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Spreading the word, they're cool folks (and the parallelepipedon's patrons)!

#indie games #video games

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厄月[Calamitous Moon], 2024. Gif.

Still images posted separately.

Available as prints on inprnt 🌹🪻🌷

#soooo cool!

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Rene Magritte, Memoirs of a Saint, 1970 /// Twin Peaks, 1991

Rene Magritte, La Belle de Nuit, 1940 /// Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, 1992

Rene Magritte, The Pleasure Principle, 1937 /// Twin Peaks: The Return, 2017

Rene Magritte, The False Mirror, 1929 /// Twin Peaks, 1990

Rene Magritte, Image Not to Be Reproduced, 1937 /// Twin Peaks, 1991

#doctorspaceman #tp #yea

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Is Israeli academia about to enter a whole new phase? All signs are that it already has. In the past few weeks, Haaretz spoke with more than 60 Israeli scholars from a wide range of disciplines and academic institutions, from young scientists and university presidents about their experiences with colleagues abroad since the war broke out in the Gaza Strip after Hamas' massacre on October 7.

They recounted dozens of incidents: cancellation of invitations to conferences, a freeze on their appointments in foreign institutions, rejection of scientific articles on political grounds, disruption of lectures abroad, cessation of collaborative efforts with colleagues abroad, refusal by such colleagues to take part in the promotion process their Israeli counterparts must undergo at local institutions, and even a sweeping boycott of local colleges and universities. The following examples, all from recent months and backed up by documents and emails, are being made public here for the first time. The plethora of events leaves no room for doubt: Israel is feeling the brunt of an unprecedented academic boycott, which is only gathering momentum.

…

It once seemed as if the social sciences and humanities are more vulnerable to political struggles. Indeed, such departments in Israel were familiar with the impact of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement long before October 7. However, the cessation of collaboration – whether in conducting research, co-authoring articles or in other areas – is now being seen as a widespread phenomenon in all fields.

A few months ago, Nir Davidson, a physics professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science, suggested to an Italian colleague that they try together to request a grant from a competitive research foundation. "Because of the atrocities your country is perpetrating against innocent civilians, thousands of professors and researchers have signed a petition calling for all research collaboration to be blocked," the colleague replied, noting that he "fondly recalls" a visit he made to Israel in 2020, but adding, "I'm afraid that what your country has done and is continuing to do will never be forgotten or forgiven."

About a month ago, a scientist from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was ejected from an international group that submits research proposals to the European Union in the realm of environmental studies. The explanation he was given by one of his colleagues was, "I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to not select Israel as a partner for the project. In fact, some partners do not wish to be involved in the project if Israel is a partner, particularly given the current political context. I am truly sorry, and I hope that we will have the opportunity to work together on another research project. Thank you for your understanding and I wish you all the best for the future."

…

"I am writing to let you know that I have decided to step down from the Ph.D. committee [reviewing a student's thesis]," a foreign social sciences scholar wrote the Hebrew University recently. "Following the university's recent declaration of commitment to Zionism in the context of the war that is raging in Gaza, I feel I can no longer be associated with this institution. I have enjoyed working with you all and it is with a heavy heart that I am making this decision."

The "commitment to Zionism" the professor cited was part of the fierce public condemnation the university issued against sharp remarks by Israeli-Palestinian Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian, of its law faculty, against Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza. "As a proud Israeli, public, and Zionist institution," the university stated, it condemned her comments and suspended her, before reinstating her two weeks later.

The email from the foreign academic who asked to stop advising the Hebrew University doctoral student is only one example of an apparently growing phenomenon whereby scholars overseas no longer want to help prepare the next generation of lecturers and researchers at Israeli institutions: Sources at a few such institutions admit that they find it increasingly difficult to obtain the letters of evaluation from academics abroad that must be submitted in advance of discussions of staff promotions in Israel.

For the present, it looks as though the latter trend is particularly noticeable in the social sciences and the humanities: in sociology and anthropology, Middle Eastern studies and literature. But according to a source at one university, the field of law is also falling victim to such dwindling collaboration with foreign schools.

…

"If the Israeli government commits irrevocably to either a two-state (within 1967 borders) or one-state solution in which all Palestinians in both Israel and the occupied territories have equal rights to Israelis – I will be happy to engage with Israeli institutions," a senior researcher at a prestigious institution in Europe wrote recently, in response to a request to write an evaluation for an Israeli academic. "Until that day, no." Another European academic wrote: "I do not believe that this suffering of civilians can be justified and I believe that Israel is not acting in accordance with international human rights law. In light of that, I feel I cannot collaborate with any Israeli institution at the moment."

…

"The dam has burst," Drori declares now. "Talking about an academic boycott of scientists in Israel has become legitimate. It's a whole new world. We are in a very extreme situation, and I don't know whether and how it will be possible to reverse things. The boycott is severing our ability to be involved in the forefront of research. All scientific research that does not involve the international community is research that is less good. The severance from the world is suffocating us."

If the pool of international experts who are willing to cooperate with Israel does continue to shrink, Israeli academics will face discouraging alternatives: to approach less senior academics from less well-regarded universities (which, according to a knowledgeable source, is already happening in some cases), or to increase the proportion of assessments provided by local faculty – not a particularly palatable solution.

…

A number of universities and academic organizations in Belgium, Spain, Italy and Norway recently announced full boycotts or a suspension of ties with Israeli institutions until they receive clarifications with regard to topics ranging from the state of academic freedom on their campuses, to their moral, financial and material support for Israel's defense forces. For one, Ghent University recently requested such information from its counterpart in Haifa.

…

"The best-case scenario is that within a short time we will return to some sort of stability," says American studies professor Milette Shamir, vice president of Tel Aviv University and director of its international academic collaborations. "Our standing in the world will be rehabilitated and we will be able to return to the situation we were in, to very extensive international activity."

But Shamir acknowledges that she "doesn't know whether that scenario is realistic." Two weeks ago, she was in Australia to attend an academic fair at the University of Sydney. When she arrived, pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted that Tel Aviv University shares in crimes against the Palestinians and that all collaborations with Israel should end.

"The worst-case scenario is that we are headed in the direction of South Africa [in the apartheid period]," she says, "with boycotts that keep mounting to the point of paralyzing the system. The result will be a mortal blow to Israeli academia. It will take on a provincial character and we will not be able to integrate into the forefront of the world's research."

— 'I Won't Work With You. You're Committing Genocide': Israeli Academia Faces an Unprecedented Global Boycott. Or Kashti, Haaretz, April 14 2024

#palestine #OH. the local calls for similar actions are all over the news. good to read about it globally #if you listen to pundits it's unheard of and counterproductive lol

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It's Heaven's Vault's birthday and the game is discounted for the week! Please play Heaven's Vault. It's the good stuff.

#hv

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Btw I'm in a constant state of AAAAAAAAAAAA over Outer Wilds. Game of a generation. Total triumph. Or maybe it just picked all my favourite parts of video games and put them all in one single video game. V convenient.

#outer wilds lb #I think the prose is... not doing anything more than it strictly has to #but the narrative itself is shaping up to be really really good so whatever. it's not even a primarily narrative game

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Tristan Tzara, Paul Éluard, André Breton, Hans Arp, Salvador Dalí, Yves Tanguy, Max Ernst, René Crevel & Man Ray.

#prev dream blunt rotation #I need to read more Breton

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The promised scones!

#a highland song #moira mckinnon #uncle h #feat. stonesong and (long sigh) forest crown #my art

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extremely deep and poignant spoilers under cut

You'll never guess what happened while landing on that moon.

#outer wilds lb

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You'll never guess what happened while landing on that moon.

#outer wilds lb #extremely funny prank A+ foreshadowing great job game let's hit the showers

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I'm starting to think that the original inhabitants of the Minecraft world died out due to terminally awful seamanship. I mean, HOW?

#Atrus Was Here(tm) #srs myst blogging

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bro someone got fucking Myst loaded up at the gay club???????

#myst #yeah

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couple of things i've been working on that i would fully make into poster-sized prints if i had access to the right kind of printer and poster paper 😅

#myst #fanart recs #redwoodrroad #wow!!

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Twin Peaks & Kentucky Route Zero

#columbosunday #tp #kr0 #oh just slay me

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Fanfic: The Path They Travel (by azurefishnets)

Found on Archive of Our Own. About a 10 minute read.

Their description of the story:

A brief stop in their journey through the Serpent Trench gives Cyan, Gau, and Sabin a moment to learn a little more about each other.

The author really highlights some of the similarities between Sabin and Cyan that they themselves are just learning about.

I think it's fair to say that the game glosses over the trauma and grief that Cyan must be going through, having just seen his family and entire kingdom killed, then watching them get whisked away to the afterlife on a train that frankly is full of really sketchy spirits. It could be understandable to see why Cyan feels very isolated in his pain.

I also love stories where Sabin is shown as having more depth and maturity to him than is portrayed in-game. Thinking that he places a lot of importance on tea is a wonderful contrast to the frantic glutton he acts on the Phantom Train, but it still feels right for his character.

Gau is also shown to have more insight and heart than is usually portrayed in-game. It makes sense for him to have an naturalistic understanding of living creatures, even if he can't communicate it very well.

Finally, I love the idea of Duncan's wife smacking Sabin regularly for being a smart-ass. Weirdly seems to parallel Yang and his wife from FF4.

#ffvi #fanfic recs #damn right!

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💌 Send this to the twelve nicest people you know or who seem to have a good heart and if you get five back you must be pretty awesome. 💌

!!!! THANK YOU! LIKEWISE!!!

#I'm always bad at not breaking meme chains but YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU #a dash full of cool people

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“The Suffering of the Young Kafka” by François Schuiten

#schuiten #schuiten!!