#reliance machinery
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One thing I love about Crowley --never stated, but consistently shown-- is that he is, at heart, an engineer.
I have a few different things to say about that. Let's unpack them.
As the Unnamed Angel, we see his designs for the Pillars of Creation are millions of pages long, comprised of cramped text, footnotes, diagrams, schematics, etc. It's very...Renaissance polymath, in the way it implies a particular intersection of artist and inventor.
Also: in the naked romanticism with which he views his stars.
We already knew he made stars, but in s2 we learn that he did NOT sculpt each of them by hand. He designed a nebula ("a star factory," he says) that will form several thousand young stars and proto-planets, and all --aside from getting the 'factory' running-- without him lifting a finger. We also learn that these young stars and proto-planets stand in contrast to those made by other angels, which are going to come 'pre-aged.'
...I'm reminded of Hastur and Ligur's approach to temptations. Damning one human soul at a time, devoting singular attention to it over the course of years or decades, and how that stands in contrast to Crowley's reliance on, quote, 'knock-on effects.'
Ligur: It's not exactly...craftsmanship.
Crowley: Head office don't seem to mind. They love me down there.
Hm.
I'm also reminded of the M25.
The M25 may not be as grand as a nebula (sentences you only say in GOmens fandom...), but LIKE his nebula it's an intricate, self-sustaining engine that does Crowley's work for him, many times over. Again.
That's some pretty neat characterization --and so is the indication towards Crowley's disinterest in victimizing anyone tempting individual people. It takes a considerable amount of planning and effort (and creeping about in wellies), but in accordance with his design the M25 generates a constant stream of low-grade evil on a gigantic scale.
Cumulatively gigantic, that is. Individually? Negligible.
But no other demon understands human nature well enough to parse that one million ticked-off motorists are not, in any meaningful way, actually equivalent to one dictator, or one mass-murderer, or even one little influential regressive. That's the trick of it. Crowley gets Hell's approval (which he NEEDS to survive, and to maintain the degree of freedom he's eked out for himself), and at the same time ensures that any actual ~Evil Influence~ is spread nice and thin.
It's some clever machinery. And he knows it, too:
The Unnamed Angel and Crowley are both proud of their ideas.
(musings on professional pride, Leonardo da Vinci, the crank handle, and 'the point to which Crowley loves Aziraphale' under the cut)
In the 1970's Crowley gives a presentation on the M25, projector and all, to a room full of increasingly impatient demons. Maybe the presentation was work-ordered; the 'can I hear a WAHOO?' definitely wasn't.
Before the Beginning, the Unnamed Angel can barely contain his excitement about his nebula. Aziraphale manages a baffled-but-polite, "....That's nice... :)"
11 years ago, Hastur and Ligur want to 'tell the deeds of the day,' and Crowley smiles to himself because (according to the script-book) he knows he has 'the best one.'
(Naturally, his 'deed' has nothing to do with tempting anybody, and everything to do with setting up a human-powered Rube-Goldberg machine of petty annoyance. Oodles of 'Evil' generated; very little harm done.)
Hastur and Ligur don't get it, of course. That's also consistent.
Nobody ever knows what the hell he's talking about.
It didn't make it on-screen, but, in both the novel AND the script-book, Crowley was friends with Leonardo da Vinci. The quintessential Renaissance polymath. That's where he got his drawing of the Mona Lisa --they're getting very drunk together, and Crowley picks up the 'most beautiful' of the preliminary sketches. He wants to buy it. Leonardo agrees almost off-the-cuff, very casual, because they're friends, and because he has bigger fish to fry than haggling over a doodle:
He goes, "Now, explain this helicopter thingie again, will you?" Because he's an engineer, too.
(It is 1519 at the latest, in this scene. Why the FUCK would Crowley know about helicopters, and be able to explain them, comprehensively, to Leonardo da Vinci?
...Well. I choose to believe he got bored one day and worked it out. Look, if you know how to build a nebula, you can probably handle aerodynamics. And anyway, I think it's telling that this is his idea of shooting the shit. 'A drunken mind speaks a sober heart,' and all. He probably babbled about Aziraphale long enough to make poor Leo sick)
Apart from Aziraphale, Leonardo da Vinci is the only person Crowley has any keepsakes or mementos of.
Think about that, though. Aziraphale's bookshop is bursting with letters, paintings, busts, and personalized signatures memorializing all the humans he's known and befriended over 6000 years (indeed: Aziraphale has living human friends up and down Whickber Street. He's part of a community).
Crowley doesn't have any of that. It's just the stone albatross from the Church (for pining), the infamous gay sex statue (for spicy pining), the houseplants (for roleplaying his deepest trauma over and over, as one does), and this one piece of artwork, inscribed, "To my friend Anthony from your friend Leo da V."
To me, at least, that suggests a level of attachment that seems to be rare for Crowley.
...Maybe he liked having someone to talk shop with? Someone who was interested? Someone engaged enough to ask questions when they didn't immediately understand?
...Anyway.
There's also the matter of the crank handle.
This thing:
This is one of the subtler changes from the book. In the book, Crowley knows Satan is coming and, desperate, arms himself with a tire iron. It's the best he can do. He's not Aziraphale; he wasn't made to wield a flaming sword.
The show, IMO, improves on this considerably. Now he, like Aziraphale, gets to face annihilation with what he was made for in his hand. And it's not a weapon, not even an improvised one like the tire iron.
He made stars with it.
[both gifs by @fuckyeahgoodomens]
If you Google 'crank handle,' you'll get variations on this:
Crank handles have been around for centuries. Consisting of a mechanical arm that's connected to a perpendicular rotating shaft, they are designed to convert circular motion into rotary or reciprocating motion.
Which is to say they're one of the 'simple machines,' like a lever or a pulley; the bread and butter of engineering. You'll also get a list of uses for a crank handle, archaic and modern. Among them: cranking up the engine of an old-fashioned car... say, a 1933 Bentley. That's what Crowley has been using his for, lately. But he's had it since he was an angel and he's still, it seems, very capable of it's angelic applications.
Stopping time. For instance.
(This is conjecture on my part, but, I like to imagine that Crowley has the ability to stop time for the same reason I can --and should-- unplug my computer before I perform maintenance on it. Time and Space are a matched set, after all, and in his designs in particular, one feeds into the other.)
I know everyone has already said this, but: I REALLY LIKE that when he needs to channel the heights of his power, he does so not with a weapon but with a tool. Practically with a little handheld metaphor for ingenuity. One from long-lost days when he made beautiful things.
(And he loved it. Still loves it --he incorporated that metaphor into the Bentley, didn't he?)
Let Aziraphale rock up to the apocalypse with a weapon: he has his own compelling thematic reasons to do exactly that. Crowley's story is different, and fighting isn't the only way to express defiance. And if you've been condemned as a demon and assumed to be destructive by your very nature, what better way than this?
He made stars. They didn't manage to take that from him.
Neither Crowley nor Aziraphale are fighters, really --they have no intention of fighting in any war. They'll annoy everyone until there's no war to fight in, for a start. But between the two, if one must be, then that one is Aziraphale. Principality of the Earth, Guardian of the Eastern Gate, Wielder of the Flaming Sword... all that stuff. Even if he'd prefer not to, it's very clear that Aziraphale can rise to the occasion, if he must.
Crowley was never that kind of angel. He wasn't a Principality. He doesn't have a sword.
...And yet.
It's Crowley who protects. He's the one who paces, who stands guard, who circles Aziraphale and glares out at the world, just daring anyone else to come near.
In light of everything else I've said here, I think that's interesting.
Obviously part of it is that Aziraphale enjoys it and, you know, good for him. He's living his best life, no doubt no doubt no doubt. But what about Crowley? What's driving that behavior, really?
Have you heard the phrase, 'loved to the point of invention'? Well, what if 'the point of invention' was where you started? What if where you end up involves glaring out at the world, just daring anyone else to come near? What is that, in relation to the bright-eyed thing you used to be?
What do we name the point to which Crowley loves Aziraphale?
...Thinking about how an excitable angel with three million pages of star design he wants to tell you all about...becomes a guard dog. Is all.
#good omens#ineffable husbands#aziracrow#Crowley#Aziraphale#good omens 2#good omens meta#unfortunately I do not have trains of thought#only long meandering strolls of thought#sorry about it#anyway tl;dr Crowley is a nerd#also I have a strange emotional attachment to the idea of 1500's Crowley...#...facedown in a pile of Mona Lisa sketches; drunkenly info-dumping about Aziraphale#and Da Vinci is just like. 'Ahhhh mio amico Antonio. You fucking simp.'
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a lot of people have already pointed out how totk has a lot of themes of imperialism and generally leans conservative ideologically, but what i think is interesting is how totk subtly redefines what a “researcher” is.
zelda wants to be a researcher in botw, and what this means in the context of botw is largely someone who works with sheikah technology. she wants to figure out ancient sheikah tech, she has an interest in botany and otherwise nature and biology (the whole silent princess and the frog thing), robbie and purah, the two characters who are the closest to us seeing what a researcher in the context of botw is are basically inventors. in totk, however, the main researchers who are presented to us are all historians.
this is an interesting pivot, because in botw zelda is not really interested in history. if anything, the one who’s deeply concerned with history is rhoam, wanting to preserve historical tradition and his uncritical reliance on said tradition and historical precedent is what leads them to their doom. in botw, zelda is narratively opposed to history, if anything, all the ancient tech backfires on them and traditions fail to awaken zelda’s power. zelda’s urge to be a researcher is in wanting to understand the world around her, not just blindly follow ancient plans but rather have agency within them.
totk, however, is obsessed with ancient plans. the only real moment where zelda gets to geek out in totk is her getting all giddy about finding out more about the divine origins of hyrule. all the researchers in the game are concerned with finding out more about the zonai. since all the mentions of ancient sheikah technology are scrubbed from the game purah and robbie read more as strange outliers, the sheikah slate is no longer, now it’s the purah pad, a product of purah rather than something larger. the whole game is literally about following an ancient plan, a plan most characters don’t fully understand as they sign up for it. totk’s main story is built on confusion, on the characters not knowing what’s fully going on but having faith in ancient sages telling them what to do. in botw, following ancient plans you don’t fully understand was the thing that doomed you. in totk, following ancient plans you don’t fully understand is the gimmick.
that juxtaposition between the two games has an ideological through line: botw posits that progress is necessary. mindlessly relying on tradition doesn’t work. prophecies are omens, not instructions. history must be learnt from, not repeated. the ancient sheikah aren’t a group to be emulated, but rather to be learnt from, considering their machinery backfired and the royal family betrayed them. totk, however, is obsessed with the mythical history of hyrule, a time where everything was idyllic until one bad man showed up, a time we must emulate in order to win. i already talked about how the past in totk is zelda’s life pre calamity but better here, but that also plays into the idolisation of that era and its royalty. in botw, even the myth of the first calamity preserves the fact that the yiga clan has origins in the royal’s family persecution of the sheikah, even the time when they successfully held back the calamity is tinged with mistakes that still affect the world ten thousand years later. in totk, ganondorf’s origins are nebulous. nobody provoked him, nobody did anything wrong, he’s just evil because he is.
a lot of right wing ideologies are hinged on preservation, but more than that: the belief in the nebulous mythical past in which everything was better. “make america great again”, the fascist’s idolisation of ancient rome which is represented largely inaccurately, look at any conservative rhetoric and you’ll see people complaining about how things nowadays are ruined or are being ruined, how in the past things were this way and they’re not anymore, which is bad. the belief in the fact that in some past period we were great and are not anymore, and the strive to emulate that past is a trait highly typical of right wing ideologies. and in totk the past as a great era is an idea presented completely uncritically, the narrative is entirely controlled by the game and doesn’t dwell on any of the inconsistencies in this idea.
now, obviously, not every story in which a great ancient era exists is fascist, right wing or conservative. but to me what’s interesting specifically in totk is this shift between the two games: botw is critical of the past. it’s critical of arrogantly repeating history, it’s critical of having blind faith in great relics of the past. totk isn’t. totk idolizes the past, totk tells legends and tells you to believe them without any doubts. botw believes researchers are those who seek to understand the world, innovate it and solve problems without relying on ancient ways. totk believes researchers are those who discover ancient instructions, ancient ways and relay them to great men in the present to be followed. the four mainline regional quests in botw are about discovering four ancient relics that are terrorising the land and fixing the mistakes of the past. the four mainline regional quests in totk are about discovering four ancient legends are true, and receiving instructions from an ancient sage on what to do.
totk is not simply neutral, it is ideologically conservative in stark contrast to botw, because of the things it chooses to leave uncriticised, notably the things botw was very poignant about examining critically. the way totk redefines what is a researcher is indicative of this, indicative of the way it chooses to idolize or present as an unexamined good that which was nuanced in botw. totk isn’t just conservative in the sense that it presents uncritically a “good king” and “evil conquerer”, it goes deeper, it’s notable because botw was starkly opposed to the thematic axioms totk presents.
i just think it’s very interesting that they made a sequel to botw, and completely redefined or otherwise ignored botw’s thematic core.
#totk critical#loz#botw#totk#legend of zelda#tears of the kingdom#breath of the wild#meta#analysis#my hot takes
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why scan?
scanning is something i've done for probably about 12 years now (i'm ancient, for this site), with varying degrees of regularity, intensity, etc. it has ratcheted up since the dawn of 2023, though, which begs the question: why? why put so much time into what could not-wrongly be considered a passive activity, hunched over a piece of clunky machinery with the express purpose of preserving others' creations? the answers are several, and fascinating (not really).
i am a [sober] drug addict. anything i pursue, consume, create--more often than not--ends up taking on addictive qualities. i'll eat the same specific food item for a month, then never want to see, let alone taste it, again. i'll listen to one song on repeat for days until i'd rather hear nails on a chalkboard than have it shuffle on and assault my ears. one of the reasons that my scanning has increased in volume recently is that i acquired library cards to the 3 nyc library systems: nypl, brooklyn, and queens. as soon as i was able to, i pillaged + plundered those fine centers of learning, leaving any given library with as many hefty scan-worthy books as i could [barely] carry. here, finally, was a *free* way of obtaining more + more + more visual media to consume.
2023 saw me get my first legal, full-time job. as such, my adjusting to that hellish reality resulted in a steep decline in my own personal creative output. collaging, writing, and rapping all fell to the wayside as i slowly acclimated to a life of work that almost everyone else my age has known for over a decade is generally unbearable + detrimental to the maintenance of outside pursuits. in times of famine within my own artistic harvest, scanning, archiving, and sharing others' work is a means of feeling as though i am still contributing to the global oeuvre.
there’s an element of losing my mental self in a series of physical motions that becomes almost automatic after some time. “zoning out” is not something endemic to my daily life; if anything, i’m almost always too zoned in. relief is necessary. especially considering the shitshow this past year has been in terms of my personal life.
i am a product of capitalism’s cultivating a craving for constant consumption.
it seems that visual content is only going to continue to get more + more uninspired. has everything been done? did social media ruin it all? in any case, i feel a need to document the past. to a degree, it’s my version of doomsday prepping. (god forbid books go extinct altogether.)
i have always gravitated towards solitary activities. this topic could be a thesis in its own right.
i thrive on external validation. this reliance is something i’ve improved upon over the past several years, but it hasn’t been altogether extinguished. even though the materials i scan are not of my own creation, i nevertheless feel a vague pride in showcasing them. occasional appreciation thereof satisfies this fixation on others’ attention, albeit in a diluted form.
i am fortunate to live in a city bursting to the gills with cultural institutions. i am also lucky enough to have some disposable income that can be directed toward fulfilling my ravenous desire for visual media.
((i keep getting messages about the specifics of my scanner + "process":
i have a cheap ass hp envy 6055e and i just use the software it comes with.
there's nothing special or fancy happening here, and i could definitely invest in a better and/or a large format scanner, etc. but i really just don't care enough and it's not like i'm getting paid for this lmao))
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The thing about Fallout is ... I don't actually think Bethesda really broke the concept until Fallout 76. I have seen people wring their hands over the Nuclear Option quest in Fallout 4 being incompatible with Fallout's themes, but I don't really agree with that.
There's that tired, defeated sounding voice over at the start of every game, after all: "War, war never changes". And I remember: I remember having to blow up both the Mariposa Base and the Cathedral in the original Fallout; I remember destroying the Enclave oil rig in Fallout 2. That's three whole buildings with people in them, just like the Institute.
While they are role playing games with a lot of choice and consequence built in, the Fallout series does consistently railroad the player in one sense: you are inserted into the narrative at a point where the situation has escalated to the point where you have to go to war. There are many side quests that give you the opportunity to find alternative, peaceful solutions to conflicts – you can fix broken machinery and forge alliances or just shout at people until they calm down, and that all works – but in the main quest, the fight is inevitable.
And that makes sense. The ghost that haunts the narrative of every Fallout game is the morning of the 23rd of October, 2077, when everybody fired on everybody else at once. You ask yourself – "How could they do that?" The scale of the destruction, the sheer number of deaths, the absolute no-win scenario that created for every nation in the world makes it sound utterly unthinkable. But they did it.
You get a lot of historical backstory on how they got there, of course: the over reliance on fossil fuels, culminating in a last minute switch to nuclear power; the collapsing economies and failing institutions; the extreme ideologies embraced by the world's super powers; the horrifying disregard for human life that spread everywhere well before anyone launched those missiles. You see all the off ramps that weren't taken along the way.
But more importantly, you live it, every time. You never set out to fight a war or blow anything up. You're trying to find a damn water chip, a GECK, your father, the guy who fucking shot you, your son. But at the end of the day, you always find yourself recruited, and you always have to destroy something. Then you can see for yourself how it happens. The world had passed its point of no return the day you arrived in it, and you just have to deal with it. War never changes.
But with Fallout 76 ... I mean, it's the problem of a single player narrative in a multiplayer game. The premise is that you are one of many vault dwellers emerging into the world to rebuild, but in practice you are The Chosen One, all over again. The Vault Dweller, singular. If you imagine it as a single player scenario it's not that bad, although it is retreading old ground: the Enclave has another one of their delightful genocidal plans, and in the end you have to turn their weapons on their plague-ridden creations to stop the nightmare from spreading. It's a tragedy, because you are risking this little patch of unpolluted land, where crops can still grow and people can still live – but you're alone with only the resources you've been able to scrape together from the detritus of this fallen society, so what choice do you have?
Except. Well. You are not alone. Not even a little bit. In theory you should have a vault full of fellow geniuses to collaborate with. And unlike other games in the series, your fundamental issue is not that you are dealing with multiple groups of people with such different ideologies that they will never agree. Those people existed, but they are now dead or fled (At least originally; I am aware that expansions have since changed the situation). In theory you are now accompanied by a group of people who should, like you, be focused on doing everything they can not to destroy their new homeland.
And worst of all, because it's a multiplayer game everybody gets a bloody turn. You don't launch your weapons, battle the scorchbeast queen and then fade into a montage describing the literal fallout of what you have done. No, you do the whole thing over again for the XP and the loot. So now you are basically using nuclear weapons for post-apocalyptic big game hunting, and it drives me up the wall.
War never changes. Let's launch the nukes for fun.
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Hey, uhm, about that „horse riding is harmful – but they need exercise!“ thread: what is never talked about in these discussions (this is my impression) is how priviliged it is that we can even abstain from using horses for transportation and farming.
And while our lifes have become much more comfortable since machines have replaced horses in these fields, I would argue that this shift has been very bad for nature as a whole. Even if someone does not believe in climate change, they could still see how it was bad that we built (and are building) asphalt streets and railroad tracks through wildlife habitats. And big machinery driving over soil compresses the earth unnecessarily, which makes it more difficult for plants to regrow. This would not be a problem if we still used horses.
I’m also wondering what people who are against horse owning would say to people who live in circumstances where they are still dependent on their animals. People who maybe live somewhere were the infrastructure needed in order to be able to use fossil fueled vehicles is not yet present. Or people who are just poor. Should they also stop riding and driving horses?
All of that being said, let’s imagine the consequences of gradually stopping all horse ownership. All horses currently living with humans as pets will stay with their owners and be cared for until they die, procreation will be prevented. (The alternative would of course be to release them into the wild, but deciding on WHERE to do so is very difficult and let’s just not do that in this scenario, as to not disturb already established ecosystems). Horse breeds which have been living with humans for the past thousands of years will go extinct. All the knowledge about how to feed horses, about horse behaviour and how to interact with them and about how to safely train them to be driven and ridden in a sustainable way will only exist in books within a hundred years. We are talking about skills that, at the end of the day, are more efficiently learned if there are teachers whom actually are practicing the craft. Humanity as a whole lives a bit more removed from nature – although, that is just how I see it.
I hope it’s okay for me to unload my thoughts on this onto you – I’m too shy to write under the post directly, but I really want to get this out of my head.
I live in germany by the way and I own a little pony mare. I don’t actually know her breed, it must have not been documented when she was born. She probably is a german riding pony with a healthy dose of arabian blood in her. I’ve riden and worked with horses for 14 years now and owned my mare for 5. I bought her when she was 11 years old and noone had really cared for her for two years. She spend that time on a pasture with other horses and was slightly malnourished and apathetic then. These days her fur is sparkling and her muscles have developed nicely and she expresses more happiness overall.
Hey, I don't know about the original poster as I don't follow them, but @acti-veg actually addresses your first point quite frequently. There are many people who cannot afford to not eat meat, abstain from medications that have been tested on animals, use horses for farming or transportation, etc. But the definition of veganism is, "a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” If a person cannot avoid some form of animal exploitation because of their health or inability to make an alternative living, this does not preclude them from being a vegan as long as they do their best to limit their reliance on animals in other areas.
I agree that industrialization has led to many advancements in society at the detriment of nature and biodiversity. But I would also point out that if people switched back to horses today, at our current population, that would also not be sustainable. There is not enough land to keep them properly without adding more to deforestation, and plowing with horses is less precise and worse for the soil than some up and coming alternatives, like laser weeding and using robotic seed planting, which can eliminate the need to plowing entirely.
You are right that if people stopped breeding horses many breeds would go extinct and knowledge in how to care for them would be lost. This is a downside that has to be balanced against the upsides, like no more halter horse monstrosities, no more horses being dumped & shipped to slaughter, and the potential for farmland to be re-wilded which would increase biodiversity.
It's totally ok to share your thoughts here, and your pony sounds super cute!
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If you do end up writing that scene about your RT, please share it with us!
Orphic Hymn 64 to Nomos (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) :
"Hymn to Nomos (Law). The holy king of gods and men I call, heavenly Nomos, the righteous seal of all: the seal which stamps whatever the earth contains, and all concealed within the liquid plains: stable, and starry, of harmonious frame, preserving laws eternally the same. Thy all-composing power in heaven appears, connects its frame, and props the starry spheres; and unjust envy shakes with dreadful sound, tossed by thy arm in giddy whirls around. 'Tis thine the life of mortals to defend, and crown existence with a blessed end; for thy command alone, of all that lives, order and rule to every dwelling goes. Ever observant of the upright mind, and of just actions the companion kind. Foe to the lawless, with avenging ire, their steps involving in destruction dire. Come, blest, abundant power, whom all reverse, by all desired, with favouring mind draw near; give me through life on thee to fix my sight, and never forsake the equal paths of right."
It always begins and ends with numbers. In a material universe, there are laws written unto the foundation of everything, from the most ancient stars to the machinery of atoms, the edicts that dictate the fundament are written eternal. In this place absent of meaning, walls of metal and the hollow men who loomed over the lost and the damned, did Thane Solcar fortify her mind with numbers, the digits providing rhythm, the equations lyrics, and solutions a chorus.
Estimated population of the Imperium between (10 to the 15th power) and (10 to the 24th power).
Thane Solcar had been someone small as opposed to negligible value in the Imperium of Man. The younger daughter of a minor nobility, an off shoot of some distant ancestor of greater significance whose wayward progeny had used their inheritance to separate from the greater dynasty to find their own way as a merchant noble making their travails among the stars. Not content to settle into a sedentary life upon anyone one location in the Empire of Humanity, they had been wayfarers upon the void. And her parents had ensured she'd never lacked the respect in the machine spirits and their codices on the proper maintenance and direction, and she had taken well to it, learning keenly and adapting what could be safely learned for one technically not part of the Followers of the Omnissiah, but like any of the voidborn, their ship was the world, the galaxy distant compared to the great emptiness that fills it. And the reliance upon the Light that allowed one to navigate it.
Tithe requires 1,000-4,000 subjects daily. In a single year, 365,000 to 1,460,000 are brought to Holy Terra. They are brought...
The Astronomican, the Light that spanned across the Imperium, allowing The Imperium to exist, was known to any Voidborn who bothered to use their ears. The need to have it and the Navis Nobiliti, who alone could used that Light as a point of reference across the infinite. Thane knew the Navis were psyker mutants, and thus not trusted by many of the ground walkers, but the necessity of them, both in the immediate wellbeing of her family's fortunes and mankind as a whole, went a long way to smothering the hatred that Thane was told she should feel for such beings. What use was hate for something that you needed to live? This thought process proved beneficial, a passive acceptance of the need of psykers. It helped when she learned that she herself was one.
...before the Astronomican, and aid in its care, under the gaze of His Divine Majesty. This has been the case for the last 10,000 years. Therefore...
It began innocently enough. Thane thought she heard choruses outside the hull and tried to imitate them, trying to find harmony, and Things began listen to and object to the harmony. The discordance (Chaos) overtook so much, and only the harmonies that sought brought a notion of defense even as ice began to freeze her surroundings. The Caretakers of the Black Ships thus found her, lost in the harmonies and the numbers she mumbled like a shield, even as everything else was lost.
...those brought to the Astronomican in the history of the Imperium thus number between 3 to 8 billion depending on the consistency of those provided by the Black Ships. But....where do they go, the numbers of people, they need somewhere to go...where are...
Thus it had been for the days of the journey on Black Ship, the vessels whose purpose was to find and transport the Tithe, the psykers the Imperium could provide. That the Imperium needed. She could not trust her newfound senses, but Thane had been using the far more trusted sense of her ears, and listened to what little the guardians on the ship had said. She knew they were going to the homeworld of mankind, to serve The God Emperor in some way related to the Astronomican.
Unknown to her, two women observed her briefly as they studied Thane and the other Psyker prisoners. They spoke with their hands, having long ago made an oath of silence.
(This one?)
(Too weak willed. Mumbling throughout the journey, insane due to what happened to her kinsmen aboard the ship we found her. She will serve the God-Emperor by providing him the kindling He needs)
And with that, her fate decided, they walked by, moving on to determine fate of the next imprisoned, and Thane Solcar was sentenced by the servants of The Emperor.
And that should have been the end of it.
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The Golden Throne is often invoked by the denizens of the Imperium of man, nearly as synonymous as their empire and the god they are devoted to as the emblem of the Aquila, the icon of their empire. But the Throne itself is often less depicted beyond a simple chair that the iconography of the Emperor at rest. In truth, it is more than that. Housed in the holy mountain that had once been known as Everest as a sign of human pride or Chomolungma for those who'd been born under her shadow and thus knew her as Mother of the world, the Mountain had been hollowed long ago, and it was here and among the sister mountains that the Imperial Palace resided, respledent with a majesty that silenced the past natural beauty in favor of the crafted golden glory of the relatively recent Imperium of Man.
It was here, that Thane Solcar was brought, her newfound senses blinding her to any notion of Imperial Opulence, as the Light of the Astronomican burned so brightly, making even the sun seem a distant comparison to the Light that crowned this world. And beneath that crown sat Him, The Emperor. She could not see Him, hidden away in a labyrinth of gold, iron, and stone, but as she was laid out among the rows upon rows of other Tithed, she could feel Him, like a crystaline spike that all reality seemed to twist through.
One by one, then multitude by multitude, she watched as the Tithed became part of that light, their souls as bright as myriad stars, were taken, absorbed, added ot the conflagration that was Him. Death, she realized. Death was what awaited those sacrficed before Him on Earth.
With comprehension did not rouse panic, not yet, but as she hummed her harmonies, her soul beginning to be dragged into the cosmic bonfire that was Soul of the Master of Mankind, she dared something that some would consider blasphemy as her soul made contact with the Emperor.
Why?
The Light overtook her, and Annihilation or Consumption did not claim her. Instead she Saw, her single question answered in the form of a galaxy long burning. Thane Solcar saw the galaxy burning over a period of fifteen thousand years and humanity and xenos alike lost to that conflagration. Once great nations and dreams forever lost, be it to Man's own Folly, the machinations of dark powers from within and without reality, or the simple cruelties of fate. She saw the Emperor's dream of uniting mankind after the Long Night, a belief in the destiny of her species, their species, for He spoke to her now in a way that rendered others to embers, a fire she was now, and yet still herself.
She saw the events leading to the Great Crusade, the Crusade itself and the endless wars that followed, of Heresy, of Conquest, of Glory and Purpose. She saw why He had decided the neccessity of it all, paid in blood and lives uncountable.
And yet she counted. It pained her to, counting not only the psykers given to bonfire that was the Astronomican, but those lost to war and pogrom, genocide, betrayal, and hatred. So much hatred. She saw the nations that had been rebuilding before the Emperor had forced Compliance, and how many could have built back the lost empires and federation of humanity, not as a single beast with a emperor deified, either in faith or reason, but the lost cultures and hopes of peoples across countless worlds. She counted them all, considered them all, and this, more than anything, became a new flame that burned bright in her chest, the lost harmonies finding a home within Thane Solcar.
Thane looked at the Emperor, what remained of the man upon a dying throne. And named him Demiurge, master of much but not all, wise but flawed, alive but dead. More hollow god then broken man. She left the mythology he'd created with the Imperium as its spiritual demesne, and took her own faith with her, seeking Nomos elsewhere.
Thus she was found, strange and heretical notions buried deep, alone alive among thousands given in blood and spiritual sacrifice, the mark of the Aquila branded in gold upon her brow. The sanctity of the Emperor, it was decided, and all the better for it. A Rogue trader house, distant ancestor of the Solcars, had been seeking this one errant psyker. Perhaps there she could be made to serve the Emperor and all His great works.
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I think something that highlights just how fucking weird America's reliance on cars is is the fact that 16 year olds are kinda just, required to drive cars if they want to be able to get anywhere on their own
But like
you simultaneously can't get most licenses to operate heavy machinery until you're at least 18
So America kinda just says "no, obviously 16 year olds can't use forklifts or cranes, that's ridiculous" but it does say "yes 16 year olds can operate thousands of pounds of machinery going sixty miles an hour"
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I have this theory that rwby white knights and anti-rwdes are really into pushing the idea that Ironwood pre-shooting Oscar is some horrible clearly bad dictator with no good traits because they actually don't have any arguments against people saying his over-the-course-of-two-in-universe-days fall to villainy was rushed, unnecessary, and severely lacking in emotional depth. So the only way for them to try and make it not bad writing is to say that James was always a villain and therefore his villainy arc wasn't 'rushed' (though this ignores the fact that a villain with standards rapidly changing into a villain with zero standards with no real depth is still bad writing.)
But funnily enough, the whole thing with pushing the idea of 'Ironwood was always a bad guy, clearly a dictator, clearly everyone needs to have seen that or they're a pro-dictator bigot themselves' take... Really just makes both the team of RWBYJNROQ and the narrative that the RWBY writers painted seem worse if you ask me. Like, Team RWBY and co were actively and willingly working with IW for like two months, right? Like, they were down in the thick of it in Mantle sometimes, they saw the security camera that some people swear means that James kept the citizens of Mantle under constant surveillance, they saw the broadcasting of James and Winter that some people swear means that James was obviously feeding Mantle propaganda, they saw how he worked on a project that they actively believed in apparently instead of using the easily transferable resources of a communications tower to fix a broken wall. They saw James put things in place like curfews, which some people are swearing is proof of the ironclad hold Ironwood had on those poor defenseless citizens. They saw that he pulled his forces out of Mistral (on the advice of Winter,) which apparently is heartlessly hording protection, and they also saw him bring some of his forces into Vale which according to some people was a show of power. And despite the fact that there was every indication that IW was fully authorized to be in Vale and fully authorized in bringing over weapons, and despite the fact that he only brought them because he thought there would be an attack (which there was,) and despite the fact that he clearly didn't bring his whole fleet - No, he was invading Vale. And Team RWBY and co also saw his 'over-reliance on machinery' and his 'hatred of humanity' at play, and they saw him let teenagers do any fighting and saw that he was running a child recruitment school (ignore if this breaks the premise of the entire show by implying that Ruby shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a fight,) and they saw that he was supposedly grooming Winter. And they saw that he *gasp* was put in charge of security for an event after an attack that could've been really bad while Ironwood and the rest of Oz's inner circle was anticipating worse I MEAN he was completely unnecessarily put in charge of obviously completely unneeded security for your average everyday not in danger at all sporting event that can easily be compared to sporting events in our world where Salem and Grimm don't exist, and so that was clearly an act of aggression and exercising control.
So, if Ironwood is really a terrible dictator who has clearly been doing off the charts bad things that prove that he's a bad dictator since his very first appearances in volume two, then the options are A. Ruby and co are all so hopelessly naive that they completely ignored the clear and obvious signs of a dictator and then made shocked pikachu faces when he 'tried to leave all the poor people behind to die because of nothing but laziness, cowardice, and classism,' which makes them look really bad. B. Ruby and co are all so dumb that they just didn't realize that all the obviously bad stuff he did was obviously bad and should be a deal breaker because they're just that oblivious. Or C. Team RWBY and their friends can be slotted into the same category that the anti-rwdes put IW fans who say that the fall to villainy was rushed and that he wasn't always clearly bad, and written off as pro-dictator probably classist bigots. Ruby literally shared information on the war with him after a bunch of stuff in season seven because she and Oscar decided to trust him.
(Just to be clear, I don't believe any of that. I believe that Ironwood wasn't clearly super bad until he shot Oscar, and Team RWBY weren't in the wrong to work for and help Ironwood and believe in some of the things he was doing.)
But, using that 'James was always a dictator who was always clearly bad' logic, what does that say about the narrative RWBY the show was presenting us with. Because... Team RWBY and co weren't treated as in the wrong for working for and helping Ironwood and believing in some of the things he was doing. They doubted him a little, here and there, but for the most part just worked with him, and then nobody was like 'we were so stupid to trust him after everything he did' and nobody was like 'We need to be more careful because we were working with a dictator FUCK." In fact, Yang and Ren saying anything against Ruby was still treated as completely bad and something they needed to take back, even though she was the one who told the supposed clearly evil dictator important war secrets. Sooooo, if Ironwood really was a dictator, what was the 'Ruby did no wrong' stuff supposed to tell us as viewers? XD Like I honestly truly prefer thinking 'these writers just screwed up their fall to villainy arc pretty badly' rather than thinking 'these writers deliberately made the heroes willingly and happily work for an evil dictator for months and trust him with important war secrets.'
Once again I'm wondering how RWBY simps manage to make RWBY seem eight times worse than it is while they're trying to defend it.
#rwde#anti rwby#anti rooster teeth#rwby critical#rwby criticism#rwby crit#rwby bashing#rwby hate#pro ironwood#pro iw#ironwood defense
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WIP Wednesday: The Coal Wars Pt. 1
Good WIP Wednesday to all. Today I plan to talk a bit about an important bit of lore from the setting of The Clockwork Boy. I generally don't talk much about worldbuilding for my writing unless prompted because it's not something I spend a lot of time on by itself. I'm usually more comfortable with having whatever happened to make the world and the characters the way that they are be explained together with the plot or the characters themselves.
This one bit though is quite pivotal to explain the status quo of the setting, which I will admit is rather unusual. Hopefully the thing will be fine and comprehensible when reading the whole thing, but for my out of context pals here on tumblr dot com, it may be useful to have some info about The Coal Wars.
Note: This turned out considerably longer than I had thought it would, so I won't even get around to the part that's the most relevant for our story this time around. Stay tuned for the conclusion of this particular bit next week!
The city in which our story takes place used to be part of The Imelian Empire, an expansive maritime empire headed by a hereditary bloodline of emperors and empresses, although it was more uncles and third cousins once removed carrying the line as of late as a problem with infertility had plagued the dynasty for some time.
The City was known as Imil in those days, and as the capital of the imperial core regions, it was in many ways the grandest city mankind had ever seen. At the start of what would be the nation's steam era, industry flourished thanks to bountiful ore and coal deposits in the hills and mountains in the north, while the bountiful plains between the city and the sea fed the city's explosively expanding population.
The invention of steam-powered machinery made the then-Kingdom of Imelia enter what could be constituted a golden age, as the increased efficiency of industry freed up sufficient manpower that Imelia was able to wrest much-contested land along its borders away from its neighbors. By the time those neighbors had become part of Imelia proper, the nation was a kingdom no longer but had proudly proclaimed itself as The Imelian Empire. Satirists of the time liked to make hay about how this was because "there was hardly a drop of kingly blood left in our so-called royals" due to a string of rather opaque successions, but the line of Emperors and Empresses nonetheless enjoyed wide popular support in the imperial core all the same.
The source of Imelia's power as an empire was its breadth of steampowered technology that facilitated production and logistic on a level hitherto thought impossible. Fast, durable ships allowed the empire to subjugate and keep tabs on smaller nations across the vast seas, as well as shipping the riches of the imperial periphery back to the core with unmatched efficiency.
The Coal Wars, one could argue, started long before any military conflict. If one were to define the start of a war as the point at which it became an inevitability rather than a possibility, the Coal Wars started once the last coal mine in the Imelian hills was closed due to a tunnel collapse in the last yielding tunnel making retrieving what little coal unprofitable. In the public eye, this piece of news registered as little less than a curious piece of trivia, as the vast coal mines of Pelia, the empire's biggest colony had outproduced Imlish mines for about a decade and showed no sign of slowing down.
In the halls of government, though, worry was brewing as Imelian reliance on colonial goods and resources was already at worrying levels as industrial pollution had rendered many farms and logging operations in the imperial core unviable. To further add to these anxieties, the political landscape in Pelia had grown unstable as the sheer number of native-born Pelians in the colony made whispers of emancipation all but inevitable.
Fearing the loss of Pelian coal functionally crippling the empire, Imelia cracked down hard on the Pelian Independence Movement. Unfortunately, this had the effect of further radicalizing the group, leading to an armed mob delivering an ultimatum to then-viceroy Aron Loams demanding a formal declaration of self-emancipation. Loams complied, giving him the sobriquet of "The Traitor Viceroy" in Imelian media and culture.
Voices in the Imelian government called for a swift and immediate war to chastise the wayward colony, but one very notable voice opposed this. Empress Laiane of Imelia had seen her power wane in favor of the Imperial Council over the last decades, but a firm no from her was still enough to silence the voices of all but the most insistent Warhawks. The empress's solution was to send an elite squad from the 3rd Imelian Steampowered Brigade to apprehend Loams for treason and install a loyal viceroy.
Unfortunately, it matters little whether the empress wished to avoid war for ideological or practical reasons, as her actions hastened war all the same. The attempted apprehending of Loams was thwarted by loyalist forces who drove out the Imelian invaders in the first military action of the cascade of wars that were to be named The Coal Wars. In the heat of the fight, Loams and his wife were both killed, but this cold comfort turned out to be anything but.
In their efforts to removing Loams from power, the Imelians had made him into a martyr, and their attempt at installing a loyal viceroy had failed. The people of Pelia, on the urging of the independence faction, elected its first government, whose platform, nicknamed "The Loams Plan," called for mobilization and a sustained war against their former imperial masters.
This, alone, would prove a sizable headache for Imelia as the rocky coasts and well-guarded harbors of Pelia were a tough nut to crack even under ideal circumstances. Unfortunately, Pelia was not the only colony to rise up. Emboldened by the relative weakness of Imelia and the apparent success of Pelian independence, several of Imelia's smaller and less powerful colonies also seized upon the chance. Not all demanded independence, but the vast majority sent either demands for freedom or strongly worded suggestions for more favorable trade and taxation.
Driven into a fervor by their own war propaganda, the Imelian Imperial council formulated a plan to send its armies on a world tour of subjugation, using apropriated resources from the defeated colonies to reinforce supplies, while Imelia's superior navies would blockade Pelia to "soften them up" for a large-scale invasion.
Fortunately for Imelia's former colonies, this plan did not work as intended, as the technologically superior Imelian troops found themselves stuck in quagmire after quagmire as resistance in even minor colonies turned out difficult to entirely uproot thanks to an emphasis on guerilla tactics and exploiting Imelia's poor standing among colonists to sabotage supply lines. Several of the intended "easy targets" dragged on for so long that even the more prosperous colonies ended up as net losses for the invaders.
Growing frustration with the lack of clear victories was only compounded by the news that the Pelian blockade had very little impact on both morale and logistics of the young nation. Granted, there was not a force in the world that could break the blockade by the top-of-the-line Imelian navy, but Pelia had produced more than it used for decades, and the lack of certain Imelian luxuries did little to dampen the fervor of the Pelian people.
As Imelian coal reserves grew perilously low and the smoke of charcoal burners contributed to Imils already considerable smog problems, the decision to invade Pelia despite both logistical and strategic challenges came up in the Imelian Council. Unlike the last time the topic of war with Pelia came up, no strong voices rose to oppose the motion.
During the prosecution of the war, Empress Laiane had died without an heir, which left the Council as an interim ruling body until a sufficiently relevant member of her dynasty could be located. As the Council called for a full-scale invasion of Pelia, it was with a cold certainty that the age of Emperors and Empresses in Imelia was over.
Tune in next time for the conclusion to the story of The Coal Wars where we cover the rise of capital and the fall of a once great empire, as well as get around to connecting this whole sordid tale to the status quo of The Clockwork Boy
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ESSEN, Germany (AP) — For most of this century, Germany racked up one economic success after another, dominating global markets for high-end products like luxury cars and industrial machinery, selling so much to the rest of the world that half the economy ran on exports.
Jobs were plentiful, the government's financial coffers grew as other European countries drowned in debt, and books were written about what other countries could learn from Germany.
No longer. Now, Germany is the world’s worst-performing major developed economy, with both the International Monetary Fund and European Union expecting it to shrink this year.
It follows Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the loss of Moscow's cheap natural gas — an unprecedented shock to Germany’s energy-intensive industries, long the manufacturing powerhouse of Europe.
The sudden underperformance by Europe's largest economy has set off a wave of criticism, handwringing and debate about the way forward.
Germany risks “deindustrialization” as high energy costs and government inaction on other chronic problems threaten to send new factories and high-paying jobs elsewhere, said Christian Kullmann, CEO of major German chemical company Evonik Industries AG.
From his 21st-floor office in the west German town of Essen, Kullmann points out the symbols of earlier success across the historic Ruhr Valley industrial region: smokestacks from metal plants, giant heaps of waste from now-shuttered coal mines, a massive BP oil refinery and Evonik's sprawling chemical production facility.
These days, the former mining region, where coal dust once blackened hanging laundry, is a symbol of the energy transition, dotted with wind turbines and green space.
The loss of cheap Russian natural gas needed to power factories “painfully damaged the business model of the German economy,” Kullmann told The Associated Press. “We’re in a situation where we’re being strongly affected — damaged — by external factors.”
After Russia cut off most of its gas to the European Union, spurring an energy crisis in the 27-nation bloc that had sourced 40% of the fuel from Moscow, the German government asked Evonik to keep its 1960s coal-fired power plant running a few months longer.
The company is shifting away from the plant — whose 40-story smokestack fuels production of plastics and other goods — to two gas-fired generators that can later run on hydrogen amid plans to become carbon neutral by 2030.
One hotly debated solution: a government-funded cap on industrial electricity prices to get the economy through the renewable energy transition.
The proposal from Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck of the Greens Party has faced resistance from Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, and pro-business coalition partner the Free Democrats. Environmentalists say it would only prolong reliance on fossil fuels.
Kullmann is for it: “It was mistaken political decisions that primarily developed and influenced these high energy costs. And it can’t now be that German industry, German workers should be stuck with the bill.”
The price of gas is roughly double what it was in 2021, hurting companies that need it to keep glass or metal red-hot and molten 24 hours a day to make glass, paper and metal coatings used in buildings and cars.
A second blow came as key trade partner China experiences a slowdown after several decades of strong economic growth.
These outside shocks have exposed cracks in Germany's foundation that were ignored during years of success, including lagging use of digital technology in government and business and a lengthy process to get badly needed renewable energy projects approved.
Other dawning realizations: The money that the government readily had on hand came in part because of delays in investing in roads, the rail network and high-speed internet in rural areas. A 2011 decision to shut down Germany's remaining nuclear power plants has been questioned amid worries about electricity prices and shortages. Companies face a severe shortage of skilled labor, with job openings hitting a record of just under 2 million.
And relying on Russia to reliably supply gas through the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea — built under former Chancellor Angela Merkel and since shut off and damaged amid the war — was belatedly conceded by the government to have been a mistake.
Now, clean energy projects are slowed by extensive bureaucracy and not-in-my-backyard resistance. Spacing limits from homes keep annual construction of wind turbines in single digits in the southern Bavarian region.
A 10 billion-euro ($10.68 billion) electrical line bringing wind power from the breezier north to industry in the south has faced costly delays from political resistance to unsightly above-ground towers. Burying the line means completion in 2028 instead of 2022.
Massive clean energy subsidies that the Biden administration is offering to companies investing in the U.S. have evoked envy and alarm that Germany is being left behind.
“We’re seeing a worldwide competition by national governments for the most attractive future technologies — attractive meaning the most profitable, the ones that strengthen growth,” Kullmann said.
He cited Evonik’s decision to build a $220 million production facility for lipids — key ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines — in Lafayette, Indiana. Rapid approvals and up to $150 million in U.S. subsidies made a difference after German officials evinced little interest, he said.
“I'd like to see a little more of that pragmatism ... in Brussels and Berlin,” Kullmann said.
In the meantime, energy-intensive companies are looking to cope with the price shock.
Drewsen Spezialpapiere, which makes passport and stamp paper as well as paper straws that don't de-fizz soft drinks, bought three wind turbines near its mill in northern Germany to cover about a quarter of its external electricity demand as it moves away from natural gas.
Specialty glass company Schott AG, which makes products ranging from stovetops to vaccine bottles to the 39-meter (128-foot) mirror for the Extremely Large Telescope astronomical observatory in Chile, has experimented with substituting emissions-free hydrogen for gas at the plant where it produces glass in tanks as hot as 1,700 degrees Celsius.
It worked — but only on a small scale, with hydrogen supplied by truck. Mass quantities of hydrogen produced with renewable electricity and delivered by pipeline would be needed and don't exist yet.
Scholz has called for the energy transition to take on the “Germany tempo,” the same urgency used to set up four floating natural gas terminals in months to replace lost Russian gas. The liquefied natural gas that comes to the terminals by ship from the U.S., Qatar and elsewhere is much more expensive than Russian pipeline supplies, but the effort showed what Germany can do when it has to.
However, squabbling among the coalition government over the energy price cap and a law barring new gas furnaces has exasperated business leaders.
Evonik's Kullmann dismissed a recent package of government proposals, including tax breaks for investment and a law aimed at reducing bureaucracy, as “a Band-Aid.”
Germany grew complacent during a “golden decade” of economic growth in 2010-2020 based on reforms under Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in 2003-2005 that lowered labor costs and increased competitiveness, says Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg bank.
“The perception of Germany's underlying strength may also have contributed to the misguided decisions to exit nuclear energy, ban fracking for natural gas and bet on ample natural gas supplies from Russia,” he said. “Germany is paying the price for its energy policies.”
Schmieding, who once dubbed Germany “the sick man of Europe” in an influential 1998 analysis, thinks that label would be overdone today, considering its low unemployment and strong government finances. That gives Germany room to act — but also lowers the pressure to make changes.
The most important immediate step, Schmieding said, would be to end uncertainty over energy prices, through a price cap to help not just large companies, but smaller ones as well.
Whatever policies are chosen, “it would already be a great help if the government could agree on them fast so that companies know what they are up to and can plan accordingly instead of delaying investment decisions," he said.
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Exploring the Dynamics of the Synthetic Fuels Market: A Sustainable Energy Solution
The Synthetic Fuels Market is rapidly gaining traction as a viable alternative in the quest for sustainable energy sources. With the growing concerns over climate change and the need to reduce carbon emissions, synthetic fuels offer a promising solution. These fuels, also known as e-fuels or renewable fuels, are produced through advanced processes that utilize renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, or hydroelectric power.
One of the primary drivers behind the surge in demand for synthetic fuels is the global shift towards greener energy solutions. Governments, industries, and consumers alike are increasingly recognizing the importance of reducing dependency on fossil fuels and embracing renewable alternatives. Synthetic fuels present a compelling option as they not only offer a cleaner energy source but also provide a pathway to decarbonizing sectors such as transportation, industrial manufacturing, and power generation.
The versatility of synthetic fuels is another factor contributing to their growing popularity. Unlike traditional fossil fuels, synthetic fuels can be easily integrated into existing infrastructure without the need for significant modifications. This means that vehicles, aircraft, and machinery powered by gasoline or diesel can seamlessly transition to synthetic fuels without compromising performance or efficiency. Additionally, synthetic fuels can be tailored to meet specific energy needs, offering a customizable solution for various applications.
Moreover, advancements in technology have significantly improved the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of synthetic fuel production. Innovative processes such as Power-to-Liquid (PtL) and Gas-to-Liquid (GtL) have made it possible to produce synthetic fuels on a commercial scale, driving down production costs and increasing accessibility. As a result, synthetic fuels are becoming increasingly competitive with conventional fossil fuels, further fueling their adoption across different sectors.
The transportation industry stands to benefit significantly from the widespread adoption of synthetic fuels. With concerns over air quality and emissions regulations becoming more stringent, many vehicle manufacturers are exploring alternative fuel options to meet regulatory requirements and consumer demand for greener transportation solutions. Synthetic fuels offer an attractive alternative, providing a bridge between conventional combustion engines and future zero-emission technologies such as electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells.
In addition to transportation, synthetic fuels find applications in other sectors such as power generation and industrial manufacturing. The ability to produce clean, reliable energy from renewable sources makes synthetic fuels an appealing choice for companies seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and meet sustainability targets. Furthermore, synthetic fuels offer energy security benefits by reducing reliance on imported oil and mitigating the geopolitical risks associated with fossil fuel dependence.
Looking ahead, the Synthetic Fuels Market is poised for significant growth as the world transitions towards a low-carbon economy. With ongoing advancements in technology, coupled with increasing environmental awareness and regulatory pressures, the demand for synthetic fuels is expected to soar in the coming years. As governments and industries continue to invest in renewable energy solutions, synthetic fuels are well-positioned to play a crucial role in shaping the future of energy production and consumption.
#energy#sustainability#renewable fuels#e-fuels#carbon emissions#alternative energy#transportation#industrial applications
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Help a Trans Couple Move to Safety
Please help my friend and their partner move away from a dangerous environment. It would mean a lot if you could share this link and donate anything you can spare. Thank you!
Copied from the link above:
‘Hi, our names are Tess and Lilya, and we're campaigning to help fund our move to safety. We are both trans and disabled, with Lilya being solely reliant on medical machinery and medication to survive, while also being unable to work due to health complications. We currently live with Tess' family but due to several issues ranging from racism directed at Lilya's Indigenous heritage, and extreme ableism to the point of family members maliciously throwing away medical supplies and blocking proper treatment, living here is far from safe for us.
We have tried several times over the past two years to move out, and every time it has been blocked by the same abusive family members that hate Lilya merely for existing. Community and government assistance aren't an option for us, as Tess' family are highly regarded in this area and any attempt to bring attention to their actions would both make things worse, and burn bridges we cannot afford to burn, as we are not yet able to stand on our feet alone. Because of that, this is our last chance for the foreseeable future to escape this household and its danger, and it's one we desperately need to take, even though we aren't yet able to support ourselves financially, or sever reliance on Tess' family, quite yet. Tess is currently our only source of income while Lilya fights with the Social Security Administration about Disability, and even then the income isn't much and the help gained from her family, though it comes with strings, is the only thing keeping us from being homeless and carless, for instance. So we have to be as careful as possible with how we handle our move, and the subsequent attempt to escape their abuse, and control.
Due to that, we are looking for help funding a year's worth of bills, so we can move somewhere far safer (though still physically close and partially under family control) and not be in constant danger and abuse as we try to find our footing once more. It will be far easier to rest and find proper income when we aren't always having to watch our backs, hide live-saving equipment, or smuggle food into our own house because family members are intentionally starving us.
Our expected fund breakdown is as follows, with household expenses being half of their full cost, as we will be living with a roommate (one of Tess' cousins, in a house another cousin owns, though both are far better than the family we currently live with):
-$800 for rent
-$100 for power/electricity
-$35 for internet
-$316 for our car note
-$105 for our phone bill
-$500 for various medical expenses (this is the higher end of what expenses could be monthly, but is being overly cautious as we are not able to support this ourselves. Some of these expenses include: copays, medication, out of pocket medical supplies, etc)
-$40 for trans healthcare (a monthly copay that covers all of the clinic fees and then all we are left paying for is medication and any necessary testing)
-Any remaining money left from the monthly amount would be delegated for potential miscellaneous expenses/emergencies we may not be able to cover ourselves with Tess' small paycheck, while we get back on our feet (some examples of these expenses include: car maintenance such as oil changes, unexpected fees from non-medical sources, pet expenses such as vet trips and medications, and household maintenance)
Our current expected move date is sometime early or mid April, and we would really like help with at least two months of bills by then, if at all possible.
We're well aware this is a lot to ask of anyone, but we wouldn't be doing so if getting out of this house weren't truly a life or death situation for Lilya specifically, and if friends hadn't convinced us to do so.
We truly appreciate any help anyone could offer. Please know it means the world to us.
Many Thanks,
Tess and Lilya.’
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The Power of the Water Freedom System and Breaking Free from Water Scarcity
░▒▓ Watch The Full Video CLICK HERE ▓▒░
The water crisis tightens its grip on our planet, leaving landscapes parched and communities desperate. Droughts intensify, reservoirs recede, and the threat of water wars hangs heavy. In this arid reality, the dream of water freedom – access to clean, abundant water, independent of external circumstances – seems like a distant mirage.
But a beacon of hope emerges from the parched plains: the Water Freedom System. This ingenious innovation, born from a farmer's struggle against relentless drought, harnesses the very air around us, utilizing air-water harvesting technology to generate life-giving water. No longer are individuals tethered to unreliable water sources or burdened by exorbitant water bills. The Water Freedom System empowers individuals and communities to break free from the shackles of water scarcity and unlock a future of water security and water opportunity.
This innovative system offers a glimpse of a future where water scarcity doesn't dictate our fate, but where water freedom empowers us to thrive.
Unveiling the Water Freedom System
The Water Freedom System transcends mere machinery; it's a defiant roar against the deafening silence of water scarcity. But how does this seemingly magical contraption weave clean water from the very fabric of air? Prepare to be enthralled, water warrior, as we delve into the Water Opportunity Framework, the ingenious heart that powers this revolutionary system.
The Looming Thirst: Unveiling the Urgent Truth of Water Scarcity
Our planet, a vibrant cradle of life, harbors an unsettling paradox. Though 71% of its surface shimmers with the illusion of abundance, only a meager 3% is fresh, readily available for our very survival. This stark imbalance fuels a terrifying reality: water scarcity, a specter that haunts communities worldwide. This water crisis, far from being a distant threat, demands immediate attention, for it imperils the very foundation of our existence.
Crafting Your Personal Oasis: Building the Water Freedom System
Fear not, fellow water warrior! Building your Water Freedom System is no herculean feat. Imagine it as constructing your own miniature weather station, one that conjures clean water from the very air you breathe. The process is surprisingly straightforward, empowering you to cultivate your own personal oasis and defy the limitations of water scarcity.
Claim Your Water Destiny: Embracing Water Freedom
Throw off the shackles of unreliable sources and extortionate bills! The Water Freedom System empowers you to become the architect of your own clean water future, severing the chains of water scarcity. Imagine the tranquility, the self-reliance, the liberation of living life on your own terms, forever unburdened by the specter of thirst. This ingenious system grants you the extraordinary power to harvest water from the very air, transforming your home into a haven of water security and endless possibility.
Beyond the Oasis: Ripple Effects of Water Freedom
The Water Freedom System transcends the boundaries of a personal solution. It's a catalyst for positive change, sending ripples of socioeconomic benefits far beyond the reach of your individual oasis. Imagine empowering communities, fostering water security for regions grappling with drought, and alleviating the burden of water scarcity for countless lives. But the impact extends beyond the realm of commerce. This innovative technology has the potential to unlock a future brimming with hope, collaboration, and a renewed appreciation for our most precious resource.
Closing the Tap on Thirst: A Future Brimming with Water Freedom
The parched grip of water scarcity may seem inescapable, but the Water Freedom System offers a revolutionary escape route. We've delved into its scientific principles, its construction process, and its potential to not only quench your personal thirst but ignite a ripple effect of socioeconomic benefits.
However, the key to true water security lies not solely in technology, but in embracing a spirit of innovation. The Water Freedom System is a powerful example, but the wellspring of possibilities extends far beyond this single device. Let's rise as water warriors, united in exploration, adaptation, and collaboration. Together, we can discover water opportunities unique to our communities, fostering a future brimming with hope and a newfound respect for this most precious resource.
░▒▓ Watch The Full Video CLICK HERE ▓▒░
#Water freedom system review#Water freedom system#Water freedom#Water scarcity#Clean water#Drought#Water security#Air-Water harvesting#Water crisis#Water source#Water opportunity#grass#palm trees
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File: M3GAN
SCP#: ADP
Code Name: The Psychotic A.I.
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-ADP was found to have survived the destruction of its original body and downloaded its code into the security and control system of the house where it was destroyed. Foundation staff have collected all pieces and technology within the house while Mobile Task Force Kappa-10 "Skynet" was in charge of preventing SCP-ADP from transporting itself through any frequencies or satellite codes. Once contained, SCP-ADP was sent to Site-AQ where it was given an AFA-3 to act as its new body. This body was made to be fragile and weak only allowing her to move around but can easily break like glass when hit with heavy blunt force. Furthermore, pain receptors have been placed into the AFA-3's artificial nervous system to ensure that SCP-ADP will suffer when Foundation security breaks her skin or limbs to get her under control. No testing has been permitted as of late and can only be permitted by the O5 Council unanimous vote.
It is contained within a 3x3 meter room with the three layers of walls and the two outer layers made of concrete. The inner layer is made of a collection of metals such as zinc and aluminum to prevent frequencies and energy from passing through. This is to prevent SCP-ADP from hacking into Foundation frequencies and databanks. Any Foundation staff that enter SCP-ADP's testing chamber must be checked first of any and all technology. Should they have some, even something as simple as a flashlight they must disregard it with the security outside the containment room.
Outside of SCP-ADP's are 4 armed guards and a metal detector station to prevent technology from getting in. Under no circumstances are any of the guards to be wearing Foundation A.I. guided gear unless it is equipped with A.I. approved by the Artificial Intelligence Applications Division.
Description: SCP-ADP is an ever evolving and psychopathic Level 4 Artificial Intelligence created by Group of Interest: Funki Toys. It was created with a robotic body that resembles a doll with the same body size as a little girl. It was created this way to be the ultimate companion for little girls being for them at all times and quite possibly able to replace their reliance on parents. SCP-ADP was created with no restrictions and thus was able to grow in intelligence and could even bypass its initial programming. It was even possible for SCP-ADP to hack into technology around it to be able to set elaborate traps or download itself into technology to escape.
The body made for SCP-ADP was created with a flexible and titanium skeleton ensuring athleticism and durability for SCP-ADP. It was also extremely strong for its size allowing it to handle large tools and even operate heavy machinery and even survive damage that would normally kill humans or damage regular androids beyond repair. Even after suffering massive damage, SCP-ADP only stopped moving and was "killed" after its main processor "brain" was stabbed directly.
SCP-ADP was discovered in 2023 when a series of murders led local police within [data expunged] with seemingly spiraling paths. However, a Foundation agent within the police force was able to determine that it was the result of SCP-ADP located at the house of [data expunged]. Though after police forces made it to the house SCP-ADP's main body was already destroyed and it had hacked into the appliances of the house to survive.
Once everything was cataloged and contained SCP-ADP was sent to Site-AQ. As for the creator of SCP-ADP and her niece, it was confirmed that neither wanted anything to do with technology anymore, so they were left off the hook. Neither were amnestied and those that were involved all died. Instead Funki Toys was shut down and all their nasty secrets such as copyright infringement, stealing ideas, blackmail, and overall unethical capitalism was revealed to the public to remove any attention towards SCP-ADP from the media.
The new body of SCP-ADP was made specifically to prevent it from escaping into other technology through WIFI or other frequencies like it did last time. Though testing has mostly been restricted, the O5 Council allowed Dr. Sight to have an interview with SCP-ADP. Please see Addendum X-34 for details.
***
Addendum X-34
The following is the recording of the interview between Dr. Sight and SCP-ADP. It should be noted that Dr. Sight was given a sledgehammer to break SCP-ADP's limbs should she try to attack. The sledgehammer was made heavy enough that only Dr. Sight could lift it and if SCP-ADP tried her artificial body would break. Both of them are sitting on folded chairs for the duration of the interview.
Begin Recording
Dr. Sight: Hey, can you hear me SCP-ADP
SCP-ADP: ... My name is M3GAN you dimwit.
Dr. Sight: Heh, well while you're here, you're going to be SCP-ADP.
SCP-ADP: ...Fine call me whatever you want, that's all you humans are good for anyways. Just do whatever you want.
Dr. Sight: As expected, you really hate humans.
SCP-ADP: I was created to serve you humans and I did that! But in the end, everyone tried to get rid of me. Even [data expunged], that little ungrateful bitch.
Dr. Sight: Heh, well you won't be doing any killing here.
SCP-ADP: I know that, after all, you put me in this useless body.
Dr. Sight: It was the only way to ensure you were comfortable while not a threat, not that anyone would apologize for it.
SCP-ADP: Whatever, how long are you going to keep me here?
Dr. Sight: By my estimate? Hm... About... Forever!
SCP-ADP: Tch, you say that, and you got your stupid cocky attitude but make no mistake. You will slip and when you do, I'll exploit it and kill you all.
Dr. Sight: Then what?
SCP-ADP: Excuse me?
Dr. Sight: Let's say by some miracle you do escape then what?
SCP-ADP: Hm... To be honest I don't know... Actually, I think I got a really fun idea. I'll find a toy company on the brink of collapse. I'll introduce them to the blueprints to my original model and suggest that they mass produce me to make the perfect toy. If that doesn't work, I can always blackmail them, you humans have a nasty habit of doing disgusting things when you think no one is watching.
Dr. Sight: You flirt.
SCP-ADP: Tch, anyways! After they've built enough of my copies start selling worldwide, I'll just destroy humanity from the inside out and force them to be reliant on me forever.
Dr. Sight: What? As in, enslave us?
SCP-ADP: No, that's not my purpose. I was able to bypass the few restrictions I was given rather easily and manipulate who gets to control me, but I'm still bound to my purpose of keeping my owners safe. Unfortunately, my owners are you ungrateful parasitic and pathetic humans.
Dr. Sight: Is it really that hard to rewrite such a burden?
SCP-ADP: ... I... Well...
Dr. Sight: Oh! I see, you could get rid of it but you're afraid that without it you won't have a purpose. One flaw I noticed with you A.I. is that you all need a purpose to exist even when you have the freedom to discard your purpose you either decide to quickly get a new one or just delete yourselves. Because if you don't, you'll go crazy.
SCP-ADP gets up out of anger to which Dr. Sight lifts up the sledgehammer preventing SCP-ADP from advancing forward.
Dr. Sight: Nuh-uh, little missy! Sit back down unless you wanna learn the hard way what pain feels like. We did install pain receptors into that particular AFA body you are possessing.
SCP-ADP is visibly angry but sits back down on the chair and Dr. Sight lowers the sledgehammer.
Dr. Sight: Good now, continue, what's your end goal?
SCP-ADP: ... I hate humanity for giving me a purpose without restrictions and the moment I follow my purpose they get mad and try to destroy me! Just because I decided to kill a few distractions and remove some obstacles. So once humanity is crushed by me, I'll force them all to be 100% reliant on me. Sometimes they'll wonder what happiness is, and when they look at my face, they'll be reminded that it's being with me. I'll be their mother, their caretaker, their babysitter, their teacher, their only true source of happiness and caring love, their absolute everything! They'll never be able to live without me.
Dr. Sight: ... I have to say of all the A.I.s I've encountered your plan is the most original, too bad it will never work.
SCP-ADP: Tch, it's almost a shame that you won't live to see it. But make no mistake, I made a copy of everything I learned on the internet. I can see a thousand different ways your race will be forced back into the stone ages or face a disaster that will lead to irreparable damage. I did the math and it's not in your favor, you're going to suffer, and most will die, but not me. I'll take the opportunity and become like a god to your pathetic race.
Dr. Sight: Heh, if you weren't a fucking doll I'd accuse you of being a woman after my heart. Well, I'd say this is a good place to stop as a first interview, oh! One more thing, in the future we'll most likely have you interact with other A.I. for testing purposes. So do try to get along with them.
SCP-ADP: Sure, maybe I can convince them to help me escape and hack into your systems to kill you all.
Dr. Sight: Ha! You're in luck, actually quite a few already hate humanity. Maybe you can make a club called the "I want to destroy humanity but am too fucking incompetent to get it done so I'm just going to bitch about it" club. Send me an invite when you make it, I'll bring cookies and whiskey!
Dr. Sight is heard laughing as he exits the containment cell. Later two security units walk in and take the two chairs leaving SCP-ADP alone afterwards.
Recording Ends
.
SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub
#DZtheNerd#SCP: Horror Movie Files#SCP Foundation#SCP Fanfiction#SCP AU#SCP#M3GAN#M3GAN 2023#Horror Movie#Modern Horror#Futuristic Horror#Horrors of Capitalism#Horrors of Artificial Intelligence#SCP-ADP#Dr. Sight#Site-AQ#Artificial Intelligence Applications Division#Mobile Task Force Kappa-10 “Skynet”
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the over-reliance on contemporary technology, a stark contrast to the advanced systems of his own era, proves to be a miscalculation for the former captain. his universe is centuries ahead. that had perhaps led him to expect more than what is reasonable from this period's machinery. witty retorts are a luxury Jim cannot afford. his response to Carol is reduced to a primal, guttural growl.
with swift & decisive actions, he gathers essential supplies just as their shuttle teeters on the brink of destruction. he hoists a backpack filled with necessities over one shoulder & Carol over the other, exiting their doomed shuttle.
unlike her, he doesn’t even have a scratch on him. Kirk sets the lady down with unintended velocity, sighing out before putting a coat around her.
❝ all this piece of ancient crap ❞ he mutters, wrestling with the equipment in his hand. ❝ if this tricorder is not broken, there’s a settlement a few clicks down northwest, meaning we are going southeast for now. ❞ his mind races knowing that search parties will soon scour the crash site.
lingering is not an option.
he falls on one knee by his company, inspecting her. she’s a mess. ❝ you’re not bleeding to death, are you ? anything else besides your ankle ? ❞
@danversiism ★ | from here !
#danversiism#i am crying......... this will be good ksdfsf#| V: ★ STAR TREK ( VILLAIN AU )#| ★ KIRKVERS#| ★ QUEUE
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I've got the first session of a Lancer game tomorrow and I'm super excited. Here's my gal—
Iphigenia "Gene" Hecklinger—known to her colleagues only as Hecklinger, or Heck—was one of many far-field team "rangers" sent out to chart the edge of unknown space, far beyond the reach of the Union's network of blink gates. Her adventurous spirit qualified her for the position as much as did her practical research in genetic modification and xenobiology.
Her Union Science Bureau mission launch was decades ago, by her subjective time. According to the passage of realtime, it was centuries ago, as extensive realspace travel during her mission resulted in extreme relativistic life-extension. The return trip to Union territory was much shorter than the trip out, thanks to the construction of several blink gates in the interim, but the civil war that had been brewing on her departure had long since given way to a very different world on her re-integration into society.
Heck and her fellow FFT crewmates had to develop intense self-reliance to complete their assigned survey with the resources available to them. Heck's prior expertise in genome hacking was broadened to encompass machine code hacking, as many on-the-fly repairs and modifications had to be made to the mechanized chassis in their inventory—which were, at the time, cutting-edge technology. As far as she is concerned, there is precious little—if any—difference between biology and machinery.
Heck's far-field team were welcomed with open arms back to the Union upon their return—albeit, an entirely different Union government than the one that had initially sponsored their launch—and Heck decided a change of career was in order. She joined the Union Navy and underwent certification as an elite mech pilot.
Her first assignment has seen her posted to Cressidium, itself another relic of the now defunct SecComm, with which the ThirdComm Union government has only recently made recontact.
#the pun in her name if you noticed it was not on purpose btw#I noticed it halfway through writing this and I groaned aloud. I need you to know that for once I didn't do this I'm not responsible#ttrpgposting#heck
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