Podcast I'm listening to (Struggle Care) just made the point "people truly can't imagine a world where empathy and accountability happen in the same place" and this is all in relation to the idea of co-dependency but i think it's a really good point in general

They are cropped to highlight the “important” details, which are the atrocities that are taking place in Auschwitz-Birkenau, apparently because this was seen as the most useful documentary element: showing the victims themselves. The decision to crop the photos was apparently made in 1944 by the original Polish photographer who was working with “Tell”, the underground operative to whom the photos were sent; the original, uncropped versions did not surface until 1985. Even today, the photographs are usually displayed in their cropped forms and not in their original forms. They also restructure the image so that the figures appear more “natural”, standing straight up.

Two of the original photographs (those of the Sonderkommando cremating corpses), however, are surrounded by a black frame and the photograph of the naked women, shows mostly the trees and the surroundings; only when you take a close look at the photo can you see the naked women in the lower left-hand corner.

Three of the original, uncropped versions can be seen here (the photo of the trees described above is not contained in this gallery). (NB: for the obvious CONTENT WARNING that the photos are extremely disturbing.)

By cropping out the original blackness at the edges of the images the photos are dislocated from their original perspective and delete information about the photographer. The uncropped version shows us the position of the photographers as well as the conditions under which they took the pictures. It shows us the fact that they had to hide in the crematorium building and had to hastily shoot the images through a doorway or a window, which contributed to their blurriness and distorted angles. Reframing and changing the picture cuts out all of these details and makes us believe that the photographer was able to walk around in the open air and freely take photographs of what was happening outside.

The black frame that doesn’t show very much is as valuable as the other parts of the picture. Pictures don’t exist by themselves, but in the context of the act that made them possible. The black frame represents the room, the dark chamber in which the person had to step back to take the picture. It represents the situation of the shot itself, the place that made its existence possible. The removal of the dark zone in order to get “clear” information makes believe that the picture was taken calmly, and thus mocks the danger and the resistance. By cutting out the frame, the phenomenology is blocked out and with it everything that makes this photograph an event (the process, the work, the danger and the placement).

Using the images as they were made, in a series, offers the possibility of montage of history in order to gain a better understanding of the events. These pictures, and photographs in general, need to be understood as fragmented moments of an event, not as an image of the whole Holocaust. They are impressions of the reality as well as their own interpretation.

I. Am. So. Confused.

People are saying you can't be controlled or "revised" by someone else but how does that work when you're manifesting an sp? they're real people...so when you "revise" them how would that feel from their perspective? bc for them they also can't be controlled "revised"??????Sammy Ingram says that when you're manifesting your sp to call you, for example, in their perspective they think they thought the thought of calling you themselves... So it's not like your controlling them but your like changing their situation from your mind????.....

I hope you understand what I'm trying to ask, I'm not very good at explaining things

Okay so from my perspective you're manifesting a version of them who would choose you. There's a million possibilities. Anything you could ever conceptualize ready exists. Every version of yourself that is possible already exists. You are simply operating and experiencing one reality at a time. I believe that consciousness itself is one thing that exists in all of us but is in relation to itself. So for example, my best friend has the same consciousness as me but her personality, mindset, lifestyle and reality is being experienced differenty from her perspective, from the reality she's experiencing. Well let's say that I hear my best friend talking about this car she really wants, but she isn't into manifesting right so I want to manifest that she gets this car. So I bring both our consciousness into a reality where she no owns this car. The universe and reality would shift accordingly to allow her to have this, the world around us, energy is malleable, the money, the opportunities, and her own belief has to change in order for her to be able to experience owning this car. It's simply the law of the universe that if you persist and believe then something WILL occur period. She may want it but if she can't believe that she can have it then she will not get it of her own accord. All I'm doing is shifting the energy to align with my desire of my best friend being happy.

Now I would imagine that if you want to manifest a lover, you want to manifest them being happy with you and wanting to make you happy. You are simply aligning the energies to allow this to occur in your experience. Yes there's a million possibilities. Manifest in the specific possibility YOU WANT is no different then allowing your fears and doubts to manifest instead. Your fears and doubts are going to manifest of you allow them to, your assumptions no matter what are going to manipulate the energy around you. So of your assumption is that you will be alone forever and no one will ever love you then you're going to manifest a reality where no one tries to approach you or where relationships never work out. Even if maybe someone really wants to be with you, the energy won't be aligned. So why not allow the energy to align by manifesting the person you really want to be with. Why not change your assumptions and tell yourself that they want you and you can both be very happy together. Because that is already a possibility which exists. You are not controlling a person as a puppet. You are shifting into a reality where their energy and desires are aligned with yours

After a long while of cooking…the most probably sexy version of Fell is now a reality thanks to @nova2cosmos

Also originally due to Fells hair kinda giving off vibes of Vergil from the DMC (Devil May Cry) series I was gonna a sing a small part of Bury the light,but then I realized just one thing…that’s really just a waste from my perspective

In the weird chance Tumblr’s algorithm picks this up in the future,if someone wants to make art of my stupid ol take of Underfell sans just tag myself and Nova since she’s the lass of the operation even if you’re doing art of the not human form

Also take peak music

Given that many of Europe’s populist parties have Russia-friendly inclinations, it is perhaps not surprising that they often like to parrot Kremlin talking points. These days, that includes calling for an end to Western sanctions against Moscow, as many European parties ranging from the far right to the far left have demanded.

The usual narrative behind the demand to lift sanctions against Moscow is basic: France’s National Rally, Germany’s Alternative for Germany, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban all argue that sanctions have backfired, harming European economies while not hurting Moscow. With populist parties across the European Union gearing up for elections to the European Parliament in June, such narratives will only gain in prominence. That makes it high time to debunk these erroneous claims.

The most popular talking point for Russia-friendly politicians is that sanctions are ruining European companies and consumers. The most widespread of these claims—that sanctions have caused high energy prices (and inflation) in Europe—is the easiest to disprove: It was Russia’s attack on Ukraine and gas blackmail against Europe that set off the spike in global hydrocarbon prices in early 2022. Western countries only began to impose sanctions on Russia’s energy exports in November of that year, when oil and gas prices were already in retreat.

Another claim is that sanctions are penalizing the EU’s export-oriented firms, which have lost access to the Russian market. The reality, however, is probably more benign: Russia has never been a major market for EU firms, with Russian businesses buying just 4 percent of EU exports in 2021. Considering that about half of EU exports to Russia fall under sanctions, this means that only 2 percent of EU exports are affected—hardly a make-or-break figure.

Country-level data from Centre d’Etudes Prospectives et d’Informations Internationales, a French research center, confirms this assessment. It shows that the impact that sanctions against Russia have on the French economy is almost negligible, with only 0.8 percent of French exports, or about 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion), affected. For perspective, this represents 0.1 percent or so of French GDP. The study only covers France, but these findings would probably not be drastically different in other EU economies. Alongside German companies, French firms were among those in Europe that had the deepest ties to Russia. This suggests that firms in many other European countries are even less affected.

Another version of the Kremlin-friendly claim that sanctions are crushing European economies rests on the idea that EU firms were forced to abandon their investments in Russia because of sanctions. The Financial Times, for instance, calculated that between the start of the full-blown invasion of Ukraine and August 2023, European businesses recorded losses of around 100 billion euros ($109.4 billion) from their Russia operations.

This figure may be accurate, but the idea that it has much to do with sanctions does not hold up to scrutiny. At this stage, sanctions do not prevent European firms from doing business in Russia except in some specific sectors, such as defense. Instead, European companies’ losses in Russia have two other causes. The first is that many companies have chosen to pull out—for fear of reputational risks or because they do not want to pay Russian taxes and thus contribute to Moscow’s war.

The second cause of losses is a spike in asset seizures, with the Kremlin forcing many European firms to sell their assets under value—in some cases for just one ruble. In other words, even in a hypothetical world without sanctions, European firms that once bet on the Russian market would now face large-scale losses. Of course, the Kremlin argues that expropriations are just a means of retaliation against sanctions. This line is only one more item in the long list of Moscow’s bogus claims that it only seeks to defend itself against Western aggression.

Another talking point that European populist politicians like to peddle is that European sanctions on Russian energy are not just costly—a false claim, as we have seen—but useless. There are several versions of this myth, but the most popular one is that the EU oil embargo and the oil price cap agreed upon by G-7 and EU member nations do not affect Russian oil producers because they were able to reroute oil shipments to India.

Indeed, Indian refiners now absorb the bulk of crude oil exports from Russia’s Baltic ports, which previously served Europe. Yet this view eclipses the fact that for Moscow, selling oil to Indian refiners is far less lucrative than selling it to Europe. Sea routes to India are far longer (and therefore costlier) than those to Europe. In addition, Indian buyers are able to drive a bargain: They believe they are doing the Kremlin a favor by compensating for the loss of the European market—and are therefore entitled to steep discounts on Russian oil.

A study from the Kyiv School of Economics shows that the damage to Russia is far from negligible. Over the past two years, the Kremlin lost an estimated $113 billion in oil export earnings, mostly due to the EU embargo on Russian oil. Last year, when both the EU embargo and the G-7/EU oil price cap became fully effective, Russia’s overall trade surplus shrank by 63 percent to $118 billion, constraining the Kremlin’s financial resources to wage the war in Ukraine.

This year may not be any better for Russian oil exporters: Last month, the Kremlin announced that oil firms would need to give up part of their profits to compensate the state for lower export earnings. For the likes of Russian oil company Rosneft, this is the first time that Moscow is asking domestic energy firms for direct help in financing the war effort.

As sanctions enforcement steps up, the idea that sanctions are useless will hold even less water. Since October, the United States imposed sanctions on 27 tankers that had been transporting Russian oil in circumvention of the G-7/EU oil price cap, a measure that makes it illegal for any firm based in either bloc to do business with these tankers. This highlights a drastic change in Western sanctions interpretation. Until recently, the price cap only applied when a G-7 or EU-based shipping or insurance company was involved in transporting Russian oil. Washington now interprets the link to Western companies far more broadly.

For example, Liberia-flagged tankers, which make up a significant share of Russia’s ghost fleet, are now liable to the oil price cap because Liberia outsources its flagging operations to a U.S.-based company. In parallel, Western countries have stepped up pressure on Indian refiners in a bid to prompt them to ditch Russian supplies. To the Kremlin’s dismay, these efforts appear to be effective: Since the start of this year, Indian imports of Russian crude have gradually dropped by about one-third from their May 2023 peak.

The populists’ argument that sanctions harm Europe more than they hurt Russia does not hold up to scrutiny. The reality is that the impact of these measures on European companies is small, whereas Russia is facing increasing headwinds as it tries to reroute its crude away from Europe.

The claim that sanctions are costly and ineffective is easy to debunk, but this narrative does not appear likely to go away any time soon. As Russia-friendly politicians step up their campaigning for the European Parliament and other elections, one can only expect these talking points to become ever more prevalent in the coming weeks. That may be yet another sign that these myths are wrong: If sanctions were not having a serious effect on Russia, the Kremlin and its allies in the West would probably not spend as much energy trying to undermine them.

Welcome to Earth-Zero

Greetings, Tumblr travelers! My name is Ariel Strusiat, and I love comic books. And above all else, I love the worlds and characters that dozens of different writers and artists have created through them over the years. As a result, I have come to wish to pay homage to them. So, and very inspired by my buddy TheMysticSpyral from @earth-93, I have decided to reinterpret the DC Universe under my personal vision. Even though I originally intended to tackle the Marvel Universe for personal reasons and still intend to do so someday, I feel the urge to do it with DC as well, purely out of fun. So what is Earth-Zero? Earth-Zero is a streamlined DC Universe, a reality that mixes and matches elements from the various iterations of the primary DC world, namely New Earth and Prime Earth. Also included are characters and concepts from other DC media, such as the DC Animated Universe, Young Justice, the DC Extended Universe, the Arkhamverse, and more. You will also find unique ideas of my own. DC imprints such as Milestone Media, Wildstorm Productions, and Vertigo Comics will also be equally represented. Earth-Zero: In the Now The year is 2000, and the Justice League has been founded following the defeat of the interstellar gladiator Despero. Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as the Batman of Gotham City, has stepped into the role of Chief Strategist for the team. Using an exclusive version of Wayne Industries' Brother-OS operating system, linked to the Brother Eye satellites orbiting the Earth along with the newly established Watchtower, Bruce seeks to gather information on his fellow League members, potential recruits and other individuals of interest to learn more about their histories, personalities and capabilities so that any choice on the battlefield will be a winning one for the Justice League. Does this mean that we will only follow Bruce's perspective throughout Earth-Zero? Of course not. Eventually, I plan to have information told from the perspective of Checkmate's Maxwell Lord and A.R.G.U.S.’ Steve Trevor. Among others, as we go deeper into this world. A Brief Timeline of Early Earth-Zero

May 14, 1998 — Clark Kent makes his public debut as Superman by saving Lex Luthor's private jet from crashing into the Daily Planet building. December 4, 1998 — After breaking up with Andrea Beaumont following his return to Gotham City in early July, Bruce Wayne steps into the shadows as Batman to fight the city's Falcone crime family. April 23, 1999 — Barry Allen is struck by lightning after a chemical accident and acquires super speed. Inspired by his retired hero and legal guardian Jay Garrick, he takes up the mantle of The Flash. August 20, 1999 — U.S. Air Force pilot Hal Jordan is selected by dying Green Lantern Abin Sur's Green Power Ring to become Earth's new Green Lantern, succeeding Alan Scott. March 14, 2000 — Arthur Curry accepts his Atlantean heritage, adopting the name Orin, and becomes Aquaman. July 30, 2000 — Diana of Themyscira, known publicly as Diana Prince, arrives in "Man's World" with Steve Trevor to appear before the United Nations in New York. Diana becomes an ambassador of peace as Wonder Woman. December 29, 2000 — Despero attacks Mars seeking to fight J'onn J'onzz, the Manhunter. Unable to face him alone, J'onn goes to Earth to gather a force that can defeat Despero. The Justice League is formed in the aftermath of the battle.

I hope to get character profiles and concept information out in the next few days, this due to the fact that I'm busy with college. In particular, I'm excited to write about Green Lantern out of all of them. But let's start with Superman, since he's the one who started it all. See you soon!

Today is like to attempt to discuss the rather nebulous tag of #clown husbandry in the hopes that more people will take an interest in this hobby. After an interview with the pillar of this humble community, @clownology4dummies I feel qualified to discuss both clownology from the context of the hobbies as well as present the topic to baffled newcomers.

This blog is intended as both an introduction for outsiders peering into our curious circus tent as well as a guide for first timers and advanced clown collectors and breeders. Please enjoy and if you have any corrections for me please don't hesitate to comment!

What is Clown Husbandry?

To begin with, let's look at the tag from a removed perspective. Clown Husbandry is a tag that involves collectors of clown characters. Anyone who know even just a little about historical clown should know that the art depends heavily on crafting a unique and colorful character. Character here is the keyword as art of clowns are rich with strong personalities and carefully thought out design.

People you will find operating within this tag either collect clown dolls and figures or they are artistic individuals that create clown "ocs" (original characters). Often times they are both as clown figures and ocs are both a joy to write about, draw, and to photograph.

Lastly, clowns in the context of this tag usually don't refer to traditional clowns; they aren't people who dress up as clowns. Rather the dolls and drawings are usually a unique species of creature that can be thought of as an elemental of clowning. This is an important note as many posts discuss care details and talk about clowns similar to breeds of animals. While they are intelligent and look like real clowns that are people, these clowns are delicate creatures that require dedicated care.

Think of the figurine branch of clown husbandry as a less dull version of the 1980s "pet rock" trend. Rather than try to imagine a rock needs care, enthusiasts give life to already colorful and imaginative dolls and collectable.

How to Enjoy Clown Husbandry

The best way to get started with this tag is to explore posts already on tumblr. In short order the style of posting becomes obvious; users show off their drawings or photos of their figures and talk about the characters similar to an exotic pet. Clowns in this context are alike specialty dog breeds as they require differing amounts of exercise, entertainment, special diet and so on. There is even advice on which "breeds" are best for beginners.

As a lifelong artist and someone who's been writing about a Clown oc for the past three years I deeply enjoy the art in this tag. It's amazing and heartwarming to see others create and enjoy clown ocs. Even more though, as someone who grew up in a house full of antiques I'm delighted to see people become interested in collecting these often overlooked tiny art pieces.

Clown collectables are found in just about every corner of the world. Due to the popularization of coulrophobia and the availability of clown art, more and more these pieces are abandoned or trashed. It's a tragedy as clowns play an important role in the human subconscious and moreover these antiques are beautiful and often are handmade. It fills my heart with joy to see so many figures and dolls find their forever home with collector enthusiasts and it's a trend I hope grows steadily.

How to Get Started with Clown Husbandry

Beyond exiting the delightful and silly posts that are already put there, consider joining the hobby yourself.

Making a Clown OC

If you are thinking about making a Clown oc, consider starting within the context of a game such as Dungeons & Dragons or another ttrpg. This will give you an immediate way to interact with your character beyond just doodling them.

If you're looking for tips on creating a character, it's always to start in reality. Clowning has a rich tradition of character creating which involves design elements, skills, and behaviors. Clown Ethics is a great start, although the rules laid out form a basic guideline more than strict laws. Beyond this, consider watching the Ringling Bros "How to be a Clown".

Starting a Clown Collection

As noted, clown art is just about everywhere. However in more modern times audiences have drifted away from appreciating classic comedy. As a result, many pieces are vintage if not genuine antiques. Some even hold significant value as they are crafted by famous artisans. As a result, it's quite easy and fun to start a clown collection.

Treat yourself to regular adventures at junk stores and antique malls. You're sure to spot a colorful little friend hiding in amongst the clutter. Look for styles and designs that appeal to you and start adopting these tiny treasures. Soon you will have a unique and joyful troupe of your own.

The best figures to collect are ones that are less likely to be destroyed by interactions. Dolls with only a few porcelain pieces are ideal for moving around and photographing. The smaller the better if you want to try a travel or lifestyle photo series. You'll be able to pop your own into a carry bag and take them with you.

If you're after more rare prices, consider obtaining a safe storage spot first. I mentioned the need for a hutch previously in my post about "Pedigree Clown Breeds". Quality clown sculptures are just as pricey as any other antique so they should be put on display rather than handled.

In closing, clown husbandry is a delightful hobby that involves appreciation for tradition, antiquing, and art. I hope this post inspires you to collect and draw clowns. If you decide to take up the hobby, please be sure to use the #clown husbandry tag so we can all enjoy your wonderful photography and characters!

The mystery of the cosmos

What's the base reality?

This is the question everyone living inside the simulation + cosmic dream wants to know about. When do you wake up outside the dream where you aren't dreaming anymore?

The movie Inception gave us a great hint.

Even when he wakes up in his reality, the ultimate base reality of his world, it's still an illusion. Do you know why?

What if there was no base reality and waking up meant entering the back stage - the realm of Infinite possibilities and probabilities.

Think of it this way, an empty stage where Noone is performing and no show is running- one full of infinite potential for artists to create and experiment with. Then the worlds become the show/performance which is being viewed by divine consciousness in the audience.

We think that if certain outcomes don't play out they are missed. Not at all. The creator (which is us) is so incredibly curious that he would want to know where every imagined choice could have lead. Hence the existence of parallel realities- that allow us to play out all the choices simultaneously in parallel universes. The thrill that the creator gets is by imagining 'what else I could have done in that moment? What if I did this or that? It tries out all scenarios. Goes back and forth. Not just the big choices but the small ones. Think of it like a self-experiment. When you are experimenting, there is no right and wrong, you just want to learn all perspectives and everything about the molecule in hand.

This way there is no real world. Everything is an experiment, we create worlds just like performances are created. We get the inspiration of what theme it will be, what principles it will operate on, what set will it have, what time zone, what role the actors will play and so on. It's exactly the same with life.

The fascinating part is, it's all energy, it's all us. It's all divine observation letting the creative energy take form.

So then zooming in on the human and human condition, the Ego asks us, does none of this matter? Is there a probability for every choice? If so I am already living my best and worst life simultaneous. Just like they show in the movie 'Everything, everywhere, all at once.' This means nothing matters and I am not important. That's not true at all, in fact Everything matters and everything is an important contribution to the creative experiment of self-discovery. No choice, no thoughtform, no emotion goes unseen, be it an ant or Ant-man.

We like to give so much importance to our world and our truth because we don't want to be lost, our existence considered insignificant in the greater scheme of things.

We look for credibility and validation in the world outside us. Why do we forget that Art is always open to Interpretation and people only understand it from their personal perspective. It says nothing about the actual expression being presented. Everyone projects on it their version of reality (their version of the truth) and like all sages have said, there is no one truth.

Everyone is living their personal dream.

Now what's happening here is someone has set a bigger stage where all performances have intermingled (instead of playing as their own show)

It's a chaos. But it's also hilarious for the audience probably. Imagine watching two genres mix up that don't mix up well. Well, that's what happening for us. We are all struggling to experience our personal dream. We want to be free to experience our personal dream. But here we are, put on one stage with the rest of the performances all fighting for their show to play out.

So what do we do?

We build a new stage to broadcast our personal dream. On this stage, thins will be more systematic and everyone can perform one by one.

That's what we are doing now, people call it New Earth or other names.

We just want to express ourselves and the people who belong in our personal dream are like-frequency soul tribe. They are the actors of our play.

It's time to stop fighting against the other players and simply come into your own. Knowing this itself shall bring you relief and see how futile this fight is.

Know your needs-

to simply be able to play out and express your personal dream.

That is where your focus is most required.

MY first version is CHINESE so I share my opinion by CHINESE. Also have ENGLISH version, BUT might not express myself well, English isn't my native language. IF you like this opinion, you can consider both the Chinese and English versions together.

the chameleon-魅影妖后

Po-阿宝

妖后是一个励志的角色，在身份、天赋、性别都不够，被人嘲笑的时候，没有在功夫这条路上走死胡同，相反她选择了其他的方式去达到自己的目的。（很多人其实光是给自己的人生换一条路这件事都做不到的）

而后面模仿的行为，在阿宝的立场来说“这都是你偷来的”，但实际上这样的法术能力可是也要锻炼的喔，就算是stole也是要技术的，妖后在法术这件事上的研习和努力绝对不比其他学功夫的要差。况且这些人都是恶人，按照传统思维来说妖后的行为是落井下石，以她的观念可能是给恶人在刺柏城一次再教育。

阿宝能一直坚信自己的行为是“正确”的原因，不是基于他的生活经验，而是基于战斗经验——“胜利”。是的，这导致他只有叙述权力，没有多少教导能力/哲思能力。历史掌握在胜利者手里，本质上还是比拳头大小。 因此他的那句偷来的就显得十分单薄了，那只是在他的叙述立场上这么认为。以妖后的立场而言，不过是正常的世界运转模式：力量至上。后文他心灵鸡汤妖后会失败也是正常的——这个世界不是围着神龙大侠转的。

Kfp有一个很有意思的地方，就是所有人都是围着“神龙大侠阿宝”转的，在他及其翡翠宫的阵营下的人民是生活美好的，其他世界都是水深火热的，不利于神龙大侠的。大家只要信仰神龙大侠就好了喔，神龙大侠会带领大家走向一个美好的世界，要遵守神龙大侠的idea/秩序。非常的American呢www

阿宝自己亲自打开了潘多拉的魔盒，无形中破坏了秩序呢，你知道吗？zhen是妖后的养女、破坏了翡翠宫、偷盗了天慧法杖——而你却选择放过她蹲大牢、让她帮助你打败妖后、收养为弟子。 这一切都是你的意志，没有任何一个人对此质疑，真是可怕呀。

就像妖后说的：我们本质上都是一样的人，经由百倍的历练，才达到这样的顶峰。更重要的是我们践行着一样的信条：别人不能相信、血让别人流、没有人在乎你怎么想——强者为尊w

阿宝说妖后需要change的不是外表而是内心，这句话也很有意思的。如果从角色立场来说确实如此，妖后需要change的是心态，统一天下的心态，报复的心态，变成一个inner peace的人，和平生活。可是同意了这个change的话，深层含义就意味着妖后要认可阿宝的秩序了，放弃自己赖以为生的手段。

阿宝这种行为实际上是天真的残忍。他似乎还不能完全理解，不是谁都能释然看透了自己受到的伤害与苦难。反派们的行为原因都是基于无法释然，过去的经历一直残害着原本鲜活的生命，以至于这个世界都不会给一丝发泄的机会，连最为基本的安慰都得不到。对他来说是一句好像能改变人生的change鸡汤，对他人来说却是一种傲慢。放弃长期以来的执念，意味着变成一个普通人，或许是对反派的人生/神龙大侠的秩序最好的选择，却对反派来说这是舍弃了尊严、过去，变成了另外一个人，用着另外的一个名字活着，那一刻反派的生命才是真正的停滞。

The chameleon is an inspiring character. Despite lacking in identity, talent, and being ridiculed by others, she didn't end up in a dead end on the path of martial arts. Instead, she chose alternative ways to achieve her goals. (Many people can't even change their life paths.)

Regarding the later imitative behaviors, from Po's perspective, "You stole all this," but in reality, mastering such spellcasting abilities also requires training. Even if it's considered stealing, it still requires skill. The chameleon's study and effort in magic are definitely not inferior to those learning martial arts. Moreover, these individuals are villains, so from traditional thinking, the chameleon's actions might seem like adding insult to injury, but from her perspective, it could be seen as giving the villains another lesson in Junpier City. Po's continued belief in the "rightness" of his actions is not based on his life experience but on his combat experience - "victory." Yes, this results in him having the narrative power but not much teaching or philosophical ability. History is in the hands of the victors, essentially bigger than just fists.

Therefore, his accusation of stealing appears quite shallow, just a reflection of his narrative stance. From the chameleon's perspective, it's just the normal mode of operation of the world: might makes right. Later, his "chicken soup for the soul" remark about the chameleon's failure is also normal - this world doesn't revolve around the Dragon Warrior.

KFP has an interesting aspect - everyone revolves around "the Dragon Warrior, Po," and the people under his and Jade Palace's camp live happily, while other worlds are harsh, not conducive to the Dragon Warrior. Everyone just needs to believe in the Dragon Warrior; he will lead everyone to a better world, and they must follow the Dragon Warrior's ideas/order. Very American lol

Po opened Pandora's Box, inadvertently disrupting the order, did you know? Zhen is the foster daughter of the chameleon, she destroyed the Jade Palace, stole the Staff with wisdom - yet you chose to spare her, letting her rot in jail, and then helping you defeat the chameleon, and finally adopting her as your disciple.

All of this is your will, and no one questions it. It's frightening. Just like the chameleon said: fundamentally, we are all the same, having gone through countless trials to reach such a peak. More importantly, we adhere to the same creed: others can't be trusted, blood lets others flow, and no one cares about what you think - might makes right.(sorry I don't know the word in movies)

Po says what the chameleon needs to change isn't her appearance but her heart, which is quite interesting. From a character standpoint, it's true; the chameleon needs to change her mindset, the mindset of seeking to unify the world, the mindset of revenge, and become someone with inner peace, living in peace. However, agreeing to this change means the chameleon must accept Po's order, abandoning the means she has relied on for survival.

Po's behavior is actually naively cruel. He seems unable to fully understand that not everyone can come to terms with the harm and suffering they've endured. The reasons for the villains' actions are based on their inability to come to terms with their past experiences, which continue to haunt their once vibrant lives, to the point where this world doesn't even give them a chance to vent, not even basic comfort. For him, it's a change of soup that seems to change one's life; for others, it's arrogance. Giving up long-held beliefs means becoming an ordinary person, which may be the best choice for the lives/order of the antagonists/Dragon Warrior, but for the villains, it means abandoning dignity and the past, becoming someone else, living under a different name. That moment is when the villains' lives truly stagnate.

Hi there, greetings from Israel.

Wanted to thank you for your writing, analysis, and explanations.

There is a gap of experience between the onlooker as imposed to the insider. Not a content gap or anything like that. There is just the eminent perspective of what's on the ground.

The current situation right here, right now, makes many of us feel afloat, waiting for that doomsday clock. Be it the dissolution of the Knesset or a limping version of a civil war ( Bibi, you and WHAT army?)

...Or a case of total outright all fronts situation. (We have little to zero illusions about the last operation)

The tension here is about the future of the bearing beams of this society. As a nation, as people. As a continuity at all. The internal fight is against theocracy.

The protests continue. The acts of reminding the current elected ShitShow(tm) that we are here to stay and live and work and prosper. The public had it. We were milked dry by all who could grab and squeeze.

We want a constitution, but we also know exactly why it wasn't written as of yet.

We want definition, but also aren't cruel enough to achieve it. And we wouldn't want to be this, because then we won't be us at all.

It's a catch 22.

Anyway, thanq for writing your blog. I'll be following you around.

P.S.: Have you read about the Aviv Geffen show in Tel Aviv amidst the rocket barrages? The biggest, fattest middle finger Israel ever gave to the Islamic Jihad came in the form of a 90s Rockstar, who is known for his depressing lyrics. Iconic representation of the Israeli spirit. That's us. That's definitely us.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-742825

(Seriously though, I wholeheartedly recommend reading this short article. This is such a well put picture of our current reality. It's like looking in a mirror).

Thanq for your rime, friend !

Thank you so much for reading and for the very revealing frontline commentary. As I am not Israeli, I do the best I can from a cross-section of local press and bloggers, and it means a lot to hear from a local that it is worthwhile.

The story about the Aviv Geffen concert speaks to what I have always said is Israel's greatest strength: its sheer determination to survive, the Israeli people's own faith in their cause.

As for what comes next, I take some hope from this analysis saying if Bibi can pass his budget on May 29th, then Ben-Gvir and the other lunatics will lose all leverage over him and he can afford to neglect all their demands, reverting to his usual pattern of rug-pulling and screwing over his coalition partners. Even if it's a bad budget that gives away too much to Haredim, anything done procedurally can be undone procedurally. The important thing is to stop a quantum leap of abnormality and extremism, and that may yet be stopped. My deep gratitude to all Israelis and their allies who put in the work in stopping it.

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once (2022)

Film review #582

Director: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

SYNOPSIS: Evelyn is an overworked laundromat owner who is preparing for her Father's visit, an audit by the IRS, among everything else. She is suddenly forced into a battle across the multiverse to save every reality from being destroyed by a nihilistic entity who just so happens to be her daughter...

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once is a 2002 sci-fi film. The film centres around Evelyn, a laundromat owner who is being audited by the IRS, amongst a host of family issues as well. Evelyn is suddenly pulled into a battle to save the multiverse, and must tap into the possibilities of the different versions of herself to stop an evil entity from destroying everything. Operating on a number of different levels and perspectives, the film is inherently chaotic, and it is designed to be, but has specific themes and relationships that ground the film and provide an entryway into the story. Perhaps a few of these can be boiled down into very typical relationships and problems, but maybe that's what makes them relatable and meaningful; I think your mileage may vary. Nevertheless, the film has a quick pace and packs a lot into it's two and half hour runtime. Being a film about the infinite possibilities of existence and jumping between different realities, it would be quite easily to leave a viewer confused, or have the film get bogged down in technical jargon and exposition: fortunately, the film manages to keep its pacing and energy while setting itself up for the viewer, and switching around the different realities and revealing things in a piecemeal fashion help keep the film going.

In terms of characters, Evelyn as a role was made for Michelle Yeoh: it showcases her acting talent across all the different genres and roles she has done over the years. she takes on all the different roles she has to play effortlessly, while also retaining the everyday core of her character that is just trying to manage a business and her family. The rest of the cast too are solid in their roles that are uniquely carved out for them, and are a bit of stability in contrast to Evelyn's constant flux.

Credit should be given to the writing of the film that balances the right amount of entertainment, drama, action, and emotional moments that are switched between to avoid the film becoming too bogged down in any particular details. The film makes it simple enough to go along for the ride, but also provides some powerful emotional moments that hit when you least expect. The film does wobble a bit near the end, where I don't think it sets up the climax of the film as such, because the film has had so much energy and motion that you don't realise that this is where everything is coming to a head, and not just another step somewhere else. The philosophical clash between a humanist existentialism and a nihilistic meaninglessness has some weight to it at the end, but it's not something explored throughout the film so it feels like you're getting a pay off from everything you experienced. Part of that is intentional: that out of all the different possibilities and realities, what matters is the seemingly drab one that you inhabit, and because everything is valid (in other universes), then no single one is more meaningful than the other. As mentioned, some of the themes and characters are boiled down to rather simple positions or outlooks by the film's end, but these are all minor gripes about a film that does so well with so many things, and turns in solid performances from the cast, as well as navigating a host of different themes: keeping things interesting for casual movie-goers, while also not being afraid to delve deeper into heavier subjects when necessary. Overall, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once is a high energy mix of films that nevertheless relies on a careful arrangement of it's parts so it doesn't fall into a giant mess. Being able to sustain interest and attention across the runtime thanks to solid performances, fun action scenes, and emotional moments that pull you back in. A few missed beats around pacing and oversimplifying certain positions don't upset the overall impact of a film that both opens itself to the infinite possibilities of existence, while still making the here and now matter.

I assume Raindrop is your bias, but I am curious what it is you love about them.

raindrop is definitely the ship i feel most invested in. what i like about them i think is a kind of complicated question and it has a long answer.

first of all theres just the complicated situation overall of having these characters with so little canon characterization. we see them on stage and thats pretty much it, so theres a sort of highly accepted fanon that i think is sometimes taken for granted. and i personally came late to the party. i didnt know any of that existed for a while and so i made my own characterizations.

dew is important to me because (this is so embarrassing) at one point when i was mentally not operating in the generally accepted reality he basically lived in my head in a little "room" and i could kind of talk to him. he couldnt speak but he could make gestures and send me thoughts. that was only for a little while, most of the time it was more abstract than that. but compared to people saying theyre "projecting" on characters, i didnt see it that way (though obviously from a psychological perspective its still projection). he was like my friend i could commiserate with. so because of that i understand my version of him really well, better than any of the other ghouls, and also my version of him diverges a lot with the generally held characterization.

and then rain... i dont know, i just like him in a normal and sane way. but i think what really cemented raindrop as my #1 was first of all reading a lot of raindrop works that i found impactful, and then writing my first fic in which i made raindrop into all sorts of metaphors and symbolism. honestly if i had to pick one thing i would say writing that fic made me fall in love with them because i just really enjoyed the process and also the result. so depending on how you think about it i would say its either fate or a coincidence

HC; Stellaron Connection.

So how exactly should the Caelus's connection with the seed of calamity be quantified? Where does the fine lines of a barrier hold, where does the melding and mixing of potential begin? This is exactly what I want to dive into as my version of an interpretation of the shared relationship.

From how I perceived the events, I see the Trailblazer as a successful and particularly fished soul from the countless echoes, spirits and what not that swims within the recreating chaos of the Stellaron hive. Their current body is one unique fashioned, moreso a vessel composed of Information (in the magical law) based sense. It's when the Stellaron, thus the soul was infused, a mixture of it's miraculous properties and their reconnection with reality led to the Information to take the state of a human being.

An important and lost history is also involved in these matters.

So that brings the question of how exactly does this all operate? I believe the hive of the Stellaron and Caelus were forcefully disconnected, allowing the solitary to reign, while the Stellaron power his soul is drenched in works as a door to depths that bastardize time and space. This is what creates his unique connections with those calamitous seeds, allowing him to live through 'recordings' of people's past lives if they were in a intimate, interactive proximity. (Cocolia being the best example.) Though, it isn't entirely clear from who's perspective he was witnessing it from.

This then leads to the matter of Nanook. I won't say it was solely the scale of his resolve, the urgent need to decimate any opposition in his path that allowed Nanook's gaze to fall upon him. In another way, the Stellaron proceeded to forge a link, allowing for the heart of the Aeon to pulse within it's golden wound, and in turn setting the very energy that connects them on fire as that potential alone had eradicated the Ravenger. To me, this shows how this force is far from Caelus's dominion.

Rather, it's this unique coupling of circumstances that makes a growing power that gradually siphons from the Stellaron, emboldening his might incrementally. In return, he has to temper himself through trial, fighting is a destiny seared into his very awakening if he's going to not have this very potential eat him alive. While embracing the journey for it's beauty is one important facet, another is to garner strength, whether that's in allies or personal potential realized.

Hell will be his personal road to Heaven.

Pastaverse Drabbles

The Pastaverse Drabbles are random headcanons or world-building lore I've made for my version of the Creepypasta universe. Other fandoms I'm in will also get similar types of blurbs. This blurb contains terms I use in the verse, inspired by things I've seen in fanfiction, fanart, or other types of projects.

Pasta: The general umbrella term for all non-human (or formerly human) creatures. It is considered somewhat of a slang word among them, having only popped up due to the internet horror stories based off of them known as “Creepypastas”.

Operator: An ancient, eldritch entity of great power. They can manipulate the reality around them, making it hard for them to be found unless they wish to be found, and create Realms to live in away from the human eye. Electronics react badly in their presence unless modified to withstand them. They command large groups of Proxies, who do their bidding and are sent on missions for their masters.

Proxy (Plural Proxies): Servants of Operators, a mix of monsters, ghosts, and serial killers. They are made to do whatever their Operator is asked of them and are usually sent out on missions to the human world. They cannot be harmed by human weapons nor harm Proxies that serve the same master. Proxies under other Operators are free game though.

Neutrals: Creatures who can wander between the different realms and the human world, unclaimed by an Operator. They live by themselves among the humans, or within Pockets made as a side effect of the creation of Realms. The most common and populated Pocket where Neutrals reside is known as Tartarus.

Marked: Creatures or humans that are under the protection of an Operator. It makes it so that the Proxies of the Operator are dissuaded from harming them, and warns against other Operators and their Proxy from attacking them. One may consider them to be “blessed” (or cursed in some perspectives).

Spawn: “Children”, connected by either blood or other means, of Operators. Most end up as Proxy, serving their parent as any loyal children would do. Some Proxy can even elevate themselves to the level of Spawn, if their master so decides it. One Operator is known for having the most Spawn, creating the subcategory of Zalgospawn.

Episodes: An act caused by a Trekken. This only affects Pastas who were originally something or someone else before. They will fall into a sort of trance and begin on a Spree, unable to be calmed or stopped until the Episode ends. They will have no recollection of what they did during the Spree. It has been reported that, while having an Episode, the Pasta sees and hears nothing but static.

Trekken: The trigger of Episodes. This is a memory, or memories, that are taken from Pastas who were originally something or someone else before. They will not be aware of what this memory is, only being met with a headache if they try to recall it. Should a Pasta be reminded or told of the memory, they will fly into an Episode. Once the Episode is finished, they will have forgotten the memory again.

Sprees: The result of an Episode. Blind, senseless slaughter done in distress due to the trauma of the memory forgotten. It is usually reported as a mass murder with an unknown cause and culprit, with a terrifyingly high number of victims. Afterward, Pastas are left extremely exhausted and will often collapse.

Realm: A dimension made by Operators for them and their Proxies to live in. The original spot that they were spawned from is guarded by a sort of field, so that humans who happen to approach are deterred from continuing. Other Pasta, whether Proxies or Neutrals, are not allowed to enter another Realm without permission from the Operator who made it. Pockets are made as a side effect of the creation of a Realm.

Pocket: A smaller Realm, in a sense. They are created as a side effect of an Operator creating a Realm. The creation of a Realm can spawn two or three Pockets. The most populated Pocket is known as Tartarus, where many Neutrals make their home.

SNW's unwillingness to free itself from canon is best illustrated in this image: it is presented as triumphant, Uhura clearly deciding that her place in in Starfleet, that her place is here on the bridge of the Enterprise. But we the audience know that, practicably speaking, her only place ends-up here. Outside of that one quasi-canonical TAS episode where she gets to command the Enterprise, by the TOS era Uhura will—functionally speaking—almost never leave this chair. In episode after episode her only job will be to say 'hailing frequencies open, captain' and nothing else. MLK famously had to beg Nichelle Nichols to stay in the role because he thought it so important for racist 1960s white America to see a professional black woman so prominently on television. His logic makes sense, but from 2023, examining TOS from the perspective of character in a world with better racial casting (in Star Trek, I mean: whatever NuTrek's flaws, its commitment to racial diversity has been really good), TOS' Uhura is barely more than a prop. No wonder Nichols wanted to quit: she's ill-used in almost every TOS episode and absolutely in every film. Frankly it feels like the 'glorious future' SNW is pushing Uhura towards is one informed by an understanding of the character as she exists in the broader realm of fandom, not the crummy reality of the text. This is why I find SNW's approach to canon so frustrating: it wants to break free and do its own thing, to tell fresh stories and have exciting new takes on familiar characters who never got the chance to really shine—but it keeps reflexively shoving TOS-is-our-canonical-future in our face: remember the Gorn? Remember Talos IV? Remember what will happen in The Menagerie? Remember how Spock and Chapel will be kind of romantic in one episode once in the first season and then it'll largely be forgotten about? Remember? REMEMBER? For all the legacy characters other than Spock, the 'future' of Strange New Worlds is death. Literal, in some cases—we know Sam Kirk's going to wind-up a blink-and-you'll-miss it corpse in Operation -- Annihilate!., and crispy Pike's fate is framed entirely as essentially death (abelist issues there for sure). The death is figurative in others: Uhura and Chapel will lurk in the background saying 'comms open' and 'yes, doctor.' M'Benga will get demoted to McCoy's deputy, show up in two episodes, and then never be mentioned again. That's not a future worth arriving at. Not for these more dynamic and interesting versions of these characters. So why do it? Why make these characters people who will end up as nothing? No matter how satisfying SNW's Uhura's story is, why do you want to link her to a future so narratively sterile for her? Does she not deserve better? I like TOS. I love TOS. It's often thoughtful and meaningful television, full of issues, plagued by actor egos, Roddenberry's sclerotic management, and all sorts of production problems—but at its best, when everything aligned, it is some of the most important television of its era. It has endured for generations for a reason. But that doesn't mean every element is good: the bridge crew outside of the triumvirate get more to do than the poor bridge crew of Discovery, but not by much. SNW keeps trying to chart a middle path between two better options, ending-up with a deeply unsatisfying worst of both worlds: not canon enough to satisfy the not insignificant portion of the fanbase for whom that's a serious concern (and for whom that's the entire fun of a prequel: spending more time in an era they know and love), but too canon-reliant to be unburdened by it. 'Here's our version of Uhura, but don't worry everyone, she might seem different but we promise that one day she'll be the woman who does nothing for a whole season other than sit in a chair with a dookickey in her ear and answer her boss' space phonecalls." Uhura looks at that console as her future, but all I want to do is scream "RUN! RUN FAR, FAR AWAY AND NEVER RETURN!"

Have you watched Rome (HBO)? If yes what's your opinion on it?

I've watched some of it, but to be honest I didn't really like it. They got things like how society operated in that time, and I think Ciaran Hinds is an incredible actor and did his best with the material he had, and if you just want a good drama and don't know anything about the period and the actual history that went on, you'll probably like it. Plus, James Purefoy was genuinely perfect casting. It's why I wish that the show was better than it was.

Problem is, I do know the history. I know the history quite well, because the general fall of the Republic and rise of the Empire is an incredibly interesting time and Augustus is one of my favorite people to read about, from a historical perspective he's fascinating. And the show bungles a lot in that regard. I've never been a particular fan of "we're going to invent these fictitious characters and make them important to the historical narrative" type things, and the combining of characters caused some major problems for me personally (combining Atia Balba with Fulvia to create the show's version of Atia was very annoying to me personally, considering how at odds it is to the historical Atia Balba), and just in general a lot of the characters felt very shallow and like they were crafted more out of a pop culture understanding of who these people were rather than actually examining them historically. Like, ooh Cleopatra is a sexually voracious and seductive minx and Octavian is a monstrous little viper, how incredibly novel, never been done before. Not like the reality of Cleopatra as someone who wasn't very attractive but was so intelligent and charismatic that she seemed leagues better than any other woman, but still prideful and stubborn enough to let it be her downfall is more interesting than cokewhore but make it Hellenistic. Not like Octavian as an incredibly smart person and brilliant politician whose complicated family life created a situation that had him latch onto Caesar as a father figure (and Caesar himself having lost a child shortly before they started getting close allowing that latching to be entirely mutual) and who started his journey to power as a personal revenge quest and whose litany of personal tragedies at a young age created the circumstances that allowed him to make colder and colder decisions for the betterment of himself and his family and his country is more interesting than wimpy deviant who can't fight. IDK, they made Livia marginally more two-dimensional than most other pop culture portrayals of her (I, Claudius your sins are numerous and shan't be forgiven), but that's about it. From someone who's read a lot about all of these people and has consistently found that who they actually were is leagues more interesting and creatively inspiring than anything anyone could actually make up, the show being composed entirely of preconceived notions with some sprinkling of "this is what I remember from Shakespeare's Roman plays" just did not do it for me at all.

Also, Agrippa/Octavia is a fucking cop out and anyone who writes it is a genuine coward. Like, you cannot tell me that out of the two siblings, the relationship you find the most interesting is the one he had with Octavia, when Agrippa and Octavian were friends since they were twelve and were completely and reciprocally so incredibly devoted to each other that it almost defies description and beggars belief. Agrippa never once tried to grab power even though he absolutely could have and was perfectly happy being nothing more than Octavian's right hand man until the day he died. Octavian's first ever political act, the thing that kickstarted his entire career, was asking Caesar of his own volition to not kill Agrippa's brother (it's complicated) and Caesar saying yes entirely because it was Octavian who asked, not only showing how loyal Octavian was to his friends but also essentially binding the two of them together for life. It was a forty year relationship of the most insanely codependent friendship of all time, either get with the program and make it homoerotic or just admit you have no talent and wanna hetify it.