the surface, cancel culture can seem like a beneficial tool to help inspire change. however, cancel culture breeds on mass negativity and toxicity, especially online in our newfound "digital age." although some people believe that cancel culture is beneficial because it promotes a modern way of thinking and punishes those who cling to antiquated and potentially negative ideas, cancel culture truly is toxic and the victims who cannot defend themselves against the masses are left to suffer the lasting mental health consequences.

a controversial part of cancel culture is the lack of a set of standards to be upheld. while many people online engage in cancel culture, the severity of the canceling differs drastically from person to person, especially when factors like gender, race, and fame are introduced. recent examples of cancellations that demonstrate the unfair standards come with the cases of whoopi goldberg, an actress and television personality, and joe rogan, a popular podcaster. in early 2022, goldberg was canceled for making an anti-semitic comment during an episode of the view, a talk show she currently co-hosts. In response to goldberg’s comment and the swift backlash from the jewish community, abc suspended goldberg from appearing on air for two weeks. around the same time, joe rogan was called out for making racist comments and bringing covid-19 skeptics onto his podcast. unlike goldberg, rogan was not punished by spotify, the streaming service that still holds his podcast. instead, spotify stated that they would be standing by rogan and did not remove him or his podcast from the platform. rogan took down the episodes under fire and continues to make new episodes under spotify. although both rogan and goldberg made insensitive comments towards a specific community of people, only goldberg suffered consequences for her actions. lara schwartz, a professor of civil discourse, says that “[w]e all have a line we don't want people to cross, but you can suddenly find you are the one on the other side of someone else's line,... [i]f we're interested in finding a definitive answer for any of these cultural cases, we are bound to be disappointed (della cava and ali).” the unfair standards and lack of rules within the world of cancel culture cause a lack of appropriate punishment towards people who have committed wrongdoings.

inconsistent standards between celebrities can also affect how they take accountability for their actions.one question brought up frequently when discussing inconvenient standards is when is it okay to cancel somebody? according to lara schwartz, “american society is "very punitive," and that consequences for all kinds of mistakes are high (olivier).” in this article, written by david olivier, the cases of chrissy teigen, chris brown, and harvey weinstein are used to demonstrate different levels of severity in regards to why the celebrities were canceled. teigen was called out for mean tweets she had made many years prior, brown was accused, but not convicted, of abusing different women in his life, and weinstein was blacklisted from the entertainment industry for being a convicted sex offender. each celebrity was canceled, but concern arises when you look at why they were canceled–one was a convicted criminal, and the other simply said something mean. rayven vinson, a policy analyst, stated that "[w]e have to understand that there's a difference between having different opinions on something like what movie should have won best picture at the academy awards and, say, what someone else's fundamental human rights should be…(olivier)." this begs the question: although celebrities like harvey weinstein have apologized for their actions, should they be forgiven in the same manner as someone like chrissy teigen, or should they be forced to take more accountability since they committed a more severe wrongdoing? inconsistant standards can lead to victims of cancel culture either taking accountability for situations where it is unneeded or not taking enough accountability for serious wrongdoing.

a huge part of cancel culture that is often overlooked is how sexism plays a role in the effectiveness of a cancellation. an example of this is sexism in the music industry, where men have long dominated the industry. In recent years, claims of sexism within the music industry have skyrocketed, leading to cancellations against those accused of promoting gender imbalance. in january 2022, damon albarn, the lead singer of english rock band blur, was canceled for making sexist comments about american pop singer taylor swift. albarn claimed that since swift co-writes many of her songs, it does not count as writing her own music and she should not be called a songwriter. the biggest issue with this claim was that albarn himself used co-writers on all but two of songs on his most recent album. The hypocrisy albarn displayed towards taylor swift during this conflict led many notable figures in the music industry, such as eight-time grammy winner jack antonoff and guitarist aaron dessner, both of whom have collaborated with swift on recent albums, to call out albarn for sexism. The consensus of many was that “...at worst, albarn simply can’t believe swift writes her own songs because she is a young woman – and young women who are both beautiful and successful couldn’t possibly be talented enough to do so… (richards).” swift is no stranger to gender imbalance, specifically within the music industry, having previously explored the topic in her 2019 single “the man”, in which she sings “i'm so sick of running as fast as i can / wondering if i'd get there quicker / if i was a man” (swift). the gender imbalance within cancel culture also causes women to face more severe punishment and backlash for their actions. in 2016, taylor swift experienced one of the most notable cases of cancel culture, when she was canceled for allegedly lying about her allowance of a crude lyric about her from her longtime rival, kanye west, in his song “famous,” referencing the stunt he pulled at the 2009 video music awards when he jumped on stage during swift's acceptance speech for the video of the year award and claimed beyoncé should have won instead. “west claimed swift had ok-ed the lyrics during a phone call. swift's people said she had actually cautioned him about releasing a song with such a ��strong misogynistic message’. the [music] video was even worse, depicting a swift lookalike in bed with likenesses of donald trump and george w. bush (and west himself) (hall).” even though years later the full call would be leaked, proving swift’s innocence, the internet came to west’s aid and a mass bullying campaign against swift was launched, reaching it’s height on the social media platform twitter (now x). swift was bullied relentlessly both online and in person and was unable to leave her home without facing harassment for nearly a year, as shown in her 2019 documentary entitled “miss americana.” swift suffered a massive career loss, with her next two albums not receiving any major award nominations. while albarn only faced verbal backlash for his sexist comments, swift suffered a much harsher punishment for an action she did not even commit. the role of sexism in cancel culture is not one that is often discussed, but perfectly exemplifies the flaws within the system.

the longest lasting effects of cancel culture are the mental health effects that victims may face after a cancellation, caused by a combination of the factors described in the previous paragraphs. returning back to taylor swift’s 2016 canceling, swift documented her struggles with her mental health in “miss americana.” she stated in the film “[w]hen you’re living for the approval of strangers…one bad thing can cause everything to crumble (swift).” the mental consequences of cancel culture don’t only affect celebrities, but also affect average people. psychoanalyst erica komisar recounted a patient of her’s daughter’s experience with cancel culture. the daughter, a college student, had told a racist joke to a friend of hers and although she was quickly forgiven by the friend, the joke was overheard by another student. komisar then recalls that “[t]he eavesdropping student posted about the joke on social media, and other students bullied my patient's daughter online so severely that she ended up in the emergency room with a panic attack (komisar).” the daughter was also removed from a student leadership position on campus and was threatened with expulsion. even without millions of people bullying the girl at once, the harassment was at such an extreme level that it drove her to have a mental health crisis. another example of the “common man” being affected by cancel culture is the case of artist mary prudie. prudie was falsely accused of plagiarism and stealing other artists’ work to use in her own. prudie stated that this affected her greatly, as she “had just finished cancer treatment, and there were 100 people in my dms every day telling me to kill myself (chalise and shrestha).” the problem of quickly assuming that people are guilty of wrongdoing without knowing the full context behind those accusations is paving the way for future mental health issues in victims, as seen with the cases of taylor swift, mary prudie, and the college student.

skeptics of the negative side of cancel culture claim that the technique is used for more good than harm, using examples like the passing of same-sex marriage. in 2008, lgbtq+ rights activist fred karger and his group californians against hate began to protest proposition 8, a state amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage within california. karger focused on people and corporations who were donating to anti-gay campaigns like proposition 8. karger initiated a series of boycotts against these donators, protesting to buy their products or visit their locations. the most notable of karger’s boycotts was the protest against the grand hyatt hotel chain and it’s builder doug manchester, in which manchester tried to bribe karger into dropping the boycott. karger refused and manchester was eventually forced to sell the hotel due to major economic loss from those protesting his old-fashioned views on lgbtq+ rights. the majority of karger’s boycotts were successful and “[b]y the time marriage came to four states’ ballots in november 2012, it was clear activists had succeeded in making it ‘socially unacceptable to give vast amounts of money to take away the rights of a minority,’ as [fred] karger put it. only five individuals, none of them well known nationally, contributed over $100,000 to any of the anti-gay-marriage campaigns in 2012 (issenberg).” while in this instance cancel culture was used to prompt californians to abandon antiquated ways of thinking, cancel culture is not often used with good intention. as explained previously, those who engage in cancel culture often have a lack of clear standards and typically don’t have the full context behind why they are canceling someone in the first place. although some good has come out of cancel culture, the overwhelmingly negative aftereffects it has on its victims proves that cancel culture is not a necessary evil, but instead a modern method of mental torture.

overall, cancel culture fosters a negative headspace for those chronically online, and with a lack of standards, gender bias, and long lasting mental health consequences, the only way social media can become a safe space for everyone is to cancel cancel culture altogether. this can be achieved by using the power of mass cancellation for good, like fred karger did for the lgbtq+ rights movement, instead of using it to bully others into submission. by creating a safe space online where people can learn from their mistakes in a way that won’t give them lasting mental health issues, the toxicity that currently comes with cancel culture may be eradicated in favor of a system that allows for old-fashioned ways of thinking to be eliminated while also forcing those who commit serious wrongdoing to be held accountable for their actions.

i wanted to keep this paper mainly in it's original form, with minimal edits to phrasing. however, the main reason i felt like posting this today is because of the wild shit i've been seeing this week on the internet regarding people defending kanye west's actions against taylor swift at the 2009 vmas, claiming he "saved her life" from beyoncé, who the internet is currently obsessed with claiming she kills her competitors.

first of all, this may be the wildest statement i've ever heard.

secondly, why do we think it's okay to defend a person who, very openly, has been just a terrible person? in just the past year, west has been accused of being racist (even having a lawsuit opened against him just this past april) and, more famously, antisemitism. when a person is so openly hateful to others, online and in person, where do we draw the line between what is and isn't acceptable?

it is not okay to give anyone a public platform where they can spew hatred. it's worse to continually give someone a platform that we already know will likely not be used for good.

thank you for reading! comments are always welcome, but let's remember to always be kind on the internet and do some fucking research before claiming crazy things about celebrities and giving them platforms.

works cited

chalise, aashima and shrestha, saisha. “point, counter-point: does cancel culture work?” kathmandu post , 04/17 2023. gale in context: opposing viewpoints , link-gale-xana.orc.scoolaid.net/apps/doc/A745881005/OVIC?u=nysl_li_bocesnas&sid=sru&xid=002ee8c1 . accessed 24 apr. 2023.

della cava, marco, and ali, rasha. "rogan, whoopi and awkwafina are still talking. is cancel culture.." usa today , 02/21 2022. proquest; sirs issues researcher , https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2639090214?accountid=37563 . accessed 26 april 2023.

hall, james. “taylor swift is the woman the music industry needs; when damon albarn said the us singer 'didn't write her own songs', it unleashed a furious backlash in her defence - and rightly so, says james hall.” daily telegraph , 01/26 2022. gale in context: opposing viewpoints , link-gale-xana.orc.scoolaid.net/apps/doc/A690476880/OVIC?u=nysl_li_bocesnas&sid=sru&xid=55395bcc . accessed 24 apr. 2023.

issenberg, sasha. "cancel culture works. we wouldn't have marriage equality without it." new york times (online) , 06/05 2021. proquest; sirs issues researcher , https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2549393498?accountid=37563 . accessed 26 april 2023.

komisar, erica. "cancel culture's mental-health toll." wall street journal , 10/14 2021. proquest; sirs issues researcher , https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2619298943?accountid=37563 . accessed 26 april 2023.

miss americana. directed by lana wilson, netflix, 2020. accessed 8 may 2023.

oliver, david. "it's time to cancel 'cancel culture.' call it 'accountability...'." usa today (online) , 06/25 2021. proquest; sirs issues researcher , https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2549393505?accountid=37563 . accessed 26 april 2023.

swift, taylor. “the man”, lover, republic records, 2019. spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/3RauEVgRgj1IuWdJ9fDs70?si=i6TWbFUmThu9ReNsXuHjf. accessed 3 may 2023.

richards, victoria. “sorry, damon albarn, but your comments about taylor swift sound a lot like sexism to me.” the independent (online), 01/27 2022. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/damon-albarn-taylor-swift-songwriting-row-b1999972.html accessed 4 may 2023.

#essay #taylor swift #cancel culture #cancelled #twitter #swifties

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perlelas · 2 years ago

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One thing (translation of "Une chose")

The world changes with time. Things evolve over time. It's a natural cycle.

And yet... some things insist on nothing changing, while demanding change.

In 1920, women had a life of submission. We are in 2023, things have changed without having really changed... because some narrow minds still see women as a weaker sex. A tempting sex, an object of desire. An object that society encourages to have a superficial body in order to please to the male gender...

How many of us have suffered from seeing our bodies idealized by society ?

And how many girls, young girls, young women and women have been, and still are, victims ?

Between bodies deemed not quite this, not quite that, "banal", "ugly", "undesirable" or "beautiful", girls are the first victims of these judgments, mockery and violence... And often... from victims, they become aggressors, rather than protectors and guardians of other sensitive girls.

How many young girls commit suicide ?

How many girls, or young girls or young women, or even women don't like to look in the mirror or see themselves in photos ?

Who acts for them ?

I'm one of these women victims...

From my pre-teen years to adulthood, I have been victim of moral and physical violence from my classmates, but also at home.

I was "the fat one", "the good-for-nothing who'll end up a nun" of the house, the "oddity that didn't think, or didn't like, or didn't want, to be like everyone else" at school. I was the one who made no effort to fit in, who didn't dress in the same fashion, who didn't listen to the same popular music.

I was the one to whom the label "scapegoat" had been applied. Then with time, only the label "oddity", then... "object to appropriate before discarding".

I admired these feminists who were fighting for women to stop being seen as mere sex objects, to be proud of their bodies, and to be free.

But with time... I came to realize one thing.

Too many women are still victims of men's violence in their hearts and souls. And most of these women have adopted these men's point of view, whom they hate or despise for many reasons.

These women began to despise, envy and hate free, natural, sensitive women.

From victims, they have become aggressors in the very image of their male aggressors, or even worse than them.

I'm sad and sorry for these women who despise, harass, slander or even aggress other women. That means, from my point of view, that they despise, harass, slander and aggress themselves. As if they hated being women.

I’m sad and sorry for these young girls, young women and women who commit suicide...

Victims of jealousy or other malice on the part of men and women.

Today I see two groups in the world of women and feminists :

The sensitive women's group, who love love, who want peace, understanding, compassion, mutual respect, balance and equity between women and men.

And the one where I see men in women's bodies who are no better than narrow-minded men.

So what do we do ?

Today, the sensitivity of women and men is in difficulty, because even if women are the first victims, men are the second victims of patriarchal dogma.

It's not easy for anyone today, women as men, to look in the mirror, to look at this reflection that is theirs, who faces them. To look at it, with all those violent words, received and accumulated over time in the heart and mind, accompanied by an ego that only confirms the hurtful remarks...

To look it in the depths of eyes, and say to that reflection : I Am Magnificent.

It's not easy for anyone to make peace with oneself. To stop thinking we're useless, that we're worthless, or that we're alone because we annoy everyone.

It's not easy for anyone. Myself who am still broken today, I spend every day repairing myself. This repair isn't as quick and easy as my broken fairy and unicorn figurines. This deep repair takes time and patience. But a long and difficult path to the best and healing is better than the contrary. No ?

We are not and never will be better or worse than others.

We were, we are, and will always remain ourselves deep inside us.

So let's find our “me”, and make peace with ourselves, even if the path is long and difficult.

#one thing #facing up to oneself #making peace with oneself #victims #deep repair #women and men #we never judge others without first judging ourselves

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tastydregs · 2 years ago

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Why AI might need to take a time out

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Earlier this week, I signed the “Pause Letter” issued by the Future of Life Institute calling on all AI labs to pause their training of large-scale AI systems for at least six months.

As soon as the letter was released, I was flooded by inquiries asking me why I believe the industry needs a “time-out,” and if a delay like this is even feasible. I’d like to provide my perspective here, as I see this a little differently than many.

First and foremost, I am not worried that these large-scale AI systems are about to become sentient, suddenly developing a will of their own and turning their ire on the human race. That said, these AI systems don’t need a will of their own to be dangerous; they just need to be wielded by unscrupulous humans who use them to influence, undermine, and manipulate the public.

This is a very real danger, and we’re not ready to handle it. If I’m being perfectly honest, I wish we had a few more years to prepare, but six months is better than nothing. After all, a major technological change is about to hit society. It will be just as significant as the PC revolution, the internet revolution, and the mobile phone revolution.

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But unlike these prior transitions, which happened over years and even decades, the AI revolution will roll over us like a thundering avalanche of change.

Unprecedented rate of change

That avalanche is already in motion. ChatGPT is currently the most popular Large Language Model (LLM) to enter the public sphere. Remarkably, it reached 100 million users in only two months. For context, it took Twitter five years to reach that milestone.

We are clearly experiencing a rate of change unlike anything the computing industry has ever encountered. As a consequence, regulators and policymakers are deeply unprepared for the changes and risks coming our way.

To make the challenge we face as clear as I can, I find it helpful to think of the dangers in two distinct categories:

The risks associated with generative AI systems that can produce human-level content and replace human-level workers.

%he risks associated with conversational AI that can enable human-level dialog and will soon hold conversations with users that are indistinguishable from authentic human encounters.

Let me address the dangers associated with each of these advancements.

Generative AI is revolutionary; but what are the risks?

Generative AI refers to the ability of LLMs to create original content in response to human requests. The content generated by AI now ranges from images, artwork and videos to essays, poetry, computer software, music and scientific articles.

In the past, generative content was impressive but not passable as human-level output. That all changed in the last twelve months, with AI systems suddenly becoming able to create artifacts that can easily fool us, making us believe they are either authentic human creations or genuine videos or photos captured in the real world. These capabilities are now being deployed at scale, creating a number of significant risks for society.

One obvious risk is the job market. That’s because the human-quality artifacts created by AI will reduce the need for workers who would have created that content. This impacts a wide range of professions, from artists and writers to programmers and financial analysts.

In fact, a new study from Open AI, OpenResearch and the University of Pennsylvania explored the impact of AI on the U.S. Labor Market by comparing GPT-4 capabilities to job requirements. They estimate that 20% of the U.S. workforce will have at least 50% of their tasks impacted by GPT-4, with higher-income jobs facing greater consequences.

They further estimate that “15% of all worker tasks” in the U.S. could be performed faster, cheaper, and with equal quality using today’s GPT-4 level technology.

From subtle mistakes to wild fabrications

The looming impact to jobs is deeply concerning, but it’s not the reason I signed the Pause Letter. The more urgent worry is that the content generated by AI can look and feel authentic and often comes across as authoritative, and yet it can easily have factual errors. No accuracy standards or governing bodies are in place to help ensure that these systems — which will become a major part of the global workforce — will not propagate errors from subtle mistakes to wild fabrications.

We need time to put protections in place and ramp up regulatory authorities to ensure these protections are used.

Another big risk is the potential for bad actors to deliberately create flawed content with factual errors as part of AI-generated influence campaigns that spread propaganda, disinformation and outright lies. Bad actors can already do this, but generative AI enables it to be done at scale, flooding the world with content that looks authoritative and yet is completely fabricated. This extends to deepfakes in which public figures can be made to do or say anything in realistic photos and videos.

With AI getting increasingly skilled, the public will soon have no way to distinguish real from synthetic. We need watermarking systems that identify AI-generated content as synthetic and enables the public to know when (and with which AI systems) the content was created. This means we need time to put protections in place and ramp up regulatory authorities to enforce their use.

The dangers of conversational influence

Let me jump next to conversational AI systems, a form of generative AI that can engage users in real-time dialog through text chat and voice chat. These systems have recently advanced to the point where AI can hold a coherent conversation with humans, keeping track of the conversational flow and context over time. These technologies worry me the most because they introduce a very new form of targeted influence that regulators are not prepared for — conversational influence.

As every salesperson knows, the best way to convince someone to buy something or believe something is to engage them in conversation so that you can make your points, observe their reactions and then adjust your tactics to address their resistance or concerns.

With the release of GPT-4, it’s now very clear that AI systems will be able to engage users in authentic real-time conversations as a form of targeted influence. I worry that third parties using APIs or plugins will impart promotional objectives into what seems like natural conversations, and that unsuspecting users will be manipulated into buying products they don’t want, signing up for services they don’t need or believing untrue information.

The AI manipulation problem

I refer to this as the AI manipulation problem — and it has suddenly become an urgent risk. That’s because the technology now exists to deploy conversational influence campaigns that target us individually based on our values, interests, history and background to optimize persuasive impact.

Unless regulated, these technologies will be used to drive predatory sales tactics, propaganda, misinformation and outright lies. If unchecked, AI-driven conversations could become the most powerful form of targeted persuasion we humans have ever created. We need time to put regulations in place, potentially banning or heavily restricting the use of AI-mediated conversational influence.

So yes, I signed the Pause Letter, pleading for extra time to protect society. Will the letter make a difference? It’s not clear whether the industry will agree to a six-month pause, but the letter is drawing global attention to the problem. And frankly, we need as many alarm bells ringing as possible to wake up regulators, policymakers and industry leaders to take action.

Maybe this is optimistic, but I would hope that most major players would appreciate a little breathing room to ensure that they get these technologies right. The fact is, we need to defuse the current arms race: It’s driving faster and faster releases of AI systems into the wild, pushing some companies to move more quickly than they should.

Louis Rosenberg is the founder of Immersion Corporation (IMMR: Nasdaq), Microscribe 3D, Outland Research, and Unanimous AI.

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sfarticles · 2 years ago

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Chili’s humble beginnings heat up with history Classic dish also features a myriad of variations

https://www.timesherald.com/2023/03/23/chilis-humble-beginnings-heat-up-with-history/

Beans or no beans . . . seems to be the question or debate when it comes to chili. The dish is popular on restaurant menus, and in competitions that occur throughout the year to determine the best chili recipes. And there are chili organizations including the International Chili Society https://www.chilicookoff.com/ whose mission is “to uphold the same core value of our founders by bringing together to enjoy healthy competition and America’s great culinary creation—CHILI. Our mission is to continuously improve chili while raising money for charities and non-profits year-round.”

Their mission is interesting, because we think of chili as a winter dish, however, as stated in their mission, chili competitions are popular events year ‘round. Notice, too, it is America’s creation. One thing that I learned in researching the dish is chili’s history is somewhat blurred.

A newer chili cookbook to join my collection is “Seriously Good Chili Cookbook: 177 of the Best Recipes in the World,” by Brian Baumgartner of the Emmy-winning show “The Office” where he played the accountant, Kevin Malone (2022, Fox Chapel Publishing, $24.99) His passion of making chili did not go unnoticed. He was invited to be a judge at the 2021 World Championship Chili Cook-Off sponsored by the International Chili Society.

Baumgartner mentions that the history of chili is “even a bit heated.” He said, “By many accounts, it is a red-blooded American dish; it did not originate in Mexico. In fact, Mexico denies any association with chili, and only a handful of spots serve it. Parts of Mexico that do serve chili only do so to please tourists.”

Was it in the 1880’s at San Antonio’s downtown, known for its famous Hispanic outdoor vendors called “chili queens” where the dish was first introduced? It is said that chili became popular outside of Texas at the San Antonio Chili stand during the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Then, in the early 1900s chili parlors sprung up beyond Texas.

Baumgartner’s book gives myriad stories about the origins of the humble dish. He writes, some historians said, “the earliest versions of chili were made by the poorest class of people to stretch what little meat they could afford.”

“A Southwestern Native American legend claims the first chili con carne recipe was written in the 17th century by a mysterious nun, Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain.” Another theory, “in 1731, a group of sixteen families emigrated to Texas to what is now San Antonio, from the Canary Islands. Historians say the women in those families would make a spicy Spanish stew that became known as ‘Soup of the Devil.’”

There is a cowboy story, too. A recipe from 1850 by Texan cowboys took dried beef, fat, pepper, salt and chile peppers and made “chili bricks” that were later rehydrated using very hot water. This became their go-to food during their long travels.

Baumgartner writes that “the Texas prison system made such good bowls of chili that inmates would rate each jail based on that provision alone!” Would you believe that once prisoners were released, they would request the chili recipe because it was what they missed most?

He writes about “Chili Goes Hollywood.” In 1936 Chasen’s Restaurant owner kept his recipe secretive. Famous people or their chauffeurs would come to the back door to buy the chili. The icons included Jack Benny, J. Edgar Hoover, Eleanor Roosevelt. He writes, “it is even said it was Clark Gable’s last meal and that Elizabeth Taylor had 10 quarts sent to her while she was filming Cleopatra in Rome, Italy.”

Several sources mentioned that President Lyndon B. Johnson, a chili lover said, “Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better.” Rumor has it that his wife, Lady Bird received many requests for her recipe, so she had her staff print cards with the Pedernales River Chili recipe. It was named after the location of President Johnson’s Texas ranch.

Baumgartner said, his goal in writing the book “is to share a collection of seriously good recipes—whether they are passed down from days of old or new and original takes.”

Whether it be Texas or Cincinnati chili, beans or no beans, meat or no meat, you’ll enjoy Baumgartner’s sense of humor, and his travels to find the best chili from people of different cultural backgrounds, and differing tastes. One thing, though, every chili recipe has one thing in common…chili pepper. He writes, “by making these recipes yourself, you’re taking part in a once-in-a-lifetime journey I went on myself to find them.”

It is clear that this humble dish is much more than its simple ingredients. The stories about its beginning are as varied as the ingredients used in making the perfect chili. It’s time to get out your biggest pot and make a batch of America’s iconic dish. Below are a few recipes from Baumgartner’s book.

For the award-winning recipe, by Sean Griffith at the 2018 International Chili Society World Champion Chili Cook-Off visit https://bit.ly/3ndZlPU

Maybe your creation will take first prize in a chili competition! Here are some upcoming competitions held throughout the country https://www.chilicookoff.com/cookoffs/list

Brian’s Seriously Good Chili Recipe by Brian Baumgartner

The headnote says, “This is it, folks. My own personal go-to chili recipe. Has it been passed down for generations? No. But it serves as my own best chili recipe that I cook all the time. Don’t be afraid to play! Like it spicier? Add red pepper flakes or Spicy Bush’s Chili Beans. Like it thicker? Feel free to cook this over the stove all day. (Just add water as needed for best consistency.) I felt it was important to add my personal favorite recipe to this book but know that it is always changing. I love exploring new flavors and employing new techniques every time I make it – so you should feel free to make any adjustments.”

Photo: Fox Chapel Publishing

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or cooking oil)

1 large yellow onion (or 1 cup shallots), chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

2 pounds lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef), undrained

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

One 24-ounce can diced tomatoes

One 16-ounce can tomato sauce

½ cup water (optional)

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

3 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

1 (16-ounce can) Bush’s® Pinto Beans in a Mild Chili Sauce, undrained

1 (16-ounce can) Bush’s® Kidney Beans in a Mild Chili Sauce, undrained

Garnish: shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large pot, sauté the chopped onion, green bell pepper, and garlic in oil over medium-high heat. I like to use grapeseed oil because it’s a little less oily.

2. Add in the ground turkey or beef. Before the meat has completely cooked, add the tomato paste. Finish browning the meat completely.

3. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the beans and the cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (or longer until the desired consistency is reached), stirring occasionally.

4. Then, 20 minutes before serving, add the beans. You can’t add the beans in right away or they get mushy.

5. Finish with sharp cheddar cheese. Any leftovers are easy to freeze.

Makes 6-8 servings

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Chili

by Amanda Dorich from Windber, PA

The headnote says, “This is no ordinary chicken chili! It is made in a slow cooker and is full of secret ingredients, but, most importantly, it is extremely cheesy. Everyone loves topping their chili with cheese, but putting the cheese into the actual chili is even more delicious and adds great texture and flavor.”

photo: Amanda Dorich

2 chicken breasts

2 (25-ounce cans) diced tomatoes and green chiles (I use Rotel)

2 (25-ounce) cans corn

32 ounces chicken broth

1 packet dry ranch seasoning

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Garnishes: extra cheese, Fritos® corn chips, hot sauce

1. Beginning with the chicken at the very bottom, add all the ingredients to the slow cooker except for the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and toppings.

2. Set the temperature to low and cook for 6–8 hours or high for 4 hours. Halfway through the cook time, add the cream cheese.

3. When you’re ready to eat, shred the chicken and add the cheddar cheese. Give the cheese a few minutes to melt, then serve with your desired toppings.

Makes 6 servings

Vegan Pumpkin Lentil Quinoa Chili

by Kaleigh McMordie from Abiline, TX

The headnote says, “This recipe uses canned pumpkin to lean into the fall feeling, while also thickening the chili without hours of simmering. I’m very much an omnivore and often feel let down by vegetarian chili recipes, so I set out to create a vegetarian chili that still has the stick-to-your-ribs feel of traditional beef chili. Using both quinoa and lentils lends the familiar texture of chili con carne while also adding plant protein that you may not always find in vegetarian versions.”

Photo: Kaleigh McMordie

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry (uncooked) quinoa

1 cup dry (uncooked) lentils

1 (15-ounce can) low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce can) low-sodium diced tomatoes

1 (4-ounce can) diced green chiles, mild or spicy

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

1 (15-ounce can) pure pumpkin purée

1 tablespoon chili powder

½ tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ tablespoon smoked paprika

Garnishes: cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapeño

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.

2. Add the pepper, onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the veggies are slightly softened.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

4. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer for 30–45 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes.

5. Serve the chili hot and garnish with any toppings you like, such as cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, or sliced jalapeño.

Makes 7+ servings

Stephen Fries is a newly retired professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, in New Haven, CT. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 14 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, CT. He is a board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Email: [email protected] For more, go to stephenfries.com.

#chili #brian baumgartner #seriously good chili cookbook

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bablake · 2 years ago

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Our community, our values

One of the positive advances of the last few years, has been an increasing pupil involvement in helping shape our community and ethos. One of the ways that this happens is through the INC Society. This was formed following the protests after the killing of George Floyd in the US. The group has developed and now help us make our community more inclusive and understanding in many ways. They are running a culture day in the summer term and more will follow about this soon.

On Wednesday, some of the Lower Sixth, delivered an assembly to younger pupils on Andrew Tate and other online influencers. An edited version of this is reproduced below because I felt it was worth sharing with parents. The message is often more powerful when it is delivered by other pupils; pupils who are clearly identifying the type of community we aspire to be and demonstrating how we should behave towards each other.

“Many of you will recognise the man who is projected behind us. For those of you who are unaware, this man is Andrew Tate. Andrew Tate is a former kickboxer, businessman and social media influencer who has gained much notoriety for his misogynistic views. Despite this and his recent arrest, on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group, he has remained extremely popular and his fans, including many young people, applaud him for promoting male empowerment.

If he didn’t have a brand, would you think his statements would be acceptable? Andrew Tate is worshiped and extremely influential due to his lavish lifestyle. Does being famous, rich, and successful make his comments somehow acceptable?

He’s a businessman. He purposely targets an audience of young people because he knows they’re impressionable - that is you, but it’s us too because we’re not that much older than you. He sells the notion that going to the gym and being ‘manly’ will help women be attracted to you. He phrases his words, mixing the truth with misogynistic statements, which makes people believe that everything he says is right.

It’s not a joke. After this assembly you might laugh and make jokes. The reality is very different. It is not a joke. As you get older you will know more people who experience horrible events like sexual harassment and rape because of this type of normalised misogyny, which is promoted as "jokes" and "banter" or even "self-improvement" as a form of revenge.

It’s not healthy. Idolising someone - anyone that you see on the internet is not healthy. It is not just Andrew Tate; you do not know any of the influencers in real life. You do not know if what they're telling you is being implemented into their own lives. Influencers often make brand deals or say certain things for the money. Social media is fake.

It’s difficult. We’re not preaching at you, because we do understand it can be difficult to know where the line is. That is why it needs to be taken seriously. Not everyone is going to want to be your mate or laugh at a joke that wasn’t meant to cause offence. Think about your words and actions and have the confidence to tell each other, including your own mates, when they do or say something inappropriate.”

Andrew Wright Headmaster

(Bulletin No 70 - 10th March 2023)

#community

#bablakefamily

#inspire

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solarscholarsofmagick · 5 years ago

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Saturn in Aquarius: 2020-2023

Beginning on March 21, Saturn entered the revolutionary sign of Aquarius for a brief month and a half preview and will retrograde back into Capricorn until the end of September. On December 17, it will re-enter Aquarius until March of 2023. Saturn is known as the planet of limitations, boundaries, responsibilities and hard lessons, and up until now has been making its way through the restrictive and authoritarian sign of Capricorn since the beginning of 2018. Though Saturn is the ruler of earthy Capricorn and identifies well with that controlling energy, it doesn’t always do its best work in this sign. Traditionally, Saturn also rules the airy free-flowing sign of Aquarius and tends to be very comfortable in this sign, despite how different they may seem. When Saturn enters this humanitarian sign, it evolves into a higher version of itself, capable of bringing much needed equality and change into the world. How do we know this? Well, let’s take a look at the last few Saturn transits through Aquarius – from 1991 to 1994, and before that, from 1962 to 1964.

Let’s begin with Saturn’s transit through futuristic Aquarius back in 1962. Right off the bat, as Saturn entered the sign, the first automated (unmanned) subway train in New York City began running. Aquarius rules technology and automation, so this stood out to me as a very modern Aquarian development already. Also in 1962, Spacewar! was developed and released as the first computer game, featuring two spaceships fighting it out. Each spaceship was controlled by a player, meaning it was not only the first computer game, but also the first multi-player game for computers. Fitting, as Aquarius rules groups as well as spaceships and technology.

In the early 1990s, there were also some major technological advancements, specifically related to the internet and computers. In 1991, at the beginning of Saturn’s transit through Aquarius, Apple released the PowerBook, the first modern laptop computer, which was a huge development in the computer world and has influenced our modern computers significantly in their portability and design. The WorldWide Web was technically invented in 1989, while Saturn was transiting Capricorn, and it was exclusively meant for information-sharing between scientists in institutions around the world at that time. However, in April of 1993, after Saturn had entered Aquarius, CERN made the “www” software public, accessible to anyone with a computer. This is significant because Aquarius represents freedom and equality, and though it was still mainly the upper class that could afford computers at the time, this movement away from intellectual elitism essentially opened the internet up for free public use like we have today. In 1992, ViolaWWW was released, and was the first web browser to become popularized by users. It was also the recommended browser by CERN until it was replaced by Mosaic in 1993, the first web browser to display images with text rather than in a new window.

In the upcoming transit of Saturn through Aquarius, we can expect to see even more advanced technology developments. Many people are expecting Artificial Intelligence to really take off in the coming years, as well as 5G technology and space travel on a grander scale. Smart devices and appliances are becoming more readily available and more advanced.

The future of technology was on the minds of many in the early 1960s, reflected in ABC’s first color animated TV series, The Jetsons, premiering in September of 1962. Not only does Aquarius rule color television and cartoons, but the futuristic utopian vision held by The Jetsons is also very Aquarian in nature. Television also welcomed the eccentric and beloved Addams family in 1964 with ABC’s premiere of The Addams Family. This television classic questioned social norms of the time, specifically the values of the traditional mid-century American family, which were quite conservative at the time. This series became a symbol of the counterculture in television, a typically Aquarian concept. Another incredibly popular futuristic TV show that technically started during Saturn’s transit through Aquarius, Star Trek began filming in November of 1964, during the last couple months of Saturn’s journey through this sign. Star Trek is also notable for this transit due to the fact that it was one of the first television shows to give women, especially black women, prominent and respected roles. The character Lt. Uhura, the ship’s communications officer, was played by Nichelle Nichols, a black actress. At that time, black women typically only appeared in television as servants and maids, so this was a revolutionary change not only in television but in the civil rights movement as well. In fact, when Nichelle Nichols considered quitting the show to pursue a career on Broadway, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. met with Nichelle, convincing her to stay on the show as a part of history.

Television in the early 1990s during Saturn’s next transit through Aquarius was just as influential on culture as the television of the early 1960s. One of the first TV shows that comes to mind when I think of the 90s in television is the classic sitcom Friends. Though this show technically didn’t air until Saturn had moved into Pisces in 1994, the concept of the show resonates very closely with Aquarian themes. For one, the name “Friends” is representative of Aquarius, the sign of friendship and camaraderie. David Crane and Marta Kauffman, the show’s creators, began developing Friends in late 1993 under the early title of Insomnia Cafe, as Saturn made its way through the last 10 degrees of Aquarius. Though it initially had mixed reviews, Friends grew to become one of the most popular and beloved television shows of its time. Another well-loved show of the early 90s, though aimed more towards a younger audience, Bill Nye the Science Guy first aired in 1993, and embraced the forward-thinking Aquarian scientist archetype. Science in general is ruled by Aquarius, sign of innovation and discovery, and this show was designed to teach children about the realities of science and observation. One TV show I thought I should mention here as well is The Real World, which first aired on MTV in 1992, and is credited as being the birth of the “reality TV” genre of television, though it was edited quite often in favor of certain situations and reactions that didn’t quite reflect reality. It received a lot of criticism as well for not ever casting an Asian man in nearly 30 years on television. Reality TV is also very much a Saturn in Aquarius concept, as Saturn rules realism, and Aquarius rules television in general.

Aquarius is also the ruler of cartoons, as I touched on earlier, so it’s only fitting that I discuss a few cartoons of the early 90s. The trend of “cartoons for adults” was beginning to take off around this time, after The Simpsons paved the way in 1989 with its adult humor and hidden messages about adult life. One of the more “mature” cartoons that comes to mind when thinking of Saturn’s transit through Aquarius in the early 1990s is The Ren & Stimpy Show. This show first aired in 1991, and was quite grotesque in its animation style, featuring detailed animated close-ups with which other shows later followed suit. It was especially adored among college students due to its bizarre animation style and dark yet quirky humor. Another “adult cartoon” that began while Saturn was making its way through Aquarius is Beavis and Butt-Head, which first aired in 1993. This cartoon had mixed reviews and stirred up a lot of controversy with its seemingly idiotic social criticism, but became a staple of early 90s adult television nonetheless. The social criticism in this show is representative of Saturn in Aquarius as well, as Saturn portrays a harsh, critical nature, and Aquarius is a sign of society and social groups. Rocko’s Modern Life was yet another cartoon series that was aimed for young adults rather than children, and achieved moderate success after its initial release in 1993. This show was known for highlighting adult situations through cartoon animation- combining the adult responsibilities and themes of Saturn with the off-beat cartoony Aquarian personality. One last cartoon I’d like to mention in this segment of adult cartoons is Animaniacs, which first aired in 1993, and quickly became a hit with both children under age 11 and adults over 25. The large following among adults even led to one of the earliest Internet fandom cultures, another Aquarian concept.

Television in the coming years will likely circle around again to some of these rebellious Aquarian ideas, and it’s likely that TV will become even more entwined with the Internet over the next few years, as online streaming is more common these days than watching cable TV.

Saturn’s movement through Aquarius was a big part of the civil rights movement of the early 60s as well. The sign of Aquarius is a sign of freedom, equal human rights, and disrupting the status quo, which essentially were a few of the main goals of the movement. In fact, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a 10th house Aquarius Mercury, which is why we remember him best for his “I have a dream” speech, which he delivered August 28, 1963 in Washington D.C. for the 200,000+ people who gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington. During the time he was writing and revising this speech, Saturn was transiting his Mercury in Aquarius as well. Later in 1963, on October 22, roughly 200,000 students stayed out of school in Chicago to protest segregation of African-American students in schools. This was a major peak of an ongoing battle to desegregate schools across America, again acting out the Aquarian values of equality and social justice.

In the early 1990s, this theme re-emerged through the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. A video went public in 1991 of five white Los Angeles police officers severely beating Mr. Rodney King after pulling him over for speeding. The riots began on April 29, 1992 after a trial jury acquitted four of the officers, enraging thousands of Southern Californians who took to the streets in anger. By the end of the riots, in early May, sixty-three people had been killed and thousands more were injured or had been arrested. The 1992 Rodney King riots went on to inspire the folk song “Like a King” from Ben Harper’s debut 1994 album Welcome to the Cruel World, which was released just after Saturn transited into Pisces; therefore, the songs were written and recorded while Saturn was in Aquarius.

In the coming transit of Saturn through Aquarius, we can expect to see another revolutionary movement, particularly watching the Black Lives Matter movement, because the hashtag was born while Saturn was in Scorpio, meaning Saturn in Aquarius will be coming up on a Saturn square for the birth chart of the movement.

Furthermore in music, there were a few major developments in the early 1960s while Saturn was in Aquarius that stood out to me. First, in the early to mid 60s, Joan Baez was beginning to make a name for herself in folk music during the American folk revival. Then in 1962, Peter, Paul & Mary released their debut album, which reached #1 on the US album charts. During the same year, Bob Dylan released his self-titled debut album of cover songs, and later went on to release his first original album The Times They Are a-Changin’ in 1964, towards the end of Saturn’s journey through Aquarius. These politically-charged folk artists all peaked with the folk revival during Saturn’s transit through Aquarius, which makes sense, as folk music is Aquarian in its nature, typically discussing issues of politics, inequality and other “radical” ideas of change. In fact, these artists also all performed “We Shall Overcome” at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington in 1963.

Another emerging group that stood out to me from this Aquarian transit was The Beatles. This incredibly successful rock group released their first couple of songs, “Please Please Me” and “Ask Me Why,” in January of 1963. By the next month, their single “Please Please Me” was topping the British rock charts. The Beatles released their debut studio album, Please Please Me, in March 1963, and by May had landed on the top of the UK album charts, staying there for 30 weeks, only to be replaced by their second studio album, With The Beatles. By October of 1963, the media began using the term “Beatlemania” to describe the frenzied behavior exhibited by Beatles fans across the globe. Many of their live performances were accompanied by the sounds of screaming fans and general hysteria. Fanatics, by the way, are also ruled by Aquarius. In February of 1964, The Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, drawing a record 73.7 million viewers. The crazed audience clearly depicts the “Beatlemania” phenomenon in full swing. But how do The Beatles relate to Saturn’s transit through Aquarius? First off, The Beatles were one of the first mainstream groups to market to the younger generation of teenagers rather than to their parents. This was a big shift in the music industry, as typically it was the older audience with all the spending power, whereas now, young teenage girls were a powerful force in the music market. Though their earlier songs avoided heavier social topics, it became obvious later in their career that The Beatles were a huge part of the birth of counterculture and anti-establishment ideas. In 1964, when the band was informed that a venue they were scheduled to perform at in Florida in the US was segregated, they refused to play unless the audience was integrated. Many more conservative countries refused to allow The Beatles to perform at all, in fear that their progressive counterculture ideas would “infect” their younger population. Even the United States attempted to ban all British acts in 1965, as they saw their emerging rock ‘n’ roll culture as “dangerous” to the youth of the nation. The Beatles were also highly progressive in their music style, and incorporated many new and unusual recording techniques into their albums. This ongoing theme of progressive thinking and “peace and love” apparent in the music of The Beatles is very in line with the nature of Aquarius.

Later, in the early 1990s, grunge bands were the new emerging music trend. A number of grunge rock bands all released major hit albums around the same time: right around Saturn’s transit through rebellious Aquarius. In 1991, Pearl Jam released their debut album Ten, followed by Nirvana releasing their second album Nevermind, and then Soundgarden with Badmotorfinger– all within a span of two months! All three albums were incredibly successful, and resonated strongly with the Aquarian counterculture and anti-establishment ideas brought out by the earlier generation in the early 1960s. Then in 1992, Alice in Chains released their second studio album, Dirt, which is considered by many to be their best work. Also released in 1992, Stone Temple Pilots debuted with their first studio album, Core, which received mixed reviews, though it went on to win a Grammy in 1994 for Best Hard Rock Performance. Nirvana received a lot of attention and success in the early 90s as well, and Kurt Cobain was dubbed “the voice of a generation” by many. Similar to The Beatles influence on counterculture, Kurt Cobain’s darker lyrical content touched many listeners’ hearts on a deeper level than the earlier hair metal had been able to.

In the next few years in music, we’re likely to see younger emerging artists, similar to Billie Eilish, who has an Aquarius Moon, taking over the scene with some revolutionary new ideas and social commentary in their lyrics.

Though Aquarius is a masculine sign, I’ve also noticed a pattern with emerging feminist movements during these transits due to the focus on equal human rights. The second wave of feminism began picking up speed around 1963, when two major works of feminist writing were published: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. Both works were largely critical of the typical role of a female as a domestic housekeeper/mother figure in 1960s society. These works encouraged women to pursue careers that they felt passionately about for the first time. Also in 1963, journalist Gloria Steinem became a prominent figure in feminist culture after going undercover as a Playboy Bunny and revealing the poor treatment and underpayment of the waitresses at the Playboy Club.

In the early 1990s, during Saturn’s next transit through Aquarius, the third wave of feminism began to emerge. While second-wave feminism dealt primarily with issues surrounding equal opportunities for [predominantly white] women in the workplace, this third wave of feminism dealt with issues regarding intersectional feminism, violence against women and reproductive/sexual freedom. A trend of reclaiming “derogatory” female terms (for example: bitch, slut, whore) began largely with the Riot grrrl movement in punk music, popularized by female-constructed bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile, as a way of expressing feminine identity on their own terms.

Feminine power is already on the rise again, with Uranus having moved into feminine Taurus a couple years ago and still having several more years to go on that transit. Women in power will do great things with that power, and more women will come to be in power over the next few years with Saturn in this sign. Whether it be individual political power, or power in numbers, women around the world will come together and rise to power from now until 2023. Another trend I expect to see play out while Saturn transits Aquarius these next few years as well is that of gender revolution. With the gender roles of the past melting away, a revolution is roaring around the corner, and gender queer/LGBTQ+ identifying people will likely score a few big victories in the upcoming Aquarian transit.

Another theme I noticed through Saturn’s transit of Aquarius in the early 1960s was a theme of national independence and freedom. In August of 1962, the colony of Jamaica became independent, freeing Jamaicans from the United Kingdom after 300 years of British rule. In October that same year, Uganda also became independent from the UK. Then, in 1963, Kenya declared independence from the UK as well. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic and Zanzibar both experienced major revolutions during this time frame in search of freedom. This trend continued in the early 90s, with many countries, including Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia, all declaring their independence from the USSR in 1991.

It’s likely that we will see many more uprisings and movements towards independence, including the United States’ Pluto return in 2022/2023, which is expected to be a revolutionary moment for the history of the country.

These are the kinds of themes we are likely to see re-emerging until March 2023, while Saturn roams through free-spirited Aquarius. Technological innovations are going to be increasingly involved with our lives, as the internet of things develops further. Television will trend towards witty humor and social criticism, as it did the previous few times Saturn was in Aquarius. Civil rights movements will be center-stage, writing more groundbreaking history into our textbooks, while the future leans towards figures who are genderqueer, females, diverse, and/or of color, rather than in favor of the cis-gender/heterosexual white male. Mainstream music will take on its own social commentary within the industry. Independence of the individual as well as the nation will be stressed in the coming years. Saturn feels confident in this sign, and we should too, moving forward into Saturn’s “Age of Aquarius” with hope for a better future.

#witchblr #witch #witchcraft #witches of tumblr #pagan #paganism #pagans of tumblr #wiccablr #wicca #wiccan #wiccans of tumblr #divination #astrology

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heliosphoenix · 4 years ago

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State of the Planet: 2020 Edition.

I know what you're thinking.

"How can you even think of doing one of these for this year? After everything that happened? You can't possibly be trying to do your little feel-good writeup!"

Well...you're right. I can't. That's right, State of the Planet is cancelled.

I don't really have to explain why, do I? I have no words to describe this year and I know you don't want to hear them anyway. I understand your anger, your frustration, your sadness, everything you're feeling, I get it.

This wasn't the year you imagined and almost certainly not the one you wanted. Thanks for being there the entire way, and I'll see you next year.

Okay, I'm just kidding. I couldn't do that to you folks, I just wanted to get some more mileage out of a dead meme.

I first started this missive several years ago when I noticed that people were developing a tendency to condense the previous lap around the ol Sun into a series of terrible, horrible, no good very bad events at the expense of anything good that may have happened. I don't know why this was done, maybe as a ways to ensure that the coming year would have to be better by default.

Well...we all saw how that worked out for this year, didn't we?

As you all know I prefer to do things differently. I prefer to go out on a high note and remember all the good things that happened in the past year. If nothing else, I think it helps remind us that as much as we want to bemoan and be pessimistic about the state of our culture, society, civilization and even species, there's plenty of evidence to suggest we're not doing so bad after all.

And even thought it feels like this past year the world went out of its way to teach us some rather harsh lessons, I'm still determined to find something good that happened. So let's take a look back at some of the good things that happened in 2020:

A circumbinary planet was discovered at the TOI 1338 system.

Luxembourg became the first country to make it's public transportation free.

The Bhadla Solar Park became the largest solar park in the world.

The BepiColumbo space probe departed for Venus, en route to an arrival at Mercury in 2025.

A fast radio burst was detected from a Magnetar in the Milky Way, the first time such an event has been detected in the Galaxy.

A team of British and Kenyan scientists discovered a microbe that can block mosquitos from transmitting malaria.

A black hole was discovered in the QV Telescopii system, at 1120 light years away it is the closest known black hole to Earth.

A 425 million year old fossil of a millipede was discovered in Scotland, one of the oldest fossils ever found.

SpaceX launched their Dragon 2 spacecraft on its first crewed missions, the first astronauts to launch from US soil since 2011.

The Perseverance rover was launched to Mars and is expected to touch down in February.

The Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE became the first operational nuclear power plant in the Arab states.

Wild polio was eradicated from the continent of Africa.

Skeletons of 31 prehistoric animals, including 200 mammoths, were found at a construction site in Mexico City, it was the largest finding of mammoth bones ever.

The 5.37 mile La Linea highway tunnel was opened in Colombia, it's the largest road tunnel in South America.

Kosovo, Serbia, Sudan and Bahrain all decided to normalize their relations with Israel.

Phosphine, a strong predictor of microbiological life, was discovered in the atmosphere of Venus.

Preserved remains of a cave bear were discovered in Siberia.

A 1634 edition of Shakespeare's final play, The Two Noble Kingsman, was discovered at the Royal Scots College's library in Spain.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected samples for return to Earth in 2023.

The Falkland Islands were declared free of land mines.

Molecular water was detected near Clavius crater on the Moon.

An AI algorithm called AlphaFold was able to figure out the process of Protein Folding.

The UN commission on Narcotic Drugs removed cannabis from its list of dangerous drugs.

The EU committed themselves to reducing greenhouse emissions by 55% over the next decade.

A Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn occurred, the closest one seen in the night sky since 1226.

Comet NEOWISE passed by the Earth and was the brightest comet in the night sky since Hale-Bopp in 1997.

Among Us became one of the most popular games in the world.

Half Life: Alyx was released, the first Half Life game in 13 years (FINALLY).

Joe Biden was elected as the 46th President of the United States.

Remember all that? Good. Because that's where I'm at.

You, dear reader, are in the future. Perhaps you're reading this in the final hours of 2020, or the first hours of 2021. Or maybe so much time has passed that both those years are now confined to the history books.

Perhaps everything I listed above is not enough to overcome all the bad things that happened this year, and that's a fair assessment. Maybe at the end of the day there's nothing that can overshadow the fact that someone in China who ate the wrong bat resulted in the entire world coming to a stop. If that's your feeling, then I understand completely.

But let the record show that those things did happen. In a year full of chaos and uncertainty and anxiety and dread, there were still moments where we could objectively punch our fists in the air and say "yes!" Even if only for a moment.

So now comes the part where I have to take all the things that we just went through and sum it up in a single word. Usually I don't think about this until the day of, but this time I've actually known for months what I was going to say:

The word is...Goodbye.

It sounds both strange and appropriate at the same time, doesn't it? As we close out this year, as well as this decade (reminder that 2021 is the real start of the next decade) we can look back and realize we've had many experiences. Both positive and negative. Hopefully they were mostly positive, even during this year.

But there is at least one experience we've all shared together, especially in times like these: saying goodbye.

I will confess to you all that I have a hard time saying goodbye. Hell, I don't even like the word. Whenever I end a conversation, I always use some variant of "see you later", since, to me at least, "goodbye" just sounds so final. Though with that said, I will also admit there's some people in this world that I had no problem saying goodbye to, and I don't mean "till we meet again", I mean "get lost." And I'd be lying if I said there weren't some people who felt the same about me, but I digress.

In the last episode of his show, Red Green delivered a monologue about saying goodbye. A monologue that I am now shamelessly ripping off for your reading pleasure. Not just because it's a way to get this done quickly, but because I think what he said is very true.

Red says that when it comes to your good friends and your family, you never really have to say goodbye. Why? Because they're always in your mind. And whenever you think about them, you're together again. I can tell you from experience that works rather well, even when it involves people that I don't want to think about. But even in that instance, where our last interaction was a negative one, I can't help but think back to all the good times we had together, and for a moment I reminisce. It's nice when it happens.

We've all heard the phrase "nothing lasts forever" and we tend to dismiss it as a cliché. But we're still constantly confronted with that reality, even if we never realize it. As Al Pacino said in Any Given Sunday; "When you get old in life, things get taken from you. That's a part of life."

We've all lost things in our lives, and I just don't mean toys that have been sold or people that we love who are no longer on this mortal coil. I'm referring to the moments in our lives where we're forced to accept that our circumstances have permanently changed, and that the way things were can no longer be the way things are. This is why you shouldn't be having kids when you're in your 70's, and no one over the age of 50 should be naked in public.

On a more personal note, this year I got that feeling once again. It's not just because I'm most likely leaving one job behind for another job, but there were things in my personal life that shifted so dramatically that I knew things could never be the same again. And seeing as how, for the most part, I liked how things were, I'd be lying if I said that this change didn't cause me some distress.

But that's all a part of growing up, isn't it? As much as I may cringe about reaching 30 years of life on this Earth, I accept it all the same. Because, if nothing else, it's a reminder that I need to keep moving forward. Is it sad that the good ol days are now just memories and dreams? You're damn right it is. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing, because even if they're not what's happening now, they still did happen. And who knows? Perhaps the days to come will be just as good, if not better. In my opinion, that's something to look forward to.

And the same is true for all of us: if we want to live a happy fulfilling life, we have to keep moving forward. We can reminisce about all the fun we've had in days gone by, but it's just as important to be ready for the days yet to come.

I think that's why New Year's is such a poignant holiday for all of us. It's a tacit acknowledgement that we have to say goodbye to the old, so we can say hello to the new.

And at the risk of making this entry so long that by the time you're finished it will be 2022, I'd like to do that now.

To all the people that have been with me since my early days, thanks so much for all that you've done. I appreciate you sticking it out with me this far and I hope you'll continue to do so for many years to come.

To all the people that I've met recently and have decided to join me on this ride, welcome aboard. We're glad you could make it and we hope you'll stay a while as well.

And finally, to all the people that are no longer here, whether they've merely left my social circle or left this mortal coil altogether, all I can say is that we've had a great run. Whatever our reasons for parting are irrelevant now and I wish you nothing but good fortune in whatever it is you decide to do. Perhaps, God willing, our paths will cross again some day. But even if they don't, I hope that every so often we'll think about each other and smile a bit.

And now I'd like to close with something different. Usually I ask you to comment below with something good that happened to you this year. You're more than welcome to do that. But if you're looking for a change of pace, may I suggest that you close out your 2020 (or open your 2021) by listening to this song from the great Ashleigh Ball and Michelle Creber (yes I know many of you are hoping to leave the Miniature Equines in the past, but I'm hoping you'll permit them one last indulgence).

https://youtu.be/XjkPH6sZM_o

This is the song that inspired me to write this missive (along with the aforementioned Red Green) and as you're listening, I want you to think about all of those you said goodbye to this past decade. Think about all the fond memories you had together and give yourself a smile as the clock strikes midnight. Even if they're not with us today, we still have all the memories of them that no one can take from us, no matter what happens to the world.

And now the time has come for me to end this missive. Let the record show that this was my final word on 2020 as well as my expressed hope for charity, kindness and goodwill to flourish throughout the world in the years to come.

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends

.And 2021 shall restore amends.

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